"Premonition" director Norio Tsuruta returns with new horror "POV ~Norowareta Film~”

by Chris MaGee

Director and screenwriter Norio Tsuruta never got to be as well known during the J-Horror boom as such filmmakers as Hideo Nakata or Kiyoshi Kurosawa, but he should have been. Tsuruta was there at the beginning of the genre, writing scripts and directing episodes of both "Scary True Stories" and "Haunted School", two series that forged the J-Horror aesthetic in the early 90's. He was also responsible for the under-appreciated horror gem "Premonition". Even though the J-Horror boom has officially busted Tsuruta is continuing to scare audiences.

Tokyograph reported this week that Tsuruta is currently putting the finishing touches on a new film titled “POV ~Norowareta Film~”. Taking a page from fellow horror director Koji Shiraishi and his mockumentary "Shirome", Tsuruta has cast teen actresses Mirai Shida and Haruna Kawaguchi as themselves. The two girls will apparently encounter otherworldly happenings during a guest spot on a panel TV show. During films of the program a ghostly video cuts into the broadcast and the girls get caught up in discovering its source. Their investigation takes them to a haunted high school.

Die hard Japanese horror fans will have to wait until February 18th to get chilled by "POV ~Norowareta Film~”. That's when it is scheduled to open in Japanese theatres; but until then check out the spooky trailer below.