Horror fans have had a whole lot of zombie entertainment sent our way in the last couple decades, much of it broadcast on television by AMC. There have been so many flesh-eaters and brain-munchers on our screens, some of us are feeling zombie overload. But if you’re still looking for zombie stories that do things a little differently from the others, we have a recommendation for you: a Japanese film that mixes the walking dead with shootouts, swordfights, and lengthy martial arts fights. It’s called Versus – and if you haven’t seen this one yet, it’s the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw.
Versus (watch it Here) was an independent production made by a bunch of unknowns, and many of the people involved with the movie remain unknowns to this day. It marked the feature directorial debut of Ryuhei Kitamura, who has gone on to have a solid career,...
Versus (watch it Here) was an independent production made by a bunch of unknowns, and many of the people involved with the movie remain unknowns to this day. It marked the feature directorial debut of Ryuhei Kitamura, who has gone on to have a solid career,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Japanese martial arts flick One-percent Warrior (a/k/a One-percenter) offers a couple of attractive features. First is the gritty realism of the fight sequences. The other is an unusually clever and twisty plot for this genre. It adds up to yet another praiseworthy export from East Asian countries.
Toshiro (Tak Sakaguchi) is a martial arts action star who is the equivalent of a method actor in dramas. He so hates fantasy elements like wire work, CGI, ramped-up sounds and speed, etc. that he mastered several disciplines and even created couple of his own to infuse his movies with realistic combat sequences. He also made himself a dinosaur, with his last big hit 10 years before the events of this tale begin. In a gesture of respect for his previous stardom, he’s hired for a supporting role, but clashes with the director and others over their enhancements jazzing up the fights.
Toshiro (Tak Sakaguchi) is a martial arts action star who is the equivalent of a method actor in dramas. He so hates fantasy elements like wire work, CGI, ramped-up sounds and speed, etc. that he mastered several disciplines and even created couple of his own to infuse his movies with realistic combat sequences. He also made himself a dinosaur, with his last big hit 10 years before the events of this tale begin. In a gesture of respect for his previous stardom, he’s hired for a supporting role, but clashes with the director and others over their enhancements jazzing up the fights.
- 4/6/2024
- by Mark Glass
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
To celebrate the release of One Percenter, on Blu-Ray and Digital from 11 March, we are giving away Blu-Rays to 2 lucky winners!
Tak Sakaguchi, the legendary Japanese action star of Versus, Re:Born and Crazy Samurai Musashi teams up with director Yudai Yamaguchi to invite you to experience the birth of a new form of “Real Action”!
Action film actor Takuma Toshiro is a man with only one goal: the perfection of action film acting.
But when his samurai-approach to the profession clashes with an industry addicted to wires, CGI and quick edits, Toshiro and his trusty apprentice Akira decide to make their dream film themselves.
When actual violence finds its way onto their film set in the form of yakuza mobsters looking for a hidden cache of drugs, Toshiro and Akira are suddenly thrust into action. Is this the ideal opportunity to take his “Real Action” to the next level? As...
Tak Sakaguchi, the legendary Japanese action star of Versus, Re:Born and Crazy Samurai Musashi teams up with director Yudai Yamaguchi to invite you to experience the birth of a new form of “Real Action”!
Action film actor Takuma Toshiro is a man with only one goal: the perfection of action film acting.
But when his samurai-approach to the profession clashes with an industry addicted to wires, CGI and quick edits, Toshiro and his trusty apprentice Akira decide to make their dream film themselves.
When actual violence finds its way onto their film set in the form of yakuza mobsters looking for a hidden cache of drugs, Toshiro and Akira are suddenly thrust into action. Is this the ideal opportunity to take his “Real Action” to the next level? As...
- 2/26/2024
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
"Why is there no realism in action?" Well Go USA is releasing this movie on video in March coming up soon - take a look at the official trailer for Japanese action thriller One-Percent Warrior. This also goes under the title One-Percenter, though the US release title is slightly different. After his devastatingly fast, samurai-style combat approach sets filmmakers against him, a legendary action star makes his own movie—on turf claimed by feuding yakuza gangs, one including Japan's deadliest martial arts assassin. International action sensation Tak Sakaguchi stars as a legendary, aging action film star who is drawn into the real world of violence when feuding yakuza gangs infiltrate the set of his directorial feature debut. Caught in the middle of a chaotic battle with an increasing body count, he must face whether his martial arts training is enough to save him. With action choreography by Kensuke Sonomura, it stars Sho Aoyagi,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
As we have mentioned many times before, the most successful product of Asian cinema towards the US market (apart from anime) are the action/martial arts movies, and as such, it is by no surprise that the biggest industries of the continent and particularly S.Korea have invested heavily towards the particular category, with China following close by, in a genre that, most of the time, budget is the most crucial element. In that fashion, ultra violent and stylistic is the path S. Korea productions follow (this year), while China seems to be going more towards the sci-fi now that the Ip Man franchise has become somewhat preterit. Japan choose live-action adaptation or its rather famous franchises, while the duo of Tak Sakaguchi and Yudai Yamaguchi continue their effort to produce as realistic martial arts scenes as possible. China follows the stylistic martial arts approach, while India has come up...
- 12/30/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
The 85-minute One-Percenter, the new film from Meatball Machine writer/director Yudai Yamaguchi, opens with an extended series of intercut interviews and behind-the-scenes segments that feel like a DVD extra, centering on the intensity and combat abilities of action star Takuma Toshiro (Tak Sakaguchi). Members of the Japanese Self Defense Force and professional Mma fighters say that Toshiro is an incredible fighter who is entirely capable of killing with his bare hands. Toshiro, knowing his abilities, complains that what passes for action cinema is closer to dancing than fighting; he bemoans the lack of “realism” in action, saying that anyone can say a believable “good morning” on film, but no one ever attacks each other with “real” intent to harm. He seeks to change that and...
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[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/28/2023
- Screen Anarchy
In an interview I had with Dean Fujioka, director of “Pure Japanese” back in August 2022, he mentioned: “I started working in Japan about 10 years ago and as I spoke with the stunt crews on site, I learned that there are less opportunities for them to play an active part in recent years, which simply led me to think that we should make more action movies in Japan”. It seems that his wish gradually was heard, with a number of action movies coming out from Japan during the last few years, in a trend that actually seems to pick up, as Netflix seems particularly interested in streaming this type of movies. Granted, a number of the titles are rather low-budget and some of them are mediocre in terms of quality, and a number of cast and crew (Tak Sakaguchi and Yuji Shimomura in particular) tend to te the same, but considering...
