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Matsui’s Assassination Classroom was adapted into a live-action film released in 2015, directed by Eiichirō Hasumi. Despite the sheer ridiculousness of the bright-yellow-headed alien invader who is also the teacher of a class whose aim is to kill him, the anime managed to get a live adaptation sooner than most other well-acclaimed titles.

Nagisa Shiota in Assassination Classroom | Credit: Lerche

The film received positive reviews for capturing the essence of the original manga, blending humor, action, and emotional depth through the character interactions.

This success can be attributed to Matsui’s active involvement in the adaptation process, with his guidance on character development and plot progression within the limited time frame. Let us take a look at Matsui’s perspective on anime getting a live-adaptation version.

Popularity is not the measure of potential success

Yūsei Matsui, the creator of Assassination Classroom, provided his valuable insights into achieving successful live-action adaptations...

New month, new recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. The second installment of 2024 features selections reflecting holidays, events or traditions of February.

Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.

This month’s horror offerings include reincarnation, vampires and more.

The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975)

Pictured: Michael Sarrazin and Jennifer O’Neill in The Reincarnation of Peter Proud.

Directed by J. Lee Thompson.

Author Max Ehrlich handled the screenplay for his own novel’s adaptation. Despite its quirky title, though, this movie is a rather surreal and sad, not to mention unpredictable viewing experience. The obsession with metaphysical matters seeped into ’70s cinema, and this trippy psycho-horror gem, one directed by J. Lee Thompson, is a valid reflection of that bygone trend.

The namesake of The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (Michael Sarrazin) is having what...

Clockwise from top: Nyad (Netflix), The Killer (Netflix), Insidious: The Red Door (Screen Gems)Image: The A.V. Club

As we prepare for Thanksgiving and holiday gatherings, Netflix is loading up with recent theatrical hits and original movies for the streamer’s subscribers to gobble up. Insidious: The Red Door...

Features the voices of: Matthew Mercer, Nicole Tompkins, Kevin Dorman, Stephanie Panisello, Erin Cahill, Salli Saffioti, Daman Mills, Lucien Dodge, Frank Todaro, Stephanie Panisello, Cristina Valenzuela | Written by Makoto Fukami | Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi

The latest entry in the animated franchise, Resident Evil: Death Island comes two years after the last entry, Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, and is set in 2015, just after the events of Resident Evil: Vendetta but before Resident Evil 7. Got that?

Somewhere in San Fransisco Dso Agent Leon S. Kennedy is trying to recover kidnapped scientist Dr. Antonio Taylor (Frank Todaro) when a mysterious woman appears and, after a high-speed chase, causes him to crash. Claire Redfield is also in town, trying to find out what kind of creature can use Orcas as a food source. And whether or not the creature is a bioweapon.

Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers are also looking for answers.

"Resident Evil: Death Island" brings together five iconic heroes as they battle a dangerous new villain on Alcatraz. The movie is set between "Resident Evil 6" and "Resident Evil: Vendetta," and before the events of "Resident Evil 7: Biohazard." Creators Eiichiro Hasumi, Makoto Fukami & Masachika Kawata explain how the film explores the legacy of the franchise while introducing new dynamics between the beloved characters, especially with the return of Jill.

Resident Evil: Death Island finally brings together five iconic Resident Evil heroes when Leon's mission to track down the missing Dr. Antonio Taylor leads him to Alcatraz. Simultaneously, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers are investigating a new outbreak, with the only commonality between the infected being the island. The team will need to work together to take down a dangerous new villain with horrifying machinations that could make him their most dangerous enemy yet.

Resident Evil: Death Island...

It’s the final week of July and two more new horror movies are headed onto the big screen this weekend. They’ll have to compete with the #Barbenheimer phenomenon, but both new horror releases look to bring very different counter programming to the box office. One is the next rated “R” fright fest from A24, while the other is a horror-comedy built for families.

Here’s all the new horror releasing July 25– July 30, 2023!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

First up, a tragedy leads two dysfunctional families to intertwine in disturbing ways in Screambox Exclusive Repulse, now streaming on the Bloody Disgusting-powered platform.

The bleak, brutal Czech film harkens back to boundary-pushing horror like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes.

