This low-budget, student film out of Japan is quite a depressing and nihilistic watch. The first half is about a radical, left-wing group of young adults. Their leader has been jailed and his girlfriend has taken over. When they find out he committed suicide in prison, she goes violently insane and drags the rest of the group with her, resulting in a very graphic shotgun blast to the head, two castrations, a beheading, and a number of other vile, cruel, and disturbing scenes. That all said, it is still rather boring and seems pretty pointless, though I believe it was inspired by similar groups and events in Japan in the 70's.
26 Reviews
From 0 to 90 mph in one scene
brandonennals7 October 2005
Oh man, this one took me by surprise. I bought this movie because I heard it was one of the more graphic movies in the past 10 years. That kind of talk always peeks my interest since I love action and horror films. I was bored after watching the first hour or so of this movie. I was thinking about sending it back and demanding a refund (even though I knew that would never happen). I was told to be patient, most of the gore was at the end of the movie. Well, that was totally correct. What I didn't know was that the gore was so over the top. I have a very strong stomach, and this movie made me want to turn away. I don't like to write a movie comment with spoilers so I wont get into the different things you could see at the end of this movie. I will say after I saw this movie to completion, I felt like I needed a shower. This movie makes you feel dirty. I makes you feel nauseous. I really cant see myself watching this movie again, but I don't think I will sell it to anyone either. I think I will keep it and lend it out to friends. This way I can be the guy who has one of the most graphic and disgusting movies ever made. I want to see my friends faces when the return this movie to me. I'm sure I will get a phone call right after they watch it, with them telling me how nasty it is. Thats why I will keep it, because it is the nastiest, most vile movie I have seen in a long, long time.
Half formed...
nosferatusblood192210 August 2007
Ever read a novel with missing pages? Perhaps a vague abstraction confused you... Whatever the circumstances, ambiguity resides in relation to this films details and lack thereof; so, if you find yourself asking a lot of questions--especially during the opening half--then don't be surprised. Whether it was deliberately done or not is another debate, but this is a "student film" apparently.
Let's hack into the meat of the celluloid now, shall we?!?
After losing their leader (Aizawa) to jail time, A group of leftist stalwarts (whose true cause we're never quite sure of, aside from the fact they're seemingly at odds with the prevailing authoritative paradigms, and who may be displeased with the Vietnam war, as one reviewer mentioned), set forth on what becomes a violent power struggle with catastrophic and sanguinary consequences. The aftermath of the aforementioned imprisonment results in an order from Aizawa that his girlfriend is to head the group until his release. A decision that's met with some resistance, but things really turn when the head of the snake is cut off, so to speak. Witness the descent spiral into the abyss of oblivion (barring, you have the patience.)
Character-wise, a somewhat diverse ensemble, the rebels are made up of. A nerdy fellow newcomer, A strong silent type with a sword, an annoying female lead with an unsightly countenance, one underling to the incarcerated who asserts his bravado, and a few tag-alongs.
*Urgent bulletin*: The first hour is S-L-O-W. *End bulletin*.
Well, with the introductory information out of the way, you're probably wondering about the political allegory, symbolism, and profuse gore Kichiku is noted for. Fret not, for there are some impressions--a few drenched in crimson--that this reviewer would like to notify the reader about.
-The last member to join the group before its complete and utter combustion seemed to represent traditional values, to an extent. The mute observer seemingly skirting the precipice. Somewhat like he belongs to a bygone samurai age (He wields a nice blade), while those around him represent a new-world pariah mindset. One of youth & contempt for control/authority. Perhaps a product of what they hate (the latter); thus, making them mere reactionaries unsure of what they really want. Are they confused? Eh, maybe.
-A Japanese flag with a bloodstain on it, subject to 'stabbings'. I don't think I need to explain that...
-Related: Anarchists? Anti-war demonstrators? Te**o*ists? You figure it out.
-You'll be forced to reconsider the context of rifles in relation to female genitalia. Heh.
-Related: A scene in the mountains, it reminds of Scanners. What a mess of that cranium! Bloody hell! Literally!
-Lastly, We see the self destruction of powermongering and the hysteria it brings. Regardless of status or political persuasion, the cycle always ends the same way. Leftist, Reactionary, Staunch Right-Winger, it's all the same when infighting & an inherent lack of discipline clash with egodrama over that elusive thing called control. The affiliations and labels of such cabals render themselves irrelevant in the face of human savagery and animalistic thrashings.
Anyways, Kumakiri made a decent flick with both shock appeal and political leanings. Give it a look you cast iron stomachs, you.
Let's hack into the meat of the celluloid now, shall we?!?
After losing their leader (Aizawa) to jail time, A group of leftist stalwarts (whose true cause we're never quite sure of, aside from the fact they're seemingly at odds with the prevailing authoritative paradigms, and who may be displeased with the Vietnam war, as one reviewer mentioned), set forth on what becomes a violent power struggle with catastrophic and sanguinary consequences. The aftermath of the aforementioned imprisonment results in an order from Aizawa that his girlfriend is to head the group until his release. A decision that's met with some resistance, but things really turn when the head of the snake is cut off, so to speak. Witness the descent spiral into the abyss of oblivion (barring, you have the patience.)
Character-wise, a somewhat diverse ensemble, the rebels are made up of. A nerdy fellow newcomer, A strong silent type with a sword, an annoying female lead with an unsightly countenance, one underling to the incarcerated who asserts his bravado, and a few tag-alongs.
*Urgent bulletin*: The first hour is S-L-O-W. *End bulletin*.
Well, with the introductory information out of the way, you're probably wondering about the political allegory, symbolism, and profuse gore Kichiku is noted for. Fret not, for there are some impressions--a few drenched in crimson--that this reviewer would like to notify the reader about.
