I’m a couple days late on this but this is great news. JJ Sonny Chiba is going to revive the role that got him his start in acting. At the age of 19 Sonny Chiba took over the title role in the 1959 Japanese television series Nana-Iro Kamen or 7-Color Mask. It was Toei Company’s first super-hero series and lasted for 57 episodes; Chiba starring in the last 18. The hero of this series is a young detective named Kotarô Ran, who, unknown to anyone (even his friends), is a master of disguise, utilizing 7 different personalities. Most of his disguises are odd characters, like a magician and a cigar-smoking Indian, but Kotarô’s 7th disguise is the 2-gun-toting caped, golden-masked superhero - 7-Color Mask!
The creator of this series, Kohan Kawauchi, passed away last month and he met with Chiba before his passing. Kawauchi shared with Chiba that he would have liked to have seen Chiba reprise his heroic role. Spurned on by his dying friend’s request Chiba made the decision to go ahead with a film version remake of the television series. Whether Chiba will aim for a modern envisioning of the series or try to capture some of the colorful [ahem] characters and costumes of the original series we will have to wait and see. Maybe. You see, the film is expected to be completed in a year but reports say that it will privately screened almost a year to the day in the “Super Museum - Time Machine” in Otsu, Shiga, a museum of Chiba’s prized possessions that opens on May 17.
I can’t imagine something like this never being given a formal release. I’ve embedded a couple short videos from YouTube after the break.
Continue Reading "JJ Sonny Chiba will reprise superhero role ‘7-Color Mask/Nana-Iro Kamen’ [七色仮面]"...
The cult of Miike is getting some good news this week. Yesterday it was announced that Miike’s critically acclaimed Crows Zero will be getting a sequel.
The story so far, from Crows Zero… Shun Oguri is Genji, a student freshly transferred to Suzuran high, a school legendary for the out of control violence that dominates social life there. The students are banded into factions, rival gangs openly battling for control in the halls, teachers or any other form of authority absolutely impotent. It’s the sort of school nobody in their right mind would willingly choose to attend but Genji has done just that, transferring to the school with the goal of doing what nobody has every done in the entire history of the place: battle his way to the top of the heap, unite the factions and be recognized as the undisputed king of Suzuran, a feat his yakuza boss father tried and failed to accomplish himself as a student of Suzuran decades before.
Director Takashi Miike is again taking the helm, and popular actor Shun Oguri is reprising his role as the protagonist Genji Takaya. The story is set about 8 months after the first movie. Kyosuji is close to graduation at Suzuran High School, but one last matter must be settled with a rival school… this sequel is reportedly the story’s conclusion. Genke Yabe is also returning, though other cast members from the first movie have not yet been mentioned.
San Francisco’s Fifth Annual Another Hole in the Head Film Festival ("Holehead08") had its press conference this morning where the line-up was announced and Noboru Iguchi’s The Machine Girl was screened. Boasting its West Coast premiere, The Machine Girl is the kind of date movie that will see blood-frenzied couples rushing out of the Roxie Film Center hungry for tempura or at least some finger food at a house party. Is it really true that revenge is a dish best served cold? Not when there’s a wok with bubbling oil around!
Leave it to Iguchi to capitalize on Rose McGowan’s machine-gun-sporting leg from Grindhouse: Planet Terror and amplifying it into a no-holds-barred vengeance-inspired blood bath. We’re not just talking buckets of blood here; we’re talking shower nozzles of blood. There’s more spurting severed limbs in this film than you can count and the only thing missing is a Teledyne shower pik for adjustable blood flow: from a smoke-like spray to a pat-pat-pat pulsing massage. Perhaps in the sequel?
Let alone that fashionistas will tremble in their seats appreciating the first drill bra that lifts and (I mean it) separates.
Continue Reading "HOLEHEAD08—Kataude mashin gâru (The Machine Girl, 2007)"...
Herman Yau is arguably one of Hong Kong film’s strangest fruits. After all, it is hard to find a director whose ouvre shifts between the most despicable expoitation flicks ever conceived (Need I name them?), thoughtful sociopolitical commentary (From the Queen to the Chief Executive), taut crime dramas (On The Edge), or simply balls-out C-movie nonsense (Lethal Ninja). Granted, he can hardly be called an auteur, and often seems unapologetic about his status as a gun-for-hire, yet his B-movie portfolio is - while highly uneven - still miles above the bottom of the barrel that is, say, Wong Jing.
Unlike some of his CAT III colleagues from the early 90s, Yau is still working today, and with recent films like Gong Tau he even seems to be stuck in some kind of parallel universe where HK cinema didn’t go belly-up somewhere in the mid-90s and effectively killed many of HK cinema’s cult staples. Herman Yau, who looks like that friendly, metal-loving neighbour next door, is one of the last remnants of a - dare I say - exciting era that has by now been superseded up by one basically only consisting of mediocre Hollywood imitation and, well, Milkyway Image. Which is great and all, but sometimes I’m just missing the kind of economic creativity that got me into Hong Kong film in the first place. But enough with the pessimism, kids. Here are some of my favourite Herman Yau flicks. What are yours? (I’m excluding The Untold Story and Ebola Syndrome - that would make it too easy).
