Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell (1995)


In 1995 Shinichi Fukazawa threw together a bit of cash and, with some friends, made a tribute to The Evil Dead.  In fact, Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell is now known as "The Japanese Evil Dead" because of its similarity in tone and style.  It is shot on grainy video, with some reshoots done in 2009, the film edited in 2010 and finally released to the world in in 2012.  It became popular enough as a passed-around DVD-R to get a theatrical release and full official release two years later. 

30 years prior a jealous woman (Aki Tama Mai) decides that she can't let her lover (Masahiro Kai) marry another woman.  She tries to murder him, but he ends up killing her and burying her beneath the floor of her house.  However, her soul has inhabited a necklace she wore, and over the years the house gains a reputation for being haunted. 

Shinji Naoto (Fukazawa) and an ex-girlfriend who happens to be a journalist (Asako Nosaka) decide to investigate the house with a psychic (Masaaki Kai) when Naoto inherits it with his dad's passing.  Once inside the woman decides to possess the psychic's body and trap Shinji and his girlfriend in the house, thinking that Shinji is his father.  The two begin their fight against a diabolical, vengeful spirit that hopes to escape out into the world. 

While there are no Deadites, Necronomicon or demons flying around a forest, the connection with the Evil Dead films is obvious.  There are several homages, from the use of "groovy" and "Come get some!" to a weapon choice later in the film.  The movie uses practical and stop motion effects, many of which look like they were bought at a costume shop, others looking like some creativity was put into it.  There are also scenes that look like the final melting scenes in The Evil Dead as well.

Unfortunately, although Fukazawa manages to shove a decent amount of story in a movie that is barely feature length, it still doesn't rise above being what it is, which is pretty much a home movie of someone's fan fiction.  For a shot-on-video movie it towers above dreck like Sledgehammer or Things, but it still can't escape the feeling that this is someone's first project.  The fact that Fukazawa spent so much time over the years with it is admirable, but it's also time that he may have spent reshooting it on film or digital and perhaps expanding on what is happening to the point that this stands with the movies he is referencing.

As it is this does stand as an interesting, if severely flawed, take on this type of movie.  It is admirable that he managed to get it done.  I just wish the results were a bit better.

Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell (1995)
Time: 62 minutes
Starring: Shinichi Fukazawa, Masaaki Kai, Asako Nosaka
Director: Shinichi Fukazawa


 

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