Likened to the works of David Cronenberg and David Lynch this early effort from Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto (Tokyo Fist) is more akin to the films of Cronenberg with it's themes of "body horror" and how the human system can be taken over by an invading parasite/force.

Completely experimental and off the cuff, describing a plot summary for Tetsuo: The Iron Man isn't an easy task. The movie opens with a man planting himself in the middle of a junkyard of metal and wire and proceeding to cut a huge, bloody gash in his leg in order to insert a metal rod. Something spooks him and he sets off running only to cross into the path of a car driven by "The Salaryman" (Tomorowo Taguchi). From there it's a slew of insane hallucinations, bizarre events, and mind bending visuals as Taguchi's character wakes-up one morning with a piece of metal sticking from his cheek only to find he's begun changing into a being made almost entirely of machinery and metal.

In between his horrific changes they throw in an almost random attack at a subway by a metal armed female, a girlfriend who ends-up on the wrong end of Taguchi's transforming rage, and a finale that plays out like a battle royale of steel, mutation, and iffy stop motion effects (not to mention a mess of sped-up action).

Tetsuo: The Iron Man is completely surreal and off-kilter, which is both good and bad - good because director Tsukamoto gets to go crazy with some creative imagery and insane visuals, there's a strong machine-tinged musical score, and you've never quite seen anything like it; but bad simply because it lacks cohesion and really isn't appealing in an "entertainment" sense. Not once during the films slender 64 minute running time was I enjoying myself, but that may just have been the point - however, because my mind kept trying to wrap around the plot I ended-up coming out more with a headache than anything else.

This is definitely not for all and it's not an easy chore to watch, but it's still somewhat fascinating with Tsukamoto crafting an organic and primal film that you can't help but give credit to for being one of the more creative sci-fi/horror films of the last twenty years. It may not be on the level of some of Lynch and Cronenberg's finest work, but it's a promising start.

Tsukamoto would follow this up four years later with a sequel, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, which I've read is more of a reinvisioning of this film than an outright follow-up.

Visit Tartan Films for more info and to order (including the limited edition 2-disc DVD). (Chris Hartley, 9/6/05)

Directed By: Shinya Tsukamoto.
Written By: Shinya Tsukamoto.

Starring: Tomorowo Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka, Shinya Tsukamoto.

Picture Ratio: Full Frame.

Picture Quality: Considering that Tsukamoto intended the black & white photography to look stark and fuzzed-out you can't really complain in that area. Tartan keeps the rest of the transfer looking fine with decent clarity, solid darks, and no noticeable grain.

Extras: If you're a fan of the movie you'll want to pick-up the limited edition 2-disc DVD. I recieved the solo disc which really doesn't have much in the way of extras with director and cast filmographies, production notes, trailers for other Tsukamoto films, and trailers for other movies in Tartan's "Asia Extreme" line.