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Sailor Suit & Machine Gun (1981) Film Review - Carry On My Wayward Gun

Published by grimoireofhorror and The Yurei on December 7, 2021

To say that Shinji Sômai is one of the greats of cinema is an understatement. He is quoted as describing his directing philosophy as “humanity observing humanity,” his approach was vastly different from that seen in Japan at the time. As such, his films all have an unyielding  realism to their story and characters, strongly affixed on the growth and progression of both. Although Shinji Sômai only directed thirteen films in his twenty years behind the camera, each one regarded as a definitive piece of cinematic art, one of his most acclaimed productions being Sailor Suit & Machine Gun.

What is it?

Sailor Suit & Machine Gun is a 1981 Japanese yakuza film directed by the incredible Shinji Sômai. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name written by prolific novelist Jirō Akagawa.

“Hoshi Izumi is a young innocent forced to grow up quickly when her father dies and she finds herself next in line as the boss of a Moribund yakuza clan. Wrenched from the security of her classroom and thrust into the heart of the criminal underworld, she must come to terms with the fact that her actions hold the key to the life or death of the men under her command as they come under fire from rival gangs.”

What worked?

A one of a kind piece of art, on the surface this film resembles a standard yakuza or idol film. However, it is more like a coming of age teen drama, lacking both the favourable violence of yakuza genre and self-absorbed camerawork of idol films. It places a strong emphasis on a compelling story and a visually delectable range in cinematography. The story was progressive for 1980s Japan, having very little dispute in the gang itself about a woman becoming their Oyabun, treating her with full respect. Although, the same cannot be said for the other families.

The cast is a real who’s who of Japanese cinema, including Tsunehiko Watase (The Incident 1978), Rentarô Mikuni (Harakiri 1968) and Akira Emoto (Dr Akagi 1998) to name a few. At the forefront of the film is the incredible acting by pop idol Hiroko Yakushimaru, her performance throughout brings the film together. The development of Izumi from a naive school girl to a capable young woman strengthens the chaotic world she finds herself thrust into and the resilience of her character. Though she witnesses the harsh reality of being a yakuza boss first-hand, Izumi still maintains her child-like sentiments, a testament to stay true to herself.

The film features an amazing soundtrack, the main theme sung by Hiroko Yakushimaru herself. The song was a huge hit in Japan, being released two months prior to the film and ascending to the number one spot where it resided for five straight weeks, and being the second highest ranked song of 1982. Accompanying this illustrious score is impeccably expressive and technical cinematography, focusing on a beautiful mix of static, wide angle shots as well as complete mastery of the long take aesthetic. Impeccably choreographed slow pan camerawork throughout long intense scenes elevate this film to its deserved cult status.

What didn’t work

Those who are expecting an adrenaline-fuelled action adventure may be disappointed. As previously mentioned, the film is a coming of age teen drama with a fish out of water environment rather than a gangland thriller. Consequently, the production carries a strong focus away from the stereotypical yakuza action film, leaving the final product somewhat confusing for those who are unaware of its intentions. That notwithstanding, the action does start to increase towards the films’ conclusion, though it takes a slower and more realistic approach rather than go out guns blazing. Personally, this is far from a complaint about the film and is one of its strengths, although those expecting a more thrilling production may not agree.

Where can I find it?

Though the works of Shinji Sômai are relatively unseen in the western market, that is all about to change with Arrow Video’s release of this cult classic available here. Released Nov 15, this incredible Blu-ray publication includes:

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of the Original Theatrical Version and the 1982 Complete Version (kanpeki-ban) re-issue of the film, restored by Kadokawa Pictures from a 4K scan of the original negative Original uncompressed Japanese mono and 5.1 audio Optional English subtitles Girls, Guns and Gangsters: Shinji Sômai & Sailor Suit & Machine Gun, an exclusive new 50-minute documentary featuring actor Akira Emoto, film scholar Chika Kinoshita, Sômai biographer Tatsuya Kimura and Sailor Suit assistant director Koji Enomoto discussing the making of the film, its director and its legacy. Original Trailers and TV spots for both versions Image Gallery Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Michael Lomon

Final Thoughts

With its unique story, adroit cinematography and powerful yet hands off approach to directing by Shinji Sômai, this film is a personal favourite of mine. Breaking down the barriers of genre to create a distinct piece of cinematic history, it is unfortunate that it has taken so long for this cult classic to get a release in the West. It remains as visually striking as when released over four decades ago. This production is the perfect introduction to the renowned but small filmography of Shinji Sômai and his particular style of film making. I can only hope that more of his work gets the same treatment as Sailor Suit & Machine Gun.

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Re:Born (2016) Film Review - Dont Bring A Gun To A Knife Fight

Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei on December 5, 2021

The evolution of action films has come a long way over the years; from cheesy one-liners and over-the-top shootouts, the genre has progressed to slick visuals and epic hand-to-hand combat. Although the old style is still prevalent with fans today, these present-day techniques are vastly superior in displayed skill from both the director and the cast. From the American John Wick (2014), the Indonesian Head Shot (2016) and the Japanese Re:Born (2016) to name a few, all follow similar erratic pacing with non-stop action that surpass this out-of-date approach considerably.

What is it?

Re:Born is a 2016 Japanese action crime drama directed by Yûji Shimomura. Though mostly known for his work as stunt coordinator for films such as Gantz (2010) and Library Wars (2013), Yûji Shimomura has also been in the directorial seat for the films Death Trance (2005) and Crazy Samurai Musashi (2020).

“Toshiro, former Special Ops soldier in an elite unit, lives as a simple shopkeeper in rural seclusion and takes care of his adopted daughter Sachi - until one day a mysterious murder happens: his former officer is behind it, called “Phantom”, who starts a brutal campaign of revenge. When his adopted daughter is kidnapped, there is no stopping Toshiro - his fighting spirit breaks new, even more merciless paths. Opposite him: an army of brutal killers! The body count rises to dizzying heights and accumulates in a showdown that takes your breath away…”

What Worked?

A tour de force of action, the film features amazingly choreographed fight scenes throughout its run time, all performed with impeccable accuracy and skill. Yûji Shimomura’s knowledge of fight choreography shines through in his directing, along with the supervision of Yoshitaka Inagawa as well as an incredibly skilled cast, to create an adrenaline-fuelled romp reminiscent of The Raid (2011) in its frantic display of martial arts violence and break-neck pacing.

Sprinkled in between this rampage are genuinely endearing scenes shared between our protagonist, Toshiro Kuroda (played by well-known J horror actor Tak Sakaguchi), and his adopted daughter Sachi (played by Yura Kondo). Although Sakaguchi plays a relatively emotionless character, Sachi’s performance more than makes up for this, reinforcing their dependence on each other in a candidly captivating way. Consequently, their relationship feels intimately authentic throughout the production, compounding the reason Toshiro is ready to fight back.

An air of mystery surrounds our protagonist’s backstory, with a slow organic reveal that avoids large exposition dumps on the audience. Though this story is somewhat cliched, full of the usual tropes that litter this genre of cinema that border on silly towards the film's conclusion, guards having zero situational awareness as a well-trained combatant wipes out an entire platoon. However, the story does take a back seat towards this point allowing the action to take centre stage at the cost of believability.

The production makes excellent use of lighting, being well lit opposed to the dreary contrast ratio prevalent in the action genre. That isn't to say the film doesn't make use of darkness, with an amazing example of how to use shadows effectively for our protagonist to covertly use to his advantage to dispatch his enemies. Providing an excellent example of how to implement both light and darkness effectively to create an unblemished contrast between the two. Along with the use of unconventional lighting techniques such as flashlights and muzzle flashes, diversifying these darker scenes - breaking up what could have been monotonous and difficult to make out visually as a result.

What Didn't Work?

The character Max, played by Japanese/American actor Orson Mochizuki, seems to switch between Japanese and English mid-sentence throughout the film. Though fluid in transition, it feels really off-putting and unnecessary to scenes, near on feeling like an improvised addition to the script rather than being in the source material. Undoubtedly, their addition adds nothing beneficial to the production and would have been better off scrapped, keeping with a completely Japanese-spoken film.

A wise man once said, don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. This film disregards this entire concept, as our protagonist is an edged weapons specialist limber enough to be able to actually dodge bullets. So why, as a well-trained mercenary hired to kill this one-man army, would you think you had a chance going mano a mano with this near superhuman killer? These mercenaries seem to want to drop their guns and fall back to an edged weapon at the first available opportunity, defying logical belief and just ending up as fodder for the kill count. Although, this certainly increases the overall action featured in the film (let’s face it, that’s why we’re here).

Final Thoughts

Re:Born is a non-stop action-packed thrill ride, executed with the utmost precision and dedication. Effectively disguising the production's low budget with diligent effort into creating an interesting world, congenial characters, and eminent set-pieces. Although the story has its flaws, the movie is still a whirlwind of martial arts action sure to entertain the majority and fully deserves its referral as the “Japanese John Wick”.

