March 15, 2007
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Light bulbs not included.There aren't too many movies these days that feature common household objects being forcibly inserted into various bodily openings for the sake of entertainment. It's certainly an interesting cinematic device if nothing else, one that doesn't appear too often in films released throughout these wonderfully dysfunctional 50 states. Anyone who is looking to crash the Hollywood party with something shocking and truly unique should consider the power of what I like to call "the insanely uncomfortable insertion scene." It's the next big thing in Stateside horror! Someone call Eli Roth post-haste!
If you're curious to see how such material plays out on-screen, feel free to investigate Japanese director Daisuke Yamanouchi's icky psychological head game Red Room for yourselves. Do keep in mind, however, that the film is quite sickening and often completely depraved, so much so that a few key scenes have actually left a lingering sense of shame in yours truly. I've seen more than my fair share of disturbing films, dear readers, but Red Room somehow managed to slip past my defenses and bury itself deep beneath my pasty skin. Now I'm having vivid nightmares about black hairdryers, wobbly desk chairs, and a Japanese version of my lovely wife doing unspeakable things to my groin.
Needless to say, It ain't too pretty.
Red Room tells the unfortunate story of four sad individuals -- a couple on the brink of divorce, a high school senior with a big secret, and a shameless well-to-do twenty-something -- who decided to play something called "King's Game," a friendly competition that pits desperate people against one another for a 10 million yen prize. What fun! The rules are simple: the contestants gather in a sparsely-decorated red room and introduce themselves to a collection of video cameras. After everyone has settled in, each player draws a card, one of which has a picture of a crown printed crudely upon it. Whoever holds this card calls the shots. And in this game, it's always good to be the king.
This is where it gets interesting. The king devises a scenario for the other contestants to enact, be it a kissing game or something a bit more sinister in design. Then he or she selects two numbers between one and three, with each integer respectively representing one of the other cardholders. Once the players have been determined, they must follow through with the task at-hand or be disqualified from the game. Whoever is left standing, of course, wins the prize. Believe me when I say it's not as cheerful and easy-going as I've initially made it out to be.
Things start out kind of playful at first. Two girls are forced to make out with each other while another is made to spin in a chair for five straight minutes -- nothing too sadistic, really. Soon the proverbial gloves are removed and the story begins to sink deeper into the mire, proving yet again that human beings are nothing more than foul, degenerate creatures masquerading as a civilized society. It doesn't take long for Red Room to become very, very unpleasant. But for some strange reason, you can't help but watch the damned thing until its nauseatingly outrageous conclusion.
Though others may disagree strongly with what I'm about to say, I'm of the belief that Red Room's super cheap production values contribute greatly to the film's ability to properly shock and disgust. Had the flick been a product of The Glossy Hollywood Thriller Machine(tm), I don't think I would have been quite as repulsed or uncomfortable with some of the material as I was. Like Slaughtered Vomit Dolls and August Underground, Red Room's low budget actually enhances the overall experience. Kudos to director Daisuke Yamanouchi for making the best with what he had at his disposal.
Also worth mentioning is the picture's uber-nasty sound design. It's overblown and completely overwhelming, almost to the point of aural saturation. The lesbian make-out session, the rape scene, and the aforementioned insertion bit are accompanied by what sounds like someone with a very juicy tongue slurping Chef Boy-R-Dee Ravioli straight from the can. I've seen porn flicks with fewer wet slaps and sloppy fluid exchanges. Those who have expensive entertainment systems may want to keep the remote control handy at all times. I wish I was kidding.
Thanks to the fine film connoisseurs at Unearthed Films, everyone with a Region 1 player can now experience all of the sights and sounds Red Room has to offer. It's a tough flick to watch, for sure, but it's impossibly entertaining at the same time. Consider this a film for fans of Japanese exploitation only; those who aren't hip to such Eastern output as Entrails of a Virgin or Mermaid in a Manhole might want to skip this one altogether. For the rest of us without a healthy soul to speak of, Red Room is yet another deliciously disgusting journey through human depravity from a country that specializes in absurd violence and over-the-top sexual perversions.
All the more reason to take an extended holiday to Tokyo, if you ask me.
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