In the film, Kateřina and Robert raise their young daughter in a luxurious modern villa, but their family life can hardly be called harmonious.

This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike

The expansive Resident Evil series has been crossing genre borders and mediums, introducing all sorts of ways to expand the horror setting introduced almost three decades ago in the first game. The franchise's expansive cast has dealt with all sorts of threats, working together in different pairings to protect the world from bio-weapons and horrifying monsters. But now, in the new film Resident Evil: Death Island (by Director Eiichirō Hasumi and Writer Makoto Fukami), five of the series' most iconic heroes -- Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, Rebecca Chambers, and Claire Redfield -- are together at last for a wild adventure.

During an interview with Cbr ahead of Resident Evil: Death Island's Jul. 25 release on Blu-Ray, 4k Steelbook, Digital, and DVD, Nicole Tompkins (Jill Valentine), Matthew Mercer (Leon S. Kennedy), and Stephanie Panisello (Claire Redfield) broke down their...

Fans have been eagerly anticipating the first-ever on-screen team-up of iconic Resident Evil characters, and finally seeing them all together is a dream come true. Resident Evil: Death Island explores the ongoing trauma faced by these characters, particularly Jill, who is coping with the aftermath of mind control and survivor's guilt. The key to successful video game adaptations lies in capturing the humanity of the characters and connecting with a wider audience, while staying true to the iconic elements of the franchise.

In Resident Evil: Death Island, Leon is sent to track down the kidnapped Dr. Antonio Taylor, and Chris Redfield is investigating a new outbreak on Alcatraz with the help of Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers. With the island being the only common denominator between the victims, the team investigates the island, where together they will face a deadly new horror. This is the first time all...

The Resident Evil franchise is nearing its thirtieth birthday, with plenty of zombies, monsters, and threats to its name. Along the way, a global fanbase has embraced the series' mix of wild horror, massive action, and strong characters. All three come together in Resident Evil: Death Island, a new animated film that brings together some of the franchise's biggest heroes to face off against a complex villain.

In an interview ahead of Resident Evil: Death Island's release on Blu-Ray, 4k Steelbook, Digital, and DVD on July 25th, Cbr sat down with a translator to speak with Director Eiichirō Hasumi, Writer Makoto Fukami, and Producer Masachika Kawata to discuss why it was important to root the film's characters and themes in the history of the series, their excitement at bringing together some of Resident Evil's biggest stars for a single adventure, and what allows the franchise to be so enduring.

Audiences have a new Resident Evil movie to look forward to with Resident Evil: Death Island, an animated feature releasing in the summer of 2023. The computer-animated horror film includes characters from the same universe as the popular Resident Evil video games, and it is the fourth film and fifth project to be released as part of the animated Resident Evil movie franchise. Resident Evil: Death Island gets its name from the movie's setting, the prison on Alcatraz Island. In the film, Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield are on two separate missions that lead all the main characters to the island for a new horror-filled adventure.

Resident Evil: Death Island is directed by Eiichirō Hasumi and the screenplay was written by Makoto Fukami. Both Hasumi and Fukami have been involved with past Resident Evil projects. Hasumi directed Netflix's Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness animated series, which was released in 2021. Fukami...

A new live-action film based on the Resident Evil video game franchise is in the works (we’ve heard that it’s called Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and based on the game Resident Evil Zero), but while we wait to see how that’s going to turn out, we’re also going to have a new computer animated Resident Evil movie to watch. This one is called Resident Evil: Death Island, and it’s set to receive a Blu-ray, 4K steelbook, DVD, and digital release on July 25th! You can watch the trailer in the embed above.

Resident Evil: Death Island is the fourth animated Resident Evil feature, following Resident Evil: Degeneration, Resident Evil: Damnation, and Resident Evil: Vendetta. There was also an animated mini-series called Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness.

Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi from a screenplay by Makoto Fukami, Resident Evil: Death Island has the following synopsis: In San Francisco,...

If you’ve been wondering just when Capcom’s upcoming Resident Evil: Death Island film would be released, wonder no more. Sadly, other than Japan, it won’t be seeing a theatrical release.

