Guinea Pig: Devil's Experiment (1985)

The Guinea Pig box, so much is said about it. When the first entry came out it was immediately a hot thing, some popular Hollywood thespians called the cops by telling them they just watched a real snuff movie and in those days it was to be believed that this was a real snuff flick. Today we do know better as with the Faces Of Death we all know that it was mostly faked.The way this flick was made do add towards the feeling that you are watching a snuff movie. No opening or ending credits, no professional editing and no real directing to notice. Not only that, shot with a grainy look and no extra lighting gave people back then the creeps. To be honest, people nowadays not aware of the horror genre and seeing this flick will indeed be shocked. It's strange because there's no real horror (except at the end) or gore or even blood to spot but it's the way the torturing takes place and is done that makes it not watchable for the faint- hearted. But for today standards it all looks a bit low on everything. The kicking and slabbing may look cruel but it's toward the end that you will ask yourself, which girl is crazy enough to do such things. Animal intestines being thrown over your face? Maggots all over your body? But at the end some will be really shocked but having seen Tampon Tango Genki-Genki and MASD-004 this flick is laughable but again, people not used in the Japanese extreme genre still avoid this at all costs. Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 0/5 Story 1/5 Comedy 0/5

This film disappointed me. Perhaps the weight of my expectations was too high. Why? Because I read a lot about it before viewing. But could it be called a spoiler when a story doesn't exist?In a way what shocked me was the poor execution of the 'torture scenes'. I couldn't imagine how less of an impact will they have. Even the good ending scene could've been so much better. The fact itself that the person seems to be unconscious during the piercing takes away a lot of the shock factor. Her 'screams' throughout are so much contrasting to what's actually happening that I found myself laughing for most of it. I've seen school-clips which have had a bigger shocking value.The idea sounds great and that's the key word - sounds. The way I was imagining this film was much much better than what it proved to be in reality. But hey, underground can hardly afford a better performance, can it? The runtime doesn't do it any favours either.If you want a real challenge you should check some proved titles - the likes of Cannibal Holocaust, the masterpieces by Takashi Miike, Zombi 2 (1979) and a personal favourite - Mark of the Devil(the first). A story can enhance the effect, it's doesn't always give the viewer air to breathe. So does a genuine, full runtime.I acknowledge however, that this film has his place in the extreme history and it's a brave effort nevertheless, with the final scene being a highlight.

And yet you are also human. What do you reconcile? That you should follow the instincts of an animal? No good! Unless you have an abnormality, you can't turn off your mind from reflecting on what you've done. Or seen, as the case may be.If you continue to act like an animal, making that choice, you aren't an animal anymore, but a savage. An animal doesn't know. But a savage does. Primitive tribes are more like animals- they have nothing to compare. But we are living in, let us say, a more enlightened place where someone can at least tell you that you're acting like an animal.So, this film... it doesn't work. If you say it shows the human animal, you're mistaken. It shows the human savage. It depicts those from the enlightened world who know better making choices to be savage. There is nothing great here. Only that if the tables were turned, we the audience might cheer. And is that savage? Probably. But it would at least say that we're waiting to see justice done and not just peeking in on savagery, as if to say we're too cowardly to do it, but we don't mind seeing it and/or fantasizing about it.I didn't watch the whole thing. Why should I? I have no interest in anything but elevating myself further beyond animal behavior. Perhaps you're wondering if I would be savage myself if that girl were my daughter? Oh yes. I don't deny that I am as all humans, able to be savage. However, ask me if I would kidnap someone for this purpose- no, that's sick and, worse, devoid of humanity.I would recommend that this film be shown to judges before sentencing rapists, kidnappers, and serial killers. Maybe then we'd find a bit more justice and lot less tolerance for savages.

Not that I tinkle myself with glee at the sight of realistic blood shed, but when I put a DVD in expecting a bloodbath, and what I get is one bloody scene (the eyeball) at the tail end of asinine fake slapping, and spinning in a desk chair, I end up thinking "well that's 43 minutes of my life gone forever." I wouldn't considers this or Flower of Flesh and Blood "movies" so much as an exercise of will; to see if you can sit through them. Flower of Flesh and Blood had a few tough spots to watch. The Devil's Experiment did not. It was at best, stupid, and at worst...well...really stupid. Perhaps my expectation were too high. I put the DVD thinking "oh man, this is gonna be sick." After watching them fake slap the girl about a thousand times, I was watching it in fast forward.Two kinds of people would be interested in this film. 1) People who seek out F'd up films just to see how F'd up it really is, or 2) horror completest. I sought this and the other Guinea Pig films for the latter reason, but even if I fell into the category of the former, this film wouldn't float my boat. As a matter of fact, I could imagine this film increasing one's blood lust...as in "WOULD YOU JUST KILL THE B*TCH ALREADY!!" So in conclusion, the only reason to own this film is for collection purposes. If you want carnage that traditional horror doesn't provide, get Traces of Death. Sure, that sucks too, but at least you'll get the blood and guts you expect.The only reason I can see for anyone praising this crap is because they feel they're supposed to. No artistic merit that I can comprehend, no reason for it's notoriety, no nothing. Just a lame attempt to be shocking.