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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
3 ½ Stars: Not Quite Tsukamoto's Best work, But Still IMMENSELY Gritty and Creepy with its very Atmospheric Feel..., February 23, 2008
NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE (a.k.a. Akumu Tantei, 2006) is the handiwork of renowned Japanese director/actor Shinya Tsukamoto who is also responsible for acclaimed hits such as TETSUO 1 & 2 and A Snake of June. I like this director's style, this film may have the largest budget bestowed him, but this director stands by his art, never for a moment does he give in to the pressure of making a studio-approved/influenced film. Tsukamoto just has a bigger budget to give mainstream viewers another shot of the bizarre and macabre. Would you believe that the director of this film also plays the main antagonist? Well, he does, and rightfully so. (Tsukamoto also played the lead in "Marebito", which I will review later)
A beautiful and competent detective named Keiko Kirishima (J-pop star Reiko Hitomi) is summoned to investigate supposedly two separate suicide cases. The supposed "suicides" have a common denominator; the victims dialed the same number on their cell phones just minutes before their demise. When one of the victim's wife makes a statement that she saw her husband cutting himself to pieces while he is asleep, it starts to feel more like a "serial" murder. Keiko and her partner, Wakamiya (Masanobu Ando) decides to enlist the aid of Kagenuma (Ryuhei Matsuda, Izo), a so-called psychic who can enter the dreams of another individual. The mysterious individual on the receiving end of the cell phone calls; "O" be the man behind the bloody incidents? Somehow, "O" holds the same mysterious power that Kagenuma wields.
At first glance, "Nightmare Detective" may feel like a rethread of Miike's "One Missed Call" mixed in with the horror elements of "Dreamscape" and "A Nightmare at Elm Street". However, the film sidesteps those boundaries and while its premise may hold similarities to other films, it plays like the comic book "Hellblazer" with a mixture of dark fantasy and mythology as the factors behind multi-dimensional connections. Water is used to symbolize one's immersion into "deep sleep" or a descent into the abyss and as a conduit to the dream world. "Constantine", anyone? (well, without the action and reliance to visual effects) I was rather a little disappointed that the usual J-horror gimmicks as the film does use a technological device as a link between the victims and the antagonist at first, but thankfully, the claustrophobic and atmospheric feel of the proceedings made me overlook the usual J-horror trappings.
Those who are familiar with Tsukamoto's work such as "Tetsuo" and "A Snake of June"; know that his work often relies on the creative visual manipulations of this director. There is a lot of bleakness in the proceedings, the "grainy" transfer of the film is done on purpose at times in order to allow the viewer to differentiate reality from the dream world. (Although, there are a few times it wasn't used to confuse the viewer). There are also a lot of themes and Christian motifs that involve birth and baptism, rebirth and redemption, damnation to hell and eternal suffering. While these complicated thematic style may be its strength, it may also frustrate those looking for the usual scary thrills. There are quite a lot of intense and disturbing images but somehow I did feel like the surface has only been scratched and further development of its plot still have to be finalized, it feels like a set-up for a bigger film. Well, I've read that "Nightmare Detective 2" is in production, so maybe, as with "Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer", the sequel will hold more answers and close this series more effectively.
Aside from the film's thematic affair that aroused my curiosity, the performances actually do save the film. I rather thought for a first-time performance, very sexy J-pop starlet REIKO HITOMI did a fairly good job. She plays her character with a bit of an edgy, unsettling feel. It was such a grand effort not to be taken by her sheer good looks. Ryuhei Matsuda is an actor that usually has the same style of acting, but he does give an unbalanced depth to his character. I was very impressed with Shinya Tsukamoto's performance. Boy, this director can indeed act with a very creepy charisma. As the main antagonist, Shinya steals the show; his movement and dynamic presence fits his character with an unnervingly, insane portrayal.
Overall, "Nightmare Detective" is a film with modest intentions and I really didn't find that many faults about it. Viewers looking for a fast-paced horror thriller may find their interest beginning to wane after the dream world begins to take center stage. The final encounter has that very surreal feeling that doesn't really reach a finality of closure that may prove to contain the potential to become multiple climaxes. Thankfully, the effort in adding dimensions to its back-story and character depth does succeed that I was rooting for the protagonists all the way. I'm very intrigued to see what this awesome actor/director has next up his sleeve. I'm sold to see "Nightmare Detective 2".
