News

Twitch-fave director Yamaguchi Yudai - he of gonzo comedy oddities Cromartie High, Battlefield Baseball and Yakuza Weapon among others - is coming back to the big screen with a live action adaptation of cult favorite manga and anime Chinyuki: Taro To Yukaina Nakama Tachi in which a man is transformed into some sort of demented baby-monkey-thing after being cursed by a monk angered by his habit of pooping on the graves of his slain enemies and this is clearly one of the greatest sentences I have ever written.Matsuyama Kenichi take the title role in the adaptation of Man Gataro's manga, a demented parody of iconic Chinese folk tale Journey To The West. And while adaptations of Journey itself are certainly no strangers to broad slapstick...

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I Am A Monk follows the trials and tribulations of Koen Shirakata, a 24-year-old man who becomes Abbot of Eifukuji temple, 57th of the 88 temples on Japan's notorious Shikoku Pilgrimage route. Based on actual events, the story is taken from the writings of Missei Shirakawa, who published serial essays on his life as a monk after the death of his grandfather saw him take up the position of Abbot. The long-awaited film version is the directorial debut of Makabe Yukinari, who worked as assistant director to Yamazaki Takashi during the filming of Always - Sunset on Third Street. The director's past work gives some indication of the nature of this gentle comedy-drama that stars Ito Atsushi (Boy's Choir, Battlefield Baseball) as rookie monk Koen.Thrust...

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Deadball Preview Release date April 9 2013 Directed by Yudai Yamaguchi Written by Yudai Yamaguchi and Keita Tokaji Starring Tak Sakaguchi as Jubeh Yakyu Mari Hoshino as Four Eyes Yudai Yamaguchis overthetop and noholdsbarred goreiffic sense of comedy is up to bat again after a tenyear hiatus. Following the bizarrely conceived loveitorhateit Battlefield Baseball (2003) about a team of living players matched against bluefaced zombies Yamaguchi is once more taking swings at Japans (and Americas)...

The question beckons... why play baseball, football, basketball, or even soccer when you can play Deadball and have a blood-spattered good time. Seriously, this needs to become our national pastime Stat!

From the Press Release

Director Yudai Yamaguchi's hilariously offensive, politically incorrect sports splatter comedy Deadball debuts on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital April 9th from Well Go USA Entertainment. A follow-up to Yamaguchi's earlier zombie baseball classic Battlefield Baseball, Deadball stars Tak Sakaguchi (Versus, Yakuza Weapon, Tokyo Gore Police) as Jubeh Yakyu, a seventeen-year-old juvenile delinquent sent to reform school after killing over 50 people within a week. To escape the school, Jubeh agrees to join the facility’s baseball team in a battle to the death against the sexy “psycho butcher girls” of St. Black Dahlia High School. This riotous, over-the-top epic of excess is the movie for the psycho sports fan in everybody and more fun than a prison cavity search!

Well Go USA will release Tormented (pictured above), from Ju-on and The Grudge creator Takashi Shimizu, on disc and digital April 2, and Deadball, Yudai Yamaguchi’s variation on his cult fave Battlefield Baseball, in those formats April 9. Tormented, a.k.a. Rabbit Horror, focuses on a troubled young boy (Takeru Shibuya) who sleepwalks into a strange realm where he’s pursued by a human-sized rabbit—echoing his killing of a sick bunny on a playground—and his mute half-sister (Hikari Mitsushima) who must rescue him. Shot by ace cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Tormented will be presented in 3D on the Blu-ray, with no special features announced. Deadball stars Versus and Yakuza Weapon’s Tak Sakaguchi as a juvenile delinquent with a literal killer fastball who becomes part of reform school baseball team, facing off against a sexy, murderous rival team from St. Black Dahlia High School. This one will sport over 50 minutes of bonus features,...

Well Go USA will release Tormented (pictured above), from Ju-on and The Grudge creator Takashi Shimizu, on disc and digital April 2, and Deadball, Yudai Yamaguchi’s variation on his cult fave Battlefield Baseball, in those formats April 9. Tormented, a.k.a. Rabbit Horror, focuses on a troubled young boy (Takeru Shibuya) who sleepwalks into a strange realm where he’s pursued by a human-sized rabbit—echoing his killing of a sick bunny on a playground—and his mute half-sister (Hikari Mitsushima) who must rescue him. Shot by ace cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Tormented will be presented in 3D on the Blu-ray, with no special features announced. Deadball stars Versus and Yakuza Weapon’s Tak Sakaguchi as a juvenile delinquent with a literal killer fastball who becomes part of reform school baseball team, facing off against a sexy, murderous rival team from St. Black Dahlia High School. This one will sport over 50 minutes of bonus features,...

For Love’s Sake aka Ai to makoto aka The Legend of Love & Sincerity

Written by Takayuki Takuma, Ikki Kajiwara, Takumi Nagayasu,

Directed by Takashi Miike

Japan, 2012 Fantasia imdb

This year, Fantasia pulled out all the stops to kick off the Festival with a bang – several bangs. They unveiled a new interactive screen that displays pictures from films playing in the festival with capsule reviews in English and French, logos of sponsors and recent random tweets that mention FantasiaFest. It can become a bit of an infinite “Meow” loop, but it is still very cool.

