Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

I've no doubt that the truly cynical amongst us would call Shinya Tsukamoto's 1990 feature Hiruko the Goblin little more than an attempt to cash in on the fame he'd garnered making the cyberpunk classic Tetsuo: The Iron Man and fund his less commercial future ventures. The cynics amongst us may even be right—but that doesn’t change the fact that Hiruko is still a wildly entertaining genre film from one of the most interesting Japanese filmmakers working today.

If nothing else, Hiruko demonstrates that Tetsuo wasn't a fluke, that Tsukamoto truly is a director with a unique vision, and that he has the versatility to not only make arthouse and cyberpunk flicks that appeal to a niche audience, but that he can helm a big-budget mainstream production while maintaining his own aesthetic style. In a lot of ways, it's the Japanese equivalent of watching Peter Jackson make films like Dead Alive, then get the chance to tackle Lord of the Rings. The only real difference is that Jackson seems content to stick with his Hollywood mega-star status while Tsukamoto has since gone back to making his own unique brand of cinema.

Naturally, like seemingly every other Japanese film out there, Hiruko is based on a popular manga—this time, one written by Daijiro Moroboshi. Manga (which are Japanese comic books) certainly seem to be a lot more popular and diverse than their American counterparts and have fared a whole lot better in terms of being adapted to film. There haven't been a lot of good American films based on comic books—but there have been some great Japanese films based on manga.

Anyway, in keeping with the sort of Peter Jackson vibe we have going, Hiruko plays a lot like your typical early Jackson film (e.g. Bad Taste and Dead Alive)—it's gory, it's funny, and it's totally insane in terms of inventiveness.

Archeologist Hieda's (Kenji Sawada) life is in turmoil. Professionally, he's been ostracized for his crazy beliefs about goblins living under the Earth, while personally he's coping with the tragic and untimely death of his wife. When he receives a letter from his brother (a teacher at a nearby school) stating he may have found evidence that Hieda's theories aren't so nuts, the archeologist sets out on an expedition.

When Hieda arrives at the school, he learns that his brother and a young female student have gone missing. He teams up with Masao (Masaki Kudou), a student with problems of his own—whenever someone dies, he has an image of their face burn itself onto his back.

Early investigations reveal there are indeed goblins under the school—and that a sealed door has been opened. Meanwhile, the young woman Masao is in love with has been decapitated and sprouted spider legs from her severed head (think John Carpenter's The Thing and you get the picture)—I told you, this movie is crazy. Anyway, the two unlikely heroes (Masao whines a lot and Hieda is scared of everything—particularly bugs) have to find a way to seal the gate and save the world. If this were your typical Tsukamoto film, the outcome would probably be in doubt—but since this is a medium-budgeted mainstream studio production, you can probably guess how things are gonna play out.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the film is that in Japan goblins are very different than they are here in the west. Anyone expecting some Tolkien-esque creatures is bound to be shocked. In Japan, apparently, goblins are more like demons than anything. Actually, they kind of look like raptors from Jurassic Park.

Despite the departure from his normal material, Tsukamoto shines as a director even when he's helming a mainstream genre film. Hiruko is stunning visually in a number of different places, and it’s far more impressive than your standard genre film. Tsukamoto's use of color and Evil Dead-styled shots is excellent, giving what could have been a routine fantasy film a much needed shot of personality. Why Tsukamoto remains unknown to most western film fans is beyond me—this guy is easily one of Japan's best kept secrets.

Hiruko has made its American DVD debut courtesy of Fangoria's new World Horror imprint (which is distributed through Media Blasters). Like your typical Media Blasters disc, it's not perfect but it is certainly watchable (particularly if you ever sat through one of the old 5th generation bootlegs floating around out there). Picture and sound are serviceable with easy to read English subtitles on the bottom of the screen. Extras are fairly scarce, with the brief Tsukamoto interview being the highlight. The disc also features trailers for upcoming titles being released under the Fangoria banner.

Ultimately, no one's ever gonna list Hiruko as their favorite Tsukamoto film—this is clearly a fluff piece in a cinematic career filled with films with much more impact. However, this doesn’t mean that Hiruko isn't a good film—it is. It knows what it is and it never tries to be anything more than that. Tsukamoto injects enough of his trademark style into the movie to remind you that it's his, while his homages to western horror films are sure to delight anyone who's a serious student of the genre. Sure, it's not Tetsuo--but it does demonstrate that Tsukamoto's talents are multi-faceted. Anyone looking to see the director's lighter side or just check out a fun, if a bit mindless, Asian genre film should definitely check this one out.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening