The Manster (Japan) a.k.a. The Split
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The Manster (Japan) a.k.a. The Split
The Japanese take on human duality, the dark side & the good side, yin & yang... and also an early version of the two man-with-2 heads films of the early seventies. This one is much more atmospheric, of course, almost a play of shadows in some spots. The first scene takes place in some undetermined time frame, featuring a hairy beast man attacking a Japanese woman. It lends a mythological context to the story, even if the rest of it is firmly grounded in the then-modern era.
The main character is an American reporter (Peter Dyneley); he visits a Japanese scientist in an early scene. Unfortunately for the reporter, this is a mad scientist, complete with a mutated ex-wife hidden away in a prison cell; the scientist drugs the reporter into unconsciousness and then injects him with his invention. Things go downhill from there - a pain in the reporter's shoulder soon becomes a new eye. As the final act begins, a new head grows out, while the reporter's own face becomes more bestial.
The striking images in this last act are those of the 2-headed beastman wandering the streets and into rooms. The 'Manster' is outfitted in this trenchcoat and, usually seen in shadow, looks like some grotesque version of a private eye or detective - or perhaps even a spy; yes, the enemy spy from hell. The mad scientist's base, on some mountain, is also an eerie location and also recalls the mythological theme again. This has some similarity to the Frankenstein story, including the monster returning to his creator's location. It has a slow middle section, but a rousing conclusion. BoG's Score: 6.5 out of 10
More Details At MOVIEFANFARE.COM: DR. STRANGEFILM CASE #22
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