Movie Review: Electric Dragon 80,000 V (2001) dir. Gakuryu Ishii
Dragons exist, at least in the hearts of men. The man called Dragon Eye Morrison was struck by lightning while climbing a power tower as a child. This caused damage to his “reptile brain”, which controls violent impulses. The doctors tried electroshock therapy, but this just amped up his ability to create excessive bioelectric energy. Boxing to blow off his violent urges also didn’t work, as he couldn’t stop throwing punches after the fights. The only thing that seems to bleed off enough energy is playing the electric guitar.
Nowadays, Morrison scrapes by as a lost pet finder who specializes in lizards, and has a collection of his own. Apparently lizards find him soothing and vice versa. But there is someone who does not want to leave well enough alone. Thunderbolt Buddha, another lightning survivor, is determined to force a confrontation!
This short film (less than an hour) is shot in black and white, and is obviously trying to evoke a particular style of movie, but I’m not enough of a cinephile to know the exact reference. The soundtrack is primarily electric guitar with heavy distortion. There’s lots of symbolic shots of animals and weapons, and the overall effect is trippy.
Thunderbolt Buddha’s motivation is vague at best. He appears to be an electrician by day, moonlighting as some sort of assassin, but his reason for attacking Morrison is…personal? Something about wanting to prove his electrical gifts are stronger maybe? And sometimes his right and left body halves are in conflict?
This movie’s much more about the experience than any semblance of plot or characterization and is enjoyable on that level. Because it’s so short, you may want to find another short film as a double feature if you’re having a movie night.
