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Rampo Noir – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2005
Directors: Akio Jissoji, Atsushi Kaneko, Hisayasu Satō, Suguru Takeuchi
Writers: Atsushi Kaneko, Akio Satsukawa, Suguru Takeuchi, Shirō Yumeno
Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Mikako Ichikawa, Yumi Yoshiyuki, Ryuhei Matsuda, Hiroki Narimiya, Nao Ōmori, Yūko Daike

Release Date: January 6th, 2025 (UK), January 7th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 134 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Four filmmakers from completely different backgrounds bring their radically personal takes to the stories of Japan's celebrated master of the macabre, Edogawa Rampo (Horrors of Malformed Men, Blind Beast).

In "Mars's Canal", by music video director and visual artist Suguru Takeuchi, a lone man encounters the other side of his psyche beyond the reflective surface of a circular pond set in a desolate landscape. Japanese New Wave auteur and longtime director of the Ultraman series Akio Jissoji (This Transient Life, Mandala) harnesses his distinctive stylistic sheen in his story of a mad mirror maker, "Mirror Hell". "Caterpillar" sees the singular vision of cult director Hisayasu Sato (The Bedroom, Naked Blood) at its most grotesque, in his portrait of a wounded war veteran who returns from the frontline as little more than a bloody torso, helpless to defend himself against the increasingly perverted caprices of an embittered wife. Finally, a famous actor is subjected to the obsessive attentions of her limo driver in "Crawling Bugs", the directorial debut of internationally acclaimed manga artist Atsushi Kaneko (Bambi and Her Pink Gun).

Produced by the same team behind Ichi the Killer and Uzumaki, and with a cast featuring some of Japan's top stars, including Tadanobu Asano (Maboroshi, Silence) and Ryuhei Matsuda (Blue Spring, Gohatto), Rampo Noir is a stylistic tour-de-force that vividly evokes the "erotic grotesque" worlds created by Japan's pioneering proponent of horror and mystery fiction." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release’s transfers, "The high-definition master was supplied by Kadokawa."

Rampo Noir comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45 GB

Feature: 25.6 GB

The source does an excellent job retaining each segment's intended look. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. Dialogue comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include five galleries: main stills (4 images), Mars's Canal (4 images), Mirror Hell (12 images), Caterpillar (19 images), and Crawling Bugs (12), an archival making-of documentary titled Cross the Lens (75 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival featurette from the film's premiere titled Stage Greeting (15 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Sugura Takeuchi titled Another World (14 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Hisayasu Sato titled A Moving Transformation (25 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Atsushi Kaneko titled Butterfly Queen (13 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematography advisor Masao Nakabori titled Hall of Mirrors (25 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa titled The Butterfly Effect (15 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Yumi Yoshiyuki titled Looking in the Mirror (13 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Japanese film experts Jasper Sharp and Alexander Zahlten, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), a double-sided poster (limited to the first pressing), and a 28-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Erotic Grotesque Nonsense written by Eugene Thacker, an essay titled The Avant-Garde Hell of Rampo Noir written by Seth Jacobowitz, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Rampo Noir is an anthology film where each segment is adapted from a Rampo Edogawa story. Over the years filmmakers have adapted his works numerous times, notably Teruo Ishii's Horrors of Malformed Men and Noboru Tanaka's Watcher in the Attic. While Rampo Edogawa's stories connect each segment, each director brings their distinctive vibe and look.

Mars Canal: There are no spoken words, and it is the shortest of the four segments. The narrative revolves around a man traveling aimlessly while he remembers a former lover. This segment firmly embodies the avant-garde in its stylistic approach.

Mirror Hell: A detective investigates a series of deaths where all of the victims have burnt faces and charred skulls.

This segment is best described as a police procedural with occult elements. The deliberately paced narrative is never in a hurry to get to its payoff, and some viewers might find it too slow-moving. Fortunately, the visuals greatly aid the story that unfolds, with the director taking full advantage of the numerous mirrors. That said, while slow-moving, an excellent finale will reward those with patience.

Caterpillar: A sadistic wife takes care of a war veteran with no limbs, who's deaf and blind, and takes pleasure in mutilating his body.

Hisayasu Satō is the most significant of the four filmmakers, and it should not be a surprise that his segment is the strongest and most memorable. While Rampo Noir is not classified as a pinku eiga film, it incorporates numerous elements that Hisayasu Satō examined in his explorations of this genre. The visuals are filled with striking moments, and this segment is overflowing with weirdness.

Crawling Bugs: An actress is abducted by a man with a germ phobia who obsessively scratched his flesh.

This segment focuses more on style than substance, and while I would have liked more information about the man’s condition, the visuals do a superb job carrying the narrative. The visuals are filled with visually arresting moments, and the use of color is particularly striking. Additionally, this segment stands out due to its impressive special effects.

Rampo Noir gets an exceptional release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Highly recommended.