Recommended! For fans of Japanese fantasy/horror films. [3 ½ stars]
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Japanese-style "Nightscape", March 23, 2008
This movie reminds me a lot of "Nightmare on Elm Street" and the old movie "Dreamscape" I saw as a child. The killer appears in people's dreams and menaces them with very sharp knives. The dream sequences are pretty darn intense. As with all Tsukamoto's movies, "Nightmare Detective" is extremely imaginative and dares you to think. May be a bit too Eastern for some viewers here in the States. If you are a big fan of other Asian horror films, I think you will like this a lot. I did.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE is the stuff DREAMS are made of!, October 23, 2008
Have you ever seen the movie TETSUO : THE IRON MAN? If you haven't then you need to stop reading this review, head to your local DVD store and watch the movie. Anybody who is familiar with my reviews knows that I'm a Horror fan (Gore Hound to some) and they should have already seen TETSUO : THE IRON MAN. If that is the case then you need no explanation as to why. It's just that good.
NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE is made by the same director of TETSUO : THE IRON MAN, Shinya Tsukamoto. He's an amazing director with a lot of visual flair that sometimes reminds me of David Lynch and Oliver Stone, yet he still keeps his own personal touch throughout his own films. TETSUO is a little bit like ERASERHEAD and yet it's nothing like ERASERHEAD. The black and white association between the two films is an obvious observation, if not an unoriginal one because that's where the similarities stop. TETSUO is also an "art" movie in the same sense that ERASERHEAD was and that within itself is also where the similarities end.
So, back to my original question. Have you seen TETSUO : THE IRON MAN? Watching that film and then watching NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE is like viewing two ends of the spectrum. They're two totally different types of movies. TETSUO is a low budget (but not in a bad way) "art" film that was the director's first movie from the 1980's. It's a very personal film in the same way that a poem or a journal is personal to an artist. It's an extremely dark and brooding film that just won't bode well with main stream audiences. TETSUO is the perfect movie for underground artist's, beer drinking parties and the "midnight cinema" crowds. That description might dumb the movie down for some people but it shouldn't. TESUO : THE IRON MAN is an art film and nothing more. Every single fan of Horror movies and creative films (in the sense of daring subject matter) needs to own a copy of TETSUO : THE IRON MAN. There is no arguing the logic behind that. It's pretty blunt.
NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE on the other hand is the opposite end of the spectrum as I stated before. By saying that I'm sure some people are jumping to the conclusion that NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE isn't as visually striking or as creatively ambiguous as TETSUO : THE IRON MAN. They couldn't be more wrong. The difference between TETSUO and DETECTIVE (creatively) are only in how they're executed. NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE is a little more easier to understand right away than TETSUO : THE IRON MAN. Director Shinya Tsukamoto traded in the obvious artistic nature of black and white filming in for a different approach and style. Instead we're treated to interesing camera lens colors, visually jarring camera angles and a very strange plot to boot.
Style wise, NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE is something that works on a more "main stream" level and thats not a bad thing. People these days act as if working on mass appeal is like betraying your artistic roots. Personally I find this perspective to be a little bit silly. It doesn't alow the viewers or other artist's to think outside the box. Yes, sometimes dabbling within the main stream can be considered "outside of the box." I belive art and creative perspective almost always comes full circle. From the "underground" to the "main stream" and back again.
Besides, NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE is anything but "family friendly." I actually consider this movie to be almost like a live action Anime film. It's on the same level as WICKED CITY and DEMON CITY SHINJUKU in terms of it's dark and sometimes "Gothic" story line. Basically the movie is about this man (Kagenuma) who can travel into peoples dreams and help them solve mysteries. Eventually he gets involved in a plot to hunt down another man who can also travel into people's dreams. The only difference with this other man is that he's totally insane and can kill his victims much like Freddy Krueger in their dreams. Minus the clawed glove and the wise cracks of course.
I would go into more detail about the plot but whats the point? With all the search engines out there these days, it's all too easy for everybody to locate the basic plot for any movie they're interested in. What I want to cover is the artistic nature and the psychology behind the directors film making process. NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE is closer to Shinya Tsukamoto's earlier work TETSUO : THE IRON MAN than some people might think. Sure it's not as "cut throat" with it's obvious black and white imagery as TETSUO but then again, it doesn't need to be. Sometimes artist's and directors just want to make a movie. Plain and simple. It's art within the confines of cinema.
In the end NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE will be compared to TETSUO no matter what people think. Thats what happens when you put out such a shocking piece of work as TETSUO : THE IRON MAN. Everybody will be holding that to their expectations no matter what. Even if some people claim they're not comparing it to his earlier work, they are on a subliminal level. If that is the case, nothing Shinya Tsukamoto makes will ever meet the requirements of the so called "fans."
Gore hounds, check this movie out for interesting death sequences and creative F/X make up. Horror fans in general also have much to enjoy here in terms of the new and interesting story line. Fans of TETSUO should also see this movie.
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