After initially being revealed for this Summer, and then subsequently announced for release theatrically in Japan on July 7, Sony Pictures has now announced that Death Island will be getting a release digitally and on Steelbook 4K Uhd and Blu-Ray on July 25. Pre-orders are now open.

Extras included with the Blu-Ray and 4K:

Genesis of Death Island Jill Valentine: The Return Motion Capture Set Tour Designing Death Island Voicing Death Island The Birth of Death Island Design Gallery

Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi (“Assassination Classroom”) from a screenplay by Makoto Fukami (“Psycho-Pass”), Resident Evil: Death Island is a sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil: Vendetta, featuring the voice talents of Matthew Mercer, Stephanie Panisello, Kevin Dorman, Nicole Tompkins, and Erin Cahill.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a new trailer for the animated movie Resident Evil: Death Island. Set in the Resident Evil video game universe, the film unites several fan favorites from different installments of the series: Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers. This time, a new T-Virus is unleashed in San Francisco, and this leads to the fan favorite zombie hunters winding up on Alcatraz Island. The film hits Digital and Blu-ray on July 25, and you can check out the new trailer below.

The official synopsis for Resident Evil: Death Island is as follows:

In San Francisco, Jill Valentine is dealing with a zombie outbreak and a new T-Virus, Leon Kennedy is on the trail of a kidnapped Darpa scientist, and Claire Redfield is investigating a monstrous fish that is killing whales in the bay. Joined by Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers, they discover...

Itching to see just what the upcoming Resident Evil: Dead Island is all about? Rather than waiting until July (or watching the trailer ad nauseam), Capcom will kick off a serial manga adaptation of Death Island this Friday.

Per the official Biohazard: Death Island Twitter account, the first volume of the manga will arrive on May 19th on Comic Hu. Details are still being kept under wraps at the moment but you can check out some of the awesome art below that’s already been released.

The sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil: Vendetta, Death Island features a completely original story and features characters from across the series. Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Resident Evil 4 producer) served as supervisor for the project. Sony Pictures Entertainment will be distributing the film worldwide, excluding Japan.

Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi (“Assassination Classroom”) from a screenplay by Makoto Fukami (“Psycho-Pass”), Resident Evil: Death Island is a sequel to Resident Evil: Vendetta.

Wondering just where that fanservice shot from Resident Evil: Dead Island from yesterday came from? Animation studio Kadokawa has your answer with the brand-new Resident Evil: Death Island trailer!

The Death Island trailer does the usual trailer things of summarizing the plot, but also gives us more fanservice shots of the team shooting zombies and doing slick acrobatics, Chris Redfield in a Hawaiian shirt (?!), swimming Lickers and more. The trailer itself is in English with Japanese text, so you won’t need to hunt down a translation.

Keep in mind that the trailer only gives the Japanese release date of July 7. It’s still not confirmed what the worldwide release date will be.

The sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil: Vendetta, Death Island features a completely original story and features characters from across the series. Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Resident Evil 4 producer) served as supervisor for the project. Sony Pictures Entertainment will be distributing the film worldwide,...

With Capcom riding high with the Resident Evil 4 remake (which recently eclipsed four million in sales in less than a month), they’re obviously hoping that the upcoming Resident Evil: Death Island animated film will share in some of that success. And with the latest images, it’s definitely going to be one for the fans.

Noted leaker Dusk Golem once again provided the goods with an image of the new Japanese onesheet, along with a group shot featuring Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield and Rebecca Chambers making a stand against whatever big baddie they’re facing in the film.

Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi (“Assassination Classroom”) from a screenplay by Makoto Fukami (“Psycho-Pass”), the R-Rated Death Island is a sequel to Resident Evil: Vendetta. D.S.O. agent Leon S. Kennedy is on a mission to rescue Dr. Antonio Taylor after he was kidnapped. However, a...

The world of Asian cinema has seen a vast share of their most recent fare emanating from manga adaptations, with titles ranging from Rurouni Kenshin, “Death Note,” Blade of the Immortal, and Gantz finding their inspiration coming from its pages. Such is the origins of the latest Netflix release in Eiichiro Hasumi's adaptation of “Re/Member,” which started out as a multi-year run in the early 2010s and was followed by an anime adaptation several years later before this current live-action feature.

