Living Hell (Horror/Japan)
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C Film: C
The U.S. market’s cult demand for Supernatural Horror fare
from Japan has driven the release of more titles from that market here than
would have been the case ten years ago, but so many of them have just not been
that good. Instead, they are exotic
choices fans seem to embrace more for their origins than their quality or
effect. Shugo Fujii’s Living Hell
is such a work, with all kinds of quick cuts, blood and other clichéd editing
approaches.
When new family members move in with wheelchair-bound Yasu
(Hirohito Honda) to help him, they are there on the run after outsiders killed
other family members. After a while,
Yasu realizes that they are the killers and they are targeting him next. Hoping to be another torture-fest ala Texas
Chainsaw Massacre, this work has so many problems and stumbling blocks that
the viewer will feel more tortured for all the wrong reasons than Yasu. The result is a mixed mess that is never
scary, convincing or that smart.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is very poor in
the definition and Video Black area, with limited color and a muddy look that
works against what little narrative is present. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is supposed to have Pro Logic
surrounds according to the packaging, but any surrounds here are extremely
weak. Extras include text on the
director, director’s commentary track, storyboards, trailers for this and other
Subversive DVD releases, deleted scenes that made no difference and four shorts
by the director that were fair. For
fans of Japanese Horror only or persons so obsessed with Texas Chainsaw
Massacre that they’ll rent or buy anything.
- Nicholas Sheffo
