"A Cat in the Brain" My Eleventh Must See Pick for the Halloween Season

What is a Halloween season without an appearance of controversial Italian Gore Director (and who is considered the “Godfather” of the genre) Lucio Fulci? A sucky one, that is what! And today’s installment of my must sees is one Fulci’s most original works and probably one of his most insane and regrettably one of his last: “Nightmare Concert” aka “A Cat in the Brain”.

“A Cat in the Brain” is a “Meta-Style-Film” where Fulci plays himself as the main character of Dr. Lucio Fulci, a horror/splatter film director, who is not only tortured but driven by his violent visions. Fulci, feeling ever more like he might be losing his grip on reality with ever-increasing fantasies of murder and mayhem decides that it might be high time to see a psychotherapist. But unfortunately for Fulci, his new psychotherapist, Professor Egon Swharz, has something more sinister than treating Fucli’s bloody visions. More of something along the lines of stalking the famed director and using Fulci’s gory nightmares-esque movie death scenes for his own personal use. And in the end to try to pin his own wheel-of-mayhem upon the famed director.

A truly insane nightmare of sadism, carnage, and brutal lust that only can be delivered by the Godfather of Splatter himself!

Until next time…

Takashi Miike: Back Where He Belongs: In Horror

The highly prolific and controversial horror director, Takashi Miike, is back behind the camera with “Lesson Of The Evil” and his new film is being touted as his most twisted and gore filled film yet.

You remember him don’t you. And if you are a horror fan -especially of Asian horror- how can you not?

Takashi Miike rose to fame back in 1999, here in America anyway, with his film “Audition” that told the story of a lonely Japanese widower whose friend decides to hold a fictitious audition for a role in an up coming movie so he can find a new love to share his life with. And as fate would have it the widower grows enamored with one girl in-particular but in Japanese fashion not all goes the way it should.

This time around, Miike is directing “Lesson Of Evil” which is adapted from the 2010 best selling novel “AKU NO KYOTEN” by author Yusuke Kishi and is shooting for a November release. Not sure when it’ll make to American shores but I can’t imagine it would be that long as for the large following Miike has in the States.

The plot for “Lesson Of Evil” follows A teacher named Seiji Hasumi who is loved by his students and respected by his peers. However, his outward charm masks his true nature. In reality, Hasumi is a psychopath who is unable to feel empathy for other human beings. Specifically, he has a severe antisocial personality disorder. Because of his mental condition, Hasumi chooses to deal with problems like bullying and overbearing “monster parents” the easy way—by systematically murdering his students.

Other Miike notables are “Ichi the Killer, “Gozu”, Yakuza Demon”, and the Showtime series “Masters of Horror: Imprint”. “Imprint” if you remember was banned from the Showtime broadcast but is available on DVD.