Goke: Body Snatcher from Hell (1968) d. Hajime Sato (Japan) (84 min)
In the 1960s, Japan turned out some of the wildest, weirdest genre offerings fans could encounter. Case in point: This futuristic Flight of the Phoenix where, after passing through blood-red cloudbanks, murdering a score of kamikaze birds, and encountering a glowing UFO, a commercial airliner crashes in the desert, stranding its disparate band of survivors. An evil space amoeba subsequently takes possession of a would-be hijacker (a show-stopping, head-splitting, glob-oozing sequence) who begins drinking the other passengers’ blood.
Of course, this turn of events brings out the worst in the survivors (i.e. human nature strikes again), who instantly began throwing each other under the extraterrestrial bus in a desperate attempt to avoid being space vampire lunch. Before long, the “Gokemidoro” alien has drained or killed everyone except the captain and stewardess who make a break for civilization, only to confront more sinister surprises in a downbeat, politically-charged twist ending.
Released as part of Criterion's "When Horror Came to Shochiku" box-set, this is a long-hidden horror worth discovering. Hats off to the Music Box Theatre (and programmer William Morris) for choosing it to kick off this year’s annual Music Box of Horrors 24-hour film festival.
An incredibly bizarre film, the likes of which I never thought would get added to the Criterion Collection. But then again, it does include Hausu, does it not? And that "Monsters and Madmen" set is also pretty boss.
ReplyDeleteCriterion has certainly made a few oddball choices, but I'm rarely sorry when they do, especially when they are something along the lines of GOKE. (Although the fact that THE ROCK is in there makes my head swim.)
DeleteI LOVE this freaking movie! I had the Shochiku box set, and this was one of my 2 faves in the box.....CRAZYTOWN
ReplyDeleteWatching it with a crowd this past weekend was pretty darn amazing. So many "WTFhahahahaha" moments.
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