Independent Films, Film Profiles

Katasumi and 4444444444

Katasumi and 4444444444 are two 1998 Japanese horror short films directed by Takashi Shimizu related to the Ju-on series.In a Corner/Katasumi begins with two Japanese schoolgirls (revealed to be Kanna and Hisayo in the first Ju-On film) who are caring for their school's rabbits. They are sweeping out the cages and feeding the animals when Kanna cuts her hand, and Hisayo leaves her to go into the school and fetch a bandage.When she returns, Kanna is nowhere to be found. The rabbit cages are empty, and bits of blood and fur are strewn about. Hisayo then sees something that looks like a crawling woman (Kayako) begins to move towards her from the far side of the backyard. As she backs into a corner, she finds the body of Kanna amongst the debris from the damaged rabbit cages. She holds a trowel up defensively in front of herself while Kayako closes in upon her. Kanna then moves her bloody head, and looks on as the frightened Hisayo cowers in the corner and waits. The screen fades to black.4444444444 opens with a young man (revealed to be named Tsuyoshi in the first Ju-On film) riding his bicycle home. As he rounds a corner in front of an apparently abandoned building (most likely his school as evidenced again in Ju-On: The Curse), he begins to hear a cellular phone ringing, though he cannot see it. He hunts through a garbage pile next to the darkened entrance to the building, finding the phone after several rings. Upon closer examination, the phone is displaying an incoming call from the number 4444444444 (the numeral "4" is culturally symbolic of bad luck. See Tetraphobia.). Tsuyoshi answers the phone to hear rasping, cat-like sounds issue from the earpiece. After unsuccessfully attempting to communicate with the unknown caller, he hangs up.Seconds later, the phone rings again, and again he answers. Tsuyoshi is getting frustrated at this point, and begins to look a little worried, as though someone might be playing a joke on him. As he sits on the steps in front of the deserted building, he continues to try and identify the caller. Looking around nervously, he asks, "Is there someone watching me?" Suddenly, a voice replies, "I am," though it does not come from the phone, Tsuyoshi turns slowly to see a pale boy (Toshio) beside him, drumming white fingers on his knees. Tsuyoshi looks startled, and the camera lingers on Toshio for a moment before zooming in quickly while he opens his mouth in a cat-like scream as a black substance drips from it. The screen fades to black.