SurgeBot

I found a copy of this film without the benefit of English subtitling, but was able to figure out the story... vaguely, anyway. I have been a fan of this director's work for many years, particularly the excellent TOKYO FIST, so I was very happy to find this obscure little film.

It seemed at first to be much more mainstream than the rest of Tsukamoto's films, but it did have its share of bizzare scenes... It is essentially a cross between EVIL DEAD II, THE THING, and THE CHURCH... but in Japanese. Mainly enjoyable, and a must for anyone interested in this guy's work. It is very strange indeed...

Being a fan of Sonny Chiba and the Golgo 13 comics, I found this at the video store I work at, and rented it one saturday night. I laughed, I cried, I made fun of the atrocious dubbing. This "film" is absolutely ridiculous, but shouldn't be taken seriously anyway. If you are looking for a really goofy martial arts/ assassin flick, this is for you. I suggest inventing a drinking game for this movie, because being plastered is a must for this one.

When I put the tape in my VCR, I wasn't expecting a good film. I expected a bad, but at least moderately entertaining flick, that's all. I was sorely disappointed. The sound is bad, the picture worse, and the storyline nonexistent. The last resort of the bad Troma film, nudity, wasn't even used well. This is the single worst film I have seen in weeks! If you want good Troma, try CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL, or TROMEO AND JULIET. This was the film equivalent of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

I am sick of the marketing. I am sick of the lame musical numbers. I am sick of talking animals. I am QUITE sick of insulting cultural inaccuracies (think Pocahontas and Mulan). THE BLACK CAULDRON sticks out like a sore thumb in a crop of happy, whimsical garbage that has come out of the Disney studios in the last decade. I remember when a Disney film had real plot, real art, real characters, and this may have been the last of the bunch. In the pre -Eisner era, Disney films had some credibility. Its no wonder that it took so long for this one to make it to video. But I am rather pleased with it. --The SurgeBot

Few films are as nightmarish and horrifying. You will watch it several times, despite the fact you may hate it, just to reassure yourself that what you just saw actually happened and was not some freak hallucination. Rent it widescreen, get the laserdisc, or see it in an art-house theater if possible, because the first impression is very hellish indeed. --The SurgeBot