Review: The Sound of Summer

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

The Sound of Summer
Directed by Guy (aka Guy Pierce, Guy Fragments)
Sculpting Fragments; Unearthed Films; MVD Visual
75 minutes, 2022
www.unearthedvideo.com
https://mvdb2b.com/s/TheSoundOfSummer/UN-1150

In James Clavell’s 1975 opus, Shōgun, he posits, “The Japanese have six faces and three hearts.” Society is incredibly different in the present than in feudal times when the novel took place, and life has become more in sync with the West. But when viewing art cinema, even in the Asia extreme cinema category, this quote can become more than just a philosophy.

A lonely young woman (cute Kaori Hoshino) – whom I will refer to as Her, as no names are given for the characters – works in as a barista in a coffee shop during a sweltering summer in Japan (with English subtitles, though there is minimal dialogue). It is 102F/39C and it seems no one has air conditioning. It reminds me of that episode of “The Twilight Zone” called “The Midnight Sun” (1961), where the Earth is moving closer to the flaming orb. One can almost feel the heat radiating off the monitor.

Kaori Hoshino

Because it is summer, the large flying insects called cicadas (there is a variation of the species in the American Southeast) are in large numbers and if you do not know, they make a loud rubbing noise, usually through the night. That sound is the source of the film’s title. Unnervingly, this is keeping our heroine awake, along with the heat. Lack of sleep and high temperatures can have a negative effect on one’s mental health.

Into the coffee shop comes a sweaty middle-aged man with a mask, a net, and a couple of cases filled with cicadas. He begins coming in often, each time dressed identically, and with the same containers full of captured critters.

Shinya Hankawa

As the summer wears on and the heat is unrelenting, Her breaks out in itchy rashes and scratches herself bloody, and begins slipping from reality, believing that the “Cicada Man” (Shinya Hankawa) as he is called by her and her coworker (Kiyomi Kametani) is visiting her at night, and infecting her with cicada eggs.

Being released by Unearthed Films, it should come as no surprise this leads into body horror, as she scratches and starts to remove skin, with lots of blood and gore for those who are drawn to that. The practical effects are done by Susumu Nakatani, who does an amazing job at bringing out the squeamish body manipulations.

And what makes this arthouse fare? Well, part of it is the very, very slow burn that starts the story, and with the high temperatures, the term “burn” feels appropriate. Once the Cicada Man visits Her at night, or perhaps in her dreams, is when the red sauce begins to show and flow. All this is underscored (literally) by the soundtrack by synth composer Microchip Terror.

The story and look of this are quite plain and basic, without arty shots or dialogue, despite the wild and swirling camerawork in the third act, but it still retains a certain pace that elevates it to a higher plain. There is also a question of psychology feeding into this style: is Her infected with cicada eggs, or is it all in her mind, twisted by the continuous heat?

Keita Kusaka

In almost The Fly (1986)-like fashion, she picks at her body bit by bit, pulling out what she believes are hatchling cicadas. The doctor (Keita Kusaka) accuses her of delusions of parasitosis, where one is convinced that they are infested by parasites. Considering her physical condition, I do not understand why the doc does not have her committed, or at the very least to the Emergency Room. But that would be the end of the story, so it soldiers on.

The big reveal of the Cicada Man is intense, again reminiscent of The Fly, but the question remains of how much of it is reality, and to what level is it imagined. Either way, it looks amazing.

The extras on the Blu-ray start with the “Behind the Scenes” (45 min) that is a mixture of “how it was shot” and mucking around by the filmmakers and cast, but my favorite parts were the application of the SFX make-up. On “Tokyo Talkshow” (34 min) is the director Guy, cult genre director Shozin Fukui, and the two directors of the film LOUD, after the on-stream premiere of both The Sound of Summer and LOUD. Last is the Japanese Premiere (42 min), which introduces three members of the principle cast and director to the audience. I have found many times these kinds of pre- or post-screening interviews tend to have terrible audio. Here, however, it is nice and crisp, and there are easy-to-read subtitles, as they are mostly in Japanese. There is also a trailer for this and another Guy short.

The director, Guy, is actually a native of Britain who has been living in Japan for several years and is fluent in the language. In this being his first full-length feature, he brings the sensibilities of both to the project, giving it a slightly different touch than from either. Oh, I would still label this under “Asian Extreme” (yeah, there are people who do not like that term, though it is accurate), but the plain and simple structure is totally Western influenced. It helps that he was aided by his co-conspirator of the film, Dave Jackson who directed Cat Sick Blues (2016). 

