TAKASHI MIIKE'S MASTERS OF HORROR: IMPRINT

MASTERS OF HORROR: IMPRINT
By Ken Leicht

When word leaked out that Showtime elected not to run Takashi Miike’s episode of MASTERS OF HORROR, people wondered what could have been so shocking that it couldn’t air. Given the type of films Miike is infamous for, there was lots of fevered speculation. However, when “Imprint” finally makes its way on to DVD, I think people will wonder what the fuss is about.

Billy Drago, who is in the middle of some big comeback of late, stars as Christopher, an American in something resembling the late 1800’s who goes to China (?) searching for a beautiful woman he promised to come and rescue. He lands at some weird island whorehouse. Not wanting anyone but his beloved missing love Kimomo, he reluctantly takes a young woman for company. The woman has a disfigured face and many stories to tell. Through her we learn of Kimomo’s fate.

Apparently Kimomo was a prostitute who was falsely accused of theft and was subsequently tortured and killed. Christopher is saddened but also suspicious about whether the young woman is telling the truth.

This episode certainly tries to shock with an endless parade of aborted fetuses and a prolonged torture scene where Kimomo has pointed sticks put into her fingers, gums and who knows where else. Ultimately she is strung up in the air and pisses herself. As if this weren’t enough, there’s incest, rape, excessive violence and then to top it all off a conjoined twin bit of nonsense that makes the twin in BASKET CASE seem more convincing.

I don’t know what I expected but this whole thing was just absurd, sick, and worst of all boring. Like so many of the MASTERS OF HORROR, this episode disappoints. Those who are hoping that the too hot for Showtime-ness of this episode will make for cool viewing are likely to be disappointed. I applaud it for its weirdness and it’s commitment to shock but this episode, like so many of the series, need to not just say they are masters of horror, they need to do a better job of proving it.