-The last member to join the group before its complete and utter combustion seemed to represent traditional values, to an extent. The mute observer seemingly skirting the precipice. Somewhat like he belongs to a bygone samurai age (He wields a nice blade), while those around him represent a new-world pariah mindset. One of youth & contempt for control/authority. Perhaps a product of what they hate (the latter); thus, making them mere reactionaries unsure of what they really want. Are they confused? Eh, maybe.
-A Japanese flag with a bloodstain on it, subject to 'stabbings'. I don't think I need to explain that...
-Related: Anarchists? Anti-war demonstrators? Te**o*ists? You figure it out.
-You'll be forced to reconsider the context of rifles in relation to female genitalia. Heh.
-Related: A scene in the mountains, it reminds of Scanners. What a mess of that cranium! Bloody hell! Literally!
-Lastly, We see the self destruction of powermongering and the hysteria it brings. Regardless of status or political persuasion, the cycle always ends the same way. Leftist, Reactionary, Staunch Right-Winger, it's all the same when infighting & an inherent lack of discipline clash with egodrama over that elusive thing called control. The affiliations and labels of such cabals render themselves irrelevant in the face of human savagery and animalistic thrashings.
Anyways, Kumakiri made a decent flick with both shock appeal and political leanings. Give it a look you cast iron stomachs, you.
Half gore, not all bad
FilmFlaneur29 January 2005
An impressive student work, made over a period of two years by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, also its writer and editor. The storyline is inspired by the so-called 'Asno Sanso incident', a widely televised event when members of the United Red Army took a hostage and seized a mountain lodge near Karuizawa. (The film 'A Choice of Hercules' (2002) reconstructs that crime more factually.) Kumakiri took from this the idea of radicalism in moral collapse, and group violence escalating out of control. Amplifying matters stylistically, some use is made of what looks like contemporary news footage, grounding the narrative in the radicalism and feel of the 1970s, when the Japanese student revolutionary movement was at its height.
With its peculiar combination of dialectic and dismemberment, at times Kumakiri's film resembles Nagisa Oshima doing Herschell Gordon Lewis, and certainly contains a self-awareness which, in their own different ways the two directors also share. The first half is almost entirely taken up with claustrophobic and sweaty scenes set indoors as the group stresses, then fractures, under the leadership of the newly elevated girlfriend Masami (Sumiko Mikami). In addition to subjugating her crew with her dubious charms she also sends them out robbing, before organising a limited invitation wild party where she dances and seduces wearing a ceremonial mask. Trapped thus behind the metaphorical bars of their ideologies and allegiances the radicals are, arguably, just as imprisoned (and ultimately, as doomed) as their leader Azawa proves to be in his prison cell.
Its been suggested that at the heart of the film is a demonstration of what can happen when strong leadership is removed, creating a power vacuum, thereby reducing a body of followers to nightmarish dissolution. This being so, it appears to posit a dictatorial solution to contemporary Japanese social problems. However, one can also argue that the narrative demonstrates reactionary bias in other ways, for instance by demonstrating that females are unable to control a radical agenda, even with the lowest persuasive denominator, the drastic application of sexual wiles. As critics have pointed out, a weakness of Kumakiri's story is that it fails to provide the radicals - and the audience - with a clear agenda for their actions. We never know about what they are protesting, let alone the philosophy that presumably binds them.
For many viewers, the lack of any real social dynamic means that the first part moves very slowly indeed and, while initially the too-vague motivation of those we see is intriguing, by the end of the film such lack of sympathy is telling; we are left simply with unattractive people doing bloody things to each other.
It's the violence of Kichiku that has made it so notorious. Tagged a 'political gore' film, the film has divided viewers into those who have dismissed it as alternating confusingly between boring and violent, and those others who see between these extremes a pertinent political allegory. For the latter camp at least, as one of the characters says, it is a case of having to "face the reality and get the message." As part of the special features to the Artsmagic edition (it has formerly appeared in a far less grand single disc release on the continent) critic Tom Mes does a good job of special pleading for a narrative scheme to which some credence at least can be given, and some of the film's obscurities can certainly be ascribed to the first-time nature of the project. Mes is too kind though to mention the weak performance by lead actress Mikami, whose manic laughter is especially unconvincing in her central, if underwritten part, even while he allows for doubts as the film's occasional obscure play on the theme of chickens (sic). But at the very least Kumakiri is to be congratulated in producing a work that at least raises the discussion of gore films above the techniques of grisly special effects, while his film has been widely exhibited around the world, including the festival circuit.
The problem with the last part of Kichiku is that much of the bloodletting is so gratuitous and occurs after such unfocused interaction that, if it intends to make a point, then it is a very blunt one indeed, and hammered home insistently. Some have theorised that the student rebels are a microcosmic version of Japan's ultra-conformist society at large, and that ultimately all they have done is recapitulate all of its worst tendencies. Conversely it might also just as easily be argued that the final internecine devastation ironically reflects the only violent 'revolution' of which they are really capable, while Azawa's former cell mate (the independent witness to the group's last days) samurai sword and all, reflects the mute judgement of traditional values.
The newly enlightened BBFC clearly believes it all has some merit too, as the new Artsmagic two-disc DVD set apparently reaches UK viewers uncut, despite the inclusion of what one fansite has gushingly described as "the greatest head explosion of all time!" - not to mention one notorious scene involving a shotgun barrel's penetration, and discharge, into a very delicate female anatomical area. It has even been suggested that the 'boredom' of the first part is a deliberate attempt to balance and contextualise the extended mayhem that follows. It's an idea which has been applied, but in reverse (and to my mind more successfully), to Takashi Miike's Dead Or Alive where the kinetic editing of the opening and extreme comic climax bookend a more leisurely main section. Certainly for a more robust 'political gore film' one may look no further than the scenes of consumer zombiedom which make up Romero's Dawn Of The Dead.
Whatever the case, gorehounds have been, and will be, content to fast-forward through the first parts onto where the body count begins to mount, while those who are content extracting a more thoughtful framework from Kumakiri's broken backed scenario will hesitate at calling his scheme a complete success.
