Evil Dead Trap
| Evil Dead Trap | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Toshiharu Ikeda |
| Written by | Takashi Ishii |
| Starring |
Miyuki Ono Aya Katsuragi Hitomi Kobayashi Eriko Nakagawa Masahiko Abe |
| Music by | Tomohiko Kira |
| Cinematography | Masaki Tamura |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Japan Home Video |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Evil Dead Trap, known in Japan as Shiryō no wana (死霊の罠), is a 1988 Japanese horror film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda and produced by Japan Home Video.
Plot
TV show host Nami asks her viewers to send in home movies; she receives a snuff film apparently shot at a nearby factory. Taking a camera crew out to investigate, Nami finds the factory deserted. As Nami and her crew begin to scour the factory, they are murdered one-by-one in grisly fashion until only Nami remains. She ultimately discovers that the killer is Hideki, a small, fetus-like man conjoined to his fully grown, naive twin-brother, who seems unaware of the killings.
Production
Special effects were by Shinichi Wakasa who would go on to a career as a monster-suit maker for several Godzilla movies.
Hitomi Kobayashi who plays the supporting role of Rei Sugiura was a top star for Japan Home Video (JHV) under their adult video (AV) label Alice Japan. JHV financed the film as a vehicle for Kobayashi but director Toshiharu Ikeda, unsure of Kobayashi's acting ability, instead put Miyuki Ono in the starring role.[1]
Cast
- Miyuki Ono as Nami Tsuchiya
- Yuji Honma as Daisuke Muraki
- Hitomi Kobayashi as Rei Sugiura
- Shinsuke Shimada as the TV producer
- Aya Katsuragi as Masako Abe
- Masahiko Abe as Akio Kondou
- Eriko Nakagawa as Rya Kawamura
- Mari Shimizu as the voice of Hideki
- Kyōko Hashimoto
- Terumi Niki as the voice of Haha no Koe
Release
The film was released theatrically in Japan as Shiryō no wana (死霊の罠) on May 14, 1988[2] and it was later released in Japan as a VHS tape on September 25, 1988[3] and as a DVD on June 23, 2000.[4] A DVD version titled Evil Dead Trap with English subtitles came out November 7, 2000 from Synapse Films.[5]
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews from critics. Allmovie describes the film as a "provocative horror film" and a "sickening but riveting slasher"[6] while Tom Mes at Midnight Eye called it a "highly effective and suspenseful slasher movie" with "imaginative and gruesomely impressive death scenes".[7] Another reviewer finds the plot "so ridiculously ludicrous that it's laughable" but feels that the disturbing images and elaborate death scenes make up for it.[8]
References
- ↑ Galloway, Patrick (2006). "Evil Dead Trap: Shiryo no wana". Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Berkeley, Calif.: Stone Bridge Press. p. 165. ISBN 1-933330-12-0.
- ↑ 死霊の罠(1988) (in Japanese). All Cinema. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ↑ "死霊の罠 [VHS]" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ↑ "死霊の罠 [DVD]" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ↑ Evil Dead Trap (1988). Amazon.com]. ASIN 6305789649.
- ↑ Firsching, Robert. "Evil Dead Trap". Allmovie. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ↑ Mes, Tom (March 20, 2001). "Evil Dead Trap". MidnightEye. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ↑ Shieh, JoE (May 15, 2002). "Evil Dead Trap". kfccinema.com. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
Bibliography
- Thompson, Nathaniel (2006) [2002]. "EVIL DEAD TRAP". DVD Delirium: The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful Films on DVD; Volume 1 Redux. Godalming, England: FAB Press. p. 254. ISBN 1-903254-39-6.
- Weisser, Thomas. (1998). "Asian Cult Cinema Report: Film, News and Gossip", in Asian Cult Cinema, #22, 1st Quarter, 1999, p. 4-6. (American premier of Evil Dead Trap)