- 8/10/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
"Beating up a good guy is violence, but beating up a bad guy is justice." Well Go has revealed a new official trailer for the Japanese action thriller film titled Bad City, from filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura. This looks Damn good!! It initially premiered at the 2022 Neuchâtel Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland, and it also played at Fantastic Fest last year, arriving in the US this August to watch. Kaiko City is plagued with poverty and crime. When a corrupt businessman decides to run for mayor and starts eliminating opponents from the rival mafia, a former police captain serving time for murder is secretly released and put in charge of a task force to find & arrest him. Starring Hitoshi Ozawa, Akane Sakanoue, Katsuya, Masanori Mimoto, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Yasukaze Motomiya, Tak Sakaguchi, Kazuki Namioka, Lily Franky, and Mitsu Dan. Bad City is an homage to V-Cinema. Reviews are god, saying "Ozawa just...
- 7/24/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Bifan has established itself as one of the most significant festivals in Asia regarding the genre cinema of the region, with their program always being quite interesting through its focus on Korean cinema firstly and then of Japan and the rest of the region, along with a number of international titles. As such, the fact that the local industry is in trouble was more than evident this year, when genre movies in particular suffered, mostly due to issues with writing and also due to financial ones. It is true that Korea's top filmmakers are at the top of the world, but it has become obvious that below that level, the quality drops significantly.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned does not mean that the programs was without a number of gems. “Iron Mask” about a kendo athlete carrying a trauma, “Her Hobby” with its transition from a family drama to a horror and...
Nevertheless, the aforementioned does not mean that the programs was without a number of gems. “Iron Mask” about a kendo athlete carrying a trauma, “Her Hobby” with its transition from a family drama to a horror and...
- 7/9/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Is This Gift from the Fuck Bombers the Greatest Movie Ever Made?
One dramatic question plays out twice in Sion Sono’s gleeful, blood-soaked, meta-masterpiece “Why Don’t You Play in Hell?” As a ragtag group of amateur filmmakers known as the Fuck Bombers pursues their earnest quest — to achieve all-time cinematic superiority by capturing the real violence of a yakuza war — every slice of skin and splice of footage demands to know: Is this the greatest movie ever made?
In short, not quite.
As a matter of craft, Sono’s...
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Is This Gift from the Fuck Bombers the Greatest Movie Ever Made?
One dramatic question plays out twice in Sion Sono’s gleeful, blood-soaked, meta-masterpiece “Why Don’t You Play in Hell?” As a ragtag group of amateur filmmakers known as the Fuck Bombers pursues their earnest quest — to achieve all-time cinematic superiority by capturing the real violence of a yakuza war — every slice of skin and splice of footage demands to know: Is this the greatest movie ever made?
In short, not quite.
As a matter of craft, Sono’s...
- 7/8/2023
- by Christian Zilko and Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
On the occasion of their film One Percenter screening at Bifan, Yudai Yamaguchi and Tak Sakaguchi speak to Panos Kotzathanasis about the appeal of action movies, their collaborations through the years, Real Action, how good actors who play in action movies actually are in fighting, Jackie Chan, shooting a different type of action movie, Kensuke Sonomura and the role of the action director and many other topics.
- 7/2/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Yudai Yamaguchi and Tak Sakaguchi have repeatedly collaborated through the years in various capacities, with their common efforts resulting in a number of cult movies, including “Versus”, “Battle Baseball”, “Yakuza Weapon” etc. Now they are once more coming together in a different action film that boasts a meta approach, while including “Hydra”'s Kensuke Sonomura in the role of the action director.
“One Percenter” is screening at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Action film actor Toshiro Takuma has only one goal on his mind, the perfection of action film acting, essentially to achieve utter realism and not have screen battles that are essentially dancing. However, in an industry addicted to wires, CGI and quick editing to simulate speed, he expectedly finds himself ostracized. Eventually, with the help of his dedicated apprentice Akira, he decides to make a movie as he dreamt and for that purpose, they move into an uninhabited island to shoot unbothered.
“One Percenter” is screening at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Action film actor Toshiro Takuma has only one goal on his mind, the perfection of action film acting, essentially to achieve utter realism and not have screen battles that are essentially dancing. However, in an industry addicted to wires, CGI and quick editing to simulate speed, he expectedly finds himself ostracized. Eventually, with the help of his dedicated apprentice Akira, he decides to make a movie as he dreamt and for that purpose, they move into an uninhabited island to shoot unbothered.
- 7/1/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
For those unfamiliar with Tubi, they are a completely free streaming service which has an absolutely ridiculous selection of films, many of which offered in high quality high-definition transfers. For those not in the know, they are also one of the services that pays filmmakers the best and are very open to smaller budget films. They do present the films with ads, but that is a small price to pay for a great selection of fun films. Scrolling their offerings by genre is also the closest one can get to the video store experience of yesteryears. Here’s a list of five fun action movies on Tubi, kind of like a “Staff Suggestions” section at your local Mom & Pop video store.
Crackerjack (1994)
The first in a series of mid-range budget action films, although each movie had a different lead (with Judge Reinhold an unlikely action hero in the first sequel...
Crackerjack (1994)
The first in a series of mid-range budget action films, although each movie had a different lead (with Judge Reinhold an unlikely action hero in the first sequel...
- 6/10/2023
- by Emilie Black
- JoBlo.com
A taskforce of honest cops is assembled to tackle the gangsters menacing Kaiko City. Many punches are thrown in choreographed style
Director Kensuke Sonomura started off as a stunt performer and coordinator, so it’s no surprise that his second directorial effort contains lashings of hand-to-hand combat. Indeed, just as the climactic cops v gangsters showdown is about to kick off, elderly lawman Torada (Hitoshi Ozawa) urges everyone not to use silly, unsporting guns, and miraculously both sides agree and go to it with fists and knives. It’s just as well because, hitherto, almost every time someone has fired a gun in anger in this film they have missed the target. Does that mean all those movies where folks hit their target with one bullet are lying? Or is this one, where everyone is pants at shooting, the misrepresentation? Either way, it’s almost enough to make you question...
Director Kensuke Sonomura started off as a stunt performer and coordinator, so it’s no surprise that his second directorial effort contains lashings of hand-to-hand combat. Indeed, just as the climactic cops v gangsters showdown is about to kick off, elderly lawman Torada (Hitoshi Ozawa) urges everyone not to use silly, unsporting guns, and miraculously both sides agree and go to it with fists and knives. It’s just as well because, hitherto, almost every time someone has fired a gun in anger in this film they have missed the target. Does that mean all those movies where folks hit their target with one bullet are lying? Or is this one, where everyone is pants at shooting, the misrepresentation? Either way, it’s almost enough to make you question...