With its peculiar combination of dialectic and dismemberment, at times Kumakiri's film resembles Nagisa Oshima doing Herschell Gordon Lewis, and certainly contains a self-awareness which, in their own different ways the two directors also share. The first half is almost entirely taken up with claustrophobic and sweaty scenes set indoors as the group stresses, then fractures, under the leadership of the newly elevated girlfriend Masami (Sumiko Mikami). In addition to subjugating her crew with her dubious charms she also sends them out robbing, before organising a limited invitation wild party where she dances and seduces wearing a ceremonial mask. Trapped thus behind the metaphorical bars of their ideologies and allegiances the radicals are, arguably, just as imprisoned (and ultimately, as doomed) as their leader Azawa proves to be in his prison cell.
Its been suggested that at the heart of the film is a demonstration of what can happen when strong leadership is removed, creating a power vacuum, thereby reducing a body of followers to nightmarish dissolution. This being so, it appears to posit a dictatorial solution to contemporary Japanese social problems. However, one can also argue that the narrative demonstrates reactionary bias in other ways, for instance by demonstrating that females are unable to control a radical agenda, even with the lowest persuasive denominator, the drastic application of sexual wiles. As critics have pointed out, a weakness of Kumakiri's story is that it fails to provide the radicals - and the audience - with a clear agenda for their actions. We never know about what they are protesting, let alone the philosophy that presumably binds them.
For many viewers, the lack of any real social dynamic means that the first part moves very slowly indeed and, while initially the too-vague motivation of those we see is intriguing, by the end of the film such lack of sympathy is telling; we are left simply with unattractive people doing bloody things to each other.
It's the violence of Kichiku that has made it so notorious. Tagged a 'political gore' film, the film has divided viewers into those who have dismissed it as alternating confusingly between boring and violent, and those others who see between these extremes a pertinent political allegory. For the latter camp at least, as one of the characters says, it is a case of having to "face the reality and get the message." As part of the special features to the Artsmagic edition (it has formerly appeared in a far less grand single disc release on the continent) critic Tom Mes does a good job of special pleading for a narrative scheme to which some credence at least can be given, and some of the film's obscurities can certainly be ascribed to the first-time nature of the project. Mes is too kind though to mention the weak performance by lead actress Mikami, whose manic laughter is especially unconvincing in her central, if underwritten part, even while he allows for doubts as the film's occasional obscure play on the theme of chickens (sic). But at the very least Kumakiri is to be congratulated in producing a work that at least raises the discussion of gore films above the techniques of grisly special effects, while his film has been widely exhibited around the world, including the festival circuit.
The problem with the last part of Kichiku is that much of the bloodletting is so gratuitous and occurs after such unfocused interaction that, if it intends to make a point, then it is a very blunt one indeed, and hammered home insistently. Some have theorised that the student rebels are a microcosmic version of Japan's ultra-conformist society at large, and that ultimately all they have done is recapitulate all of its worst tendencies. Conversely it might also just as easily be argued that the final internecine devastation ironically reflects the only violent 'revolution' of which they are really capable, while Azawa's former cell mate (the independent witness to the group's last days) samurai sword and all, reflects the mute judgement of traditional values.
The newly enlightened BBFC clearly believes it all has some merit too, as the new Artsmagic two-disc DVD set apparently reaches UK viewers uncut, despite the inclusion of what one fansite has gushingly described as "the greatest head explosion of all time!" - not to mention one notorious scene involving a shotgun barrel's penetration, and discharge, into a very delicate female anatomical area. It has even been suggested that the 'boredom' of the first part is a deliberate attempt to balance and contextualise the extended mayhem that follows. It's an idea which has been applied, but in reverse (and to my mind more successfully), to Takashi Miike's Dead Or Alive where the kinetic editing of the opening and extreme comic climax bookend a more leisurely main section. Certainly for a more robust 'political gore film' one may look no further than the scenes of consumer zombiedom which make up Romero's Dawn Of The Dead.
Whatever the case, gorehounds have been, and will be, content to fast-forward through the first parts onto where the body count begins to mount, while those who are content extracting a more thoughtful framework from Kumakiri's broken backed scenario will hesitate at calling his scheme a complete success.
go rent something else if you are looking for splatter
chiller25512 March 2005
This was far and away one of the worst movies I've ever seen. it wasn't bad in a good way, it was bad in a very bad way. nonexistent plot, BORING up until the end. 2 hrs long full of over-stylized nonsense up until a completely disgusting finale. sure, if you like gore it has it, but you have to fast-forward through 1:30 of pointless dialogue and pretentious lens filters to get there. for example, WHY do we have to watch some guy get dressed for 3 minutes? WHY do we have to watch the group drive SLOWLY up a mountain with swirling camera views of the very pretty treetops? WHY are there like three scenes of the group eating noodles in silence? The mood was set from the very beginning--the filmmaker sadly decided to drive this mood home continuously with a parade of boring shots. this is what happens when filmmakers unsuccessfully try to fuse high art and splatter--an experiment tried often but rarely executed successfully. If you're thinking of renting this movie, just read the back of the box, save yr $5 and pretend you did.
actually quite good
hxc01487 October 2005
i enjoyed this film. A lot of people give this movie a lot of flack due to the fact it can get kind of pretentious at moments and about the first 75% of the film moves VERY slowly. The end in my opinion was very gratifying, the gore was well done....the whole thing is shot well, yes it is quite hoke....but everyone downing this movie fails to realize that it's a STUDENT FILM made on absolutely no budget whatsoever. The term student film gets overused quite often, no, kumakiri made this film as his thesis in film school, he actually was in an extra year and a half trying to scrounge the money to finish. So, it's nothing earth shattering...but it is quite impressive considering the context, situation, and budget, and it is quite brutal in the end. If you are a fan of underground/indie cinema chances are you'll at the least enjoy this little nasty.
boring and plot less, some OK gore towards the end
FieCrier26 November 2004
I made several abortive attempts to start watching this movie, but it was so boring that I kept giving up. I just made it all the way through, and I have to say I thought it was a waste of time.