To mark the fact that a Japanese film was chosen as the official opening film for the festival, the local Japanese consulate sent a representative and (better still) sponsored a Japanese dance and an awe-inspiring Japanese drum performance. When I say that it was a percussive assault, I mean that in the most complimentary way.

Director: Yamaguchi Yudai. Review: Adam Wing. The opening moments will have you believe you’re watching a quirky Japanese drama. A young boy is playing catch with his father on a hot summer’s day as his brother looks on from the sidelines. It’s all very tasteful, innocent and sweet natured, or at least it would be, had it not been the latest shock-buster from Sushi Typhoon. Battlefield Baseball director Yamaguchi Yudai follows up his chaotic action blast with more of the same and then some. Teaming up with Sakaguchi Tak (Yakuza Weapon) for the second time in 2010, Deadball focuses on the superhuman pitcher Jubei, who is forced to lead a juvenile delinquents baseball team against a girls' high school team trained by a Caucasian Neo-Nazi. I kid you not. You can score points by killing your opponents, and the more Ott it is the better. Which is kind of lucky really,...

Directors: Tak Sakaguchi and Yudai Yamaguchi.

Writers: Ken Ishikawa (original story/manga), Yudai Yamaguichi (screenplay).

Cast: Dennis Gunn, Cay Izumi and Shinji Kasahara.

Sushi Typhoon's brand gets even more comic book like in this latest release, Yakuza Weapon. This film is about certain members of the Japanese mafia at odds with one another. That can lead to some fun, and for viewers who love Tak Sakaguchi's work in Versus, Battlefield Baseball and Deadball, it is one almost worth watching. The real carnage, however, means waiting for a long grueling 70 minutes.

The build-up works on developing the character of Shozo Iwaki (Sakaguchi), but in between his shouting matches, some may wonder if this mercenary has a huge chip on his shoulder. If there`s ever an analogy to another comic book character, he would be Japan`s answer to Marvel Comic`s Wolverine. And he`s far more abrasive. And...

Sushi Typhoon is a collective group of directors, actors, producers and writers who have a different interpretation of what J-Horror is. Unlike the classics like Ju-on or Ringu, the products coming from this group is more like splatterpunk. That is, these films are often graphically violent, highly satirical and hyperactively kinetic.

The movies they make avoid the sublime that is found in Hammer Horror, namely the old British products this studio made during the early 70's. Instead, they often play up the campiness of that subgenre and make their brand look like "performance art." That is, some of the characters know they are being watched, so they are pole dancing for the viewer. Helldriver is one such recent example that is now available on video. Yoshihiro Nishimura, director of this film and one of the members of the group, is hailed as the "Tom Savini of Japan." His 10+ years of...

Sushi Typhoon's latest film has been making the festival circuit for many months now, and February 7th marks the Yakuza Weapon's home video debut from Well Go USA. I first caught wind of the project when we reported on one of the many collaborations involving Japanese stunt madman Tak Sakaguchi (Death Trance, Versus, Samurai School, Etc...) and director Yudai Yamaguchi (Battlefield Baseball, Cromartie High School) and was sold on the idea immediately.  I finally got a chance to check it out at last year's Fantastic Fest, where it played early in the day after a long night of horror flicks and beers, and it left me a bit cold.  However, revisiting it for this review, I can easily boost this to the upper echelon of...

Eureka Entertainment have announced their slate of releases for the first half of 2012 with seven exciting new titles on the horizon, including absolute classic films from Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock making their debut on Blu-ray via the Masters of Cinema label.

Wilder’s iconic film noir Double Indemnity and Alfred Hitchcock’s experimental and claustrophobic thriller Lifeboat top the list of releases, two of the very best films of 1944. Wilder’s follow-up drama The Lost Weekend, released just one year later and featuring Ray Milland’s memorable Oscar-winning performance as an alcoholic New York writer, is also coming to Blu-ray. It’s a timely release as the film was recently included in the National Film Registry.

Another hugely notable release is Islands of Lost Souls (1932), the Charles Laughton starring adaptation of the H.G. Wells science fiction tale which will be released for the first time in the UK, coming on Duel Format Blu-ray.

About three weeks ago, I wrote an article announcing Shadowlocked's involvement in this year's Telluride Horror Show and my role as 'Master Host'. Some of you have been wondering what films will be on tap for those in attendance, and lemme tell ya, there are some real doozies. Whether their horror tastes lie with the moody and atmospheric or with over the top fountains of gore, fright fans will find that the Horror Show has something for everyone this year.

Back by popular demand is the extremely popular horror/comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, one of last year's Horror Show crown jewels returning for a repeat performance. Also on tap is The Tunnel, an Australian horror in the 'found footage' genre. Director Carlo Ledesma and producers Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey will be in attendance. Making their United States debuts are shoot-o-rama The Scarlet Worm and tournament-style gorefest Monster Brawl.