Honestly, I do not necessarily have a fear of insects per se (though I am not fond of them on my body or floating around my head), this was a bit extreme on the effects of the insects, not of the creatures themselves. While a fun ride, once it kicks into gear, consider yourself forewarned if you suffer from entomophobia, sometimes known as insectophobia.

MDB listing HERE

Review: Maniac Driver

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

Maniac Driver
Directed by Kurando Mitsutake
Akari Pictures; Reelgore Releasing; 8 Ball Films; DiabolikDVD; MVD Visual
75 minutes, 2020 / 2022
www.mvdvisual.com

Although this film is Japanese in origin and language (with subtitles), it may be inspired by the real Hong Kong serial killer portrayed in Dr. Lamb. He was also a taxi driver serial killer.

The opening credits’ title states this is a “Japanese Giallo.” Well, the opening sequence screams of it, as a woman in a spandex bathing suit sensually strips in a shower, and is murdered by the titular, Fujinaga (Tomoki Kimura). The color palate (by Shuji Hamamoto and Mitsuo Kojima) is correct for a Giallo, with lots of primary colors, a knife, and a helmeted killer. Actually, what the opening made me think of was a cross between Italian Giallo and the ending credits of What’s Up Tiger Lily? (1966).

Tomoki Kimura, Iori Kogawa

The tone of the over-thought narration describing the city definitely smacks of Taxi Driver (1976). Kimura even looks a bit like a younger DeNiro; heck, there is even a scene with him in front of a mirror holding a weapon and giving the whole “You talking to me?” speech. I have no doubt this was meant as an homage, rather than a rip-off.

While this definitely has a retro-Giallo feel, there is a Japanese spin on it. For example, as a businesswoman is being chased, she takes off her jacket so the film camera can get her braless bouncing, there is a close-up slo-mo shot of her backside where you can see her underwear beneath her overly short skirt, and, of course, by the end of the scene, her top is exposed. To be fair, in the body of the film (pun not intended), there is also male nudity.

The driver is depressed after his wife was murdered and he was stabbed in a home invasion by someone with the same helmet as him. This sours him on society, and both wants to die and to kill. But, how much of his killing his customers is real and what is fantasy? This is a territory touched on in American Psycho (2020).

The nudity and sex is a-plenty here, so it is no surprising that many of the women/victims in this film come from the world of adult cinema, such as Saryu Usui, Ayumi Kimito, and Ai Sayama (as is stated on the back of the Blu-ray box. Through fantasy and memory, this turns out to be quite a softcore flick. There is also extraordinarily little actual dialogue, with most of the philosophizing happening in the driver’s head. It ranges from injustices, to positive feminism, to despair.

Slowly, as his anger as desperation grows, he starts looking for a victim to take out his perceived vengeance on society and to end his own miserable life. Meanwhile, we see him taking customers in his cab numerous times, through a cab-cam with somewhat blocked faces. Did you know that DeNiro drove a cab in New York for two months to get a better idea of what the character goes through?

There are a lot of shots of Tokyo and the editing (John Migdal) and cinematography (Makoto Hayashi) is noteworthy, such as the city reflected through the moving hood of the dark taxi. Most of the shooting is normalized, but the fantasies are in high-art Giallo colors and lighting techniques. The music during these sequences are also interesting, in a distorted way.

Things pick up when he meets his (adult) “Jody Foster” in the form of injured Mayumi (Iori Kogawa), and he finally sets in motion to carry out his idea for a murder/suicide. Heck, there is even a long-haired villain (Yoshiki Kondô) who is reminiscent of Harvey Keitel.

When the reality is revealed and the facts are finally shown, well, some of it took me by pleasant surprise. The ending nicely sums it up, but I won’t tell…

The extras on this Blu-ray are as follows: an Audio Commentary by the director, Kurando Mitsutake, who fortunately is very fluent in English, so no subtitles needed (born in Toyko, grew up in Fresno, CA). He skillfully goes back and forth between descriptions of what is happening on the screen, and anecdotes about the whole process and the cast/crew. Worth at least one listen. We also learn that the title is a mash-up of insane serial killer flick Maniac (1981), and said Taxi Driver.