- 2/28/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Stars: Lily Franky, Tak Sakaguchi, Rino Katase, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Mitsu Dan, Masaya Katō, Hitoshi Ozawa, Hideto Katsuya, Masanori Mimoto, Akane Sakanoue | Directed by Kensuke Sonomura
Wataru Gojō CEO of the Gojo Conglomerate is the most powerful man in Kaiko City, the Bad City of the title. He’s just been acquitted of corruption charges and declared his candidacy for mayor in order to go after those he says are really behind the corruption.
As he’s holding a press conference an assassin is hacking their way through members of the Sakurada Yakuza clan. Suspicion falls on the Korean mafia and their enigmatic leader Madam. It may not be a coincidence that their chief enforcer Kim Seung-gi, and Gojō are acquainted.
As open warfare breaks out on the city’s streets the head of public safety Koizumi and Chief Prosecutor Hirayama form an unofficial task force to take Gojō. Unfortunately, the...
Wataru Gojō CEO of the Gojo Conglomerate is the most powerful man in Kaiko City, the Bad City of the title. He’s just been acquitted of corruption charges and declared his candidacy for mayor in order to go after those he says are really behind the corruption.
As he’s holding a press conference an assassin is hacking their way through members of the Sakurada Yakuza clan. Suspicion falls on the Korean mafia and their enigmatic leader Madam. It may not be a coincidence that their chief enforcer Kim Seung-gi, and Gojō are acquainted.
As open warfare breaks out on the city’s streets the head of public safety Koizumi and Chief Prosecutor Hirayama form an unofficial task force to take Gojō. Unfortunately, the...
- 10/5/2022
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Japanese film producer Umekawa Haruo has been accused of sexual harassment in a report by Bunshun Online, a sister site of the Shukan Bunshun weekly tabloid publication.
According to a shortened web version of a longer story that is set to appear in print, Umekawa has pressured actresses for sexual favors in exchange for being cast in his films.
The veteran producer has been active since the 1990s and is an associate of cult director Sono Sion. On Monday, Sono was accused of being sexual harassment by the Shukan Josei Prime entertainment news and gossip site.
Umekawa’s credits include the 1990 indie drama “Swimming Upstream,” Sono’s 2008 international festival hit “Love Exposure” and his 2011 drama “Themis.” Umekawa’s most recent credit is Netflix’s lesbian-themed road movie “Ride or Die.”
The multiple accusations against prominent figures appear to suggest that the #MeToo movement has belatedly arrived in Japan, where the...
According to a shortened web version of a longer story that is set to appear in print, Umekawa has pressured actresses for sexual favors in exchange for being cast in his films.
The veteran producer has been active since the 1990s and is an associate of cult director Sono Sion. On Monday, Sono was accused of being sexual harassment by the Shukan Josei Prime entertainment news and gossip site.
Umekawa’s credits include the 1990 indie drama “Swimming Upstream,” Sono’s 2008 international festival hit “Love Exposure” and his 2011 drama “Themis.” Umekawa’s most recent credit is Netflix’s lesbian-themed road movie “Ride or Die.”
The multiple accusations against prominent figures appear to suggest that the #MeToo movement has belatedly arrived in Japan, where the...
- 4/6/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Prolific Japanese director Sion Sono, known for such films as Love Exposure and Antiporno, as well as the recent Nicolas Cage-starrer Prisoners Of The Ghostland, has reportedly been accused of sexual harassment by several actresses in Japan.
The accusations came to light in a post on local site Shukan Josei Prime with actresses anonymously alleging impropriety. According to Deadline’s sister publication, Variety, the alleged predatory behavior has been linked to Sono’s acting workshops and an upcoming workshop has been cancelled.
Actor Yuki Matsuzaki, who has appeared in such films as Letters From Iwo Jima and The Pink Panther 2, has been tweeting about the allegations:
Now that Sion Sono is outed as a sexual predator who preys on young actresses luring them with roles in his films, I wonder if Any of the major Japanese film studios and TV networks would condemn such predatory practices? How about Japan Academy Awards?...
The accusations came to light in a post on local site Shukan Josei Prime with actresses anonymously alleging impropriety. According to Deadline’s sister publication, Variety, the alleged predatory behavior has been linked to Sono’s acting workshops and an upcoming workshop has been cancelled.
Actor Yuki Matsuzaki, who has appeared in such films as Letters From Iwo Jima and The Pink Panther 2, has been tweeting about the allegations:
Now that Sion Sono is outed as a sexual predator who preys on young actresses luring them with roles in his films, I wonder if Any of the major Japanese film studios and TV networks would condemn such predatory practices? How about Japan Academy Awards?...
- 4/5/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Another year, another bountiful crop of action filmmaking. The following article covers some of the best. Like with last year’s installment, the focus will be on action scenes—compact, heightened expressions of action filmmaking craft—rather than films as a whole, which means that some otherwise strong, action-adjacent pictures may be missing and a couple included films look fairly lackluster beyond their set pieces. For the sake of variety, I have limited myself to one scene per film, and all featured films made their official, non-festival, U.S. theatrical and/or streaming debut in 2021. The criterion of “official” excludes the Chinese direct-to-YouTube actioner One More Shot, which was removed after just a few days online. Whenever the film receives a more “legitimate” stateside debut, it will almost certainly be included in that year’s roundup. And now, to the action. The scenes have been organized into loose thematic...
- 1/6/2022
- MUBI
Occasionally, and particularly during the last years, a number of Sion Sono works look like a tribute to himself, with him implementing aspects of his great movies of the past. This approach actually worked for some titles, with “Tokyo Vampire Hotel” being a great sample. It seems though, it does not work at all in a Hollywood-Japanese collaborative setting, with “Prisoners of the Ghostland” functioning as a faulty mixture of “Sukiyaki Western Django”, “Mad Max”, “Preacher” and Sono’s past movies. Let us take things from the beginning though.
“Prisoners of the Ghostland” is streaming exclusively on AMC+ and Shudder
The story is set in the frontier city of Samurai Town, wherea ruthless bank robber, Hero, who supposedly did not shy away from killing innocent bystanders during his “jobs” is sprung from jail by the wealthy and quite sinister kingpin The Governor, who wants him to find the whereabouts of his adopted granddaughter Bernice.
“Prisoners of the Ghostland” is streaming exclusively on AMC+ and Shudder
The story is set in the frontier city of Samurai Town, wherea ruthless bank robber, Hero, who supposedly did not shy away from killing innocent bystanders during his “jobs” is sprung from jail by the wealthy and quite sinister kingpin The Governor, who wants him to find the whereabouts of his adopted granddaughter Bernice.
