There are certain movies I definitely had in mind when I began this column; absolutely bonkers stuff that I felt needed to be seen by more people, just so they would know that this type of horror film actually exists.
Who says horror fans don’t have any fun? There seems to be a misconception among those unfamiliar with the genre that horror fans are simply excited by the sight of blood and guts, and that this is all horror movies are good for.
Those who have been following Far East Extreme since its inception may be surprised at the absence of any mention of Guinea Pig until now, since THIS is the film series that finally took things too far. The story goes that none other than Charlie Sheen happened to watch one of these movies, and, thinking it was an actual snuff film, reported it to the authorities.
In terms of Japanese horror, one may be familiar with old-school spookfests like Kwaidan or Kuroneko, but these are ghost stories first and foremost, and many of them –most famously Western horror like the original House on Haunted Hill -don’t quite compel the screams they used to. That’s why I was thrilled to find a true extreme Japanese classic, 1960’s Jigoku.
We review Takashi Miike's newly restored yakuza-horror masterpiece!
