Rampo (1994)

Not to jump ship on you avid watchers of this site, but due to a VHS snag, I have jumped books into the next for merely this one happenstance. Don't worry, it will probably happen again - but for now, let's consider this a glitch in the system. The name of this glitch, "Rampo" - or more commonly called "The Mystery of Rampo". An odd little film with quite a bit of history, this feature could be called J-Horror or merely an opportunity to view experimental Japanese cinema. "Rampo" is one of those films that with one viewing just isn't going to make sense, the directors (yep there were two - one to begin one to end) wanted to pay homage to this cult horror writer by combining his life with that of one of his works. Blending fantasy, horror, realism, and suddenly the surreal - it is a blend that would seem odd to the amateur film eye, but for me - it was a blend of freshness.

Our characters, as small as many of them were, played their parts perfectly. Naoto Takenaka was fabulous as our writer Rampo, providing that subtle amount of insanity coupled with this sensation that he had never found true love until this woman burst out of his pages. The addition of this box and eerie looking girl constantly looking through holes adds tension to the script, which - is a lacking element in my eyes - but redeems itself through great direction by both or our camera eyes. The juggle from one scene to the next, never quite telling us which is real or fake, what is in Rampo's mind or what is reality is a tight line to cross, but this film pulls it off with ease. The scenes were beautifully delivered, amazingly colorful and shot, and the perfect blend of early 90s graphics to make this seem cheap, but not. There are several amazing scenes that both look great and sustain the tone of the film. A difficult job to juggle, but again - "Rampo" executes flawlessly.

Found in my "Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia" - this is my first entry into this book as well as the first into the "R" for this genre. I will be heading back to the "Z" for the next two films, but this should wet your whistle for a bit. So, what about "Rampo" - I am actually impressed with this film. I am going to add it to Cinema Underground as well as give it a green mark with blue stars - meaning that if I cross paths with "Rampo" again - I will watch. I can suggest this to only great cinema watchers and those that would appreciate the artistic value that went into this semi-horror film. It is a bold entry, but I am eager to revisit again.