A group in Japan has a leader in jail. A woman in the group has sex with some of the members. They noisily eat some noodles. They go into the woods and kill a few of their members. They laugh annoyingly. They go to an abandoned building and the remaining members kill each other. The end.
There's simply not much that happens in this movie. The group's purpose was never really explained, nor do they ever do anything. None of the characters have any characterization. The end credits were not subtitled in the version I saw; perhaps there was some explanatory text mixed in? There were also some handpainted signs in the beginning of the movie that no translation was given for; perhaps it would have helped to know what they said.
There are scenes with gore starting about an hour into the movie, but if that's all you're looking for, then you're better off watching another movie. If you must watch this one, I'd advise generous usage of the fast-forward button.
A group in Japan has a leader in jail. A woman in the group has sex with some of the members. They noisily eat some noodles. They go into the woods and kill a few of their members. They laugh annoyingly. They go to an abandoned building and the remaining members kill each other. The end.
There's simply not much that happens in this movie. The group's purpose was never really explained, nor do they ever do anything. None of the characters have any characterization. The end credits were not subtitled in the version I saw; perhaps there was some explanatory text mixed in? There were also some handpainted signs in the beginning of the movie that no translation was given for; perhaps it would have helped to know what they said.
There are scenes with gore starting about an hour into the movie, but if that's all you're looking for, then you're better off watching another movie. If you must watch this one, I'd advise generous usage of the fast-forward button.
Pretty Twisted - Give It a Look
EVOL6669 September 2005
I really liked this film for what it is. As far as being a student film, I feel that it's very ambitious and professional. The camera-work is good, as well as the acting and storyline. KICHIKU is basically about a group of radicals whose group begins to disintegrate when their leader is arrested. The leaders girlfriend is handed control of the group, and it all goes to hell from there. KICHIKU can be dull at times, so I can see why a lot of people don't feel this film. Personally, I think that overall it is very atmospheric and dark, and has some very well done scenes of violence. If you are into non-stop blood and guts - don't bother with this one - it will be too long and tedious for you (all the violence happens in the last half hour or so...), but if you have some patience I would at least suggest this as a rental - there are definitely some good gore scenes that are worth checking out. 7 1/2 out of 10
A Nutshell Review: Kichiku
DICK STEEL28 August 2009
There are some shows that you feel are doing something weird for the sake of, and this feels like one of those films. It's easy to come up with something filled with continuous bore, I mean, gore, blood, mutilation of body parts and the likes just to elicit a shocking response from an audience, and probably to have some fun while at it during the production process with copious amounts of blood spraying, dripping and oozing around sets. This graduating film just seems like that.
Written, directed and edited by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, Kichiku: Banquet of the Beasts is supposedly based on a real incident known as the Asamo Sanso Incident in the 70s, where a group of left wing students had a stand off with the police in a lodge, and ultimately turned their violence inwards toward one another. In some ways the premise might seem like The Baader Meinhof Complex with its free love and violence to champion their cause, but this film had a lot more sadistic violence in store especially when the group start to hit the woods.
It opens with a man being released from prison, where his cellmate Aizawa tells him to visit his revolutionary group, currently held together by his girlfriend Masami (Sumiko Mikami). As with most groups, when a charismatic leader is in the slammer, the survival of the group will depend very much on the leadership ability of the interim leader, which Masami has failed in many ways, manipulating the group through threats and her not-so-hot body - well I guess if you're the only chick in the group, the rest will just make do. These are revolutionaries who are dedicated to their cause, but look more like lost sheep without a leader, partying away while awaiting the release of Aizawa.
Which doesn't happen, and provides the catalyst of a lot more gore to come in the film, from the disemboweling of the gut, right down to exploding heads, fondling of brain matter, castration, mutilation, decapitation and what have yous. Masami goes crazy with deep running distrust that someone in the group is a mole, and hence the very prolonged scenes of violence and torture, that seems to numb after a while when everyone gets into the act of self-preservation. Too much of a good (or bad) thing being repeated, just loses it and makes it seem like it's in for purely visual shock-reasons.
The sole redeeming grace for me in this film, is the awesome soundtrack, where the primary use of drum beats did seem suspiciously similar to Tan Dun's masterpiece in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Probably the only thing that kept me awake from snoozing in this film that fell flat.
Written, directed and edited by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, Kichiku: Banquet of the Beasts is supposedly based on a real incident known as the Asamo Sanso Incident in the 70s, where a group of left wing students had a stand off with the police in a lodge, and ultimately turned their violence inwards toward one another. In some ways the premise might seem like The Baader Meinhof Complex with its free love and violence to champion their cause, but this film had a lot more sadistic violence in store especially when the group start to hit the woods.
It opens with a man being released from prison, where his cellmate Aizawa tells him to visit his revolutionary group, currently held together by his girlfriend Masami (Sumiko Mikami). As with most groups, when a charismatic leader is in the slammer, the survival of the group will depend very much on the leadership ability of the interim leader, which Masami has failed in many ways, manipulating the group through threats and her not-so-hot body - well I guess if you're the only chick in the group, the rest will just make do. These are revolutionaries who are dedicated to their cause, but look more like lost sheep without a leader, partying away while awaiting the release of Aizawa.
Which doesn't happen, and provides the catalyst of a lot more gore to come in the film, from the disemboweling of the gut, right down to exploding heads, fondling of brain matter, castration, mutilation, decapitation and what have yous. Masami goes crazy with deep running distrust that someone in the group is a mole, and hence the very prolonged scenes of violence and torture, that seems to numb after a while when everyone gets into the act of self-preservation. Too much of a good (or bad) thing being repeated, just loses it and makes it seem like it's in for purely visual shock-reasons.
