Starring - Kenji Sawada (The Man Who Stole the Sun, Deaths in Tokimeki), Masaki Kodou (Tokyo Heaven, Seven Days' War)
Release Date - 1991
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Slam the door shut!"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Many of you may recall last year when I spent a week or two reviewing the Shinya Tsukamoto box set that Arrow Video had released. It was a great time and was a great introduction into the wild world of Tsukamoto. Some were better than others but all the films were a fantastic experience that I would highly recommend checking out if you haven't. Sometime after that release Mondo Macabro releases Tsukamoto's Gemini. Honestly, I didn't care for this one but I was grateful that it had a blu release from a company that I like. A few weeks ago news broke that Mondo Macabro was releasing another Tsukamoto film. This time they were handling Hiruko the Goblin which is one of his more popular films. I've owned the DVD release from Fangoria International but I've never opened it or watched it. I couldn't wait to finally check it out so when CAV sent a copy my way to review I quickly made time for it. Like always I want to thank CAV and Mondo Macabro for sending this one over.
The film takes place at a school that was inadvertently built on one of the gates of hell. An archeologist uncovers the gate and accidentally releases Hiruko. Hiruko kills people so he can behead them so he can use the heads on spider-like bodies of demons waiting to be freed. A teacher and the archeologist's son must now stop the legions of demons from entering our world and seal the gate permanently while Hiruko and other goblins roam the area looking for more heads.
I know I've not seen all of Shinyu Tsukamoto's films but this has to be the most bat shit insane in his filmography. It's bloody, comical, and extremely fun. I honestly didn't expect the film to be like this and after finally watching I have to believe that this is one of the most underrated horror films of our time. This is essential viewing for any movie fan regardless of their preferred genre. The acting in this one is great. The cast really brings the characters to life. The humor finds it's mark and the more serious scenes work. The cast's dedication shows in each scene and I was impressed by every character introduced in the film. The characters are well written which gave the cast something to hold on to. The story for this one is another unique spin on the classic accidentally opening a gate to hell story. Personally, I really enjoyed the string of films to come out of Italy with a similar story. Lucio Fulci did it right but Tsukamoto does an amazing job with the story and makes it his own. The head hunting goblins hunting a student and teacher through a school while a janitor tries to keep the goblins at bay was a fantastic idea. When you combine that with the creatures, effects, and comedy you find yourself getting pulled in. I loved it and can see myself revisiting this one several more times before I get tired of it. Finally, this film is bloody and full of amazing practical effects. The spider creatures and gore all look fantastic and a few of the deaths are the kind that will stick with you. It's been years since I've seen a movie where the kills left a lasting impression like Hiruko did. It reminded me of watching some of the classic horror titles as a kid for the first time. It was a great experience. Overall, Hiruko the Goblin is a fucking blast. This needs to be essential viewing for genre fans. It's bloody, violent, and devilishly beautiful. The Mondo Macabro release is a must own. As a collector I'll still hold on to my DVD but this blu is the only way to watch it. I highly recommend it.
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