Continue Reading "The B-Movie Splendor of Herman Yau"...
Following on the success of their first foray into production with Pakistani splatter flick Hell’s Ground cult DVD label Mondo Macabro are jumping full bore into the production pool. We brought news last week about Karim Hussain’s upcoming exploiter Filthy and today we got the first word on upcoming Filipino scifi splatter exploiter Killdroid. From director Rico Maria Ilarde the film tells the story of a high school girl who becomes the lover of an abandoned killer android, part of an abandoned military project.
Given that it’s coming from Mondo I expect this one to be every bit as splattery as the recent Fever Dreams productions - Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police - with no opportunity to shock ignored. We’ve got a detailed project announcement below the break and you can check the first images at the link below.
Continue Reading "It’s Filipino Killer Robot Love In KILLDROID!"...
Few films from the Bollywood system have arrived this year with as much advance hype as Tashan. Its director, Vijay Krishna Acharya, makes his debut here after writing the scripts for the mega-successful Dhoom franchise. Its headline cast is pretty stellar, starting with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor (reteaming here after a stellar showing in Omkara), and rounded out by Akshay Kumar (the man who is Khiladi) and Anil Kapoor (Bollywood’s resilient, jowly ham). The all-important songs are by the venerable Vishal-Shekhar team. The promotion is everywhere, though cleverly it has mostly focused on the soundtrack. Actual footage of the film has been scarce prior to release. There’s a certain swagger to this tactic, a confidence borne out by a recent interview with Khan, in which he called it “similar to the way Led Zeppelin released their fourth album.” The recently beleaguered Yash Raj production house, and the Indian press, saw this as the surest thing for miles.
No such luck. The critics have been less than kind, but popular opinion has been positively venomous. Comments on IMDB have ranged from the disappointed to the utterly murderous (a kind sample: “Tashan sucks from top to bottom”), and a poll on Planet Bollywood has 60% responding unfavorably. But what of the receipts? Bad news there as well. On a cost of 40 crores, the film has thus far failed to recoup even half. In short: a trainwreck on every level.
Here’s the dirty secret, though: Tashan is, though flawed, hugely enjoyable. Imagine if Tony Scott cleaned up his editing act and decided to make a musical. Tashan would be the result. That’s actually a recommendation.
More after the break.
Continue Reading "Bollywood Review: Tashan"...
I suppose with Singaporean films like Royston Tan’s 15 and Kelvin Tong’s Eating Air, you’d probably know by now we’re not all that squeaky clean. Of course at this point in time I’m speculating that it’s Young and Dangerous-ish, but from the key poster art, stills and the likes, this is one upcoming Singapore movie on my radar that I can’t wait to watch when it makes its screening here in the later half of this year.
Here’s the synopsis:
Based on a true story – “THE DAYS” tells a cautionary tale between two brothers, set between 1989 and 1990. In a misguided effort to teach BABY (IVAN LIM) independence, and to make him feel protected, ZI LONG (JUSTIN CHAN) brings him into his own gang of delinquents. Unknowingly, his decision has thrown them both into a tumultuous and violent world that will, in different ways, imprison them both.
The Days will be at this year’s Marché du Film, Festival de Cannes, so to lucky folks heading there, let us know what you think. The rest of us mortals can hit those links below to learn more about the film!
Whenever I come up against a genre I’m not too familiar with—especially from an Asian director—I need research no further than Twitch. With the Pacific Film Archives poised to launch their Johnnie To retrospective “Hong Kong Nocturne” May 29 through June 27, 2008, I’ve decided to focus on what my colleagues at Twitch have to say about Hong Kong’s favorite son and—though they comment on only five of the nine films in the PFA retrospective—they cover the most recent. Hopefully, the Twitch readership will comment on the rest. I’ve never seen a To film. I’m not exactly sure why I’ve resisted other than general comments I’ve heard about the limitations of the genre. I’m hoping to decide one way or the other what I think about To’s films come July. Help me out. Of the nine films listed, which five should I not miss? Of those five, which two should I not miss?
Continue Reading "PFA: HONG KONG NOCTURNE—Twitch on To"...
In the near future...The Tokyo Police force has been privatized and incorporated. The new force has their hands full with a new type of genetically engineered mutant stalking the streets and brutally taking human lives. Luca, the top level officer at Tokyo Police has special law enforcement skills but her dark past makes her vulnerable. She is determined to hunt the mutant known as “Engineer” until the day she can find and destroy the mysterious “Key-Man”.