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Shaw Brothers - A Retrospective Analysis

Posted on November 14, 2021 on grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei

If you enjoy martial arts films, then you have probably heard of the incredible Shaw Brothers, one of Hong Kong’s biggest and most significant film production companies of all times. Having over 800 films made over nine decades and winning hundreds of awards, their name is synonymous with cinema all over the world. But, who are the people behind this behemoth of a film company and how did they become so internationally renowned?

Early History

In 1924, three brothers - Runje, Runme, and Runde Shaw - founded Tianyi Film Company (also known as “Unique Film Productions”) in Shanghai, China. This company was one of the big three production companies in pre-second world war China. Tianyi produced their own style of silent movies, extensively focusing on traditional literature, legends, and myths such as The Lovers (based on the legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai).

After becoming frustrated with local distributors, the Shaw brothers set up their own cinema, “The Empire”, to screen their movies. Led by Runme and Run Run (the youngest of the brothers), they began to branch out into other countries such as Malaysia to build new cinemas and operate a mobile cinema for rural areas. However, it was only with the advent of sound that movies began to really push forward. By 1933, the Shaw’s had produced the Cantonese opera film Normal Dragon or White Gold Dragon(based on the eponymous legend), which proved a breakthrough for them in both Singapore and Hong Kong.

In the following years, the emergence of the Great Depression caused a significant decline in cinema attendance. The Shaw’s began to produce films locally to minimise costs and also diversified into theme parks and other live attractions. By 1939, the Shaw’s had amassed a business empire of 139 cinemas across South East Asia.

However, by the time of the World War 2, the Japanese had invaded Singapore and seized a lot of the Shaw’s assets, and they were forced to use their cinema to display pro-Japanese propaganda movies. The company’s main studio was destroyed during The Battle of Shanghai and Run Run Shaw was even arrested for a period of time. After the second world war, the Shaw’s regrouped and their operations once again expanded into further cinemas and focused more on film production.

The Beginning of Shaw Brothers

After Japan’s occupation of China had been broken, Runme and Run Run took over the film production business of its Hong Kong-based sister company, Shaw & Sons Ltd, and in 1958, a new company, “Shaw Brothers”, was founded.

The company gained popularity for their period music dramas that had become popular around the time, such as The Kingdom and the Beauty (1959) andThe Magnificent Concubine (1962). Consequently, The Kingdom and the Beauty enjoyed global success and broke all domestic returns while Magnificent Concubine won Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, further establishing the company’s name into the international circuit.

Following the opening of their Hong Kong studio, Clearwater Bay, in 1961, the studio grew to prominence in China. With over 850,000 sq ft of land and 1500 permanent staff, it soon produced over 40 films per year. This vast production line boasted a new film starting every nine days.

A unique feature in this film making process was that all films were completed without sound, which was dubbed into various languages in one of the twelve sound studios on site. This allowed them to rapidly prepare each movie for the international market with consistent levels of production values.

Towards the latter end of the decade, the studio began to undertake films in the genre that they would become most notable for - kung fu films or wuxia-pian (“films of chivalric combat”). One of their crew members, the legendary Chang Cheh, directed the blockbuster hit The One Armed Swordsman (1967) for Shaw.

This Jimmy Wang Yu revenge yarn was the first movie to break HK $1,000,000 at the box office. Although not satisfied with this success, Cheh went on to deliver hit after hit for Shaw Brothers and formed a crucial role in shaping the kung fu genre. Many believe Cheh’s 1970 work ‘Vengeance’ marks the first genuine example of a kung fu movie. It also importantly brought him together with martial artists/actors Ti Lung and David Chiang (becoming known as the 'Iron Triangle'). By the end of the 70's, he had countless successes to his name and had formed the internationally renowned cult heroes ‘The Five Venoms’.

Among those who worked alongside director Chang Cheh were martial arts choreographer Lau Kar Leung and John Woo. Lau Kar Leung became a hugely successful director in his own right, moving away from Cheh’s blend of macho cinema and bloodshed for more respectful martial arts and also some early attempts at kung fu comedy (such as Spiritual Boxer from 1975). There is no doubt that John Woo was heavily influenced by Cheh’s heroic themes as he left the Shaw Studios and made it big with his own brand of Hong Kong crime thrillers in the 1980's, consequently making household names of himself and his favoured lead actor, the legendary Chow Yun Fat.

The brothers continued to diversify with the launch of a TV station in 1973, TVB, as Hong Kong’s second TV channel. They also began co-productions with international houses as well - one example being The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires (1974). By the mid-seventies, their empire had now expanded to 230 cinemas, and another 600 cinemas serving them via a distribution deal. Each week, over 1.5 million people saw a Shaw produced movie!

The Inevitable Decline

The huge popularity garnered by the studio was soon to be its undoing. Cast members at Shaw-- who were normally contracted on 3, 5 or 8 year contracts and would work 6 day weeks to keep within the schedules-- started looking to more relaxed studios who also offered more competitive packages with a less strenuous workload.

Alternatives, such as ex-Shaw Raymond Chow’s Orange Sky Golden Harvest studio, took this opportunity to snatch up these actors from Shaw. As a result of this, and increasing issues surrounding piracy, the Shaw Studios in Hong Kong ceased operation in 1983 as a filmmaker to focus on their TV production. By 1988, the company was reorganized under the umbrella of the Shaw Organization.

Once again, in the 1990s, Shaw again started making a few films, but no longer on the same scale as before. Entering the market with star Stephen Chow in Out of the Dark (1995). A few more films have emerged since, including Hero (1997) and Drunken Monkey (2002). They also begun construction on Shaw Studio which claims to be the world’s most advanced film production and digital post-production facility located at Hong Kong.

Initially set to be opened in 2009, this was put on hold indefinitely due to financial crisis and, ergo, Run Run Shaw announced that he was to de-list Shaw Brothers Ltd in Dec 2008 and buy out the minority shareholders. This ultimately signalled the end of an epic reign of such a beloved and influential company whose history is impressively extensive. 

Celestial Pictures acquired rights to the Shaw Studio's legacy and has released, on DVD, nearly all of their catalogue of films with restored picture and sound quality. Many of these DVDs have come under controversy, however, for remixing audio and not including the original mono soundtracks. The Hong Kong based Celestial struck a licensing deal with Karmaloop TV, an American TV channel, to air these classic films digitally restored to a new audience.

Since then, many more companies across the globe have gained the licensing rights to these films. Releasing some incredible box sets ready to be pre-ordered. Arrow Video has several incredibly comprehensive collections of Shaw Brothers films in line to be released.

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Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell (2012) Film Review published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei November 12, 2021

Being one of the most attributed inspirations in filmmaking, filmmakers around the world have cited The Evil Dead series as a motivation to create cinema for themselves. The mastery of the low-budget filmmaking process, which led to various highly esteemed horror films, still hold its own to this day in the horror genre – ingenuity salvaging the aspirations of numerous scripts. Directors such as Eli Roth, Edgar Wright and Peter Jackson, just to name a few, are open on the subject of how The Evil Dead influenced them as creators, but none may be as dedicated to a single influence as Shinichi Fukazawa and his film Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell.

What is it?

Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell is an independent Japanese horror film written, directed, produced, edited and starring Shinichi Fukazawa. Touted as “The Japanese Evil Dead”, the film originally began production in 1995 to explain the retro aesthetic, and was worked on over a period of 15 years before finally having a limited release in 2012. It finally received a larger distribution to wider markets in 2014 and the complicated production history naturally intrigued film enthusiasts.

“After a surprise phone call interrupts his daily workout, beefy bodybuilder Shinji agrees to meet his photojournalist ex-girlfriend to help with her research on haunted houses. Accompanied by a professional psychic, they visit an abandoned house once owned by Shinji’s father. But inside the house a dark secret lingers and they find themselves trapped and tormented by a relentless ghost with a thirty-year grudge.”

What Worked?

The film is a love letter to Western cult horror, and embodies an excess that popularised the genre in the 70’s and 80’s, with clear influences from films like Peter Jackson’s absurdly gory Braindead and, of course, Sam Raimi’s surprisingly successful Evil Dead series. In particular, the similarity in tone, content and, notably, visual aesthetics are abundantly obvious in their implementation. The incredibly claustrophobic environment, extravagant use of bloody practical effects and tight, frantic cinematography all exhibit a deep appreciation from Shinichi Fukazawa concerning the original material inspiring him.

Although mostly comedic in tone, the film knows when to take itself seriously. It controls any absurdity of the overall situation to become a less imposing undertone to the more action-orientated scenes, assisted greatly by the use of the film’s soundtrack which perfectly denotes these transitions. Furthermore, the entire cast of three do an amazing job at playing their roles seriously rather than indulging the comedic elements, therefore strengthening the earnest aspects and sustaining any fluctuations in style.

