is a Japanese horror (and later, black comedy) series that consists of six films, as well as two making-of documentaries. The series' original concept was envisioned by manga artist Hideshi Hino (who wrote and directed two films in the series). The series primarily focuses on situations involving graphic violence, gore, mutilation, torture, and murder.
The Guinea Pig series has garnered controversy for its depictions of violence. One or more entries in the series were suspected to have influenced Tsutomu Miyazaki, a serial killer who kidnapped and murdered four young girls. The second film in the series, Guinea Pig 2: Flower of Flesh and Blood, was supposedly withdrawn from the market, and has achieved particular notoriety because of an incident in which American actor Charlie Sheen is said to have watched the film and believed that it depicted the actual killing and dismemberment of a real woman, prompting him to report it to authorities.
The Guinea Pig films were released on DVD by distributor Unearthed Films. As a tribute to the Japanese film series, Unearthed Films began producing a series of horror films titled American Guinea Pig.
Films
Devil's Experiment (1985)
is a 1985 film directed by Satoru Ogura, and the first entry in the series. The film depicts a group of men who kidnap and graphically torture a young woman in a variety of ways—these include hitting her, kicking her, pinching her with pliers, forcing her to endure sound torture, burning her with hot oil, pouring maggots and offal on her, hanging her up in a net, and poking a needle through one of her eyes. It garnered controversy for its graphic content and was reportedly withdrawn from the market after being examined by a number of Japanese boards of education. It was also suspected to have influenced serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki—also known as the Otaku Murderer—who abducted and murdered four young girls in the Saitama and Tokyo prefectures. Miyazaki had an extensive collection of videotapes, many of which were horror films; one of the Guinea Pig films was reported to have been found in Miyazaki's collection, though writer-director Hino has asserted that it was the fourth film, Mermaid in a Manhole, and not Flower of Flesh and Blood. Upon watching and becoming convinced that what was on screen was a genuine snuff film that depicted the dismemberment and killing of a woman, Charlie Sheen quickly reported it to authorities in which the Federal Bureau of Investigation purportedly opened an inquiry into those involved in the film's production and distribution. Any official investigations were dropped after it was demonstrated that special effects were used to simulate the violence in the film. This incident, and the frequency with which it has been recounted by "hard core" fans of horror films, has been compared to an urban legend. (or Masayuki Kusumi). After an introduction given by an American reporter discussing strange cases from around the world, the story begins, centering around an unlucky salaryman named Hideshi. One evening, Hideshi attempts to slit his wrists, and finds that he cannot feel pain. He then discovers that he has somehow become immortal, and invites a co-worker to his home, asking that he bring sharp gardening utensils with him. When his co-worker arrives, Hideshi plays a practical joke on him by using the tools to mutilate himself, then ends up decapitating himself with a set of gardening shears, terrifying the co-worker to the point of fainting during the ordeal. Eventually, the co-worker's girlfriend enters Hideshi's apartment to see why her fiancé was taking so long, only to find Hideshi's still-living head on a blood-spattered coffee table. Rather than being scared by the gory scene, the girlfriend is confused by how Hideshi is still alive. She goes to wake her boyfriend, and then the two begin to clean the apartment so Hideshi doesn't get in trouble with his landlord. As the others get to work cleaning, Hideshi announces that he has become more confident, and would like to return to his job the next day.
Though He Never Dies features graphic imagery, it is more darkly comedic in tone than its predecessors and its successors except Devil Woman Doctor. Sources differ on whether it is the fourth or sixth film in the series.
Android of Notre Dame (1988)
is a 1988 film directed by Kazuhito Kuramoto. The existence of behind-the-scenes footage demonstrating special effects used in the Guinea Pig series is thought to have assuaged fears about the Guinea Pig films being snuff films. Japan Home Video, MAD Video, and Sai Enterprise.
In the early 2000s, distributor Unearthed Films released the Guinea Pig films and the associated making-of documentaries on DVD. Each release was a double feature containing two films: Devil's Experiment / Android of Notre Dame, Mermaid in a Manhole / He Never Dies, The films in this series are as follows: American Guinea Pig: Bouquet of Guts and Gore (2014), American Guinea Pig: Bloodshock (2015), American Guinea Pig: The Song of Solomon (2017), and American Guinea Pig: Sacrifice (2017).
See also
- Japanese horror