In 1992, writer/director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse) offered his own unique take on the 'slasher' sub-genre.
Akiko (Makiko Kuno) has just left her current position at a museum to take a new position with the Akebono Corporation in their art brokerage department....Department 12. The first day of her new job finds Akiko caught in a traffic jam where she hears on the car radio that a trial has just ended for the notorious 'Sumo Killer'. It seems the ex-Sumo wrestler has been found innocent by reason of insanity in the murders and mutilations of his girlfriend and her lover. Once Akiko arrives at work, a new security guard also arrives for his first day of work. The new security guard is, of course, the 'Sumo Killer' (Yutaka Matsushige). Soon, the guard is obsessed with Akiko, he's taken to wearing an earring she lost as well as keeping photos of her near his bedside. The guard begins killing people that irritate the hell out of him or those that his superior has issues with. Akiko soon figures out what's happening and the guard goes about locking down the buildling and hunting down the associates of Akiko as well as Akiko, herself. The question is, can anyone escape the wrath of the, 'Sumo Killer'?
The Guard From Underground is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.66:1) and overall the picture is very watchable, although colors aren't overly sharp and there is some grain present throughout the film. Audio options are Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0) with optional English subtitles. Bonus features include:
-Audio Commentary by Tom Mes
-Bios For: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Director), Yutaka Matsushige (Fugimaru), Makiko Kuno (Akiko), Hatsunori Hasegawa (Hyodo), Ren Osugi (Kurume), Taro Suwa (Yoshioka), Yoshiko Yura (Hanae), Kanta Ogata (Kei)
The Guard From Underground doesn't really tread on any new ground, it's a basic 'slasher' film of sorts, but somehow remains interesting enough that it's not a struggle to watch the film at all. Having seen both, Cure and Pulse, this film seems very different and nothing like I'd expect from director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, but that's not to say this is a negative comment, it's just totally different than I'd expected. There are some pretty decent 'kill' scenes, but again, nothing new and shocking as far as deaths go. I think fans of Asian cinema or fans of horror in general will find something to enjoy about this film. It's definitely worth a rent!
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