Guinea Pig (film series)

The Guinea pig films (from the Japanese "ginipiggu") were a series of 1980s Japanese horror films with extremely detailed special effects. They became infamous when Charlie Sheen mistook one for a snuff film and contacted the FBI to report it . They have since been reissued on DVD in the United States and in the Netherlands. The tapes were catapulted to a new level of infamy in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the first five films of the series were found showcased in the 6,000 videotape collection of Japanese serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki, who re-enacted scenes from the films as a part of his crimes. Because of the constant controversy surrounding the series, it has now been deemed illegal in Japan to produce any movies with the "Guinea Pig" label.

The Devil's Experiment

The first Guinea pig film, Za ginipiggu: Akuma no jikken (1985), is allegedly a re-enactment of an actual snuff film. The film revolves around a group of men who kidnap and graphically torture a young woman as part of an experiment on the human body's threshold of pain.

Flower of Flesh and Blood

The second video, Za ginipiggu 2: Chiniku no hana (1985) was also based on a purported snuff film, this one sent to one of the screenwriters. In it, a man dressed as a samurai drugs a woman and proceeds to cut her apart, and finally adds her body parts to an extensive collection.

After viewing a portion of this film, actor Charlie Sheen was convinced the murder depicted was genuine and contacted police, which brought about a massive investigation into the authenticity of the film . The band Skinny Puppy wrote the song, "The Mourn," after discovering the video and believing it authentic. When they later learned it was a fake they incorporated clips of it into their live stage show.

"Flower of Flesh and Blood" was Tsutomu Miyazaki's favorite of the first five films, and the one which apparently served as one of his primary "blueprints" for his crimes.

In a correction that should be noted, Flower of Flesh and Blood was NOT based on a snuff movie. That is an urban legend. In all actuality, it was based on a comic book written by the director of the film (who also played the killer). The original manga was a more drawn out story about a deranged florist who killed beautiful women because by butchering them, he was using their flesh as the seed for his renowned flower arrangements. In his mind he was not really destroying, but was using these women to bring more beauty into the world. They didn't have the budget to do the whole story, so he felt that it was best to shorten it to the most graphic extremes and in film it has a different effect.

Instead we see him get his victim. We see him kill his victim. We then see the remains of priors and then close with him getting another. The message (true horror) is this, "This has happened, and it will continue to happen."

He Never Dies

The third film, Za ginipiggu 3: Senritsu! Shinanai otoko (1986) was not based on a real film, but instead on a bizarre crime scene in which it appeared that a man had cut himself apart and played with his body parts for several hours before dying. The movie is more mocking than the earlier two, and involves an elaborate revenge against the girl who drove the main character to attempting suicide.

Mermaid in a Manhole

Based on a manga by Hideshi Hino and directed by the mangaka himself, the next installment of the Guineapig series, Za ginipiggu 4: Manhoru no naka no ningyo (1988), is about an artist who, while trying to cope with the recent death of his wife, finds a wounded mermaid in a sewer beneath the streets of Okinawa. The artist takes her back to his house, and after a brief period of time, the mermaid develops lacerations and begins to bleed. The artist uses the blood and pus from the wounds to paint her portrait, but as he paints, her condition worsens and she dies. The artist dismembers her body in his bathroom; the police burst in, and we see that the painting he has made, and the corpse he is dismembering, is his wife.

Android of Notre Dame

Za ginipiggu 5: Notorudamu no andoroido (1988) is about a scientist who tries to find a cure for his sister's grave illness. The scientist needs a "guinea pig" to perform experiments on. A stranger approaches the scientist with an offer of a body for the experiments. The scientist accepts and the stranger supplies the body for a price. The experiments do not go well and the scientist becomes enraged, hacking the body to pieces. The stranger approaches the scientist once again and supplies another body so the experiments can continue.

Devil Woman Doctor

Za ginipiggu 6: Peter no akuma no joi-san (1990) is the story about a female doctor who is a transvestite, played by real-life Japanese transvestite Peter. She mutilates and eventually kills all of her patients. This episode shifted the tone of the series from graphic horror to extremely violent slapstick comedy.

Slaughter Special

Za ginipiggu 7: Zansatsu supeshyaru (1992) is the seventh and final movie from the series. It works primarily as a "best of" special, showcasing the finest gruesome moments from the first several films.

DVD Release

In the US Unearthed Films released a box set containing all seven Guinea Pig films, as well as a special Making Of documentary. The DVDs are also available as double features, and include reversible cover art featuring the original Japanese covers.

External Links

Reviews at KFCC

Direct-to-video films | Film series | J-Horror | Films based on urban legends

Guinea Pig

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