After what seems to be a normal day, high-school student Asuka (Kanna Hashimoto) sees the ghost of the dead student Haruka at school, asking her to find the girl's dead body. When she and Takahiro (Gordon Maeda), Atsushi, (Fuju Kamio), Rumiko (Maika Yamamoto), Rie (Mayu Yokota), and Shota (Kotaro Daigo), a group of students, set out to find the various scattered pieces of Haruka's corpse buried in the school,...

Announced last month, the official animated movie Resident Evil: Death Island is on the way from Sony, and the film has received its official “R” rating from the MPA this week.

Arriving in Summer 2023, Resident Evil: Death Island is rated “R” for…

“Bloody violence and language.”

Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi (“Assassination Classroom”) from a screenplay by Makoto Fukami (“Psycho-Pass”), Death Island is a sequel to Resident Evil: Vendetta. D.S.O. agent Leon S. Kennedy is on a mission to rescue Dr. Antonio Taylor after he was kidnapped. However, a mysterious woman blocks his initial pursuit.

Meanwhile, B.S.A.A. agent Chris Redfield is investigating a zombie outbreak in San Francisco, where the cause of the infection cannot be identified. The only thing the victims have in common is that they all visited Alcatraz Island recently. Following that clue, Chris and his team head to the island, where a new horror awaits them.

This article contains spoilers for Re/Member.

Nothing says Japanese horror films like supernatural scares, urban legends, and grudge-bearing spirits. Eiichirō Hasumi, director of Assassination Classroom and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, attempts to bring all these elements together in Re/Member, a movie adaptation of Karadasagashi (Body Search), a manga spread over 17 volumes and 153 chapters.

The plot of Re/Member follows the age-old movie formula of time loops with its core theme leaning towards puzzle-solving. Japanese cinema is no stranger to playing with time, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time being the most well-known of the bunch, though this film takes on a far darker approach to the genre. In case you haven’t read the manga, six classmates are haunted by an unforgiving spirit and tasked with the retrieval of its body parts. Fail to find those parts and the day resets, bringing about your untimely and brutal death.

Re/Member (Karada Sagashi) is a horror movie directed by Eiichirô Hasumi starring Kanna Hashimoto, Gordon Maeda and Maika Yamamoto among. It is based on the manga by Katsutoshi Murase and Welzard.

Re/Member is a Japanese scary movie… Japanese fashion with all the elements of recent “scary” movie successes and some extra ones extracted from the most classic Hollywood ones.

Ringu was a success because it was a novelty, Re/Member does not have much chances in standing out, precisely because of its “originality” or lack of it.

It does offer horror movie fans a little more of what they expect in this guilty sin.

Storyline

In order to break a curse, six students in a strange space/time will need to restore the balance in Sofia, a child that was murdered years ago and whom they wish to avenge.

Movie Review

A movie about ghosts and apparitions that is well made...

The Resident Evil: Death Island trailer finally unites three of the franchise's famous characters. Based on Capcom's hit survival-horror video game franchise, the CG animated film series currently spans three installments – Resident Evil: Degeneration, Resident Evil: Damnation, and Resident Evil: Vendetta. A fourth installment, Resident Evil: Death Island, is now on the way, which will unite some of the horror franchise's most famous characters for the first time.

Now, the Resident Evil: Death Island trailer has been unveiled (via IGN).

The 30-second trailer teases some of the animated movie's plot and shows Jill Valentine, Leon S. Kennedy, and Chris Redfield together for the first time. Watch the trailer above.

Related: How Budget Cuts Ruined The Resident Evil Movie Reboot (& What Was Cut)

Everything We Know About Resident Evil: Death Island

A direct sequel to 2017's Resident Evil: Vendetta, Resident Evil: Death Island follows the Division of Security Operations agent Leon S.

Okay, so Infinite Darkness wasn’t exactly the best Resident Evil film. Still, Sony’s not giving up, as they’ve announced a new animated film in Resident Evil: Death Island! IGN was able to snag the official teaser for the film, which is coming this Summer worldwide (excluding Japan).

Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi (“Assassination Classroom”) from a screenplay by Makoto Fukami (“Psycho-Pass”), Death Island is a sequel to Resident Evil: Vendetta. D.S.O. agent Leon S. Kennedy is on a mission to rescue Dr. Antonio Taylor after he was kidnapped. However, a mysterious woman blocks his initial pursuit.

Meanwhile, B.S.A.A. agent Chris Redfield is investigating a zombie outbreak in San Francisco, where the cause of the infection cannot be identified. The only thing the victims have in common is that they all visited Alcatraz Island recently. Following that clue, Chris and his team head to the island,...

At last year’s Fantastic Fest, I was introduced to an unkillable teacher (nicknamed “Ut” by students) and his class of assassins-in-training who must execute their tentacled mentor before he blows up the Earth. The movie was Assassination Classroom, and the tone was manga-inspired, coming-of-age weirdness at the hand of a borderline superhero/supervillain. Ya empowerment with a Japanese flair – but could director Eiichirô Hasumi capture the same outcasted significance in the film’s sequel, Assassination Classroom: Graduation? Yes and no, thankfully with a stronger emphasis on “Yes.”

Hasumi’s sequel returns to Kunugigaoka Junior High School, where Ut’s E-Class continues to learn from their assassination-happy alien teacher – but with graduation approaching, the severity of their actions begins to kick in. Besides figuring out what career path to take, the students are running out of time to kill Ut, thus saving humanity from a fiery destruction. The government continues...

Where the f@ck do I even begin with Assassination Classroom, an anime/manga adaptation about a classroom of high-school-age assassins? It’s a film so absurd, that even when one of the main characters – an alien homeroom teacher who intends to destroy Earth – explains the plot rather coherently, another character takes over by immediately saying “That probably made no sense.” Then again, do other Japanese movies like Dead Sushi, Tokyo Gore Police, and Machine Girl make any sense? Welcome to one of the wildest cinematic genres around.

Assassination Classroom is an apocalyptic bit of J-pop mayhem that’s an underdog story at heart, but an alien invasion film in practice – among twenty billion other elements. How about we settle on “children have to defeat a giant smiley face before he eliminates humanity” and move on from there?

In Kunugigaoka Junior High School, the E-Class represent the lowest of the low.

Since I have absolutely no experience with Mikiya Mochizuki’s manga, I can’t say for sure how true Eiichiro Hasumi’s upcoming adaptation stays to the source material. What I can say for sure is that “Wild 7″ looks to be an insane amount of fun. Explosions, motorcycle shoot-outs, and copious amounts of pointless slow motion — that’s almost everything you could possibly ask for in a Japanese action movie. And that’s just in the trailer! Imagine the multitude of mayhem that awaits those who investigate the entire motion picture. My mind can’t process the awesomeness. A synopsis? Why, certainly: To combat rising crime and terrorist activities in Japan, the Japanese National Police Agency authorizes the formation of a secret motorcycle unit known as the Wild 7. The motley group consists of reformed convicts – ranging from simple thugs to former Yakuza members. The Wild 7 are tasked...

There’s a new (if brief) burst of action to be seen over in the trailers section of the official site for Japanese crime/action movie Wild 7, as a new TV spot has just landed with a bang. Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi and based on the Manga by Mikiya Mochizuki ‘7’ follows the exploits of a secret team of crack, motorbike riding, ex cons recruited by the government, to eliminate untouchable organised crime members. What’s not to like!? Wild 7 opens in Japan in December. Wild 7 official site...

There’s a new (if brief) burst of action to be seen over in the trailers section of the official site for Japanese crime/action movie Wild 7, as a new TV spot has just landed with a bang. Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi and based on the Manga by Mikiya Mochizuki ‘7’ follows the exploits of a secret team of crack, motorbike riding, ex cons recruited by the government, to eliminate untouchable organised crime members. What’s not to like!? Wild 7 opens in Japan in December. Wild 7 official site...

The official site for Japanese action movie Wild 7 now has a super hi-res version of the trailer to see. Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi and based on the Manga by Mikiya Mochizuki ‘7’ follows the exploits of a secret crack team of ex - motorbike riding - cons recruited by the government, to eliminate untouchable organised crime members. All sounds more than a little far fetched, but we have to say it looks fantastic fun. On this one, we’ll just let the action on screen speak for itself. And it’s loud. Wild 7 opens in Japan in December. Wild 7 official site...

