Battler Heater is a 1989 Japanese comedy horror cyberpunk/splatterpunk film Directed by George Lida. The film stars two unsuccessful electricians that gets attacked by a sentient Kotatsu heater killing people. Battle Heater is a film highlighting the threats of a technological dominant japan.
The film states from the begining in that you can’t neglect old things. Things grow and with showcasing the cycle of life and death, joy, and sorrow, this shows the themes of electricity and technology in the family in hat how old-fashioned ways will last longer than modern technology. The film shows the protagonist, a guy fed up with his life with electricity in the background crashing his cat. He then seemingly reincarnated the corpse of his friend with a taser as he can take a lot of electricity as everything though they are still electricians everything can be fixed. This shows the fears of a technologically dominant japan in that technologically will involve every fascist of Japanese life. These themes are combined with satirical elements with the priest character coming across the main guy’s house and truck. When the guy comes home the film shows that the movie has spiritual elements to the film. A couple in the apartments were all the characters live and the film takes accidently kill a guy and begs for forgiveness whist the girl hacks up a corpse in a nonchalant way, the corpse then seemingly comes to live but it is just muscle spasms.
The truck guy from the beginning then is not at home in his flat is surrounded by technology showcasing the fears of a technological dominant japan. The characters in the film also include a rock band that is playing next door showcasing the punk elements of the film showcasing elements of Sogo Ishii’s punk films as the electrician accidently staps his screwdriver through the wall hitting one of the band members. The electricity starts to work, as when the punks come alive the electrical appliances seeming come alive attacking them at first seemingly by accident, but they eat them. This shows the fears of a technology dominant japan and how technology will kill humans. The electric cable seemingly comes alive moving around like a snake as shown with the POV of the cable this shows he fears of a technologically dominant japan, the film has a punk style with the rock band playing as the sentient cable plugs itself into the mains making electricity go through everything again showcasing the fears of a technologically dominant japan.
The electricity surges through the old couple killing then which in turn takes out all the electricity killing or malfunctioning them, destroying all the electrical appliances showing the fears of a technologically dominant Japan. this in turn creates an electric bio monster that tries to kill people as the punks arrive showing the fears of technology dominant japan. The electricians try and repair his TV and other electronics as the TV explodes as he prays to electric buddha. This shows the fears of a technologically dominant japan and how technologically has infected all Japanese life. The priest then arrives to take care of the dead old people showcasing the films Buddhist undertones the electric cables then come alive moving like snakes again showing the fears of a technologically dominant japan.
The priests hand gets cut off has he is killed by an electricity monster, as one of the guys gets a mark from the Kotatsu as the electrician guy geos crazy over this revelation. This showcases the fear of the technologically dominant Japanese society and how it will take over humanity. The Kotatsu must feed of people as sentient wire cables escapes again showing the fears of the technologically dominant japan. The guy’s room is full of electronics as the ring is a seal is one the punk head tattoo like conductor tape, again this shows how technology controls every aspect of Japanese life. The lights fall on one of the guys as the electricity attacks him as the Kotatsu is live showing the fears of a technologically dominant japan which further shown as the guy tries to take down and electricity, they use for playing as the band jumps him showcasing how technology controls Japanese life. The sentient wire still stalks them as it connects itself to the mains system destroying it again showing the fears of a technologically dominant japan. The film again has Buddhist undertones as the Buddhist in the hospital needs to go as he sees omens of doom. An electric spectrum is then showing to be messing with the electrics showing the fears of a technologically dominant japan. from this lighting then strikes on the Kotatsu awakening the monster as the guy ends the electrics showing how technology can destroy society. The film the shows the punk band practising their live performance as the singer wants to confess to the girl showcasing the punk elements of the film, the electrics then blow, and the electricity demon seemingly awakens showcasing the fears of technology in japan.
The eclectics continue to blow and heat up as the monster awakens from his shows the fears of electronics in japan. The sentient evil wire then burst out as the lead signer confesses his love to a girl and the rest of the girls cry and the evil sentient wire attacks them. This again shows the fears of a technologically dominant Japan in Japanese society as well as showing the punk and cyberpunk era of Japanese cinema. The punk band in the film links to Sogo Ishii elements in the film showcasing the punk elements of the film as Sogo Ishii is a director known for making punk films in the 80s, the evil tatami mat then attacks them as they all run away showcasing the fears of a technology dominant Japan. The signer is eaten by the tatami mat, as the husband is then eaten by the evil mat and then spits them out as the mat attacks them, showing the fears of a technology dominant japan. The evil tatami mat then eats the punk guy and drags the bald guy into it again showing the fears of a technological dominant Japan. The electrician samurai guy then comes along with what look like a homemade power suit made form bits of electronics and battles the tatami mat, killing it via a huge surge of electricity that shuts down the Japanese grid, as the guy battles the monster back and electricity surges through everything. This again shows the fears of a technology dominant Japanese society however it also shows that technology can also help Japanese society. The other guy smashes the electrical conductor ring directly into the monster however ring smashes however, there is just enough conductive energy to flip the monster on its back and drain in out killing it. This shows the fears of technological dominance in Japanese society and how technology will be used to kill other technology, and from this it transforms back into a regular kotatsu. The film ends with the monk appears to exorcise the spirit showing the spiritual elements to the film as the film ends with the monk dying from a giant meteor falling form the sky saying the end.
Battle Heater shows the fears of technology in Japanese society and how people must be careful not to be destroyed by a technologically dominant japan.