Akai misshitsu (heya): Kindan no ôsama geemu

For those of you who have only seen an unsubtitled version, Daisuke Yamanouchi's "Red Room" is an entirely different film once you understand what is being said. The film changes completely from what appears to be a series of disconnected, vile, sadistic acts, to a deep, well thought out psychological horror film that packs a wallop.

It's still very strong stuff, but takes on new meaning with subtitles. Very highly recommended for fans of strong horror films, after seeing "Red Room" in its original form I am now seriously looking forward to more of Yamanouchi's work getting an official US release. Once again, Unearthed Films deserves huge credit!

Red Room has the production values and ambience of a snuff film. Admittedly this may be due to the un-subbed umpteenth generation bootleg i saw it on. The plot however is easy to comprehend, a bunch of strangers sit in a queasy looking industrial type space and draw cards. The loser then has to endure something horrible. Thats it for plot. In reality Red Room is a series of grotesque torture sequences, punctuated with (what i guess are) scenes of exposition and card drawing. The most memorable torture 'bit' being a lady taped to a swivel office chair and spun round and round FOR AGES. At first its funny, then its sickening before going back to being funny again. Also we have the old 'stick a hair dryer in someones mouth and let em have it' bit, as well as rape, watersports and sundry other delights.

As you may guess 'Red Room' is a freak show of a film, something to show a jaded friend who thinks he's seen it all.

Oh those wacky Japanese!

Red Room is a delightful take on reality shows, rendering them to the most sickest degree. This movie is low budgeted and you can tell, considering the whole movie seems to stay in one or two rooms. That's not why I only rated it a 5 though, my problem with this movie is that even though it only runs for an hour, it is still too long. The scene after scene of sick stunts get dull after the first 40 minutes and it is more down to how there isn't much depth and too much "look how disgusted we can make you" moments.

However Red Room doesn't TRY to have depth, it's only sole purpose is to disgust and shock the viewer and it achieves this triumphantly. This is a bleak movie and you're more than likely to feel sympathetic towards the main male character and his puppy love. The other characters however are SO dislikable that you don't really mind if they get violently hurt throughout the movie. And maybe that's where the faults for Red Room lie; the unsympathetic tendencies you get from most of the main characters makes this dull and just a shock fest. I did like the colour arrangements for the movie as everything is tinted a dark, hovering red enhancing the saddo grasp of the film.

It's just really what you want out of a movie, if you are fine with just taking in the constant sickening stunts then you'll enjoy this.

This is one of those movies that the reputation (gore) is not representative of the actual movie. Yes there is blood & guts though it's tame by horror movie standards. Don't be put off thinking it's an extreme horror.

Four people are locked in a red room to compete for (10 million Japanese Yen) $100,000. (Most movie descriptions say a $million but the characters say 10 million yen which in 1999 converts to about $100,000) They each draw cards with the person drawing the king gets to say what one person will do to another. The object being to get someone to quit. Each draw & action hopefully will reduce to the final survivor that wins the money. Of course, the action demanded starts rather tame and is never real outrageous but how it's performed is what goes much further.

Along the way we learn a bit about each character which are an interesting mix. More importantly we learn why they are willing to do whatever it takes for the money.

The cast was good. For Yuuki Tsukamoto who was very good you might notice this as her only movie. She has made a number of movies but those were adult videos. That does not mean this movie is more explicit though.

There are several sex scenes although none were particularly erotic yet they were important to the story.

This had the potential for being a great movie. First problem was one character was unbelievably stupid, way over the top. The other problem was some of the characters at times seemed to forget they were playing for $100,000. Really? Last, some of the sound effects added were horrendous. Especially when French kissing it made those scenes intolerable.

Still, it's one of those movies that you are kept on your toes watching for what happens next. Even some scenes that you think you know, you are surprised by what happens. It's not a long movie but it went by quick. I'm looking forward to watching Red Room 2. I say, check it out.

"Red Room" is a low-budget, shot-on-video movie that is a "Guinea Pig" for the late-nineties. Despite a slow start, the film soon enters familiar territory as we see four players of the ultimate reality game show carry out acts of depravity, physical humiliation, violence and rape on one another in an attempt to win 10 million Japanese Yen (around $85,000).

While most of the unpleasantness will be nothing new to regular viewers of J-Horror, it's the plot of this straight-to-video production that makes the difference. A psychological exercise as well as a graphic one, "Red Room" actually manages to deliver a well-aimed punch to the viewer's senses.

Some people will hate this film due to its slow pace and lack of gore. The film has a slow-burn delivery of its content and it rewards the patient viewer.

Somehow, this politically incorrect film manages to titillate and appall at the same time. It's not to all tastes but is a tentative recommendation to fans of the "Guinea Pig" films and transgressive horror in general.

Curiously, while the unsavoury delights unfold on the screen, an up-beat, porn soundtrack is used. On top of this, the audio during scenes of intimacy is superbly vile, with over-the-top slurping noises used to great effect.

On the strength of this little film, I'll be checking out further Daisuke Yamanouchi movies in the future.

7 out of 10.