When it comes to selecting which movies you are going to put in your film festival, some organizers are better than others. Judging by the announcement of first wave of films to be screened at the Second Annual Telluride Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado, these guys know their shit!

With a schedule that will boast over 20 features and 20 shorts, this is just the beginning, but I'm impressed already…Chillerama, Helldriver, a killer baseball pitcher film And Tucker and Dale vs Evil. Yeah, I'm impressed.

And not only are you getting a killer film line-up, Telluride itself is amazing! A former silver mining town set in a box canyon in southwest Colorado, it's the perfect Shining-esque, Overlook Hotel setting for a horror film festival. To-Hell-You-Ride, Colorado. Oh yeah!

I know it's a full schedule when the ol' carpel tunnel syndrome starts acting up while I write and format the film list.

Bert and Ernie (recent homosexual rumors aside) have never done the alphabet this way. Makers of the upcoming film The ABC's of Death have rounded up 25 of the brightest young directors in the horror genre in anticipation of their anthology-style film. They need one more, and you could be it!

And if having your work melded with the incredible group of directors listed below isn’t enough, they've sweetened the pot by offering a cool 5 G's to the winner.

Here's what's required of you: Obviously the ability to spell is going to help you out here as your film will have to be entitled T is for ... (this is where you insert whatever clever bit of nastiness you come up with). And obviously you've got to create a completely new piece. Judges will only consider films made specifically for this competition. Complete instructions are on the ABC's of Death Website.

by Seth Metoyer

In what seems to be a pretty decent take on all the recent reality contestant shows (such as Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef etc.), there is one coming that is strictly for all you horror movie directors out there. The contest is presented by Magnet and Drafthouse Films.

The ABCs of Death is a global search for "The Next Great Horror Director" which features 25 director spots that have already been filled.

The 26th spot has been set aside for one lucky winner that will have his or her feature horror film added to a slot next to the other 25 notable horror movie directors.

Those 25 directors already on board include:

Kaare Andrews (Altitude)

Angela Bettis (Roman)

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman; Mandrill)

Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun)

Bruno Forzani and Héléne Cattet (Amer)

Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat)

Xavier Gens (Frontiers; Hitman)

Noburo Iguchi (Machine Girl; Robo Geisha)

Thomas...

Visit the official Fantasia Film Fest website

Well we are officially through the second week of the Fantasia Film Festival, so I figured we should do a quick look back at all the reviews we have posted in the past seven days. In seven days our crew has managed to post over another eleven reviews, bringing the total to thirty three. Keep coming back to the site in the next two weeks for more coverage, and don’t forget to also check out our podcast. Lately we’ve recorded several episodes dedicated to the movies playing at the fest.

Love & Loathing & Lulu & Ayano

Love & Loathing & Lulu & Ayano may not be the film for me, but this is hardly a slight on the film itself. Fans of Japanese Pink cinema, or those with an interesting in the goings on of the Japanese porn industry will not regret this unique cinematic experience…...

Japanese movie extremes have received a warm welcome from Americans bored with traditional filmmaking, and the opportunities for distribution keep growing: Well Go USA has recently signed an 8-year deal with Sushi Typhoon, a Japanese brand specifically dedicated to cult cinema brimming with zombies, robots, yakuza, and arterial spray awesomeness.

The Wrap reports:

On Monday, Well Go announced it has acquired DVD, digital, VoD and television rights for ”Mutant Girls Squad,” “Helldriver,” “Yakuza Weapon,” “Deadball” and “Karate-Robo Zaborgar.”

It’s not exactly mainstream stuff. Sushi Typhoon was created “to bring the best talent from Japanese cult cinema to worldwide audiences,” according to Well Go.

That cult cinema means over-the-top neo action gore.

“Karate-Robo Zaborgar” is described by Well Go as “a hilariously over-the-top ribute to the transforming robots of 1970s Japanese television and an exciting action/comedy that will stir the heart of anyone who longs for justice dispensed at...

Deadball aka Deddobôru

Directed by Yûdai Yamaguchi

Written by Yûdai Yamaguchi and Keita Tokaji

Japan, 2011

Fantasia imdb

Deadball raises the question how important technical proficiency is when you are setting out to make a terrible movie. Or to put it another way… How important are your limitations when you set out to make a celebration of cinematic excess?

Deadball brings back Jubeh Yakyu (Tak Sakaguchi) from Battlefield Baseball. In 2003, it was already a stretch for the 27 year old Sakaguchi to play the 17 year old Jubeh. One of the better jokes of Deadball is that Sakaguchi at 35 is still playing a 17 year old baseball prodigy.

The plot beats are essentially the same. Jubeh, whose best pitch killed his father, has vowed never to play baseball again. He is convinced otherwise, but finds himself in a game where the objective is not to win, but to survive and kill the other team.

