Tag – Eureka Video (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2015
Director: Sion Sono
Writer: Sion Sono
Cast: Reina Triendl, Mariko Shinoda, Erina Mano, Yuki Sakurai, Aki Hiraoka, Ami Tomite

Release Date: November 20th, 2017
Approximate Running Time: 85 Minutes 33 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B (Blu-ray), Region 2 PAL (DVD)
Retail Price: OOP

"Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) is the sole survivor of a bizarre paranormal incident that kills all of her classmates. Running for her life, Mitsuko seemingly slips into an alternate reality, but death and chaos seem to follow her everywhere. As Mitsuko finds herself in increasingly surreal and violent situations, the true horror behind her nightmare is revealed." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "1080p High Definition Presentation."

Tag comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 24 GB

Feature: 23.3 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, and image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to a theatrical trailer (1 minute 8 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles).

This release includes a DVD that contains the same content as the Blu-Ray in this combo package.

Summary:

Sion Sono directed Tag. He’s known for Suicide Club, Noriko’s Dinner Table, Strange Circus, Cold Fish, and Love Exposure. Tag is an adaptation of Yûsuke Yamada’s novel Real Tag, which had already had one film and one television adaptation. Although the other adaptation films and TV series were based on the same source material that serves as a launching point for Sion Sono’s Tag, he makes a substantial change by switching the protagonist from a family to female high school students.

A tragic event causes a young woman’s life to spiral out of control. In the aftermath of that tragic event, she begins to question what is real and what is merely a figment of her imagination.

In its truest form, cinema is at its best when it surprises you. Unfortunately, modern cinema has become overly sterilized, with too much emphasis placed on manufacturing products solely for maximum profit. Fortunately, all is not lost and there are filmmakers like Sion Sono (Love Exposure, Cold Fish), who falls firmly into the former category.

When it comes to shocking moments, this is one area where Sion Sono always delivers and then some. And nowhere is this more evident than in Tag’s opening sequence that features two school buses and various other young women, who are decapitated or chopped in half by an unseen entity. This scene perfectly sets the tone for the events about to unfold.

All around, the cast are excellent; it is not difficult to get caught up in their enthusiastic performances. Reina Triendl is cast in the role of the protagonist, Mitsuko, and she delivers an exceptional performance that anchors Tag. Misdirection is rampant throughout, and it is never clear what’s real or imagined, and her performance does a superb job reinforcing this disorientation. Another performance of note is Yuki Sakurai in the role of Aki; it is her character that tries to help Mitsuko make sense of what is happening to her.

Tag’s loosely constructed narrative greatly aids the nightmarish imagery, and there is an ample amount of carnage. Notable moments of bloodletting include the opening sequences where two buses filled with schoolgirls are sliced in half by an unseen force, a scene where teachers fully loaded with weaponry systematically launch an assault on all of the schoolgirls, and a wedding sequence where the groom has a pig head. The narrative progresses at a frenetic pace, leaving viewers with no opportunity to catch their breath. Ultimately, Tag stands out as a highly entertaining horror/fantasy film filled with subversive humor and abundant carnage.

Tag gets a solid audio/video presentation from Eureka Video; recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer