 |
|
Home
Wrestling
WWE
TNA
Tape Reviews
Other
Sports
Basketball
Football
Baseball
Hockey
International
Entertainment
Movies / TV
Music
Gaming
Technology
Books / Comics
" The Gravel Pit "
|
|
|
|
Entertainment
>
Movies / TV
An Exercise in Poor Taste - Junk
Posted by Edward Robins on Aug 6, 2003, 00:33
|
|
Hey yowza, wowza, I haven�t gotten to plug anybody for a while, since my last few columns were published at 3AM when I was too tired to check if anything worth plugging was up. But wouldn�t you know, I sign on today and find a new review from Jason Castleman on The Gosh Darned Mortgage. And since it�s Tuesday, Jay should have a TuesDVDay update coming out of the pipeline too. As for Jason�s column, take a second to read it when you�re done with mine (or you might want to do it before, since mine�s really long this week, probably one of my longest to date at 7 pages on a single film, wow!); it sounds like a great film�but why do micro-budget indie films have to be so gosh-darned expensive? $30 for the DVD? Why that same amount could buy me none other than this undetermined period of time between reviews� title�
Junk (R-Rated Rental Version [check �Presentation� for more info])
2003 Unearthed Films
Film (complete with minor plot spoilers!):
The western notion of �zombies� has no equal in traditional Asian mythology and, up until recently, any of their films (much how Mr. Vampire�s titular beings are different than those ripped from the pages of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice). This might explain why Asian cinema never caught on with the �golden age� of zombie films that began with Romero�s Dawn of the Dead and ended around the mid-late �80s. In recent years, however, the situation has completely turned itself around; whereas Western zombie films have all but dried up (with a couple of notable exceptions - the big-budget Resident Evil and the low-budget The Dead Hate the Living!), within the past five years there�s been an influx of Japanese zombie films (and Hong Kong�s Bio-Zombie), perhaps the least interesting upon first glance is Junk, a film which, although pitting �zombies vs. gangsters�, pales on paper in comparison to the outlandish Versus, the bizarre Wild Zero, or the tasteless Stacy (described by many, including Fangoria, as �a Japanese Troma movie�). Although Junk frustratingly lacks any original or distinguishing characteristics to push it above and beyond its recent competition, it�s schooled enough in Zombie Filmmaking 101, with an execution above and beyond many of the �first wave� Italian zombie films of 15-20 years ago, with bits of style thrown in here and there.
 |
| My girlfriend makes the same face when she bites chunks of flesh off my body...*sniff*, I miss her so. |
Two scientists conduct a final experiment with the drug DNX, designed to raise the dead (you�d think they�d rather try and extend the mortality of living soldiers, rather than create armies of slow-moving, half-dead ones that are useless to anything but very small groups of people). The experiment is a success�which is unfortunate for the scientists, because said reanimated female corpse is interested not in their questions, but in their flesh (preferably ripped off by her teeth whilst still warm). Meanwhile, a group of thieves conduct an experiment of their own, seeing how many millions of yen worth of merchandise they can steal in a jewelry-story heist and sell on the black-market to a local Yakuza lord. These two paths cross when the deal is set at the same �abandoned� base where the DNX experimentation is housed. The deal goes sour, and an errant hail of bullets releases DNX and swarms of zombies. While all this has been going on, the American military, who bankrolled the experiments, have called in Dr. Nakata, who headed the project two years ago, to remotely detonate a bomb and destroy the community. But once the countdown begins, the computer is hacked and the bomb defused, by what could only be an intelligent being�
Junk promises a lot, and while it does deliver, it never delivers to the extent expected by its initial premise and description. The press-kit details director Atsushi Muroga�s technique of �borrowing� dialogue and setups from other films (something he also used extensively for his crime-thriller Score). While it�s never employed sloppily as to provide homages that are so obvious or instantly recognizable as to reach �rip-off� level, this �false� familiarity works both for and against the film. The sense of deja-vu draws indirect comparisons to other zombie films that both lifts the story, yet also reminds one of other, better films. It�s a double-edged sword, and it goes both ways in Junk (meaning there are times where the reaction is �Hey! That�s just like in �such and such�, that�s cool!� but other times where the reaction is �Lame; I swear I saw �em do it much better in �this and that��), but to Muroga�s credit, it leans more towards the positive side, and his �borrowing� is so tight that it leaves only a vague familiarity, rather than an exact film or scene to compare it to. Junk�s plot does have a few twists of its own; however, being �requisite� twists, they can be easily predicted, as can its initial �shock� moments once the zombies are re-introduced (after the pre-credit sequence, the living dead disappear for about 15-20 minutes so the thieves/yakuza/military storylines take them all to the base). And unlike some horror films, this predictability does affect the final product. The arm-chair musings of �I saw that one coming a MILE away!� are more than enough to make several sequences that should be gut-wrenching or really surprising fall flat (including a key plot point involving the Queen Zombie Kyoko from the pre-credits sequence).
