Evil Dead Trap (Widescreen)

Made in the 1980s on an obviously shoestring budget, "Evil Dead Trap" tells the story of Nami, a television personality whose show airs videotapes sent in by its viewers. The voyeuristically inclined show, like all media, looks for tapes with that certain something that will boost ratings by thrilling the audience. When a strange tape showing a particularly brutal murder taking place in an abandoned military installation arrives at the station, Nami's curiosity gets the better of her. Assembling an investigative team, the "journalist" and her compatriots retrace the route shown on the videotape in the hope of getting to the bottom of the mystery. They do indeed find the location shown on the tape, a creepy, desolate series of buildings that could hide any number of gruesome horrors. Predictably, and in the fine American tradition of horror films, the crewmembers split up to investigate their surroundings. Within a matter of minutes, we learn some guy roams the grounds of the base gussied up in leather boots and a rain slicker. You just know our fearless team of journalists is in for a ripping good time, a fact proven by the increasingly gory killings that take place in the first half of the film. Through a series of ingenious traps and slash and stalk murders, the crew falls prey to punctured eyeballs, machetes slicing through heads, and a nifty pin cushion effect that would probably work really nicely as a new ride at a theme park.

Nami, predictably, survives while those around her fall to pieces. The poor girl is in a world gone horribly wrong as she wanders through the byzantine network of tunnels and hallways of the military base. Matters take a turn for the worse--or perhaps the better--when Nami meets a seemingly normal stranger from time to time also roaming through the sprawling complex. The guy appears to fear for Nami's safety, constantly telling her to get out of the area because his brother is a dangerous person who poses a threat to her safety. Nami learns exactly what her predicament is when she meets the "brother" of this man in a conclusion sure to confuse. Amidst mysterious explosions of sparks and light (where did those come from, anyway?) and lots of gluey gore, Nami uncovers the mystery she and her companions so desperately sought. We also learn why the brothers chose to send the videotape to Nami and why they wanted her to come see them. What started out as an effective slasher flick turned into, by the conclusion, an enigmatic supernatural film that made little sense. Oh well, I have seen better films take much worse turns than this one did.

I think the value of "Evil Dead Trap" comes not from its by the numbers slasher elements or the strange conclusion, but from director Ikeda's camera techniques and the use of very convincing gore. The killings all look realistic and nasty in their implications. It seems, although I have little proof, that Ikeda borrowed elements from such masters of the grotesque like Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento to construct his own brand of onscreen violence. And why not? If you want to make a gore film, you should consult those farmers who have plowed the field before you. Even more interesting than the gore is the director's intriguing camera work. I had to recheck the date of "Evil Dead Trap" because many of the techniques seen here are standard fare today: the use of quick cutting, hyperzooming, and negative photography all look as though Ikeda lifted his style from the late 1990s or early 2000s. This may be the earliest use of such cinematography I have seen. If it is not the first, it is one of the earliest. This aspect of "Evil Dead Trap" makes for a captivating viewing experience even as the plot disappoints.

Synapse Films brought us the DVD version of "Evil Dead Trap," which is not surprising considering the offbeat movies this company releases. This release has a commentary from the director, some trailers, and a widescreen presentation. The picture quality is a bit of a mixed bag, as I thought some of the scenes looked slightly soft and a tad grainy. On the other hand, scenes shot in semi-darkness looked good. You can clearly see all of the gore scenes, which is the most important thing for this type of film. If you enjoy ghastly Asian cinema, add this one to your list.