Japanese Horror - WTF???

Onibubba · Post by **Onibubba** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:47 pm

First off, before I slam into a rant about this genre, let me say that I love it...Even with its many faults...Begin rant.

What the fuck is up with Japanese horror directors? A good Japanese horror / splatter film is like a brainstoming session - lots of great ideas, but the bad ones remain on the list as well. I've watched many of these films and love them for their inspired brutality and unfatomable storylines, but I would love to see just one film of this genre that has a plot that can be followed, a minimum of tangents, and a minimum of loose ends.

Last night, I finally got to see Suicide Club. As usual, well before the credits rolled, I felt an overwhelming sense of WTF? and just knew that nothing would be resolved. It would really be frustrating if these films did not have the gore, surpising (WTF?) plot twists, and just insane moments of gleefully inspired madness. Its as though the directors just kept coming up with amazing scenes and bits of story, and then suddenly had no idea how to tie things up.

I highly recommend checking out these films for the experience, but be prepared to wonder what the hell you just watched. All are unrated and super gruesome

Some of my faves:

Battle Royale - In an overcrowded Japan, highschoolers are sent to an island to fight to the last survivor. Look for one student in the track suit - Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill.

Suicide Club - What is causing the rash of suicides in Tokyo?

Ringu - You've seen The Ring, so you know the story

Uzumaki - Attack of the spiral patterns? WTF? Looks cool though.

Audition - Just rent it and deal. The less you know the better.

Versus - Zombies, gunplay and sword fights and everyone looks too kewl!

Ichi the Killer - Over the top violence. Only marred by an uncomfortable misogynist feel

Evil Dead Trap - Traditional Psycho killer fare with the obligitory WTF?

Organ - Kind of dated, but Giger did some of the production design. Overly WTF?

Lost Traveler · Post by **Lost Traveler** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:07 pm

I think the lack of plot is the major failling of all japanesse work (maybe its just us westeners dont understand a easter plot :shrug:

) as far as being misogynist...well thats japanesee video of any kind.

rec|use · Post by **rec|use** » Wed Dec 17, 2003 4:43 pm

i enjoy jap splatter flicks
and jap pink films

italians make the best splatter films though hands down

eveyone should see

"the beyond" by italian splatter king lucio fulci

should be easy to find Quentin Tarantino re released this a few years ago through is company rolling thunder
which is a division of miramax
i think he also took the film an a short tour of select theaters and played it
i have a flyer from when it was played in orlando years ago

check it out

Onibubba · Post by **Onibubba** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 10:22 am

The Beyond is very worth seeing. I've seen several Italian zombie films that I cannot recall now. Seems that one one is a factory (a Union Carbide kind of thing) and one in a old house (I remember a disturbing close up of a woman getting her eye pierced by a splinter of wood). Was Gates of Hell Italian?

For new J Splatter on the market, the All Night Long series was just released this week in the US, and the Guinea Pig series is now available. I have not gotten either as my understanding is that they are just splatter blow outs with little plat or story. And as exasperiating as the plots get in a Japanese horor film, that is what I like most about them - an almost aimless orignality. May be that is why they are all getting redone by Hollywood. First the Ring, then The Eye, and now Ju-On The Grudge.

abreeskye · Post by **abreeskye** » Thu Dec 18, 2003 6:07 pm

I love Ichi the Killer.

Have any of you seen Visitor Q????

Kamivox · Post by **Kamivox** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:05 am

abreeskye wrote:I love Ichi the Killer.

Have any of you seen Visitor Q????

"Ichi the Killer", "Visitor Q", and "Audition" were all done by the same director Takashi Miike. He's getting a lot of notoriety these days in the cult horror movie world. He's also done the likes of "Happiness of the Katakuris" which is a mix of "Sound of Music" and "Dawn of the Dead", and the "Dead or Alive" trilogy.[/i]

Kamivox · Post by **Kamivox** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:08 am

Lost Traveler wrote:I think the lack of plot is the major failling of all japanesse work (maybe its just us westeners dont understand a easter plot ) as far as being misogynist...well thats japanesee video of any kind.

Hmmm...unfamiliar with the works of Akira Kurosawa I see. Spielberg, Lucas, and Scorsese holds him in high regard and were influenced by him.

A lot of Italian splatter movies, known as 'giallos' had its fair share of misogynistic elements of brutal nature. Fulci's "New York Ripper", Lenzi's "Eaten Alive", Landi's "Giallo in Venezia", the works of Jess Franco and Joe D'amato as well.

I'm making a case against the generalized comment that ALL Japanese movies lack plot and are misogynistic.

