Director – Toshiharu Ikeda (Scent of a Spell, Angel Guts: Red Porno)
Starring – Miyuki Ono (Dangerous Cops, The Man Behind the Scissors), Aya Katsuragi (Big Boobs Buster, Tales of the Bizarre), and Hitomi Kobayashi (Guys Who Never Learn II, Sure Death Revenge)
Release Date – 1988
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 4/5
In the last few years I’ve found myself more and more interested in CAT III and pinku flicks. It started with me watching a few Asian splatter flicks on Netflix and that quickly spiraled out from there. I love a good sexploitation flick so it only makes sense that my love of sexploitation would lead me to pinku and CAT III releases. For those of you unfamiliar with CAT III and pinku I’ll give you a quick rundown.
CAT III, or Category III, films are films from Hong Kong that was not permitted to anyone under the age of 18to view. Pinku is Japanese films that is centered around sex. Sleazy movie fans like myself can appreciate these films a little more than others. A few weeks back it was announced that Unearthed Films would be releasing the 1988 horror flick Evil Dead Trap. Not necessarily a pinku title but it is often categorized by movie fans considering the sex heavy scenes and most of the female cast consisting of adult film stars. I had never seen it before so I reached out to my friends over at MVD who was handling the release and they were kind enough to send a copy my way. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a late night television crew who receives a strange video. After watching it they determined that it was an authentic snuff film that was shot nearby. They decide to visit the location the snuff film was shot and discover that only death is awaiting them. **Spoiler Alert**
Evil Dead Trap is one that I had wanted to see for some time. Hell, I even bought a bootleg of it sometime ago at a con thinking I was snagging an international release. I was even more disappointed when I realized it didn’t have subtitles or an English audio track. Now, after finally getting to see it on blu from Unearthed I’m glad I waited. This was a fantastic release and the movie was just as fucked up as I had hoped.
The acting in this one is not the best but it was very enjoyable. The cast, as I stated earlier, features several actresses that were adult film stars of the time but they delivered some seriously fun performances and it was just as sleazy as I expected. The characters don’t stand out and a lot of them do fall flat but the film is still solidly acted.
The story for this one takes a dive into the snuff trend that many 80s Asian horror films seemed to love. What makes this one stand out from other Asian snuff-oriented films is that it has slasher elements that I thoroughly enjoyed. The film does have way too many scenes that are slow and dull but when the scenes do pick up they hit like a Mack truck at full speed.
Finally, the film has some of the most chilling practical effects I have seen. Many genre fans joke or mock Fulci for his eye gags but the beginning of this film really made my fucking skin crawl. These effects are very gnarly and one of the main highlights of the film. Overall, Evil Dead Trap has some gruesome moments and some nudity. It’s a disgusting horror film for fans of brutal cinema. I enjoyed it for what it was and could see myself checking it out again. The blu release from Unearthed looked good as well. I highly recommend it.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary with Director Toshiharu Ikeda and SPFX Manager Shinichi Wakasa
Audio Commentary by filmmaker Kurando Mitsutake (KARATE KILL, GUN WOMAN)
Audio Commentary with James Mudge of easternKicks
Trappings of the Dead – Reflecting on a Japanese Cult Classic
Storyboards
Behind the Scenes Stills
Promotional Artwork
Trailer
