Tetsuo: The Iron Man

This film give an entirely new and refreshing take on being screwed, literally. Set in an world consumed with industrial matter where even a human being begins to transform to blend in with his environment.

Tetsuo wakes up one morning and is stressed to discover that metal has begun to emerge from his face. He attempts to pull it out but only lucks out with an explosion of blood resembling a gigantic pimple. His day gets worse, or better, depending on what you'd want out of your day. If you'd like to have your entire body still function while it is consumed with iron, than you will have no complaints.

It's a fast paced film with stop motion and superb industrial music.

It's everything a film should be; original, insane and unafraid to take the audience for a ride they will never forget, I know I won't.

A Serbian Film

How far would you go to create true "art?"

Depends entirely on what you would consider worthy of such a title. Delve deeper and you may realize others might just have to suffer for the sake of your vision. Or at least calling it art may help you justify it.

Vukmir is one who strongly believes that the victim is the one who can truly portray a newer, riskier type of art; one that holds nothing back and goes full force.

Given the somewhat generic description above, we have the story of Milo, a former porn star highly regarded within his profession. He is given a chance to reignite his former glory with Vukmir's new vision. The catch is, he must sign the contract before he knows anything about the new porn film. Milo sees it as a chance to gain tremendous financial freedom, especially for his family. In reality, he's the one who will be paying for his choices. Too bad for Milo that Vukmir's definition of art must be united with reality.

Let the sick show begin.

Ichi the Killer

For fans of Audition, a film posted previously, I bring to you another Takashi Miike film, one that does not fail to deliver. The film title emerges from a dripping puddle of semen, so you know from the beginning you're in for a ride.

Hanging someone horizontally with hooks and pouring hot oil all over their back is what Kakihara, a pure sadist, likes to call "Just a little torture." He also willingly slices off his own tongue. Tasty.

Just how does Ichi the Killer get down and dirty? He has his own damn clean up unit for when he's done doing his thing. The first clean-up in the film makes Johnny Depps ceiling in Nightmare on Elm Street look spotless. He's not your average assassin, and to some he may come across annoying. He's an odd cross between badass and crybaby, all the while sharing in masochistic adventures. As the movie progresses he seems fixed on not killing anymore. But a supposed past of bullying seems to overpower his conscience and he feels the responsibility in ridding the world of anyone marked as such. If you're looking for the usual good guy bad guy film, you won't find it here.

Who says you can't have a little bit of humor with your daily dose of violence? Miike does well in combining the two elements together. Or maybe you won't find any humor within the film...that would be unfortunate.

Bad Boy Bubby

If mommy tells you to never leave the house because the air outside is poison, you listen. For Bubby, hes been obedient for more than thirty years. He even obeys his mothers order to sit still in the kitchen all day while she's off doing who knows what.

Bubby also willingly engages in sexual relations with his mother and seems to enjoy himself thoroughly while doing so. I mean, who can blame him, she is the only women he has ever known and what the hell would incest mean to a guy who mirrors the words and actions of his mother all day.

And than Bubby gets a little curious. His "pet" cat has the ability to leave the house without dying and he wants to know why the animal isn't affected by the poison. His mommy explains it's because "it doesn't breath." So Bubby uses some plastic wrap to test his mothers theory. Mommy was wrong and boy has she set herself up for some fun.

In comes Bubbys' long lost father and just when you thought it couldn't get crazier, it will. Bubby takes an opportune moment and does what he should have years before, he gets the fuck out.

As he roams the outside world he gets his first taste of pizza, atheism, the love of a woman who isn't his mother and so much more. The seclusion he faced a large part of his life actually helps him on the outside which I found quit surprising. His mommy really did know what was best for him.

Oh, and one last thing: for this film Cling Wrap is all the rage.

Red, White & Blue

It's going to be a gritty ride.

It would be safe to proclaim that Erica is an outright slut. The film begins with her engaging in a threesome and throughout the film she seems more than willing to make several rounds to her works restroom with various companions. A good amount of these people she takes time in pleasuring are not in the least attractive or appealing. The viewer wonders what would make her so eager to fuck anything that moves. There is a reason for everything.

And than Nate comes along, he seems decent and has helped Erica get a job when it is most needed. Yet, Erica won't have anything to do with him sexually. Nate must watch on the sidelines as Erica does for others what he wants done for himself. Nate is not happy but he endures.

Now that threesome I was talking about. The scene seemed appropriate in showcasing the lack of morals Erica holds right from the beginning. She obviously likes to have sex as much as possible with as many men as she can. If she were a man, her buddies would be slapping constant high-fives for her conquests. But she isn't and her past holds a truth which will cause a chain reaction of grimacing proportion. Does this truth from her past excuse her present behavior?

I refuse to ruin the last twenty minutes of the film for you, so go watch it and ask yourself why is the film title relevant?

Oldboy

This has been a long time coming and I truly apologize for not putting this movie here sooner. This film is a gem, and no.. I'm not referring to it being shimmering with massive Hollywood inspired appeal either. If you're looking for a happy ending, stay the fuck away from this movie, better yet.. stay away from this blog. And no the previous statement has not ruined the movie for you so calm down.

I saw this movie several years ago and after the credits began to role my body was physically disgusted. I just sat staring at the screen and I honestly could not move. It reminded me of how I had felt after watching Requiem for A Dream. That is how powerful the film is.