Kamivox · Post by **Kamivox** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:20 am

rec|use wrote:italians make the best splatter films though hands down

Especially the works of Dario Argento, Asia Argento's father. He's directed such movies like "Suspiria", "Tenebre", and that Jennifer Connelly bug movie, "Creepers". I only mention "Creepers" because of the actress that many would be familiar with. It's not amongst Argento's good works in my opinion.

Kamivox · Post by **Kamivox** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:27 am

Onibubba wrote:Battle Royale - In an overcrowded Japan, highschoolers are sent to an island to fight to the last survivor. Look for one student in the track suit - Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill.

"Battle Royale" is one of my all-time favorite flicks. It would never ever be shown here or be re-made in its original form. US censors would never go for a movie with 50 ninth graders killing each other off by a government sanctioned event. I love Chiaki Kuriyama (Takako Chigusa from BR, Gogo from "Kill Bill").

abreeskye · Post by **abreeskye** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 11:39 pm

I've been trying to obtain a decently priced copy of Battle Royale.

I'm also interested in seeing the sequel.

I love Miike's work! I have Audition, but haven't seen it yet. I also have a copy of the Happiness of the Katakuris, and still have to see that, too.

I recently picked up the Ichi 1 movie, and loved it.

It's nice to know there are people out there with similar tastes to mine

Onibubba · Post by **Onibubba** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 9:41 am

Got a decently priced and fairly well subtitled Battle Royal off of goo ol Ebay. Tht's really the best place to go for these films. Currently waiting for Miike's Gyozo, Sharkskin Man and Peach Hip Girl (stars the guy who played Kakihura in Ichi, my new standard for "cool" actors), and Volcano High...Oh yeah, and the animated Ichi prequel...That should be fun :twisted:

I really want to see Happiness and Visitor Q...Are they as disturbing / interesting? Visior Q sounds great - remakable trailer.

And yes, when I mentioned the WTF aspect of Japanese filmmaking I did specificly mentiion the horror genre. Japan does have 2 of the best film makers who ever lived, Miyazki and Kurosawa (Please excuse my spelling).

Lost Traveler · Post by **Lost Traveler** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 5:47 pm

Got to see Ichi the killer this week end, The austrailian dub is pricecless (I even did a "lets throw some shrimp on the barbie" just before they started the tempora shimp scene :lol:

) Also I think the storie was slightly mistranslated (possibly intentionally) and that might add to the WTF aspect. On the disk they had a preview for Samuri Fiction wich I now NEED to see. (no Im going to kill him)

Onibubba · Post by **Onibubba** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 3:01 pm

I'll kill him with my lance! :lol:

Samurai Fiction was a hoot! If you have an appreciation for old samurai flicks, you will get a real kick out of this.

The version of Ichi I have is the uncut official us release. It has a very decent - actually very good - british dub (I think, because it got a proper release thre first). Things get confusing for me around the last 10 minutes or so. If you really dug Ichi, there is a 60 minute animated prequel that is also the fucking bomb - some of the most interesting animation I have seen in a while.

abreeskye · Post by **abreeskye** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:27 pm

I recommend Ichi: 1, too.

Haven't seen the animated prequel yet, but will eventually.

Samurai Fiction is GREAT!

Visitor Q can be QUITE disturbing

It takes alot to disturb me, and I am scarred from it! You should REALLY see it!

OH, and check out Fudoh : The New Generation.....There's this chick....and she, um, is very good with darts!!!!! WOW.....

With so many people into these type movies....we should all get together sometime and do a movie watching session!

Onibubba · Post by **Onibubba** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 11:18 am

That would be aces. I've been thinking about doing a weekend drunken movie marathon for a while. With the right flicks it could be a blast.

Thanks for the comments on Visitor Q. They are just what I was hoping to hear. I may order this one next week. I have not been disappointed by Miike yet. I'm currently waiting for Gojoe, which by all reviews is the best samurai movie in years, and Ong Bak, which is supposed to be an exciting Muay Thai film with no wire fu, just hard core fight scenes which are reportedly amazing...We will see.

Ogre · Post by **Ogre** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 11:26 am

I had never seen actual movie form japan until just after I read this post. I kept seeing battle Royale this and Battle Royale that, so I jumped on that and downloaded it..... OMFG That shyte is freak'n phenomenal!!!!!!!!!! It completely blew me away!!!! To think that actors that young could partisipate in a film like that makes me wanna go to Japan!!! :twisted:

Monophonic · Post by **Monophonic** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 9:34 pm

I really want to see Ichi the killer. I picked up a region 0 copy of Battle Royale off eBay and the subtitles were total "engrish". Of course the dialouge wasn't the big selling point of this flick. The imagery was awesome. I still want a better copy.

I also liked Ringu, even if it's sequel and prequel were really iffy.

Japanese Horror - WTF???

Japanese Horror - WTF???

Re: Japanese Horror - WTF???