The sole redeeming grace for me in this film, is the awesome soundtrack, where the primary use of drum beats did seem suspiciously similar to Tan Dun's masterpiece in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Probably the only thing that kept me awake from snoozing in this film that fell flat.
boring but ultra gore
trashgang13 June 2013
This is a very weird flick. Were as the first part is extremely boring the second part is full of gore. The thing that makes it almost not watchable is the fact that it was filmed badly and the translation in the subtitles came too late or wasn't done for some parts.
It's easy to spot that it's all about politics and that one crazy girl has the lead. She bangs everyone that she come across and she even give head with a chickens head. Further she does that again with a man but unlucky for him she bites his weener off. And that's were the gore comes in. She's as mad as hell and shoots one in the head in a gory way to perform some kind of necrophilia with the corps.
I wasn't really into it because the first part is as stated rather boring. But I was told about the extreme gore and I must admit that that was done in a pure old school way. But still, even as I like gore this isn't one of my favourites due the way it was shot and the bad acting. If one is ready to be killed you just don't care or the girl being opened in different ways, who cares.
But gorehounds will adore it but please skip to the 40 minute to see it slowly come in all the glory gore.
Gore 4/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5
It's easy to spot that it's all about politics and that one crazy girl has the lead. She bangs everyone that she come across and she even give head with a chickens head. Further she does that again with a man but unlucky for him she bites his weener off. And that's were the gore comes in. She's as mad as hell and shoots one in the head in a gory way to perform some kind of necrophilia with the corps.
I wasn't really into it because the first part is as stated rather boring. But I was told about the extreme gore and I must admit that that was done in a pure old school way. But still, even as I like gore this isn't one of my favourites due the way it was shot and the bad acting. If one is ready to be killed you just don't care or the girl being opened in different ways, who cares.
But gorehounds will adore it but please skip to the 40 minute to see it slowly come in all the glory gore.
Gore 4/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5
Boring Crap
Der_Schnibbler21 June 2007
The leader of a group of "radicals" gets jailed and passes leadership on to his girlfriend. She's apparently not good enough a leader so the only thing that can happen, naturally, is that the group, instead of dissolving, slowly falls apart - limb by limb.
Two problems.
The first problem is the first half is painfully boring. There is probably some kind of reason the characters open their mouths to speak with each other but I just didn't have the energy to listen. Even nudity could not save this film: in the first few minutes we are treated to a rather liberal view of the jailed gang leader's girlfriend having sex with one of the cronies, but any potentially raised interest soon withers the moment her face is revealed.
The girlfriend - who unfortunately plays a central role - has a face that can only be described as aesthetic murder. Flat nose, fat lips, she resembles some kind of mongoloid monkey rather than a woman. Be prepared to look at her a lot. Giggling annoyingly. In the end, you may just be tempted to fast forward in the hope of seeing her killed.
The second problem is the violence itself - once it does arrive in the second half. I just can't imagine even the most mindless gore-loving pimple-faced adolescent sociopath finding any kind of pleasure in this, since all the violence happens too slowly - so slowly that by the time you see blood, you've long since had the wind knocked out of you.
Who cares NOW?!
For some strange reason, the film also indulges in a trait that I have found to be typically Japanese: people getting beaten, kicked, stomped on and bloodied, who simply lay there without resisting. There was a particularly pathetic scene where an "angry" guy yelps like a timid schoolgirl as he weakly "kicks" some other guy who is laying on the ground (ooh, hey, he kicked him in the hip! mean, dude! cruel stuff!). This ridiculous scene goes on for five minutes and was enough to make me hate this stupid movie forever.
Other reviewers here have made an excellent point about the film's political significance. If that's what you're watching for, and if you "get it," then have fun. Otherwise, if you are looking for some kind of horror film with a semblance of a plot, stay away from this boring piece of garbage. It's not entertainment.
Two problems.
The first problem is the first half is painfully boring. There is probably some kind of reason the characters open their mouths to speak with each other but I just didn't have the energy to listen. Even nudity could not save this film: in the first few minutes we are treated to a rather liberal view of the jailed gang leader's girlfriend having sex with one of the cronies, but any potentially raised interest soon withers the moment her face is revealed.
The girlfriend - who unfortunately plays a central role - has a face that can only be described as aesthetic murder. Flat nose, fat lips, she resembles some kind of mongoloid monkey rather than a woman. Be prepared to look at her a lot. Giggling annoyingly. In the end, you may just be tempted to fast forward in the hope of seeing her killed.
The second problem is the violence itself - once it does arrive in the second half. I just can't imagine even the most mindless gore-loving pimple-faced adolescent sociopath finding any kind of pleasure in this, since all the violence happens too slowly - so slowly that by the time you see blood, you've long since had the wind knocked out of you.
Who cares NOW?!
For some strange reason, the film also indulges in a trait that I have found to be typically Japanese: people getting beaten, kicked, stomped on and bloodied, who simply lay there without resisting. There was a particularly pathetic scene where an "angry" guy yelps like a timid schoolgirl as he weakly "kicks" some other guy who is laying on the ground (ooh, hey, he kicked him in the hip! mean, dude! cruel stuff!). This ridiculous scene goes on for five minutes and was enough to make me hate this stupid movie forever.
Other reviewers here have made an excellent point about the film's political significance. If that's what you're watching for, and if you "get it," then have fun. Otherwise, if you are looking for some kind of horror film with a semblance of a plot, stay away from this boring piece of garbage. It's not entertainment.
Hyper dark and sadistic horror film.
