japan

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PSYCHO PASS Releases In Japan With US Date Pending

Lee B. Golden III

Following its serial run since 2012, director Shiotani Naoyoshi‘s latest feature-length installment of Production I.G.’s action packed sci-fi anime, Psycho Pass is making its theatrical run as of January 9 courtesy of Toho. Funimation currently has the rights while North American audiences await a release date, but those familiar with the franchise may enjoy what the film has to offer from Urobuchi Gem’s screenplay with Fukami Makoto. SYNOPSIS: The year is 2112. Rookie inspector Akane Tsunemori and enforcer Shinya Kogami cross paths with one man. That man, Shogo Makishima, turns out to be the mastermind of a past case and Kogami’s target for revenge. When Makishima goes on to shake the foundations of a peacekeeping system, he poses the question about where justice exists. In time, Kogami takes justice into his own hands against Makishima before he goes into hiding… In the year 2116, the government of Japan begins exporting […]

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THE NEXT GENERATION: PATLABOR Gets A Trailer For It's Feature Film This Summer!

Lee B. Golden III

Director Oshii Mamoru‘s recent serial live-action foray with The Next Generation: Patlabor had its series finale on New Years Day in Japan, capping off a seven-part 12-episode series that introduced a brand new set of characters continuing the original story. On May 1, 2015, it all comes to a head with the feature film now set to arrive this summer, and on that note, the latest poster has already gone viral, and the first official trailer is online which you can check out below! H/T: Sci-Fi Japan

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GHOST IN THE SHELL: NEW MOVIE EDITION Prequel Reinvigorates Fans With A New Promo For A Summer Release

Lee B. Golden III

Those of you still balking at the prospects of Hollywood’s current efforts at a live-action rendition of Shirow Masumune’s Ghost In The Shell can at least rest on the knowledge that its original auteurs will always be the ones who got it right first. That said, a new thirty second promo has gone viral for the domestic upcoming return to its animated roots in the new feature film release, Ghost In The Shell: New Movie Edition. The official website for the new film states that the voice over cast, along with much of the team from the 2013-2014 OVA series, Ghost In The Shell: Arise will work on the new film, which will center on the origins of Kusanagi Motoko, the cybernetically enhanced squad leader of Public Security Section 9. Actress and voice talent Sakamoto Maaya will voice over as the lead from a script by GitS: Arise scribe Ubukata […]

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Watch Aikawa Sho Battle Zombies In The New Teaser For Z-ISLAND!

Lee B. Golden III

I admit that I have not had the privilege to see a lot of beloved actor Aikawa Sho‘s films after just discovering him for myself as early as 2002 in the Kane Kosugi action vehicle, Muscle Heat. Although, of the few movies I have seen him in, I can fully understand why he has long been a fan favorite, and so am I, especially in lieu of last month’s ceremonial crime thriller, 25 Nijyu-Go in which Aikawa starred, partaking in the 25-year celebration of Japanese V-Cinema entertainment. Well, with the new year just around the corner, thankful fans can expect more to come from the iconic film star when he returns to the big screen in pure killing fashion with the new gangster horror slasher, Z-Island. Acclaimed director, Drop (2009) and One Third (2014) helmer Shinagawa Hiroshi directs this festive feature joining Aikawa with Kikaider Reboot (2014) co-star Tsurumi Shingo […]

Asuka Kirara Returns In IRON GIRL: ULTIMATE WEAPON. Watch The New NSFW Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

Tokusatsu and science fiction are making quite a sexy comeback this week with AV idol and actress Asuka Kirara reprising her role in the new film, Iron Girl: Ultimate Weapon. Female Prisoner 701 – Sasori helmer Fujiwara Kenichi is in the director’s chair with Asuka back once more to take on futuristic bandits with her highly advanced skillset while trying to recover from memory loss. The most recent poster has been making the rounds for a few months. Thankfully, we now have a new NSFW trailer courtesy of the film’s Facebook page with a foreword by Asuka herself. SYNOPSIS: In the distant future where social order has collapsed, people are living under the constant fear of the ruthless bandits. However, there are also those who hunt them to make a living. Amongest those bounty hunters, there is a beautiful woman who is thought to be the best and strongest of them all. […]

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AKIRA Creator Announces His Own Push For Live-Action Treatment

