RAMPO NOIR: A Strange Anthology

RAMPO NOIR (Blu-ray)

2005 / 134 min

From Arrow Video

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Edogawa Ranpo was an author apparently considered to be Japan’s answer to Edgar Allan Poe. I'm not familiar with any of his work and have no idea if Rampo Noir is an accurate representation of it, but as horror films go, this one is certainly “out there.” Though sometimes intriguingly (and grotesquely) bizarre, it’s just as often ponderous and pretentious.

Rampo Noir is an anthology film based on four of the author’s stories, each helmed by a different director. The only connecting thread is actor Tadanobu Asano, who appears in all of them. The first story is “Mars Canal,” which consists of a naked man beating a naked woman, then he stumbles to a remote pond and collapses. With no dialogue or sound effects - just an increasingly grating synth drone - good luck trying to decipher what the hell any of it is supposed to mean. Fortunately, this segment is less than 10 minutes long.

“Mirror Hell” is at least more comprehensible, telling the story of a dreamy-but-psychotic mirror maker who uses his craft to kill women that are attracted to him. Though it features one of Ranpo’s most popular recurring characters, private detective Kogoro Akechi (Asano), there’s more emphasis on the unhinged antagonist and his sadomasochistic proclivities. Additionally, the story is pretty poky and comes to an abrupt, unsatisfying conclusion.

The new Captain Underpants.

If you can imagine Johnny Got His Gun being directed by David Cronenberg, you’ll have good idea of what to expect with “Caterpillar,” about a helpless, monstrously disfigured ex-soldier who’s subjected to physical, psychological and sexual abuse by his wife. Attempts at elevated, artistic horror are often offset by overall cruelty and nastiness, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t weirdly interesting.

The final story, “Crawling Bugs,” is arguably the most twisted, but also more disjointed and meandering than the others. The basic story centers on a loony, germophobic limo driver’s obsession with a popular stage actress. Creative, colorful production design enhances an overall surrealistic tone and the main character’s descent into madness. There are also surprising moments of black humor, including a final scene that will either illicit gasps or giggles. 

Like most anthology films, Rampo Noir has issues with consistency and all four stories are longer than they need to be, leaving one with the impression that these directors would have been better off focusing more on pure horror and leaving artier aspirations at the door. Half the time we’re morbidly fascinated, other half we’re certain we can grab a snack from the kitchen without bothering to hit the pause button.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

CROSS THE LENS - This is a 75-minute making-of documentary, shot during the film’s production. I actually enjoyed it more than the movie itself.

INTERVIEWS - Individual interviews with director Suguru Yakeuchi, director Hisayasu Sato, director Atsushi Kaneko, cinematography advisor Masso Nakabori, cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa, actress Yumi Yoshiyuki.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - by Jasper Sharp and Alexander Zahlten.

STAGE GREETING - Cast & directors Q&A footage at Rampo Noir’s Japanese premiere.

IMAGE GALLERIES