At an hour in length, the pacing is faultless, providing a concise yet natural introduction to the story and characters without contrived exposition. Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell lucidly frames characters’ relation and purpose to the narrative by the first 15 minutes, which enables the production to unfold organically into the enjoyable bloody mess that it is – minimal filler or diversions from the kind of entertainment valued in such flicks. Any additional continuation of the story could cause its progression to stagnate at points, but the director wisely opted to keep the film short in length is one of its core strengths – a taut narrative which loses neither momentum or focus.

Interestingly, the production had a minuscule crew, and every member exerted an enormous effort in the creation of this film – commitment self-evident from all crew performing their duty eagerly from a restricted budget. Shinichi Fukazawa taking on the majority of the filmmaking process himself must have been a colossal task to undertake; however, with help from the rest of the skeleton crew, he has still managed to produce a magnificent piece of cult cinema. The continuity kept over the course of 15 years of reshoots and re-edits is seamless, hardly showing the length of time the film was under production. Furthermore, it also retains the charm of an 90’s aesthetic – enduringly popular as a nostalgic era as of late.

What Didn’t Work?

Saying Body Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell utilizes a shoestring budget would be an understatement, being filmed inside a dilapidated property Shinichi Fukazawa’s parents owned, as well as implementing other money saving tactics during the production. Unfortunately, one of these ideas was to shoot using Super8 film. This has a perceptible, grainy effect throughout the entire film that often resembles snow in the film’s underlit scenes. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the overall quality of the film itself, enhancing the film’s lo-fi visuals instead.

Where Can I Find It?

In my opinion, the definitive way to own this piece of media is through the amazing limited release from Midori Impuls. Their limited run special edition release includes –

A beautiful hard-backed DVD case with a choice of three different covers, with designs by Graham Humphreys (cover A) and Shintaro Kago (cover B)

24-page German booklet with production notes by Shinichi Fukazawa and interviews with Shinichi Fukazawa and Graham Humphrey’s

Autographed autograph card from director Shinichi Fukazawa (cover A only),

Interviews

Video introduction by Thorsten Hanisch and Andrea Sczuka (dasmanifest.com)

Trailer

Final Thoughts

Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell is an ode to the cult classics that have come before it, full of the indulgence that made b-movie cult classics popular. The film is an enjoyable mix of gore and comedic energy, efficiently upheld throughout its entire duration. Fully deserving of its status among fans and critics alike, it’s use of lo-fi practical special effects as well as a cramped, confined set together with minuscule cast all work in the films favour, making for a truly entertaining experience. Although not perfect, the film is still a delightful romp to enjoy both alone or with a group of friends.

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Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned (1980) Anime Review Published October 19, 2021 by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei

Though you won’t see him appear in the cinematic universe anytime soon, many may not be aware that Dracula is a Marvel character. Being the star of his own comic book series developed by the comic behemoth, Tomb Of Dracula in the early 1970s, the comic is where the character of Blade made his debut appearance. Dracula has also appeared outside his own series as an antagonist for many of their superhero characters such as Deadpool, the X-Men and Dr Strange just to name a few. Significantly permeating Western media, the character had yet to make its way over to Japanese media and anime until Dracula Sovereign of the Damned.

What Is It?

Dracula Sovereign of the Damned (originally titled Yami no teiô kyuketsuki dorakyura) is a 1980 TV movie directed by Akinori Nagaoka and Minoru Okazaki, both well-known for directing classics in the anime community such as Dragon Ball (1986) and Record of the Lodoss War (1990-91). The anime was part of a deal made in the late 1970s between Marvel Comics and Toei Animation to produce animated versions of their comic book characters. While the deal was successful, this and The Monster of Frankenstein were the only two films made.

“Count Dracula, lord of vampires and the sovereign of the damned, steals away a bride intended for Lucifer. Not only does this anger his dark creator but also a satanic cult and his fellow vampires. He finds that the sins of his past will not allow him to live a normal, mortal life. Events become complicated when he comes under attack from all sides, including his vampire hunting great-grandson and the children of others he murdered long ago.”

What Works?

Advertised as a child friendly film, the tone can conversely be rather melancholic at points. Graphic scenes of bloody violence saturate the otherwise campy design of the story, including scenes such as: Dracula feeding on random victims, a gruesome yet sympathetic history of the Voivode of Wallachia (Vlad III),  the accidental murder of a baby and, surprisingly, a day trip to Hell. However, these scenes are inserted organically into the otherwise lighter atmosphere, deepening their overall effectiveness to shock from such a stark contrast. Interestingly, the anime’s lighter, comedic tone acts as a palette cleanser to these scenes, offering (likely unintentional) laugh out loud moments as respite.

Presented in a very typical art style for the time, being characterized by beautifully hand drawn cell animation and detailed character design that flaunt the anime’s vibrant colour pallet, the characters possess an authentic representation over the usual moe style that permeates modern anime – realistic body proportions and height. For instance, the design of Dracula in particular seems based on the likeness of Vincent Price, one of the more infamous actors to take on the role over the years. Consequently, along with his signature cape, this assists the character to be instantly distinct from others sharing a scene and reinforces a robust presence.

Contrary to his usual depiction, the anime takes a compassionate look at the lord of the vampires and his struggle with the wretched curse of which he suffers, being portrayed as the victim rather than the antagonistic role usually associated. His newly found dedication to his wife and child (not even questioning how the undead can reproduce), as well as other humanising trait, are a different approach to the usual vampiric formula used in media for the servant of Satan.

What Didn’t Work?

I’m not normally one to deride the quality of a dub, especially considering it’s typically an afterthought of the production itself. However, as the English dub is the easiest version to find online, I will mention it as the likely standard experience. It is substandard; long before anime would be a mass consumed export to other countries, dubbing into different languages usually received a woeful effort. Unfortunately, this was common during that era and only a handful of production companies took on the task rather lazily. As such, the film’s dialogue can be underwhelming in its delivery at times, lacking any context in terms of emotions. However, this fault does enhance the campy vibe to the production, providing some amusement to those more open to such wayward quality.

Where Can I find it?

Dracula Sovereign of the Damned is freely available to watch fully remastered on YouTube.

Final Thoughts

Although it has noticeable imperfections, the production is still an enjoyable experience throughout. With beautiful hand-crafted animation, distinct character design and a well-blended mix of dark and comedic moments, it more than makes up for any plot holes or poor line delivery. Still, the anime is worthy of a viewing this Halloween, the story will intrigue Dracula fans in addition to fans of the 80s-90s animation style. Despite there being numerous, more competent retellings of the Tomb of Dracula story, this unique anime is still an enjoyable viewing.

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0.0 MHz (2019) Movie Review Published September 29, 2021 by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei 

Considering the renowned success of Parasite (2019), among many others, South Korean cinema has finally started to receive a recognition outside of Asia that has been mostly reserved for Japanese cinema. The high calibre productions released throughout South Korea recently have flown under the radar of most moviegoers in the West, barring a few exception from a few key titles. Although, after the success of these sensations, the spotlight is firmly poised on South Korea’s blooming film industry; smaller, independent films are having their rights bought for distribution for a wider audience to enjoy. Such is the case of 0.0MHz, Shudder has obtaining the exclusive rights to the production to stream to a Western audience.

What is it?

0.0MHz is a 2019 South Korean supernatural horror film, written and directed by Sun-Dong Yoo. Though his directorial debut, Sun-Dong Yoo has a previous writing credit on the action film Musudan (2016). The film is based on the manhwa of the same name, written and illustrated by Jak Jang.

“’0.0MHz’ is a mystery club that reveals bizarre psychological phenomena. One day, five members of the club go to an abandoned house which is famous for experiencing the supernatural. They summon the spirit using brain waves and try to hear a statement in person. That night, the true nature of the spirit, fear, reveals itself.”

What worked?

Contrary to most in the genre, the film features bright and colourful scenery during the majority of its runtime. It displays rich, saturated colours that compliment the use of well lit, outside areas whilst filming, a vibrancy seldom appreciated in horror. Yet, it still successfully commands a stunning, foreboding atmosphere that drastically increases as the film progresses. Notably as a contrast, however, the film does ultimately resort to the general tone of dampened colour at the thrilling conclusion, very prevalent as a trend in current horror cinema.

The overall character design of the spirit’s true form is impressively terrifying, encompassing an inhuman, doll-like quality that conveys an uncanny valley feel. Moreover, the film compounds this dread with the character’s sporadic appearance and obscuration throughout its minor screen time. Although a more frequent application would be preferable from an audience perspective, it would have failed to deliver the same impact as a moderated effect, which is much to the strength of the pace: a deliberate development of horror.

