Maria Ford Genre Mash-Up

Genre Mash-Up: Maria Ford Collection and Bitchin’ Asian Horror. By Brian Kirst

Long regarded as a horror icon for her sensitive performances and vulnerable beauty, Maria Ford has been rewarded in the last handful of years with a much deserved DVD collection that bears her name. Whether an innocent (Burial of the Rats, The Unnamable II) or lethal seductress (Haunting of Morella), Ford has always made her appearances count.

Taking on the victim role Ford has so willingly portrayed at times, Hirohita Honda (Battle Royale) truly makes Living Hell an emotional as well as visceral experience – proving that while there a miles between the two below films there are also subtle similarities as well.

Future Fear. 1997. Cool! This has been released on DVD as part of the “Maria Ford Collection” on New Concorde. It’s about time that the hard working and honestly talented Ford gets some recognition and her committed, alternatively aggressive then shell shocked performance is the highlight of this mish mash of an action packed sci fi adventure tale. This appears to be another Roger Corman “Hey, we got this set for five days and some stock footage, so lets go!” production and, while not altogether successful, there is at least the attempt at depth and an allegorical plotline. The plot plays with time a lot, especially during the first half of the film, and that, actually, is the most successful part of the film. The last half has far too many mirror-like fight scenes between Ford and her co-star, Jeff Wincott. Wincott, whom is great in his quieter moments, overplays the angst and fury too much toward the end (which actually adds to the fun) and while some might welcome the dour “Romeo and Juliet-esque” ending, I found its use of the Alice in Wonderland imagery a noble attempt, but its references throughout the film are too spotty to have the desired impact. In fact, I had to go back to watch sections just to figure out how everything worked together. There may be just too many ideas here, but better that than just your standard old space wars fare. Stacy Ketch is, also, on hand to give a spookily dedicated villainous turn.

Some may definitely admire this film, about a pair of scientists creating a new life form to serve as a cure, after the country has been ravaged by an alien virus  -and how they, ultimately, turn against each other – for all  its adventurous and unwieldy flaws, though.

This nerve throttling 2000 film, available on Subversive Cinema DVD, is billed as “A Japanese Chainsaw Massacre” and while there are no Leather face mechanisms on display, by the end of this tense and increasingly out-of-control flick, you will understand why it received that tagline. I especially loved the first half of this exalted celluloid torture chamber wherein the marvelous Hirohita Honda as a paralyzed, suspicious youth is terrorized by his family’s houseguests- a mute girl and her “senile grandmother” (an awe inspiring Yoshiko Shiraishi). He is drenched in worms, fed his pet bird, used as dart practice and his privates are taser gunned before the twist endings erupt at a fevered pace and with just as much insane passion.

Some may be so drawn to Honda’s character, Yumi that they may be slightly disappointed about how his character evolves at the ending. But truly caring about the characters a good exploitation film makes – So, kudos, and then some, to virtuoso writer, director and editor, Shugo Fujii!