Lee B. Golden III

Contrary to how some may feel, Hollywood adaptations of Japanese properties have long been the ire of many hardcore fans heavily active in manga and anime lore. Such has largely been the case for filmmaker, author and writer Otomo Katsuhiro whose 1982 cyberpunk action manga epic from Kodansha, Akira, has received its recent accolades more so in the world of independent film than anything, on top of its thirty-year popularity. Accordingly, you would think that twelve years would be more than enough for Warner Bros. to see the development and production of its own take on the popular manga/anime, now with uncredited Edge Of Tomorrow scribe Dante Harper providing a script for Non-Stop helmer Jaume Collet-Serra to direct. Well, that last update was over the summer, and it’s likely that fans are just passing the time to see what comes without too much anticipation at that. However, if you’re waiting […]

A Hero Stands Alone In The Face Of Death In The New Poster For ATTACK ON TITAN

Lee B. Golden III

Having picked up a lot of steam since then, director Higuchi Shinji‘s latest live-action endeavor, Attack On Titan is preparing to be one of the biggest movies of 2015, and quite possibly even bigger than Godzilla; News from from Japanese media suggests Higuchi’s live-action take on the gargantuan foes will tower at 120 meters (roughly 393 feet) tall – twice taller than those in the manga and 1/10th taller than the King of all monsters himself, incidentally adding more fuel to the debate among fans over who would beat who in a crossover film. It’s all exciting, yes, and perhaps one day if Toho has the budget and is feeling inventive enough, we’ll get to see what that looks like. Meanwhile, Attack On Titan is gearing up for a two-part release starting on August 9, 2015 with a date to be announced the following September. As such, Toho Company Ltd. got […]

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Hosoda Mamoru Returns With Anime Action Adventure, THE BOY AND THE BEAST. Watch The Teaser!

Lee B. Golden III

Anime director and former Studio Ghibli cohort, Hosoda Mamoru (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children) has a new teaser out for the current production of his latest animated feature from his Studio Chizu banner titled, The Boy And The Beast. The teaser, courtesy of Twitchfilm, comes on the heels of a press conference in Japan where Hosoda discussed details about the film and the production overall, billing it as an action adventure. via ANN: The story is set in the human realm (Tokyo’s Shibuya ward) and the bakemono realm (“Jūtengai”). In these two worlds which must not intersect, there lives a lonely boy and a lonely bakemono. One day, the boy gets lost in the bakemono world, becomes the disciple of the bakemono Kumatetsu, and is renamed Kyūta. The teaser is pretty short and not much is there, although the imagery should leave much to anticipate for those familiar […]

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Sega's SHINOBI, STREETS OF RAGE Named Among Others To Be Adapted For Live-Action Production And Animation

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been nearly thirty years since many of us played with a Sega Genesis and spent much of my youth in the late 80’s in front of Altered Beast. I used to get on my mother’s nerves with it back then…fun times! Nowadays, I’ve pretty much distanced myself from gaming culture, but always kept up with movies, and with the successes of films like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat at the time, I often wondered when we would see some of these other properties granted the same treatment. Well, evidently it was only a matter of time following a 2011 press release announcing the launch of Stories International, a joint venture between Sega and advertising Hakuhodo DY Group dedicated to producing various games, comic books and novels for television and film through live action and animation with Hollywood backing. A more recent hint of Sega’s activity came back in June […]

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Toho Announces Its Own New GODZILLA Production For 2016!

Lee B. Golden III

Soon after wrapping things up with his upcoming Star Wars spin-off, director Gareth Edwards is set to return to underwater creature territory with the 2018 sequel release, Godzilla 2, following his worldwide box office success with the first film back in May. However, not to be outdone by the West, the mighty creature’s original roots at Toho Company, Ltd. appear to be gearing up for a return to the franchise of their own. According to interpreted news from Japanese media via blogger August Ragone at The Good, The Bad And Godzilla, the company that started it all sixty years ago is going to produce a new feature film with plans to release it in 2016. Toho VP and general manager Satoshi Senda hosted a press conference on Monday announcing the new movie to be the brainchild of a new focus group titled the Godzilla Conference (or Godzicon) which will oversee […]

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Well Go USA Unveils Its Trailer For Mo Brothers Thriller, KILLERS