Awesome news for fans of these so-called Sushi Typhoon films. Well Go USA has released a press note saying they’ve acquired the distribution rights to release Mutant Girls Squad, Helldriver (review here), Karate-Robo Zaorgar, and more to DVD this Fall.

It looks like fans of crazy, bloody, Japanese films will be plenty excited.

Well Go USA has acquired DVD, Digital, VOD and Television rights for the North American market to Mutant Girls Squad, Helldriver, Yakuza Weapon, Deadball and Karate-Robo Zaborgar from Nikkatsu Corporation’s leading genre film label, The Sushi Typhoon. Launched in 2010, The Sushi Typhoon was created by Producer Yoshinori Chiba and aims to bring the best talent from Japanese cult cinema to worldwide audiences. Well Go plans to make its initial rollout on VOD, DVD and Blu-ray starting in fall 2011.

“We are very excited to have secured rights to these ‘neo action gore’ titles, a genre which...

Well Go USA are quickly becoming one of my favorite distribution companies, with releases such as Man From Nowehere and Ip Man 2 kicking all kinds of ass. Now they have picked up the rights to five Sushi Typhoon flicks. Helldriver, Deadball, Mutant Girl Squad, Yakuza Weapon and Karate-Robo Zaborgar will be coming to VOD, DVD and Blu-ray starting in the Fall this year.

Well Go USA Acquires North American Distribution Rights

To Five Films From The Sushi Typhoon Label

Mutant Girls Squad, Helldriver, Yakuza Weapon,

Deadball and Karate-Robo Zaborgar

Plano, Texas. (July 18, 2011) — Well Go USA has acquired DVD, Digital, VOD and Television rights for the North American market to Mutant Girls Squad, Helldriver, Yakuza Weapon,

Deadball and Karate-Robo Zaborgar from Nikkatsu Corporation’s leading genre film label, The Sushi Typhoon. Launched in 2010, The Sushi Typhoon was created by Producer Yoshinori Chiba and aims to bring the best talent from Japanese cult cinema to worldwide audiences.

Citing the growth potential and rabid fanbase, Well Go USA has nabbed the rights to five titles from Nikkatsu Corporation's Sushi Typhoon label. Well Go USA is now the proud owner of Mutant Girls Squad, Helldriver, Yakuza Weapon, Deadball and Karate-Robo Zaborgar. A thorough and descriptive list to say the least.

Varying from hilarious comedy to splatterific violence, the one common thread of all these films is going over-the-top for the sake of entertainment. And isn't that what we really want? Explode that head! Let's see some arterial spray! Bring it on! Stay tuned as Well Go will begin rolling out these titles beginning in the fall of 2011. You've been warned.

From the Press Release

Well Go USA has acquired DVD, Digital, VOD and Television rights for the North American market to Mutant Girls Squad, Helldriver, Yakuza Weapon, Deadball and Karate-Robo Zaborgar from Nikkatsu Corporation’s leading genre film label,...

In 2003, director Yudai Yamaguchi (Meatball Machine, Cromartie High School) and star Tak Sakaguchi joined forces to create Battlefield Baseball. A delirious, utterly out-of-its-mind affair, it cast Sakaguchi -- star of Versus and of the likewise luridly violent and goofy Yakuza Weapon, also at Fantasia this year -- as a gifted high school baseball pitcher drawn into a bizarre, post-apocalyptic baseball tournament to the death. It was bizarre, bloody, frequently hilarious and also a musical. And they had so much fun doing it, they're doing it again. Yamaguchi and Sakaguchi reunite in 2011 for Deadball, a film that is not a sequel to Battlefield Baseball but rather an entirely fresh spin on the same characters. Once again, Sakaguchi -- now 35 years old --...

Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival, which will be held from July 14 to August 7, will kick off with Kevin Smith's Red State.

Fantasia also made the first announcement about the films that will be part of this 15th edition's line-up.

People can see the anthology film Theatre Bizarre. This coproduction between Canada, France, Germany, the UK, the USA reunites Richard Stanley (Hardware), Karim Hussain (La belle bête), Douglas Buck (Cutting Moments), Buddy Giovinazzo (Life Is Hot in Cracktown), David Gregory (Plague Town) and Tom Savini, as directors.

The festival will also hold the world premier of The Wicker Tree, from Robin Hardy. Moreover, a book launch is also expected because The Wicker Tree is based on the novel Cowboys for Christ, by Hardy.

As for a Canadian premiere, Ryoo Seung-wan's The Unjust will be screened. Besides, Ryoo will be invited by the festival's organizers to teach choreography for action films.

The Fantasia Film Festival is by far my favourite film festival in the world and I’ve been impatiently awaiting some news of what films they’ll be screening this year. Considered the world’s largest genre film festival and running over three weeks long, the event is celebrating it’s 15th edition this year and the lineup is already pretty incredible. In the past I’ve seen some of my favourite films premiere at the fest and last year I wrote up a list of the best films ever screened at the fest which you can read here. This year Kevin Smith’s Red State opens the festival and directors Robin Hardy (The Wicker Man) and Richard Stanley (Hardware, Dust Devil) will be in the house to discuss the occult on film. The full lineup which includes 130-feature titles will be announced on July 7. For now here is the...