The “Maniac Driver: Behind the Scenes”-featurette (30 min) is exactly that, mostly setting up shots (and then we see what they filmed), and includes some brief interviews with the main cast. It is very basic but kept my interest. Finally, there is a Trailer (in English) and Slideshow, along with a nice 4-sided box insert cover with images of the film’s original posters. There are also subtitles available in three languages.

There is a prestigious amount of nudity, sex, and violence, not to mention blood and some gore (SFX by Yoshinari Dohi). The story is a bit weak and repetitive at times, and seems to circle around the point, but by the third Act, it is quite a ride.

IMDB listing HERE

For some reason, the trailer on YouTube is captioned in German:

Review: Project Wolf Hunting

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

Project Wolf Hunting (aka Neugdaesanyang; 늑대사냥)
Directed by Hongsun King
The Contents On (TCO); Cheum Films; Contents G; Finecut International; Well Go USA Entertainment; Hi-YAH!
122 minutes, 2022
https://wellgousa.com/films/project-wolf-hunting 
#ProjectWolfHunting @WellGoUSA

I am no expert on Asian horror cinema, even though I enjoy it, but it seems since Train to Busan (2016), Korean cinema has taken blood, gore, and violence up a notch. It is nearly as though they are in competition with Japan and Hong Kong to be the hardest edge. Well, this film definitely has that in mind.

A cargo freighter has been reassigned to ship a large number of extremely violent criminals (serial killers, gangsters, murderers, necrophiliacs, and the like) that have tried to flee justice and extradite them from the Philippines (where this was filmed) back to Korea for sentencing.

Right from the beginning, before the credits, this starts with a bang and a leg up on the body count pedestal, setting up the premise of why the boat is in play. The convicts of both sexes are easily identifiable by sight, but forgive me if I get a name or two incorrect listing them.

This crosses many genre boundary lines, which is impressive, from crime drama, escaped prisoners (c’mon, that is a given), body horror, creature feature, and mutilation. But more on this later.

The lead criminal is the multi-tattooed sociopathic serial killer, Park Jong Du (Seo In-Guk, who really seems to be relishing the role). He is part of a gang that has also infiltrated the ship to steal a whole bunch of moolah from the cargo hold. Also captive is Do Il (Dong-Yoon Jang), a laid-back martial arts expert. Meanwhile, deep in the bowels of the ship, a doctor is brought along to deliver a serum to what looks like a rotting and maggoty cadaver, but you know there will be another layer to that. He is accompanied by a very nasty nurse, personality wise, who has no idea of his actions.

Once the prisoners escape their bonds, the bloodshed is practically enough to keep the boat afloat on its own; yeah, I know it is a ship, but “boat afloat” sounds better, doncha think? My question is though, if the convicts escape, where will they take the ship? They certainly cannot go to either Korea or the Philippines, and I cannot imagine China or Japan taking them. Maybe they all can get to Carnage City coz they are heading to a bloodbath.

Besides, how many will survive once Alpha (Gwi-hwa Choi), the revived Frankenstein’s monster-ish (green skin and all) super strong creature gets loose? The body count is literally in the multiple of dozens by various gory means.

Most of the actors, from what I understand, are major players in Korea, and it shows in the performances in this film. Sure, there is a bunch of yelling, as in just about every Asian film ever made, but there is also subtly, such as with the policewoman, Jung So-Min (cute Lee Da Yeon).

Part of what makes this film so powerful is that, even though some plot lines are predictable, at the same time most of it – especially during the explosive middle and third act – certainly caught me by surprise a number of times, both in story plot, and who lives and who dies. There are a multitude of influences here, such as the isolation with a killer monster as in Alien (1979), the uprising of convicts such as No Escape (1994), and the genetically enhanced human through science of Seobok: Project Clone (2021; also from South Korea).

The SFX, both practical and digital, is nothing short of stunning, with more blood than, say, the lawnmower scene of Dead Alive/Braindead (1992). That is saying a lot. According to IMDB (see the link below), more than 1.5 tons of “blood” was used. Now, to be truthful, it looked a bit watery, but shit, it is beautiful and plentiful. The photography is also quite exquisite, in wide screen, as well as the editing. On occasion it is a bit hard to see all the action due to the narrow spaces in which the film was shot, but it may still take your breath away.