Lee B. Golden III

2014 was a great year for directing duo, “Mo” Brothers — Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto and producer Gareth Evans with the acclaim they’ve received in the months after debuting Sundance 2014 fave, Killers. The film earned its simultaneous praise alongside Evans’s equally smashing debut of The Raid 2 as both films were produced by Evans’s banner, PT Merantau Films among others, with Killers ultimately doing well for itself upon its release in Indonesia back in February. Now, moviegoers who were unable to attend the gala at Sundance are finally getting their chance to see what the fuss is all about with Well Go USA proudly releasing the film theatrically and digitally on January 23, 2015, setting up for what will likely be one of the most intense, violent and thrilling films you’ll ever see on the big screen. It will also serve as a great precursor to the upcoming […]

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Watch The Latest Super-Powered Teaser For STRAYER'S CHRONICLE

Lee B. Golden III

Director Zeze Takahisa‘s latest thrilling feature attributes its inspiration to the written work of its preceding 2012 Shueisha publication from author Honda Takayoshi. Strayer’s Chronicle is the name of the film, adapted for the screen by Kiyasu Kohei with a script that delves into what looks to be a solid story blending a good bit of sci-fi, espionage and daring action, and some intense drama as well. via AsianWiki: In the early 1990s, experiments were carried out secretly in Japan. Two different methods were used in the experiments. One method involved forcing stress upon expecting parents and when the baby was born, provoke the baby into mutations and develop their special abilities. The other method involved birth to babies having abilities of animals and insects. The special abilities were derived from gene manipulation. Subaru, Saya and others were born from those experiments. Subaru (Masaki Okada) possesses incredible strength and vision. […]

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New ATTACK ON TITAN Character Pics Show A Geared-Up Cast Of Giant Hunters!

Lee B. Golden III

Making the rounds within Japanese media are new promotional images for director Higuchi Shinji‘s latest live-action fantasy epic, Attack On Titan, which is currently due for a two-part release beginning next summer courtesy of Toho Company. The film is based on the 2009 manga of the same name by author Isayama Hajime, which centers on a group of warriors led by Eren Jaeger, forged in his upbringing as part of mankind’s best hope against flesh eating giants. It’s been several months since word was last heard about the project following its official announcement back in December 2013, and while some opinions remain in purist upheaval over live-action adaptations of anything comic book or anime, there are reasons to be hopeful, especially if you are familiar with Higuchi‘s work. With that in mind, hopefully the new photos will add even more excitement and interest as we now get a full glimpse […]

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Bueno's New Short, YAKUZAMBIE Will Rip Your Arm Off And Take Your Watch!

Lee B. Golden III

Gun Caliber star and director, Garage Hero’s own Bueno has been hard at work lately with a new project stemming from his time at YouTube’s House Of Horrors in the last few months. That very project began showing signs of life a short while back with a teaser for Yakuzambie, throwing back to the glory days of grindhouse horror and stylish action with actress Seikiguchi Aimi and actor Kimura Keisaku leading the way. This week, that concept has since arrived in the form of a five minute trailer now available online. Sure, it’s only a shortfilm trailer, but it’s fun as hell to watch, chock-full of sexual innuendo and host an amalgam of dazzling buckets of body parts, gore and stylish action – sexy kunoichi attacks and mafia kicks aiming straight toward the niche it was meant for…as well as your face. So, no. You won’t be disappointed. Just entertained […]

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Hypnotic Samurai Drama DARK SAMURAI Gets A New Teaser!

Lee B. Golden III

Versatile actor David Sakurai is back with another step forward in immersing himself as an action star with writer and director Sidney Lexy Plaut‘s latest feature-length endeavor, Dark Samurai. The new film, produced by Adriana Filipczuk and executive produced by Lene Borglum (Only God Forgives), takes on a visually intense, arthouse-style approach to its multi-dimensional story focused on iconic samurai warrior and author Miyamoto Musashi. Sure, it’s a switch in gears for Sakurai following his electric performance in the martial arts action short, Echoes Of A Ronin, but presents an otherwise stunning and solid new look while stepping into more contemplative territory for its surreal setup. via Twitchfilm: Dark Samurai is inspired by the legend of Miyamoto Musashi, who was one of the most famous Japanese ronin and warrior philosophers. This alternate and very visual interpretation of the fate Musashi is brought into a mixture of a contemporary Yakuza underworld […]

Sakaguchi Tak Goes Commando In A New RE:BORN Featurette!