Spoilers Ahead

Though most of the titular group lack any progression, So-hee, played by Eun-ji Jung in her first cinematic performance, shows excellent progression from start to finish. From a quiet, timid character in the film’s beginning, she slowly develops more confidence as she accepts who she is: a no-nonsense, badass shaman with latent spiritual abilities. Consequently, she takes the fight to the possessive spirit, with the aid of her grandmother’s powerful pneuma, to rescue her friend from the malevolent spirit’s grip.

The story exceeded my expectations, evolving far beyond the predictable “haunted house” genre I was anticipating. Instead, it explores subconscious regret, spirit possession as well as South Korea’s ancient link to shamanism and the continuation of the practice in today’s society (despite the rarity). If it wasn’t for this continuous, though steady, escalation throughout the story, the film could have easily stagnated, but it was kept fresh by this momentum.

What Didn’t Work?

With a meagre budget, the film effectively maintains high production value in every scene as an impressively thorough effort. In spite of this, one downfall is the CGI effects, appearing visually primitive and poor in implementation, distracting viewers from the intended tone of horror. The one saving grace is the limitation of such abysmal CGI, only appearing in a few scenes which does not significantly diminish the story’s overall feel of trepidation.

Though their respective actors give an excellent performance, the protagonists Sang-Yeob and Tae-Soo, played by K pop stars Lee Sung-yeol and Jung Eun-ji, lack any real introduction to the story, especially for South Korean cinema that is known for incredibly strong character building. Furthermore, these two characters are undefined and interchangeable, feeling more akin to negligible side characters rather than commanding protagonists. In the same way, they are both devoid of any progression and seem tacked onto the story as necessary pawns. Thankfully, this doesn’t detract from the narrative development, with the progression of other protagonists making up for their lack of purpose.

Where Can I Find It?

0.0MHz is a Shudder original film and is available to stream via their streaming service here.

Final thoughts?

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It is composed with brilliant cinematography and a nuanced sound design, both being ubiquitous with South Korean cinema. Additionally, with a well paced story, some captivating characters and the inclusion of some comedic scenes, intentional and otherwise, it is a solid foundation which delivers an entertaining experience. Although certain imperfections are observable, the production is a splendid first attempt in the director’s chair for the young filmmaker. I can only look forward to any new releases by the up-and-coming director as Sun-Dong Yoo becomes more comfortable in his role – his filmmaking skill naturally increasing.

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Red Room: The Antisocial Network Vol One comic review  Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Banshee September 25, 2021

For as long as it has been a viable means for sharing media, the internet has been a fascination of the morbidly curious. Forums and sites set up on both the surface and deep web dedicated to the spread of gratuitous, real life videos of death, becoming common knowledge in our society and reflected in the media of the time. Films such as 8MM (1999) and Guinea Pig: Flower of Flesh and Blood (1985) are prime examples of how to utilized this trope effectively on both sides of the same proverbial coin.

However, with the evolution in the capability of internet speeds, this trope has also developed into a modern format. Red rooms are a concept of livestreams depicting and murder of a person at the beckon of paying viewers. Although, the plausibility of the means is questionable, as most browsers used to access the ‘dark’ web run through excessive relays to consequently disrupt any efficiency in video streaming. In spite of these pedantic limitations technically, this hasn’t stopped creators from adapting this into their imaginative projects and creating unique, thrilling work in the process. This style is starting to transcend film and progress into other mediums, such as the graphic novel Red Room: The Antisocial Network as the most recent and salient example.

What is it?

Red Room: The Antisocial Network Vol 1 is a violent graphic novel, consisting of the first four issues as well as first drafts, page by page commentary and much more. Written and illustrated by Ed Piskor, known for a multitude of works including the X-Men: Grand Design series for Marvel.

“Aided by the anonymous dark web and nearly untraceable cryptocurrency, a criminal subculture has emerged. It live streams murders as entertainment. Who are the killers? Who are the victims? Who is paying to watch? How to stop it? Red Room is constructed as a series of interconnected stories, shining a light on the characters who exist in the ugliest of corners in cyberspace.”

What Worked?

Red Room’s story is truly unique to the cyber crime subgenre of horror, choosing to not have a single main protagonist investigating this dark subject matter. Instead, the story focuses on the red rooms themselves, separately run by five crime families, all competing to be the biggest crowd pleasers and gain the highest amount of BTC in the process. Each issue is broken down into smaller stories that are all interconnected in the same world, focusing on the lives of people connected to this dark, depraved pastime. The cast range from the “artists” who perform these livestreams and even the different families of people whose lives are forever altered by them. This choice of a diversified structure is a refreshing approach to the subject matter, strengthening the morbid world constructed to encompass it.

Unapologetic in its display of violence, the artwork leaves little to the imagination to have a sufficiently raw feel. The savage livestreams take centre stage throughout, and are unyielding in both brutality and creativity through unscrupulous detail of hyper-realistic violence. The torture and deaths their victims, or “cows” as termed in the lore, endure show no end to their originality. Each family fights for superiority and popularity in this competitive business of murder for amusement – an odd but amusing social dynamic considering the dark context.

Set in a phenomenally detailed world, and impeccably crafted to mirror the real world’s dark underbelly, Ed Piskor has gone to great lengths to research and create a fully immersive setting for his story. Including small details such as deep web access and relevant coding, it also realistically explores the viable execution of operating such a business – an integral layer for a particular grit. Furthermore, creating interesting characters with detailed pasts, who are intriguingly similar to real life serial killers in terms of pathos, has made a believably inhabited, yet dark, world. Consequently, with so much going on in this world, it feels like the reader purposely experiences a tiny part of it at a time as an organic experience, solidifying the overall believability from the supposed depth.

As mentioned previously, Red Room contains an extensive cast of captivating characters. Each exhibit an over-exaggerated style to their design, drastically different from one another in both look and personality. Personalised speech bubbles for masked characters also helps differentiate between each individual, especially when multiple masked characters are conversing with each other to have prevented a confounding sequence. These scenes could easily become a confusing mess, yet with these intuitive solutions, this is a non-issue.

What Didn’t Work?

The graphic novel uses an atypical style of black and white panels as opposed to full colour, largely unseen in the West and more attributed to Asian comics. This could be an unusual change for an individual mostly accustomed to Western comics, lacking the crimson that such an unrestrained story could deliver. Regardless, this does not detract from the substantial visceral feel of its sadistic content.

Where Can I Find It?

Red Room: The Antisocial Network Vol 1 is available to pre-order from Fantagraphics website here and is available from 09 November.

Overall Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. Its ability to escape the usual formula of the subgenre proves invigorating for someone that is a fan, such as myself. The mix of innovative storytelling with a thoroughly researched immersive world and merciless, unwaning carnage, exhibiting such nuances that it is extremely enamouring. Considering my enjoyment, the release of volume two in 2022 seem that much further away, I await eagerly for more as will most readers.

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Final Girl manga review, Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei  September 21, 2021  

I believe we are all aware of the stereotypes of certain genres in horror, specifically slasher movies. The near formulaic structure of their story is a carbon copy of the next, just with a different villain and hoping to become the next synonymous series of films. It would be fruitless to hope for a film that would redefine what constitutes a slasher and therefore, parodies seem to be the way to progress to derive new enjoyment out of a stagnant genre.

Unfortunately, a majority of creators fail to understand the underlying process of crafting a parody, consequently becoming the very object they intended to mock initially. Final Girl, however, is aware enough to succeed at the intent, but how fun is the manga in general?

What is it

Final Girl is a 2019 one-shot horror comedy manga from the mind of Kokikuji You, known for being the author & artist of Gekikara no Ojou-sama wa Jibun wo Basshitai and Doutei Jigoku.

After Blacking out whilst walking down the street, a guy finds himself transported into the world of a classic Western horror movie. And what’s more, as the ‘slutty character’ who usually dies first!? Can he implement his knowledge of cinema to escape and save his new-found companions from their inevitable fate at the hands of a serial killer?

What Worked?

Prodding in jest at overused tropes, the work is a hilarious rendition of the slasher genre and the predictable story structure inherent to that. Tropes mocked include immensely unlikable characters and the killer inexplicably appearing from thin air, all combining to deliver an amusing slasher universe acting as a perceptive parody. For a mere short story, it is remarkably effective. The comedy succeeds with a meta grasp of the film inspirations, the clichés our protagonists find themselves in, raise the alarm bells they should, as well as the erratic attempts to prevent them from happening.

Deliberately unlikable, the characters are perfect representations of those they emulate, all fulfilling the roles expected from the genre: the jock, the prankster and the titular final girl. Practically all stereotypes institutionally are successfully covered in the small roster, although there is unfortunately no stoner template – a common one in other such media.

