EVIL DEAD TRAP: Now before you ask THAT question, this is NOT
associated with the American cult favorite SAM RAIMI / BRUCE
CAMBPELL horror classics. This is a pretty whacked Japanese horror
movie of evil monster fetuses with bad attitudes that like to
murder people in very nifty ways. Written by "provocative subject
matter" maestro, TAKASHI ISHII (of FREEZE ME and GONIN fame) and
directed by TOSHIHARU IKEDA, I have to say that it's not a really
outstanding movie by any means and, in my opinion, didn't live up
to the hype I had long heard about it (I've read that it's sequel
is much better, we can only hope). Honestly, I just kept feeling
like I was watching a homage to an older Italian slasher flick,
especially with the ARGENTO stalker-styled murders and the (Italian
horror soundtrack band) GOBLIN-esque musical soundtrack pumping in
at the action sequences. Who knows, maybe that was their goal to
begin with. And if it was, well, they certainly got it right. So if
you've ever seen any of spaghetti-land based DARIO ARGENTO's
impressive horror movies, then you'll know exactly what the
impression is that I'm probably referring to. And if you're a fan
of his movies (me personally, I can take 'em or leave 'em, I prefer
splat-master LUCIO FULCI myself), then you positively can't go
wrong here. As for the story itself, it's about a woman reporter
who investigates the origins of a snuff tape that was sent to her
by an unknown source. She gathers a group of her colleagues and
away they go to an old industrial warehouse area where they start
to get killed one by one until she finally figures out the real
truth that's tainted with supernatural forces. Now don't get me
wrong, it doesn't sound that bad (it's really not either) but maybe
I was expecting something totally different I guess? Or the "word
on the street" hooked me, I don't really know for sure but I will
say that in it's favor (being a Japanese AV Idol collector), I just
kept thinking that there's just something strangely familiar about
the girls (well, better worded, about their sex scenes anyway) in
this flick. And as I would come find out later, most of them that
had sex in the film (whether it was a love-making scene or a mock
rape) were actual AV Idol Pornstars (from the REAL business that
is). WOW! Beautiful Japanese pornstars in a horror movie getting
naked, actually trying to act, and getting "offed" in glorious deep
red ways... well hell, forget about everything else that I said,
this makes it worth the money right there!
-Steve