Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell is an independent Japanese horror film written, directed, produced, edited and starring Shinichi Fukazawa. Touted as “ The Japanese Evil Dead”, the film originally began production in 1995 to explain the retro aesthetic, and was worked on over a period of 15 years before finally having a limited release in 2012. It finally received a larger distribution to wider markets in 2014 and the complicated production history naturally intrigued film enthusiasts. It may not be a perfect movie, but you can appreciate the effort which has gone into making the film. Having taken 14 years to complete, it is surprising that the film managed to get released — but it just shows how a lot of perseverance can pay off in the end.

During his daily workout, Shinji (Shinichi Fukazawa) receives an unexpected phone call from his ex-girlfriend (Asako Nosaka). She is a photojournalist in the process of researching the paranormal. Remembering a photograph he had shown her when they were dating, she asks if she can see the photo once more; the facade of an old property previously owned by Shinji’s father before his death. Interestingly, the production had a minuscule crew, and every member exerted an enormous effort in the creation of this film – commitment self-evident from all crew performing their duty eagerly from a restricted budget. Shinichi Fukazawa taking on the majority of the filmmaking process himself must have been a colossal task to undertake; however, with help from the rest of the skeleton crew, he has still managed to produce a magnificent piece of cult cinema. The continuity kept over the course of 15 years of reshoots and re-edits is seamless, hardly showing the length of time the film was under production. Furthermore, it also retains the charm of an 90’s aesthetic – enduringly popular as a nostalgic era as of late. Vern- a lot of the effects, especially the mask you mention looked to me to be papier mache or something similar. The version streaming on Shudder is similarly poor-looking and full of artifacts, I suspect it’s because the guy had to pay for a ton of digital correction to match up reshoots (in a similar vein, I think that’s why there are weird bits of stills/animation combos – to fill gaps for which he had no footage). Even so, Shinji sees this as an opportunity to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, who writes articles about ghosts for a paranormal magazine. He invites her to examine the house, and she brings along a psychic so humourless that he’s just two pointy ears away from being a Vulcan.In my opinion, the definitive way to own this piece of media is through the amazing limited release from Midori Impuls. Their limited-run special edition release includes –

Mirdori Impuls release of Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell, ‘Cover B design’ by Shintaro Kago Final Thoughts A decade later, Shun’ya Itô’s Curse of the Dog God (1977) similarly evokes the Deadites that would torment Bruce Campbell and company only a few years later. Ito’s best known for his Meiko Kaji-led exploitation series Female Prisoner Scorpion, and Curse marries those films’ painterly imagery with merciless folk horror. Much of the film is a sprawling convoluted saga of wrathful spirits, accursed fates, dog maulings, at least one flying canine head, exorcism rituals, dark village secrets, uranium mining, and even a roving biker gang for good measure, but the final act is when any Evil Dead fan might start to get a dash of deja vu. Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell is one of the dumbest, most amateurish films I’ve ever seen. And I kind of love it. Almost every aspect screams cheapness, and it looks like it was shot on a Speak & Spell. The acting ranges from wooden to psychotic, averaging out at bizarre. The makeup effects look like they were produced using a few boxes of plasticine and the contents of someone’s kitchen. It clearly cost about as much as a prawn sandwich, but energy and obsession will take you a long way.

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To the monster that was once Mizoguchi, Shinji says “See you in Hell, baby” and shoots it, splashing its blood onto both his and Mika’s faces. But Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell isn’t just a collection of gory scenes. There are some genuine laughs to be had, such as Naoto’s realization “The shotgun isn’t my weapon, my muscles are!” followed by Incredible Hulk style clothes splitting and flexing. An impalement with an barbell is preceded with his frenzied attempts to loosen its collars and get the weights off the bar. Anyone who has used an old style home weight set knows that struggle all too well.