Either this was filmed on an actual ship, or the set designer deserves an Oscar. Much like the corridor scene of Oldboy (let us get real, the original 2003 version), the spaces tend to be tight with pipes all around; it could only be more squished if it were a submarine. They make the use of the space they have and use it to its ultimate purpose.

Literally, from the beginning to the end, there is barely a wasted moment, even at the full two hours running length. Great storytelling, amazing bloodletting, spot on acting, and a wonderous mix of genres. The director, Hongsun King, who also wrote the screenplay, does a masterful job.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD, Project Wolf Hunting features an all-new English dub (I saw the Korean language version with subtitles), along with bonus content including “Behind the Scenes” and “Making the Alpha” featurettes.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

 

Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki (aka Shiryô no wana 2: Hideki)
Directed by Izo Hashimoto
Japan Home Video (JHV); Unearthed Classics; MVD Visual
97 minutes, 1992 / 2022
www.unearthedfilms.com
www.MVDvisual.com/
Before I begin this review in earnest, let us do a bit of house cleaning. First of all, this film is not actually connected to Evil Dead Trap (1981), per se. They have different writers and the director for Hideki is actually better known for writing the screenplay for the classic Japanese anime film, Akira (1988). And rightfully so.

That being said, there are some slim thematic similarities between the two Trap films. Both involve a television reporter/personality, and the other is that of a mysterious child whose origin is unknown: is it real? Imaginary? An evil spirit as in Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)? Though it may seem like slim connections, I would bring up, for example, how many of the more that 100 Amityville-titled films actually have anything to do with The Amityville Horror (1979)? It should be said, though, that Hideki is the name of the furtive child in both Evil Dead Trap releases.

There are three main characters here. First up is Aki Ôtani (Shoko Nakajima), who works as a film projectionist in a theater. She is dumpy and plumpy, preferring to be by herself, though is incredibly lonely at the same time. Her friend is television reporter and ex-pop idol, Emi Kageyama (Rie Kondoh), an ambitious and outgoing personality, but is also lonely in her own way, finding meaningless sex momentarily fulfilling. She is also obsessed with watching herself on television, via tape. Then there is Kurahashi (Shirô Sano), who is married to Noda (Kazue Tsunogae). And floating somewhere in the fringes of reality or fantasy is the titular Hideki (Shôta Enomoto).

Aki has a split personality, we quickly learn. The frumpy loner, and the red dressed serial killer who murders young women and rips out their ovaries with shears. You heard me. Or is she? Though at first we do not see the actual killings in detail (but hidden in arty camerawork which I will discuss later), but the aftermath is shown in quite gory details. Hey, remember, this is an Unearthed Films rerelease.

Meanwhile, Aki keeps seeing a child in the audience of her theater, and Kurahashi and Noda are waiting for their real or imagined child (demon?), Hideki. Kurahashi is a lothario, screwing around with Emi and promising to bed Aki. Most likely there are others, but let’s focus on the events, now that we have the exposition.

According to a psychic, Kan-nadzuki Chiyo (Shino Ikenami), Aki’s psychic powers are stronger than hers, and warns her not to let it control her. But as we have already seen, the other side of Aki shows that it may be too late. But Hideki’s power and influence may go beyond Aki.

I have to, as always, be honest with you. I have watched this twice now, and I have no fucking idea what the hell was going on by the second half. Was there some really good gore? Yes. Was there some really interesting violence? Yes. Did the story make any sense after the halfway mark? Hell, no. I knew what was going on in the moment, visually, but as for the overall arch of the story, I was lost. Perhaps this would make more sense if I was raised in the Japanese culture in a way I am unfamiliar, sort of like all the subtle wolf imagery in The Howling (1981), e.g., a big bad wolf cartoon on the television, which may be lost on other cultures.

I do have to say, the cinematography by Osamu Fujiishi is nothing short of astounding. Overwhelming neon city lights (nearly a cliché in Asian cinema these days), silhouettes, and shadows, play into the characters’ emotions so well. There were a couple of times I played back a certain scene because it looked so good. The editing was a bit choppy (no pun intended) here and there, with a few rough jump cuts, but I am guessing that was meant to be unnerving, and was probably intentional.

Surprisingly for a Blu-ray, there are only two extras, a Stills Gallery, and a bunch of trailers, including the two Evil Dead Trap releases.

