DVD Review: SANGUIVOROUS (2009)

SANGUIVOROUS (2009) 

Label: Tidepoint Pictures
Duration: 56 Minutes
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: 16:9 Widescreen 

Director: Naoki Yoshimoto
Cast: Ayumi Kakizawa, Masaya Adachi, Mutsuko Yoshinaga, Ko Murobushi

Synopsis: It incorporates a physical acting style that draws heavily from butoh, a form of Japanese dance. A young woman suffering strange hallucinations and physical ailments discovers that she is the descendant of an ancient line of European vampires, and she and her boyfriend are soon captured by older vampires and drawn into the darkness.

Sanguivorous (2009) really comes off as a weird, otherworldly bit of arthouse creepiness and for good reason, it originally toured with a live music accompaniment as more of a a multi-media art piece than a slice of cinema, so true to it's avant-garde roots it's a bit hard to digest. The story is very skeletal so there's not a lot to latch onto other than the creepy imagery and strange atmosphere, which it captures very nicely but I just could not commit to it, even at just 56 minutes in length it bored me. 

It's strength is the surreal imagery, particularly a creepy scene featuring Japanese butoh dancer Ko Murobushi who appears as the head vampire in an extended performance sequence showered in blood, it's a very striking image but this slice of experimental vampirism was definitely not for me even though I commend it for trying something different. 1.5 Outta 5 

DVD Review; X-GAME (2010)

X-GAME  (2010)

Label: Danger After Dark
Region Code: 1 NTSC
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 119 Min. 
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (2:35:1) 
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Yôhei Fukuda
Cast:  Hirofumi Araki, Kazuyuki Aijima, Shôta Chiyo, Meguru Katô, Ayaka Kikuchi
Tagline: Ready or Not... It's Time to Play. 

Synopsis: In 'X-GAME,' Hideaki is kidnapped and when he awakens the next day, finds himself in a recreation of his old schoolroom, along with his recently reunited classmates. Trapped and held captive by mysterious hooded figures, each of them must now play a brutally violent, version of the punishment game...or face death. A twisty, horror/mystery 'mash-up' peppered with dark humor and inventive gore, director Yôhei Fukuda's ('Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad aka Chanbara Beauty') shows how revenge is a dish best served cold and not very sweet - Japanese style

If you've seen the Japanese film DEATH TUBE (2010) then director Yôhei Fukuda's X-GAMES (2010) will seem slightly familiar in design and concept, four people wake up in a classroom held against their will by masked figures armed with ass-whooping cattle prods. In the center of the room is a TV set and a small red box with the letter X emblazoned upon it. A spinning wheel of misfortune on the TV screen chooses one of the four whom are then required to draw a punishment from the "X" box. These bizarre penalties must be administered by the others under penalty of an even more severe punishment - branding with an "x" shaped branding iron seared into their flesh.

Most are a bit reluctant to dole out the punishments but quickly come realize that the consequences of not performing the penalties in the prescribed manner are far worse. There is one guy who seems to relish performing the sadistic and brutal penalties, the characters are not particularly well developed but you do get a feel for who they are just underneath the surface, it's enough to keep you interested in the dynamic amongst them .

As it turns out the four all attended the same grade school and were somehow linked in varying degrees to the bullying of a young girl, could it be that she's behind this bizarre brand of revenge? There's some decent gore and violence on display here, the penalties are based on the pranks and punishments perpetrated upon the young girl whom was bullied years earlier only more extreme. We get a version of sitting on tacks which is now a chair studded with ass-piercing nails, the pencil guillotine just might take a finger off and the clothespin torture has now upgraded to flesh-tearing meat hooks - it's pretty twisted and outrageous stuff. There's definitely some black comedy at work here, it's not laugh out loud funny but a sort of nervous laughter as we witness to the increasingly over-the-top penalties, it's hard not to think of SAW (2004) when watching it, but infused with a dose of twisted humor. 

The film is definitely messaging over and over again that bullying is a pretty terrible thing that leaves deep scars and that the monster you create through you actions might just come back and bite you on the ass in horrific ways, that is messaged throughout the film over and over again, perhaps a bit more than was needed. The major downside to the film is that it's a bit overlong at nearly two hours in length, my interest really started to wain a bit in the final third and the extended ending is a bit more convoluted than I think it needed to be. 

