The Slit-Mouthed Woman
Review by Peter Syslo

THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN (2005) is an erotic horror film from Japan, which is distributed by Salvation Films (www.salvation-films.com). It does contain common elements of Asian cinema, which we are all used to seeing, by now, (example: pale dead girl creeping up on people) but the film does go a few steps further and it turns out to be better than you would expect. The movie is rooted in an urban legend and it blends several genres very successfully. To be accurate and honest, it is a mix of horror, relationship satire, media stereotypes, and soft-core sex.

THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN is directed by Takuaki Hashiguchi and stars May Asada, Minami Aoyama, Lemon Hanazawa, and Mikiya Sanada. The movie is about the legend of the slit-mouthed woman, whose spirit inhabits a closed-off room in an abandoned hospital, where cosmetic surgery used to be performed. She appears from a mirror in that room, whenever people sneak into that room to have sex (believe me, it’s the “lookout point” of that neighborhood) and she kills or causes other havoc in the lives of those people. The movie focuses on three couples and a woman who works for a fashion magazine; they all experience the spirit of the woman, in some way and they try to understand and break the curse of the woman.

First off, I have to say a few words about the erotic content – the film is peppered with complete soft-core scenes, which surprised me a little. It’s not just 5-10 seconds of implied sex; the scenes are at least 2-3 minutes each, with vivid camerawork (no pun intended), nudity (minus the genitals), and sound, yes sex sounds (like a portly old woman clapping in a rainstorm). Let’s just say that the film delivers, regarding the eroticism. But, aside from the fornication, there is a very serious movie lying underneath. Like THE NUDE VAMPIRE, this film blends all of the cross-genre elements really well; you have relationship turmoil related to the tragedy of the slit-mouthed woman, which is all related to selfishness, vanity, and lack of humanity – which is represented by the fashion magazine and the cosmetic surgery. It is a genuine movie with heightened sex scenes; it is not just a showcase for Asian erotica.

The movie, I thought, was well done, considering the breadth of material which was addressed in 63 minutes. As for the horror elements, there is very little if any blood/gore in the film – actually the killing is implied in some scenes and you are not sure what happened. Yes, the slit-mouthed woman looks similar to all ghastly villains in Asian cinema, but the makeup effects of the slit-mouth looked pretty cool, and unsettling. The legend is somewhat derivative, like the legend of Bloody Mary or Candyman, but a neat spin was put on it, by linking it to the fashion industry, etc. It is a “grudge” story but there was more to it than that, which made me happy; it encompasses some stale qualities of Asian horror but also some great qualities, like the cinematography – the movie looked great and the atmosphere was superb.

Cutting to the chase: I liked The Slit-Mouthed Woman, and I am really not a big Asian-horror fan. It sounds strange, but it sort of fills that void in movies where you think, “Man, wouldn’t that be great to have explicit sex scenes in a real movie that has a plot and makes sense?” I don’t know, but I do think that Salvation Films has hit upon a unique marketplace and an interesting genre – erotic horror. If you like medical horror, such as “Nip-Tuck”, or films like CANDYMAN, BASIC INSTINCT, or EYES WIDE SHUT, then you may like the film. Also, if you are a fan of Asian horror, this is something “off the beaten path” which may satisfy your quest for something different