TAK∴

A Case For Better Action Movies: Shimomura Yuji’s RE:BORN (2018)

It’s been nearly sixteen years actor Sakaguchi Tak appeared before me in a lovely action horror indie called Versus. Having fondly grown favorable toward Sakaguchi’s work over the years, I can certainly attest now along with others who have been fortunate to spot his latest and long-awaited return to film and reunion with Death Trance director, longtime friend and film cohort, stunt professional and filmmaker Shimomura Yuji for the new CQC action thriller, Re:Born, in which Sakaguchi (billed in the film as TAK∴) plays Toshiro, a reclusive store clerk whose past life as a clandestined killer soldier comes back to haunt him and the young girl in his care. I won’t go too into detail for this post, but I will assert, at the forefront of it all, that Re:Born services its target fanbase with some of the best, fleshed out action sequencing ever put together by a stunt team […]

Nikkatsu Picks Up RE:BORN For Worldwide Sales, XYZ Films For North America

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a pretty peculiar time thusfar in covering actor Sakaguchi Tak’s latest film, Re:Born. The latest trailer has been out for a few months now while the film has already begun hitting festivals, simultaneously granting its main star a spotlight after nearly falling into obscurity following some career upheaval in the last few years hence all that retirement talk that Versus and Alive helmer Kitamura Ryuhei said was “bullshit” three years ago. That said, the film may eventually get a 2017 release away from Japan at some point considering the pace of things. Accordingly, and much to the approval of fans who’ve followed the actor’s work since his heyday as a budding actor on films like Battlefield Baseball and the cult hit, Versus, the film also signals his ultimate return into film via the name TAK∴. Producer Inoue Midori explains all this and more in the latest report via […]

The First Official Trailer For RE:BORN Heralds The Triple Crown Of Japanese Action

Lee B. Golden III

Three years since his appearance in Sono Sion’s spectacular romp, Why Don’t You Play In Hell?, much has been ado over questions pertaining to cult action star Sakaguchi Tak’s stay or leave from the film industry altogether. Personally, I’d say it’s worth hoping he’ll stay while all his efforts in the last sixteen years have not been for naught, as young as his career still feels and the potential that still lies there. Thus, his most recent foray into action brings us his latest film, Re:Born, and along with it, a trio of talent to spearhead the vision of action that’s been the major highlight of the film since its development last year through the inner workings of Japanese stunt and film companies, Worsal and U’den Flame Works. And to accomodate, a script by Benio Sakei that now sees our lead actor, otherwise rebranding himself as TAK∴, in the role […]