The film is peppered with some neat flashbacks to the bullying years earlier from different points of view that inform the proceedings and fill in some of the missing gaps, it's pretty cool and really changes the way we view some of the characters and alters our sympathies slightly. This is was an entertaining watch with some awesome murder set pieces, a nasty bit of dark comedy with some decent gore, shocking violence and tense moments, definitely worth a watch. 3 Outta 5 

BLU-RAY REVIEW: Battle Royale [Limited Edition] (2000) Region Free

BATTLE ROYALE(2000) Blu-ray

Arrow Video 3-Disc Limited Edition of 10,000

LABEL: Arrow Video

RATING: cert. 18
GENRE: Asian Extreme, Exploitation
DURATION:
REGION: Region Free
DIRECTOR: Kinji Fukasaku
CAST: Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama, Aki Maeda, Taro Yamamoto
TAGLINE: Could You Kill Your Best Friend?

PLOT: In a world where teenagers have no respect and adults are losing control there can be only one solution: Battle Royale! Now, see what happens when you let a high school class loose on an island, arm them and then give them a simple choice... Kill your friends or have them kill you; with poison, cross-bows, machetes and dynamite. Takeshi Kitano is a teacher pushed to the edge by his unruly charges. Kidnapped and gassed, his class wake up with exploding metal rings around their necks. If they rebel, they could lose their heads. Now they have three days and only one is permitted to survive this grisly battle to the death.

"At the dawn of the millennium, the nation collapsed. At fifteen percent unemployment, ten million were out of work. 800,000 students boycotted school. The adults lost confidence and, fearing the youth, eventually passed the Millennium Educational Reform Act, AKA the BR Act...." - Battle Royale Prologue

THE FILM: BATTLE ROYALE (2000) has a quite straight-forward and simple set-up. A particularly nasty LORD OF THE FLIES scenario plays out on a deserted island. In Japan society has gone to shit, the economy is fucked and kids are misbehaving themselves to a such a degree that the government passes the Millennium Educational Reform Act, AKA the Battle Royale Act. What could it be, stiffer punishment for juvenile offenses? Well sorta. How about a twisted lottery by which every year a class of Japanese student are selected at random and flown to an obscure island where they are pitted against each other in a three-day no-holds barred battle, and like Highlander there can only be one survivor. Sounds unfathomable doesn't it? Well, it certainly does to the 42 kids of Shiroiwa Junior High School’s Class B when they are selected to take part in the massacre. They thought they were going on a field trip, think again my naughty little friends. After being gassed and transported to the island they awaken to discover that their former 9th teacher Kitano, who had been stabbed in the ass at school a few years earlier, is overseeing the events with

delight. He's assisted by the Japanese military. They've all been outfitted with explosive collars, if more than one person remains alive at the end of the three days all the collars will explode killing everyone. Talk about revenge. Kitano is reveling in it, and during his presentation he shoots a student in the head for whispering, yeah, pretty strict. He also detonates the collar of Nobu, who just happens to be the young man who stabbed him in the ass. They rules of Battle Royale are delivered by a super-cute woman calling herself Big Sister via a video screen, she speaks in a snappy, saccharine cadence that's just surreal given the fact that she's informing the 42  students (oops, 40 now) that all but one will violently die in the next 72 hours. Once they are told the rules of the game they are sent one by one onto the island each with a duffel bag containing a weapon, some useful some not so much. They range from bladed weapons, handguns, assault weapons, pot lids, binoculars and a GPS device. Many of the students team-up for protection, while others set out on their own. Forget about the clicks you once belonged to, the stakes are too high and friendship cannot be trusted. The films narrative focus seems is a young man named Nanahara Shuy, the late Nobu's best friend prior to his head exploding. He makes a pact to protect Nakagawa Noriko, whom Nobu had a crush on. The two eventually team-up with the mysterious Kawada, an "exchange" student who won an earlier round of the game and has returned to take revenge for the death of his girlfriend. One of the most vicious killers on the island is Kazuo Kiriyama, an exchange student like Kawada, who kills scores of players and seems to relish the thrill of the hunt beyond reason.Then there's the gorgeous femme fatale Mitsuko Suoma who uses her inherent sexuality and duplicity to take out her classmates one by one without remorse. Not everyone is so willing to take a life to save their own and several opt to end there own lives rather than participate in the barbaric contest, including two lovers who throw themselves from a seaside cliff.