- 11/20/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Bill Moseley, Sofia Boutell, Nick Cassavetes, Tak Sakaguchi, Young Dais, Charles Glover, Tetsu Watanabe | Written by Aaron Hendry, Reza Sixo Safai | Directed by Sion Sono
I love Nicholas Cage movies, the crazier the better. Sometimes though some movies feel like they just weren’t made for him. Prisoners of the Ghostland is a film that holds so much promise but in the end feels like other movies have done the same thing, just way better.
When the Governor (Bill Moseley) sends out notorious criminal Hero (Nicolas Cage) to find his Bernice (Sofia Boutella), Hero believes this could be his chance to redeem himself for his past. Strapped into a suit that will blow him up if he doesn’t succeed in his task, he is fighting time to find the girl and hopefully save himself.
The start of Prisoners of the Ghostland shows a lot of promise,...
I love Nicholas Cage movies, the crazier the better. Sometimes though some movies feel like they just weren’t made for him. Prisoners of the Ghostland is a film that holds so much promise but in the end feels like other movies have done the same thing, just way better.
When the Governor (Bill Moseley) sends out notorious criminal Hero (Nicolas Cage) to find his Bernice (Sofia Boutella), Hero believes this could be his chance to redeem himself for his past. Strapped into a suit that will blow him up if he doesn’t succeed in his task, he is fighting time to find the girl and hopefully save himself.
The start of Prisoners of the Ghostland shows a lot of promise,...
- 11/17/2021
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
The premium streaming bundle AMC+ and Shudder, the premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced that Prisoners Of The Ghostland will stream exclusively on both platforms in the U.S. starting on November 19. The film, starring Nicolas Cage (Mandy), made its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). In addition to Cage, the film stars Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love). Joseph Trapanese (Tron: Legacy, The Raid: Redemption, The Greatest Showman) composed the original score.
Prisoners Of The Ghostland is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by...
Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). In addition to Cage, the film stars Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love). Joseph Trapanese (Tron: Legacy, The Raid: Redemption, The Greatest Showman) composed the original score.
Prisoners Of The Ghostland is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by...
- 10/27/2021
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor, whose adopted granddaughter Bernice has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman and his own path to redemption. A friendly reminder that Sono Sion's Prisoners of the Ghostland, starring Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Tak Sakaguchi and Bill Moseley, will stream exclusively on AMC+ and Shudder starting on November 19th. Prisoners Of The Ghostland Starring Nicolas Cage To Stream Exclusively On AMC+ And Shudder November 19 The...
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[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/25/2021
- Screen Anarchy
Prisoners Of The Ghostland starring Nicolas Cage will stream exclusively on AMC+ and on Shudder in the U.S. starting on November 19. Here’s the trailer:
The premium streaming bundle AMC+ and Shudder, the premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced that Prisoners Of The Ghostland will stream exclusively on both platforms in the U.S. starting on November 19. The film, starring Nicolas Cage (Mandy), made its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). In addition to Cage, the film stars Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love). Joseph Trapanese (Tron: Legacy, The Raid: Redemption, The Greatest Showman) composed the original score.
The premium streaming bundle AMC+ and Shudder, the premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced that Prisoners Of The Ghostland will stream exclusively on both platforms in the U.S. starting on November 19. The film, starring Nicolas Cage (Mandy), made its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). In addition to Cage, the film stars Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love). Joseph Trapanese (Tron: Legacy, The Raid: Redemption, The Greatest Showman) composed the original score.
- 10/25/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ever since his late ‘90s heyday when he swapped chins with John Travolta in Face/Off and grew a mullet to take on John Malkovich in Con Air, Nicolas Cage has been trading off his reputation as an actor capable of delivering his own special brand of crazy to the screen.
The past five years though have seen him kick the crazy into high gear with a string of gloriously inventive movies that have one thing in common: Cage, front and center, losing his shit. Mom and Dad, Mandy, Color Out of Space, and Willy’s Wonderland have been the notable highlights in a recent run of films that have otherwise been consigned to the realm of forgettable direct-to-video releases.
The good news is that Prisoners of the Ghostland falls firmly into the former category with Cage delivering the kind of unhinged performance fans have come to expect in what amounts to...
The past five years though have seen him kick the crazy into high gear with a string of gloriously inventive movies that have one thing in common: Cage, front and center, losing his shit. Mom and Dad, Mandy, Color Out of Space, and Willy’s Wonderland have been the notable highlights in a recent run of films that have otherwise been consigned to the realm of forgettable direct-to-video releases.
The good news is that Prisoners of the Ghostland falls firmly into the former category with Cage delivering the kind of unhinged performance fans have come to expect in what amounts to...
- 9/17/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Prisoners Of The Ghostland Available in Select Theaters, on Demand and Digital on September 17th! Starring Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, Yuzuka Nakaya Directed By Sion Sono Written By Aaron Hendry & Reza Sixo Safai Synopsis In the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town, a ruthless bank robber (Nicolas …
The post Official Trailer – Prisoners Of The Ghostland Starring Nicolas Cage – In Select Theaters, On Demand and Digital September 17th appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Official Trailer – Prisoners Of The Ghostland Starring Nicolas Cage – In Select Theaters, On Demand and Digital September 17th appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 8/21/2021
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Prisoners of the Ghostland Trailer — Sion Sono‘s Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) movie trailer has been released Rlje Films. The Prisoners of the Ghostland trailer stars Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, Takato Yonemoto, Canon Nawata, Jai West, Charles Glover, Grace Santos, and Yuzuka Nakaya. Crew Reza Sixo Safai [...]
Continue reading: Prisoners Of The Ghostland (2021) Movie Trailer: Bank-robber Nicolas Cage is on a Mission to Rescue Sofia Boutella...
Continue reading: Prisoners Of The Ghostland (2021) Movie Trailer: Bank-robber Nicolas Cage is on a Mission to Rescue Sofia Boutella...
- 8/13/2021
- Film-Book
Prisoners of the Ghostland Trailer — Sion Sono‘s Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) movie trailer has been released Rlje Films. The Prisoners of the Ghostland trailer stars Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, Takato Yonemoto, Canon Nawata, Jai West, Charles Glover, Grace Santos, and Yuzuka Nakaya. Crew Reza Sixo Safai [...]
Continue reading: Prisoners Of The Ghostland (2021) Movie Trailer: Bank-robber Nicolas Cage is on a Mission to Rescue Sofia Boutella...
Continue reading: Prisoners Of The Ghostland (2021) Movie Trailer: Bank-robber Nicolas Cage is on a Mission to Rescue Sofia Boutella...
- 8/13/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Rlje Films has dropped a new trailer for ‘Prisoners of Ghostland’ featuring the ever on insane brand Nicolas Cage. We caught the film at Sundance and you can read our review right here.
In the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town, a ruthless bank robber (Nicolas Cage) is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor (Bill Moseley), whose adopted granddaughter Bernice (Sofia Boutella) has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within five days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption.
