Customer Reviews

Masters of Horror: Imprint

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Having viewed the entire "Masters of Horror" series, I was curious to see this episode that was "Banned From Cable Broadcast." It seems pretty silly in this day and age that something is "banned" from pay TV, and it's not as if Takeshi Miike doesn't have his films shown over here! But, OK, whatever. Miike is a colorful director who specialize in squeamish, sometimes graphic, torture horror. Probably his biggest film stateside is "Audition" which is certainly noteworthy, but my personal favorite is the bizarre musical "Happiness of the Katakuris" (currently out of print, but worth locating if you like absurd comedy).

So on to "Imprint." I'm pleased to say that "Imprint" is actually one of the stronger entries in the series. And seeing how dismal the first couple of episodes in season 2 are (it is currently broadcasting), I'm disappointed this wasn't made available. As the story begins, we're traveling down a river of death to an island of demons and prostitutes--and I was scared this episode would rapidly devolve into supernatural mumbo jumbo. It settles, however, into a two character drama with one of the disfigured prostitutes relating the story of the visitor's lost love. It's a fascinating tale that continues to evolve the more the guest presses for the truth. And the revelations are satisfying, if bizarre. I enjoyed this lurid tale very much.

Along the way, we get torture and plenty of abortions--and I suppose that is the controversial nature of this film (the abortions, I mean--violence is never controversial). No one, however, watching "Masters of Horror" would be the least bit put out by these scenes. If you are expecting something you've never seen before--there's nothing in "Imprint" that going to particularly shock you. But that said, it is definitely an accomplished and disturbing tale worth taking a look at. KGHarris, 11/06.

Japanese director Takashi Miike has always been a master of controversial cinema. His films such as "Visitor Q", "Gozu" and of course, the cult hit "Audition" have always pushed the boundaries of horror filmmaking. "IMPRINT" is Miike's contribution to the "Masters of Horror" series; co-produced by American filmmakers, the film nonetheless, carries the Takashi Miike seal of disturbing images, creepy cinematography and a certain seductive execution that you just cannot take your eyes off its proceedings. This is the film's uncut version that almost never made it to U.S. audiences.

In 19th century Japan, (when the West began to influence Japan), an American (Billy Drago) arrives in an isolated area in search of a Japanese prostitute that he had fallen in love with. He has traveled far in search of a woman named Komomo (Michie), traveling from brothel to brothel in hopes of liberating the kindly woman from her plight. Night falls, and he has no choice but to spend the night in this forsaken town and he is kept company by a kindly courtesan with a deformed face. This mysterious woman (Youki Kudoh) has tales of his beloved Komomo and as to how she had passed away. The man insists on knowing the truth; little does he know that some stories are better left untold.

IMPRINT is a very disturbing mindblower of a story based on the Japanese horror novel "Bokee Kyotee" by Shimako Iwai and adapted for the screen by Daisuke Tengan (Audition). The film is an unspeakabe orgy of torture and depravity, extreme cruelty and perverse vengeance, twisted secrets and stunning revelations. The film's story is told in flashbacks as told by the deformed courtesan played by Youki Kudoh (Memoirs of a Geisha, Mystery Train) and the actress does a very excellent job. In a role such as this, one must consider displaying a certain mental imbalance all the while acting as if there is nothing really amiss with the character. Kudoh is convincing and well carries the film's burden.

The past of the deformed courtesan is actually the film's showstopper. The audience will be drawn to the tales of this mysterious woman; layers upon layers of her character will be revealed slowly. The style of its storytelling is actually very effective. Her story as narrated gets more twisted and disturbing as the film progresses. To sum everything up; this is a tale of curses, Karma and betrayals. Komomo is a courtesan with a kind heart and the torture that she underwent exceeds that ones displayed in Miike's "Audition". I felt a certain uneasiness as I became privy to her torment but at the same time I could not look away. The violent images of abortion will also be etched in my memory.

The direction by Takashi Miike is as solid and competent as ever. I have often said that Miike is a master of visuals and movement; this film displays the usual style that American audiences have grown to love. The camera work is well-executed and the cinematography fits the film's premise. Miike utilizes a lot of colors that represent the film's mood; some scenes have more color than others and shadows are oftentimes utilized. The wind signifies the symbol of change in one's life. The film is VERY DISTURBING, and it is to Miike's credit that he manages to keep a balance between its disturbing images and the film's actual screenplay. I do think the director wanted to keep the cinematography enchanting and mysterious; while the images become more disturbing as it progresses, all the more becoming more seductive. Asian Horror thrives on slow reveal and foreshadowing and this film is no different.

The film's final act and the final SINISTER secret may not be wholly original, but Director Miike is smart enough to play on the film's strengths rather than some of it's weaknesses. One other flaw it may have is that Billy Drago's performance does seem a little lackluster. I felt that he was trying a little too hard to convince. His character may come across as a little underdeveloped for the inexperienced movie watcher but not so if you paid attention to the film's entirety. Aside from Kudoh's performance, Michie also shines in her role as Komomo, however limited her screen time might be. I felt nothing but sympathy for her torment.