"So today's lesson is, you kill each other off till there's only one left. Nothing is against the rules" - Teacher Kitano

As the game plays out a death tally rises and is announced twice a day by Kitano via an island wide P.A. system, it's almost like a video game the way the stats are displayed on screen. The kills are fast and furious and bloody as hell and it could have easily fells pray to it's own blood lust but the film elevates itself with a true emotional center thanks to the focus on out two main characters. The film is peppered with poignant moments and a gorgeous score that keeps it character based. It's hard for me to find fault with this film. I don't have much in the way of criticism against this film, it's amazing. A few things I could mention are some dated effects and some might consider the ending a bit anti-climactic, I have no problem with it.

BLU-RAY/DVD: Long unavailable in a Region 1 format Arrow Video have released BATTLE ROYALE in a Region Free Blu-ray, that's right - playable worldwide. There's been speculation on why no Region 1 release has been made available ranging from Toei's licensing fee being ridiculous to the fact that after the Columbine tragedy here in the States no one wanted to touch such a volatile property. Whatever the reason this superb Japanese exploitation film is not only available, but available in a beautifully packaged Limited Edition run of 10,000 numbered copies. That said I'm reviewing a screener without the benefit of the extraneous packaging (sigh). The films looks very good in 16x9 enhanced 1.78:1 aspect ratio 1080p high definition. I would point out this is far from reference material and is not the sharpest or most detailed looking Blu-ray image I've seen but is more than likely vastly superior to previously available DVD editions of the film. The Japanese language 5.1 DTS-HD surround sound is wonderfully robust and dynamic. The score which includes Verdi's "Requiem" as well as selections from Schubert, Strauss and Bach plus original score my Masamichi Amano soars. There's new and improved English language subtitles. I didn't noticed a significant difference in the image and sound quality from Theatrical vs. Director's Cut. Now for the extras, whoah! Arrow Video have come through with an extravaganza of bonus content and if there's something I love it's a ridiculous amount of bonus content.

SPECIAL FEATURES: DISC 1
- Theatrical Cut of the Battle Royale
- Original theatrical trailer (1:52)
- The Making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students (52:32)

The Making of documentary (52:32) is quite lengthy and informative. A lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, you see Fukasaku directing the actors, it's interesting stuff with a few on-the-set interviews throughout. Both features are in HD in Japanese with English subtitles. .

DISC 2
- Special Edition (Director's Cut)
- Special Edition Trailer (1:05)
- TV Spot: Tarantino version (0:32)
- Shooting the Special Edition (9:01)
- Takeshi Kitano interview (11:51)
- Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra (7:27)
- The Correct way to make Battle Royale (Birthday version)  (3:09)
- Tokyo International Film Festival Presentation. (4:37)

The Director's Cut features an additional 6 minutes or so of film not seen in the Theatrical Cut. What's new? Additional flashback scenes, three epilogues, reaction shots and additional

special effects shots - nothing that changed the overall film. A great featurette on Disc 2 is composer Masamichi creating the awesome film score, it's a great score and we see the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra performing a few pieces throughout. Tons of interviews and more behind-the-scenes goodies. All features are in high definition.