Directed by Sion Sono, the film stars Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, Yuzuka Nakaya.
Also in trailers – “I’m not a psychopath, I’m a professional…” Gerard Butler stars in trailer for ‘Copshop
The film will...
In the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town, a ruthless bank robber (Nicolas Cage) is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor (Bill Moseley), whose adopted granddaughter Bernice (Sofia Boutella) has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within five days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption.
Directed by Sion Sono, the film stars Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, Yuzuka Nakaya.
Also in trailers – “I’m not a psychopath, I’m a professional…” Gerard Butler stars in trailer for ‘Copshop
The film will...
- 8/12/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Nicolas Cage’s acclaimed 2021 (see the raves for “Pig” this summer) continues into the fall with “Prisoners of the Ghostland,” which just released a bonkers first trailer that is sure to give Cage fans a run for their money. The latest film from subversive Japanese auteur Sion Sono, “Prisoners of the Ghostland” features Cage as a notorious bank robber enlisted by a wealthy warlord to help find his missing granddaughter in exchange for his freedom. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it was later acquired by Rlje Films.
In his favorable Sundance review, IndieWire’s David Ehrlich described the film as “a sukiyaki psych-Western that casts Nicolas Cage as a criminal on a mission to rescue a runaway girl from a post-apocalyptic wasteland before the bombs attached to his balls explode.” As for how successful the execution was, he wrote: “‘Prisoners of the Ghostland...
In his favorable Sundance review, IndieWire’s David Ehrlich described the film as “a sukiyaki psych-Western that casts Nicolas Cage as a criminal on a mission to rescue a runaway girl from a post-apocalyptic wasteland before the bombs attached to his balls explode.” As for how successful the execution was, he wrote: “‘Prisoners of the Ghostland...
- 8/11/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
"How do I get out of here?" "You must surrender to fate!" Rlje Films has revealed the official trailer for a wacky, they-don't-make-'em-like-they-used-to, ultra violent action comedy from the Japanese director Sion Sono, called Prisoners of the Ghostland. This first premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival this year, and it will also be playing at the Fantasia and London Film Festivals next. Nicolas Cage stars as the prisoner, known as "Hero", and he's strapped with leather suit that will self-destruct in five days. He's sent to rescue The Governor's daughter, who has disappeared into a dark supernatural universe. To escape the nightmare world, Hero must break the evil curse controlling the mysterious Ghostland. A "delirious mash-up of Western, samurai, and postapocalyptic thriller is a sly spoof of the mythical hero’s journey." Also with Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, and Yuzuka Nakaya, among many others. This film...
- 8/11/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
After one of the greatest, most understated performances of his career in the recent release Pig, Nicolas Cage is back in gonzo action mode with none other than Japanese master Sion Sono. Also starring Sofia Boutella, Bill Mosley, Nick Cassavetes, and Tak Sakaguchi, Prisoners of the Ghostland premiered back at Sundance earlier this year and will now arrive next month on September 17 in theaters and VOD. Ahead of the release, the first trailer has arrived.
I said in my Sundance review, “Arguably the hardest working man in show business, Nicolas Cage appeared in over 40 films the last decade alone. Yes, he may no longer work with the likes of David Lynch, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, Charlie Kaufman or the Coens, but the eternally entertaining actor usually finds a gem every now and again that truly utilizes his eccentric talents. That’s why the prospect of him teaming with...
I said in my Sundance review, “Arguably the hardest working man in show business, Nicolas Cage appeared in over 40 films the last decade alone. Yes, he may no longer work with the likes of David Lynch, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, Charlie Kaufman or the Coens, but the eternally entertaining actor usually finds a gem every now and again that truly utilizes his eccentric talents. That’s why the prospect of him teaming with...
- 8/11/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Only the most hardcore action junkies will have the stamina for what is essentially one marathon sword-fighting scene
The craziness is all in the idea of this singular Japanese action movie: essentially one marathon battle scene, filmed in a single take, in which a master swordsman takes down several hundred assailants. The execution, as it were, is a triumph of stuntwork, strategy and stamina, but in the watching it gets rather repetitive and wearying. Few but the most hardcore action junkies will really be up for it.
The set-up is quickly dealt with: a clan rallies in the forest around its newly anointed leader, a small boy, in anticipation of an attack. Attack there swiftly comes, in the form of Musashi Miyamoto: real-life master swordsman, 17th-century folk hero, and fixture of Japanese pop culture (Toshiro Mifune played him four times; Kinnosuke Nakamura played him seven times). Here, the role...
The craziness is all in the idea of this singular Japanese action movie: essentially one marathon battle scene, filmed in a single take, in which a master swordsman takes down several hundred assailants. The execution, as it were, is a triumph of stuntwork, strategy and stamina, but in the watching it gets rather repetitive and wearying. Few but the most hardcore action junkies will really be up for it.
The set-up is quickly dealt with: a clan rallies in the forest around its newly anointed leader, a small boy, in anticipation of an attack. Attack there swiftly comes, in the form of Musashi Miyamoto: real-life master swordsman, 17th-century folk hero, and fixture of Japanese pop culture (Toshiro Mifune played him four times; Kinnosuke Nakamura played him seven times). Here, the role...
- 6/30/2021
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
New to the Terracotta store
As we enter the long Easter holiday weekend, Terracotta Films acquired some notable additions to the Terracotta Asian Blu-ray and DVD store, including Jia Zhang Ke‘s three films, 24 City, A Touch of Sin and Mountains May Depart; Tsui Hark‘s Time and Tide; Park Chan Wook‘s The Handmaiden; Classic martials arts One Armed Boxer…and many more.
Additionally, the Terracotta VOD platform highlights the following three films playing for the month of April:
Re:Born: Toshihiro (Tak Sakaguchi from Versus), a former special forces operative, now lives a quiet life in the countryside. When his former commanding officer, comes out of the shadows seeking revenge, Toshiro goes on a rampage against a squad of assassins.
From us: It may be short on story, but if you like martial-arts and well-choreographed fight sequences there is a lot to enjoy here. A solid thriller that puts...
As we enter the long Easter holiday weekend, Terracotta Films acquired some notable additions to the Terracotta Asian Blu-ray and DVD store, including Jia Zhang Ke‘s three films, 24 City, A Touch of Sin and Mountains May Depart; Tsui Hark‘s Time and Tide; Park Chan Wook‘s The Handmaiden; Classic martials arts One Armed Boxer…and many more.
Additionally, the Terracotta VOD platform highlights the following three films playing for the month of April:
Re:Born: Toshihiro (Tak Sakaguchi from Versus), a former special forces operative, now lives a quiet life in the countryside. When his former commanding officer, comes out of the shadows seeking revenge, Toshiro goes on a rampage against a squad of assassins.
