IMPRINT [FILM GUTTER REVIEWS]

there are a lot of strong elements here, and while it might not scale the heights of some of the previous work from these quarters it is still worth checking out – if you can find it, and especially if you’re a fan of what has come before. All the hallmarks are there to be seen from a unique talent.

IMPRINT (2006)
"Imprint" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of Masters of Horror. Directed by Takashi Miike, the episode was scheduled to premiere on January 27, 2006—but was shelved by Showtime over concerns about its extremely graphic and disturbing content. It was later released to DVD on September 26, 2006.
Release date: 7 April 2006 (United Kingdom)
Director: Takashi Miike
Featured music: Kōji Endō
Episode no: Season 1; Episode 13

Hands up who remembers Masters of Horror? I always thought this was a fun series, although of course like any anthology show did have the capacity to be hit or miss. But it often had some great directors involved and is one I do find myself coming back to now and then, even if only to watch selective episodes. However, there was one episode that rather went astray, and that was the proposed final episode of series 1 – Takashi Miike’s Imprint. While Miike felt he had pushed only up to the limit of what was allowed on US television, the studio obviously felt differently and prevented this one from airing, although it would thankfully be included in the DVD boxset when that was released. A good thing too – having a director with the cache of Miike involved in the series is no small matter, and Imprint was a fascinating – if not flawless – entry into this collection of shorter one-hour  horror films.

Our story here follows Billy Drago as Christopher, a man arriving to a brothel island in Japan during the Victorian era where he seeks a lost lover in the form of Komomo, whom he left behind with a promise that he would bring her back to America with him in time. But when he arrives at the island, Komomo is not there, and he strikes up a conversation with an unnamed, badly disfigured woman who promises to tell him the whole tale of why Komomo isn’t there. She works her way through the deeply disturbing story of Komomo’s disappearance, as well as her own nightmarish childhood, before we come to a truly shocking conclusion…

Masters of Horror was always interesting, as it was a chance to see how directors would cope in this fresh context and give them the opportunity to make things that the cinema industry might not want to touch. Given Miike’s history with cinema in Japan he probably could have got this made as a feature, but it does feel like something better suited to this concise runtime – much more and this one would have started to feel drawn-out. As it is it keeps a taut pace and delivers a whole host of unpleasant scenes that would probably not have flown too well with a TV audience, and definitely have the biggest shock value of the whole series. I squirmed severely during a couple of moments, though I won’t spoil which they were. The acting from the Japanese contingent is generally strong, though for me Drago is pretty overblown in the lead, which did lessen this one in my opinion. Visually this one looks great – both in its darkest and only somewhat dark moments – and it has that distinctly Takashi Miike style that I don’t think anyone else could pull off adequately. It’s a setting and milieu that works well too, and I don’t think I’ve seen a movie set during this period and place before. This might not be the easiest one to get hold of these days but does remain a worthwhile addition into the horror canon of Miike’s work.

RATING: 8/10. As always, this director produces something very intriguing, and this one is also well shot in my mind, loaded with atmosphere and having strong effects too. Everything feels believable visually, and this shorter span feels a better fit for this particular storyline. It’s held back a little by some elements of the plot in the middle (I don’t want to explore that too much here in the interest of not giving too much away) and a distinctly overdone lead performance that just jolted me out of things here and there. Besides that, there are a lot of strong elements here, and while it might not scale the heights of some of the previous work from these quarters it is still worth checking out – if you can find it, and especially if you’re a fan of what has come before. All the hallmarks are there to be seen from a unique talent.

That brings to a close our look at just some of the disturbing, strange and extreme horror for this cinematic legend – I hope everyone has a very Happy Hallowe’en!

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THE HEART AND SOUL OF EXTREME HORROR FILM REVIEWS