DISC 3 [DVD]

- Opening day at Maro No Uchi Toei movie theatre (14:25)
- The slaughter of 42 high school students (10:28)
- Premier press conference (12:01)
- The Correct Way to fight in Battle Royale (2:34)
- Royale rehearsals, Masamichi Amano conducts Battle Royale (7:10)
- Special effects comparison (10:16)
- Behind the scenes featurette (12:08)
- Filming on set (10:59)
- TV spots
- Promos and Commercials
- Kinji Fukasaky Trailer Reel

Disc 3 is a DVD and all features are presented in standard definition, not HD. The Premier Press Conference (12:01) features the writer of the Battle Royale novel Takami Koushun and director Fukasaka Kinji along with cast from the films discussing the film. The Slaughter of 42 High School Students (10:28) is an abbreviated version of the Making Of documentary on the 1st disc.  The Correct Way to Fight In Battle Royale (2:35) is a compilation of the instructional videos featured in the film without interruption. A Special Effects Comparison (4:17) showing us the creation of the special effects shots created for the 2001 Special Edition and my favorite feature (on disc 3 anyway) is the Trailer Gallery (23:09) and extensive collection of Kiniji films.

And sadly as mentioned before my review screener contained only the three discs and none of the following goodies ...sigh. What's missing? A commentary would have been nice.

- 32 page comic
- 36 page booklet including:
'A Battle Without An End' by Tom Mes, Author of 'The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film'
- Printed interview with Director Kinji Fukasaku
- 'Today's Lesson is...You Kill Each Other' by Jay McRoy, author of 'Japanese Horror Cinema' (LE Exclusive)
- Extract from Koushan Takami's original novel (LE Exclusive)
- Original promotional material including Director's statement, cast and crew biogs (LE Exclusive).
- 16 page booklet including: Concept artwork and drawing for the limited edition set (LE Exclusive)
- 5 x7" Postcards of stills from the film (LE Exclusive)
- Fold-out reversible poster of original artwork

VERDICT: BATTE ROYALE  (2000) is simply thrilling exploitation at it's peak of perfection. Young inexperienced teenagers pitted in mortal battle against each other on an obscure island. It's vicious stuff, it's human nature at it's worst and yet there's a real emotional center to the film. If you want biting social commentary it's here. If you want a gory exploitation it's that, too. What boggles my mind is that this is Fukasaku's 60th film and it's a vital piece of cinema, amazing stuff. This was my 1st viewing of the film and despite 10 years of hype it surpassed my expectations.  Battle Royale is a truly  phenomenal film and a definite purchase. And if you miss out on this limited Edition release don't fret. Arrow Video have done it again and 2011 looks to be a phenomenal year.
****1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)

DVD Review: Hide and Go Kill 2 (2009)

HIDE AND GO KILL 2 (2009)
aka HITORI KAKURENDO: GEKIJO-BAN (2009)
Cinema Epoch

RATING: PG
RUNNING TIME: 83 Min.
DIRECTOR: Masafumi Yamada
CAST: Yukie Kawamura, Mayuko Kawakita, Masahiro Usui, Ben Yuzawa, Yuzu Kubota, Miyû Wagawa


SYNOPSIS: When her classmate Ritsuko disappears, her friend Ryoko is desperate to find her. When she discovers that Ritsuko was playing a strange game online of hide and seek, she begins to wonder if it could be related to her disappearance somehow. Ryoko then discovers that the game is more sinister than it appeared at first. It is linked to demonology and the supernatural. Will she be able to get past her fears and superstitions to discover what secrets the game of hide and seek might hold?

FILM: The sequel to the creepy urban ghost tale Hide and Go Kill (2008) came out just a year afterwards and is directed by Masafumi Yamada. The film is centered around a high school where students and teachers are being affected by the game of Hitori Kakurenbo and the angered spirit it brings. The film is very similar to the first though the storytelling is more linear and the mythology is expanded on to some degree. If you missed out on the review for Hide and Go Kill here's how the game is played...