Kokikuji You has a unique art style for fluidly illustrating all panels as from the universe of a Hollywood horror movie – it is no mere fabricated fantasy world as usual of such fiction. The characters are thus portrayed as Western through subtle differences in appearance, but not in a distracting way to undermine the material. The pages are detailed to ground the universe, contouring lifelike scenes throughout this fast-paced adventure and rendering sequences with attentive set design as with films.

In a sea of isekai manga, Final Girl stands out as an interesting concept and tribute – an artistic vision compromising with others’ ideas. While many of these other manga take their main character to a new, distant fantasy world, none have displaced a character to a movie-based universe (to my knowledge) that’s closer to home. Utilizing such unorthodox crossovers in compelling ways could revitalize this approach in storytelling as with comics, applying the use of different film universes or intellectual properties to adapt their disparate style; it would be interesting to appreciate in a longer series. However, Final Girl’s length is a benefit rather than a detriment, the story possibly stagnating if drawn out to a longer conclusion – only so much can be explored in such a premise.

What Didn’t work?

The aspect of gender swapping is an unnecessary addition to the story as an oddity. The main character could have easily been female in the beginning and have zero effect on how the story subsequently unfolds. This is mostly to shoehorn underlining ecchi elements into the story, benefiting an appeal to the shonen audience, but this may be inappropriate (if not abnormal) to wider audiences. In spite of that, the organic placement prevents them from being a significant distraction from the overall flow itself.

Final thoughts?

Final Girl is a piece that truly encapsulates lampooning a certain category of films with a cult following, and demonstrates a particular love for them in the understanding to do so. It conveys a knowledge that mostly originates from a dedicated fan who has spent abundant time appreciating the techniques conceptually of slasher media and why it’s a timeless choice in horror.

The manga exceeded all expectations, it is an observational comedy perfect for the setting (the final credits were a nice feature). I would suggest this to anyone who enjoys slashers and/or parodies. At only 41 pages, it’s difficult not to enjoy this short read and is easy to review for your own judgment.

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Superhost 2021 review, Published  Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Banshee  September 7, 2021

Though the pandemic has seriously affected the way the world conducts business and we live our lives, filmmakers have been working to find a way to keep creating films in these arduous times. Turning to filming in isolated locations with a modest budget to help streamline the filmmaking process, avoiding densely crowded areas and limiting crew members in an effort to try to help keep those involved safe.

Unfortunately, these limitations can begin to take a toll on the film making process, often having a noticeable effect on the movie and souring the final product. On the contrary, numerous directors have thrived in this environment, producing some of their best work despite the hindrance. I firmly believe Superhost resides in the latter of these two categories.

What is it?

Superhost is a 2021 Shudder original horror thriller, written and directed by  Brandon Christensen, known for directing Still/Born (2017) and Z (2019), as well as having crew credits on other films such as Bliss (2019) and VFW (2019).

“With their follower count dwindling, travel vloggers Teddy and Claire pivot to creating viral content around their most recent ‘superhost’ Rebecca, who wants more from the duo than a great review.”

What Worked?

Unlike Brandon’s other directorial work, that have a strong supernatural narrative in common with each other, Superhost’s story is grounded in a plausible reality. It’s horror deriving from a common shared experience whilst travelling rather than a paranormal occurrence. The majority of those more travelled share similar encounters of meeting eccentric or just plain creepy characters whilst holidaying in isolated locations similar to the protagonists, creating an uneasy atmosphere or needless paranoia in the process and is, by far, a more realistic terror than that of the Occult.

An accurate representation of the platform, the protagonist’s vlog captures the over-edited, clickbait style of these shows that is all too habitual on video sharing sites. Excessive reaction shots, platitudinous graphics and a general cringy feel is quintessential to the “Influencer” crowd that has flooded social media, all re-enacted near perfectly. Projecting a considerable yet unnatural energy implausible to maintain, the pair soon resort to pandering their content as their follower count starts to diminish, the typical signs of an online personality’s desperate to keep their popularity in addition to the significant income gained. However, outside of their show, the protagonists mostly conduct themselves like average adults, avoiding the entitled brat stereotype and immensely amplifying the characters likability.

The whole cast gives a substantial performance in their respective roles, however the film’s shining star is the titular ‘superhost’ Becky, played by Gracie Gillam. Her zestful performance, comedic at first, soon takes a significantly unhinged tone as Becky becomes increasingly mentally unstable in her behaviour and attitude until she finally snaps in the films bloody conclusion. In spite of this, the character remains charming throughout, substantially improving the overall quality of the production with Gracie’s casting.

Spoilers Ahead!

Contrary to my expectations, the story’s conclusion was darker than I anticipated. Lacking the emphatic ending of ‘survival against the odds’ commonplace in modern horror, it instead achieves a grittier, pessimistic resolution with the antagonist’s success in her murderous intent. This approach could have backfired if it wasn’t for genial, well scripted characters, as well as a solid, yet uncomplicated story.

What Didn’t Work?

Overall the story is entertaining, however there are a few questionable plot holes throughout. Reasoning behind a character’s actions or reasoning not making logical sense, seeming confusing in the current situation the protagonists find themselves embroiled in. A normal reaction to a marriage proposal from a long-term partner is to not assume it is “for the likes”, unnecessarily calling into question the validity of their relationship that lacks any greater analysis in the film’s remainder. However, these are only minor occurrences that either progress the story or solidify the characters “influencer” lifestyle.

Where Can I Find It?

Superhost is a Shudder original film and is available to watch via their streaming service here.

Overall Thoughts

The film rose above and beyond my expectations. With compatible characters, an appealing setting and solid cinematography, the overall quality of the production was a pleasant surprise. Feeling, to a certain degree, reminiscent of Psycho (1960), but lacks the similar subtlety and nuance that made that film famous. That being said, Superhost is a gratifying film from a competent director. Though its shortcomings are evident, it should still entertain the bulk of horror fans.

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Japan Film Fest Hamburg JFFH 2021 Short Film Reviews. Published  Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei August 12, 2021

One of the biggest highlights of the Japan Film Fest Hamburg rests within the diverse selection of short films. For the audience, this means getting the chance to see original shorts seldom screened outside of Japan and unlikely to ever release in the West. The fest embracing multiple genres, too, ensures a varied experience. This year, we decided to dive into a handful of the shorts and share our thoughts to help viewers know which options should not be missed!

I See You

I See You is a 2019 stop-motion animation horror film created by Ryo Sato, Ayana Tashiro and Masafumi Uemura for Laputa Art Animation School. An abandoned house is for sale, but it is said to be haunted. The cleaning staff, who are hired to do a complete cleaning of the foreboding house, is not deterred from the insidious reputation. Predictably, their confidence slowly begins to crumble as inexplicable events begin to happen.

The short is beautifully smooth in its stop-motion animation, showing true dedication to the artistic craft itself in the medium of film. The story itself is a great introduction to horror for a younger audience, highlighting darkly comedic undertones perfectly paired with an overall spooky atmosphere. The unsettling score, as well as a Tim Burton-escque style to the character designs, also complement this charming style. This is a noteworthy display from the relatively unknown creators and should not be missed.

Blood Blade

Blood Blade is a 2019 action horror short and the first film by Hiroshi Okada – he wrote, filmed and directed this whole production. The heroine Momo brings down “Oni”, monsters and demons in human form, with her sword in a splendid way – stylish to say the least. Together with her inexperienced friend, Kaori, she must prevent an army of immortals from being built up.

Reminiscent of a 90’s anime OVA, Blood Blade delivers style over substance with over-the-top action and narrative. Lacking much depth and with only adequate performances, the short seems more of a starting point for Hiroshi Okada as a rudimentary experience. Regardless, I am excited to how the young filmmaker develops from here.

KA.TA.MI.

KA.TA.MI. is a 2020 short film, directed by Time Ryōsuke. Ryōsuke also directed the 2014 I, Dolphin Girl, also currently being shown at Japan Film Fest Hamburg this year. Katami Watase is young, ambitious girl with aspiration to become a cinema actress. For this, she needs talent, belief in herself and support from friends. The interview turns tense as the aspiring actress begins to feel personally attacked.

The film delivers a compassionate and spirited speech about what it take to make it in film. At only five minutes, the short is one note as a relatively singular vision, but the message is both inspirational and empowering, serving the purpose of the meaning sufficiently. Expounding the importance of community support, the short is an impassioned love letter to cinema that will resonate with cinephiles.

Anna’s Love

Anna’s Love is a 2019 horror short and the first film from director Kōji Takahashi. While looking for a cheap apartment, a young man, Masato, comes across a tempting offer. However, the people behind this enticing offer – the widowed landlord and his daughter, Anna, whose family roots stretch as far as Transylvania – are surrounded by a dark secret.