 |
| GO ,GO SECOND TIME ZOMBIE~! |
The main human characters, thieves and yakuza, should be wild, unpredictable, �tough guy� (and �tough girl�) characters; instead they come off as shallow action-movie typecasts. The yakuza just laugh off the zombies, until an attack by Zombie Jun (one of the thieves killed in a �shock moment�) takes them by surprise. Despite having the firepower to make short work of him, Cub (another of the thieves), and an initial group of zombies, they forgo their obvious advantage and split up to kill the remaining thieves, Akira and Saki, and end up being individually overwhelmed by zombies (apparently forgetting their machine-guns are enough to single-handedly clear an entire room). The thieves fare little better; as mentioned earlier, Jun and Cub are zombie and yakuza fodder, respectively. Saki, the �tough girl� of the group, is relegated to �sexy but bitchy� status (with exchanges like: �Are you a lesbian?� �It�s better than a man like you!�), motivated solely by her desire for a new car (a sub-plot introduced mainly for a joke at the end, which is cute but not worth the bothersome �car salesman� sequences that interrupt the action at the beginning of the film). Akira, the final thief, fares the best of all the characters in this department, developing from a whiny, annoying coward to a reluctant hero to a smooth professional by the film�s end. None of the characters embodies the bullet-spraying, zombie-slaughtering qualities one would associate with �gangsters vs. zombies�.
As valid as these criticisms are, however, since the zombie film is generally motivated neither by plot nor strong characters, these are nit-picks compared to the film�s less manageable plot problems. The first concerns the �American military� sequences; simply put, they�re terrible � forcibly squeezed in (there�s no reason Saki and Akira couldn�t have found the bomb and decide to destroy the base on their own) and very poorly acted. The actors playing the Americans are as adept as the average late-night Skinemax fare, with the exception of Dr. Nakata, who switches between Japanese and English with no reason or rhyme, and speaks English with a barely penetrable accent (and since this transfer was sourced from the original Japanese negative, the subtitles for when he speaks English are in Japanese rather than English). The Americans respond to him regardless of the language he speaks in, so why not have him stick to one language, preferably the one he�s naturally used to?
 |
| Miwa puts in the only distinguishing performance of the film as Kyoko, the Zombie Queen. |
The second area where the film really could improve itself (and where I personally think it really dropped the ball) is with its main villainess, Kyoko, the Zombie Queen. The premise of an intelligent zombie with super-human strength is much more intriguing than another wave of normal zombies (perhaps the Queen could even directly control or desire to protect her �subjects�); however, aside from deactivating the bomb, Kyoko never uses her intelligence. Something as simple as lying in wait with a group of zombies to ambush Saki would�ve been both a pleasant shock to the audience and built up the Zombie Queen as a much more menacing character. As is, she�s already the most interesting, with a fantastic portrayal by Miwa that encourages and plays with the devious nature she should�ve had in the script (the greatest being the occasions where Miwa taunts an opponent by slowly tearing and chewing off a piece of flesh from a nearby corpse). Instead, the film has her rely (in truly campy fashion) on her super-strength; rather than continue speaking, she unintelligibly roars, and instead of strategy she just smacks people around and rips off heads. It�s still a lot of fun, but for a much different reason than it could�ve (and a much less original reason than it should�ve been).