From us: It may be short on story, but if you like martial-arts and well-choreographed fight sequences there is a lot to enjoy here. A solid thriller that puts...
- 4/2/2021
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
The lackluster reception of Yûji Shimomura’s Crazy Samurai Musashi at last year’s Fantasia Film Festival suggests that what sounded great on paper failed spectacularly in execution. Marketed with the tagline “400 vs. 1 in a single take,” the film commits to its premise with gusto: a brief intro and outro aside, the bulk of the runtime comprises a showdown between Japanese folk icon Miyamoto Musashi (Tak Sakaguchi) and an army of mercenaries and samurai, all filmed using a single unbroken shot. Save for a couple moments in which cuts may have been artfully masked, the one-take effect is, for better or worse, staunchly sustained for upwards of 70 (!) minutes (00:08:27-01:23:10 in the film). Given that narrative immersion tends to remain a priority even for the most action-oriented films, Crazy Samurai Musashi registers on some level as a grand failure, dissipating the “magic” of storytelling through a scarcity...
- 3/17/2021
- MUBI
Stars: Tak Sakaguchi, Kento Yamazaki, Masaaki Takarai, Akihiko Sai | Written by Sion Sono | Directed by Yuji Shimomura
When I was a kid I thought all martial arts movies were fight after fight after fight. We didn’t get many martial arts movies on TV in those days but there were plenty of shows like The Incredibly Strange Film Show, which featured clips from some of the wildest kung-fu flicks out there. It wasn’t until a few years later and I had started renting VHS tapes from my local video shop that I found out that Was true! Ok, Ok, so I now know it’s not true – many martial arts films have real plots, tell real stories, with character arcs and everything… but, you see, it seems I’d spent my youth renting a myriad of Godfrey Ho’s stitched-together ninja movies and multiple badly-edited, badly-dubbed movies on tape...
When I was a kid I thought all martial arts movies were fight after fight after fight. We didn’t get many martial arts movies on TV in those days but there were plenty of shows like The Incredibly Strange Film Show, which featured clips from some of the wildest kung-fu flicks out there. It wasn’t until a few years later and I had started renting VHS tapes from my local video shop that I found out that Was true! Ok, Ok, so I now know it’s not true – many martial arts films have real plots, tell real stories, with character arcs and everything… but, you see, it seems I’d spent my youth renting a myriad of Godfrey Ho’s stitched-together ninja movies and multiple badly-edited, badly-dubbed movies on tape...
- 3/2/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
When it comes to the films of Sion Sono, the one thing they all have in common is that they are all, in one way or another, a total gonzo cinematic experience that generally defies the constructs of traditional visual storytelling. And his latest, Prisoners of the Ghostland, very much keeps that tradition alive with his East meets West post-apocalyptic genre mashup that has elements of classic spaghetti westerns, Mad Max, Escape from New York, and Versus coursing through its very amped-up veins. While Prisoners of the Ghostland is uneven at times, and the story loses some of its energy in the latter half, the parts that do work about it work exceedingly well, and I guarantee this is a film that fans will be debating and discussing for years to come.
It’s hard to give a definitive plot summary for Ghostland simply because there is A Lot going on,...
It’s hard to give a definitive plot summary for Ghostland simply because there is A Lot going on,...
- 2/2/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
In the lead-up to its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Sion Sono's Prisoners of the Ghostland has been acquired for US distribution by Rlje Films:
Press Release: Los Angeles, Jan. 26, 2021 – Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has acquired the US rights to the action/adventure film Prisoners Of The Ghostland ahead of its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Prisoners Of The Ghostland presented by Patriot Pictures was fully financed by Michael Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management. XYZ Films produced, is handling world sales, and will be introducing the film to international buyers on the heels of Sundance.
Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director, Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). The film stars Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley...
Press Release: Los Angeles, Jan. 26, 2021 – Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has acquired the US rights to the action/adventure film Prisoners Of The Ghostland ahead of its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Prisoners Of The Ghostland presented by Patriot Pictures was fully financed by Michael Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management. XYZ Films produced, is handling world sales, and will be introducing the film to international buyers on the heels of Sundance.
Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director, Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). The film stars Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley...
- 1/26/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has acquired the US rights to the action/adventure film Prisoners Of The Ghostland ahead of its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Prisoners Of The Ghostland presented by Patriot Pictures was fully financed by Michael Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management. XYZ Films produced, is handling world sales, and will be introducing the film to international buyers on the heels of Sundance.
Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director, Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). The film stars Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love). Joseph Trapanese composed the original score.
“We’re excited to once again work with Nicolas Cage on a highly-anticipated film...
Directed by the acclaimed Japanese director, Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell), the film was written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai (Western Wonderland). The film stars Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Nick Cassavetes (Face/Off), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Franchise), Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Tribe) and Yuzuka Nakaya (The Forest of Love). Joseph Trapanese composed the original score.
“We’re excited to once again work with Nicolas Cage on a highly-anticipated film...
- 1/26/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Before its Sundance Film Festival premiere, Japanese director Sion Sono’s action/adventure feature Prisoners of the Ghostland has been snapped up by AMC Networks’ Rlje Films.
Rlje distributed Cage’s trippy sci-fi feature Color Out of Space, which they picked up at TIFF 2019, and released this past summer’s The Tax Collector from David Ayer.
Prisoners of the Ghostland, written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai, is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor (Bill Moseley), whose adopted granddaughter Bernice (Sofia Boutella) has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption.
Prisoners of the Ghostland...
Rlje distributed Cage’s trippy sci-fi feature Color Out of Space, which they picked up at TIFF 2019, and released this past summer’s The Tax Collector from David Ayer.
Prisoners of the Ghostland, written by Aaron Hendry and Rexa Sixo Safai, is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor (Bill Moseley), whose adopted granddaughter Bernice (Sofia Boutella) has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption.
Prisoners of the Ghostland...
- 1/26/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Rlje Films has acquired the U.S. rights to “Prisoners of the Ghostland,” an action film starring Nicolas Cage that is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this week.
Japanese auteur Sion Sono (“Why Don’t You Play In Hell”) directs “Prisoners of the Ghostland,” which is described as a mashup between Westerns, samurai films, action movies and post-apocalyptic thrillers. And Rlje Films is the same team that released Cage’s “Color Out of Space” and “Mandy,” both of which were similarly indie, art house movies that have become cult favorites. No release date has been set for the latest film.
“Prisoners of the Ghostland” also stars Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi and Yuzuka Nakaya. The film is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by the wealthy warlord The Governor (Moseley), whose...