This short is a wonderfully visual experience, showcasing stylish cinematography and an impactful use of contrasting colours. The practical effects are deployed in a stunning way, and the excessive amount of blood perfectly macabre. Sadly, the narrative does lack some depth in its characters and is largely aimless. In spite of its shortcoming, Anna’s Love is a poignant horror piece from Kōji Takahashi, a fascinating take on vampiric lore.

Dream to Accept Reality

Dream to Accept Reality is a 2020 supernatural horror short directed by Yūta Shimotsu. On a visit with her grandparents, a young woman is shocked to find her losing control of her senses and begins to expect the supernatural.

A personal favorite of the batch of shorts, Dream to Accept Reality boasts an incredibly dark atmosphere, enhanced perfectly with an atmospheric score and fluid cinematography. In particular, the sound design is an idyllic mix of ambient and industrial sound that wavers between fitting and disorienting. In addition, the performances are executed perfectly, maximizing the tension of the production in the time they have. Ultimately, if you see one short during Japan Film Fest Hamburg, I suggest it be this one. I await on tenterhooks for future projects from Yūta Shimotsu!

Children of God – Shinji and Rinka

Children of God – Shinji and Rinka is a 2019 action thriller short from Kazuaki Kashima. Shinji and his daughter Shizuku are ambushed by a crazy yakuza (Rinka) who kidnaps the young girl as a hostage. Requesting 100 million yen for Shizuku’s safe return, Shinji begins a desperate pursuit whilst unaware he is not the only one after Rinka.

Compact yet effective, Children of God is a perfect example of how to craft a coherent short film with an impactful narrative. A crazy scenario, the work avoids becoming confusing from discerning performances and a fully realized script. The conclusion suggests this may not be the end of the end, however, to build excitement towards the possibility of a follow up or feature length film. An enjoyable, energetic crime romp, Children of God will leave audiences wanting more as the insinuated sequel may offer!

Oh! Who Do Recover

Oh! Who Do Recover is a 2019 action comedy from first-time director Narushi Takeda. A young school girl is surprised by a man in black while smoking in a shrine. Not far away, a teacher friend and a detective have an argument over a discarded cigarette until the man in black appears before them as well. If there’s one thing he can’t stand, it’s improperly disposing of garbage. Resembling a spirit of vengeance, he flashes an archaic katana in a rage.

Heavy themes of environmentalism permeate this short story. The personification of the deity Acala, known to attack those deemed evil or unrighteous, targets people who litter in this case. The film takes a light-hearted comedic approach to convey a message of consideration to the environment and personal responsibility to nature.

Out-There

Out-There is a 2020 horror thriller short written by Shingo Takeda and directed by the duo of Takeda and Shinsuke Fujioka. Anxiously awaiting the return of their partner from work, a young man kills time by chatting with a friend over video chat. However, the situation turn horrific when the man realizes he is not alone and a spirit is looming in the background.

The film exhibits influence from classic J-horror Ringu on its proverbial sleeve, showing incredible similarities in tone, build up and character design. Despite this, the short is not a rehash of another intellectual property and utilizes this likeness to create something different yet equally disturbing. Overall, Out-There embraces the best of J-Horror and condenses it down into an effectively thrilling horror experience.

Stool Doll

tool Doll is a 2020 independent piece of extreme cinema from director Santarō Shinohara. Yoshio Tobari believes he has found the perfect woman in Hanaka. However,  Hanaka is a creation of the troubled man’s own ‘love’, a nasty concoction of the man’s own brown excretions.  

The short is an austere production, unabashed by social normalcy to tell a unique story. This film is not for everyone considering graphic scenes of coprophilia emphasizing sexual kink. Likely to leave a bad lingering taste for most, the distinct story is perfect for those who enjoy extreme cinema which challenge norms (or test the boundaries).

Genius Director

Genius Director is a 2020 short film directed by Shingo Kanemoto who also directed Dosuemon (2020) also available at Japanese Film Fest Hamburg. Juzo Onigawara’s ego is bigger than any other director’s. On the set of his latest film, he is rage incarnate, proceeding to dominate everything and violate everyone. Humiliation or physical violence is his common tactic, but his actions takes a particularly dark turn when he summons a young actress to his apartment for ‘private lessons’.

The portrayal of Juzo as a reprehensible character is delivered perfectly, becoming the embodiment of every negative trait a director could possess. From assaulting staff to sexual misconduct, the set is the definition of toxic workplace environment taken to the extreme. Although his actions are played off as comedic hijinks, they are certainly not without deserved consequences. Overall, Genius Director is an unflinching and unapologetic experience aimed at those who love their comedy as dark as possible.

Shrouded at Dusk

Shrouded at Dusk is a 2019 thriller from director Hiroyuki Mahara. Young Eriko makes house calls as a prostitute, but her day starts of nightmarish thank to a dark request from her first client. Unnervingly, the troubled man asks her to wear special clothing for a tribute to his daughter who committed suicide. Hesitant at first, Eriko obliges and the peculiar man provokes memories of her own father.

Poignant in its delivery, this short deals with situations that some people may find distressing. The subject of regret, hatred, incest, child molestation, suicide and revenge are all explored in this film to great detail as a shocking display of two people mutually using each other to try and escape their past. If you can handle such topics, I highly recommend watching this short.

Talala

Talala is a 2019 anime directed by Hiroshi Takizawa. It follows a dreamy young girl who loves to play music and experiences fantastical events leading into a a magical summer day.

The short presents the psychedelic adventures of a young girl in her own ethereal world, passing the day as she pleases. Accompanied by beautifully innocent music, and following a carefree story, it is a film which works successfully through the fun, childlike tone. In conclusion, the short was cute enough to melt my icy heart and tap my foot along to, providing wonderfully colourful animation to boot.

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A Beast in Love (2020) film review  Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei August 1, 2021

One of the more unique entries in this years Japan Film Fest Hamburg (JFFH), A Beast in Love (2020) is the latest film from the mind of Koji Shiraishi.  Prolific in horror, having explored a multitude of sub-genres throughout the years, Koji Shiraishi is most known for his entries into ‘mocumentary horrors’ such as Noroi (2005), Karuto (2013) and A Record of Sweet Murder (2014).

What is it?

Set in a quiet countryside bar, an eccentric woman (disguised as a man) turns into a cutthroat killer – attempting to kill each and every patron. Her goal? To win the heart of her crush who also found his way to the locale populated by peculiar individuals.

What Worked?

A lively rendition from the modest cast works with the story’s bizarre tone, featuring an outstanding performance from Shohei Uno and Shunsuke Tanaka. Shohei Uno gives an aggressively energetic display as the crossdresser (as referred to in the film). Additionally, Shunsuke Tanaka’s capability to switch from timorous to ferocious is impeccably smooth; his character, Chuya Nakata, reminiscent of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde – always terrified of turning violent towards those around him. Overall, the performances across the cast act as the perfect allure to the chaos that Shiraishi is able to craft.

The cinematography exhibited is striking in its implementation, mixing a use of open wide angles and tight close shots to capture both background ambiance and character reactions. Furthermore, the film brilliantly utilizes a luminous colour palettes to make the visuals pop. Bright and oversaturated, in a complimentary sense, the visual flair is utilized from the opening credits- backdrops always awash in light and paint.

An astonishing soundtrack accompanies the film. Offering a diverse mix of genres, each scene is perfectly scored to capture the mood – frenetic or nuanced depending on the scene. In the same manner, an interlaced composed score compliments the overall flow, particularly through the tense and action pact moments.

Darkly comedic in undertones, the obscure situations play out in a serious fashion, further enhancing the bizarre factor and therefore (for myself at least) the overall success of the humor. However, there are moments that push to the extreme, including moments that are borderline gross-out, for those who really enjoy when comedies that push the limits of good taste (golden shower, anyone?).

What Didn’t Work?

The opening of the film is abstract and lacks any explanation. For this reason, the beginning is confusing to a degree – the group lacking any reason or belonging. Although these details fill in naturally, it is rather slow in pace at first and can be off-putting. Thankfully, the overall narrative is not difficult to grasp as key information is clarified towards the end of the second act.

Where Can I Watch It?

Viewings of A Beast in Love (2020) will be available online during JFFH. Available from August 18th to September 1st, tickets will be available via their website.

Overall Thoughts

There is no denying A Beast in Love is a provocative piece of cinema. It is quite different from the usual films released by Koji Shiraishi but still taps into what he knows best. That is, a intelligent mystery that is able to hold appeal in audience interpretations while avoiding any plot-holes that would, under a lesser filmmaker, sink the film.

Personally, the extreme nature of the film coupled with its ludicrously dark humour made for a highly enjoyable watch – I found myself laughing throughout. However, the film feels limited by runtime and I did find myself wanting more of certain aspects. Regardless, anyone checking this one out is certain to have a good time if you are willing to embrace the chaos!

