Product Description

An American journalist in search of the love he once left behind travels to a mysterious Japanese island where the past is best left forgotten in the one installment of {@Showtime's Masters of Horror series that was too controversial for American television. It was long ago that Christopher (Billy Drago) met the mysterious prostitute who captured his heart but their grim fate was forever sealed when he left the island with only a promise to return one day in the future. Unlike many of the insincere souls who promise to spirit the prostitutes away from the dark and infernal island Christopher actually made good on his word. However life is cheap on this bewitched island where the local brothel is the sole refuge for weary souls and though he ultimately proved to be a rare exception to the rule Christopher has taken far too long to fulfill his promise. Now as he shares his woeful tale with a horribly scarred whore (Youki Kudoh) whose knowledge of his long lost love's true fate may prove more of a curse than a blessing Christopher is about to discover that there are times when death can be the kindest release of all. ~ Jason Buchanan All Movie GuideSpecial Features:An all-new interview with Takashi MiikeInterviews with actors and collaborators on previous worksSystem Requirements:Running Time: 63 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR UPC: 013131446692 Manufacturer No: DC14466

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41532 in DVD
• Brand: STARZ/SPHE
• Released on: 2006-09-26
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 63 minutes

Amazon.com
"Have I got your attention, mister?" By the time you reach this line in Takashi Miike's Imprint, the answer will be a resounding, horrified "Yes!" This much-rumored-about episode of Showtime's Masters of Horror series became notorious as the first installment to be denied an airing. Now that the hour-long episode is out on DVD, it's not difficult to see why the network balked (although on the other hand, if you have a series called Masters of Horror and you hire the outrageous Takashi Miike to helm a show, nobody should really be surprised). The story follows an American (Billy Drago) on a journey to a ghostly island bordello in Japan; he's searching for a girl he lost years before. The prostitute he meets has stories to tell--and they abound in incest, abortion, murder, and one of the grisliest torture scenes ever produced for a mainstream outlet.

Anybody familiar with Miike's films (Audition, Visitor Q) knows a couple of things about him: (1) there is no affront against civilized behavior he won't put on film, and (2) he's a heckuva filmmaker. Imprint confirms this, on both counts. The only weak spot is the English dialogue reading by the Japanese cast--and by Billy Drago, for that matter, although he does look very cool. The story may or may not make sense, but what stays with you are the pregnant, eye-filling images (cinematography by Toyomichi Kurita) and the truly shocking violence. It is really what the Masters of Horror series seems designed to do: give a director complete freedom to merge style with story. Take this to heart, oh ye of low nausea thresholds: Imprint will seriously mess you up. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

It shouldn't have been "banned," but it leaves an "imprint" nonetheles
Takashi Miike's entry into Showtime's "Masters Of Horror" series, in which a bunch of spooky directors get their shot to make a one-hour, no-holds-barred film, became somewhat notorious after the pay cable net decided against broadcasting it. In a series where gory violence was the norm, how bad could this one be? Of course, anyone who's seen Miike films such as "Audition" or "Visitor Q" could tell you that he can make Rob Zombie's hardcore-horrific "The Devil's Rejects" look like Disney. Still, here Miike would be constrained a bit by the format and even the language (this is his first picture in English), so it couldn't be that far beyond the pale, could it? Well, my fellow perverts, while "Imprint" does not mark a new extreme in the extremes of extremity, it's definitely one of the most grotesque of the "Masters" series. It's also one of the best.

An American (Billy Drago, doing a David Carradine impression) travels to a small Japanese island that serves as a brothel/village to find the beautiful young prostitute he fell in love with and vows to rescue. Unable to find her, he instead spends the night in conversation with another prostitute with a facial deformity. She tells him about her life, and weirdness ensues. What probably got this episode pulled might have been the extended, unrelenting torture scene, but it was probably the subplot involving an abortionist, with graphic shots of dead fetuses left to drift away in a stream. In any case, it's more than even a few supposedly sick gore-hounds will be comfortable with (of course, I remember reading that "Reservoir Dogs" caused more than a few walk-outs when it was shown at a horror film festival). Anyway, by the end, the naturalism of the novel this was based on has been replaced by dark supernatural elements and even some out-and-out surrealism. Actually, many will want to criticize this not for all that, but for what appears to be Drago's blatant overacting. In my opinion, though, even that fit in with the general tone that Miike sets.

The disc also includes some long featurettes, which give plenty of information about the method to Miike's madness. While "Imprint" is kind of like the director is working with one hand painfully binded behind his back and then hacked off (for a more "pure" experience, see "Ichi the Killer"), this is still way more stylish than most of the other MOH episodes, with the possible exception of Lucky McKee's entry, "Sick Girl." This is something far more disturbing than some cheap thrills, and it'll stay with you far longer.

Mike!! what were you thinking during casting?Pick any old washed up actor?
First, let me say I loved this movie. It was the first movie that was so grotesque that I had to turn away. I would of loved it even more however, if they did not cast whomever that washed up actor was in one of the lead roles. He was over acting and very dull. I wasn't the least bit interested in hearing from him in fact I found him to be quite annoying at times yelling like some dumb wino who has never acted in his life.The rest of the cast was excellent. I would of just liked to see mike play more on the ghost that was present in the room in the beginning of the film to add some horror aspects to the movie instead of just shock factors by showing dead fetuses and such. Overall, it was pretty interesting just next time I hope he picks a better male actor.

best in the series so far
this is what you get when you tell directer MIIKE he can do whatever he likes! this is miike at his relentless best, not shying away from gore, sadism, and brutality. Imprint is the story of a man looking for his lost love that happens to be last seen working in a whore house. Upon visiting the whore house he is confronted by a whore with a disfigured face that seems to know more than she's telling about the whereabouts of the mans lost love. From there, it's a trip down memory lane as she discribes the fate of his lost love and also her own demented past. This film is perfect in every way. Miike had his japanese actors learn english for this film- and believe me, it add's even more of a creepy feel to the movie. Don't think twice, get it! Also included on the dvd (as with all the masters of horror films) is an interview with the director, an interview with the writer of the book the film was based on, and some behind the scenes footage on location in Japan. This film is what bad dreams are made of- picture david lynch doing a film in japan and you have the sorta feel miike has created.

be warned- this film contains graphic displays of violence, torture, and abortion.