Summer of the 80s, Part 8: 1988 & 1989 - End of the Decade Japanese Horror (Evil Dead Trap & Tetsuo: The Iron Man)

A Cure for the Common Craig

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There were Japanese horror movies made in the 1980s? Yes, it's true. Not all Japanese horror comes from the late 90s and early 2000s. Let's find out what Japanese filmmakers were doing with horror late in the decade, as we put a wrap on the Summer of the 80s!
There's no Bruce Campbell anywhere in sight. And Sam Raimi did not direct this. We also did not see Ted Raimi around anywhere! Okay, so the U.S. title may be a little misleading. But hey, when you work in late night television, and you put out a request for viewers to send in tapes, you have to expect that you'll receive some interesting material. Is that a legitimate snuff film, though? Well, I guess that we as the viewers had better investigate with this team from the studio. But I'm afraid that we all might just end up falling into the Evil Dead Trap (1988)!
Is this the Japanese equivalent of Eraserhead? I guess, maybe. Back in the 90s, this kind of became an endurance test, an instant cult movie making the rounds on VHS among friends, if you could find it in the local video store. An endurance test? But it's only an hour and seven minutes, you say. The runtime may not be long, but let's just say that the violence and subject matter can make this an overwhelming experience for some. Get ready for the polarizing, experimental metal fetish extravaganza, Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)!
And then from there, we may as well close out the decade with the Common Craig's Top 5 Horror Movies from 1988 and 1989!