 One could consider this Asian Extreme, I guess, but it does not match up to some of the classics, by the likes of Takashi Miike’s Audition (1999). However, I have heard this film compared to the likes of those by David Lynch and Dario Argento. I can see that. There are lots of weird goings on, strange angles, artsy visuals, and a convoluted story.

 If you liked Evil Dead Trap, I would recommend piggy-backing and seeing this as well right after, and then, perhaps, explain it to me.

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell

 Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell
Directed by Shinichi Fukazawa
Dragodon Pictures; Visual Vengeance; Wild Eye Releasing; MVD Entertainment
62 minutes, 1995 / 2012 / 2022
www.wildeyereleasing.com
www.MVDEntertainment.com/
Originally filmed in Japan (with English subtitles) in 1995, this was not released until 2012. Presently, it has finally been put out in a clearer print (from the master material) on Blu-ray. And it retains its original amazing name. The first time I heard it, I knew I had to see it from that alone. This is the director’s only film (other than one unconnected acting gig), including lead actor, writer, editor, etc. It smacks of a vanity project which means it can be cheesy fun or an ego trip. I am looking forward to finding out.

After a prologue that features a bloody murder regarding the protagonist’s father, who died young, we are introduced to Naoto (the director). He’s the titular bodybuilder. Meeting up with his ex-girl friend, Mika, they decide to check out his dad’s home, where there is a secret buried under the floor. Joining them is psychic Mizuguchi, as Mika is fascinated by ghosts and wants to photograph them. Naturally, Naoto does not believe in the ethereal entities.

Once the trio get into the house, all hell starts a poppin’ as they are locked in against an evil and vengeful ghost. I have seen this compared to The Evil Dead (1981), and I can kind of see why: they are isolated in a relatively small space of many rooms, but each at Manhattan single room apartment sizes. The malevolent spirit wants to inhabit fresh bodies, and even though there are only three of them, manages to do some damage. There is a great amount of gore and also a large amount of humor, whether that is intentional or not, I am not sure.

Is the body builder (the “Ash Williams” of the story) strong enough to endure the “wonton” onslaught? (Note: a year from now, that joke will probably be confusing.) He’s got the wise-cracks near the end, the scared look at the beginning (though not to Ash level…he’s a body builder), which builds some confidence in one’s own strength.

The film is just an hour long, but the last 40 minutes is pretty non-stop, filled with guts, gore, and some stop motion photography here and there. It is totally and beautifully gruesome. Sure, the visuals are grainy as hell, being shot on VHS and all.

One thing that confuses me, and this is true of many stuck-in-the-house films, if the windows are locked, why not throw a chair through it? And if the front door is locked, damn, they have both an ax and shotgun, so why not blast the lock? Nope, just grunge against the window frame and try to kick in (out?) the door. This is the equivalent nonsense of running upstairs rather than out the door that is quite prevalent, and is a pet peeve of many a horror fan.

There are lots of bonus material is included with the Blu-ray of course, being from Visual Vengeance, both digital and physical. For example, there are two commentary tracks, one being with directors and fans Adam Green (Hatchet, Frozen) and Joe Lynch (Shudder’s Creepshow), the other with Japanese film historian James Harper. There is also a new interview with the director, Fukazawa. Then there is a Special Effects featurette, Outtakes, Behind the Scenes and Archival image galleries, the original Japanese Archival Trailers, and some Visual Vengeance trailers, as well.

On the physical side, there is a first pressing limited edition slipcase, a folded poster, a four-page liner notes booklet by Matt Desiderio of the Internet’s “Horror Boobs,” a vintage-style laminated Video Store Rental Card, a reversible sleeve with the original Japanese home video art, and a sheet of stickers from olde tyme video stores. That’s a lot.

The SFX, all of which is practical, works really well, even when it looks ridiculous at times. It is quite lovingly over the top, such as a knife in the back of the head popping out an eye, and then pulled back in when the knife is pulled out. True there is a limited amount of cast of 5, but there manages to be nearly non-stop action once it truly begins. It does not rely on a whole bunch of exposition, like most films today, but you get to know the relationships – at least what the viewer needs to know in reference to this film – and how they interact and move the plot forward.

For an only-time director using earlier and less easily manageable technology, Fukazawa manages miracles here. With some exceptions, the film is shot well, especially considering the miniscule space in which they were filming, and the editing is incredibly effective.

Whether or not it is “The Japanese Evil Dead” or not, it is a whole lot of fun.

IMDB listing HERE