The official site for Japanese action movie Wild 7 now has a super hi-res version of the trailer to see. Directed by Eiichiro Hasumi and based on the Manga by Mikiya Mochizuki ‘7’ follows the exploits of a secret crack team of ex - motorbike riding - cons recruited by the government, to eliminate untouchable organised crime members. All sounds more than a little far fetched, but we have to say it looks fantastic fun. On this one, we’ll just let the action on screen speak for itself. And it’s loud. Wild 7 opens in Japan in December. Wild 7 official site...

Attractive Japanese people on motorcycles stylishly shooting guns at bad guys? Sign me up! Below you’ll find a trailer for Eiichiro Hasumi’s “Wild 7″, a live-action adaptation of Mikiya Mochizuki’s popular manga which ran from 1969 to 1979. And while I’ve never read a single issue, I’m still kind of excited about this one. After all, I’m a sucker for action flicks that incorporate motorcycles and gunplay. Oh what a pathetic action junkie I am. Here’s a quick synopsis to get you started: To combat rising crime and terrorist activities in Japan, the Japanese National Police Agency authorizes the formation of a secret motorcycle unit known as the Wild 7. The motley group consists of reformed convicts – ranging from simple thugs to former Yakuza members. The Wild 7 are tasked to take out criminals the police cannot touch – due to the criminal’s connections with politicians and wily lawyers.

The first trailer has been released for Eiichiro Hasumi’s (Umizaru) live action adaptation of Mikiya Mochizuki’s police action classic manga Wild 7. The film is based on the popular manga from the 1960s and 70s and involves a secret team of motorcycle-riding law-enforcers who don’t follow the rules. The trailer is pretty wild and will please fans of action cinema everywhere. Enjoy!

via Twitch

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Warner Brothers Japan announced earlier this year that Eiichiro Hasumi (Umizaru) will be directing a live action adaptation of Mikiya Mochizuki's police action classic manga Wild 7. The manga was released from the 1960s and 70s (same era as other classics such as Golgo 13 and Speed Racer). Now the first teaser trailer has been released, and it looks really cool. The story involves a secret team of motorcycle-riding law-enforcers who simply do not follow the rules. I think one can expect lots of motorbike and gun action, and the film should be wildly entertaining. Wild 7 is due for release in Japan at the end of the year. Embedded below is the trailer....

On Friday, Warner Bros. Japan announced that actor Eita will star in a live-action film adaptation of Mikiya Mochizuki’s police action manga Wild 7 which will be directed by Eiichiro Hasumi (Umizaru).

Originally serialized in Weekly Shonen King from 1969-1979, the manga revolved around a motorcycle-riding team of 7 reformed thugs and ex-cons brought together by the National Police Agency to combat dangerous armed criminals and terrorists. In the film version, Eita will play Hiba Dairoku, the leader of the team who also happens to be the youngest. He’s described as being extremely tough, yet charismatic.

Due to the emphasis on motorcycle action in the film, a level of riding proficiency was obviously an important condition for the Wild 7 team. Luckily, Eita has a large-class motorcycle license, making his casting a bit of a coup.

Director Hasumi, who’s earned a reputation in Japan for creating “Hollywood-like” movies,...

The weekly Asian Cinema Scene returns to share recent news and answer reader mail.

Breasts Spark Concern. An upcoming sports comedy is creating consternation in Japan. The movie's title, Oppai Bare (Aka Boobs Volleyball), reportedly has embarrassed both theater owners and potential moviegoers because of what "oppai" means, so theater marquees and movie tickets will display the title as O.P.V. Evidently everyone is Ok with the premise, in which a high school teacher promises to show her breasts to her all-male volleyball team if they win the big game. The film, directed by Eiichiro Hasumi, releases on April 18. Twitch has the trailer; it looks like a pleasant, feel-good flick. [Cinema Today, via Toronto J-Film Pow Wow.]

Recent Releases. Derek Yee's Shinjuku Incident, starring Jackie Chan in a straight dramatic role (no kicking, no punching), opened the Hong Kong International Film Festival a couple of weeks ago and has now opened in Thailand, where Brian...