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“Night brings terror. Strange, alien forms move restlessly across the face of the earth. Fear, horror and death follow in their wake. The sky is dark; the moon has not yet risen; the stars seem too frightened to shine ..." --- Drake Douglas (introduction to Horrors)

Horrorphile - February 2007

Tetsuo: The Iron Man & Tetsuo II: Body Hammer

February 8th 2007 00:00
Tetsuo dual movie DVD cover art
After John Doe posted his great review on the cult Manga movie Wicked City, it made me think of other Manga movies which had left a strong impression on me. A couple more anime flicks, such as the neo-noir The Professional: Golgo 13 and the sensual Heavy Metal-esque Space Adventure Cobra, but my mind immediately short-circuited around Shinya Tsukamato’s brilliant and disturbing live-action Manga-inspired clone/dual-narratives of Tetsuo.

Japanese maverick Tsukamoto made Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) almost single-handedly. Not only did he write and direct the super-low-budget sf-horror, but he also produced, edited, art directed and co-starred. He co-shot the movie (in 16mm) with his female lead actor, Kei Fujiwara, who provided the costume design.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man is cinematic nightmare incarnate. It is often compared to David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1976), although in many respects this does it a disservice. Yes, both films are in monochrome, yes both films have a non-linear narrative, and yes, both films are experimental in their use of editing, visual design and thematic content. And yes, both films are deeply unsettling viewing experiences.

Tomorowo Tuguchi as the businessman
The Iron Man is roughly an hour long (featurette would be a more accurate detail). It moves in a frighteningly jarring and fragmented fashion, with the effect like a bad acid trip. There are brief moments of stillness, but within these moments, dangerous tension lies alive like a severed electrical cord still plugged into a socket.

I, machine
The nuts and bolts of the narrative are as follows: a deranged metal fetishist (Shinya Tsukamoto) who likes to perform auto-surgery inserting metal rods in his leg is hit by a car driven by a businessman (Tomorowo Taguchi) and his lover (Kei Fujiwara). Later the businessman discovers, much to his horror and fascination, his body is slowly turning into a scrap metal machine.

The businessman then battles with a visceral intrusion in his mind; that of the fetishist, who is controlling him, turning him into a crazed automaton (he had neglected to help the accident victim, instead making out with his lover, and so the fetishist is now committing a kind of psychic-cyber-revenge).

er ... John Holmes eat yer heart out ...?!
I can’t really divulge or attempt to explain much more, as it starts to do my own head in (just as trying to describe Eraserhead does the same). Tsukamoto’s vision of Hell is something entirely unique. It is raw and uncompromising, butchered and intense. And certainly not for the squeamish as it is quite graphic and disturbing in places, especially in the leg-cutting and drill-sex scenes (!)

Three years later Shinya Tsukamoto made a kind of sequel-cum-remake entitled Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992). This time he was able to pull out the big guns; dark rich 35mm colour, and once again he commanded the main creative and technical capacities.
Bigger, stronger, deadlier ...
The “salaryman” from the first film has a family, but his son is kidnapped by a band of neo-skinheads. The businessman is determined to free his son and deal with this ruthless gang. Instead he is captured himself and taken down into a subterranean industrial lair to face his nemesis, The Guy (Shinya Tsukamoto).

I, machine too
The unfortunate urbanite is then experimented on with bizarre and nightmarish devices which slowly transform and transgress him. He begins to mutate into a massive weapon – a huge cyber-cannon, while the underworld leader does the same to match him. Together they battle as giant war machines, like something from of a techno-nightmare featuring the robots from Survival Research Laboratories.

bring on the cold metallic light of day!
Both The Iron Man and Body Hammer are extraordinary films, each quite different, yet melded from the same twisted and ferocious intelligence which is filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto. They are metaphorical horrors borne of a dark bio-mechanical science and yielding a metallic taste to be acquired by only the most steely horror-noir fetishists.

Unhinge your mind and embrace the cold gun metal of Tetsuo.

And here for the curious and twisted cyber-perverts is a few sequences from The Iron Man. Warning! This clip is not very work-safe.



* images on this page are courtesy of beyondhollywood.com

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10 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Adrian

February 8th 2007 00:23


Philosophy Blog
Fascinating review, and enticing images. Thanks Bryn!

Comment by JohnDoe

February 8th 2007 00:28


Film & TV on DVD
Couldnt have said it better myself Bryn,
The Tetsuo films are so unique and effective that once viewed they are always with you. Rank right up there in the echelons of Asian cinema for me too.

Love the choice of clip, certainly shows first timers what they are in for.

Comment by Cibbuano

February 8th 2007 01:58


20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
the pictures from the second movie are inspiring...

Comment by Damo

February 8th 2007 02:02


For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Looks like a must see.
Love the way the Japanese look at the world.

Comment by Bryn

February 8th 2007 03:34


Horrorphile
Thanks fellas! Good to see here in the techno-Darkness.
I was lucky enough to see both of these on the big screen at a NZ film festival years ago (around the time of Body Hammer's release I think). They both had late night weekend sessions. I was totally blitzed for the screenings - as you do - and I remember the print of Tetsuo had no English subtitles, but as there is very little dialogue, it didn't really matter, like Eraserhead, its almost entirely a visual narrative. It was an intense experience to say the least.
Watching Body Hammer on the huge Embassy screen (Wellington, the cinema Peter Jackson had revamped for the Lord of the Rings Australasian premiere), was mind-blowing. My friend and I were hammered both herbaceously and then audio-visually ....

Comment by JohnDoe

February 8th 2007 03:51


Film & TV on DVD
Wow Bryn, that would have been an assualt to see them on the big screen, Im jealous...my premiere screening of both was a ratty VHS, the Oz DVD releases are good transfers though.

Comment by Bryn

February 8th 2007 03:57


Horrorphile
Yes, I own them both ... although editions with extras would be great!

Comment by Lilla

February 8th 2007 09:13


Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
Dream Herald
Just commenting to vote...

(this way I can scroll down quickly and avoid all the horrible pictures)...

I have to look at them the other way...*cringe*

Comment by Sisi

February 8th 2007 11:23
Oh Lilla you poor darling! I'm sorta the same though...love reading the posts but am forever wincing at the images!

Comment by Bryn

February 8th 2007 22:58


Horrorphile
Girls, girls, girls .... perhaps you should come over to my house sometime .... for dinner .... heh heh ... Then I can put your minds at rest ... and your remains in a trunk.

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