Imprint

I spend way too many hours reading reviews on movies (and shows) on this site. Yet, I am addicted to it and thus continue on. Normally, I feel that good, bad or indifferent, any review is a good review as long as the reviewer actually watched the film. This short film was pretty good in my opinion, and enough has been written about it where I don't feel I can contribute any more on that level. however, I am disappointed that more of us are not outraged that Showtime commissioned Miike to make a show, then ban it. Showtime is a paid premium network (read ADULT) I could understand if it were broadcast television, which has strict guidelines because children shouldn't see graphic stuff like this. But as an adult in an adult situation, I am absolutely anti censorship and think it is total BS that Showtime could lame out... Nobody should watch any of the Masters of Horror series at all if you can't handle disturbing imagery!!! For the sake of movie fans that are responsible adults, let us make our own decisions regarding censorship, I am absolutely certain that plenty of people out there who are unfamiliar with Miike films shut off this story before the half way point, nice, neat and tidy self censoring. Thank you for not bowing to the interests of lame corporate sponsors.

I'm surprised at how bizarre this is. However, this is a Takashi Mike film, and this is the 4th movie I have seen from this man, the three others being Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, and Audition. I am completely lost to what happened in the ending, however, the movie sure is well made. The torture scenes are extremely unique, there's nearly no gore, but the movie still manages to make it work. The acting is pretty good, what kinda made this movie go lower, was the hand thing, that puppet or effect looked weird, and out of place. We had this serious plot, and then the hand comes out and it completely pulls you and drags you out of the movie. I can't tell if was Komomo killed by the American or by the other Asian chick. Does the Asian chick even exist in the first place? The movie sure brings tantrums and makes you feel upset, confused, weirded out, and kinda shocked at angles. I also have to applaud them for not making this a short flick, and not dragging it out.

Has nothing to do with the movie: But I was engaged in this movie, and then I had to pause for reasons... I think that kinda broke the movie for me.

If you are a fan of Japanese Shock Horror stuff like Naked Blood, Mai-chan's Daily Life, Guinea Pig films... You'll enjoy this. Personally, it was kinda likable and confusing, but it was a fun watch.

The story itself is about an American returning to an island in Japan to rescue his true love from a life of prostitution only to find out she's dead. He listens to the story from another prostitute to find out what happened.

I myself can't go into too much detail because the story is all over the place. I think it would have been better if for one thing if with the exception of the prostitute telling the story to Billy Drago it should have been in Japanese with subtitles. You can tell the rest of the cast didn't have a good grasp of English. Billy Drago is a much better actor than he is here because he really over acts. And there are too many images that are a little too disturbing for me, oddly it is not the famous torture scene. But I can see it as true horror is not monsters in the dark, but what people really do to each other. One more thing, the reveal at the end was really cheesy! So to some it up I gave it a 6 because there is a good story here somewhere. And I have to give a shout out to the actress who was being tortured because she really sold me on that! On the DVD extras she said she really enjoyed filming that and the only injury that she got was a headache from being hung upside down. So that took some of the edge off of this to remind this is a movie. The Godzilla movies aside, this is my first taste of J-horror and I think I'll be back for more.

Wow! If you're about to watch "Imprint", you should prepare for sixty of the most intense and horrific minutes of your life, as Takashi Miike's contribution to the "Masters of Horror"-franchise is, in one word, perplexing! I have yet to see the director's acclaimed masterpiece "Audition" but, until then, this is definitely my most favorite piece of his work! The themes and style here are totally different to, say, "Itchi the Killer" or "Fudoh", but it's disturbing and terrifying on entirely different levels. The story is macabre and definitely has an Asian folklore feel to it, but the torture sequences and perverted sub themes are typically Takashi Miike; meaning very explicit, shocking and on the verge of sickening. It's also a real pleasure to see the hugely underrated actor Billy Drago star in a glorious horror project again! He also appeared in the recent (and surprisingly great "The Hills Have Eyes"-remake), so here's to hoping that this charismatic actor is in the middle of making a successful comeback! Drago plays a mysterious American who travels through Japan all by himself to find the lost love of his life. He arrives on a crazy island where only prostitutes and their pimps live and discovers that the woman he loved passed away. Her sad story is told to him by a deformed whore who also has a lot of other peculiar revelations to share, each one more morbid and repellent than the other. "Imprint" was banned in the States for some obvious reasons, notably the incredibly unsettling torture scene in which a poor girl's fingers and gums are used as a pin-cushion! I'm used to a lot, but this particular part was really hard to watch. Other deeply shocking moments of the story include a brutal and detailed abortion sequence and the overall nihilistic attitude towards unborn humans. This short movie is beautifully made, with sublime camera-work and masterful make-up effects. Miike's directing is solid as a rock and proves that he truly deserves to be called a "Master of Horror". "Imprint" is often hard to watch but impossible to forget. Highly recommended!

In the Nineteenth Century, in Japan, the American journalist Christopher (Billy Drago) is traveling through the country searching Komomo (Michie), the missing love of his life that he had abandoned years ago promising to come back to her later. He arrives in a shadowy island inhabited by whores and caftans, where he has an encounter with a deformed prostitute that tells that his beloved Komomo had passed away. He drinks sake with her and later he asks the woman to tell the story of her life. The prostitute discloses a dark and cruel story about her life and the sad fate of Komomo.

The macabre "Imprint" is another disturbing and brutal movie of Takashi Miike. Using magnificent camera-work and impressive make-up in an awesome atmosphere, "Imprint" approaches gruesome and gore theme like abortion, fetus, incest, torture, perversions and abuse along 63 minutes running time of pure and sick horror with many twists. I confess that I felt uncomfortable and disturbed with the sadistic sequence of the torture of Komomo. Takashi Miike really honors the title of this series, being a Master of Horror. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Marcas do Terror" ("Marks of the Terror")