Junk | 2000
"Junk" (Japanese: JUNK 死霊狩り) is a 2000 Japanese horror film written and directed by Atsushi Muroga. Blending the yakuza and zombie genres, the film stars Kaori Shimamura as Saki, a member of a jewel thief group. The thieves must fight against a horde of zombies caused by a secret U.S. military experiment while trying to deliver their stolen goods to another crime organization.
After the success of the 1998 horror film "Ring," Muroga, who had been producing action and yakuza films, decided to create a horror film. "Junk" was filmed in Okinawa, Japan, and the cast and crew used real meat from local markets for many of the gore effects. The film received largely negative reviews from critics, with some considering it a derivative work.
U.S. doctor Kinderman injects a chemical called "DNX" into the body of a deceased Japanese woman. She resurrects, kills Kinderman, and attacks his assistant Sharon.
Three gangsters, Jun, Kabu, and Akira, wear masks to rob a jewelry store, while their getaway driver Saki waits in a van. During the heist, a store employee stabs Akira in the foot with scissors, prompting them to flee with Saki to meet a yakuza gang, Ramon, at an old factory. Meanwhile, Takashi Nakada, involved in the development of DNX, is escorted by the military to Colonel McGriff, who informs him that DNX development, believed to have been halted two years ago, is still ongoing under military command.
At the factory, Saki treats Akira's injury and goes inside to find water. When Jun approaches Saki, he is killed by a zombie. Saki, Akira, and Kabu investigate Jun's scream and discover a room filled with chemical equipment and corpses. They soon find Jun's body being eaten by a zombie, which Kabu and Akira shoot in the head.
While escaping the factory, they encounter Ramon and his gang. They hand over the stolen jewels, but the yakuza aim their guns at them. Kabu pulls out a gun but is mortally wounded. Zombie Jun attacks a yakuza member and is shot in the head. Ramon's remaining partners chase Saki and Akira, and a container of DNX spills on a corpse, reviving it as a zombie. Akira kills a yakuza member. Meanwhile, Nakada, McGriff, and Davis try to remotely activate the factory's self-destruct system, but a nude zombie, having killed Kinderman, interrupts the countdown with a message saying, "I LOVE YOU ......K."
Saki and Akira resolve to retrieve the jewels. At the same time, Nakada and Davis arrive at the factory by helicopter. Ramon's remaining partner discovers Ramon being eaten by zombies, and Ramon resurrects as a zombie and bites him. Saki shoots Ramon, retrieves the jewels, but is attacked by another zombie and stabbed in the forehead. As Saki runs to Akira, the floor collapses, and Akira searches for the jewels below but cannot find Saki. Nakada and Davis arrive at the factory, and Akira escapes in a van. Saki is surrounded by zombies but is saved by armed Nakada.
Davis repairs the self-destruct system but is killed before he can activate it. Nakada encounters the nude zombie and recognizes her as his wife, Kyoko. As Saki tries to escape the building, Kyoko decapitates Nakada. Saki shoots Kyoko's head, but she does not die. Akira returns and bisects Kyoko with a shovel. Saki and Akira activate the self-destruct system and, while escaping, Akira is attacked by legless Kyoko. Saki throws Kyoko into a high-voltage box, electrocuting her. Saki and Akira jump through a window as the building explodes and falls into the water.
McGriff informs officials that the DNX program can be resumed at any time. Saki and Akira drive away in a sports car provided by a car dealer from the factory's ruins. A zombie hand rises from the debris.
Writer Mark N. Mace acknowledges elements of social commentary in "Junk," mentioning the real presence of U.S. military bases on Okinawa Island, stating, "No matter how much the circumference tries to interfere, the U.S. military base seems to remain on the island."
In an interview with Fangoria, when asked if the film makes a statement about the presence of the U.S. military worldwide, writer-director Muroga replied, "What kind of question is that? 'Junk' is just a silly sci-fi horror movie. The only reason I used the U.S. military is to allow the audience to accept the premise that they are behind the experiments. The U.S. military is so large that it's easy to imagine them doing such secretive things." He added, "'Junk' has no political elements. I just used the massive U.S. military."
