Thursday, November 16, 2023

TUBI-WEEN HANGOVER: THE SCISSORS MASSACRE (2008) ****

A young schoolgirl named Mayumi (Rin Asuka) seemingly has everything going for her.  She’s in love with the captain of the track team, and now that her older sister has been married off, she’s taken over the best bedroom in the house.  Life is good.  Tragically, her family is subject to a horrific attack that leaves Mayumi’s mother dead and her face horribly disfigured.  Once life begins returning to some semblance of normal, a killer in a red coat starts to kill off her classmates with a pair of extremely sharp scissors. 

For the first half hour or so of this movie you’re gonna think this is just a sweet coming of age story.  You’ll be wondering how can such a sweet and innocent drama be called The Scissors Massacre?  Once it turns on a dime, shit gets real in a hurry.  Folks, trust me when I tell you, this flick features some of the ghastliest bloodletting I’ve seen in a while. 

Surprisingly enough, the dramatic scenes are exceptionally strong for a movie with the words “Scissors” and “Massacre” in the title.  We really get to spend time with Mayumi and her family before everything goes to hell.  Even then, we get to see their interactions and how they come together in the wake of tragedy.  Just when it seems like the wounds are healing, problems arise to threaten to tear them apart yet again.  The film is full of some genuinely heartbreaking moments and well-crafted drama.  In fact, some of the dramatic scenes are more painful to watch than the horror stuff. 

This is actually a sequel to a flick called A Slit-Mouthed Woman.  I’m not sure if it’s directly related or if it’s just a tale about another Slit-Mouthed Woman (which is a popular Japan folktale).  Either way, this is one unsettling, effective, and unforgettable horror movie. 

AKA:  A Slit-Mouthed Woman 2.  AKA:  Carved 2.  

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