First you  take a stuffed doll or animal and give it a name. Once you've named it cut it open and remove all the stuffing. Replace the stuffing with rice and your nail clippings and sew it back up using a needle and red thread. When done wrap the doll in the remainder of the thread. Then at precisely 3am take your stuffed animal to the bathroom, holding it in both hands and say "For the first game I'm (state your name) going to be it." three times and  drop the doll in water. Then you must turn off all the light in the house. You may turn on the TV but it must be an off-air static filled station. Now close your eyes and count to ten. Open your eyes and take a knife or sharp implement and return to the bathroom where you must find the doll and exclaim "I found you (state dolls name here)!" and proceed to stab it with a knife. You've won this round.  Next you say "Okay, now (name of dolls here) is it." The Japanese  word for "it" is Oni or "Devil" - weird, right? So, you're basically saying "You're the Devil". Leaving the impaled doll in the bathroom you must quickly run from the room and hide quietly in a closet or similar small space. Bring with you a glass of salt water with you when you hide. The object is to remain hidden in your space until sunrise or as log as you can despite what you may hear, see or feel. According to the blog  people have reported smelling repulsive odors, temperature changes, the sensation of being pulled at or tugged, creaking sounds, furniture moving. No matter what happen you must stay hidden. At sunrise the game is almost over but not quite. Fill your mouth with as much salt water as you can, don't swallow it. With the water in mouth go to the bathroom where you left the doll, keep in mind it may not still be there. Search until you find it, don't give up. When you find it spit the water on the doll and say three time "I won!" The final act is to burn the doll. To stray from any of these steps is to invite death upon yourself from the ghostly apparition who is summonsed by the incantation, this is basically a ritual to curse yourself.

Ms. Kashiwaga is a teacher at the high school, she notices a student named Uno seems troubled and out of sorts. She walks the young girl home and while she is not forthcoming during the conversation she inquires to Ms. Kashiwagi if she's heard of hide and seek alone game.  Uno disappears a short time later. The teacher begins her own inquest in the game and sees video of the apparition on the internet, soon after she begins having odd visions and dreams of a childhood friend who disappeared years earlier. Ms. Kashiwaga hears at school that one of the new teaching staff Mr. Yamagata was fired from his previous teaching job for necromancy and cult activities. As students and coworkers disappear around her she asks Mr. Yamagata for help and it is from him that the mythos surrounding Hide and Seek Alone is expanded on.

The pace of this film despite it's longer running time seems more fluid and the characters are  better developed as we get to spend more time with them. Aikawa is a troubled young man whose mother has recently passed away and he contemplates the murder his father. Maya is a young woman who craves Aikawa's attention and she thinks she may be able to use the Hide and Seek Alone incantation to rid him of his father. In matters of the occult and supernatural these things rarely pan out as expected, it is no different here.

Aside from more character development the film is also more visually focused and I enjoyed the multiple montages of the teens readying the game, it's just creepy to watch and was the highlight of both films for me. The encounters with the ghost are more startling and prolonged as well. Both this film and it's predecessor benefited from a great film score that created a tense audio dynamic that greatly enhanced my viewing experience.

DVD: Hide and Go Kill 2 makes its way to DVD from Cinema Epoch and is presented in anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen with a Japanese language Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack with optional English subtitles. Special features include an photo gallery of stills from the film and an image gallery of other Cinema Epoch titles. Pretty bare bones but a good audio/visual presentation. 

VERDICT: Hide and Go Kill 2 is as effective as it's predecessor and expands on the personal stories of the participants involved in the game of Hide and Seek Alone, however, the bits of character development were a bit weak the exception being Ms. Kashiwaga as she looks into the disappearances of her friend and coworker, that was very intriguing though I did not care for the dreams and flashbacks of her missing friend. The expansion of the mythos from Mr. Yamagata is interesting but yields no real answers only more questions. Still, and intriguing and atmospheric ghost tale that won't disappoint.
***1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)

DVD Review: Hide and Go Kill (2008)

HIDE AND GO KILL (2008)
aka HITORI KAKURENBO (2008)
Cinema Epoch


RATING: PG
RUNNING TIME: 75  Min.
DIRECTOR: Tomoya Kainuma
CAST: Saki Yamaguchi, Aimirôra, Haruka Misaki, Rui Ôno


SYNOPSIS: "I have to play hide an seek by myself to escape the loneliness." So starts a blog on a mysterious website which quickly spreads like wildfire, starting a dangerous online game. At 3:00 in the afternoon, a teddy bear stuffed with rice and nails is sunk into a bathtub. The lights go out and the player is required to stab the bear with the knife, then write their experiences in the blog. But lately the comments have taken a dark, demented turn. As though the players are being possessed.

