Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell



Naoto is a body builder who’s just spent the last six months-or-so bulking up. While in the middle of his routine one day his ex-girlfriend calls him up and asks for his assistance in her upcoming photojournalism project that involves researching haunted houses. Naoto agrees to her request, and takes her and a local psychic out to his father’s old house, which has been abandoned since before Naoto was born. But once they’re inside, Naoto realizes there was a good reason for his father to have abandoned that old house, and that reason involves a very crazy, pissed off ghost who just so happens to have been holding a 30+ year-old grudge against his father.


Gee, thanks pops. This is JUST how I wanted to spend my weekend.

Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell has a very interesting background. This very low-budget film from Japan was part of the SOV (Shot on Video) craze and was made in 1995. It was then edited over a period of years until it finally saw a release in 2012…On DVD-R. It eventually got a theatrical release in Japan in 2014, an international release in 2017, and was finally released on Bluray in the US in 2022. That’s quite a journey for a little passion project shot on Super 8, though probably not too surprising from a film called Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell. That said, the (extremely) odd title (thanks, Japan!) really shouldn’t be held against the movie too much, because the film is actually a pretty fun little romp and I can easily see why it’s become so well thought of in cult film circles. Though I don’t entirely agree with it being referred to as the “Japanese Evil Dead”.


Is it the face makeup? It’s the face makeup, isn’t it?

I mean, it’s not that I can’t see why they make the Evil Dead comparison. The movie clearly has several nods to those films, what with the shotgun, the crazy undead screeching and running about, and the fact that the main character says “Groovy” at one point. Hell, even some of the visuals and effects used are imitating or reminiscent of those films. So yeah, I get it. But it’s also kinda misleading, because those instances are really just nods to the Evil Dead franchise and other 80s horror films. In reality Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell is really just your typical haunted house movie filled with your standard asshole Japanese ghost, but with the weird, quirky Japanese campiness levels ramped up to 11. So the film is really more like a much earlier version of The Grudge, just with more insane, cackling ghosts and popping eyeballs.

So, you know, your run of the mill bizzaro Japanese horror movie.


Honestly, considering some of the other weird shit Japan has produced, this is kinda tame.

That said, it’s also a very fun Japanese horror movie. It’s exactly the type of horror film you’d expect from a movie titled Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell. And by that I mean it’s often over-the-top, ridiculous, and filled with cheesy gore and splatter effects like bloody dismembered hands and feet hopping around, because – by god – I’m still trying to kill you and I’m not going to let a little thing like dis-articulation stop me. But it’s also the kind of movie that knows what kind of movie it is, so at no point does it take itself seriously. So expect instances of overacting, exaggerated expressions, and that very little of it will make any damn sense. It’s the kind of movie where the final revelation is that in order to vanquish his great threat the hero can’t use some sort of charm or ancient tome, but he must instead rely… On his beefy, bulging muscles! Yeah! *protagonist proceeds to rip his shirt off and pose for the camera*


Ya’ll might think I’m kidding, but I ain’t.

Yes, it’s that kind of low-budget horror movie, and while it’s very silly and fun, you should also expect all the story and technical flaws and limitations that go along with that. Much of the gore is done with what looks like time-lapsed clay/play-dough effects, stop-motion, overlays, or just fake body parts that they painted along with some swift and clever framing/editing. But while most of the graphic stuff is all very cheap and fake looking it also feels very charming in a way, because you can tell this was all a labor of love. Even the grainy, low-quality camera helps add to the film’s charm, making the movie almost feel like an old grind-house outing.



That being said, there are a couple of downsides too, like the standard horror trope of characters making very questionable decisions (seriously, you both had a shotgun and an axe at your disposal, why did neither of you think to try to use that on the door to escape?). But the film’s major issue is undoubtedly its pacing. Because the first half of the film just DRAAAAGS. It takes this poor movie a good 30 minutes to actually properly get started, and with a runtime of only 62 minutes, that just feels downright awful at the beginning. Granted, the movie does use that time to set up its (ultimately confusing) story, but it moves so slowly that it essentially feels like the beginning of a very different kind of movie. Like maybe a chill mystery or crime drama? But once the second half starts things really start to ramp up, so the movie does get progressively better and more entertaining as it goes along. So I do think it’s worth it if you enjoy the weirdness, but be forewarned that the first half can feel like a chore to get through.


Sorry, I had to put this in here.

Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell is the type of movie that wears much of its 80s influences on its sleeve, and I think for most fans of that era and over-the-top horror movies that’ll be very appealing. Because the film isn’t so much a rip-off, but an homage to the films that inspired it, crossed with a bonkers story courtesy of our Japanese friends. So unless you’re a stickler for high-quality visuals and other technical filming aspects, then this is just a silly movie trying to have a bunch of silly fun. So there isn’t too much to dislike here. The only major downside is the film’s initial sluggish pace, but the movie more than makes up for it by the end, and since it’s only a little over an hour it doesn’t try to overstay its welcome either. So if you’re interested in oddball, but charming, low-budget horror comedies then give this one a go. It’s short and you’ll probably love the second half.

Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell is available on a variety of streaming services.

Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell is also available on DVD and Bluray.

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