We debuted the first footage from upcoming cult flick Tokyo Gore Police here at Twitch a while back, a four minute reel of footage cut together for use at Japan’s Yubari Fantastic Film Festival. True to it’s name it was nasty, gorey stuff, with Audition star Eihi Shiina hacking and slashing her way through a series of bizarre mutants. Only down side to that promo was that it was cut together early enough in the film’s life that it wasn’t entirely through post production yet and was still a little rough around the edges. Well, no more! The official trailer has just been released and the blood has been buffed and polished to a high sheen. There’s not really anything in the way of new footage in this one but things have been tightened up considerably with some of the more bizarre moments - hello, crocodile girl! - moved up front and center ... You’ll find both trailers in the Twitch Player below the break.
Continue Reading "Second TOKYO GORE POLICE Trailer"...
A trailer for God’s Puzzle, the latest from Japanese maverick Takashi Miike, first appeared online back in April but at the time it was available only in a horrible, postage stamp sized format and I’ve been anxiously awaiting a decent version of the trailer ever since. Well, it has arrived, with a full trailer and a teaser now available in a size you don’t need a magnifying glass to appreciate. The film - the story of a college age slacker thrust into a relationship with an attractive but withdrawn genius - looks to be by far the most mainstream friendly thing Miike has done in years, possibly his most mainstream film ever, but hey ... it’s Miike and that makes it worth at least taking a peek at. You’ll find both trailers in the Twitch Player below the break, but be aware that you’ll need to wait through a brief interview with the man himself before the main trailer begins. And, for the record, every trailer for every Miike film made from here on out needs to start with that opening graphic ... brilliant ...
Continue Reading "A Teaser And Trailer For Miike’s GOD’S PUZZLE!"...
I remember with fondness an early day of action cinema, a day when the heroes didn’t need to be particularly attractive or in particularly good physical condition. A day when the Bronson’s of the world could be stars, when being a hero was about manliness and force of will rather than physical ability. And apparently I’m not the only one who remembers those days because here comes Antihero, a very deliberate throwback to those late seventies and early eighties action flicks. You know the routine: poor but noble man seeks peace but must turn to violence to protect the people he loves. Yes, please. You’ll find the trailer in the Twitch Player below the break.
Continue Reading "Big Man. Big Fists. Filipino Action Goes Old School With ANTIHERO"...
In case you have noticed it from today’s content there’s a little something brewing in The Philippines right now and the man at the center of it all is Gagamboy director Erik Matti. With his Reality Entertainment label Matti is diving head first into the production world and it looks as though he’s intent on shaking up the current state of his home industry in the process. Coming soon from Reality is Carnivore, a film Matti produced with his friend Ato Bautista at the helm. The picture is a dark and violent thriller revolving around the urban poor of Manila and if the trailer is any indication it looks like it could be something pretty special. You’ll find the trailer - English subtitles included - in the Twitch Player below the break.
Continue Reading "Manila Gets Violent In Ato Bautista’s Dark Thriller CARNIVORE"...
Director Ryuichi Hiroki - of Vibrator fame - has become a big favorite here at Twitch, the former pinku director making a name for himself with a string of rawly poetic dramatic works. Hiroki draws a lot of attention for sexual sub plots in most of his work but the real power comes from the emotional vulnerability he draws out of his performers, a trait in full effect with his latest film, Your Friends, which leaves the sex issues behind but is otherwise one hundred percent vintage Hiroki. I had the chance to catch this one at the Udine Far East Film Festival and now the trailer has arrived for all to enjoy. You’ll find it below the break in the Twitch Player.
Continue Reading "A Trailer For Ryuichi Hiroki’s YOUR FRIENDS"...
Though he’s best known on these shores for his cult genre films such as Gagamboy, Exodus and Pa-Siyam, Filipino director Erik Matti’s range actually spreads a good bit farther than that. Matti has a handful of solid dramatic pictures to his credit as well - I recommend tracking down his raw drama Prosti if you have the chance - and is latest looks to return to that world. Matti’s latest is titled Arrival, the story of a mid level office worker it looks to be one solid, quirky piece of work. But don;t take my word for it, we’ve got an eight+ minute demo reel from the film to check out in the Twitch Player below the break.
Continue Reading "Erik Matti Returns With ARRIVAL!"...
Well, it’s far more about the film makers thn the film but it’s the first motion on the Tokyo! front in quite some time which makes it a happy thing. Tokyo! is the upcoming three part anthology project from directors Bong Joon Ho, Leos Carax and Michel Gondry - each of whom tell an odd little story set in Japan’s capitol. The first teaser has arrived on the film’s official Japanese website and while it is built largely of behind the scenes footage of the projects’ three directors it’s at least something. I caught some scenes from Bong’s section of the film at the European Film Market and this thing cannot arrive fast enough ... You can find the teaser in the Twitch Player below the break.
Continue Reading "First Teaser Arrives For Gondry / Carax / Bong Anthology TOKYO!"...
