Halloween 2020: September 21st

Audition (1999)

When “Audition” played the 2000 Telluride Film Festival, it brought Takashi Miike to the west. The prolific Japanese director – he directed seven other movies in 1999 -  was best known in his home country for ultraviolent gangster flicks like “Blues Harp” or “Full Metal Yakuza.” With “Audition,” Miike would earn a reputation for grisly horror that would largely change the course of his career. Though many reviewers were reluctant to reveal it, the film's drastic tonal shift in the last third, from low-key drama to intense torture-horror, quickly became well known. By the time I sat down to watch the movie, some years later, I was certainly aware of the switcharoo. It had a a drastic effect on my ability to enjoy “Audition” and, in fact, I haven't liked most of the Miike movies I've seen since. Yet, considering the vaulted place this film holds in horror history, I figured I better give it a second look.

When Aoyama's wife died of cancer, it broke his heart. Ten years later, he still hasn't recovered. His now teenage son, after getting a girlfriend of his own, encourages his dad to find a new wife. Aoyama's friend, a film producer, devises a strategy where they will hold an audition for a fake film, the role calling for the specifics attributes Aoyama hopes to find in a new wife. Through this duplicitous method, he meets Asami. The quiet, lonely girl immediately attracts Aoyama. As the two continue their courtship, certain gaps in Asami's past become apparent. As he investigates his new girlfriend's origins, Aoyama will uncover a terrifying truth and suffer a horrible fate.

“Audition” was sold to me with a brilliant premise. I was told the film was a charming romance for its first ninety minutes before suddenly, and unexpectedly, becoming a disturbing horror picture in its final third. What a brilliant trick to spring on an unaware audience! This, however, is not the movie “Audition” actually is. There are plenty of warnings about Asami's true nature. After Aoyama decides she's the girl for him, his friend informs him that her stories don't line up. The night they consummate their relationship, she acts erratically. We get peeks at her sitting in her room, spine jutting out, as she glares obsessively at the telephone. The eerily doll-like Eihi Shiina plays the character as clearly unwell. After the first stop on his journey to dig into Asami's past, where he meets a deformed ballet teacher, Aoyama should've gotten the hell out of there. Not only does “Audition” lay down the cards concerning its twist way too early, its protagonist also looks like a moron for not noticing sooner that there's something very wrong with his new bride-to-be. 

This is all the more disappointing because “Audition,” for a while, is actually a fascinating exploration of loneliness. Aoyama, played by a wonderfully quiet Ryo Ishibashi, lives an isolated life. His son, a paleontology enthusiast who bonds with his girlfriend over biology text books, rarely has in-depth conversations with him. The family pet, an adorable beagle named Gangu, doesn't bring much comfort. Asami, similarly, lives a lonely life. Her personal essay, where she talks about giving up on her dreams, is what truly attracts Aoyama. He sees a kindred spirit in the girl. As he learns that Aoyama was physically, and possibly sexually, abused as a child, “Audition” reaches an interesting point. Just as Aoyama's current situation arose out of his wife's death, Asami has been molded by the pain in her past. Is our current selves the result of the trauma in our past? And is it possibly to rise out of that pain with love? All of that goes out the window once the truth kicks in, of course. 

There are other ideas possibly floating inside “Audition.” As Aoyama and his friend conceive the audition, they bemoan the death of traditional Japanese values. He hopes to find a woman that reflects these fading values, that soft femininity. The two men have a group of women march before them, grading each one on their various attributes. Reducing real, complex people to a checklist of desires, all in the name of pleasing a man, is obviously sexist. It's also something real dudes do all the time. During the psychedelic flashback sequence, Aoyama sees multiple women – his wife, his son's girlfriend – standing in Asami's place, suggesting he sees all women the same anyway. They're all just vessels for his gratification. Once Asami's bloody torture begins, it's tempting to read it as payback for the entire audition charade. As punishment for Aoyama's sexist behavior, blow back against Japan's entire culture of sexism.

This is a popular reading but, considering the almost fetishistic focus on rape and violence-against-women seen in Miike's other films, I think it might be giving “Audition” too much credit. Instead, “Audition's” moral emerges as “don't stick your dick in crazy." Once Asami has Aoyama drugged and strapped down, the film turns its focus to cringe-inducing gore. Tiny needles are driven into his chest, while Eihi Shiida giggles girlishly. The sound design and direction makes the act of an ankle sawed off with piano wire even more graphically unsettling. It's an excellently executed display of disturbing gore and torture. “Audition” would influence the American torture horror trend that kicked off a few years later but it's more effective than most of those films, largely by making its torture so easily understood and related too. Most of the seasick tension generate in this scene is squandered by Miike still cutting away to trippy flashback scenes and a wet fart of a climax, Aoyama being sparred in sudden, unconvincing manner. 