The film is also nicely paced. For a film that clocks in at little over an hour, the film does manage to generate the right scares and mental disgust, but I was left hungering for more; all the more being relieved that the film's depressing story had ended. This is a film that really gets under your skin and emotions, and the less you know, the better the experience would be. Takashi Miike has never disappointed me with his tales of surprising twists and violent imagery and "IMPRINT" is no different. Japanese horror may sometimes have the usual motifs of Karma and cursed retribution but after viewing this film, these motifs become quite strong when handled by the right Japanese director such as Takashi Miike. This film is not for the squeamish and those who cannot stand disturbing images.
Cruel, full of torment and mind-blowing uneasiness, the film stays enchanting and gripping with its seductive execution.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! [4 ½ Stars]

I had never heard of the Masters of Horror series. I saw this movie at my friend's house and asked if I could borrow it. He warned me that I might be offended by some things in it. Nonetheless, I still wanted to see it.

The opening scenes made it looked like this was actually gonna be an interesting, perhaps scary, movie.

An American journalist returns to Japan to reunite with his long lost Japanese lover. However, he cannot locate her and searches for her everywhere in Japan. Finally, he comes onto an island that seems to be littered with prostitues. It is rumored that demons dwell there as well.

Immediately, the journalist inquires a little person has heard of or seen Komomo, his lover. When he gets a negative reply, he turns around to leave. However, he's immediately convinced to stay for the night.

Once, he settles into a room, a disfigured prostitute enters. She tries to get things started for a night of action but the journalist is not in the mood. Instead, he asks to tell him a story.

The stories are the main focus of the film. The stories are gruesome and graphic, which is definitely worse than any episode of CSI. These scenes will make you look away from the screen. For me, it was like I couldn't watch. Yet, I couldn't look away either. I was peeking through my fingers. Definitely not for the squeamish!

The plot builds up, which is excellent and intriguing...until the end. When the prostitute reveals something about herself, the movie just skydives. For me, I couldn't help but laugh. It was somewhat cheesy but it was bizarre as well.

Wisely, the movie ended at the right time. If it had been longer, it would have been downright silly and cheesy. However, it ended where you could still dwell on the gory parts.

I mentioned earlier that this movie isn't for the squeamish. There's a good number of torture, physical violence, dead bodies, incest and more. I could see where people might get offensive...especially involving the dead bodies. If you're easily offended, then don't watch this film.

Takashi Miike's entry into Showtime's "Masters Of Horror" series, in which a bunch of spooky directors get their shot to make a one-hour, no-holds-barred film, became somewhat notorious after the pay cable net decided against broadcasting it. In a series where gory violence was the norm, how bad could this one be? Of course, anyone who's seen Miike films such as "Audition" or "Visitor Q" could tell you that he can make Rob Zombie's hardcore-horrific "The Devil's Rejects" look like Disney. Still, here Miike would be constrained a bit by the format and even the language (this is his first picture in English), so it couldn't be that far beyond the pale, could it? Well, my fellow perverts, while "Imprint" does not mark a new extreme in the extremes of extremity, it's definitely one of the most grotesque of the "Masters" series. It's also one of the best.

An American (Billy Drago, doing a David Carradine impression) travels to a small Japanese island that serves as a brothel/village to find the beautiful young prostitute he fell in love with and vows to rescue. Unable to find her, he instead spends the night in conversation with another prostitute with a facial deformity. She tells him about her life, and weirdness ensues. What probably got this episode pulled might have been the extended, unrelenting torture scene, but it was probably the subplot involving an abortionist, with graphic shots of dead fetuses left to drift away in a stream. In any case, it's more than even a few supposedly sick gore-hounds will be comfortable with (of course, I remember reading that "Reservoir Dogs" caused more than a few walk-outs when it was shown at a horror film festival). Anyway, by the end, the naturalism of the novel this was based on has been replaced by dark supernatural elements and even some out-and-out surrealism. Actually, many will want to criticize this not for all that, but for what appears to be Drago's blatant overacting. In my opinion, though, even that fit in with the general tone that Miike sets.

The disc also includes some long featurettes, which give plenty of information about the method to Miike's madness. While "Imprint" is kind of like the director is working with one hand painfully binded behind his back and then hacked off (for a more "pure" experience, see "Ichi the Killer"), this is still way more stylish than most of the other MOH episodes, with the possible exception of Lucky McKee's entry, "Sick Girl." This is something far more disturbing than some cheap thrills, and it'll stay with you far longer.

This movie was messed up, but in a wonderfully entertaining way. Miike has always had the power to make me squirm and this did not fail. I made a mistake in watching this movie as my first pick for the Masters of Horrors series, because now all of them will be judged by this one. It'll be interesting to see if the rest hold up.

Unlike how some of Miike's other work is, this is not slow at all. The pace of the movie goes quickly, actually I was wanting more. This movie isn't gruesome but it's not for the squeemish. A scene involving needles and fingertips made me cringe moreso then the abortion scenes. This is a very cruel and mesmorizing movie that holds your attention *no pun intended* until the end. My only complaint is that Miike made the end of the film a little too out there. I think if he would have ended it on more realistic terms, like how the movie leads you on, the end would have had more of an impact.

