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This genuinely creepy Japanese horror film begins eerily at a Japanese amusement park. There's a ride there called the Cave of Horrors. The place is filled with creepy noises, oriental monsters and skeletons. Suddenly a man is murdered when the killer appears out of nowhere. Police detective Karaoke finds a dagger imbedded in the man's heart, a strange dogtag, and a letter "If you want to know what happened fifteen years ago, meet me at the Cave of Horrors". The man who was murdered belongs to a group of WII veterans. On the night of the surrender, they stole some gold from a military scientist and took him to a cave. In a box that should be full of the doctors research, there was explosive. One of the military men, Sudo, disagreed with what the other men where doing. The other men stabbed him with a dagger and then lit the explosive and left him and the scientist in the cave. They were both supposedly killed. Back in the present, Akiko (Kirioka's sweetheart) runs a business. She has a strange customer who keeps ordering cooling systems from her. When he orders four and only gets two he visits her business. He is a very cold, creepy man. Next, the veterans get a strange tape. At first it sounds like a porno movie's soundtrack, but then a clear hate message is displayed. It is revealed Sudo and the scientist are still alive. The scientist invented a teleportation system that must be kept at a low temperature (that explains the cooling systems). Sudo has been using it to get revenge on the veterans and to teleport himself to them and attack them no matter where they hide. He strikes again and kills another of the veterans. Then he attacks Akiko. Next, Kirioka and Akiko visit Sudo's farm near a volcano. They find the scientist (who lost both of his legs in the explosion) and find the teleportation system. Sudo strikes again and kills another one of the veterans. He is chased by the police and gets disfigured by a bullet. Finally, he attacks the chief of the veterans and kills him. The volcano then erupts, and Sudo is killed by the eruption.
This is a very enjoyable murder mystery/horror film with Sci-Fi touches. Tadeo Nakamara does a great performance as Sudo, the military man turned psychotic killer. This is one of the grimmest films ever turned out by Toho.
The American version is in B&W (it does look better in color, but the B&W print gives it the look of a 30s mystery. This has one bizarre scene set in a military cafe where a women with gold bodypaint on dances in a bikini. This scene is so jaw-droppingly bizarre!! I recommend it.
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