Cyclops — Cyclops (Blu Ray)
Cyclops ( Kikuropusu) is a late-80s Japanese film which blends mad-doctor sci-fi, skewed dark comedy, and body horror. It’s most certainly influenced by early David Cronenberg films, but adds into the mix are moments of dark humour and extreme splatter. Here from Visual Vengeance is a Blu-ray release of the film. It features a 2k scan, a new commentary track, an interview & two visual essays. This first limited release includes two inlay booklets- The Creation of Cyclops, A (Short) Horror Trip, a mini poster, stickers, and a slipcase.
Cyclops is from 1987; it was directed by Jôji Iida, who has eight features to his name. These include the likes of cannibal horror comedy Battle Heater (1989) J-horror Spiral (1989), and the bleak disaster film Dragon Head (2003).
With a runtime of fifty-two minutes, the film sits between a short and a feature. It opens with pre-credits, featuring very accent-looking computer graphics and text regarding Cyclops.
When we get into the film, it has a rather hodgepodge/ jarring structure- we move from a daughter's discussion with her scientist dad about another dead scientist. On to two teen girls walking through busy streets, another group of schoolgirls talking, and our first meeting with the secret government baddies. The most memorable/ distinctive baddie is towering, constantly unpleasantly smirking, and a sunglass-wearing man.
As the film unfolds, we have a teen girl kidnapped by the baddies- some who are rather touchy-feely. A woman's pregnant, and the sunglasses wear dude- stalking & creepily chatting to folks.
The gore/ splatter elements don’t appear until around the half-minute mark, but boy, when they do, they are deranged/ manic- we move from gory face smashing, fleshy tentacle lashing, bloody red eye sockets, face splitting, limp stretching, zipping bloody foam monsters, etc.
The score rather jarringly shifts between brooding/ lightly clunking post-industrial ambience and electro-beat meets bassy funk.
I’d say that the whole thing has somewhat of a mixed pace- shifting between rather flat dialogue scenes, more provocative operation scenes, and emotional pregnancy bonding, though to OTT splatter madness.
Cyclops certainly deserves its place as a late 80s cult item- and when the uneasy to impressively gory moments kick in, it’s a hell of a ride- it’s just a pity about the mixed pacing and the less dynamic dialogue scenes.
The region-free Blu-ray takes in a new 2k scan of the film; this largely has good definition and clarity, aside from a little sight damage here and there on the print. The mix of dialogue and score is fine, with clear English subtitles for the Japanese-language film.
On this disc itself, we get a few interesting/ worthy extras- first off, there is a commentary track from Justin Decloux of The Important Cinema Club and Patrick Macias, author of Tokyoscope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion. This is a very chatty/ enthusiastic affair, with some great research and observations. They start by touching on the films' pre-credits, and how they see the films' mutation as being fed by pollution to create a new human form. They talk about the birth of punk rock/ independent cult & horror in 1980’s Japan. We find out where the busy opening location is, and they comment on one shot in front of the McDonald’s sign where their characters are drinking Mc Fizzy drinks. We find out the film was shot on 16 mm, which at the time was used for either TV shows or pink/ Roman Porno films. They touch on the film's Roman porno connection, and how, in several films, the director has placed presumed dead/ naked women on a table. Later on, they discuss how the editor Ken'ichi Takashima worked on both high- and low-brow films. We find out the female lead was just sixteen in the film; she started acting at the age of four and went on to record a few singles. It’s worth a play track.
Otherwise, on the new extras side, we have the following: No Compliance (53.38) Interview with director Joji “George” Iida. Then we have two video essays with film critic and podcaster Justin Decloux- Not In The Way Your Expect: The Films of Joji “George” Iida (10.42), which sees him talking through the director's filmography. And All the Monsters Are Here: The Japanese DTV Market of the Mid-80s (10.58), he discusses six or so films that are stacked with gore & wackness- both these essays are well worth a play. Otherwise, there is an image gallery, Koji Yamamura Sketch Gallery, and Visual Vengeance trailers.
We get decent extras with this first limited pressing of the release. The Creation of Cyclops – 16-page liner notes booklet, A (Short) Horror Trip – 8-page liner notes booklet, a mini poster, Stick Your Own’ VHS stickers, mini poster, reversible cover art, and a slipcase with art by The Dude.
It’s great to see Cyclops getting the Visual Vengeance treatment, and I hope the label picks up some more early 80s Japanese titles down the line. When it gets going, it’s a impactful/ troubling picture, with extreme/ creative gore, unease, and early Cronenberg vibes.