Yet, for all its apparent flaws, there�s still a lot the film does well. Its pace is perfect; at 80 minutes, even the film�s bothersome American sequences are lean enough to go down easy. There are no sequences in the film that drag or seem too long; though the lack of developed characters is unfortunate, if any of the sequences had been extended for character development, the rest wouldn�t all be able to fit into the film�s short running length. Once the film finishes bringing all parties to the base and lets them after each other, it�s a non-stop thrill ride, as bodies from all sides pile up and nothing seems to slow the pace.
 |
| Muroga's "borrowing" technique extends beyond dialogue and story references to other, more technical, aspects of filming and production. |
The pace isn�t all the film has going for it either. Regardless of how it works as a narrative technique, Muroga also peppers in different camera-work or direction as part of his �borrowing� style, which adds a bit of charm and class to the film. During the jewelry store robbery, for instance, several shots are presented from the angles of different security cameras, adding tension and suspense to the sequence (not just because of the �home video/reality� quality such presentations have, but because it limits the scope of vision). Other sequences use wide overhead shots to show the abandoned, desolate nature of the base and surrounding area (and later doubling to show the claustrophobia of what was such a huge, spacious area now being occupied by dozens of zombies) or quickly pull out from a door, a nice little twist on the �there�s no monster here�yet� initial investigation that�s become such a beloved horror clich�.
In the end, despite what more the film could�ve been, Junk�s probably the most watchable of the crop of Japanese zombie films, and a lot of fun to boot. It doesn�t add enough to truly distinguish itself from the rest of the pack, but it executes itself well enough to be worth seeking out, or at least replace half a dozen Italian films for when you�re sick of Zombie (if such is possible) and don�t feel like thinking through a Romero film. It�s just frustrating with the teases of what could have taken off and become a classic all its own. Maybe if we�re good little boys and girls we�ll get a few more truly devious, sadistic, intelligent zombies in Junk 2�
Body Count (because every good movie has at least one death in it!):
Ten humans, thirty-two zombies (give or take a couple), one cat
Wrestling Moves/References:
SPEAR~! SPEAR~! SPEAR~! Also, a few of the zombies (like the aforementioned Zombie Queen) have a set of ghoulish taunts all their own. If there was any way to feasibly make a zombie gimmick, I�d expect nothing less than what I�ve seen in this film � ripping off a chunk of your own flesh and swallowing it whole. That moment just screamed �bad-ass�, and it�s unfortunate the rest of the characters and zombies didn�t have such moments. But I digress.
 |
| Now all we need is a guy in a rubber suit and we're set! |
ONE Redeeming Scene (SPOILER WARNING!!!!):
After being shot in the forehead by Saki, the dreaded Zombie Queen collapses in a course of screams and spasms. This is done so matter-of-factly that it can�t be the end. Just when you�re about to roll your eyes, however, the Queen rises, straight as a board, back to her feet, with a change in eye and hair color. She smacks around Saki with her super-zombie-strength, and the two end up on the floor in a life or death struggle. With nothing but roars to accentuate the mood, the film loses any sense of seriousness and credibility, but dammit if it didn�t have me smiling and cheering. That kind of camp is what Japanese film-making is all about. Wow. I just typecast a whole culture. Thanks a lot Gojira�
Presentation:
The film is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen, remastered from the original negative. It�s not anamorphic widescreen (not that it makes a big difference to me) because of problems with said negative and the supplier (Unearthed Films went through a lot of trouble to try though, more than many companies would, and they provide a more detailed explanation here). Color is good, a little muted sometimes, but that�s more of how it was shot than anything to do with the transfer.
I also don�t usually bother with talking about a DVD�s menus, because most cult companies just provide static menus with theme music or other dialogue in the background. However, I�m in love with Unearthed�s menu design; the font is slick, the black and white color scheme simple but cool. The main menu features a group of zombies from the film, and selecting the
One thing to note, however, is that the version I used for this review, the rental-version, was cut a few seconds by the MPAA to get an R rating (major rental chains, namely Blockbuster but Hollywood Video also does it to a degree, refuse to stock �unrated� or NC-17/X-rated features). The scene in question is when Zombie Ramon (the head of the yakuza) is killed, and seven seconds of his head exploding is digitally edited out. It�s fairly obvious too, as after he gets shot it goes pixilated and then cuts back to the next scene. It�s unfortunate that something so small is such a big deal to the MPAA, but such is life; luckily, this cut version is only at the rental chains (it also has a different cover; again, check Unearthed�s website for more info), and purchasing the film anywhere (well, I guess with the exception of a �previously rented copy� at Blockbuster) will give you a fully uncut version of the film.
