Big, big thanks to Kevin at Nippon Cinema for digging this one up. My utter Japanese illiteracy was preventing me from finding it myself and it was making me more than a little crazy ...
Back in late July news of the untimely death of Futoshi Abe made the headlines here at Twitch and around the world, the guitarist having earned a legion of loyal fans around the globe thanks to his involvement with seminal Japanese punk rock band Thee Michelle Gun Elephant. I first came across the band thanks to their presence on the soundtrack of Toshiaki Toyoda's Blue Spring - their inclusion was actually a stated condition of Toyoda agreeing to direct the film - and quickly became a ravenous fan. Though they'd already been broken up for years by the time Abe died, the reaction was immediate and plans were quickly announced - among other things - to release a film version of the band's final performance.
Titled Michelle Gun Elephant Thee Movie - Last Heaven 031011, the film releases in Japan on December 19th. Check the trailer below.
Back in late July news of the untimely death of Futoshi Abe made the headlines here at Twitch and around the world, the guitarist having earned a legion of loyal fans around the globe thanks to his involvement with seminal Japanese punk rock band Thee Michelle Gun Elephant. I first came across the band thanks to their presence on the soundtrack of Toshiaki Toyoda's Blue Spring - their inclusion was actually a stated condition of Toyoda agreeing to direct the film - and quickly became a ravenous fan. Though they'd already been broken up for years by the time Abe died, the reaction was immediate and plans were quickly announced - among other things - to release a film version of the band's final performance.
Titled Michelle Gun Elephant Thee Movie - Last Heaven 031011, the film releases in Japan on December 19th. Check the trailer below.
YES!!
I got chills hearing those opening chords for DROP.
I. Want. This.
If I have my way you'll have your chance to see it on the big screen in March, Mack.
Wow. I need to see this. Blue Spring was an amazing piece of cinema that also happened to have one of the most epic rock soundtracks ever. It made me absolutely obsessed with TMGE for quite a while. It's been years since I've seen it, but I can still perfectly visualize the slow-mo roof scene with the guitars blasting away.