Yeogo goedam II (1999)

Directors:

Tae-Yong Kim
Kyu-Dong Min

Writers:

Tae-Yong Kim (writer)
Kyu-Dong Min (writer)

Release Date:

24 December 1999 (South Korea)

Genre:

Horror | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

A student committed suicide, leaving behind a mysterious diary. Those who dare to read it are bound to die.

Plot:

Min-Ah finds a strange diary, capable of arousing hallucinations, kept by two of her senior fellow-students...

Plot Keywords:

Diary | Love | Teacher | Suicide | Friend

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Min-sun Kim	...	Min-ah
Yeh-jin Park	...	Hyo-shin
Young-jin Lee	...	Shi-eun
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jong-hak Baek	...	Mr. Goh
Min Han
Seung-Yeon Han
Jae-in Kim	...	Yeon-an (as Min-hie Kim)
Hyo-jin Kong	...	Ji-won
Hye-mi Lee
Seong-Eon Lim
Ji-Yeon Park

Directed by
Tae-Yong Kim
Kyu-Dong Min

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tae-Yong Kim		writer
Kyu-Dong Min		writer

Original Music by
Sung-woo Jo		(as Sung-woo Cho)

Cinematography by
Yoon-soo Kim

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yi-kwan Kang	....	assistant director

Distributors

• Ad Vitam Distribution
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (1999) (USA) (all media)
• Subway Cinema (2001) (USA) (subtitled)
• TLA Releasing (2005-????) (USA) (DVD)
• Tartan Video USA
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Memento Mori (International: English title)
Memento Mori: Remember the Dead (Philippines: English title)
Whispering Corridors 2

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and sexual content.

Runtime:

98 min | USA:97 min | 186 min (director's cut)

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

UK:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Hong Kong:IIB | South Korea:12 | USA:R

Trivia:

The directors prefer the English title "Memento Mori".

Quotes:

Hyo-shin: The first kiss, like the smell of apples? On your lips I've smelled the blood, that touches my tongue.

Movie Connections:

References Carrie (1976)

Nothing like the original, but brilliant nonetheless!

Fans of the original "Whispering Corridors" will be disappointed to learn that this is a sequel in name only; it shares absolutely no connection with the original movie apart from its title. The story tells of a girl, Min-ah, who finds a diary kept by two lesbian lover classmates at her boarding school - and soon begins suffering from strange hallucinations whenever she reads from it. Shortly after, one of the lovers is found dead and it's up to Min-ah to discover whether she killed herself or whether someone murdered her; before her spirit returns to the school for revenge.

"Memento Mori" is a wonderful movie, but it isn't an out-and-out horror flick as some have suggested. It's actually a cross between "The Virgin Suicides" and the original "Whispering Corridors", ie. a school ghost story ridden with teen love and infatuation, and the result is a beautifully crafted dreamlike feature which is a true delight to watch.

Acting is phenomenal from all concerned, with the actress playing Min-ah using a wide range of skills to play the different states her character finds herself in to perfection. The directors do a commendable job, too, even if their choice of camera angles is sometimes confusing - and the storyline occassionally lacks a clear narrative - I haven't enjoyed a Korean movie as much as this for quite some time.

Basically, "Memento Mori" is excellent from start to finish and seamlessly blends horror, suspense and romance to create a truly unforgettable feature. You'll need to think about some plotpoints carefully in order to fully understand what's happening - but it's totally worth the extra effort. Highly recommended. ****.5 / *****