With July rapidly approaching, that means two things - the one/two punch of both Comic-Con and Canada's incredible Fantasia Film Festival! Speaking of the latter, the first wave of announcements is here! Read on for details!

From the Press Release

While less than two weeks away from announcing the full line-up of its 15th edition, Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival has revealed a first wave of titles and happenings. The full 130-feature array of titles will be announced at our press conference on July 7.

Opening Film – Kevin Smith’S Red State

Fantasia is proud to open the 2011 edition of the festival with the Canadian Premiere of Kevin Smith's acclaimed Sundance hit Red State. The director of Clerks and Zack And Miri Make A Porno has made a jump to an entirely new genre with tremendous success. Red State is a powerhouse film featuring fantastic performances by Michael Parks,...

The horror short film anthology The ABCs of Death, inspired in part by early kids’ books and promises to explore “26 ways to die” from 26 different directors, has now added two more directors to its list. Now in the list of who’s-who of upcoming horror and genre directors is Xavier Gens (Hitman) and Christopher Smith (Black Death, Triangle). The duo will join the previously announced list of directors below. The production however is still looking for a 26th director and anyone can participate. Check out the details of the contest to choose the final director are after the break.

Here is the list of confirmed directors:

Kaare Andrews (Altitude)

Angela Bettis (Roman)

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza (Mirageman, Mandrill)

Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun)

Bruno Forzani and Héléne (Amer)

Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Cold Sweat)

Xavier Gens (Frontiers, Hitman)

Noburo Iguchi (Machine Girl, Robo Geisha)

Thomas Malling (Norwegian Ninja)

Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police,...

The horror anthology The ABCs of Death, inspired in part by early kids' books and bearing a real resemblance to Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies, is a who's-who of current horror and genre stars and up and comers. The film will be divided into twenty-six segments in which a letter of the alphabet corresponds to a method of death. The segments will be short, but given that they'll be directed by people like Nacho Vigalondo, Jason Eisener, Noburo Iguchi and many more, they might pack a punch. Two more directors were added to the list today, bringing the total number of signees to twenty-five. Xavier Gens (Frontier(s), Hitman) and Christopher Smith (Severance, Triangle, Black Death) are now on the roster. Details of a contest to choose the final director are after the break. First, here's the complete list of twenty-five (actually twenty-six, since there is one team unit) confirmed...

A month back (here), we told you about The ABCs of Death, a violent new anthology from Magnet Releasing, in which 26 different directors will direct a short based on a letter from the alphabet.

Today, Christopher Smith (Black Death), Xavier Gens (Hitman), Jt Petty (The Burrows), Noburo Iguchi (Machine Girl), Kaare Andrews (Altitude), and Yudai Yamaguchi (Battlefield Baseball) have joined the film. Here’s the press release:

Drafthouse Films, Timpson Films and Magnet Releasing have announced that they will produce The ABCs Of Death, a twenty-six chapter anthology feature that showcases death in all its vicious wonder and brutal beauty. Alamo Drafthouse CEO/Founder Tim League and Timpson Films CEO Ant Timpson will co-produce. Magnolia International will also handle all international sales. Production begins in June 2011, with completion slated for January 2012, six months, six weeks and six days later.

Twenty-five established directors and emerging new stars from all over the world are participating.

The biggest horror anthology of all time just got a bit bigger with the addition of several of today's most talented horror directors. Read on for the details, and keep your eyes locked here for more as it comes.

Joining the previously announced list of talent (see below) are Xavier Gens (Frontiers, The Divide) and Christopher Smith (Severance, Black Death, Triangle, Creep) along with Noburo Iguchi (RoboGeisha, Machine Girl), Kaare Andrews (Altitude), Yudai Yamaguchi (Battlefield Baseball), Jt Petty (Soft for Digging, The Burrowers), and Anders Morgenthaler (Princess).

From the Press Release

Drafthouse Films, Timpson Films and Magnet Releasing have announced that they will produce The ABCs Of Death, a twenty-six chapter anthology feature that showcases death in all its vicious wonder and brutal beauty. Alamo Drafthouse CEO/Founder Tim League and Timpson Films CEO Ant Timpson will co-produce. Magnolia International will also handle all international sales. Production begins in June...

How the director of such cult faves as Battlefield Baseball, Cromartie High School, Meatball Machine and potentially Yakuza Weapon ever got himself involved in this project we may never know. Coming up this July in Japan is his movie about youthful friendship in Men's Egg Drummers. It just happens to star an overwhelming number of Gyaru-oh models. Actor Furukawa Yuki [far right] plays the protagonist Keita, the successor to a historic Shino shrine who has always led an ordinary life since childhood. One day, before the big annual moon-viewing festival, Keita's father (Itao Itsuji) suddenly falls ill, leaving Keita in charge of running the festival.Meanwhile, all of the members of the featured taiko drum performance are unable to participate, so Keita must quickly hold an audition for new performers. Rui,...