HumanoidOfFlesh26 September 2004
"Kichiku dai Enkai" is an excellent horror film,a tour de force of almost unbearable proportions about a left wing terrorist group that becomes increasingly self-destructible after their leader Aizawa has been arrested by the police.This intense,disturbing and ultra-twisted gore soaked political/student revolt/horror flick from Japan has to be seen to be believed.Especially the second half of "Kichiku" is incredibly nihilistic,demented,perverse,ultra-gory,sick,hyper violent,intense and gritty.In one extremely revolting scene a guy puts a rifle into a woman's crotch and pulls the trigger.The film is certainly well-made and the acting is excellent.It features some extremely gory and mostly convincing effects that are well staged and realistically shot.So if you're a fan of extreme cinema give this low-budget masterpiece a look.Just beware,there is absolutely no way to have fun watching "Kichiku" and whilst that will surely limit its audience,I find it pretty impressive.10 out of 10.
really good, but too cold to be great
sarefo28 July 2001
this movie is as violent as it will get. if you really want to get rid of somebody, show it to them. except if they like watching people eating other people's brain out after having them tortured to death. but, IF you can stand it, its a great movie. it was first shown on a film festival with a good reputation, and like everybody walked out. afterwards, the director of the festival apologized in public and said that they had not seen the film before.
among other things, kichiku shows some aspects of japan that maybe you did not realize before.
among other things, kichiku shows some aspects of japan that maybe you did not realize before.
Oh my god .. what a truly awful movie
FlyveHest16 March 1999
After reading a brief summary on this film, and the user comments, I looked forward to seeing this film, expecting a true-to-life depiction of violence, with as much gore as Braindead.
Was I ever disappointed. First, you have to sit through an hour of extreme boredom (I think the movie tries to give you a reason as to why the characters are together, as you might have guessed, it fails MISERABLY)
When the movie finally gets a little gory, it happens in a scene that's so badly filmed, and so confusing, that you almost don't notice it at all.
Please, unless you are payed a bunch of money to watch this, stay AWAY!
Was I ever disappointed. First, you have to sit through an hour of extreme boredom (I think the movie tries to give you a reason as to why the characters are together, as you might have guessed, it fails MISERABLY)
When the movie finally gets a little gory, it happens in a scene that's so badly filmed, and so confusing, that you almost don't notice it at all.
Please, unless you are payed a bunch of money to watch this, stay AWAY!
Boring student film
udar5526 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's KICHIKU DAI ENKAI (BANQUET OF THE BEASTS) began its life as a $60,000 student film that eventually screened at several film festivals. At its core, this is a political film that follows a group of Japanese activists whose leader is locked up but demands via a letter that his girlfriend Masami be the group's short-term director (never a good idea). Masami is quite sadistic and anyone who doesn't follow her order (or accept her sexual advances) ends up as fodder. Naturally, the group succumbs to the various pressures and eventually spirals out of control, resulting in a graphic series of confrontations in the film's last half.
Featuring more than a few moments of outrageous violence, KICHIKU DAI ENKAI is a bizarre film that never really surmounts its student film roots. It is an interesting study on game theory and paranoia but, to be quite honest, this reviewer found the film to be a complete bore. Artsmagic has peppered their DVD release with multiple quotes about the film's graphic bloodshed, possibly hoping to pull in the gorehound crowd. There are several supremely violent scenes, but one must endure a series of boring sessions of socio-political babble and childish infighting. To the film's credit, it is nicely shot, well edited and incorporates some discordant stock footage to create an effective mood.
Featuring more than a few moments of outrageous violence, KICHIKU DAI ENKAI is a bizarre film that never really surmounts its student film roots. It is an interesting study on game theory and paranoia but, to be quite honest, this reviewer found the film to be a complete bore. Artsmagic has peppered their DVD release with multiple quotes about the film's graphic bloodshed, possibly hoping to pull in the gorehound crowd. There are several supremely violent scenes, but one must endure a series of boring sessions of socio-political babble and childish infighting. To the film's credit, it is nicely shot, well edited and incorporates some discordant stock footage to create an effective mood.
Not bad but I am still not sure what I have just seen.
Boba_Fett113810 September 2010
This was certainly one watchable unique movie but also one that leaves a quite redundant impression in the end. I'm just not sure what this movie tried to achieve and what for a type of story it tried to tell.
It's definitely a bit of a weird movie, especially toward the ending. It becomes all kind of arty, with all some, I suppose, deeper meanings to it but I just don't really get it.
I think you can just rather say that this is a student-film, that isn't really constantly trying to make sense at all. The movie looks definitely amateur-like and as if got shot by a bunch of friends in their spare time, while they were working with a shoestring budget. In that regard, this movie is all the more a real accomplishment from them but it also makes the movie a bit of an odd one to follow at times.
The movie begins sort of slow but suddenly in about the middle of it the movie suddenly turns very violent. This is a movie that is mostly known for its bold gore and violence. And yes, it's all rather good looking and original at times with its gore and violence. Can't really say that this is a very consistent movie but overall it still is a good watch.
A bit of a pointless movie but still a good enough watch.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
It's definitely a bit of a weird movie, especially toward the ending. It becomes all kind of arty, with all some, I suppose, deeper meanings to it but I just don't really get it.
I think you can just rather say that this is a student-film, that isn't really constantly trying to make sense at all. The movie looks definitely amateur-like and as if got shot by a bunch of friends in their spare time, while they were working with a shoestring budget. In that regard, this movie is all the more a real accomplishment from them but it also makes the movie a bit of an odd one to follow at times.
The movie begins sort of slow but suddenly in about the middle of it the movie suddenly turns very violent. This is a movie that is mostly known for its bold gore and violence. And yes, it's all rather good looking and original at times with its gore and violence. Can't really say that this is a very consistent movie but overall it still is a good watch.
A bit of a pointless movie but still a good enough watch.
