Shiryô no wana

This cult favorite B horror flick from Japan stars Miyuki Ono as Nami, the host of a late night TV program. One day, she receives in the mail a tape that contains footage of what appears to be an honest-to-God snuff film. Repulsed but fascinated, Nami assembles a camera crew (mostly female) and heads for the deserted factory where it is believed the footage was shot. Soon, Nami and company are subjected to repeated terrors, for there is indeed a killer on the premises.

At first, the set-up and the story (by Takashi Ishii) would seem to be on the routine side, but director Toshiharu Ikeda handles all of it in style, and delivers tons of potent doom-and-gloom atmosphere. The production design is truly first-rate, the gore by Shin'ichi Wakasa is first-rate ("Evil Dead Trap" can boast two great murder set pieces), the music (reminiscent of the Goblin score for "Suspiria", just one thing that "Evil Dead Trap" references) is good, and the performances (by a cast of Japanese porn stars) are capable. What elevates "Evil Dead Trap" is the big reveal at around the 82 minute mark, and the entire final act. It truly places poor Nami - who is put through the wringer over and over - into a vision of Hell. What's more, the disturbed antagonist is one that the audience can feel some pity for, as they just want their untenable situation to end.

Generally good fun, this does tend to be slowly paced, and a viewer could also see it as being repetitive, but it really does deliver a fair bit of genuine horror before those end credits start rolling. The splatter-riffic ending is truly one that is worth the wait.

Followed by two sequels.

Seven out of 10.