You could say that this is a love letter to the Evil Dead films (as the alternative title suggests). Or you might argue that it’s a ham-fisted rip-off. Even if its more of the latter, the sheer oddness of its execution turns it into something unique. I have no idea if the intention was ever to make a serious horror film, but what we’ve ended up with feels like Japan’s answer to Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Further photo documentation from within the house would really help with her research… Shinji agrees. The two reunite and arrange to visit the old abandoned property, accompanied by a professional psychic (Masaaki Kai). What initially appealed to me about The Evil Dead is how Raimi and company’s scrappy, do-it-yourself ethic translates on screen. Beyond being an effective horror movie, it feels like it was made by a group of friends for fun rather than commerce. Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell embodies that same spirit, albeit with even more limited means. It may have taken decades to be properly released, but I’m grateful Fukazawa never gave up on it.If the movie is light on plot (and it is), it makes up for that with a whole lot of infectious enthusiasm and love for genre. There are some digital effects, which were added to the film during post production. The quality of these effects are as good as the opening, which look as though they were developed for a Master System II game. It is brilliantly funny, but I am still not sure if that was meant as a joke or an early attempt at digital enhancement during editing. Either way, it makes for pure entertainment. Saying Body Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell utilizes a shoestring budget would be an understatement, being filmed inside a dilapidated property Shinichi Fukazawa’s parents owned, as well as implementing other money-saving tactics during the production. Unfortunately, one of these ideas was to shoot using Super8 film. This has a perceptible, grainy effect throughout the entire film that often resembles snow in the film’s underlit scenes. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the overall quality of the film itself, enhancing the film’s lo-fi visuals instead. Where Can I Find It? Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell is an ode to the cult classics that have come before it, full of the indulgence that made b-movie cult classics popular. The film is an enjoyable mix of gore and comedic energy, efficiently upheld throughout its entire duration. Fully deserving of its status among fans and critics alike, its use of lo-fi practical special effects as well as a cramped, confined set together with minuscule cast all work in the film’s favour, making for a truly entertaining experience. Although not perfect, the film is still a delightful romp to enjoy both alone or with a group of friends. Made over a period of more than a decade by writer, director and star Shinichi Fukazawa, 1995’s Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder In Hell is unofficially known as ‘The Japanese Evil Dead’ and for good reason, as Fukazawa’s sixty-three minute no-budget epic definitely does wear its influences very plainly on its gooey, gory sleeve.

Announced this week, the home video label Wild Eye Releasing is branching out with a brand new sister label titled Visual Vengeance, a collector’s Blu-ray label dedicated to vintage, sometimes overlooked micro budget genre independents from the 1980s though 2000s.Despite the fact that it was made for peanuts and that it isn’t the most original picture you’ll ever see, Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder From Hell works really well. More than just a fan film, it’s a nicely paced, over the top splatter fest with some fantastic micro-budget stop motion effects work and a really amusing turn from Shinichi Fukazawa, doing his best to channel Bruce Campbell (and, more often than not, succeeding at if!) in the lead role. Masaaki Kai and Asako Nosaka are both pretty fun in their supporting roles, clearly sharing Fukazawa’s passion for the project. Unfortunately, poor Mika gets possessed. Impressively, she grabs and lifts Shinji by the balls, calls him “pathetic worm” and throws him down the stairs. Here’s where the title finally comes into play. It has been previously, off-handedly mentioned that the basement is his workout space. (I would’ve made sure to have an opening credits fitness montage set to something like that song “Body Talk” in THE TOXIC AVENGER, but this isn’t my movie.) When Shinji sees his weights he’s inspired and declares that his “true weapon ain’t no gun – it’s my muscles!” and does an Incredible Hulk style flexing-to-rip-his-shirt. Then he spins a barbell above his head. Quite a move! Tribute” is a generous term; Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell apes so much from Evil Dead that it’s virtually an unauthorized remake. It’s not quite a shot-for-shot recreation, but several major beats are replicated (the lead character even gets to say “Groovy!”), and the general style/energy can be directly attributed to Raimi. There’s a certain charm to its commitment, but Fukazawa also filters the Evil Dead demonic possession plot through the lens of a traditional Japanese ghost story. Shot and edited over in Super 8 over several years, Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell, also known as The Japanese Evil Dead, is one of the most memorably titled films to have come out of the SOV boom. That’s probably why Wild Eye chose it as the first release from Visual Vengeance, an imprint devoted to obscure SOV films. The arduous odyssey to completion would be challenging for a production of any size, but Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell‘s hurdles were compounded by the fact that it was practically a one-man crew; Shinichi Fukazawa serves as writer, director, producer, editor, special effects artist, and star. Upon learning that his father was planning to demolish his old house in Tokyo, the budding filmmaker opted to utilize the location for his 8mm love letter to the Evil Dead trilogy.