Tak Sakaguchi, still probably best known for his iconic performance in Ryûhei Kitamura’s classic “Versus”, returns with “Yakuza Weapon”, an all-out slice of Japanese style hyperactive, ultra-violent madness. Co-directed by Sakaguchi and Yudai Yamaguchi, who previously worked together on the likes of “Battlefield Baseball” and “Cromartie High School”, the film is another Sushi Typhoon production, which should give a pretty good idea of the kind of craziness to be expected. Based on the manga by Ken Ishikawa, of “Cutie Honey” and “Getter Robot” fame, the film also features action choreography by “Versus” and “Death Trance” veteran Yuji Shimomura and special effects by the one and only Yoshihiro Nishimura, the lunatic genius behind “Tokyo Gore Police” and his own recent outing “Helldriver”. The film kicks off with Tak Sakaguchi as Shozo Iwaki, a yakuza working as a mercenary deep in the jungles of South America, being informed of the murder...

If Sushi Typhoon ever stops making movies, I will be seriously and eternally heartbroken. That may sound sad, but it’s the truth. The trailer for cult icon Tak Sakaguchi’s “Yakuza Weapon” was more than enough to keep yours truly squealing with glee well into the summer, though apparently others feel that we all need a bit more Tak Sakaguchi in our cinematic diet. Behold the trailer for director Yudai Yamaguchi’s “Dead Ball”, a “Battlefield Baseball”-style actioner that seems to be in tune with what Sushi Typhoon does best. In other words, prepare yourself for cheap gore, cornball action, evil Nazis, and some scantily-clad Japanese ladies. It’s all in the name of mindless entertainment, of course. Need a story? Well, here you go: When he was a child, baseball prodigy Jubei Yakyu (Tak Sakaguchi) accidentally caused the death of his father with a super-powered, deadly fireball pitch.

Baseball is around the corner here, so what are the odds for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series? Actually, don’t answer that. What if the Mlb doesn’t do it for you? Then there’s Deadball! That is the new Sakaguchi / Yamaguchi (Versus duo; actor and producer) newest movie, which is not known if it’s a sequel to Battlefield Baseball. Does it matter? There’s Nazi baseball players in it!

When he was a child, baseball prodigy Jubei Yakyu (Tak Sakaguchi) accidentally caused the death of his father with a super-powered, deadly fireball pitch. Having sworn off the game for life because of the incident, Jubei is now 17 and the most cold-blooded juvenile delinquent in Japan. Sent to a reformatory for a killing spree, Jubei learns that his estranged brother had died there earlier from a mysterious illness. In order to fulfill his brother’s last wishes,...

Another day, another collaboration between star Tak Sakaguchi and director Yudai Yamaguchi. These two have been working together for years now, the pair both coming to international attention with Versus - which Sakaguchi starred in and Yamaguchi produced - before moving on to projects like Battlefield Baseball and Cromartie High together. Heck, just yesterday we brought you the official trailer for Yakuza Weapon, the Sushi Typhoon backed title co-directed by the pair with Sakaguchi in the lead.And because one just isn't enough Sushi Typhoon have actually got Two Sakaguchi / Yamaguchi projects on the go right now, with the second being the Yamaguchi directed Dead Ball. Nobody is saying how, exactly, this one connects to the duo's previous ultraviolent Battlefield Baseball but it clearly...

Here is the new trailer for the Japanese gorefest Yakuza Weapon, starring Tak Sakaguchi (The Versus) with a machine gun arm and a rocket launcher for a leg. There was an earlier reel leaked online with unfinished effects, but this is the official trailer.

The film is co-directed by Yudai Yamaguchi and Tak Sakaguchi, who between them have created crazy, action-filled comedies like Battlefield Baseball, Cromartie High School and Be A Man! Samurai School, and featuring action direction by Yuji Shimomura (Versus, Shinobi), special makeup effects by Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Helldriver) and based on an adult comic by Ken Ishikawa, who co-created Cutie Honey, Getter Robot and many other famous series.

Here’s the press release:

The team who brought you Versus have returned with another hard-edged battle royale featuring tough gangsters, deadly women and cybernetic penis implants! Working as a hard-to-kill mercenary in South America, ex-yakuza Shozo...

Fans of Versus star Tak Sakaguchi and frequent collaborator Yudai Yamaguchi (Cromartie High, Battlefield Baseball) best be keeping an eye on Twitch over the next two days for a pair of trailer premieres from the duo.Coming Monday at noon Est will be the trailer premiere for Yakuza Weapon, the new film co-directed by the pair with Sakaguchi in the lead. An early, in-process reel from this one got online in low resolution a little while back but we'll be giving you your first chance to see the finished product in high quality.And following Tuesday - also at noon Est - will be the premiere of the trailer for Dead Ball, the spiritual successor to baseball-to-the-death movie Battlefield Baseball. Yamaguchi takes the directing reins solo...

