Toshiharu Ikeda's "Evil Dead Trap" seems to start out as an effective, ultra-violent slasher. One can clearly see where the Saw franchise may've gotten a few ideas. But, once most of the victims have been eliminated, this film takes a Mondo Bizarro turn and definitely left this viewer's jaw dropping a loud thud to the floor. Television station late night talk show host is sent what appears to be a snuff video recording where a female victim is mutilated by a knife blade, ripping her flesh, stabbing into her eyeball. Nami Tsuchiya(Miyuki Ono)wishes to pursue the one responsible(..she doesn't take the recording as serious, actually making funny to her director about boosting rating if she were killed by the psycho on assignment), who left a way of travel on the recording to an abandoned military installation, fallen to ruin, but her employers haven't the budget to fund such an expedition. So Nami's television crew, opt to join her, not knowing that a serial killer lies in wait, ready to butcher them in various ways, setting traps they'll unfortunately walk into. Nami meets a mysterious, handsome, quietly enigmatic man who tells her to be careful as he pursues his brother Hideki. This man knows more than he's telling and will meet up with Nami once again, after she loses her friends, who fall to the killer one by one. The major twist which is certain to floor a few folks if they haven't read up on this film is exactly who Hideki really is and how *he* will effect her life forever.
As I mentioned at the very start, Ikeda sets up the film following the usual patterns well established in the slasher genre. A group of young adults enter into the hunting ground of a hidden psychopath, dying in gruesome ways. The first to die had just finished having sex with her boyfriend, who was the show's assistant director. Eventually, the characters separate, converge together, then walk into traps set by the killer. Like in numerous slashers, dead bodies surprise victims who only realize just what their up against after witnessing them. Wooden spikes stab through a female victim. One female victim, who actually makes it out of the warehouse, is attacked by the killer's *servant*, who subsequently sexually molests her while gripping her throat, strangling her just enough to keep her at bay as he forces himself in her as she struggles mightily to escape. Before he's executed with a metal pike rammed through his face and out his mouth, this deviant informs her(..but, more importantly, us)that the *two* killers are actually one. She hopes to free herself, but is dragged over the roof of the company van by a wire noose slamming head-first to pavement. Another is bound by tape, as Nami trips a wire which sends a swinging blade into the side of her face. But, these elaborate death sequences(..including the opening snuff kill which certainly informs the viewer what you're up against)pale in comparison with Nami's introduction and on-going battle with Hideki. That is certainly the show-stopping finale(..including what happens to Nami at the very end when she believes she had finally rid herself of Hideki forever)I never saw coming. The very definition of "the rug being swept out from under you." For the exception of Ono and her mysterious *assistant*, the rest of the cast(..like in your common slasher movie)are disposable victims.
As I mentioned at the very start, Ikeda sets up the film following the usual patterns well established in the slasher genre. A group of young adults enter into the hunting ground of a hidden psychopath, dying in gruesome ways. The first to die had just finished having sex with her boyfriend, who was the show's assistant director. Eventually, the characters separate, converge together, then walk into traps set by the killer. Like in numerous slashers, dead bodies surprise victims who only realize just what their up against after witnessing them. Wooden spikes stab through a female victim. One female victim, who actually makes it out of the warehouse, is attacked by the killer's *servant*, who subsequently sexually molests her while gripping her throat, strangling her just enough to keep her at bay as he forces himself in her as she struggles mightily to escape. Before he's executed with a metal pike rammed through his face and out his mouth, this deviant informs her(..but, more importantly, us)that the *two* killers are actually one. She hopes to free herself, but is dragged over the roof of the company van by a wire noose slamming head-first to pavement. Another is bound by tape, as Nami trips a wire which sends a swinging blade into the side of her face. But, these elaborate death sequences(..including the opening snuff kill which certainly informs the viewer what you're up against)pale in comparison with Nami's introduction and on-going battle with Hideki. That is certainly the show-stopping finale(..including what happens to Nami at the very end when she believes she had finally rid herself of Hideki forever)I never saw coming. The very definition of "the rug being swept out from under you." For the exception of Ono and her mysterious *assistant*, the rest of the cast(..like in your common slasher movie)are disposable victims.