Too Much for the U.S. to handle?

Whether it’s scissors, needles or knifes, there’s a place for it in the horror genre.

There’s always more room for masters of horror in the field. Take controversial Japanese director Takashi Miike. He’s put audiences on edge with his no-punches-pulled creative visions.

Miike is a sick bastard.

An early film “Ichi the Killer” overstepped the boundaries and then some when it came to cruel and unusual punishment. It involved a sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer. He also self-mutilates. There’s nothing nice about this guy. But beyond the glossy vivisection of gore is visionary that belongs to Miike. No matter how outrageous, or disturbing, his stuff turns out to be, it’s still art to the Nth degree.

The United States could’ve been treated for the first time his work on Showtime channel. Thirteen short films of the Masters of Horros series were on the roster call—several established horror practitioners were invited to present their work. They were able to put a stamp in the deep abyss of the horror field by bringing their own vision to the series.

However, all but one episode was shown for the season this year.

That episode was called “Imprint” by Takashi Miike.

Why?

It was deemed to disturbing to show on television. The work was frankly too brutal for a wider audiences not used to the strong stuff. Showtime network decided to discard the episode in favor of not offending anyone.

Miike wasn’t very happy with the decision.

Something new could’ve been brought to the horror industry. Japanese horror, in many years since the breakout with “The Ringu,” offered a more creepy effect that often resembles the feeling of worms eating your way out of your guts. These films, with their different direction in the supernatural, were churning out some pretty good films with ghosts looking like leftover carcasses from the holocaust explosion.

Miike was riding the wave of that success. His work may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s still a representative work of art… created through the sweat of hard labor and creative thought.

He was turned down by Showtime. It was like an ungracious slap in the face for him.

But you can still see this episode in an upcoming DVD through the Masters of Horror series. It comes out on September 25. Click on to see cover for DVD.

The story involved an American journalist played by actor Billy Drago who is looking for a prostitute he fell in love with. He finds an island with a brothel and a blackest secret. He found the forbidden apple inside the garden. Much of it dealt with the horrible torture she had to go through… some parts include some grisly dental work by needles. Some facial disfiguring.

Even the sole creator of Masters of Horror Mick Garris was put off by some of the material. He didn’t much care for physical abuse brought on by the woman like an ungodly storm. The guy’s work can be offensively misogynistic. Garris had to look away from the screen while viewing this segment. That alone makes me want to see the episode even more. It’s called morbid curiosity.

But it’ll be a while before the DVD hits the shelves of your local retail stores. In the meantime, I could recommend you an older romance/horror film by the same director called “Audition” which helped him gain recognition worldwide. It’s about a nice guy who meets up with a woman of his dreams through a series of fake auditions.

Their relationship takes off. But it turns out that the woman isn’t who she claims to be. There’s plenty of sick twists.

You won’t easily forget Miike’s films. They leave you a little numbed. And you take a look at life differently. It’s a little unpleasant. But the films do make you think.

How often does a movie do that for you?