Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 23, 2024

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of the J-Horror Rising set from Arrow Video.

When a set like J-Horror Rising offers someone like the venerable Tom Mes freely detailing how at least some elements that combined to create what is commonly called J-Horror (at least vis a vis J-Horror as it's about to be defined, below) might be likened to American B movies or even direct to video or made for television efforts, there may be a bit of a subliminal warning to be gleaned, all of which is to say, perhaps expectations need to be reasonably set when approaching some and potentially all of the films in this set. Mes unabashedly lists Ringu (the original Japanese Ring film, for the uninitiated) as a defining J-Horror landmark, at least within the context of the films offered here, in that none of these films probably could be imagined and almost certainly wouldn't have been made without the influence of the celebrated Hideo Nakata outing. It's also salient to note that several of the films in this collection were first exhibited as the "down ticket" item on "double features", sometimes not so coincidentally under main attractions like Ringu 2 and/or Ringu 0. As Mes overtly mentions in his overview of J-Horror included in this set, the wake left by Ringu was wide, but it wasn't particularly deep, at least as evidenced by how quickly this particular "rage" ebbed, and so as such even the Rising part of the title of this collection might be slightly misleading, since as Mes describes, by the time these offerings came along, things may have already been fading.

Note: Those interested in this release may want to also check out Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories, from Radiance, which is streeting the same day as this collection.

Of all the films included in Arrow's J-Horror Rising collection, Carved and/or The Slit-Mouthed Woman may come closest to consistent scares courtesy of its admittedly quite frightening title character. Unlike a straggly haired ghost whose tresses cover her face, this film focuses on a patently terrifying character who has evidently been the subject of Japanese urban legends since at least the 1970s, perhaps lending this tale a somewhat more "contemporary" feeling. Known officially as a Kuchisake-onna, this figure of legend and lore typically has been portrayed as wearing a mask (something that a supplement on this disc mentions has been rather common in Japan, even pre-Covid), who then accosts strangers, asking them "Am I pretty?", and then removing that mask to reveal a horribly disfigured face.

While that whole situation is obviously scary in and of itself, what's kind of disturbing about Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman is how the titular character is maybe not the most appalling "monster" in the story. Instead, and really kind of amazingly given how "polite" we Westerners tend to think of the Japanese as being, the film is rife with absolutely abusive parents terrorizing their children. The fact that Kuchisake-onna also has a "thing" for the young ones gives this film an undeniably tense subtext, but the actual narrative feels undeveloped and dependent on almost trope like vignettes which probably resonated better with those acquainted with the original legends.

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following minimal information on the transfer:

The films in this collection were remastered in high definition and supplied by Kadokawa.

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman is presented in 1.85:1 with 5.1 and stereo sound.

This is a rather odd looking presentation at times, though part of that oddness, namely a sickly looking yellow color timing, was evidently intentional, as mentioned in one of the supplements on this disc. Even given that supposed stylistic choice, this rarely offers a robustly suffused palette, though admittedly part of the wan quality may simply be due to the near omnipresent jaundiced coloring on display. Detail levels can actually be quite good in close-ups, including some disturbing if thankfully relatively brief looks at the titular character's disfigurement (including her opening her mouth). While grain is certainly in evidence, it has a kind of splotchy look where what almost look like little smudges of black dot the frame.

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 options in the original Japanese. This film frankly doesn't offer the boldest sound design, though several outdoor scenes have some decent ambient environmental effects that help to differentiate the surround track from the stereo track. A lot of this film tends to be talky, without much in the way of significant layering. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Zack Davisson


• Why So Serious? (HD; 18:40) features director Koji Shiraishi discussing the film. Subtitled in English.


• Weapon of Choice (HD; 16:56) offers scholar and J-Horror expert Lindsay Nelson.


• Image Galleries

  Production Stills (HD)

  
  

  Behind the Scenes (HD)

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The horrifying title character in this film arguably gives it the "edge" (no knife pun intended) in terms of a visceral fear factor out of all the films in this set. Video quality may strike some as odd, but audio is fine and the supplements are very interesting, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.