FILM: The Asian culture sure knows how to tell an effective ghost story, real creepy stuff. I'm not super well-versed in Asian horror but I was quite fond of both  Ringu (1998) and Jo-on (2000), they were tense and atmospheric supernatural skin-crawlers and both were remade for American audiences as The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004) - it should be said that the remakes were actually quite good. Following the success of these films we saw an onslaught of Asian horror remakes for American audiences. Here's just a smattering...

Tales of Two Sisters (2003) remade as The Uninvited (2009)

Dark Water (2002) remade as Dark Water (2005)

The Eye (2002) remade as The Eye (2008)

Pulse (2001) remade as Pulse (2006)

...the current slasher/horror remake trend has nothing on Asian horror, these films were be remade scant years after the theatrical runs, not decades.

Hide and Go Kill (2008) is the debut film from Japanese filmmaker Tomoya Kainuma. He doesn't set out to reinvent the genre here, this is familiar stuff, but he has made one hell of a creepy film with a unique twist.  Apparently there are a lot of bored Japanese teens who frequent an online blog that tells of a game called Hitoro Kakurenbo (Hide and Seek Alone) that to my mind recalls a more detailed version of the Bloody Mary game we've all heard about and some of us dared play as kids, it's a very similar theme. The blog entries  give  detailed instructions of how the game is played and what the consequences may be if you do not follow them to the letter. I thought to myself why would these teens play such a game, then again, I played Bloody Mary routinely at sleepovers as a pre-teen.

Here's how it works. First you  take a stuffed doll or animal and give it a name. Once you've named it cut it open and remove all the stuffing. Replace the stuffing with rice and your nail clippings and sew it back up using a needle and red thread. When done wrap the doll in the remainder of the thread. Then at precisely 3am take your stuffed animal to the bathroom, holding it in both hands and say "For the first game I'm (state your name) going to be it." three times and  drop the doll in water. Then you must turn off all the light in the house. You may turn on the TV but it must be an off-air static filled station. Now close your eyes and count to ten. Open your eyes and take a knife or sharp implement and return to the bathroom where you must find the doll and exclaim "I found you (state dolls name here)!" and proceed to stab it with a knife. You've won this round.  Next you say "Okay, now (name of dolls here) is it." The Japanese  word for "it" is Oni or "Devil" - weird, right? So, you're basically saying "You're the Devil". Leaving the impaled doll in the bathroom you must quickly run from the room and hide quietly in a closet or similar small space. Bring with you a glass of salt water with you when you hide. The object is to remain hidden in your space until sunrise or as log as you can despite what you may hear, see or feel. According to the blog  people have reported smelling repulsive odors, temperature changes, the sensation of being pulled at or tugged, creaking sounds, furniture moving. No matter what happen you must stay hidden. At sunrise the game is almost over but not quite. Fill your mouth with as much salt water as you can, don't swallow it. With the water in mouth go to the bathroom where you left the doll, keep in mind it may not still be there. Search until you find it, don't give up. When you find it spit the water on the doll and say three time "I won!" The final act is to burn the doll. To stray from any of these steps is to invite death upon yourself. This is a fairly involved game, I feel kinda lazy with the whole Bloody Mary schtick now.

Weird stuff and even odder is that I hear this is an actual game in Japan. Something I've always enjoyed about the Asian ghost films are the ghosts themselves. More often that not it's a contorted woman with unruly long black hair crawling unnaturally across the floor. I don't know why but the image is unnerving to me. Secondly, I think that the Japanese culture is so tech-gizmo crazed that the films usually incorporate laptops, cellphones and text messaging into the plot lines in a way that is natural and actually adds elements of suspense, more so than one might assume. Along those same lines we are fed quite a few details through blog entries and as lame as that sounds it works surprisingly well.


DVD: Hide and Go Kill makes its way to DVD from Cinema Epoch and is  presented in anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen with a Japanese language Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack with optional English subtitles. Special features include an photo gallery of stills from the film and an image gallery of other Cinema Epoch titles. Pretty bare bones but a good audio/visual presentation.