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One Cut in the Life (2020) review  Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei July 28, 2021

Featured in JFFH (Japanese Film Fest Hamburg), One Cut in the Life is a poignant drama written, produced, and directed by Shintaro Hachi- a relatively unknown, up and coming filmmaker. He stated, “I would like to show my own determination regarding violent events of all sizes that I encounter in my daily life, and with the goal of creating and nurturing them as one work”. This piqued my intrigue and I wanted to view his work for myself.

What is it?

After an incident, Yuka Minato received a facial injury. Years later, she reunites with two other survivors, Rintaro Goto and Hayashi Taro. The group reconnects by sharing the trauma left in each other’s hearts. However, Hideki Mori, a freelance writer who searches for the truth of the case, suddenly arrives to interview the friends about the case three years ago. Yuka and Hayashi have a secret about the incident that only they know.

What Worked

Shintaro Hachi accomplishes a wonderful portrayal of trauma and strikes up a strong level of empathy for his characters as they struggle to lead a normal existence after a life-changing event. Additionally effective are the overall desaturated tone and powerful, wide angle cinematography that tends to linger on a scene in silence, enforcing the emotion of what has transpired.

Incredibly strong performances from Rio Konno (Yuka) and Yuto Kobayashi (Rintaro) drive the production. The relatively unknown cast’s depiction of how the upheaval of a situation can, and will, follow into the future is compelling from beginning to end.

Implementing a limited use of the soundtrack throughout, the film’s musical application is potent yet subtle in its delivery and characterizes scenes considerably. Though, the lack of music is the more moving approach taken, much to the film’s benefit.

What Didn’t Work

Beginning at a break-neck speed, One Cut in the Life throws the viewer in the midst of an ongoing shooting spree. However, after this scene, the movie soon loses momentum and doesn’t seem to deviate from the decreased pace for the remainder of its run time. As the beginning is so kinetic, the shift in progression is noticeable. Nevertheless, the film’s scenes all have purpose and none feel unnecessarily extended. By only having a runtime of 76 minutes, the film is a shorter watch than expected.

Where Can I Find It?

Viewings of One Cut in the Life will be accessible online during JFFH. Running from August 18th to September 1st, tickets will be available via their website.

Overall thoughts

Since little information about the film exists online, going into it blind may have been detrimental. Opening so explosively, the film set a level not upheld by its remainder. If I was more attuned to the film’s focus, it would have improved my enjoyment.

In spite of this, the movie is still enjoyable. Shooting sprees are exceedingly difficult to portray in our current climate. The director objectively succeeded in handling the tumultuous topic. With the incident not being glamorized in any way, its perpetrators lacked any redemption through justification. Instead, it chose to focus on its victims and their struggle with trauma. One Cut in the Life deserves the recognition it is beginning to receive. Moreover, it has won several awards at worldwide film festivals. As such, I’m interested in what is next for the young director, having proven his ability to project his vision on the screen so efficiently.  I have high hopes for the talented filmmaker.

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Blind Beast (1969) review  Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei  July 21, 2021

For a long period, I have found myself drawn to extreme cinema. The unapologetic approach to subject matters proscribed in mainstream media has always been more alluring to my cinematic tastes. From Japanese Pinku Eiga to French New Wave, I have tried to explore as much of the genre as possible and moreover, having seen a varied mix of what makes the category both good and bad. Films Like Irreversible (2002) and the portrayal of its subject matter being held in much higher regard than, say, I Spit on Your Grave (1978).

Films that can take an artistic yet brazen view into a world, which have fallen through the cracks of society, often pique my interests more than general splatter movies. One such film that had escaped my attention is the unique tale of sadomasochism that is Blind Beasts.

What Is It?

Blind Beasts (1969) is a Pinku horror/drama directed by Yasuzô Masumura, known for directing such classics such as Hanzo the Razor: The Snare (1973), Manji (1964) and Play It Cool (1970), Yasuzô is most notable for his work in Japanese New Wave cinema. Based on the novel Moju: The Blind Beast written by acclaimed author Edogawa Rampo (a pseudonym based on the name Edgar Allen Poe) and published in 1931.

With the help of his own mother (Noriko Sengoku), sightless sculptor Michio (Eiji Funakoshi) abducts gorgeous model Aki (Mako Midori) and brings her back to his lair; a warehouse populated by demented art objects that mimic female bodies. It’s here where he forces her to endure a series of sadomasochistic mind games. But, as the weeks wear on, Aki becomes deeply immersed in the erotic torment she’s put through, as herself and Michio descend into the animalistic depths of pleasure and pain.

What Worked?

Yasuzô Masumura’s minimalist approach works impeccably for the production. A limited cast and locations give the film an enclosed, bordering claustrophobic environmental energy. Enforced by a phantasmagorical set design, strewn with sculpted, dismembered body parts from floor to ceiling.

An intuitive implementation of light, poignant cinematography and attention to detail are the stand out points of this experience. Blurring the line between fantasy and reality successfully depict the nature of the psycho-sexual story in an expressive manner.

Notwithstanding the nudity related to extreme cinema, Blind Beast is one of the least bloody entries to the genre, choosing to put into effect obscuration and an artistic approach to violence. However, this is not to say that the film isn’t disturbing, managing to be shocking through the acts it represents more than the acts themselves.

What Didn’t Work?

The chase scene between Aki and Machio in the warehouse lacks any urgency for a young lady drugged, kidnapped and having awoke in a strange place. Certainly, more direction to the actress would have been beneficial to the overall flow of the sequence, but this scene does not detract from the overall oppressive feel of the film, nevertheless.

Where Can I Find It?

Blind Beast is available to pre-order on Blu-ray at Arrow Videos webstore. The plethora of features include:

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation

Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio

Optional English subtitles

Brand new audio commentary by Asian cinema scholar Earl Jackson

Newly filmed introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns

Blind Beast: Masumura the Supersensualist, a brand new visual essay by Japanese literature and visual studies’ scholar Seth Jacobowitz

Original Trailer

Image Gallery

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella

Overall thoughts

Blind Beast is an explicit glimpse into unequivocal individualism, unabashed by the taboo subject matter. I enjoyed the film based on how refreshing it is to the extreme cinema genre to not rely on excessive gore to be controversial.

As such, I understand that this film is not going to be to everyone’s taste, especially considering the vivid depictions of the descent into Machio and Aki’s self-destructive relationship that can be tough to stomach. Even with a lack of bloody detail, the character’s enthusiasm towards the sensations, as well as visceral sound effects, reinforce the destructive nature of their affinity.

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Hell Night (1988) review Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Banshee July 20, 2021

Being mostly an American tradition, fraternities seem to be full of real life horror stories due to the harsh hazing rituals regularly to new pledges. These organisations seem to be a popular setting in the horror genre, providing some organic reasoning for the inclusion of copious amounts of drink, drugs and sex as prominent in 80’s horror cinema.

Consequently, films such as Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988), Splatter University (1984) and Pledge Night (1988), to name a few, have utilized this backdrop efficiently. However few none seem to have a cult following as strong as Hell Night.

What is it?

Hell Night is a 1988 slasher movie directed by Tom DeSimone, known for directing early exploitation films such as Prison Girls (1972), Sons of Satan (1973) and Chatterbox! (1977). The film features the infamous scream queen Linda Blair, best known for her performance in cult classic The Exorcist (1973).

During a fancy dress party, four college pledges spend the night in a deserted mansion against their will, whilst stalked by the monstrous survivor of a family massacre years earlier.

What worked?

The film starts on a strong note with director Tom DeSimone exploring his roots during the opening credits – a visual style reminiscent of his early work in 70’s exploitation. Even though the vibe instantly transitions into the more familiar 80’s aesthetic afterwards, the intro sets the tone and conveys the director’s love of cult cinema.

The production is a unique blend of slasher and haunted house film, presenting beautiful period set designs amazingly littered with candles. Additionally, having the characters in costume, and obscuration of the killer, help enforce this mix of the two films styles.

An incredible original score accompanies these tense moments, a controlled implementation increasing the impact once abruptly introduced. By comparison to other slashers, Hell Night does not rely on more shallow jump scares with dramatic stings to build suspense and finally deliver scares.

What Didn’t Work?

Although the last 30 minutes build into a thrilling conclusion, the overall pace did have faults. As an example, a drawn out second act slows the action, minimal momentum provided in the way of narrative or scares and focusing on what meagre character progression there is. Regardless of such flaws, however, the characters still make an impression and were amiable throughout.

Where Can I Find it?

