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Alice, Sweet Alice: ‘Hausu’ Director’s Bad Seed Movie ‘Cute Devil’ [Horrors Elsewhere]

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Kawaii Akuma Cute Devil

Horrors Elsewhere is a recurring column that spotlights a variety of movies from all around the globe, particularly those not from the United States. Fears may not be universal, but one thing is for sure a scream is understood, always and everywhere.

Right away, Cute Devil (Kawaii Akuma) exposes its young villain’s evil streak. On her uncle’s wedding day, Alice Kawamura (Tina Kawamura) asks the bride Fuyuko (Nao Asuka) if she can have her veil. When Fuyuko says Alice can have it once she dies, the child devises a sinister plan. Minutes later, the other family members and guests hear glass breaking followed by the sound of something hitting the ground. They turn around to find Fuyuko dead after presumably falling out of a two-story house’s highest window. As reality creeps in and panic sweeps over everyone else, Alice casually asks her mother if she can have Fuyuko’s veil now.

It seems impossible to top such a grisly and outrageous opening, but this 1982 TV-movie has an entire bag of tricks to share. The telefilm aired as part of Nippon TV’s Tuesday Night Suspense Theater, and it is directed by Nobuyuki Ōbayashi of Hausu fame. His penchant for absurdity is met with sheer melodrama here. Case in point: functioning on the same wavelength as the cold open is a concurrent scene set in Vienna. Fuyuko’s younger sister Ryōko (Kumiko Akiyoshi) ‘curses’ her boyfriend Johann as he breaks up with her and walks out of her life forever. As soon as Ryōko utters the word “die,” a car hits Johann outside. Losing both her boyfriend and her sister in one go, Ryōko then tries to take her own life before being put in a psychiatric hospital.

Kawaii Akuma Cute Devil

Three years have passed since Ryōko was committed. Said to be much better now by her doctor, she is released into the care of her brother-in-law Kōji (Hiroyuki Watanabe) and his family. Although Fuyuko is gone, Kōji has stayed close to her sister. On the other hand, neither Alice nor her mother are all too pleased to see Ryōko; the child thinks she has come for the veil, whereas Keiko (Miyoko Akaza) is unwelcoming for her own reasons. Ryōko assures Alice the veil is hers to keep, and she is really there to be her nanny.

This cool-down period until all hell breaks loose is all about Ryōko trying to find out what happened to her sister. Her death was ruled an accident, but she has her suspicions this was something else altogether. In the meantime, Ryōko literally chases after her sister’s ghost in the middle of the night, or she is rudely awakened by her spectral wedding veil. While Alice’s mother promises her agitated guest nothing is out of the ordinary or Alice is only playing childish games, the viewers know better. This is where Cute Devil falls in line with psychological thrillers of yesteryear; the protagonist is gaslighted by someone close to them and with knowledge of the truth. In this case, Keiko is the key to solving everything, and her perpetual inebriation is how she copes with raising a child like Alice.

Kawaii Akuma Cute Devil

It would be safe to say Cute Devil is a Japanese remake of The Bad Seed, but Ōbayashi apparently changed Machiko Nasu’s script so that it would no longer be an homage to the 1956 movie. What makes the two stories so different is the presence of Alice’s infatuation with Kōji. This is no fleeting or simple childhood crush; Alice is convinced she loves her uncle. Fuyuko’s death makes more sense in light of this information. The movie goes further to show the power love has over its characters. Ryōko feels enormous guilt over Johann because she thinks she caused him to die by loving him too much. Alice conversely feels no remorse for her actions because her misdeeds work in her favor; the means justify the end.

As with other movies about evil children, the demon spawn here is granted an almost supernatural level of precociousness. She is well versed in strategy and manipulation; more so than people thrice her age. Alice, always driven by her id, knows precisely how to solve or do away with any obstacle standing between her and instant gratification. Whether it be killing her teacher with a pair of boots retrofitted with metal plates, or destroying evidence of her wrongdoing by setting a nosy pedophile on fire, Alice understands how the world works. She realizes no one will suspect a child of murder, and she uses various adult systems to her advantage.

Kawaii Akuma Cute Devil

This being a made-for-television movie, there is a limit to what all can be done visually. Even so, Ōbayashi makes do with a meager budget and creates an absolute sense of surrealism through the use of matte paintings, Gothic disquietude, and phantasmal imagery. The severe sound design as well as the dramatic close-ups do more to incriminate Alice than words ever could. Toward the film’s end, Cute Devil falls in step with the American slashers also popular in Japan at the time. Alice suffocates one character with a vase and menaces another with both a bear trap and a sickle. Given everything that has happened so far, none of this ever comes across as preposterous. Alice’s malevolence is so overstated that there is no turning back.

Ōbayashi shines where others would succumb to the limitations. He does not go for high art here on account of the fact that the story is rather simple. Instead, he applies his distinct style to every surface of Cute Devil, thus ensuring its rightful place among his unique filmography.

Kawaii Akuma Cute Devil

Paul Lê is a Texas-based, Tomato approved critic at Bloody Disgusting, Dread Central, and Tales from the Paulside.

