Profound and Entertaining: Tokyo Gore Police

I don't feel as qualified as Hedorah to review this film, but as I really enjoyed this film, I'll give it a go.

"Tokyo Gore Police" is the latest in the wondrous world of j-horror, second to only "Machine Girl" in zaniness and awesomeness. A virus created by "The Key Man" (so called as his calling card, like the puzzle piece of Jigsaw, is a key shape) turns people in "Engineers," people who once injured, grow weapons from the point of injury. The TGP are an elite group of engineer hunters, who track down and destroy the Engineers from further spreading the virus. Ruka, who helps the TGP track down the Engineers, is looking for the killer of her father. Ruka meets the Key Man, who tells her about the corruption of the TGP. I won't cover the rest of the movie, because it's just too good to spoil. Seriously, you must watch this movie.

What makes it so great?

Gore. gore. gore. And more gore. Like "Machine Girl," TGP is full of geysers of blood spraying at the slightest injury. One notable scene is when a woman at a transit stop is cut into bits and pieces, her blood put into bottles, and her dismembered body neatly placed in a box. Any viewer will be left speechless at how sublime this truly is. When Ruka is harassed on a train, she teaches a lesson by cutting the mans hands off, which literally rain blood. The scene of her walking away, in a modern version of a Geisha's gown, with an umbrella shielding her from the blood is truly visual poetry. I'm not saying that to be funny, it really is a wonderfully composed shot.

Weirdness. Japanese culture is one of the best because it fully embraces weirdness. There's a scene where an Engineer grows a crocodile lower body to attack someone. Another engineer grows a giant penis (never thought I'd write that). The truly breathtaking, speechless scene in the movie takes place in what I call the Deformed Fetish Pleasure Club. A blend of a freak show and a cabaret, the weirdness of this club reaches unparalleled heights. A woman is no longer a woman, but a flattened piece of skin who is addicted to morphine. One woman had turned into a snail, her eyes like antenna. Another woman has sprouted a penis in place of her nose.

The depth. The club scene is one example of how enlightening and profound this movie is. It shows how desensitized society has become to the most debased sexual perversions, and how people will stop at nothing to satiate their sickened curiosities. Interspersed throughout the film are brief commercials which show that the country has become a police state, relying on martial law at the expense of individual freedoms. Other commercials show kids eagerly cutting their wrists with kawaii cutters, which conveys the troubled state today's youth is in, and ironically how widespread violence is.

If you want to be entertained on one level by campy gore and zaniness, watch this movie. If you want to intellectually stimulated and ponder the state of society, as presented through ironic and brilliant satire, watch this movie too.  
 
The gore delights of Tokyo Gore Police await you!

"Hey mister, do you know 'Rock 'n Roll'?": Wild Zero

Like the hordes of undead themselves, zombie comedies are overrunning the pop culture landscape. This sub-genre's reign shows no signs of slowing down. Last year alone saw the release of numerous books and movies that cast a humorous light on the undead. Most notably there was the New York Times bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (a goofy reworking of the Jane Austen classic), Death Troopers (the first Star Wars horror novel and the only book in the history of literature to feature zombie wookies), and the crowd pleasing Zombieland. So what makes this blend so appealing? I can't speak for everyone, but I believe that, when done correctly, a zombie comedy is a delicious mix of action, horror, and pure insanity. Wild Zero, a Japanese movie from 2000, is such a mix.

Wild Zero opens with a view of the Earth as seen from outer space. Hundreds of UFOs swarm across the screen. They are arriving to launch the zombie apocalypse and doom us all. Wild Zero, if you couldn't guess from this, is a movie that doesn't take itself seriously. The UFO plot point is ripped straight from no-budget 1950's science fiction. In particular it seems to be a nod to Plan 9 From Outer Space, a favorite amongst fans of "so bad it's good" cinema. This should give you a hint as to the tone of Wild Zero- it's crazy, campy, and makes no attempt to slow down and think about things.

As one would expect, the characters that populate the world of Wild Zero are as colorful as can be. Our hero is Ace, a rock 'n roll fanboy who wants nothing more in life than to be just like his favorite band, Guitar Wolf. Guitar Wolf is a real Japanese rock band which consists of three band members who go by the matter-of-fact stage names Guitar Wolf, Bass Wolf, and Drum Wolf. All three have starring roles in Wild Zero playing exaggerated versions of themselves to great comedic effect. It's hard not to love Guitar Wolf. They all dress in a simple uniform that consists of black leather jackets, sunglasses, and slicked-back hair. In between battles with the undead, they scream into microphones that shoot fire, offer advice against intolerance ("Love has no borders, nationalities, or genders!"), and make Ace their rock 'n roll blood brother (when Ace is in danger, he can blow a whistle to summon the band to his aid). The majority of the soundtrack consists of Guitar Wolf songs, and they, like the movie itself, are loud, fast, obsessed with B-grade sci-fi and horror, and distinctly Japanese.

