Are you hungry for weird Japanese cinema? No? But we’ll still tell you a little about it today, because without Japanese genre cinema it would be boring.
Screenwriter, director and producer Yoshihiro Nishimura made a significant contribution to films that exploit female sexuality in a bloody trash setting, sprinkling it all with sometimes good action and even hand-to-hand combat. The director collaborated twice with a famous Japanese action film actor. Takom Sakaguchi, who directed the action with his stunt team "Zero" for Nishimura's films such as "Tokyo Blood Police" (2008) and "Squad of Mutant Girls" (2010)
Yoshihiro has established himself as a thrash visionary with works such as "Vampire vs Frankenstein" (2009) and "Hell Driver" (2010) after which he was invited to Hollywood as one of the directors of the almanac film "The ABCs of Death" (2012). Nishimura's latest zombie film entitled "Kudoku: Meat Grinder" (2017) was extremely warmly received by critics at independent film festivals. The new creation of the Japanese director has every chance of repeating the same success.
We're talking about a bloody action movie. "Welcome to Japan: Hinomaru's Bento" (Welcome To Japan), the script for which was written by Nishimura himself and his friend Jun Tsugita ("Zombie Butt: Toilet of the Living Dead").
The film does not yet have a detailed synopsis, but it is known that the plot will revolve around a mysterious cult of female killers who use all kinds of kitchen utensils for their purposes.
The following took part in the film: Kimmy Suzuki ("Men in Black 3"), Hiroko Yashiki (Vagabond Kenshin trilogy), Miyuki Torii ("Kudoku: Meat Grinder"), Kentaro Shimazu (“Ninja Hungter”) and others.
The film has been going around film festivals since October, but the exact release date on media is still unknown. The trailer, as usual in Nishimura's films, is almost driving you crazy.
The next film in our selection is also associated with a big name in the genre of strange Japanese cinema, but this time with the actress Asami Shigiura (or just Asami). Firstly, the actress has played in films more than once Yoshihiro Nishimura (“Squad of Mutant Girls”, “Hell Driver”), and secondly, she made a name for herself in iconic films for the genre, like "Machine Gun Girl" (2008) "Robogeisha" (2009) and "Iron Girl: Killer Weapon" (2015)
If you are interested in Japanese genre cinema, you may know that Asami - not only an icon of erotic trash cinema, but also a practitioner of martial arts, which she often demonstrates in her films. And it seems that next year we will see quite a serious dramatic action movie with elements of hand-to-hand combat performed by the Japanese beauty.
Teaming up with the director Akira Nebi (“Day of the Ants in the Sky”) and the film’s action director "Killer Karate" Keya Tabuti, Asami took part in the project "Tunguska butterfly" (Tunguska Butterfly).
Synopsis: fate brings the former fraudster Saki together with a ten-year-old girl named Marie. A strong friendship develops between the difficult souls, but it turns out that Marie is looking for the Yakuza clan, which needs to get rid of the child and the secrets that she knows. Saki must protect her at all costs.
But Asami, who played the main role, starred in the action film: Ryuji Kasahara ("Shadow of the Yakuza"), Paradise Kato ("The Girl Who Leapt Through Time") Riko Matsui ("Love of a Poor"), Seichi Mukai (“The Last Supper”) and others.
The creators are positioning their film as a dark and violent thriller. Well... We'll wait and see.
December 14 and 21, 2019 "The Tunguska Butterfly" will be shown at film festivals in Shibuya and Nagoya. At the Hamburg Film Festival, Akira Nebi's film received positive reviews from critics and audiences. All we have to do is wait for the release date and watch the trailer.
Let's finish today's selection with the directorial debut of a martial arts practitioner, stuntman and actor Kensuke Sonomura ("Machine Gun Girl", "Bushido") entitled "Hydra" (Hydra).
Sonomura himself worked exclusively as a fight choreographer and director, adapting the script Jiro Kaneko (“Idol”) and allowing other actors to demonstrate hand-to-hand combat skills.
Details of the plot of the upcoming action movie are unknown, but according to the FCS resource, "Hydra" the genre will be more of a crime drama than a full-fledged action movie, but they promise a lot of scenes with hand-to-hand fights.
The main role in the film was played by a stuntman and actor Masanori Mimoto (“Silver Hawk”, “Aliens vs. Ninjas”), and he will be accompanied by an actress Tasuku Nagase ("Lesson of the Evil") and Yoji Tanaka ("Ringside Story"), as well as debutant Miyu.
Just like the films mentioned above, "Hydra" while he is visiting film festivals, collecting positive opinions in Hamburg and New York (Urban Action Showcase). The official release of the film is planned for early 2020, but the exact date, alas, is unknown.
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Tags: Hydra, Tunguska Butterfly, Welcome to the Japanese, Akira Nebi, Asami Shigiura, Yoji Tanaka, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Keya Tabuti, Kimmy Suzuki, Kensuke Sonomura, Kentaro Shimazu, Masanori Mimoto, Miyuki Torin, Paradise Kato, Riko Matsui, Ryuji Kasahara, Tasuku Nagase, Hiroko Yashiki
Tags: Hydra, Tunguska Butterfly, Welcome to the Japanese, Akira Nebi, Asami Shigiura, Yoji Tanaka, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Keya Tabuti, Kimmy Suzuki, Kensuke Sonomura, Kentaro Shimazu, Masanori Mimoto, Miyuki Torin, Paradise Kato, Riko Matsui, Ryuji Kasahara, Tasuku Nagase, Hiroko Yashiki
The film is not bad, but the recent "City Hungter" is better in terms of action.
To be honest, there is no particular principle... when there is more time, an “old man” is added, when there is less time...
Not a bad idea. But I don’t understand something, on what basis are profiles added? And legends...
Ryan Gosling is handsome!