The term cult film is used so often these days that at times
it seems as if the meaning has been lost. As a somewhat older person I can
recall days when the term had more meaning, when the accessibility of movies
was limited to what was in the theater and what played on one of three networks
on TV. The rise of the midnight movie changed that and the term cult film was
used for those films as well as movies that played in select locations, rarely mainstream
theater chains. They were movies sought out by fans of something different or
foreign films that patrons had no access to. With the creation of home video
all of that changed and the doors opened for fans to have easy access to those
films for a nominal fee. Arrow Video has been providing many of those films for
fans and HORRORS OF MALFORMED MEN falls into that category.
The movie is unusual from the start with a young man named
Hirosuke (Teruo Yoshida), a medical student, finds himself inside an insane
asylum in the women’s room. Half clad women scurry about and one approaches him
with a knife in her hand. Thankfully (or it would have been a short film) the
knife is fake and a guard returns the young man to his own cell. With no
knowledge of his past but a memory of a children’s song and a location he continues
to draw the Hirosuke wonders who he is. Attacked in his cell later he kills the
man who attacked him, escapes and is on the run.
While on the run he reads a newspaper and reads of the death
of a man who looks exactly like him named Genzaburo Komoda. Digging up the body
and dressing in his clothes, he returns to the man’s home and takes on his
identity. With each day he learns more about the man, a well to do businessman.
It turns out they both had identical scars, something that makes him more curious
than afraid. His appearance is close enough that he fools both Genzaburo’s wife
and mistress.
Hirosuke learns more about Genzaburo as well as his family.
It seems his father Jogoro left the family home and transported himself to an
island nearby, the same island Hirosuke has had dreams of. There he intends to
create a fantasy land for people to visit but this is far from a Disney like
island. Jogoro had webbed fingers and was considered malformed. Hirosuke
demands to be taken to the island to visit his father and there learns of the
man’s plans for the island. In addition to that all of the family secrets are
revealed once he arrives taking up the last half of the film. To reveal what
takes place would ruin the film for those inclined to watch.
Suffice to say that once they hit the island the word
surreal is an apt description, not just in what takes place but in the methods
employed by director Teruo Ishii to portray what is there. Colored lights and
strange makeup are used to show the inhabitants of the island as well as
Jogoro. It is a world some would call unusual and others would call a
nightmare. But there is a method to the madness Jogoro employs as strange as it
is.
I wasn’t sure what to expect while watching the film. The
trailer made it seem like a horror film but while there are horrific elements
to it I found it more of a combination mystery and revenge film instead.
Hirosuke’s search to discover who he is, why he looks exactly like Genzaburo
and why the song and island are instilled in his mind make for an interesting
film. In addition to that the cinematography is fascinating as well and
considering the film was made in 1969 makes it even more interesting. Even with
what normally becomes a lost in translation cliché when it comes to styles of
acting this movie features fine performances from all involved.
As I said Arrow Video is releasing this and they’ve done a
fantastic job with the look of the film itself. They’re offering the film in a
2k restoration from the original negative and it looks marvelous. If that
weren’t enough they’ve included several extras as well that fans will enjoy.
Those include two audio commentary tracks by Japanese cinema experts Tom Mes
and Mark Schilling, MALFORMED MOVIES a new interview with Toei exploitation movie
screenwriter Masahiro Kakefuda, MALFORMED MEMORIES where filmmakers Shinya
Tsukamoto (who made TETSUO THE IRON MAN) and Minoru Kawasaki (who made THE
CALAMARI WRESTLER) discuss the career of director Teruo Ishii, an image
gallery, the theatrical trailer, a reversible sleeve with newly commissioned
artwork by Dan Mumford and for the first pressing only a collector’s booklet
featuring new writing by Jasper Sharp, Tom Mes and Grady Hendrix.
If you’ve never seen the film but enjoy Japanese cinema,
cult movies or exploitation films then by all means you should check this one
out. If you’re already a fan then this will be the version to add to your
shelf.
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