Ah, Japan. Japan has got to be one of my favorite countries in the world. One of the main reasons for this is that they come out with some of the most wild, sick movies out there. From the country that brought you gems like the Guinea Pig series and Red Room now comes Grotesque, one of the latest splatter fests from the mother land to get itself banned in Norway and the UK. With any kind of ban comes controversy, and with any kind of controversy comes buzz. This was one of the more spoken about extreme titles of 2009, a year which also spawned the infamous Human Centipede. Whether you loved these films or hated them, they definitely helped bring some spotlight on the extreme horror scene, which is never a bad thing.
This film would be called a "torture porn" by most. I personally dislike the term, but if by "torture porn" you mean a film full of gratuitous, non stop torture and gore with little plot, then this would indeed be a "torture porn". The plot focuses on a young couple whom work together on their first date. They get kidnapped by a madman who gets his jollies off by feeling the "excitement" in watching the strength of ones will to live. He promises to release the pair if he feels that excitement. What ensues is 73 minutes of cruel torture and sadistic mind games, and while I don't like to delve into too many details in my reviews, I will say that when a lunatic who likes to torture you makes you a promise, you probably shouldn't get your hopes too high that he will follow through.
Most will dismiss this film as plotless, violent garbage that caters only to us weirdos who must enjoy watching people get brutalized. For those of you who actually have the stomach and patience to sit through films like these, you will find that there is actually a little more to the film than the average viewer will see. I'm not claiming the deep meanings of this film will have the brightest philosophers scratching their heads, nor will it win this film any academy awards. However, beneath all of the gore and sadism lies some questions that may or may not get you thinking. How far would you go to protect someone you love? Would you subject yourself to extreme acts of torture in order to spare the same fate on someone you cared about? Would you really "die for someone" if they were everything to you? In this movie, the couple being tortured were kidnapped on their first date. It is clear the guy cares more for the girl than she does for him. Even knowing this, he was willing to protect her to the best of his ability. Does this make him a fool, or does it say something about human nature? I don't know the answers to these questions, but some of them did stick with me for a bit after the movie.
So just how violent is this film? It was clear to me that this film drew a lot of inspiration from the early Guinea Pig films, which says something. The film takes about 15 seconds before our unlucky duo get kidnapped. Some background on the couple is revealed through short flashbacks, but much in the vein of a Guinea Pig film this film is chock full of the red stuff and not so full of plot. The images of the couple tied up and having various digits and limbs amputated was reminiscent of Flower of Flesh and Blood, and of course the infamous eye scene from Devil's Experiment is added in here as a clever homage. Guys, were you uncomfortable watching that fake BME Pain Olympics video floating around the internet a few years back? Better watch this one snuggled up under a warm blanket with a teddy bear. The film even throws in a bit of comedic relief as witnessed in some of the later entries in the GP series, I'll get to that later. A lot of the more extreme scenes are not as bad as you would believe them to be, because a lot of times the camera shy's away from the actual act and leaves a lot to your imagination. Even with that, the film is certainly not for the fainthearted.
The film itself was rather average in terms of acting, but what did you expect? It is quite short as well, but when you make a movie all about torture it would make no sense to make a 2 hour film anyway. The pacing was quite steady and well done. The movie throws a curveball at the end. Just as the atmosphere is at its bleakest and you sit there curled in a fetal position wondering, "What else can they possibly do besides just kill these two and end this?", some hilarious dialogue and cheesy gore pop up and put a smile back on your face. It's good to know the filmmakers were able to put a little lightheartedness into this descent-into-hell puke fest. Some may see this as out of place and a weakness, but after watching A Serbian Film not too long ago a little bit of humor to break up the bleakness seemed just fine to me.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this little trip into hell courtesy of the Japanese underground. Will it be for most people? Absolutely not. I recommend this film to seasoned gorehounds and to those who can stomach some gore but can go in with an open mind. Don't go in expecting any fantastic filmmaking here, but if you enjoyed some of the other Japanese sickies and are in the mood for some senseless violence, grab a cold beer, sit back, and enjoy the show.
3 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS
*** 1/2 out of *****
This film would be called a "torture porn" by most. I personally dislike the term, but if by "torture porn" you mean a film full of gratuitous, non stop torture and gore with little plot, then this would indeed be a "torture porn". The plot focuses on a young couple whom work together on their first date. They get kidnapped by a madman who gets his jollies off by feeling the "excitement" in watching the strength of ones will to live. He promises to release the pair if he feels that excitement. What ensues is 73 minutes of cruel torture and sadistic mind games, and while I don't like to delve into too many details in my reviews, I will say that when a lunatic who likes to torture you makes you a promise, you probably shouldn't get your hopes too high that he will follow through.
Most will dismiss this film as plotless, violent garbage that caters only to us weirdos who must enjoy watching people get brutalized. For those of you who actually have the stomach and patience to sit through films like these, you will find that there is actually a little more to the film than the average viewer will see. I'm not claiming the deep meanings of this film will have the brightest philosophers scratching their heads, nor will it win this film any academy awards. However, beneath all of the gore and sadism lies some questions that may or may not get you thinking. How far would you go to protect someone you love? Would you subject yourself to extreme acts of torture in order to spare the same fate on someone you cared about? Would you really "die for someone" if they were everything to you? In this movie, the couple being tortured were kidnapped on their first date. It is clear the guy cares more for the girl than she does for him. Even knowing this, he was willing to protect her to the best of his ability. Does this make him a fool, or does it say something about human nature? I don't know the answers to these questions, but some of them did stick with me for a bit after the movie.
So just how violent is this film? It was clear to me that this film drew a lot of inspiration from the early Guinea Pig films, which says something. The film takes about 15 seconds before our unlucky duo get kidnapped. Some background on the couple is revealed through short flashbacks, but much in the vein of a Guinea Pig film this film is chock full of the red stuff and not so full of plot. The images of the couple tied up and having various digits and limbs amputated was reminiscent of Flower of Flesh and Blood, and of course the infamous eye scene from Devil's Experiment is added in here as a clever homage. Guys, were you uncomfortable watching that fake BME Pain Olympics video floating around the internet a few years back? Better watch this one snuggled up under a warm blanket with a teddy bear. The film even throws in a bit of comedic relief as witnessed in some of the later entries in the GP series, I'll get to that later. A lot of the more extreme scenes are not as bad as you would believe them to be, because a lot of times the camera shy's away from the actual act and leaves a lot to your imagination. Even with that, the film is certainly not for the fainthearted.
The film itself was rather average in terms of acting, but what did you expect? It is quite short as well, but when you make a movie all about torture it would make no sense to make a 2 hour film anyway. The pacing was quite steady and well done. The movie throws a curveball at the end. Just as the atmosphere is at its bleakest and you sit there curled in a fetal position wondering, "What else can they possibly do besides just kill these two and end this?", some hilarious dialogue and cheesy gore pop up and put a smile back on your face. It's good to know the filmmakers were able to put a little lightheartedness into this descent-into-hell puke fest. Some may see this as out of place and a weakness, but after watching A Serbian Film not too long ago a little bit of humor to break up the bleakness seemed just fine to me.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this little trip into hell courtesy of the Japanese underground. Will it be for most people? Absolutely not. I recommend this film to seasoned gorehounds and to those who can stomach some gore but can go in with an open mind. Don't go in expecting any fantastic filmmaking here, but if you enjoyed some of the other Japanese sickies and are in the mood for some senseless violence, grab a cold beer, sit back, and enjoy the show.
3 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS
*** 1/2 out of *****