Well here’s a thing. Yesterday a very cryptic message was posted on the Twitter page for Japanese exploitation, horror, and gore movie mongers - Sushi Typhoon stating…“We got a peek today at our secret 7th film, now in final post. It's a splatter horror comedy starring Tak Sakaguchi ('Versus'), directed by Yudai Yamaguchi! It's also about baseball! Title? Deadball! Look for more details about it + some stills on our home page soon.” Its about Baseball…Helmer of the original movie Yudai Yamaguchi is to direct…Tak Sakaguchi is back again to star…Is a sequel to the 2003 splatter classic Battlefield Baseball on the way!? Damn well sounds it so far! More soon.

Driving across the length of the Continental United States can teach you many things: how many miles 20 ounces of coffee will take to hit your bladder, for instance, or the psi necessary to scrub a dragonfly off a windshield. Another scrap of knowledge one can glean is a general idea of just what goes into a solid American-style movie-going experience. What follows is an admittedly threadbare list of theaters in the U.S. that won’t leave you with that “what did I just pay $12 for?” feeling. Grab your popcorn (or your beer, if they’re selling) and turn off your goddamn cellphones:

Los Angeles - This is it, the big one: in a town that was built on the shoulders of the film industry, the question isn’t so much where to see a movie as where not to. Scarce are the mall-multiplexes, cold and uncaring with their sticky...

The schedule for the upcoming New York Comic Con, taking place October 8th-10th at the Jacob K. Javits Center, is starting to take shape so we thought we'd give you a heads-up on some of the more horror-centric panels that have been announced so far in addition to the one we already mentioned for "The Walking Dead" happening on Sunday, the 10th at 2:15 pm in the IGN Theater.

This list is by no means all-inclusive so be sure to keep your eyes on the official New York Comic Con website for updates if you're planning to attend.

How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

Date: Friday, October 8

Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Location: Room 1A23

The police will tell you to they have it handled. The government will tell you everything's under control. The media will tell you it's all hype. They will all lie to you. Learn...

The San Diego Comic-Con has finally posted its Thursday schedule of programming this year's event. There's quite a number of panels devoted strictly to movies and television shows, with a number of high profile actors, directors, writers and producers scheduled to make appearances at their respective presentations. I've pulled out the highlights as they pertain to Hollywood and the movies CA covers. Don't forget that this year's Masters of the Web panel is also happening on Thursday @ 3 Pm.

Thursday, July 22, 2010:

10:00-11:00 DreamWorks Animation: Megamind— DreamWorks Animation makes its Comic-Con debut with Megamind. The characters Megamind and Metro Man are jettisoned to Earth as babies when their home planets are destroyed. Megamind crash-lands inside a maximum-security prison, where he evolves into the wicked and diabolical genius he is today, while the dashingly handsome superhero Metro Man grows into the universally adored savior of Metro City, beloved by every man,...

And we're off! The first bit of programming for San Diego Comic-Con 2010 is up on the official site, and we've got a look at the horror-themed panels and events for both Preview Night (July 21st) and Thursday, July 22nd.

Wednesday – July 21

Not much real horror here, but if you're into anime (and sushi), this is the night for you!

Marriott Hotel and Marina:

Anime introduces its new big room with four screenings, plus a sushi and pizza meet and greet! Located in the Marriott Hall, the Anime rooms are 4, 5, and 6, with Wednesday night's screenings taking place in Room 4; the party is in the Marriott Hall foyer starting at 7:00 Pm.

The Films Department will screen three big movies starting at 6:00 pm in Marriott Hall 2, which will be the home for the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival on Thursday through Sunday.

Convention Center:

6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot...

Here are the movie and TV highlights

The San Diego Comic-Con has posted the schedule for Thursday, July 22. You can view the full schedule here, but below are the movie and TV events that ComingSoon.net/SuperHeroHype/ShockTillYouDrop.com will be concentrating on.

Wednesday, July 21

6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings— Wbtvg continues its Comic-Con tradition of hosting a special sneak peek premiere event on preview night, this year offering fans two opportunities to screen one of the fall season’s most highly anticipated new series: Nikita, starring international action star Maggie Q. In addition to Nikita, Wbtvg will unveil special video presentations related to its other series. Ballroom 20

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Thursday, July 22

10:00-11:00 Jeff Smith— The perfect way to start off Comic-Con 2010's program schedule is with a visit with Jeff Smith! Jeff discusses his current sci-fi adventure series, Rasl, as well as the upcoming Bone books from Graphix.

While Japan has never really been shy of weird and crazy horror flicks, it's people like Iguchi Machine Girl) and Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police) who used the potential of the web to full effect, marketing their obscure cult films to a surprisingly wide audience. Vampire Girl Vs Frankenstein Girl is the latest to join the cult, adding its own particular flavour to the ever-growing list of Japanese splatter films.

