ควรค่าน่าดูตรงที่ :เป็น1ในภาพยนตร์ของผู้กำกับขั้นเทพ
ที่ได้รับฉายาในญี่ปุ่นว่า
"The King
of Cult"คอหนังคัลท์จะรู้จักชื่อ
เทรุโอะ
อิชิอิ
เป็นอย่างดีด้วยผลงานมากมายในแนวที่เรียกว่า"Ero
guro" หรือ
erotic-grotesque(กาม -วิตถาร)ซึ่งเป็นอีกแขนงของหนังแนวพิงค์ฟิล์ม
สำหรับ
Horrors of Malformed Men (1969) เขาดัดแปลงจากวรรณกรรมของ
เอโดงาวะ แรมโป
นักเขียนแนวลึกลับ สยองขวัญผู้โด่งดัง
Storyline:
After escaping from an asylum, young medical student
Hirosuke assumes the identity of a dead man in order to
solve the mystery of a weird doppelganger whose picture
he sees in the newspaper. Traveling to faraway Panorama
Island, he discovers a mad scientist surgically remaking
normal human beings into misshapen monsters but that is
only the beginning. Hirosuke soon learns the horrible
truth about the island and his own family''s shameful
past, and finds himself plunged into the depths of
incest, murder, and madness.
Special Features:
(with English subs)
- New, fully restored, anamorphic widescreen transfer
mastered in high-definition from Toei''s original vault
elements
- Japanese language with newly-translated, removable
English subtitles
- Audio commentary by film critic Mark Schilling
- ''Malformed Memories'' documentary (22:53)
- Ishii in Italy (03:55 + 13:49)
- Theatrical Trailer (03:16)
- Poster Gallery
- Teruo Ishii Biography
- Edogawa Rampo Biography
Review:
Also Known As: ''Horror of the Malformed Men'' or ''Horror
of Malformed Men''
Malformed Men is a very strange film, one that the
majority of casual viewers won''t care for, or even find
themselves able to struggle through, and the fact that
it gave me nightmares isn''t a guarantee that it will
mortify anyone else (factually I wasn''t really all that
scared while watching the film). However, adventurous
viewers, sick of boring Asian ghost stories, tedious Saw
and Hostel rip-offs, and insipid PG-13 punch-pullers may
want to give it a shot. If I were Siskel and Ebert, and
if this was At the Movies, Horrors of Malformed Men
would be my video pick of the week. DVD Active
Horrors of Malformed Men is a rare beast indeed, a film
not even available in Japan anymore. Out of respect for
the physically handicapped, this is seen to equate
physical with mental aberration. But thats quite a
narrow reading of this astonishing film, and luckily
its been restored and released on DVD in the US by
Synapse Films. Blach Hole
Horrors Of Malformed Men is a little oddity that is both
grotesque and beautiful. It has a dream-like feel that
cast a spell over me with its strange and horrible
images. Its a circus side-show, full of perversity, a
disturbing family drama and a completely unique
experience. Highly recommended! Goregirl''s Dungeon
In a more literal reading this film could doubtlessly be
called messy and illogical, but what it displays is the
kind of unordered, primal illogicality of a dream. The
Horror of Malformed Men is a dream; one that would be a
nightmare if it weren''t so grotesquely beautiful. Midnight Eye
Hirosuki Hitomi (Teruo Yoshida) is a medical student
with who finds himself in an insane asylum. He has a
loose grasp on his past but is haunted by images of a
stormy coastline and a menacing bestial figure...
Thus begins Horrors of Malformed Men, cult director Teruo Ishii''s
adaptation of the literary works of Japanese author
Edogawa Rampo. The story follows Hirosuki''s character as
he escapes from the mental institution in hopes of
unraveling the mystery of his past, with his fleeting
visions and a children''s lullaby as his only clues. He
soon discovers the obituary of Mokota Genzaburou, a
recently deceased man of wealth who bears more than a
striking resemblance to Hirosuki. With a promising new
lead, he conspires to take the dead man''s place in his
household in the hopes that it may provide information
as to his identity.
And that''s just the start of this complicated, yet oddly compelling
tale. Edogawa Rampo''s fantasy and horror stories were
very popular in Japan (the author''s real name is Taro
Hirai Rampo is actually a Japanese rendering of "Edgar
Allen Poe"). Teruo Ishii was so excited to be given a
chance at adapting one of Rampo''s works that he took it
upon himself to include as many references and vignettes
from the celebrated author''s canon of short stories as
he could.
This explains the frenzied plot... The film feels very much like a
book set to film, packed with weird details and quirky
plot twists. Rather than hurting the narrative it
actually adds to its surreal charm. Horrors of Malformed
Men is easily one of the strangest films I''ve ever seen
but it''s precisely the unpredictable nature of the story
that is so engaging. Yes, the story has obvious (and
much noted) allusions to H.G. Wells'' The Island of Dr.
Moreau, but that doesn''t begin to scratch the surface of
this imaginative and twisted tale. By the time the story
reaches its climax, the viewer is bombarded with so many
bizarre revelations and side-stories that it''s hard not
to applaud the sheer audacity of the filmmakers. This is
an immensely entertaining film.
Special mention must be given to the cinematography of Shigeru
Akatsuka, which elevates the movie to levels of visual
artistry. The film is beautifully rendered, with
stunning photography and gorgeous use of colors. Early
scenes are effectively moody and atmospheric. As the
story progresses and becomes more nightmarish, the
film''s visuals becomes more surreal; flashbacks, for
instance, are saturated in gaudy reds and greens. The
film feels very much like what Dario Argento would
eventually achieve visually in such films as Suspiria
and Inferno, with a wild plot to match.
I cannot shower enough praise on this film... Horrors of Malformed
Men is essential viewing and not only for fans of
Japanese genre cinema. This is simply great pulp
fiction, wonderfully and vividly realized by Teruo
Ishii. Eccentric Cinema