As a unique film genre, CULT movies usually involve characteristics such as yellow storms, scale, and heavy taste. Among these low-budget movies, Japanese cult films are undoubtedly the best among them, including the Mermaid in the Sewer, the Pastoral Festival of the Dead, Letter Theft, The Exposure of Love, S Wife Mobilization, The Great Escape S, Shura Yukihime and so on. These films are impressive with iconic elements such as open-ended endings, nostalgia, and gore scenes. If you're interested in this unique genre, try these movies. As for your favorite cult film, that depends on your personal taste.
Part 1: The Mermaid in the Sewer
Mermaid in the Sewer is a marvelous film created by director Hino Hinode, which depicts the unbridled defilement and trampling of nature in the industrial age. Through a depressed painter, the film shows the story of a beautiful and dreamy mermaid who becomes ugly and dies miserably under human pollution.
In the film, the painter discovers a mermaid in the process of finding inspiration, so he begins to create for mermaids. However, the mermaid's abdomen became festering due to the virus, overgrown with large and small pus and sarcoma, and the painter took the mermaid home for treatment, but the mermaid refused. The mermaid asks the painter to create for her, and the mermaid's condition gradually deteriorates, pus sores spread on the body, pus and maggots of various colors flow out, and finally evolves into a monster that makes people ZO. During this period, the painter gave warm care to the mermaid, helping the mermaid squeeze pus, extract the maggots in the body, and so on.
Eventually, the painter finished his painting, a face covered with multicolored pustules. After the painting was completed, the artist dismembered the mermaid, and a baby was found in the belly of the mermaid. However, the police arrested him at the report of the painter's neighbor. The film ends with the scales of a mermaid, suggesting that human pollution of nature destroys everything good and ultimately destroys human beings themselves.
Part 2: Asura Yukihime
"Shura Yukihime" is a 1973 Japanese thriller action film directed by Toshihachi Fujita and starring Kajiya and Kurosawa. The film is adapted from the manga of the same name by Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Uemura in the seventies, telling the story of the early years of the Meiji era, when the government, the military, merchants and other forces colluded, and the people were not happy.
In the play, a village teacher and his family are killed by bullies for no reason, and her daughter Xueji vows revenge. Growing up, Yukihime becomes a martial arts S-hand and begins her revenge plan.
Through a series of B-force scenes and brutal plots, the film reveals the corruption of government and society in the Meiji period, as well as the people's resistance to evil forces. At the same time, it also shows the persistence and courage of the protagonist Yukihime.
The action scenes in the film are exquisitely designed, with tense musical effects, creating an atmosphere of suspense and tension. In addition, Yukihime, played by Kaji Yiko, shows a strong personality and independent spirit, which has become a major attraction in the film.
Part 3: Exposure of Love
"Love Exposed" is a controversial film. It tells the story of a Christian family, the contradictions and confusion between father and son because of love, and also exposes the bad behavior and distortion of some people in modern society.
The film is written and directed by Wen Sonoko, and starred in powerful actors such as Takahiro Nishijima, Hikaru Mitsushima, Atsushiro Watanabe, Mako Watanabe, Sakura Ando, etc. They show a complex inner world and diverse character images in the play, making the film more enjoyable.
The story mainly revolves around Yu Tsunoda, a young man with a complex mind who has twisted ideas about love and sex. He pursues a female image like his mother, and men pretend to be women to vent their desires in secret photos. However, after these actions were discovered by his father Zhe, they led to conflicts and estrangement between father and son.
Through the love between Tetsu and Kaoru, the film reflects the complexity and impermanence of human nature. Tetsu, a cleric who was supposed to follow the path of piety, could not help himself in the face of Kaoru's temptation. His actions not only hurt himself and his son, but also violated his religious beliefs.
