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Meatball Machine

  • 2005
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
Meatball Machine (2005)
JapaneseBody HorrorDark ComedySplatter HorrorActionHorrorSci-Fi

Full-throttle splatter-ific Japanese cyberpunk science fiction/horror at its most aggressive, this mind-blower about alien parasites that turn their human hosts into slave "Necroborgs" will ... Read allFull-throttle splatter-ific Japanese cyberpunk science fiction/horror at its most aggressive, this mind-blower about alien parasites that turn their human hosts into slave "Necroborgs" will leave you dizzy and drained - in a good way.Full-throttle splatter-ific Japanese cyberpunk science fiction/horror at its most aggressive, this mind-blower about alien parasites that turn their human hosts into slave "Necroborgs" will leave you dizzy and drained - in a good way.

  • Directors
    • Yûdai Yamaguchi
    • Jun'ichi Yamamoto
  • Writers
    • Jun'ya Katô
    • Yûdai Yamaguchi
    • Yukihiko Yamaguchi
  • Stars
    • Issei Takahashi
    • Aoba Kawai
    • Kenichi Kawasaki
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    2.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Yûdai Yamaguchi
      • Jun'ichi Yamamoto
    • Writers
      • Jun'ya Katô
      • Yûdai Yamaguchi
      • Yukihiko Yamaguchi
    • Stars
      • Issei Takahashi
      • Aoba Kawai
      • Kenichi Kawasaki
    • 26User reviews
    • 53Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos83

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    Top Cast7

    Edit
    Issei Takahashi
    Issei Takahashi
    • Yôji
    Aoba Kawai
    Aoba Kawai
    • Sachiko
    Kenichi Kawasaki
    • Tanaka
    Shôichirô Masumoto
    Shôjirô Suzuki
    Tôru Tezuka
    Ayano Yamamoto
    • Directors
      • Yûdai Yamaguchi
      • Jun'ichi Yamamoto
    • Writers
      • Jun'ya Katô
      • Yûdai Yamaguchi
      • Yukihiko Yamaguchi
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews26

    5.72.4K
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    Featured reviews

    8bonn-snipp

    An unexpected Epic

    Some may feel that the rating i have just given is a bit generous, but for what this film is i think the directors have done a good job with that they had available to them, this is also a film a film of an acquired taste!

    my immediate thought was the direct connection to the classic cult film 'The Thing' i.e the parasitical aliens from outta space, infesting human host to then reek havoc wherever possible!

    You can see how this film pays homage to such a film and others of the horror/gore genre, however cleverly maintains its own originality, well these things fight each other for one and then continue to eat then fallen rival! Only killing and picking a human when it needs a new host! To then pick another fight with another infected host! And this film even throws in a love story but i wont say no more otherwise it gives too much away.

    GREAT! But like i said of an acquired taste, so don't be surprised if you don't like the film. It is low budget and yes it is blood thirsty, with the creatures/aliens/things morphing their limbs into crude looking weapons, i.e saws, drills, blades and even the odd gun to all but decimate there opponent. I found myself cringing at what i was being shown but at the same time glued to the screen wondering what was going to happen next!

    So if you like gore, you like aliens, you like fighting and even maybe a little bit of love thrown in somewhere, then i must recommend this film as a must see. I just wish i came across this earlier then i did!
    7blackandwhiteradio

    Necroborgs... I'd pay to see even more of the franchise!

    For fans of Troma or the Cyberpunk genre mixed with a little blood shed then this film for you! There is a good amount of blood shed within the confines of this film, also the effects can be impressionable and awesome. The plot is ridiculous and refreshing, not being chained down to what we as audiences are expectant of from films these days.

    Also notable are the little aliens, who I found cute. All in all, it's a good film for fans of the genre. Also recommended are films such as Tetsuo:The Iron Man and Versus for that weird Japanese film approach, filled with wonderful obscurity and bloodshed. Of course, seeing this film you should already have knowledge of the two.
    5wallancengeowgreenlemon

    What a Disappointment, Kodoku and this are kill a kids,ugh!

    Such a Disappointment, unlike Tokyo Gore Police, Tetsuo The iron man, Machine Girl and Robo Geisha, This is Just a little Dispointing, 5/10.

    To be honest,the gore is a More gory, but Story is just meh,
    6jamesrupert2014

    Ugly, over-the-top body-horror

    Alien parasites infect humans, trigger the growth of massive bio-cyber weapons, and then use the grotesquely mutated hosts in death-matches that cumulate with the victorious host tearing out and devouring the losing parasite. Nothing makes much sense, and the entire premise seems to be an excuse for trippy-drippy special effects, monstrous prosthetics, and preposterous geysers of slime and blood. Unlike the equally nasty 'Tetsuo: The Iron Man' (1989), this is not an artsy experimental film but rather a typical gruesome, exploitive splatter-fest. If that's what spins your propellor, 'Meatball Machine' delivers, if not, you won't last the first couple of minutes. The final scene (and sequel setup) is existentially amusing. Watched on Tubi with English subtitles.
    6jmerlino

    Meh.

    This film plays like a full-length, color Tetsuo the Iron Man. As with that film, I suspect that viewers who are not Japanese (like me) are missing some important cultural resonance.

    What I, the gaijin, saw was a somewhat entertaining gore/splatter film with some uniquely Japanese body horror elements. (Japanese body horror often seems to involve growing massive new parts that may be made of non-organic materials).

    I wasn't, like, on the edge of my seat or anything, but the fight scenes are pretty great.

    It's free on Amazon right now, which is about what you'd want to pay for it.

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    Related interests

    Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura in Drive My Car (2021)
    Japanese
    Jeff Goldblum in The Fly (1986)
    Body Horror
    Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Sian Clifford in Fleabag (2016)
    Dark Comedy
    Shawnee Smith in Saw (2004)
    Splatter Horror
    Bruce Willis and Taniel in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Meatball Machine became the international breakthrough movie of Yoshihiro Nishimura's career, as a result of the extensive coverage his special make-up effects work on it received from then-independent movie news website Twitch, beginning over a month before its premiere at the now-defunct Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival.
    • Connections
      Followed by Meatball Machine Kodoku (2017)

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    FAQ11

    • How long is Meatball Machine?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1, 2006 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Fundoshi Corps 1
    • Production companies
      • King Records
      • NTT Learning System
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 30m(90 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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