“Audition” is adapted from a novel by Ryu Murakami. I really enjoyed another recent adaptation of his work, “Piercing,” and you can see similar threads of emotional and physical kinkiness in this film. However, the flaws I see in “Audition” are still apparent. If the film hadn't foreshadowed its tonal shift so gratuitously, I'd probably love it. If Asami had been developed more, instead of eventually dissolving into a giggling psycho, that would've been nice. If the film committed more to its ideas of what loneliness will make a person do, to how men view women, I might've loved it. If, if, if... I honestly think “Audition” would be a great candidate for a remake but I'm doubtful any American filmmaker would be willing to touch such a respected film. Miike's direction is stylish and he knows how to deliver upsetting violence but “Audition” still doesn't work for me. [6/10]

Amityville 3-D (1983)

The question of how 3-D movies saw a brief revival in the early eighties can be answered easily enough. A low-budget comedy throwback to the spaghetti westerns called “Comin' at Ya!” was presented in 3-D and became a surprise hit in 1981. Why 3-D movies were a brief fad again, thirty years after their heyday, is trickier to determined. Maybe older audiences were drawn in thanks to boomer nostalgia, while the gimmick was something totally new to the kids. Whatever the reason, as it usually does, genre films were the ones most eager to capitalize. Gratuitously subtitled sci-fi flicks with goofy compound titles like “Metalstorm,” “Starchaser,” and “Spacehunter” would utilize the format. Low budget horror films like “Parasite” and “Silent Madness” hoped to add to their box office by jumping on the bandwagon. And, of course, franchises couldn't resist the gimmick of presenting the third part in the third dimension. Way down the list after the campy heights of “Friday the 13th Part III” and “Jaws 3-D” is “Amityville 3-D.”  

Though once again legally barred from referencing the Lutz family, “Amityville 3-D” at least acknowledges the DeFio murders, establishing it as a true sequel. John Baxter, a writer for skeptical magazine Reveal, debunks a séance within Long Island's infamous 112 Ocean Avenue. Despite the home's morbid history, John decides to buy it. He hopes this will please his ex-wife Nancy and their teenage daughter Susan. Immediately, strange things begin to happen in the home. The real estate agent dies after being attacked by flies. John's writing partner suffers a macabre car accident. Strange noises and lights are seen around the building. As the body count rises, John is forced to acknowledge 112 Ocean Avenue really is under demonic influence.

At the very least, “Amityville 3-D” has a decent idea for a sequel. Drawing inspiration from the real life skeptical investigations into the Amtyville case was a strong foundation to build upon. I've often said the story of the fraud behind “The Amityville Horror” is a lot more interesting than the actual hoax story. The 3-D film also, surprisingly, weaves a story of parental grief into its plot. Susan, halfway through the film, dies in a fatal boating accident. Her mother sees her daughter's spirit, soaking wet, take one more walk through the house. Later, when confronted with the body, Mom is too stunned to believe what's happening. Eventually, the demonic presence in the home uses Nancy's loss to manipulate her. The scenes dealing with the death of a child have a real sense of pathos about them, providing some unexpected dramatic heft to “Amityville 3-D's” back half.

Sadly, “Amityville 3-D” otherwise has a similar problem as the first two installments. The film approaches its horrors in as hysterical and over-the-top fashion as possible. The real estate agent isn't buzzed by merely some flies. An entire swarm of flies covers his body. An especially ridiculous moment has John's partner being blown around the house by a gust of wind from the basement. Once again, the house's evil influence extends beyond the driveway. John is tossed about by an out-of-control elevator. His partner is nearly impaled by a pipe smashing through her windshield, before an unlikely fire claims her life. When not doing that, “Amityville 3-D” just tosses shrieking, gooey skeletons at the viewer. The attempts to frighten are trying so hard to be scary, throttling the viewer with in-your-face loudness, that they immediately become silly instead.

