Yakuza Apocalypse (Takashi Miike, 2015)

[HungFist]

Vampire-yakuza film from Miike.

“Take a hike, boring Japanese productions! Against everyone’s wishes, I’m going back to my roots on this one, and plan to go on a real rampage with Yakuza Apocalypse. I hope my cast and crew, and even myself make it out alive,” said the controversial director.
- http://www.screendaily.com/news/product ... 20.article?

Filming begins this week. Set for release in 2015.

[HungFist]

Norman England writes from the sets
http://oavian.blogspot.jp/2014/05/yakuz ... e.html?m=1

[HungFist]

Set report: Yakuza Apocalypse
- http://www.screendaily.com/features/set ... 91.article

"Regular people who get bitten become yakuza [sporting tattoos] and overrun the city, while the real gangsters are thrown into chaos."

[Guro Taku]

Seems like you have to subscribe "for as little as £19 a month" in order to read the article...

[HungFist]

Seems like you have to subscribe "for as little as £19 a month" in order to read the article...

I think you can read a certain amount of articles for free per month, but it's not stated anywhere. I was able to read the article, but I have got that message in the past...

[HungFist]

Teaser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpfy-krafBg

Website (empty so far):
http://www.gokudo-movie.com/

Opens June 20 in Japan

via wildgrounds

[WahDee]

New international trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M1xkgvus5Q

Looks crazy as. Check out Mad Dog!

[HungFist]

Looks lovely indeed, though there's something wrong with the trailer. The video doesn't play like it should, it's like the whole thing was in slow motion. I tried downloading it too, and the file was odd...

[HungFist]

Here's a few words about the film by someone who has seen it:
http://oavian.blogspot.jp/2015/03/lo...-whatever.html

"And as a film, it’s probably the best movie I’ve ever worked on. No matter how many times I watch it I find something new, or I just enjoy its great performances and bizarre situations..."

"...I was over at Imagica the other day and finally got to see the film on a big screen. It looked even better. The movie has a film-ish quality to its look, giving it a kind of '70s sheen."

[Guro Taku]

New international trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M1xkgvus5Q

The video seems to be gone... Any other source where one can watch it?

[HungFist]

PG-12. May suggest tons of CGI blood. Hmmm...
- http://www.unitedcinemas.jp/sapporo/mov ... from=movie

[HungFist]

JP Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hPKxeTni4k

Opens the same day as Mad Max. Hmmm... which one to watch first?

[Guro Taku]

Opens the same day as Mad Max. Hmmm... which one to watch first?

I'd go with MAD MAX. Miike hasn't blown me away with anything he's done since 13 ASSASSINS and FURY ROAD is my most anticipated film right now. Those trailers are unbelievable! Speaking of which, and not intending to derail this thread, the other day I was thinking about how many glorious rip-offs MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR inspired, from the dozens of Italian cash-ins to the entire 152 episode FIST OF THE NORTH STAR anime TV series from Japan, in which an a Sylvester Stallone lookalike makes people explode with punches in a Mad Maxian postapocalypse. Somehow I doubt that the new film, regardless how successful or not it may turn out to be, will have that kind of cultural impact. The way things are these days, a crappy mockbuster from The Asylum, probably titled MAD MAXIMILIAN: FURY STREET, will be all we'll get.

[HungFist]

The first review just came out following the film's Cannes screening:

Takashi Miike Buys License For Next Five Duds With Transcendently Batshit 'Yakuza Apocalypse'
- http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ ... e-20150522

[HungFist]

More reviews:

"Takashi Miike's martial arts extravaganza is foolish, transgressive, and just about the best fun you can have in a cinema"
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/yakuza- ... se/review/

"... two hours of this sort of random nonsense is at least half an hour too much—but it’s Miike at his most gleefully lunatic, and that’s always a hoot and a half."
- http://thedissolve.com/features/postcar ... t-endings/

"For all its manic energy, there aren't enough recreational drugs in the world to make Yakuza Apocalypse anything but a bloody silly bore. "
- http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review ... nes-797606?

