This is the everyday story of a 17 year old boy genius named Eiji (Sadao Abe), who formulates the ultimate painkilling drug; a panacea to alleviate mankind’s suffering by turning pain into pleasure. Eiji sees the opportunity to test his drug when three girls take part in medical research that is being carried out by his mother. He switches the medication and then observes the girls, spying on them with his camera . Eiji's dreams are shattered when two of the girls mutilate themselves, as the drug transforms their agony into ecstasy. The third girl, who is palsy-walsy with a cactus, appears to be unaffected by the drug. Things then get a bit weird, to say the least.

Naked Blood has garnered quite a reputation as a notorious Asian gore classic on the underground, and whilst it certainly has it’s moments, it never lives up to the hyperbole on the dvd sleeve.  What we have here is actually a story of some substance, although it does occasionally tread a rather fine line between art and pretense. characters and relationships are developed, and there’s enough back story to provide an intelligent and unpredictable modern horror film. The soundtrack is very effective, the minimalist music and the use of silence adds greatly to the atmosphere. I confess to buying the film because of it's notoriety and must admit that the gore won’t disappoint those with a taste for the extreme. Stand out scenes are the famous eyeball gouge-and-devour, clit slicing and dicing, and deep fried digits... yummy!    S.J.T.

Naked blood. 1995

Directed by Hisayasu Sato

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