Review by Paul Cooke
Battle Heater
Review by Paul Cooke
Battle Heater
Director : Joji Iida
Scripted : Joji Iida
Starring : Akira Emoto , Pappara Kawai , Shigeru Muroi , Sanplaza Nakano & Yasuko Tomita
If you can’t stand the heated humour , stay out of Director Joji Iida’s cinematic kitchen. This is another way wacky pot of enjoyable nonsense amongst the Japanese film makers culinary cornucopia of movie plots and pans !. Scrub up before watching as this is a dish best served cold , cold as in with brews aplenty from the refrigerator. Even go so far as to leaving the door open for that home made air conditioning , and bathe in the fluorescent blue light that will mellow your mood for what is to follow in the weirdness that is ‘Battle Heater’.
You don’t need that jumper that granny knitted you for Christmas but you might want to pullover an extra chair for a friend , just to share in this early excursion into the decidedly odd world of Iida. When two entrepreneurs of junk pick up a discarded electric home heater , known in Japan as a Kotatsu , its not long before they realise just how much of a hot property they have unearthed. Once Hama drops off his good friend Furuchi , with the heater at his apartment block , the doorway into the strangely enveloping world of Joji Iida soon opens up. Enter into what could pass for Frankenstein’s Castle and be greeted by an eclectic collective of residents , making those stopping over at chez ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest’ seem a regular bunch of pretty okay folks !. Next stop the ‘Twilight Zone’ with Rod Serling playing Uncle Fester from ‘The Adams Family’ and guest starring ‘Hand’ !. Prepare yourself not for another dose of the ‘Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes’ but Japan’s very own ‘Attack Of The Kila Watts’ . Yes indeed the killer guests at the home of Universal Horror are in for a real shock as a very possessed Kotatsu heater goes anti Police , turning on the red light and not just for Roxanne !.
Furuchi unwittingly releases the demon held within the restraint of the heater by removing a sacred seal embedded into its facia. The awakened demon is a smart one and when left alone in Furuchi’s apartment seeks out power sources to refuel its energy. Whilst it freely taps into the complexes electrical system poor old Furuchi is put upon by the residential bully boys in the form of an up and coming rock band. Much hilarity is to be had whilst the Kotatsu gets time to warm up !. It’s like watching a strange hybrid of Sam Raimi inspired visuals caricatured by turn of the century German horror classics such as ‘Der Golem’ and ‘The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari’. The sight of a hen pecked husband assisting his wife trying to dispose of a neighbours body is oddly captivating , particularly when the cadaver moves with rigor mortis setting in. An eccentric old couple prepare for the ultimate ‘send off’ with surreal effectiveness . Mix it all up with a demon about to be unleashed for the final reel and the ingredients on the side of the spool may well just read like an entrants exam into the funny farm.
With body parts clogging up the toilets , and a visiting priest having his hand severed before a full on chow down chomping session for last rites , its time for the ‘Battle Heater’ to turn up the heat. With Hama arriving on the scene to relay demonic news to his friend Furuchi the Kotatsu has to play smart and soon possesses a heater from an adjoining room. Calling upon the dark spirits of the almighty power station near by just as the rock band kick in with a home based concert its time to bring the house down !. Super power juiced up the Kotatsu releases its fully charged demon. Hot from hell and one mean mother of a ‘Battle Heater’ Bar none !. Okay so its as funny looking as heck , but the build up deserves better and the effect is just as rewarding anyway !. Looking like a Venus Fly Trap feeding off the AC / DC and rocking on down with the inhabitants and gathered mass of screaming school girls all swooning at the performing rock band.
Surely nothing can stop the unimaginable terror of a supped up immersion that’ll give you a three ring heat burn just as soon as hit your pocket for needless use in the summer months !?. Time to bring on the hero !. What could possibly top the belly laugh inducing overkill of a pumped up killer home heating unit ? , why an anti killer home heating ‘Aliens’ unit nemesis in the heroic ‘Ripley’ male form of Hama of course. The junk junkie emerges centre stage kitted up in a home made super shiny electro suit ready to kick Kotatsu rear. Battle arena Frankenstein towers proudly brings forth the ultimate clash that only the Japanese could promote ‘Robo Junk Man Vs Demon Battle Heater’ , it just doesn’t come any wilder than this.
For a deliriously wild and freely wacky slice of craziness plug in ‘Battle Heater’ soon , it’s a hotly overlooked item that is actually pretty darned Cool.
Film Review By Paul Cooke
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