Japanese auteur Sion Sono (“Why Don’t You Play In Hell”) directs “Prisoners of the Ghostland,” which is described as a mashup between Westerns, samurai films, action movies and post-apocalyptic thrillers. And Rlje Films is the same team that released Cage’s “Color Out of Space” and “Mandy,” both of which were similarly indie, art house movies that have become cult favorites. No release date has been set for the latest film.
“Prisoners of the Ghostland” also stars Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi and Yuzuka Nakaya. The film is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by the wealthy warlord The Governor (Moseley), whose...
- 1/26/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
XYZ Films to launch international sales after Sundance.
Rlje Films has acquired US rights from XYZ Films to Sion Sono’s Sundance entry Prisoners Of The Ghostland starring Nicolas Cage.
Michael Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management fully financed the Patriot Pictures and XYZ Films feature starring Cage as a bank robber sprung from jail by a wealthy warlord to rescue his granddaughter from a frontier town.
Cage’s character will reclaim his freedom if he succeeds in the mission but does not have much time – he is strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days.
Sofia Boutella,...
Rlje Films has acquired US rights from XYZ Films to Sion Sono’s Sundance entry Prisoners Of The Ghostland starring Nicolas Cage.
Michael Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management fully financed the Patriot Pictures and XYZ Films feature starring Cage as a bank robber sprung from jail by a wealthy warlord to rescue his granddaughter from a frontier town.
Cage’s character will reclaim his freedom if he succeeds in the mission but does not have much time – he is strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days.
Sofia Boutella,...
- 1/26/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Bravura Single-Take Fight Sequence in ‘Crazy Samurai’ Stirs Excitement Nine Years After Being Filmed
“Crazy Samurai: 400 vs. 1,” a period swashbuckler starring Tak Sakaguchi (“Versus”) as the legendary warrior Miyamoto Musashi, is wowing fans outside Japan as it moves from the international festival circuit to streaming. In North America, it hits martial arts specialist Hi-yah! on Feb. 12, 2021 under the title “Crazy Samurai Musashi.”
Digital, Blu-ray, and DVD releases follow on March 2 from Well Go USA Entertainment.
The big excitement is the film’s 77-minute single-take swordfight sequence, directed by action veteran Shimomura Yuji, in which the sweat-stained Miyamoto cuts down 400 opponents, including members of a dojo he has disgraced by beating its samurai sensei (teacher) and his son, as well as hundreds of mercenaries.
Shot nine years ago and completed seven years ago, the film sat on a shelf until independent distributor Albatros released it on 50 screens in August 2020. At the time, single-named film blogger Ronin predicted that it would finish its run with just JPY3 million.
Digital, Blu-ray, and DVD releases follow on March 2 from Well Go USA Entertainment.
The big excitement is the film’s 77-minute single-take swordfight sequence, directed by action veteran Shimomura Yuji, in which the sweat-stained Miyamoto cuts down 400 opponents, including members of a dojo he has disgraced by beating its samurai sensei (teacher) and his son, as well as hundreds of mercenaries.
Shot nine years ago and completed seven years ago, the film sat on a shelf until independent distributor Albatros released it on 50 screens in August 2020. At the time, single-named film blogger Ronin predicted that it would finish its run with just JPY3 million.
- 1/15/2021
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
The world has seen many changes in the past year. With Covid-19 forever altering the world and daily life many events, professions, and traditions have been put on hold or reimagined. Fortunately, The Sundance Institute opted for creativity instead of cancelling the 2021 version of their one and only Independent Film Festival.
From January 28 to February 3 Sundance will be held in a once in a lifetime fashion that opens the prolific festival to the entire world from their very own living rooms. This year the 2021 Sundance Film Festival will be held digitally as well as in several cities across the United States.
Sundance has built an online platform that will screen 72 features, 50 shorts, 4 indie series, and several other New Frontier projects. Movie lovers all over the world will be able to attend, watch films, and even participate in live Q&As with the filmmakers and cast.
If you are a loyal...
From January 28 to February 3 Sundance will be held in a once in a lifetime fashion that opens the prolific festival to the entire world from their very own living rooms. This year the 2021 Sundance Film Festival will be held digitally as well as in several cities across the United States.
Sundance has built an online platform that will screen 72 features, 50 shorts, 4 indie series, and several other New Frontier projects. Movie lovers all over the world will be able to attend, watch films, and even participate in live Q&As with the filmmakers and cast.
If you are a loyal...
- 1/11/2021
- by Nathan McVay
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Ryûhei Kitamura’s Versus (2000) is now available on Blu-ray from Arrow Video
A relentless one-of-a-kind sensory assault chock full of hyper-kinetic fight scenes, gangster shootouts, sword-slashing violence and gory zombie horror, Versus was a key title amongst the barrage of innovative horror and action movies that appeared as if from nowhere from Japan at the turn of the millennium, leading to a new wave of appreciation for Asian extreme cinema.
A mysterious face-off in a wooded clearing between two escaped convicts and a carload of sharply dressed yakuza holding a beautiful woman captive ends in hails of bullets and showers of blood. The location for this violent encounter is the mythic Forest of Resurrection, the site of the 444th portal of the 666 hidden gates that link this earthly domain to the netherworld and it didn t get this name for nothing. As one of the surviving prisoners escapes with the...
A relentless one-of-a-kind sensory assault chock full of hyper-kinetic fight scenes, gangster shootouts, sword-slashing violence and gory zombie horror, Versus was a key title amongst the barrage of innovative horror and action movies that appeared as if from nowhere from Japan at the turn of the millennium, leading to a new wave of appreciation for Asian extreme cinema.
A mysterious face-off in a wooded clearing between two escaped convicts and a carload of sharply dressed yakuza holding a beautiful woman captive ends in hails of bullets and showers of blood. The location for this violent encounter is the mythic Forest of Resurrection, the site of the 444th portal of the 666 hidden gates that link this earthly domain to the netherworld and it didn t get this name for nothing. As one of the surviving prisoners escapes with the...
- 12/24/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“A mysterious face-off in a wooded clearing between two escaped convicts and a carload of sharply dressed yakuza holding a beautiful woman captive ends in hails of bullets and showers of blood. The location for this violent encounter is the mythic Forest of Resurrection, the site of the 444th portal of the 666 hidden gates that link this earthly domain to the netherworld – and it didn’t get this name for nothing. As one of the surviving prisoners escapes with the girl into the darkness of the forest, disgruntled gangsters soon become the least of their worries as an earlier battle between a lone warrior against hordes of zombie samurai is carried over from a millennium ago into the present day…” (Arrow)
A cult hit on initial release, “Versus” is a blood soaked horror/action indie film from Japan that introduced many westerns to Japanese film in its...
A cult hit on initial release, “Versus” is a blood soaked horror/action indie film from Japan that introduced many westerns to Japanese film in its...