Masters of Horror is a strange series. A third of the directors chosen for the first season were not really masters of anything except maybe mediocrity; another third were directors who made perhaps one acknowledged horror classic but have otherwise spotty track records; the last third were people deservedly legendary for a run of greatness but, truthfully, whose best work is found generally long ago (as in, back in the seventies!). It may not be surprising then that the one episode that wound up not even being shown was by the one director who's been making his best work in the recent past, who doesn't even work in English, and whose work has barely seen any theatrical distribution in this country. Not to try to equate obscurity with quality, but part of Miike's success unquestionably comes from his working under the radar: he does what he wants without much interference or commercial pressure and the results are often very wonderfully idiosyncratic and strange in ways most filmmakers simply can't get away with.

If you are just looking for tons of bloody gore or cat-flying-off-the-shelf-makes-hot-teen-girl-scream jumps, probably not for you; this is a movie about guilt and the terrible things people do to each other, not a scare machine. If you just can't deal with extended sequences of bodily harm and torment, you should probably skip this. If you don't know Miike's work at all and are somewhat curious to try one, the best entry point might actually be the somewhat atypical slow building Audition (but watch it subtitled) rather than Imprint. If you have seen and not responded well to any of Miike's other work because it does not have a Hollywood veneer or mentality, you are not likely to find Imprint to your taste. Those who are fond of Miike's Japanese work but worried about how he would handle an English language TV episode made for broadcast on Showtime (which was my frame of mind): don't worry. Unlike many of the other "Masters," Miike did not have to go to Vancouver and was able to work in Japan with his regular crew, so the quality of the work is very comparable to his other films. The stilted English delivered phonetically and the peculiar acting of Billy Drago actually are rather in sync with Miike's surreal and somewhat Brechtian style and don't seem to me to be real minuses. The length is exactly right for this story and the narrative packs a real emotional punch in my view; I was pretty impressed. Another plus is the substantial extras included here: a very in depth and pretty interesting interview with Miike and a making-of featurette that is well put together and informative, unlike most. Overall, a worthy addition to Miike's growing body of challenging films.

First let me say I would give this 4 stars just because it was directed by Takashi Miike, but I just couldn't do it due to the downright embarrassing casting of Billy Drago. Yes, he is one strange looking dude, but his acting was beyond bad, seriously. I thought my husband might walk out on the viewing several times for the lack of all acting skills by this man. I've seen him before in various (awful) movies, but this has to take the cake! He's so over the top he fell off Everest. Really bad. You'll see.

Drago aside, I have to admit I was hoping for a bit more fright. The torture scenes are graphic and disturbing, and the content is crude and beyond the barriers of human decency (which is ok with me), but it was no 'Audition'... The plot is convoluted, ragged and almost non-existent - a mish-mash of images and atmosphere.
The creepiness factor stars right away, but the movie drags a bit too long in getting to any real scares, and even then I wasn't too shocked to turn away from the screen- (who are these people who can't even watch?!) I think it will take a few viewings to make sense of it.

I bought this sight-unseen due to the reputation of the director, but you may want to try renting it from Netflix or borrowing a friend's before making the move to purchase. Maybe I'm missing something...

this is what you get when you tell directer MIIKE he can do whatever he likes! this is miike at his relentless best, not shying away from gore, sadism, and brutality. Imprint is the story of a man looking for his lost love that happens to be last seen working in a whore house. Upon visiting the whore house he is confronted by a whore with a disfigured face that seems to know more than she's telling about the whereabouts of the mans lost love. From there, it's a trip down memory lane as she discribes the fate of his lost love and also her own demented past. This film is perfect in every way. Miike had his japanese actors learn english for this film- and believe me, it add's even more of a creepy feel to the movie. Don't think twice, get it! Also included on the dvd (as with all the masters of horror films) is an interview with the director, an interview with the writer of the book the film was based on, and some behind the scenes footage on location in Japan. This film is what bad dreams are made of- picture david lynch doing a film in japan and you have the sorta feel miike has created.

be warned- this film contains graphic displays of violence, torture, and abortion.

Pay no mind to the first reviewer- if you're a Miike fan or an extreme horror fan this is worth every penny. Of the other "Masters of Horror" bore fests the only other ones worth watching were Incidents On and Off a Mountain Road and Cigarette Burns- and only Cigarette Burns from those two would be worth buying. Back to Imprint- it was banned for a reason- or perhaps multiple reasons- after the first half hour you're wondering what all the fuss was about- it seems a little creepy and the acting isn't so great- from the half hour mark however it turns into an extremely violent carnivalesque freak show - me and my girlfriend are major horror buffs and she was cringing repeatedly- and it's not the violence or the over the top viscera that makes it so great- it's the visual style of Miike as well that propels this- images born from a nightmare that you won't be able to toss from your mind any time soon- In this form Miike is like an Asian David Lynch on acid- great stuff- and don't watch this one with children or the weak of stomach...