This time around, Nishimura is not alone though. He teams up with fellow director Tomomatsu (best known from Stacy and Zombie Self-Defense Force) to create a more comedy-oriented film that still bears all the typical treats of its predecessors, but adds a layer of silly comedy not quite unlike Cromartie High. The result is mighty strange, as you might have expected.

There is not much in the way of a story, but what else is new. I wouldn't be surprised if...

Originally released back in 2005, “Meatball Machine” was one of the films to kick-start the current trend of Japanese ultra violence and sci-fi gore which has resulted in the likes of “Machine Girl” and “Tokyo Gore Police”. The film was co-directed by Yudai Yamaguchi (also responsible for the crazed “Battlefield Baseball” and more recently the creepy “Tamami: The Baby’s Curse”) and Junichi Yamamoto, from whose original short film it was developed. Wild and gruesomely imaginative, the film is a distinctly anything goes affair, mixing demented alien parasites and biomechanical mutation with star struck romance, making for a truly unique and entertaining viewing experience. Having built up a well-deserved cult reputation since its original release, the film finally arrives on region 2 DVD through 4Digital Asia, and comes with a host of extras, including the original short films, a making of featurette and more. After an intense opening scene in which two...

Be a man! That's the motto of Otokojuku, the all-boys high school for those who wish to temper their inner samurai. It is also, of course, the motto of this irreverent 2008 film that seemingly reveres and at the same time parodies a genre that's unique to Japan. No, not samurai films—the juvenile delinquent genre, or whatever the hell it's called. There's a subsection of Japanese fiction that's dedicated to the conquest of high schools overrun by bad seeds, a very popular but often overused formula in Japanese comic serials. This one is based on Akira Miyashita's 1985 manga, which you can tell from the outdated "respect" attitude (something even recent Japanese gangland stories like to avoid), as well as one character's blazing pompadour, a relic of 80's Japanese culture.

Samurai School starts out as one of these stories, with the cliched premise of the freshman entering the school and, through sheer impressive fighting skills,...

Meatball Machine, an all out in your face gore-fest, sci-fi/horror is heading for release on UK DVD. Co directors Junichi Yamamoto and Yudai Yamaguchi (Battlefield Baseball) pull out all the stops on the bad taste front - in an assault on the senses that would keep any gore fan happy. Alien parasites invade the Earth, turning their hosts into bio maniacal killers, who seek and destroy each other to the bloody death! Throw into the mix a story of doomed (infected) star crossed lovers and you have a mix for total mayhem. Special Features include: "The Making of Meatball Machine"; the original "Meatball Machine" short film; "Meatball Machine: Reject Of Death" short film; The Making of Meatball Machine: Reject Of Death"; "What's About Doi?" short film; original Japanese trailer; Necroborg designs by character designer Keita Amamiya. Meatball Machine is released in the UK by 4digitalmedia in July.

Saburo has a problem. He’s a quite, shy, awkward, bookish sort of kid, traits that are no help socially to anyone about to enter their first year of high school. He could expect to have a rough time in any school but it gets worse because Saburo isn’t attending just any school, he’s going to Tokumaru Gakuen High School, a school notorious for housing rowdy delinquents, exactly the sort least likely to appreciate Saburo for who he is. Worse yet, two of the biggest delinquents in Tokumaru Gakuen’s history were Saburo’s elder brothers, both of whom have been expelled and who left behind a loyal band of followers eager to have Saburo step in and fill the leadership gap left by their departure. This aint going to be easy.

Hmm ... awkward boy leading a school full of delinquents in a series of rowdy, violent, comedic...

Year: 2005

DVD Release date: November 18 2008

Director: Minoru Kawasaki

Writers: Minoru Kawasaki / Masakazu Migita

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Amazon: Link

Review by: Ulises

Rating: 10 out of 10 (if 10 = The Most Absurd Thing I’ve Ever Seen)

The Bottom Line: A cult film all the way, Executive Koala never pretends to be anything other than an absurd, off-the-wall, whacked-out comedy-drama about a giant koala being accused of murder. Take it (and this review) seriously at your own risk.

There’s a line in the middle of Executive Koala that’s funny not just because of what it says, but because of how it’s said. As a concerned psychiatrist grabs his sobbing, self-doubting patient, he declares with a perfectly straight face, “You’re as normal as the next koala.” The patient just happens to be a six-foot tall Japanese salaryman named Mr. Tamura. Oh, and a giant koala.

Welcome to the world of Japanese cult cinema,...

A fantastic first poster is out for Tak sakaguchi's new gore horror, Samurai Zombie. Sakaguchi, who is probably best know as the star in horror/action movies (Versus,’ ‘Battlefield Baseball’) already has one hit movie as director under his belt, with the martial arts action pic ‘Be a man! Samurai School’ so chances are we are in for a real treat with this one. The plot: A family on a trip encounters a man threatening them with a gun on a desolate mountain trail. At a moment of maximum tension, a couple shows up out of nowhere, kill the man and disappears again. Shortly after a lunatic old lady comes and warns them of their impending death. The frightened family is headed for a showdown with Samurai Zombies resurrected from their graves.