Evil Dead Trap

Plot

TV show host Nami asks her viewers to send in home movies; she receives a snuff film apparently shot at a nearby factory. Taking a camera crew out to investigate, Nami finds the factory deserted. As Nami and her crew begin to scour the factory, they are murdered one-by-one in grisly fashion until only Nami remains. She ultimately discovers that the killer is Hideki, a small, fetus-like man conjoined to his fully grown, naive twin-brother, who seems unaware of the killings.

Production

Special effects were by Shinichi Wakasa who would go on to a career as a monster-suit maker for several Godzilla movies.

Hitomi Kobayashi who plays the supporting role of Rei Sugiura was a top star for Japan Home Video (JHV) under their adult video (AV) label Alice Japan. JHV financed the film as a vehicle for Kobayashi but director Toshiharu Ikeda, unsure of Kobayashi's acting ability, instead put Miyuki Ono in the starring role.

Cast

Release

The film was released theatrically in Japan as Shiryō no wana (死霊の罠) on May 14, 1988 and it was later released in Japan as a VHS tape on September 25, 1988 and as a DVD on June 23, 2000. A DVD version titled Evil Dead Trap with English subtitles came out November 7, 2000 from Synapse Films.

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews from critics. Allmovie describes the film as a "provocative horror film" and a "sickening but riveting slasher" while Tom Mes at Midnight Eye called it a "highly effective and suspenseful slasher movie" with "imaginative and gruesomely impressive death scenes". Another reviewer finds the plot "so ridiculously ludicrous that it's laughable" but feels that the disturbing images and elaborate death scenes make up for it.