Editorials

Six Shot-on-VHS Horror Movies to Watch After ‘Frogman’

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Frogman VHS

Nostalgia is a funny thing. From the unexpected resurgence of vinyl to modern-day flip phones, it’s pretty clear that the technical limitations of the past can often inspire the stylish trends of the future. One of my favorite examples of this is the ongoing analog horror craze, as I find it fascinating how many of the genre’s major creators appear to have been born after the decline of VHS tapes and eerie PSAs.

It’s almost like there’s a subconscious understanding that some stories are best told through fuzzy visuals and heavily compressed audio, which is why I appreciate flicks like Anthony Cousins’s Found Footage throwback Frogman, a cryptozoology-inspired scary movie that dares to incorporate lo-fi aesthetics into its storytelling during a time when most studios encourage filmmakers to make their projects look as generically slick and polished as possible. And if you also enjoyed Frogman and are on the lookout for more VHS-based gems, Bloody-Disgusting has got you covered, as we’ve come up with a list highlighting six shot-on-VHS classics for your viewing pleasure.

As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite analog thrillers if you think we missed a particularly spooky one. I’d also like to give a shout-out to Bloody-Disgusting’s own long-running V/H/S series, which won’t be included here for obvious reasons.

Now, onto the list…


6. Zero Day (2003)

School shootings are one of the scariest realities of the modern world, but the complicated political elements behind these tragedies mean that most genre filmmakers don’t even try to tell stories about them. There are a few exceptions, however, and one of the most notable is Ben Coccio’s Zero Day, a deeply uncomfortable Found Footage character study that explores just how far ill-intentioned teenagers might go to prove a point.

Inspired by the real-world Columbine Basement Tapes, in which the mass-murderers kept a record of their plans and motivations, Coccio’s film follows a fictional video diary where troubled friends Andre and Calvin discuss their homicidal intentions. Another case where the gritty visuals make the story hit even harder, I’d recommend this one for discerning fans of True Crime media.


5. August Underground (2001)

Out of all the movies on this list, Fred Vogel’s August Underground is simultaneously one of the most fascinating and the hardest to recommend. A simulated snuff film following the exploits of a degenerate serial killer and his deranged filmmaker friend, the low production value and amateurish visuals make this shot-on-video experience even more uncomfortable as you begin to question if it really is just a movie.

And while Vogel would go on to expand on this controversial production with a series of slightly more agreeable sequels that boasted improved visuals, none of the follow-ups can quite compare to the raw thrills of the original. Just make sure that you don’t accidentally pick this one for family movie night if you dare to give it a watch.


4. WNUF Halloween Special (2013)

Frogman VHS list

The only entry on this list produced after the decline of VHS-based media, this 2013 classic still holds up as a convincing masterclass in authentic period-piece horror. A simulated recording of a public access show gone terribly wrong, the WNUF Halloween Special should be on everyone’s spooky season watchlist – though I’d argue that it’s best enjoyed as a background conversation piece during Halloween parties.

From the hilarious yet extremely believable retro advertisements to the not-so-subtle hints of the satanic panic motivating the story, this is a delightful experience even if you weren’t alive back when this kind of TV was still on the air.

And if you like this one, don’t forget to check out the Out There Halloween Mega Tape, which was made by the same director.


3. The McPherson Tape (1989)

Originally made popular by bootleg copies circulating the underground VHS trading scene, there’s no discussing shot-on-video horror without bringing up one of the grandaddies of modern-day Found Footage, the legendary McPherson Tape. Also known as UFO Abduction, this homemade thriller follows a birthday party gone wrong as the Van Heese family is visited by extraterrestrials.

While the flick works better as a terrifying hoax rather than a proper movie due to its odd pacing and general lack of traditional story structure, it’s still a must-watch for Found Footage fans. Just be sure to track down the gritty original, not the 1998 remake, Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County.


2. Ghostwatch (1992)

Frogman VHS movies

The term “made-for-TV” used to carry some seriously negative connotations in the world of film, with most audiences assuming that this kind of classification meant that they were about to watch low-budget schlock unsuitable for the big screen. However, there were plenty of clever filmmakers that managed to turn the limitations of broadcast television into storytelling tools, and a great example of this is Stephen Volk’s excellent mockumentary, Ghostwatch.

Starring real TV host Sir Michael Parkinson and borrowing details from the infamous Enfield Poltergeist case, this controversial TV special attempted to do for hauntings what Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds radio adaptation did for aliens. And while we’ve seen scarier Found Footage ghost stories in the decades since Ghostwatch premiered, I’d argue that the chilling authenticity behind the production makes it well worth revisiting in 2024.


1. America’s Deadliest Home Video (1993)

Jack Perez’s pioneer POV thriller may not be that well known these days, but this obscure little gem is actually responsible for many Found Footage tropes that we now take for granted. Telling the story of an amateur cameraman who finds himself being kidnapped by a group of criminals during a road trip, this video diary from hell still holds up as a horrific example of grounded Found Footage.

While some questionable acting and convenient story beats sometimes break the carefully crafted immersion, America’s Deadliest Home Video stands out by not only being one of the first of its kind, but also by embracing its amateurish roots instead of being embarrassed by them.


Frogman, which actually was released on VHS, is now available on VOD outlets.

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