Part 4: S-hand Aichi
The movie "SHA Hand Aichi" is a gangster film full of BAO power and X fishy. The story takes place in Shinjuku, the darkest and most chaotic place in Japan, where gangsters are killed every day in a rogue apartment, and it is said that this must have been the work of the legendary SHA hand "Ichi". The disappearance of Yoshio Ansheng, the boss of the underworld organization Ansheng Group, with his mistress and 100 million yen in cash, caused panic among insiders. The second-in-command of the organization, Gakihara, launched a search, but found that the leader of the group had been killed by SHA Ashi. In order to avenge the group leader, Gakihara begins to lead his subordinates to find Aichi, during which he encounters the hostile organization Oni Ship, Suzuki and others.
However, Ah Yi is actually a cowardly and introverted person, he is hypnotized by the former underworld boss Uncle, and after wearing special clothing, he will become agile, cruel and cold-blooded, and become a ruthless S-man machine. The masochistic maniac Gakihara is greatly captivated by his slaughter methods, but when Gakihara finally finds Ah Yi, he is greatly disappointed by the true face of the other party, and Gakihara dies from S.
This film is different from traditional gangster films, it shows the force and cruel side of BAO from the perspective of a SHA man and machine, and also makes the audience deeply impressed by the character of Ah Yi. Asano Tadanobu plays Aichi in the film, and he uses serious and cold performances throughout the film. This inconspicuous killer, after being hypnotized by the boss, has become a terrifying existence, and his silence and loneliness add a sadness to this X-fishy movie.
"SHA Hand Aichi" portrays the characters very clearly through the description of the characters, and at the same time provides an in-depth analysis of violence and gangster culture. The film caused widespread controversy and discussion after its release, but it is undoubtedly one of Takashi Miike's masterpieces.
Part 5: The Wife of the S
The movie "Wife Killer" is a Japanese suspense comedy full of surrealist style. Ishigaki left his wife in the wilderness because he couldn't stand her, but every time he returned home, his wife was still alive. And the love story of hypnotist Aoyama and advertising designer Yoko is also connected in this bizarre event.
The film depicts the fate of different characters through the interlacing of multiple clues, in which suspense and comedy elements complement each other. The outstanding performances of powerful actors such as Tadanobu Asano, Rika Hashimoto, and Imako Koizumi added many highlights to the film.
The film shows the cruelty and absurdity of real life in a surreal way. People always encounter various difficulties and ups and downs in the process of finding themselves, and artists and thinkers explore possible solutions to these problems in their unique creative ways.
The film also explores the complexity of human nature. While pursuing Yoko, the hypnotist Aoyama did not expect to be implicated in a wife case because of his skills. And Ishigaki's twisted behavior because he can't stand his wife's character makes people reflect on whether we can truly understand the inner world of everyone around us.
Part 6: The Great Escape S
"Battle Royale" is a horror film produced and distributed by Toei Pictures in Japan. Set in a futuristic world, the film tells the story of students killing each other in a brutal competition called "Slaughter Game". In a country plagued by economic depression and high unemployment, schools collapsed and student BAOs became strong. To address these issues, the government introduced a law called the BR Act that sends students to deserted places to play killing games to develop their ability to survive.
In this fierce game, each student has a weapon and a map and must SHA the other classmates to death until only one remains. For a limited period of time, students can commit crimes, kill, and be unconstrained by the law. The storyline X is bloody and brutal, and the characters' fates are twisted and turning, which is fascinating.
The director of the film, Shinji Fukasaku, uses excellent audiovisual effects to show this world full of BAO power and fear. The performances starring Takeshi Kitano, Ryuya Fujiwara, and Yaji Maeda also pushed the tense atmosphere of the film to a climax.
Part 7: The Haunted House
"Haunted House" is a Japanese horror film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi and starring Minoru Ikegami, Kumiko Ohba, Yoko Minamida, Miki Kambo, Ai Matsubara, Miki Kambo, etc. The film tells the story of a female middle school student Muku (Minoru Ikegami) and 6 classmates who go to Aunt Xiangli's manor for a vacation, and accidentally find that her aunt has been waiting for the return of her lover all her life.
Set against the backdrop of summer vacation, the film depicts Xiao Shang's cheerful and carefree days. However, when she discovers that her father has a new girlfriend, she refuses to travel with him to Karuizawa, instead choosing to go on vacation to the estate with her classmates. There, they heard stories from Aunt Shanli's youth.
