The Story: It all began innocently enough.

While on her way to class, Min-ah stops by the water fountains to wash her face and freshen up. Laying on the fountain is someone's diary. Min-ah casually glances at it, puts it back down, only to pick it back up again and take it, her curiosity getting the better of her. The diary is actually a strange assortment of surreal collages, poems, thoughts, and entries shared between the schools two "weird girls" Shi-eun and Hyo-shin. While most of the girls at school are silly and carefree like Min-ah and her friends, Shi-eun and Hyo-shin are sullen and serious, only socializing with each other, making them complete outsiders and the objects of ridicule. Min-ah keeps the diary secret at first, and thumbs through its pages, reading their intimate thoughts, and getting glimpses into their offbeat psychic bond, a bond so deep that the two appear in love and have formed a suicide pact.

But things change one day when Hyo-Shin supposedly leaps from the roof of the school and commits suicide. Rumors abound- Min-ah wonders, was it part of Shi-eun and Hyo-shin's suicide pact, and if so, Shi-eun doesn't appear to want to follow her friend? Did Shi-eun kill her? Or was Hyo-Shin pregnant by a teacher, so she committed suicide on physical exam day? The diary itself begins to take hold of Min-ah, and she finds herself unable to rid herself of it, forced to follow its clues. And, all around the school strange things are happening, like there is a force at work, wanting to make its presence known, and it appears to be angry.

The Film: Memento Mori (1999) is a very neat little gem of a horror film. With films like this and The Isle Korea is fast becoming the country to go to for offbeat horror sensibilities. Memento Mori is keenly directed and plotted, and while it does have its share of horror film flaws, it is a unique and interesting film. Basically the film is divided into three parts- the beginning where we are introduced to the girls and the strange story begins to unravel- the middle where the phantasmagorical occurrences begin to pop up and some reasons for Hyo-shin's death are introduced- and then the finale which is where the film falters bit, taking itself into Carrie-like territory, but without the suspense, solutions, or gore. As Min-Ah reads the diary, the film also shows us key falshbacks in the lives of Shi-eun and Hyo-shin, givng us uinsight into their relationship... Third acts are hard in horror, and in this case Memento Mori just sort of peters out, but the rest of the film more than makes upon for it. The scares are pretty good and done so simply, its refreshing. No need for CGI trickery, just good old fashioned unexpected jumps, things popping into frame, surreal bits.

How often can you say, it is the acting in a horror film is what makes it worthwhile? Not very often. What it lacks in gore or shocks, Memento Mori completely makes up for in its characters, who never seem to be kid actresses, but utterly believable schoolgirls. The interaction between Min-ah and her friends is great, typical pre/early teen girls, joking around, whining, pestering, gossiping, cussing, and being cute with each other. When one of her friends mockingly begins to joke about her crush on a teacher she hates, and how much she desires him, you could swear they just turned a camera on in a school lunchroom and captured the moment. Likewise as the outsiders in a tangled, strange love with each other, Shi-eun and Hyo-shin are very real, so much so, that when the film shows their psychic connection, their ability to read each others thoughts, I didn't for a moment think of it as being fake.

As far as background information, I couldnt find out much. Apparently, this is the only film the actresses and the two directors have made; although it must be a semi-sequel because another listing I found had it titled as Whispering Corridor 2.

The DVD: Tai Seng imports the Mei Ah transfer, and sadly, its a very lacking one.

Picture- Fullscreen. A real shame too, because there are editions in other regions that are widescreen, and its a real puzzler why Mei Ah/Tai Seng didn't release a widescreen transfer. But, here comes the unforgivable. This DVD suffers from some of the worst ghosting I have seen on any DVD. There are scenes where the entire background image jitters and moves and scenes where trails follow the characters giving it the Enter the Dragon effect (you know, like when Bruce Lee does his psychedelic kung fu posing?). Other than some light fogging on certain scenes, the rest of the film is fine, good color and sharpness, but the ghosting that the transfer suffers from makes it not worth owning unless you are really desperate and find it cheap, or a friend offers to give you their copy.

Sound- Good, clear Dolby Digital 2.0 Original Korean language with optional, white Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) and English subtitles. Extras- Not much. 9 Chapters--- And a very brief list of the cast and crew and a synopsis of the film.

Conclusion: So, its a neat little horror film. I'd give a good barebones transfer a "Recommended", and a good extra laced transfer a "Highly Recommended". But this one I'll have to say "Rent it" because, sadly, the poor quality doesnt make it worth owning.