“Amityville 3-D” isn't as fun of a campy 3-D sequel as “Jaws 3-D” or “Friday the 13th Part III.” Yeah, lots of objects are tossed into the viewers' face, including an incredibly slow moving frisbee. Yet the sequel uses the eye-gouging effects just sparingly enough that the gimmick never becomes cheesy fun, like in those other sequels. However, you can tell the 3-D gimmick gave the third film a beefed-up budget. “Amityville 3-D” is sometimes known as “Amityville 3: The Demon.” Indeed, a fishy demon with bulging red eyes leaps out of the well in the basement in the final act. (The wet is filled to the brim with water this time, which is very different from the shallow water seen in the last two entries.) Hilariously, this creature breathes fire too. Even with the extra ghoulies and goop, “Amityville 3-D” still can't think of a decent finale. As far as I can tell, the heroes do nothing to defeat the house's evil. Instead, the cursed building just goes up in flames totally of its own accord.

Coming late in the eighties 3-D cycle, “Amityville 3-D” must've seen like something of a hanger-on. At least, I'm assuming that was the case, given the sequel's mediocre box office. (The film just broke even.) Director Richard Fleischer, whose truly random filmography is seemingly only held together by an interest in stunts and special effects, wasn't affected too badly by the sequel's disappointing run. He would quickly move on “Conan the Destroyer,” another eighties sequel of debatable merit. Despite not being very good, “Amityville 3-D” must have a following of sorts. It's been re-released on DVD and Blu-Ray several times, including in actual 3-D for the folks who want to experience this film in its original presentation for whatever reason. [5/10]

Creepshow: Bad Wolf Down / The Finger

“Creepshow” wants you to know that how pulpy it can get in its second episode. In “Bad Wolf Down,” a squadron of American soldiers are chased by a vengeful Nazi captain into an abandoned prison, surrounded by landmines. After being betrayed by one of their own, they discover a woman inside claiming to be a werewolf. She ends up providing the men with an unusual solution to their problem. In “The Finger,” unemployed and recently divorced Clark discovers a strange animal finger while out on a walk. He takes it home with him and, unexpectedly, It grows into a small creature. He befriends the critter, which he names Bob. Soon, however, Bob is seeking out and killing the people who anger Clark. 

“Bad Wolf Down” was directed by comic-creator-turned-filmmaker Rob Schrab. Fittingly, Schrab makes good use of the show's comic book transitions, the werewolf transformations occurring in four-color panels. The gory finale features some cheap looking gore but is colorfully directed, with lots of red lighting and fog. The story is rather predictable and you quickly figure out what its trajectory will be. However, the pulpy fun inherent in the premise of “werewolves vs. Nazis” is undeniable. Schrab includes multiple references to werewolf classics, with familiar sounding names like Talbot, Kessler, and Quist. We get a variety of wolfmen here, four-legged, two-legged, and man/wolf hybrids being spotted. The cast is blustery and macho, including Jeffrey Combs as the cartoonish evil Nazi officer. Good, gory fun over all.

Greg Nicotero is back behind the camera for “The Finger,” adapted from a short story by David J. Schow. The best thing about this segment is Bob himself. Despite looking like a cross between a xenomorph and the Cloverfield monster, he's still pretty cute. Especially his love of soap operas and popcorn. Brought to life largely through puppetry and stop-motion, his little shrieks are awfully expressive. Bob's charming qualities make up for “The Finger's” other weaknesses. Clark is a largely unlikable protagonist, increasingly bitter and amoral as the story progresses. D.J. Qualls' performance, when combined with the narration-heavy dialogue, is a bit on the abrasive side. The segment's humor is generally too crass. Yet a cute and lovable little monster keeps things from getting too obnoxious. [Bad Wolf Down: 7/10] [The Finger: 6/10]

Forever Knight: Black Buddha, Part 2

Schanke's death moves further into the background in the second part of “Forever Knight: Season Three's” opening story arc. Instead, Nick Knight's hunt for the mad bomber – now nicknamed “Voodoo,” for the song that all his music box bombs play -  heats up. He tries to figure out the method behind the killer's madness. Detective Tracy continues to resist the advances of vampire Javier Vachon, who is on the run from another vampire known as the Incan, his “sibling” vampire he has a centuries old link to. Soon, these divergent storylines meet up when Tracy meets a seemingly nice guy who gives her a mysterious package...

Tracy Vetter continues to not endear herself to viewers in this episode. While a maniac is trying to blow up the city, she's worried about getting a date. That her suspicions aren't immediately raised by the guy she meets doesn't speak well of her deductive reasoning skills. At least she realizes what is open when she discovers the music box he gave her. Nick's arguments with Captain Reese about the nature of mass murderers proves mildly interesting, even if it's an obvious attempt to deepen the episode's themes. The subplot concerning Javier and the Incan's origins prove more interesting, which pays off in a satisfying manner. Still, I wish this two-parter focused more on Schanke's death and the effect it has on Nick and Natalie. It's evident the show is already struggling to replace him. [6/10]