‘Grotesque’: A Closer Look

Since the BBFC banned the DVD of Koji Shiraishi’s latest flick, Grotesque (Gurotesuku) a few weeks ago, it’s become one of the most talked about (and certainly one of the most Googled) horror movies in months. And predictably, it has launched a new dialogue about the banning of horror films in general.

You can add the guys over at the HorrorEtc podcast to that list. In their latest episode (No. 99), Tony, Ted, and guest host Doug actually fire up a copy of Grotesque and combine some running commentary on the torture flick with well-thought-out observations about horror movie censorship in recent years.

This commentary is something really tailor-made for the HorrorEtc crew. While the odd factual error may tick-off the die-hard fright fans (e.g, pinku films are actually Japanese softcore porn flicks rather than torture or horror films), HorrorEtc’s strengths has always been in the avuncular, enthusiastic manner of its hosts. And when delving into the details of an extremely nihilistic piece of work like Grotesque, it helps immensely to have likable guides who also give the impression that they’re not the jaded, giggling schoolboys who often put together horror podcasts.

Check back soon for a wrapup of horror podcasts that just may rekindle your enthusiasm for the genre.

Grotesque: Take 2 – The Trailer

After seeing the trailer for Grotesque, I think I’ll stand by what I said in the last posting if it’s all the same to you.

Warning: Trailer contains a lot of unimaginative eviserations, and therefore may be unsuitable for those not yet desensitized. There might also be a boob under all that blood, but it’s OK. It belongs to Tsugumi Nagasawa, who was in Tokyo Gore Police, High School Girl Rika: Zombie Hunter, and Cream Lemon 7, so she’s pretty much used to being exploited by now.

Brits ban ho-hum-sounding flick

Japanese torture flick 'Grotesque' reportedly banned by British censors.

[This news courtesy of Japanese Horror’s Twitter.]

The UK’s MovieMuser.com reports that a new Japanese movie called Grotesque (Gurotesuku) has been banned by the British Board Of Film Classification for violence. Here’s the MovieMuser’s summary of the film:

“A girl, Aki (Tsugumi Nagasawa), and her new boyfriend, Kazuo (Hiroaki Kawatsure), are mugged, knocked unconscious and kidnapped by an unknown assailant. They wake up to find themselves bound and gagged in a torture chamber-style basement at the mercy of a man armed with a mind-boggling array of kitchen implements and power tools whose only pleasure is gained from the suffering of others. So begins a slow and sustained assault during which the couple is gradually hacked, mutilated and degraded to the point where death becomes a more desirable option to living. Or is it? When one captive is offered the chance to die in order to save the life of the other, the question of how far one would go for a loved one is answered in the most unpleasant of ways.”

My first reaction to reading this plot synopsis was “sounds pretty…boring.” I don’t think I’m alone.