Special Features:
Unearthed has gathered an extensive stills gallery for this release. They�ve included 50 stills from the film and its production (for once I cheated, and grabbed a bunch of �screen-caps� from this section because I couldn�t get as many good ones myself), including the film�s Japanese press-kit and other promotional material. This might not seem much use to those illiterate in Japanese, so Unearthed was kind enough to also provide translations of the text in the press-kits. There aren�t any profound revelations, but it gives a little more background on Muroga�s �borrowing� style and how he used it in his previous film, Score. This is greatly appreciated because the film, never having an official release in the U.S. until now, obviously has little to no �reliable� or �official� promotional material to those unfamiliar with the film.
There�s also a trailer selection, high-lighting the original Junk trailer (with its opening text screaming: �ZOMBIE!�), as well as Evil Dead Trap 2 (Unearthed�s next release, actually released today [August 5, 2003]), which looks fantastic. Most reviews I�ve read of the original Evil Dead Trap have been mixed or panning it, but this sequel looks to be a totally different vehicle from what I�ve read about the original (sadly, I�ve never seen either film�I believe Synapse released the original, and thanks to Unearthed I�ll gladly rectify missing the sequel), featuring several murders, each high-lighting their own macabre methods and imagery as well as an uncharacteristically �ugly� female lead (of course, she�s not actually ugly, but compared to most super-attractive, super-thin, or super-model women that appear in genre films, it�s encouraging to see a normal person). Also on tap are trailers for three of the infamous Guinea Pig films, Mermaid in a Manhole, Android of Notre Dame, and Making of Guinea Pig. I�ve been intrigued by the story and concept of Mermaid in a Manhole for some time, and seeing the trailer only further cements that for me. Android of Notre Dame looks to be very strange, with a disembodied head barking orders at surgeons dismembering bodies; it�s actually one of the Guinea Pig films I know the least about (along with Devil Woman, a forthcoming release from Unearthed whose trailer wasn�t included). The one that really surprised and excited me though, was the trailer for the Making of Guinea Pig. As a film student, horror fan, and someone interested in special effects (maybe not doing them myself, but seeing how others do them), I found that trailer satisfied all interests, featuring interviews with the crew, behind-the-scenes footage of demonstration of the effects (including outtakes), and showcasing the positive attitude and fun involved with the making of these films. All of the trailers presented are their original Japanese trailers, without subtitles. Although this could be bothersome to some (not that there�s really all that much dialogue presented anyway), it�s also very authentic and respectable; Unearthed could have recut their own new trailers, like Hong Kong Legends or a number of other companies do, but they stuck with the original.
 |
| A message from Ed to Unearthed Films. The K's...uhhh...my middle name, that's it. |
Actually, I�d like to end this by column by talking about Unearthed themselves. I first heard about Unearthed in 2002 when they acquired the rights to and released the Guinea Pig films in the U.S. I respected the company for taking the risk of putting out the discs, but really made no other efforts to find out more about them or check out one of their discs (they were a bit too expensive for my budget). Now that I�ve rented an Unearthed Films disc, seen all the effort they put into all aspects of DVD production, from the menus to the transfer to the authentic Japanese promotional material included as extras, Unearthed hasn�t just become my favorite new company; they�ve become one of my favorite companies period. Their dedication to the product comes with the fact that they�re such big fans of it themselves. On top of that, however, is their dedication to the customer and their fellow fans. For a couple of the Guinea Pig releases, they put out limited edition covers for independent retailers as a bonus; and when I e-mailed them for more info about what was cut for the rental version of Junk for this review, they not only e-mailed me back, but they e-mailed me back the next day. That�s impressive. So, let me sign off this week by saying Kudos to Unearthed Films! I look forward to Evil Dead Trap 2 and finally checking out the Guinea Pig discs in the future (maybe I�ll even write an article about it if anyone wants me to).
 |
| What, you thought EVERY zombie in this film was an attractive, intelligent Japanese woman? Shame on you! |
�Til next time, notice I shied from the obvious �So I�m reviewing some Junk in this week�s column�� joke. Whoops.
Edward Robins
[email protected]
Missed a column? Now you can catch up!
My Collection (DVDAF, since Guzzlefish still doesn�t have everything yet)
My Collection (Guzzlefish, missing some titles due to their incomplete database)
Wishlist (Amazon� �tis better to give than to receive, but I�ll take the fall here)
| |
|
|
|
|
|
