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.

Takashi Miike of "Audition" and "Ichi the Killer" fame directed this 13th episode of the Showtime series "Masters of Horror" - apparently it was never aired in the USA because the Showtime people were horrified at the episode, and probably with good reason. I like to think that Miike intentionally parodies "Memoirs of a Geisha", and "the last samurai" with this one. He combines the two in the story of a broken down American man who goes back to Japan to find the whore he fell in love with years before - the parallels with the serious movie "The Last Samurai" are unmistakable. The outlandish and over the top crazy costumes mimic the audacity of the costuming in "Memoirs of a Geisha", and the fact that this was done in English rather than Japanese only strengthens the parallels between "Imprint" and MoaG - and yet again Youki Kudoh (who was in Moag) makes an appearance, this time as a deformed prostitute. There are great lines such as "There is nothing on this island but demons and whores", and others less fit for print, but instant classics nonetheless. There are the classic Miike elements - violence, rogue abortions, murder, and incest, and a torture scene only outdone by Audtion. I couldn't give it a full 10 because Miike doesn't seem to work well with just a 1 hour window, and the plot doesn't make for a solid and clean short story, but fans of Miike should try to get their hands on this one, it is worth a look.

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.

Imprint lives up to its name. This movie will not scar you but it will definitely leave and impression. I would consider this film a work of art on so many levels. The art direction is just amazing. How can such disturbing scenes look so beautiful.

If you are a fan of horror and want to see something you have never seen before, something truly shocking, then give this film a try. Granted it does take about 20 minutes to start coming together and the lead actor comes off a bit cheesy but once it gets started it never lets up to until the end. Takashi Miike is a genius. He can make your jaw hit the floor and just when you think you can pick it up again he stomps it back down. A lot of his films are not as bad as people make them out to be but this one definitely lives up to what I have read about it. Truly Creepy!!!!

IMPRINT is Takashi Miike's entry into the cable TV series MASTERS OF HORROR, and the one entry to be banned from transmission (in the US that is). Its certainly an impressive entry. The story follows an American man as he travels to Japan to find the prostitute who he fell in love with and whom he made a promise to, to take back to America and marry. He meets another prostitute who recounts the story of the women he is looking for and what happened to her fate. Told in flashback the story takes a rashomon-like approach as the womens story becomes steadily unreliable, until she reveals the true side to her tale. Cue scenes of torture, abortion and also hints of incest and child abuse and general weirdness, that those familiar to Miike will expect. Its a generally well made, and beautifully filmed tale, though at times it felt like a sumnation of the best bits of Miikes work, mainly the excessive extreme films, such as ICHI, DEAD OR ALIVE and AUDITION. Though Miike is always an interesting director to watch and his entry into this otherwise excellent series, stands out as one of the best. In some ways you can see why it was banned from television!