"...this mess of a film will have its fans, but I can’t say that it will make much headway outside the Miike hardcore. A very acquired taste."
- http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/ma ... ire-hybrid

...the most purely enjoyable of the director’s films for years...
- http://www.screendaily.com/reviews/yaku ... ntID=40296

[HungFist]

Second trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oumd_pLPADQ

haha, they actually quoted The Hollywood Reporter in the trailer.

Trailer quote: "過激派監督三池崇史が大暴れ　- The Hollywood Reporter" ("extremist Takashi Miike goes crazy" - The Hollywood Reporter)

Original review: "Prolific Japanese genre extremist Takashi Miike goes crazy with vampires, gangsters, martial arts mayhem, earthquakes, volcanoes and frog monsters. Whatever. "



I'll be seeing the film in one week!

[HungFist]

I saw the film today. It's not bad, though not really great either.

First things first, most fears about the pg-12 rating turned out futile. There's no CGI blood that my eye could catch in it, in fact there's little CGI at all with Miike even using miniatures in one scene. Great! It's moderately violent but not super violent. Think of modern BBFC 15 rating or medium R-rating for USA.

The lack of ultra-violence is nevertheless a bit of a problem. This 120 minutes of strange characters, strange twists, and just plain strangeness. There's a even a kappa in the film. But Miike's been doing this kind of stuff for 20 years, and so have many others, only this one lacks the perverse violence and sexuality. You can't help but to feel this is a bit of a Miike-lite.

But, it does have its insanely catchy moments. Most of them relate to Kaeru-kun, a mad karate killer walking around in over-sized frog suit. The actor inside is Masanori Mimoto (Bushido Man, Alien vs. Ninja, Torakage) who demonstrates some of his best martial arts. Of course we also have Yayan Ruhian, though sadly he never fights Mimoto. In fact, it's a bit disappointing that neither actor is given good opponents so the fights tend to be pretty one-sided. Think of it as Miike mayhem with martial arts thrown in rather than a martial arts actioner.

Hayato Ichihara is better than expected in the lead role, but I still don't understand why he was chosen to play the lead role instead of some real badass. His fighting is ok; more like Crows Zero style punching and fist fighting than Mimoto or Yayan's roundhouse kicks and other cool moves. The final battle between Yayan and Ichihara is kinda cool, though extremely simple.

Story-wise it's a bit all over the place. There are many interesting scenarios and characters that aren't really developed, for example townspeople becoming vampires with yakuza attitude. Many of these get too much screen time to be just a bizarre curiosity, but not enough to live up to their full potential. The entire film should probably be 30 min shorter and feature less characters.

But, it's a pretty entertaining two hours with some awesome moments, just not as badass as it could be. Visually solid too, and with nice sets.

[HungFist]

UK BD 12 Oct. 2015



'18'? I would have expected a 15. Though that may not necessarily be the final rating since I can't find it on BBFC's website

[Guro Taku]

Pretty strange for the UK to be getting this before a Japanese home video release is even annoumced. Usually the Japanese license holders are too worried about "cheap" foreign import copies ruining their local sales to allow a release like this.

[HungFist]

Pretty strange for the UK to be getting this before a Japanese home video release is even annoumced. Usually the Japanese license holders are too worried about "cheap" foreign import copies ruining their local sales to allow a release like this.

I think Nikkatsu is an exception to the rule. They are pretty much the only company in Japan these days that is actively trying to sell their films abroad. A lot of Sushi Typhoon came out abroad before Japan as well.

Probably also helps that UK is Region B / R2 PAL (if you get a Japanese PS3, it won't even play PAL discs)

[Guro Taku]

Something strange is going on here. The UK release got pushed back to April 4th 2016 and meanwhile the film is getting a US BD (from Entertainment One) on December 1st...