All Night Long 2 - Atrocity

Kasuya Matsumura's 'All Night Long' trilogy reaches its second instalment with the aptly titled name 'Atrocity'. This is not because the film is atrociously bad, but in fact because what unfolds through the films running time will in fact both horrify and amaze as it takes you to new extremes...

'Atrocity' begins when we see a young bespectacled lad (ok, a geek with a love for making model kits of Manga babes) being beat up and threatened by a bunch of sadistic bullies who are looking to extort money from him. The gang are a motley crew of the most evil deviants you are ever likely to see in any movie. Led by a cold and calculating homosexual, the team have a distasteful penchant for rape, abduction, torture and extreme violence - all of which are played out before your eyes on screen. The bullied lad (Shinichi) soon forms an alliance with some fellow internet chums who he hopes will help protect him from the gang, but as they all soon find out - they are up against the odds in what inevitably is one of the most violent bloodbaths you're likely to see.

Sick, hyper-violent and sometimes downright offensive - 'Atrocity' is without doubt one of the most startling films to be released onto DVD to date. No stone is left unturned in this catalogue of horror that would surely have the moral majority up in arms for years. But that said, the power of the film is wholly testament to the outstanding work that Matsumura has done in delivering one of the most powerful films in movie history. Again, using the most minimal of plots, Matsumura delves deep into the depraved side of the human psyche and stylishly delivers a high quality film that impresses no end.

The casting here is very strong also, with the two main protagonists shining brightly with excellent performances by both the hapless geek victim and more so the outstanding performance by the homosexual gang leader, who portrays one of the most evil bastards on film very convincingly and should be applauded heartily for his skill. Major kudos also should be given to the female victims in the film, whose performances truly did have me continually reminding myself that I was in fact just watching a movie - performances so strong that even this old boy horror fan couldn't at times believe what I was seeing. This fact is due also to the stunning special effects that will have any gore fan applauding at the high calibre of graphic talent on show.

Definitely the most powerful of the 'All Night Long' trilogy, and likely the most offensive too. Between the degradation and humiliation of the female victims and the twisted nature of the homosexual gang leaders role, inevitably at some point someone from the moral brigade will scream blue murder and whilst the film is in no way a 'date' movie, it is a highly engrossing experience for the more inquisitive and level headed genre fan.

The Region 0 PAL disc from Japan Shock is (once again) sparse on the content front. The original fullscreen ratio image is solid enough with clear sharp Japanese audio and optional English and Dutch subtitles. Like the rest of the series, extras wise all you get is a nicely put together stills slide show, which is fine as its the film we're here for and this one is quite a movie!

An absolutely stunning film that at times will take your breath away (and most likely make you feel dirty afterwards!) And one of those occasions when you will keep telling yourself 'it's only a movie...it's only a movie..." Check it out!

Review by Alan Simpson