- 12/16/2020
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
For this Tuesday, we don’t have a ton of Blu-ray and DVD releases on tap this week, but we do have some incredible titles coming out, once again proving that it’s quality over quantity. If you haven’t had a chance to see it just yet, Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor Uncut arrives on Tuesday on multiple formats, and coincidentally enough, Total Recall is getting a 30th anniversary 4K release this week, too, and the films pair extremely well for a double feature.
Other films headed home on December 8th include She Dies Tomorrow, Smiley Face Killers, a 2-Disc Special Edition release for Versus from Ryûhei Kitamura, Black Pumpkin, The Facility, and Sympathy.
Possessor Uncut
From the visionary mind of writer/director Brandon Cronenberg, Possessor is an arresting sci-fi thriller about elite corporate assassin Tasya Vos. Using brain-implant technology, Vos takes control of other people s bodies to execute high-profile targets.
Other films headed home on December 8th include She Dies Tomorrow, Smiley Face Killers, a 2-Disc Special Edition release for Versus from Ryûhei Kitamura, Black Pumpkin, The Facility, and Sympathy.
Possessor Uncut
From the visionary mind of writer/director Brandon Cronenberg, Possessor is an arresting sci-fi thriller about elite corporate assassin Tasya Vos. Using brain-implant technology, Vos takes control of other people s bodies to execute high-profile targets.
- 12/8/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
The film features a 77-minute, single-shot action sequence.
US sales firm Princ Films has picked up Yuji Shimomura’s martial arts action film Crazy Samurai Musashi for international sales, which it is launching at this week’s Toronto Film Festival.
Shimomura’s third feature debuted at Barcelona’s Asian Summer Film Festival in July, before a North American premiere at Fantasia Film Festival last month.
Well Go USA has acquired rights for the US and Canada, with My Theater Dd releasing the film in Japan.
It features a 77-minute single-shot action sequence, which represents 85% of the film’s 91-minute runtime.
US sales firm Princ Films has picked up Yuji Shimomura’s martial arts action film Crazy Samurai Musashi for international sales, which it is launching at this week’s Toronto Film Festival.
Shimomura’s third feature debuted at Barcelona’s Asian Summer Film Festival in July, before a North American premiere at Fantasia Film Festival last month.
Well Go USA has acquired rights for the US and Canada, with My Theater Dd releasing the film in Japan.
It features a 77-minute single-shot action sequence, which represents 85% of the film’s 91-minute runtime.
- 9/12/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
“Crazy Samurai Musashi” is the newest project of the duo of director/choreographer Yuji Shimomura and action superstar Tak Sakaguchi after “Re:Born” and “Death Trance.” This time they are joined by Sion Sono who pens this creative retelling of Miyamoto Musashi’s most famous fight where instead of 60 enemies he has to fight almost tenfold more.
Crazy Samurai Musashi is Screening at Fantasia International Film Fest
Miyamoto Musashi (Tak Sakaguchi) has to fight hordes and hundreds of enemy samurai and hired guns and a few bigger bosses. He fights in the plains, in the forest, and in a small town and with each and every enemy onslaught, he gets a little more tired. Are his enemies ever going to finish?
Calling Yuji Shimomura’s newest feature an action film is the understatement of the year. It is rather a single action sequence blown out of proportion and stretched into eternity,...
Crazy Samurai Musashi is Screening at Fantasia International Film Fest
Miyamoto Musashi (Tak Sakaguchi) has to fight hordes and hundreds of enemy samurai and hired guns and a few bigger bosses. He fights in the plains, in the forest, and in a small town and with each and every enemy onslaught, he gets a little more tired. Are his enemies ever going to finish?
Calling Yuji Shimomura’s newest feature an action film is the understatement of the year. It is rather a single action sequence blown out of proportion and stretched into eternity,...
- 8/22/2020
- by martin
- AsianMoviePulse
77 minutes, most of them a single take. One legendary samurai assassin. 588 foes.
One of those feats of filmmaking almost as astonishing in its ambition as in its execution, Crazy Samurai Musashi originated in the mind of Sion Sono, with his typical mixture of cinematic verve and abundant bloodshed. That no-one was seriously injured in the making of it is remarkable, as it's filmed in the old style, with real blades, and requires every actor and kirare-yaku extra to hit his marks perfectly even if he's fighting someone who is standing behind him. For star Tak Sakaguchi, it's an extraordinary feat of endurance. You could be a dedicated sports fan throughout your life and see little to equal this level of stamina and skill.
Miyamoto Musashi is a legend in Japan, author of acclaimed strategy guide The Book Of Five Rings and never defeated in any of his 61 duels. It's...
One of those feats of filmmaking almost as astonishing in its ambition as in its execution, Crazy Samurai Musashi originated in the mind of Sion Sono, with his typical mixture of cinematic verve and abundant bloodshed. That no-one was seriously injured in the making of it is remarkable, as it's filmed in the old style, with real blades, and requires every actor and kirare-yaku extra to hit his marks perfectly even if he's fighting someone who is standing behind him. For star Tak Sakaguchi, it's an extraordinary feat of endurance. You could be a dedicated sports fan throughout your life and see little to equal this level of stamina and skill.
Miyamoto Musashi is a legend in Japan, author of acclaimed strategy guide The Book Of Five Rings and never defeated in any of his 61 duels. It's...
- 8/18/2020
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Stars: Tak Sakaguchi, Kento Yamazaki, Masaaki Takarai, Akihiko Sai | Written by Sion Sono | Directed by Yuji Shimomura
When I was a kid I thought all martial arts movies were fight after fight after fight. We didn’t get many martial arts movies on TV in those days but there were plenty of shows like The Incredibly Strange Film Show, which featured clips from some of the wildest kung-fu flicks out there. It wasn’t until a few years later and I had started renting VHS tapes from my local video shop that I found out that Was true! Ok, Ok, so I now know it’s not true – many martial arts films have real plots, tell real stories, with character arcs and everything… but, you see, it seems I’d spent my youth renting a myriad of Godfrey Ho’s stitched-together ninja movies and multiple badly-edited, badly-dubbed movies on tape...
When I was a kid I thought all martial arts movies were fight after fight after fight. We didn’t get many martial arts movies on TV in those days but there were plenty of shows like The Incredibly Strange Film Show, which featured clips from some of the wildest kung-fu flicks out there. It wasn’t until a few years later and I had started renting VHS tapes from my local video shop that I found out that Was true! Ok, Ok, so I now know it’s not true – many martial arts films have real plots, tell real stories, with character arcs and everything… but, you see, it seems I’d spent my youth renting a myriad of Godfrey Ho’s stitched-together ninja movies and multiple badly-edited, badly-dubbed movies on tape...
- 8/17/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
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