Growing up, it was not uncommon for me or my friends, to have a desire to watch or see certain films. Often these were films that had mutated into strange beasts due to cult like status. Though there were only a few films, they were very often legendary. Often due to censorship or their relationship to the censors gaze. The EVIL DEAD was one in particular. Censored and silenced in my homeland during the 80s and 90s. Another was THE EXORCIST. Unavailable on home video but desired for a raft of reasons. HIRUKO THE GOBLIN was near to the top of the pile for its link to the first film. A film that rifts off the first film, alongside the works of Carpenter and Gordon. Director Shinya Tsukamoto previous film was a hit. TETSUO: THE IRON MAN, was an absurdist monster movie about how technology consumes us. With Shinya Tsukamoto intelligent and grimy framing that was an equal to the afore mentioned. For his first studio project, he decided on ample fair. A bizarre adaptation of Daijiro Morohoshi’s Yokai Hunter manga HIRUKO THE GOBLIN. Bizarre indeed.

The Japanese countryside is awash with small towns and sun bleached fields. Schools house young people, setting out to teach them what they need to know but often just keeping them in check until they turn out into the real world. A disgraced archaeologist is a very rare though, traipsing through the halls and being deeply unhappy. Here is where Professor Hieda (Kenji Sawada) finds himself. He has teamed up with a high school student called Masao (Masaki Kudou) to take on something strange. Something stalking flesh and blood. People have been disappearing all after a fellow archaeologist came on the scene and claimed to know of a tomb nearby that belongs to a goblin.

HIRUKO THE GOBLIN is a fun, bash about film that, if you have not seen, then I would suggest that you will almost, almost (please note this) be in the position of those who first watched EVIL DEAD. The film never takes itself seriously, never seems to play too hard on the ‘horror’ aspects of its genre. It often is more played for laughs than for scares and the splatter and limbs scatter, keep the audience compelled to it. While also laughing heartily. It might riff perfectly off of the works of Raimi, Gordon and even Abbot and Costello but it has a place of its own.

The New Restoration has colour corrected the film. This is a big thing. Finally giving that darkened VHS the ability to lighten the sticking, gloppy liquid that splashes everywhere. Well done. Tsukamoto commentary is a tale of two halves. The first is on the film, which is excellent. He reveals secrets, makes jokes and eyes up what he might have changed (very little). The second half is more about his later works. Tom Mes commentary is a film school. He adapts the film, Tsukamoto and the genre in Japan, as a whole and places it into a realm. He also gives us enough bite to chew on the details of the film artists. Which is why I would recommend Takashi Oda interview. His effects hold up a lot and they deserve a sounding out.

Special Features:

• New Restoration
• New Interview with Director Shinya Tsukamoto
• Audio Commentary by Tom Mes
• Original Japanese Trailer
• Special Creature Effects: Takashi Oda interview
• Creature Effects
• Vintage Interview with Director Shinya Tsukamoto
• Special slipcase edition w/illustrated artwork by Ian MacEwan limited to 1000 copies
• Region B