Standing in Guitar Wolf and Ace's path to happiness is hundreds of hungry undead. The zombies in Wild Zero are an odd bunch of creatures. They have blueish complexions, similar to the zombies in Dawn of the Dead (1978), but unlike that crowd, the creatures in Wild Zero can speak, and they seem to have clear memories of their lives pre-zombification. In one humorous yet bizarre scene a zombie attempts to trick a group of humans into thinking he is one of the living.

While the zombies themselves are entertaining, the majority of the special effects surrounding them are pretty bad, and are easily the weakest part of the movie. The zombie makeup is passable, but could've used some touching up. The computer generated exploding zombie heads, however, are atrocious looking, and represent everything that is wrong with CG gore. It doesn't help that Wild Zero was made in the early 2000's, making such poor effects look dated as well as cheap. Luckily, this is not a movie that relies on special effects to propel the zombie mayhem. Instead, it uses the strong personalities of its characters to grab your attention, which makes the subpar gore more forgivable than it might be in another story.

In fact, I would argue that the true villain of Wild Zero is not the zombie horde, but rather a greedy, sleazy, club owner with a passion for criminally short shorts. While a money hungry business man is not exactly a new character concept, the way this man dresses, speaks, and acts is totally unique, totally hilarious, and very different than anything I could imagine seeing in an American movie of this style. I would even say that Wild Zero is worth looking into just to see this outrageous character.

Wild Zero is a movie created for a specific taste. It is crazy, random, fast, loud, and packs in as much fun per minute as is humanly possible. Its something you either "get" or you don't. For the record, I get the joke of Wild Zero, and it never gets old.

A Monster is Born: Gojira (1954)

Godzilla has starred in twenty-eight films, has won numerous awards, and is an international icon beloved by children all over the world. Not bad for a fictional character. Especially when you consider that this character's first film was a dark, not-so-subtle metaphor for the horrors of nuclear warfare.

Many Americans have never seen the side of the Godzilla legend that is presented in Gojira (1954) and therefore are missing out on an important part of the monster's origin story. Unfortunately, it wasn't until 2006, over fifty years after the movie premiered in Japan, that the original subtitled and uncut version of Gojira was released on DVD in the United States. Up until this point, the only version of the film that was widely available on home video in the United States was the heavily cut and dubbed American version (known as Godzilla: King of the Monsters). The American version, while lovable in its own right as a piece of campy '50's science fiction, does not handle the original story with much care and accuracy. Nearly all of the political messages and illusions found in the original Japanese version were cut so as not to turn-off American viewers.

The political messages in Gojira, while occasionally heavy-handed, are absolutely essential to the storyline. Even Godzilla's first attack, which results in the sinking of a small fishing boat, is a clear reference to a specific nuclear accident, in which United States nuclear tests caused the contamination of the cargo and crew aboard the Lucky Dragon No. 5, a Japanese fishing boat. Viewed in this historical context, Gojira is haunting. Gojira 1954 is, arguably, the only Godzilla movie that is interested in its human character as much as it is interested in Godzilla himself. Here the monster is merely a metaphor for the nuclear threat. He does not have a personality as he does in the later films. This Godzilla does not does not dance and play with children, here he is much more animal like.

In regard to the human characters, this film features my all-time favorite, non-monster Godzilla character: the eye-patch wearing Dr. Serizawa. Serizawa is the type of scientist that only exists in the movies. He's reclusive, lives in a house that resembles a castle, and is tormented by the terrible power of his inventions. Serizawa is the tragic hero of the film. He holds the secret to defeating Godzilla in his invention, "the oxygen destroyer". True to its name, the oxygen destroyer is a device that sucks all the oxygen out of the surrounding water it is placed into. But while it is an object that could prove to be the last hope for humanity, it could also, in the wrong hands, be used as a devastating weapon. It is for this reason that Dr. Serizawa is extremely conflicted. Should he save the world from Godzilla only to hand humanity the keys to further devastation in the form of a deadly weapon? Of course, in the end, Serizawa decides to use the oxygen destroyer to vanquish Godzilla, but only at great personal sacrifice.

Godzilla himself is a powerful, intimidating force in the movie. It was because of budgetary issues that special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya decided to portray the monster as a man in a suit (he had originally wanted to animate Godzilla using stop motion techniques similar to those in King Kong). The resulting "suitmation" technique would become a staple of the Godzilla films. True, it does not look "realistic", but I personally love the look of the Godzilla films and would not be happy if the monsters look different than they do now. The detail in the handcrafted buildings that Godzilla destroys are very impressive. Thanks to the human actor underneath the Godzilla suit, the monster's movements look natural. He moves and reacts to his environment similar to the way in which a real animal would. Backing Godzilla's rampages through Tokyo is a rousing soundtrack, which is topped only by the iconic roar of the monster himself.

Gojira is a genre classic. Anyone with any interest in movie monsters, specifically those from Japan, obviously need to see Gojira in its original, uncut form. It is a film with a serious political message, yet it also manages to be very entertaining and engaging while teaching its lesson. As far as Godzilla goes, he has never been more menacing than he was in this movie, as he lumbers out of the water and into the city under the darkness of night. Godzilla's introduction, his head appearing over the crest of a hill, is a classic moment. On the other hand, Godzilla's death at the end of the movie is sad, in its own way, despite his role here as an unfeeling terror.

