Welcome to one of the main features of 'Castle Dracula,' the movie reviews section.
The reviews placed here are from all around the world, from the USA to the UK Japan
and everything inbetween. The formats reviewed are video and DVD. I have included the
origin of the film reviewed so you can check your player for compatibility. You may
also notice that there are some DVD-R reviews. These are not 'bootlegs' or 'copies'
but official screeners that I have been sent containing an as yet unreleased film to 
review. All the reviews here have been reviewed either by myself or my current movie 
reviewers. If you're an avid watcher of horror movies then why not join 'Castle Dracula'
as an official 'staff member' reviewing them. To do so, just click on the 'Join My Staff'
link in the menu to the left for details of this and other vacancies.
New reviews are normally placed here once a week, check my front page for under 'Castle
Dracula Updates' to see what latest movie reviews have been placed.

- Evil Dead Trap - Japanese DVD - 

If you are new to the Asian 'CAT III' genre, it is best not to jump straight in 
feet first. They can be brutal and sadistic films, like nothing you've seen in 
your local 'Blockbuster' that's for sure. 
One way of easing your way into the genre is to watch this film, 'Evil Dead Trap'. 
Though it is a Japanese movie, it takes the American slasher genre and tells it 
like it was Italian while still being definately a Japanese style film. 
Hard to describe, yet once you watch it, you'll see it's actually the best way of
describing it. 
The film was scripted by former comic book artist Takashi Ishii and directed by 
Toshiharu Ikeda. 
The plot, for what it is, centers around 'Nami' a talk show hostess who requests 
her audience to send in their home video's to air live on TV. What she doesn't 
expect to receive though, is a tape that shows an anonymous filmmaker making his
way to an abandoned factory. Nothing wrong there you may think. Once he's arrived
there though, he proceeds to brutally torture and then kill an un-named woman, 
making the tape 'Nami' now holds, either a genuine 'snuff movie' or a very clever
hoax. Believing it to be the latter she decides to expose it, or hopefully prove 
it to be fake. So gathering her film crew, they set off to trace the origin of 
the video. Finally finding their way to the supposed location of the events on 
the tape, the aforementioned abandoned factory, they are confronted by a mysterious
black-clad stranger who warns them, 'Friday The 13th' style, that they are all 
doomed if they stay. The figure also reveals that his insane brother was responsible
for the tape and hence the murder, also that he is searching for him. The stranger
then disappears before being able to be questioned further. Either this is a very 
elaborate hoax or something is very wrong. Either way, Nami is now determined to get
to the bottom of whatever the tape is. So despite the warning, they enter the 
abandoned factory. 
What happens next is the height of suspense. Also, very graphic as well as extremely
original and inventive. The death scenes are some of the most imaginative I have 
ever seen as they are each picked off one by one by various elaborate boobytraps 
until only Nami remains. Then, the film really gets weird.
The influences in this film are obvious, Raimi, Argento, Fulci and the ending is 
definately Cronenberg. Yet mixed all together, it all becomes something unique. 
I can guarantee you, you will not have seen anything like this before. 
The picture is a new Digitally Mastered Widescreen version and is presented in
it's original theatrical aspect ratio of a 1:85 The audio is in Dolby Digital
mono Japanese language. Don't fear though, it has English subtitles. 
It has it's original theatrical trailer and finally an audio commentary from 
Director Toshiharu Ikeda and Special Effects Manager Shinichi Wakasa. 
Not the best of packages but a highly recommended film for those that can stomach
the more graphic scenes. 
What's more, if you would like to see this film but don't have a modified DVD 
player, don't worry, even though it's not from the UK, it can still be played 
on UK because it's a 'Region 0' disc.

Reviewed By Dracula

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