Hell Night will be available to buy at 101 Films web store on their ‘Special Edition Black Label’ Blu-ray on July 26th, 2021. The full list of special features include:

Transfer from a 4K scan of the best surviving archival 35mm film print with minor SD inserts to replace missing footage

Limited edition booklet: Includes The Scare Blair Bunch: Hell Night, Linda Blair and the Rise of the American Sorority Slasher by Andrew Graves and Haunted Houses on Film by Barry Forshaw

Audio Commentary with Linda Blair, Tom DeSimone, Irwin Yablans, and Bruce Cohn Curtis

Linda Blair: The Beauty of Horror

Hell Nights with Tom DeSimone

Peter Barton: Facing Fear

Producing Hell with Bruce Cohn Curtis

Writing Hell with Randy Feldman

Vincent Van Patten and Suki Goodwin in conversation

Kevin Brophy and Jenny Neumann in conversation

Gothic Design in Hell Night

Anatomy of the Death Scenes

On Location at Kimberly Crest

Theatrical Trailer, TV Spots, Radio Spot and Photo Gallery

Overall Thoughts

Overall, Hell Night is a competently made hybrid of two beloved horror genres. Unlike others, it doesn’t suffer from an identity crisis, expertly crafting the two into a highly enjoyable experience. As such, the film surpassed my expectations of the usual fraternity slasher, offering wonderful performance from the whole cast (though Linda Blair is the undeniable standout).

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Abyssal Spider (2020) review  Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Yurei July 3, 2021

Considering the popularity of monster movies being rekindled by Godzilla versus Kong (2021), the newest entry into the ‘MonsterVerse’, the classic approach to this genre may be coming into a new golden era. With my love of these films spanning multiple regions and eras, I am always interested in new titles that are released that are unabashed to tread new waters.

Abyssal Spider (2020) is a Taiwanese monster / disaster thriller, written and directed by Joe Chein with additional writing from Nelson Yan. Joe Chein is most notable for writing and directing B-grade horrors such as Call of the Undead (2012) and Zombie Fight Club (2014). The film is Joe Chein’s biggest so far, securing a budget of around 100,000,000 New Taiwanese Dollars (around 350,000 US Dollars).

What is it?

Whilst conducting a rescue mission aboard a freight ship illegally transporting nuclear waste, an accident caused by Jie’s impatience results in the death of his team captain. Jie, suffering from guilt, quits and leaves his wife and new-born to become a drunkard. After several years wallowing, he decides to do better by his daughter and manages to get a second chance aboard a fishing vessel owned by his ex-father-in-law, much to the disdain of the other crewman.

The crew are torn between living an honest, albeit poor, life as fishermen or delivering illegal packages for greater riches. As tension between these two groups grows into violence, bloodshed and munity, the ship is attacked by a giant spider from the murky depths, mutated by the spilled nuclear waste. Now a fight for survival ensues, will the two groups work together against a common enemy or tear themselves apart in the pursuit of greed?

What Worked?

Abyssal Spider is more of a nod to vintage monster movies from the west rather than the epic Kaiju films of the east. Having a fixed narrative organically include the monster instead of the story being a framing device for Behemoth fighting action is rarely seen outside of the west.

The film has a heavy focus on story driven narrative, with characters actions being deeply motivated by past interactions between characters, all of them having their own principles or lack thereof. Additionally, holding the monsters main appearance until the last 40 minutes worked in the films favour, allowing for internal tensions of the story to have a lasting effect throughout.

Abyssal Spider has takes major influence from Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979). Specifically, the fishing vessels’ tight corridors reflect the interior of the USCSS Nostromo and its claustrophobic environment. Furthermore, the addition of a slime-like substance as a revelation tool also lends itself to the sci-fi classic.

The titular monsters, though being mostly CGI effects, are incredibly detailed. Being extremely smoothly animated, the creature’s movement is akin to how an actual arachnid would be. The inclusion of small details, with each limb covered in barnacles, lends the feeling of the creature’s existence in the ocean.

The film’s use of music impeccably denotes each scene, ramping up the tension with its classical score and the inclusion of more unorthodox sound usages, solidifying the oppressive atmosphere aboard.

What Didn’t Work?

The shaky action camera angles can be somewhat disorientating when combined with the claustrophobic environment of inside the ship, their use outside on the deck is a little less problematic for those who suffer from motion sickness.

Caution! Some spoilers ahead

The film has a number of plot holes throughout; barely mentioning the nuclear waste material on the sinking ship at the start of the film, the lack of reaction or attention to a crew mate being found dead and wrapped in spider web atop the ship, as well as a few other facts being dumped on the viewer. It would have helped the story if these things were more naturally introduced into the story rather than the info being dumped on the audience haphazardly.

The monster’s actual size has been somewhat misled by the poster art attached to the film. Shown as a huge entity stalking behind the ship on the poster, the spider is in actuality a lot smaller, closer to a similar height to a human (still a terrifying concept, just not what was promised to me).

Overall Thoughts

Abyssal Spider is, in all, a mixed bag of an experience. It has its problems in the writing department but it was an enjoyable way to spend one hour and forty minutes. If you can look past the plot holes, the monster’s style and design is ambitious and well executed. Furthermore, the story has tension, building on that foundation adequately throughout.

I would recommend the film to die-hard monster film fanatics as an interesting take on the genre but may not be as enjoyable for the average film fan. I would rate the film 2.5 spooky ghosts out of 5. If it wasn’t for the blatant plot errors, I might have considered a higher rating but the film was still a fun, entertaining experience regardless.

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Vampire State Building review Published by grimoireofhorror.com and The Banshee June 26, 2021 

Vampires have been the subject of media as far back as the publication of John William Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897). Their is lore subject to variation and change over the years to create the vampiric entities that have cemented themselves as part of our popular culture.

This history has not deterred creators to attempt to reinvent the mythology to effectively devise a new distinct type of fear from these classic staples of horror history. For example, Guillermo del Toro’s and Chuck Hogan’s The Strain achieved commercial success and popularity – proving audiences’ readiness to embrace reinterpretations of the iconic creatures. Consequently, Vampire State Building embraces its own unique take on the genre and looks bloody wonderous while doing it.

What is it?

Vampire State Building is a 2019 horror graphic novel from the pens of French writers Ange (Anne and Gerard Guéro) and Patrick Renault, which contains illustration provided by Charlie Adlard, co-creator and artist of the legendary The Walking Dead comics. The graphic novel was published by Ablaze Publishing and Diamond Books. It was released as a full volume including all four issues alongside cover artwork and character designs.

The comic follows Terry Fisher, a young soldier soon to be deployed to Afghanistan on active military duty. Before leaving, his friends decide to throw a going away party at the Empire State Building. However, without warning, the building is swarmed by a legion of vampires who massacre the numerous occupants ruthlessly. It is now up to Terry to take charge and escape with his friends before succumbing to these rampaging creatures.

What Worked

Vampire State Building’s story is quick to introduce the carnage, launching into the action after a dozen or so pages – continuing at a breakneck pace until its climatic finale.  Thankfully, the short mini-series does not affect the narrative quality – the work never feels rushed with a naturally kinetic action bolstering story progression.

Visually, Charlie Adlard’s artwork conjures up a tense and desperate atmosphere. Highlighting gritty, earthy colours contrasted by the bright crimson from the aftermath of violence, the artwork is especially pronounced. Unsurprisingly, given Adlard’s previous work, the aesthetic is reminiscent of The Walking Dead with minute attention to detail and amazing use of lighting to incisively contour scenes.

This newly released volume is the definitive way to enjoy this graphic novel, in my opinion, versus tracking down single issues – it is the complete version for any collector.

Caution! Spoilers Ahead

Finally, the vampires having links to Native American culture is an intriguing angle from the lore. They act less like parasitic entities and more like an organized cult, working as individuals but loyal to a single cause. Additionally, how people become and transition into vampire undergoes significant changes – death at the hands of these creatures is enough to ensure transformation.

What Didn’t work

I couldn’t help but notice a very meta reference to The Walking Dead that was very cheesy and should have been omitted, in my opinion. It is an obnoxious distraction as needless indulgence.

Being a mini-series, Vampire State Building has a heavy emphasis on its action-packed story, leaving characters feeling somewhat lacking in depth. They have their basic character outlines to differentiate between themselves, but it hardly goes any further in depth. Consequently, it was difficult to care about their fate and feel any attachment.  Conversely, the non-stop action easily compensates for this minor flaw as action entertainment over character development.

Where Can I Get It?

Vampire State Building is available to order on Amazon, as well as anywhere specialist comics are sold.

Overall Thoughts

Vampire State Building is a fun, if not short, graphic novel, full of brutal depictions of violence flooding the pages to build into a glorious climax. Certainly, lovers of action horror graphic novels will get a kick out of this page turner. Unfortunately, fans of traditional vampire lore may not revel in the changes made to the identity of vampires – their stubborn loss absolutely.

The high velocity story completely engrossed me up until the last page – a highly enjoyable experience paced well from start to finish. Fans of The Walking Dead, The Strain and other similar titles will certainly appreciate this unique gem.