Dae-su Oh is taken off the street, after a night of being drunk at a police station, and is put in a small room. He is kept prisoner for 15 years where his only form of entertainment is a television. When he's not watching television he's punching the wall with his fists, literally melting his knuckles. He doesn't know who has put him there and he's apparently got a long list of enemies. But he wants to make sure if he ever gets out that he can physically kill whoever has done this to him.

Finally, he is released and his captor gives him several days to find out who he is. And you start getting the feeling that Dae-su Oh is still imprisoned even though he is no longer in the small room. He becomes consumed with revenge and rightfully so. And than he meets Mi-do, a woman significantly younger than him and she begins to help in the search for his captor.

Those who love a good fight scene will be satisfied when Dae-su Oh gets to practice his strength in the outside world. Weapon of choice, hammer. You won't be disappointed.

And the rest of the film unfolds quickly. But will revenge be satisfying for Dae-su Oh? You figure that out yourself.

Martyrs

The movie starts with scenes of a young woman, Lucie, clearly the victim of extreme abuse. We don't know who the hell is doing it to her. Somehow she is able to escape her captures and she finds freedom running down a filthy road. Fifteen years later she comes knocking on the door of a seemingly normal family, totting a shotgun and she's very trigger happy. You think, damn... if these people are responsible for her past pain they sure as hell had it coming. But she decides the teenagers need to die as well, so she shoots them too.

Lucie has a friend named Anna who meets up with her after her revenge party. For some reason they think it's wise to hang out at a house after killing four people. Good decision, really.

Lucie keeps getting attacked by this anorexic-looking naked woman who conveniently shows up whenever Anna cannot come to her rescue. Maybe Lucie's past torture has truly degraded her mind in ways that not even time and friendship can heal. And than of course when you thought you knew step by step what is going to happen, everything changes.

Systematic psychological and physical torture. That pretty much sums up the rest of the movie. Something more painful than any Achilles-tendon-slicing scene can offer. And what's even better! It's all for the sake of martyrdom, as a creepy old lady explains because "people ignore the existence of suffering." Because anyones mind can be weakened to the point of insanity and this film seems bent on proving it.

Audition

Oh you're going to love this little treat. A company executive, named Aoyama, has been a widow for several years. He is lonely and he needs a companion. Even his son recommends he should move on and get married again. Forget searching for the right one, Aoyama has a better plan. He's going to have auditions for a movie that doesn't exist in order to find his next wife. You either think the man is deranged or pretty damn clever. Either way, you find sympathy for him because he is rather pathetic. It isn't surprising when he takes an immediate liking to Asami. Asami is young, frail and very pretty. But of course, what you see is never what you get. Asami has a past that she wants to share with Aoyama and the two seem well made for one another.

But shit starts to happen and you aren't quit sure what the fuck you're witnessing. A phone rings immediately setting off a bag that is holding the body of a human being. Beside the phone, Asami sits waiting for a call from Aoyama. She is hunched over, in the dark not acknowledging the moving body bag at all. What the fuck is going on?

Aoyama is unaware of Asami's secret. Why? Because he has no idea where she lives.

Finally, Aoyama and Asami spend a night together. She demands that she "be the only one he loves." And if your crazy radar hasn't gone off yet up to this point, well... it gets even worse. Asami disappears when Aoyama wakes in the morning and he goes on a frantic search to find her. I'm not going to ruin the rest of the film for you.. but let's just say the film seems to be making a statement about monogamous relationships. A heads up; this statement involves piano wire.

Irreversible

If you've seen the Blair Witch Project and gotten a headache from the movements the camera make; this film is not for you. Cue the chaos and be prepared for some ultra violence. The film unfolds as Pierre and Marcus search for The Rectum, a gay bar. Confusion sets in. Pierre keeps telling Marcus to control himself and that this is not the way to exact revenge on someone. What is he seeking revenge for? You spend a good amount of time wondering as the film seems to play out in reverse. Along with confusion you get a good amount of irritation at the characters for their constant bickering and unwillingness to calm down. Why the hell is everyone so on the edge. Who the fuck has been hurt so badly that no one takes a brief moment to stop and think about what their doing.

Than comes a scene a very painful scene. A scene that will make sure you never walk alone in a dark tunnel ever again. A scene that answers for the questions you've been asking from the beginning of the film.

Than as the day continues to play in reverse you experience the relationships that hold the three main characters together. What seems tragic before getting to know Alex is even more so after the film has run its course.

This is a film worth seeing.

The Human Centipede

If someone plans on experimenting on you would you prefer to know beforehand the details of the operation? Or, would you find it more appealing to just have them do it without a word?

The doctor in this film describes in excited fashion his plans for you from the beginning. It's always better to know what you're about to endure before it happens.

And yes, what this doctor wants to do is turn you, your friend and a complete stranger into a living, breathing, human centipede, hence the title. Just when you thought you'd heard it all.

And they don't even get to pick the part of the sequence they will be, bummer. When the doctor finally completes the procedure you think to yourself, there is an entire hour left in the movie, I guess I have seen the worst of it. Don't assume anything.

The doctor doesn't look like a very welcoming man to begin with. Although, it is a horrible thing the two girls have to endure, they could have avoided it easily had they not been such bimbos. You will find the stranger, a very angry Japanese man, to be a great addition to the film. He reacts the way a person should.

The premise behind the film alone makes it worth watching.