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
horribly disappointed
mark_it_zero7 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
so, this film (like a few others) has been hailed as the most violent film of all time. sure, it's dark and disturbing, but that doesn't keep it from being utterly boring.
the lead female's laugh is not evil, and it doesn't display her spiral into madness, it's just annoying.
the gore (what little there is.) was impressive though, the shotgun blast to the head looked 98% real, and the shotgun blast to the vagina was damn nice.
if i can find this for, like, $5 i'll get it. and if you have a free rental or something pick it up just for those 2 scenes, otherwise stay away.
the lead female's laugh is not evil, and it doesn't display her spiral into madness, it's just annoying.
the gore (what little there is.) was impressive though, the shotgun blast to the head looked 98% real, and the shotgun blast to the vagina was damn nice.
if i can find this for, like, $5 i'll get it. and if you have a free rental or something pick it up just for those 2 scenes, otherwise stay away.
Kichiku : Dai Enkai (Banquet of the Beasts)
spellcaster-11 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Set in 1970s Japan, Aizawa, leader of a little wanna be Yakuza, political student group has been arrested. He being behind bars has put a toll on his health, and it's just a matter of time before he passes on. The group is taken over by Masami, Aizawas' girlfriend. , who fucks everyone she can to control her stronghold. But once the groups' glorious leader commits suicide, the chaos begins.
As the group slowly starts to realize the disorganization they have created they start to turn on each other, causing mass paranoia. Masami, possibly from all the humping she's done throughout the film, begins to snap. This is when the bloodbath begins. Beginning to crumble from the countless hours of chaos, Masami starts to assassinate the group.
As sad as it may seem this is where the real beauty of this film begins. Now don't get me wrong. This is an excellent film. Director, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri has an excellent eye for mother earth's creations, and disasters for that matter, and gives us a good solid story. From reading the title and checking out the box, I was really expecting more gore. The gore that was in it was supremely excellent and nasty as all hell. And the sex was good, not your typical sex, but the orgies they conducted, the shotgun masturbations. That kind of sex. There were some pretty wild things going on in this group. But I really believe the directors' exploitation of presumed actual events and every day pitfalls for the Asian culture hits hard and gets no more real than this. Sad as it is, chaos and suicide seem to be a real problem in teens of today over there, which Kumakiri shows us with his surrealistic vision..
All in all Kichiku: Dai Enkai is a really good film. The only downfall I have with this film is the pace was pretty slow up until about mid-way point. If I were to tell you that this film was Kumakiris' art house flick, would you believe me? I wouldn't. This film is pure beauty.
www.unspeakablemag.com
As the group slowly starts to realize the disorganization they have created they start to turn on each other, causing mass paranoia. Masami, possibly from all the humping she's done throughout the film, begins to snap. This is when the bloodbath begins. Beginning to crumble from the countless hours of chaos, Masami starts to assassinate the group.
As sad as it may seem this is where the real beauty of this film begins. Now don't get me wrong. This is an excellent film. Director, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri has an excellent eye for mother earth's creations, and disasters for that matter, and gives us a good solid story. From reading the title and checking out the box, I was really expecting more gore. The gore that was in it was supremely excellent and nasty as all hell. And the sex was good, not your typical sex, but the orgies they conducted, the shotgun masturbations. That kind of sex. There were some pretty wild things going on in this group. But I really believe the directors' exploitation of presumed actual events and every day pitfalls for the Asian culture hits hard and gets no more real than this. Sad as it is, chaos and suicide seem to be a real problem in teens of today over there, which Kumakiri shows us with his surrealistic vision..
All in all Kichiku: Dai Enkai is a really good film. The only downfall I have with this film is the pace was pretty slow up until about mid-way point. If I were to tell you that this film was Kumakiris' art house flick, would you believe me? I wouldn't. This film is pure beauty.
www.unspeakablemag.com
Not quite the non-stop gory feast I hoped for.
BA_Harrison2 March 2021
Those who check out director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's ambitious student film Banquet Of The Beasts (two years in the making) expecting a non-stop gore-fest might find themselves struggling to get to the good stuff, which only arrives after an hour of extremely tedious interaction between members of a radical political group, whose leader, Aizawa, is banged up in prison. Aizawa's mentally unstable girlfriend Masami takes control of the group, but her leadership is poor, resulting in tension that finally (finally) erupts into violence.
Make it past the first hour, and things do get better (and by 'better' I mean bloodier), as the action moves to a forest where Masami deals with trouble-makers in brutal fashion. It is while two men are getting a beating that the first (and best) gore effect happens: Masami shoots upstart Yasame in the head, leaving only the lower half of his face intact. As if obliterating his cranium isn't bad enough, she then fondles the brain matter oozing out of what's left of his skull. Juicy! The other guy doesn't get let off lightly either: he has his penis cut off, although this is far less graphic.
More gore comes when the group takes shelter in an abandoned building: Masami bites a man's junk off while giving him head, so he stabs her in the crotch, takes a gun, shoves it between her legs and pulls the trigger, causing her insides to explode. Then, while that guy is messing around with her entrails, another bloke enters the room and decapitates bloke #1 with a samurai sword. If this is the kind of stuff you're hungry for, then it should satisfy your cravings, but just be prepared for a long and arduous slog to get there.
3.5/10, rounded up to 4 for IMDb.
Make it past the first hour, and things do get better (and by 'better' I mean bloodier), as the action moves to a forest where Masami deals with trouble-makers in brutal fashion. It is while two men are getting a beating that the first (and best) gore effect happens: Masami shoots upstart Yasame in the head, leaving only the lower half of his face intact. As if obliterating his cranium isn't bad enough, she then fondles the brain matter oozing out of what's left of his skull. Juicy! The other guy doesn't get let off lightly either: he has his penis cut off, although this is far less graphic.
More gore comes when the group takes shelter in an abandoned building: Masami bites a man's junk off while giving him head, so he stabs her in the crotch, takes a gun, shoves it between her legs and pulls the trigger, causing her insides to explode. Then, while that guy is messing around with her entrails, another bloke enters the room and decapitates bloke #1 with a samurai sword. If this is the kind of stuff you're hungry for, then it should satisfy your cravings, but just be prepared for a long and arduous slog to get there.