Her aunt loved the handsome young man, but World War II took his life, and since then she has been alone in the manor waiting for her lover's return. Xiao Shang and his classmates gradually discovered that there were many strange secrets hidden in the manor, and the strange atmosphere and bizarre events were terrifying.
"Haunted House" depicts Aunt Xiangli's lonely and tragic life with deep emotions and a strange atmosphere. The film has an excellent director and performance, allowing the audience to get great audiovisual enjoyment in the tense and exciting plot. The film also conveys reflections about love, death and loneliness, triggering the audience to think deeply.
Part 8: Letter theft
"Love of Stealing Letters" is a black humor comedy film produced by Suplex Pictures in Japan, telling the tragic story of a small urban character pursuing a little sunshine. In this materialistic and complex city, the protagonist Ryuichi steals a letter and begins an incredible journey in life.
The film not only skillfully blends black humor and profound life philosophy, but also has a tense and exciting plot and excellent performance. When Ryuichi befriends the terminally ill girl Koyako and the king of the Snatsu, his life begins to change. However, the trick of fate makes Ryuichi involved in the gangster's big brother Broken Finger and D product and the police chasing and blocking, and he still firmly rides the red bicycle to face the challenge. This made the audience feel deeply about his tenacity and courage.
The film not only depicts the reality and fantasy of urban people, but also deeply explores the themes of life and death, love and affection. It conveys to us an attitude of cherishing life and makes us re-examine our lives and the people around us.
Part 9: Memoirs of Ghost Tricks
"Memoirs of a Ghost Trick" is a film full of horror and beauty, telling a thrilling story. The film tells the story of the American writer Christopher, who is looking for his lost lover Peach, and meets an ugly-faced prostitute - Ghost Trick during the journey, and learns from her that Peach is dead, and their story gradually emerges.
The story has moonlit night boats, secluded and ghostly scenes, the colors are strong and gorgeous, the skills are profound, and the whole film is permeated with a deep sense of loneliness and gloomy atmosphere, but also full of beauty. The film is unexpected through the plot arrangement, and the actors perform reasonably, which brings the audience into the world of the film well.
The ghost trick in the film has a bumpy life, and the torture suffered by Little Peach is also painful. Chris keeps getting closer to the truth, but can't change the past. The film expresses questions of morality and justice, as well as the preciousness of life and the cruelty of the loss of life. While the story explores human nature, it also provides us with deep thinking.
The ending of the film is touching, Christopher is eventually sent to prison, but he holds a baby in his hand to represent a new birth, as well as Peach and his sister, and the light from heaven. This symbolizes a new beginning and turning point, and the final scene of the story also allows us to have confidence and hope for the future.
Part 10: Iron Man
"Iron Man" is a representative work of Japanese independent filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto. First released in theaters in 1989, the film presents a world of metal alienation in a decaying ruins with ultra-fast graphics and sound.
In the story, after a couple is involved in a car accident, metal ghosts in their bodies begin to take control of their bodies, causing them to turn into metal demons. Their bodies mutated, fought to the death, and eventually the man sed the woman, and he completely turned into a metal maniac.
The metal ghost described in the movie is actually a mutation produced by the combination of rust and cells, and the man's razor happens to have rust on it, so that the metal ghost has an opportunity. In the end, the man reaches a consensus with the metal ghost and decides to conquer the whole world with rust, "our love can put an end to the whole earth and make it dust in the universe".
"Iron Man" presents a unique cinematic art style in the manner of an independent producer, exploring the nature of human beings and the control of self-consciousness through the visual elements of iron and metal. The film attracted a lot of attention from audiences and critics, and was hailed as a marvel in the Japanese film industry.
Each of these ten Japanese cult movies has a unique style and connotation, both showing the deep thinking of human nature and entertainment that reflects the combination of horror and humor. They are either alert, or they show the complex and diverse side of human nature, or they reveal the ugly face of society. Which ones have you seen?