[no mulier]

Takashi Miike: Imprint

This has to be the best episode. Having seen Audition no more than a month ago, the impact of his work had not fully dissipated. Then this episode happens along. For lack of a better word, mindblowing. The visuals and use of colour was frighteningly and enchantingly beautiful. Only the subtle hint of the American's mode of dress betrays the period of this otherwise timeless setting. I was a bit surprised upon seeing the opening credits as most of the crew are Japanese. I hear that Miike had to shoot this elsewhere?

The story starts out as somewhat romantic, the American coming back for his beloved. I really liked the way the dialogue was played out between the disfigured geisha and the American. It was real, natural. Having only seen his performance as the Jail Free Pass -toting assassin in the Untouchables, it was a welcome surprise to find him in a more central role.

As for the gore, Miike puts it best: "I couldn't hold back on the horror."

He certainly didn't.

my MASTERS OF HORROR Ranking List
1. Takashi Miike's Imprint
2. John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns
3. Joe Dante's Homecoming
4. Tobe Hooper's Dance of the Dead
5. Don Coscarelli's Incident On & Off a Mountain Road
6. Stuart Gordon's Dreams in the Witch House
7. Lucky McGee's Sick Girl
8. Mick Garris' Chocolate
9. William Malone's Fair Haired Child
10. John Landis' Deerwoman
11. Dario Argento's Jenifer
12. John McNaughton's Haeckel's Tale
13. Larry Cohen's Pick Me Up