Directed by Teruo Ishii
Review by David Carter


Released by Panik House
Running Time: 85 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Color format: Color
Audio/Subtitles: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Japanese/English & Spanish Subtitles
Region Code: 1, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.85:1
16:9 Enhanced: Yes
Special Features: Still Galleries, Program Notes, Cast & Crew Bios, Virtual Comic DVD-Rom
Trailer Online: Yes

Yoshiharu Tsuge is one of the most important early figures in Japanese manga comics. He didn’t work in the typical love story or hero genres, but instead made compelling, almost surreal works based on both his real life and his dreams. His manga Neji-shiki (Wind-up Type) is his most well known work, and it was adapted into the film SCREWED by Teruo Ishii. Ishii is one of the most groundbreaking directors in Japanese cinema, so when he paired with Tsuge it was a dream come true for many fans of their bizarre works. Panik House has recently released SCREWED on DVD for the first time.

Tsube is a down-on-his-luck cartoonist who’s unaware that things are about to get dramatically worse for him. First, he and his wife Kuniko are evicted from their apartment. Broke and homeless, Kuniko takes a job as a live-in cook, leaving Tsube to fend for himself. He manages to convince the man now renting his old apartment to take him on as a roommate. Kuniko and Tsube drift apart during this time, and he begins to believe she’s cheating when he discovers condoms in her purse during a visit. When she confirms that she has been unfaithful, Tsube breaks down and tries to commit suicide with sleeping pills. He survives, but after a lengthy hospital stay, he no longer has the desire to live. He wanders around the countryside, meeting women and trying to find a purpose in life again. The film culminates with an elaborate dream sequence where Tsube looks for a doctor to treat his wounded arm.

Tsuge based Neji-shiki on events of his real life and a dream he had, which accounts for the many deeply personal moments in SCREWED. At once the film is both a black comedy and a surreal look into the psyche of a troubled man. Ishii is on the top of his game here, as the story plays to his strength of striking visuals. Ishii is best known for being the driving force behind “Pinky Violence” cinema, but he was an outstanding all around director, and SCREWED packs a wallop visually and emotionally. Rarely do Ishii’s films have the level of emotional depth present here, and he certainly proves he can do drama as stylishly as he did violence.

Panik House has brought several of Teruo Ishii’s films to DVD and each has been excellently presented. SCREWED is no exception, the film looks beautiful and the many vibrant colors that Ishii uses come through well. One of the most unique things about the DVD is a DVD-Rom feature where you can take a look at the manga the film is based on. Panik House has inserted stills from the movie along side the pages so that you can see how faithful Ishii was to Tsuge’s work.

SCREWED is one of Teruo Ishii’s most powerful films but unfortunately it was also one of his last. Ishii passed away a few years after the film’s release. It’s a real shame, because unlike so many directors who reached that point in their careers, Ishii still had a bold vision that needed to be shared with the world. Thanks to DVD releases like this one, hopefully Ishii will continue to grow in popularity even after his death.