Filmmaker Takashi Shimizu has become quite the popular director since JU-ON and THE GRUDGE. Why not? Shimizu seems to have a knack for providing a fair amount of boo factor in his projects. However, is MAREBITO scary? The cover of the DVD box looks creepy and the backdrops in the menu are also unnerving. But what about the movie itself? Is this a horror flick? It has a strange story and is somewhat gory, with offbeat images and inventive direction by Shimizu. But is it scary? I mean, the plot is about a freelance cameraman who is literally trying to find out what a true sense of terror is. But still, is the movie scary? Well...no, not exactly, but it sure is weird.

Masuoka is a loner who carries his video camera with him wherever he goes. Sometimes he gets lucky and records dramatic events, even news stories, but for the most part he seems bored with the world. The one thing that does fascinate Masuoka is the sense of fear on the face of a man that commits suicide by stabbing himself in the eye. It's not like the man is afraid to die, but rather that he's afraid of “something else” that has led him to take his own life. Masuoka wants to discover what that “something else” is, because he wants to experience the same feeling. I mean, come on, wouldn't you? Just kidding, folks.

By the way, a word of warning about Masuoka. He's not the picture of stability. He quits taking his prescription Prozac because he wants a clear mind as he searches for answers about true terror. Yeah, that should work. He also sees whitish, bizarre humanoid creatures out of the corner of his eyes. But hey, that's okay, because even if they are dangerous, Masuoka doesn't mind dying. And if the creatures aren't real and are just in his mind, that's no skin off his nose either. He doesn't have a problem with being insane. So, Masuoka follows these albino-like things into the tunnels and otherworldly catacombs beneath Tokyo. And what does he find? More whitish humanoids, right? Wrong. He finds a beautiful naked girl with sharp teeth bound in chains. Yeah, it caught me off guard, too. Masuoka takes the woman back to his apartment and names her “F.” But things don't go well. F won't eat or drink anything, doesn't seem to know how to walk (how did he get her back to his apartment, I wonder?), and behaves like an untrained animal. It all gets a bit much until Masuoka discovers a couple secrets about F. Not that the secrets make things better for Masuoka and F, but they do provide even more strangeness, which Masuoka genuinely seems to enjoy.

I'm not going to go beyond that in describing the plot because this is a tale that the viewer must experience for his or herself. Suffice it to say that it's the overall weirdness that takes center stage here. There are no shocking images or jolting moments, but there are plenty of uncomfortable scenes. I think it's fair to say that Shimizu is content to disturb his audience more than scare them with this project. There is little doubt that MAREBITO works big time in that way. Is it entertaining? From a production standpoint, there is little to complain about, if the viewer is into outrageous cinema, especially from the SOV medium. Don't forget that Tartan is rightly releasing this title under its “Asia Extreme” banner. That should tell you something right there. In all honestly, I seriously doubt anyone into mundane mainstream horror films is going to find much to enjoy in Shimizu's work here. Who cares? Shimizu didn't make this movie for them anyway.

Here's a curiosity that should stir some interest among CULTCUT readers. The lead role Masuoka is played by none other than actor/writer/director Shinya Tsukamoto. Yes, that Tsukamoto, the one who directed insane films such as TETSUO, A SNAKE OF JUNE, and VITAL. Shinya does a pretty good job portraying Masuoka here, though he's a little too monotonic for my tastes during several scenes. Still, this is a character that isn't like your every day Joe and I imagine that's a valid reason for casting Tsukamoto, who seems a little distant in real life during interviews. On that note, it's interesting how much MAREBITO feels more like a Tsukamoto movie than something one might normally expect from Shimizu. Just thought I'd mention that. Anyway, the rest of the acting performances are good, with everyone playing it real, not overblown, in a story that seems quite unreal. A special note has to go to Tomomi Miyashita, who is both beautiful and ethereal as F.

Tartan does a nice job with this DVD release. Keep in mind that MAREBITO is a low budget SOV production. It's no big deal though, because the digital video look, though limited as expected, works well with the movie's storyline. The sound offerings are really impressive here. You have several choices, with the 5.1 Surround Sound being the best of the group, or at least it was on my system. An acquaintance of mine preferred the DTS track. But the point is you have several choices and one of them will probably sound good on any particular set-up. Extras include friendly and informative individual interviews with director Takashi Shimizu, actor Shinya Tsukamoto, and producer Hiroshi Takahashi. There is also the original theatrical trailer and several teasers for other Tartan Asian Extreme releases. Overall, I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I recommended MAREBITO to “all” genre fans. It simply isn't that kind of movie. But if you're into Asian film oddities, SOV productions, or any kind of bizarre cinema, then don't miss this deranged work by Takashi Shimizu.