Lee B. Golden III

With all the talk of Japanese action star Sakaguchi Tak‘s abrupt retirement announcement last Spring, the possibilities for any more long-awaited films like a sequels to Kitamura Ryuhei’s Versus and longtime friend, stuntman/action coordinator Shimomura Yuji‘s 2005 directorial debut, Death Trance, appear nothing short of grim. Of course, this ultimately led to an outcry of fans within the niche who otherwise love the actor for all his contributions to the art of film and action design within the last fifteen years. And thankfully, voices were heard enough to convince Sakaguchi for one last on-screen hoorah with the upcoming action thriller, Re:Born. Soon enough, promo videos began making their way online as of this past May showcasing the actor in training for his upcoming role in the film, which to date, still doesn’t have much to go on in terms of plot. However, the production just unveiled another new training featurette […]

Sakamoto Koichi's Sexy Sci-Fi Actioner, TRAVELERS Gets A U.S. Release

Lee B. Golden III

It took me a while before my brain finally woke up this morning to the fact that the good folks over at Pathfinder Home Entertainment were kind enough to include my coverage last year on the artwork for director Sakamoto Koichi‘s futuristic, sexy sci-fi actioner, Travelers: Dimension Police. I then contributed my intial article over to fellow site owner and writer Keith Hayward’s Tokusatsu platform, Henshin Justice Unlimited, and it got a lot of shares from its readership at the time, which I’m greatly proud of. It’s not often I get quoted on DVD cover art either. And I have to say, I noticed the artwork yesterday, but were it not for Hayward’s vigilance, I probably would not have noticed for a time long beyond this week. It’s gratifying, and I even hope to get to see this film for myself when Pathfinder releases this bad boy in North America […]

Get Your Tickets This Week For THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA!

Lee B. Golden III

2014 marks the latest of many milestone successes for Japan’s acclaimed animation studio, Studio Ghibli, in lieu of co-founder and award-winning filmmaker Miyazaki Hayao’s retirement. Its other founding-half, director Isao Takahata is still active with the company since aiding its lauch in 1985, and although the future of the studio appears to be uncertain, his presence still lends credence to an otherwise memorable repetorie of classic innovative and visionary work the studio has long been known for. Such is the case with Takahata‘s newest film in fourteen years, The Tale Of Princess Kaguya, an animated revival of a 10th century folktale about young girl discovered inside a bamboo plant. Following an arduous production period, the film was released theatrically in Japan late last year, and subsequently screened throughout this year’s film festival circuit in U.S. and Canada to a great many accolades and uproaring reviews from many industry sites. From […]

Holy Rainbow Blood! Watch The New U.S. Trailer For WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL?

Lee B. Golden III

Considering the positive responses from critics and film festival goers in the last two years who got to see cult director Sono Sion‘s latest bloody action comedy, Why Don’t You Play In Hell, it seems fair to call it a success. Well, it’s about time the film made its way across the pond for a pending limited theatrical release on November 7, 2014 in North America from Drafthouse Films, and to accomodate, a new trailer has gone viral! SYNOPSIS: There’s a war going on, but that won’t stop the inexperienced but eager wannabe film crew The F*ck Bombers from following their dreams of making the ultimate action epic. Ten years ago, yakuza mid-boss Ikegami led an assault against rival don Muto. Now, on the eve of his revenge, all Muto wants to do is complete his masterpiece, a feature film with his daughter in the starring role, before his wife […]

TRAILER: Show Aikawa Blows Up The Competition In V-Cinema's New Celebratory Gangster Thriller, 25 NIJYU-GO

Lee B. Golden III

Asian cinema bares numerous layers of fandom, including certain circles with a specific appreciation for Japanese cult movies. And for many of those fans, Japan’s Toei’s straight-to-video line, V-Cinema, will always hold a place in peoples’ hearts, especially for longstanding film favorite, actor Show Aikawa, who has returned once again to headline a stellar ensemble cast for the spectacular new gangster flick with a title to commemorate the celebration, 25 NIJYU-GO. The film is set to release in Japan on November 1, 2014 from director Tsutomu Kashima, and from the looks of its most recent trailer aims to push all of the necessary buttons to please the eyes…including the one that fires the rocket launcher! Watch the explosive new trailer below, as well as the latest stills and most recent behind-the-scenes featurette! H/T: 24 FPS, AsianWiki