Now, I am no stranger to Japanese horror films. I personally prefer them to American horror, mostly because I think that the Japanese really know how to captivate an audience, unlike a lot of bad slasher-films and classic horror remakes that have no real aesthetic or even comedic value (and that means quit it, Rob Zombie). I absolutely loved Audition and even some of the more bizarre concept-movies like Battle Royale, where a 9th grade class is sent to a remote island and ordered to kill each other off until one survivor remains, are still favorites of mine.
So a few months ago, when my brother said he had some “messed-up Japanese thing” to show me, I was undoubtedly interested. I agreed to access the trailer on Youtube and there it was: RoboGeisha. The three and a half minute bag of crazy had me guessing whether or not the movie was actually real. With geishas shooting katanas out of their mouths, transforming into tanks, and something that can only be described as “fried shrimp,” I had to believe that this was some Japanese teenager’s practical joke on us gullible Westerners. But, when I looked it up on IMDB, there it was. Apparently that trailer wasn’t a figment of my imagination or an elaborate joke: people actually made this movie. And, even worse, once I watched it, I had to tell everyone I knew that this nonsensical, extremely gory film would make its way to America as soon as the translator could figure out what the hell the story even meant.
Released in the beginning of this month in Japan and screened at film-festivals in the States, RoboGeisha actually has some reputable people involved in the film. Writer and director Noboru Iguchi is also responsible for the slasher meets pulp-film shootout The Machine Girl and the special-effects production team had a hand in the bizarre Tokyo Gore Police. These filmmakers know how to make a gore-fest, and in just three minutes RoboGeisha undeniably delivers.
Also, since the movie’s release, the plot-line has been much more fleshed-out from the incomprehensible string of deaths from machine-gun busts found in the preview. The story centers around two sisters who are both in love with a young business man, and proceed to fight to win his affection. How that translates into acidic breast-milk, chainsaws coming out of weird places and bleeding buildings, I’m not quite sure, but I have a feeling it’s going to be the most awesome cult train-wreck this year.
I absolutely cannot wait to see this film, mostly because it will actually provide concrete evidence of the sheer insanity that springs from the minds of the Japanese. So, I’ll be waiting patiently for the translation and, in the meantime, showing this trailer to everyone I know. Just when I thought I knew Japanese horror, RoboGeisha has thwarted all of my preconceptions. Good show, Japan. Good show.
Check out this insanity. It’s not safe for work, kids or normal people:
Hey Lauren, I also love Japanese horror films (I wrote a ten page paper on “Audition” for one of my classes, and am extensively familiar with Japan’s exploitation films of the 70s, pinky violence, any one?) but I’m a bit off-put by the confrontational way in which your article begins. Especially your reliance on the well-worn genre fan chestnut of “boo-hoo too many remakes” and the singling out of Rob Zombie.
I’m not saying I’m pro-remake, I’m not. I like all real fans of the horror genre I find them pointless and border-line insulting. There are two reasons you really shouldn’t give a crap about these films. Firstly, they are successful studio films, the studios know they can make a quick buck from the average teeny-bopper moviegoer. This success is good because it keeps the genre in demand, allowing better, more original horror to find investors and distribution. Secondly, as mentioned above, these films aren’t made for people like you and me. When we see trailers for the remake of a good film (ex. “The Stepfather”) or the sixteenth installment of the “Saw” franchise, we should probably have a pretty good idea that this movie is going to blow.
As for Rob Zombie, he seems to be the internet’s favorite punching bag. Don’t get me wrong, he’s made some bad flicks. His Halloween 2 is execrable. But to knock his films for lack of aesthetic is pretty questionable. The man is style over substance. Say what you will about his first two films “House of 1000 Corpses” and “The Devil’s Rejects” (which I quite like, you should check it out if you haven’t given it a chance) you cant stay they don’t have interesting visuals.
I can’t comment on RoboGeisha, because like you all I have to go on is the trailer but I have seen Noboru Iguchi’s “Machine Girl.” One film is not enough to pass judgment on a filmmakers entire oeuvre but I am beginning to sense I am not a fan of Japan’s current trend of super self-aware splatter comedies (i.e Meatball Machine, Tokyo Gore Police). I like gore as much as the next guy, but the films’ shot-on-video aesthetic and iffy production values are big detractors for me. They seem to work better as trailers, I can’t sit through an hour and a half of watery blood and overly indulgent tongue-in-cheek Japanese-isms.
The past year has been pretty great for American Horror. Paul Solet’s “Grace”, the much-delayed “Trick r’ Treat”, and “Drag Me To Hell” just to name a few. I would argue that America’s quality bloodletting is alive and well, you just have to look hard to find it.