COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - EVIL DEAD TRAP 2: HIDEKI (UNEARTHED FILMS BLU RAY)
One of the most intriguing aspects of the horror genre is the sense of danger that it can foster within the viewer. While other genres may evoke tension, laughter, and even sadness in various ways it is the horror genre that attempts to blend so many of them together with the intent of terrifying the viewer. While fear is subjective, it cannot be denied that we all like to be scared every now and then. For the most dedicated of genre fans, the pursuit can often feel like it provides diminishing returns as the more content you consume the higher your tolerance becomes. Eventually, a compromise in preference is required in order to fulfill the desire to be rocked by a movie so much that it stays with you for days after. Or at least that’s been the road I’ve taken on my journey to explore how my own sense of fear has changed over the years. It seems the older one gets the more you realize that the horrors of real life are vastly more unnerving than ghosts and slashers. My compromise was embracing horror that made me feel unsafe, and movies that challenged me to revisit the meaner and more transgressive side of horror. I’m not sure what my therapist would say about this, but I’m hoping they would support me on this journey to discover and embrace discomfort due to my love of the horror genre. This brings us to EVIL DEAD TRAP 2: HIDEKI, the new blu ray from UNEARTHED FILMS and in-name-only sequel to 1988’s EVIL DEAD TRAP (the movie MALIGNANT wishes it was). Will this sequel deliver the graphic goods like the first, or is it a watered-down version of its predecessor?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A killer is on the loose in Japan. Young women are being horribly mutilated. Aki, a young woman who works as a film projectionist, is haunted by a childlike ghost. Her girlfriend Emi is a TV news reporter covering the horrible mutilations. Emi introduces Aki to Kurahashi, a married man with a haunted past. Everyone involved has a dark secret and something evil is taking control of them. They are pawns in a game being played by forces beyond their understanding. This eerie descent into madness takes us on a journey into the abyss and the terrible truth is finally revealed!
HOW IS IT?
The first EVIL DEAD TRAP is one of my favorite discoveries of the past few years. It’s equal parts interesting, absurd, and Argento, and while MALIGNANT owes so much to this film in every regard I must give credit where it’s due that Wan’s film did inspire my interest in seeing EVIL DEAD TRAP. As far as sequels go, EVIL DEAD TRAP 2: HIDEKI (for brevity we will call it “HIDEKI”) shares little in common with the first film narratively, but is related in terms of its darkly strange subject matter. In fact, even trying to compare the two would be a huge disservice to how different HIDEKI is tonally and narratively. Whereas the first one felt like a smorgasbord of Argento films through the lens of J-Horror, HIDEKI is like NATURAL BORN KILLERS mixed with THE GRUDGE. It’s beautifully shot and starts out subtle (so to speak) until the third act just pummels you with gonzo gore and incoherent plotting.
As far as plots go, this is a strange one, to say the least. Imagine a love triangle with three of the most fucked up people you can think of, and then inject some political(?) subtext on abortion and then for good measure put in a haunting ghost boy. The characters are as odd as the summary I just gave, and without going into spoilers you eventually find out that each of the three has a secret they really wouldn’t like anyone to know about. To enhance the weirdness of it all, there are some scenes that truly feel almost comedic in their approach. For example, in one scene Emi is seducing Kurahashi while he is eating his lunch. She persists in removing his clothes and he plays along as they start to have sex, but he is also still eating his sandwich and seems as into that as he is Emi (figuratively and literally). It’s the kind of scene that takes the concept of spontaneous sex and injects a 3 Stooges kind of humor that is out of place in reality, but right at home in the world that HIDEKI inhabits. This is Japanese Manhattan during the peak 42nd street days in every way. While it’s all over the place in terms of story and character, it is also fascinating to watch. Most of the credit should be given to the production design and cinematography as it captures neon-tinted darkness that permeates throughout everything on screen.
For those who prefer their horror more straightforward and less dramatic, HIDKEI is a hard film to recommend. Unlike the first one, the violence here is more subtle and builds rather than assaults you and doesn’t let up. To be sure, by the end there is enough gore and depravity to go around, but what makes this film horror isn’t the on-screen violence as much as the sheer insanity of the characters we are asked to follow. None of them are likable by design, and we watch them subvert every aspect of their being and societal norms in more ways than one. They exist in this world without consequence, which tonally makes for a wild ride as it crosses between the borders of “perversion” and “parody” consistently. Normally one would say about a sequel that if you like the first you’ll like the second, but I just don’t see that being the case here. Those that loved the first may hate this, so the best recommendation is to those who prefer the sleazier side of horror. Something that makes you feel the need to bathe afterward and delights in the pushing boundaries of acceptability.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
UNEARTHED FILMS has done a fine job on this transfer and presents it in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. There is a haziness to the film which is germane to the production and makes the whole movie feel like a fever dream. The color palette is mostly dark with extremely vibrant neons to reflect the look of Japanese metros and feels Blade Runner-like in terms of comparable color schemes. Screenshots from the release are used throughout the review and shared below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
No surprises here as UNEARTHED FILMS provides us with a standard 2.0 PCM Stereo audio option with the original Japanese audio alongside English subtitles. The soundtrack here doesn’t really beckon for a surround sound audio track with most of the sound coming from dialogue and music less so action-oriented scenes with guns or explosions. There is a mono audio option as well, however, I did not listen to it for this review.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
A somewhat light release in terms of special features as all that is included is a Photo Gallery and some trailers for other UNEARTHED FILMS releases.
LAST RITES
EVIL DEAD TRAP 2: HIDEKI is a sleazier and more sultry tale that shares nothing more than its namesake with the former entry. For those who enjoy their horror more akin to CAT-III, there is plenty to enjoy here if you’re willing to stick with some of the pacing, and if you’re a J-Horror enthusiast this is an easy recommendation to add to your collections!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a copy for the crypt to review, and you can purchase EVIL DEAD TRAP 2: HIDEKI via MVD DIRECT!
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