A Land Unfit For the Living: R-Point

R-Point (2004) is a Korean thriller set during the Vietnam War. The movie begins with a static-filled cry for help over the radio. There's one major problem with this however- the group of soldiers calling for help over the radio were presumed dead before the radio transmissions. In fact, the one remaining survivor of this group claims he witnessed their deaths firsthand. In response, the South Korean army assembles a rag-tag group of soldiers. There mission is simple- travel to "R-Point" and find the missing soldiers. If they make it back, they are promised a ticket home. Unfortunately for them, nothing that goes into R-Point comes out intact.

R-Point is a hot spot for paranormal activity. It is a piece of land that, as one of the characters explains, is unfit for either the living or the dead. The ghost elements of the story are very well done. Things unfold slowly, and while this might be a turn-off to some viewers, I found it to be a very effective way of letting the atmosphere and tension crawl under your skin. R-Point is a (relatively) quiet film. It is best viewed when you have the time/inclination to sit down and think about it.

...Because you will need to spend some serious time thinking about it. If I had one major complaint with R-Point it would be that it is, at times, frustratingly confusing. But while this aspect makes the movie, at times, infuriating, it makes the storyline intriguing and mysterious. I tried to guess as to whether my confusion comes from being an American who doesn't know much about Korean myth, or if it was an intentional thing. We may never know. What I do know, from doing a bit of reading online, is that this confusion is pretty standard amongst American audiences.

Regardless of my, and some others, confusion, it's clear that there are some great ideas and concepts in R-Point. In particular there are some really striking visuals to be found; blood drips from an old radio that's covered in cobwebs, a soldier stands in what appears to be an empty field, only for a strike of lightning to illuminate the rows of graves next to him. The sounds of R-Point, from the static filled radio transmissions to the jingle of bells, also provide a percentage of the required creepiness.

I think that's about all I can say about R-Point without spoiling the strange, haunting journey it takes you on. Ghost movies don't always work for me. In particular, Asian ghost stories often inspire boredom in me more often than they do fear. That said, I enjoyed R-Point. Regardless of my confusion during parts of the film, I couldn't stop watching. I found the movie overall to be very haunting and atmospheric. I also found myself more emotionally connected with these characters than I do in many in other supernatural horror films. Often, I cared when a character died because I knew he was, flaws and all.

To those who have the patience, I recommend R-Point.

Sick Nurses: Its Insanity Knows No Bounds

Going into Sick Nurses, a 2007 Thai horror film, I wasn't expecting a cinematic masterpiece. I wasn't even expecting something too terribly creative. As long as it was at least moderately entertaining, and as long as there was at least a little bit of fake blood splashed across the screen, I would've been happy. In the end, Sick Nurses exceeded my expectations, not because it was a brilliant piece of storytelling, but because it is one of the most bizarre, nonsensical, and entertaining things I have ever experienced.

The wondrous journey that Sick Nurses takes you on is a little slow to start. The beginning of the movie moves about as slowly as an earthworm crawling through pancake syrup. Honestly, the beginning is about as cliche Asian horror story as you get. A gaggle of young, attractive nurses, working under a young, corrupt doctor, murder one of their own. The reason? Well, it appears that this nurse threatened to go to the police regarding the hospital's side operation- selling dead bodies on the black market.

The nurses go about their vapid lives until, seven days after the killing, the spirit of the fallen nurse comes to back to take bloody vengeance on her murderers. As I said, up until this point its pretty bland. Even the dead nurse's look is generic Asian horror- complete with the standard long hair masking half her face.

It isn't until a good chunk of the movie that's things get bizarre, and consequently, really fun. You see, all of these nurses have major flaws (one is a greedy material girl, a set of identical twins are so in love with their own looks that they have a borderline incestuous relationship...you get the picture). In a surprisingly clever Saw-esque twist, the nurses' respective flaws are brought back to haunt them by the vengeful spirit. It is here that Sick Nurses shines- the nurses' deaths are bloody, creative, and shockingly funny. I wouldn't dare to spoil what is one of the most outlandish deaths in film history, but I will give you a small taste of what to expect- it features a severed jaw and fetus spontaneously leaping out of a jar. How can people say originality is dead?!

As you might have guessed by now, the mayhem of Sick Nurses is played more for laughs than scares. This is a movie that, if they have the patience to sit through the mediocre beginning, will be enjoyable to fans of the blood-soaked splatter comedies of Japan (The Machine Girl, Tokyo Gore Police, etc.) While Sick Nurses is nowhere near as frantic as those movies, it shares the same gloriously perverse sense of humor, and in-your-face special effects.

Lastly, if you stick around 'til the end you will be rewarded with a weird, weird, weird twist ending. Despite (or because of?) the fact that this twist is completely unnecessary, it makes Sick Nurses all that more enjoyable, hilarious, and awesome.