From the late 1980s into the early 1990s Japan was at the forefront of extreme cinema with its now infamous Guinea Pig films. A series of projects all branching under one title "Guinea Pig", intended to push the limits of depravity depicted on screen. Though the series is best known for its first two titles, The Devil's Experiment, and Flower of Flesh and Blood, both of which were pseudo snuff endeavors depicting graphic violence of impressive realism, the series also carries other notable titles such as Mermaid in a Manhole, and He Never Dies. After much controversy over the series content, an FBI investigation, and the discovery of a copy of one of the films in the home of child murderer Tsutomu Miyazaki, it eventually came to be illegal in Japan to produce any other films under the Guinea Pig name, essentially killing the series.
The Guinea Pig films gathered a cult following and were heavily bootlegged within the underground extreme horror community. In 2005 the founder and president, Stephen Biro, of Unearthed Films bought the rights to the series, and released the films for the first time in the United States. This is where the American Guinea Pig series begins. Guinea Pig films could no longer be produced in Japan, but that did not mean that the spirit of these films could not continue elsewhere. An so in 2014 the American Guinea Pig series was born. American Guinea Pig is the American adaptation of Japan's infamous legacy.
American Guinea Pig clearly pays homage to its predecessor, but also shares a significant connection to the original films that many may be unaware of.
Hideshi Hino, the director of the original Guinea Pig film, Flower of Flesh and Blood, stated that he got inspiration for the film after receiving a genuine snuff film in the mail. The film that begins the American Guinea Pig series, Stephen Biro's Bouquet of Guts and Gore, presents the narrative that it is the very snuff film that Hino watched. This homage to the original films can also be seen in American Guinea Pig's second release, Bloodshock, which shares uncanny similarities with the Guinea Pig original, The Devil's Experiment.
Understanding this background, we should expect no different when it comes to American Guinea Pig's latest release, Sacrifice. American Guinea Pig: Sacrifice tells the story of a young man named Daniel. Struggling with hardships with his family, as well as clear psychological issues, Daniel decides to lock himself in his bathroom and ritualistically commit suicide. Sacrificing himself to the Goddess Ishtar.
This theme clearly shares similarity with the original Guinea Pig release, He Never Dies; where a man down on his luck decides to take his own life, only to discover that no matter how hard he tries, he cannot die. Both films spend the duration of there run-time depicting men graphically mutilating their own bodies. The difference here is that Sacrifice is a dark and grueling exhibition of self harm and suicide, whereas He Never Dies holds elements of dark humor.
Interestingly, though Sacrifice is being distributed under the American Guinea Pig name, it is not technically an American film. In fact it originally was not intended to be a part of the series to begin with. Originally a different film was planned to be the third entry in the American Guinea Pig series, but something went wrong and the production for the film was terminated. So Biro began production on American Guinea Pig: Song of Solomon, wich was intended to be closing film for the series. While in post production for Solomon, Biro came across Sacrifice as a finished film. After viewing the film he realized it would be a perfect addition to the American Guinea Pig series, and so it was added.
Indeed, this was a good call. Sacrifice falls right in line with the rest of the American Guinea Pig efforts. It is graphic, gripping, and ruthless. The practical effects are impressive and visceral. This film contains segments that push the bar, even for some of the other films in this series. Showing graphic and realistic depictions of self mutilation and ritual. The film is also cinematically beautiful at times, especially when we are taken into Daniel's mind as he sacrifices himself to his Goddess. An intentionally or not, fans of the original series will see this film as paying homage to the original Guinea Pig films that came before it.
