Rampo Noir

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Horrorphile - January 2009

Rampo Noir

January 7th 2009 01:52

A naked man remembers in brutal splinters a violent tryst with a lover as he stumbles toward a tiny lake in the middle of a desolate landscape … a detective struggles to solve a series of grotesque mutilation deaths of beautiful women linked to reflection … a horribly disfigured war veteran without arms or legs is treated with sadistic abuse by his frustrated lover … a chauffeur becomes morbidly obsessed with his stage actress employer to the point of no return …

Four tales of surreal phantasmogorical horror sourced from Japanese author Rampo Edogawa (read Edgar Allen Poe in cryptic reverse) directed by four experimental directors, each one starring Tadanobu Asano. Think the two Davids - Lynch and Cronenberg – trying their hand at J-Horror and you might have an inkling of the perverse nature of Rampo Noir (2005).

Mars Canal

"Kasei no Unga" (Mars Canal aka Moon Crater), directed by Suguru Takeuchi, is more like a vignette, being roughly ten minutes in length. More avant-garde than anything else, it’s sadomasochistic imagery pummels the viewer then flattens out to reveal serenity; a descent into Hell via a watery hole; sex and repulsion entwined, divine, divine.

Mirror Hell

"Kagami Jigoku" (Mirror Hell), directed by Akio Jissoji, is the anthology’s most straight-forward narrative, yet in itself it is a convoluted puzzle of narcissism and torture. Mercurial and cleverly composed it reveals the darkest reflection from the shadows of Japanese mythology.

Caterpiller

"Imomushi" (Caterpiller), directed by Hisayasu Sato, is a deeply disturbing study of love’s nasty nature when physical intimacy is reduced to power games of physical abuse in order to achieve gratification. Only the Japanese can fuse their carnal passion so boldly with pain and anguish.

Caterpiller

"Mushi" (Crawling Bugs), directed by Atushi Kaneko, describes the most horrendous lengths a person will go to consume their elusive desire. Paranoia and beauty are married in a dreamlike pantomime of grotesquerie.

Crawling Bugs

Packed with more startling and phantasical imagery than you can shake a shattered mirror at, Rampo Noir delves deep into the subconscious and rattles your cinematic sensibilities like a jar of blowflies hungry for rotten flesh. Buzzing and squelching like animals and insects, screaming and grinning like a madman and his deformed lover, this collection of studied indulgences makes the dark light of Takashi Miike and Wong Kar-Wai seem almost … well, ordinary … Maybe.

Crawling Bugs

But be warned, this is by no means easily digested. That the movie was shot on digital tape gives the entire production a raw “amateur” feel. It is definitely low-budget, with the majority of scenes shot on sound stages, but it makes up for its budgetary limitations, by pushing the envelope of visual narrative and moral context into strange new territory.

Scent of love, aroma of noir … smell of ferociously bizarre. These are adult fables for the most twisted minds. Consume with cultured consideration.

Here's the trailer:

Rampo Noir DVD is courtesy of Siren Visual, many thanks!

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

6 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

January 7th 2009 22:08

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

They look very cool and stylish.

Where on Earth did you find out about this films?

I am glad that you did.

Comment by Bryn

January 8th 2009 02:29

Horrorphile

Damo, aha, now that would be telling!

Let's just say I'm kept in the loop ... not all the loops, but ones that count. Blockbuster may not have it, but it is available through Siren Visual.

BTW, I saw that doco on Freeman, the icepick lobotomist. YIKES!!!!!! Nightmares!!!!

Comment by Damo

January 8th 2009 02:50

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

Bryn

Like a magician you should keep your magic secret.

I did write a post about Freeman about a year ago but the replies I got went so far off track track that it lost all purpose.

Here is freaky word of the century:
'Lobomobile' (no joking that is what he called his car)

Comment by Bryn

January 8th 2009 09:02

Horrorphile

Damo, so how did you see the doco the night before i did??
i can't get the image of the poor 12 year old boy with the icepick entering above his eye out of my head!!!!

Comment by Damo

January 8th 2009 09:56

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

Bryn

So I finally found something that gives the horror master a chill?

The doco was excellent and went into the motivations of Dr Freeman and how he came across the method. Also how he was able to get away with it for so long.

A remote control to change channel at the icky bit and you are ready to watch. The still B&W shots were not so bad to look at.

There are a couple of videos on You Tube if you feel the need to watch.

Comment by Bryn

January 8th 2009 23:52

Horrorphile

Damo, I have a thing for eyes ... or should I say my horror Achilles heel is ocular

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