u’den flame works

“WE BUILT THIS CITY…”: A Word With ‘BAD CITY’ Director, Action Stylist And Filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura

November 2019 was like catching lightning in a bottle for me, personally. For as long as I’d been a fan of cult Japanese action cinema, I never thought I would get the chance to share space at a diner in New York City with a few of today’s best stunt professionals, namely burgeoning filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura who comes freshly out of U’den Flame Works, the prominently-owned Tokyo-based stunt and action wheelhouse headed-up by stunt maestro, Yuji Shimomura. For that matter, it’s also a welcome feat that I finally get to share a formal interview with Sonomura for the first time, as our latest dialogue comes on the precipice of a new campaign currently circulating the global festival scene to promote Bad City, his sophomore follow-up to freshman action thriller, Hydra. Bad City pairs Sonomura for the first time with V-Cinema veteran, legendary actor Hitoshi Ozawa who wears several hats on […]

Sakaguchi Tak's Last Action Film, RE:BORN Wraps Principal Photography!

Lee B. Golden III

Well, as far as memories go, one certainly hopes that cult action star Sakaguchi Tak has made his time on the set of his final movie, Re:Born, worthwhile. Production kicked off for the film roughly two-and-a-half weeks ago with longtime friend and cohort, Shimomura Yuji directing and close-quarters combat expert Inagawa Yoshitaka coordinating, and thankfully, we’ve been graced with a fair bit of imagery via the film’s official website and Facebook page. It was sad as much as it was expected with Sakaguchi‘s own proclaimations of retirement from the industry in the last few years long after staking his claim in the throes of cult film fandom and the film festival circuit at large. Alas, fifteen years after making his feature debut in Kitamura Ryuhei’s cult chambara action horror, Versus, sixteen months after announcing Re:Born and two-and-a-half weeks after rolling cameras, Sakaguchi‘s final theatrical bow has wrapped production with a new […]

Sakaguchi's Final Film, RE:BORN, Starts Filming Tomorrow!

Lee B. Golden III

Well, all of the past eleven months or so have been building up to this point. Cult action star and actor Sakaguchi Tak is well on the way to returning to what he’s heavily stated would be the last film of his career now in the form of Re:Born, which has led the way with a slow and steady stream of but just a few video updates so far. For this, we also get to see his last outing in film with longtime cohort and friend, action veteran and director Shimomura Yuji in his continuing career in stunts and Japanese action cinema which also includes having directed Sakaguchi‘s 2005 action blast, Death Trance. Japanese stunt company, Worsal is pairing with U’den Flame Works in an effort to make certain that Re:Born marks the accomplishment Sakaguchi is striving for amid his exit from the field, as well as assure a memorable […]

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 […]

Tak Sakaguchi Will Be RE:BORN In 2015 For His Final Movie

Lee B. Golden III

It was back in April 2013 when word got around that multifaceted action star and actor Tak Sakaguchi was retiring from the industry. It was a move that nobody saw coming and it shocked and saddened a lot of people (including myself) despite murmurs around the web of a sequel being planned for director Ryuhei Kitamura’s 2000 cult smash hit, Versus, or even a possible follow-up to the 2005 action horror thriller, Death Trance. About a month thereafter, Kitamura even tried to quell the issue, partly stating that if he asked Sakaguchi to come back for the role in which he made his first feature film debut, he would. Well, it has been more than a year now since the news stirred the web, and not much of anything has been said about Versus 2. So, unless you are an insider and you can divulge some verifiable knowledge about it, […]