Door — Door(Blu Ray)

From the late 1980’s Door is a Japanese film that shifts from thriller to bloody slasher/house invasion in its last half an hour or so. It regards a middle-class housewife getting fed up with constant cold callers- be they on the phone or at the door of her apartment, and how after inadvertently damaging the hand of a salesman things start to escalate. It’s a film that carefully builds up its tension slowly- and when it finally explodes, we get some thrilling and bloody action. Here from Third Window Films as part of their Director's Company Collection, which focuses on the legendary 1980s Japanese production company is a recent Blu-Ray of the film. With the film's sequel as an extra, as well as commentary & a few other bonuses.

Door is from the year 1988. It was directed by Nara, Japan born Banmei Takahashi. He has an impressive eight two credits to his name. His releases go from very Pink genre-sounding titles like Whip & Tight Bondage (1979), Filthy Pussycat (1980), and Torturing The Housewife (1983). Though to Yakuza gang-based fare like Death of the Lion Kings (1993), Period set bio-drama Zen (2009) which tells the life story of Buddhist teacher Dogen Zenji, and college drama regarding the relationship between a teacher & student Red Ball (2015).
 
Much of Door’s screen time takes place in the Honda families apartment- the family takes in Takuto (Takuto Yonezu) a little boy of around six, his thirtysomething mother Yasuko (Keiko Takahashi), and away all-the-time salaryman Keiko Takahashi (Keiko Takahashi).  
 
The film's credits take in roaming POV shots of the apartment block- from its outside walkways- we then move into the Honda’s apartment- where we see Yasuko making breakfast for young Takuto, and as she goes out of the door she takes the rubbish out-placing it in the buildings rubbish area. After dropping Yasuko at his bus, she gets back home to find the black bag back on her doorstep. As her days unfolds, she receives several phone calls- where the male callers are trying to sell her insurance, and few other things- each time she turns it down politely if firmly. Next, she gets a man knocking on her door trying to sell something else- again she gets rid of him. And just as she starts to think things are easing off- there comes another knock.
 
On the other side of the door is Yamakawa (Daijirô Tsutsumi) a short mop-haired salesman- who is desperate for a sale he first rapidly knocks, then tries the door handle. He manages to shout out to her, and finally gets the door open- though it’s brief, as it’s on the chain- and Yamakawa's hand is caught & crushed in the door. He collapses against the door- begging to be let in though Yasuko stays firm him in, and in the end, he stalks off.
 
As the film unfolds there is someone who tries to kick in the flat door, she receives more phone calls- with these getting steadily more threatening. Then in the film's last quarter or so- a man breaks into the flat- with the tension building & building- with some reactively intense gore- like a meat fork in the cheek, bloody hand mashing, and a chainsaw in the neck.
 
Acting-wise the small cast is severable, and the tension is nicely notched up. The only real criticism I had was the electro percussion & bright synth tones soundtrack, which is rather mood & tension breaking in places.  The apartment location is effective, and towards the end, we get some neat shifting from room-to-room overhead shots that really pile on the tension. All in all, Door is a rewarding 80’s set domestic thriller to come slasher- and this is been sold as the first ever Japanese slasher film.
 
 

Door II: Tokyo Diary is from the year 1991- it’s quite a different film from the first Door, and overall, I’d say it’s the better of the two films presented here.  It’s listed as a thriller/ horror, and while we do have elements of both genres, I’d say the film is largely a drama/ character study with elements of sleaze, darts of sexualized violence, and dark/ kinky humour. It’s once again directed by Banmei Takahashi

The film focuses on Ai (Chikako Aoyama) a twenty-year-old call girl. The film kicks off nicely moody & fairly mysterious manner- as we see a phone keypad as someone dials into a message service- we pan back to see the rather innocent/ butter wouldn’t melt Ai- as she decides which client to see.

She then heads to a coffee shop looking at two benches where a group of men keep jumping up as women go by- as it’s clearly a place for clients to meet call girls. She voices over the sequences, as we see her trying not to laugh at the sight of the men jumping up & sitting down. She finally goes out to pick up her client- they go to a room, and here she voices over how she doesn’t what she’ll get with each client until the door closes- and this one is angry & fairly brutal.

As the film unfolds, she meets a selection of different clients- these go from the kinky/ bizarre- for example one man in a red suit jacket & red painted nails just wants her patent red shoes. Another dresses up as a Nazi- she is blindfolded, as he pours rosé wine over her open mouth telling her it’s his urine. We get the sad & the lonely and around the hour mark the very brutal.  Her key/ repeated client is a vaguely African-looking man with a flattop and long rat tail- who enjoys playing field recording of vehicles & noisy seascapes. At their first meeting he pierces her ear lobe- licks the needle before anal penetrating her. As their meetups carry on, he seemingly enjoys making her perform awkward, strange, or in-public sexual activity.

The sleazy/ fleshy side of things keeps in the more softcore/ fleeting side of things- so in no way is this a porn movie- though of course, the sexualized violence side of things can be extreme/flinch-inducing- with the film’s most intense encounters involving brutal beatings, scissor face slashing, hair cutting & very brutal sexually activity.

Acting wise Aoyama is excellent as the lead- really giving quite a nuanced/effective performance. The surrounding cast is largely good/well-placed too. The soundtrack is better here too- with it largely being well placed/ effective in its use. For example, we have a nicely atmospheric piano-based jazz cue (which rather brought to mind a more approachable take on Australia’s The Necks).  All in all, Door II: Tokyo Diary is an engaging drama with some effective twists and turns along its length- as it darts into thriller and horror genres.

 

Moving onto this recent Blu-Ray release- both films get a digital remastering, and these largely look bold & well-defined in their scans. On the extra side, we get a commentary track on the first film from Japanese Jasper Sharp- this is well-researched & observed. He starts by talking about how the film is quite unlike any Japanese film before it.  He talks about how Banmei Takahashi came from a Pink film background, and we find out the film's lead actress Keiko Takahashi got married to the director in 1982- going on to appear in quite a few of the director's films.  He comments on the film's rather monotone score- we find out this was the only film scored by Gôji Tsuno - though he had scored a few manga cartoons.  He talks about the opulent look of the apartment’s interior, which nods towards how rich Japan was as a country during the late 80’s.  We find out the husband actor had a Pink film background- with his most notable film being S&M Hunter. He gives a more in-depth bio of Keiko Takahashi- talking about her 70’s TV & film work- as well as the two Pink films she made. Later on, he discusses the Directors Company, and how they were very varied in their genres. He touches on the other two Door films, and how Japanese horror switched from more gory fare like the latter part of the film into the moodier & muted J horror genre. So, a most worthy/ interesting track. Otherwise, we get an on-screen interview with director Banmei Takahashi (24.42), and trailers for both films.

All in all, this is a great collection of two of Banmei Takahashi late 80’s/ early 90’s films, with both flirting with the thriller and horror genres. Though both films have Door in their title, they are very different & all the better for it. I do hope Third Window have some more Takahashi films in their sights- as I’d love to see more of his work…maybe a collection of his Pink films? Anyway, another most worthy release of two lesser-seen/ known Japanese genre films from Third Window Films