3.5/10, rounded up to 4 for IMDb.
A Surprisingly Unique Japanese Horror Movie
samxxxul27 November 2020
Often overlooked, Kichiku Dai Enkai (Banquet of Beasts) is a study of destructive & imploding Western ideology adopted by a group of Eastern youths, cleansed only by the nihilistic rituals of Japanese tradition divided into 3 "Enkai" throughout the entire film. It begins when the leader of a left-wing group committed suicide in prison, the leadership turned to a mentally unstable woman who immediately brought the group into a situation of horror full of extreme violence and total nihilistic madness. Above it's shoe-string budget to offer up something quite unique and unforgettable nightmare that making albeit one of the most unpleasant viewing experiences you might ever have. Now, I must warn you that this isn't your typical gore/scare fest of a movie. The movie is methodical in building the plot, allowing the tension to simmer and boil as it slowly gnaws away at us, the viewers. While I wouldn't recommend this movie to hardcore gorehounds, hack n stacks or supreme gore fests, I must say that for any fan of the horror genre this is a must see. Kazuyoshi Kumakiri sufficiently uses the most basic elements to create a sense of haunting and dread, though perhaps not fear itself. This is not a film you watch for enjoyment like how Sleaze and Troma fans will want to for the low-fi production values. As a sickly compelling tragedy with a nihilistic tone, it's a film you survive. In other words, this is not the right movie to watch for extreme shock value. One sits all the time waiting for it to crack and eventually does without me having to say more about it here. These feelings linger long after the credits. If you get the chance, see it!
Surprisingly good
lhommeinsipide22 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I have to admit, I didn't know a lot about this film except that those who had seen it cited it as the most disturbing film they'd seen. So when I found one solitary copy at my local Virgin Records, I snapped it up immediately. The first half of the film is relatively violence-free, with a very memorable sequence where Masami dances in a mask. Considering how low the budget is, the film is impressive. The acting may be flawed, but the visuals more than make up for it. There are a few scenes where you feel the crew went a bit overboard (shotgun rape, anyone?) but I genuinely enjoyed it and am proud to have it in my DVD collection.
relentless appalling bloody violence
christopher-underwood11 January 2007
Another film from Japan and further astonishment. This begins in the 70's with a radical group's charismatic leader in jail. We get a notion of the anti Vietnam war movement in Japan and understand this group is part of the anti war movement. The leader sends word that his crazy girlfriend is to run the group till he gets out and things do not go according to plan! She gets the group to rob others and f*** her and whilst everyone sits around in between time eating noodles, smoking, drinking and complaining, nothing much else gets done. Halfway through the film there is some in fighting and they all go up into the hills, at which point some terrible violence ensues until there is nobody left alive. There is time for more sex in between kicking, castration, beheading and blasting with a double barrel shotgun but the emphasis is upon relentless appalling bloody violence. Very difficult last half and with so much Japanese symbolism hard to fully comprehend the intent but this doesn't seem a frivolous exercise and much care and attention has gone into the production. The crazy girlfriend gets harder and harder to take with her seeming pointless ruthlessness and manic laughter. Still she certainly gets it in the end!
Disturbingly based upon true events!
Weirdling_Wolf27 May 2023
The controversial student 16mm splatter-fest 'Kichiku Dai Enkai' is certainly not ideal dinnertime viewing for those with delicate stomachs! Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's cruel, grievously grisly low budget independent feature has a rare intensity that recalls 'Last House on Dead End Street', and 'Snuff' with infinitely more effective gore! Uncompromising, brutal, and searingly visceral cinema, the bestial, blood-soaked mayhem in 'Kichiku Dai Enkai' are disturbingly based upon true events! The precociously talented young director,Kumakiri, like, Van Bebber before him documents the sadistic slaughter perpetrated by a group of increasingly maniacal students with a raw, disturbing verisimilitude. Time has done little to soften the bruising impact of the film's demented climax which unleashes a torturous tsunami of genital mutilation, gruesome eviscerations, and splattery shotgun savagery!
Banquet of the Beasts
Tweekums22 December 2019
While Aizawa, the leader of a radical left wing group, is imprisoned his girlfriend Masami takes control. She is promiscuous with the other members, who are all male. Tensions rise and one member, who disapproves of Masami's leadership leaves. When Aizawa commits suicide this member returns and betrays Masami... things soon get very violent after Masami and the gang take him into the mountains with the intention of killing him. Soon the group descends into an orgy of violence and paranoia.
If you are looking for non-stop action or horror you might find this a little disappointing... the first half is relatively slow moving with tensions rising amongst the group but no real hint of what is to come. After Aizawa's suicide tensions rise significantly. Once the action moves to the mountains the violence radically increases... it is shocking, brutal, often very disturbing and occasionally perverse. The way the film is shot gives the film a natural feel as does the quality of the acting. The physical effects during these scenes are impressive and should please fans of on screen gore. There were moments that made me want to look away but while it is one of the gorier films I've seen it isn't up there with 'Ichi the Killer'! Overall I'd say that this certainly won't be for everybody but if you enjoy extreme cinema it is well worth a watch.
These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.
If you are looking for non-stop action or horror you might find this a little disappointing... the first half is relatively slow moving with tensions rising amongst the group but no real hint of what is to come. After Aizawa's suicide tensions rise significantly. Once the action moves to the mountains the violence radically increases... it is shocking, brutal, often very disturbing and occasionally perverse. The way the film is shot gives the film a natural feel as does the quality of the acting. The physical effects during these scenes are impressive and should please fans of on screen gore. There were moments that made me want to look away but while it is one of the gorier films I've seen it isn't up there with 'Ichi the Killer'! Overall I'd say that this certainly won't be for everybody but if you enjoy extreme cinema it is well worth a watch.
These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.
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