VERDICT: Hide and Go Kill is a very effective ghost story that incorporates elements of urban legend and technology in a way that is modern but suspenseful with a great sense of atmosphere and intrigue. A great Asian horror entry and a very good film debut from director Tomoya Kainuma.  ***1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)

DVD Review: DeathTube (2010)

DEATH TUBE (2010)
Cinema Epoch

RATED: Unrated
RUNNING TIME: 117 Min.
DIRECTOR: Fukuda Youhei
CAST: Shôichi Matsuda, Wataru Kaoru, Ishino Atsushi, Tsukamoto Sanae

SUMMARY:  There's a new internet craze and eight separate people frequent a website called DeathTube which streams a real time game show in which contestants are put to task under penalty of death if they lose. To their horror each of them awaken to find out they are now contestants on DeathTube as millions of people watch.

FILM: The internet is teaming with websites catering to our darkest desires, one such site is a streaming video site called DeathTube whose logo mimics the ever-popular YouTube. The site delivers a murderous game show wherein "contestants" are coerced to complete a series simple game-based tasks. If they fail they are gruesomely murdered for millions of viewers to see. The site is an underground sensation and only intermittently appears online. Those who watch are fascinated, some think the deaths are faked or staged while others believe them to be true snuff films.

At the start of the film we are introduced to a young man watching DeathTube but he is distracted by his fiance before he sees the bloody outcome. Sometime later he awakens alone in a strange room. He's disoriented and confused and becomes quite shaken once he realizes he's in one of the DeathTube rooms. The room is small and sparsely furnished with a table containing a laptop computer and a small television set. There is also as a smaller table full of seemingly random objects that play into the contests challenges. The room is wired with several web cams including the laptop. On the laptop there are eight camera feeds visible on the screen showing all the other contestants in this round of DeathTube, each in their own identical room. All eight contestants can see and hear each other via the laptops and are able to coordinate their efforts to some degree. On the television set a computer animated yellow bear calling himself Ponkichi appears and informs the group that they must all compete against each other in a series of contests and that the losers will die. The lone survivor will be allowed to leave unharmed. Unlike the Saw films the games are seemingly non-threatening and are actually a bit comedic in nature; word puzzles, rubik cubes, history and children's games are all included. These games though non-threatening in and of themselves hold the threat of death with each round. Soon after the start of the game contestants start dying in bloody ways.

Eventually Ponkichi appears in person dressed in a giant yellow bear suit and armed with a pistol.  As the game continues the challenges become more physical in nature and the players start to turn against each other. As the final few compete for survival twists and turn are revealed adding to the lunacy of the and threat of the situation.

The premise though not wholly original was well executed. It's a demented idea for a film but it works. We've all seen crazy shit on YouTube and the idea that live deaths are streaming on the Internet is not a great stretch of the imagination, in fact it's probably more common than I'd care to think about. The demented giant yellow bear is a very surreal and threatening element to the film and the whacky film score adds to the game show-from-hell atmosphere. The film is well stocked with bloody violence though not to a fantastic level. To be honest I'm not a fan of what I like to call the high-pressured Asian blood splatter we've seen in films like Tokyo Gore Police (2008) and Machine Girl (2008) and that style of gore is represented here. I didn't think any of the deaths were particularly great, a few were decent, but it was the deadly game show elements that kept my attention, the deaths were not the focus of the film.

I'm not someone who reads a lot into films for the most part. I don't dissect films to evaluate their subtext and social commentary. But I would be blind not see see that DeathTube is making some attempt at commenting on our need as a society to indulge our darker interests online, the search for entertainment regardless of the expense of others. Much like the idea of live streaming deaths online the thought of a game show where persons lives are in jeopardy is not too far from Jack Ass or Total Wipeout, a theme that was similarly explored in Running Man (1987).

DVD: The DeathTube DVD from Cinema Epoch is presented in 1.77:1 anamorphic wide screen with a 2.0 stereo Japanese soundtrack with optional English language subtitles.  The only special features are a collection of Cinema Epoch film trailers.

VERDICT: DeathTube's two-hour running time is a bit long and could have easily been edited to a more brisk 90 minute film and the acting is a bit spotty and overwrought in places but the demented and dark premise is strong. I can see fans of Saw (2004) and/or Cube (1997) enjoying this quite a bit.   *** (3 out of 5 stars)