WILD ZERO (1999)

 

Directed By: Tetsuro Takeuchi

Written by: Tetsuro Takeuchi and Satoshi Takagi

Cinematography: Motoki Kobayashi

Editor: Tomoe Kubota 

Cast: Guitar Wolf, Drum Wolf, Bass Wolf, Masashi Endo, Kwancharu Shitichai, Makoto Inamiya, Haruka Nakajo, Shiro Namiki, Yoshiyuki Morishita 

After a meteor strike aliens attack the earth and begin turning people into zombies. Rockers Guitar Wolf, Bass Wolf and Drum Wolf aswell as their rock and roll blood brother ace and his true love Tobio are caught in the middle of this madness

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WILD ZERO starts weird, gets weirder, and somehow still has room to surprise you.

The film quickly introduces its colorful cast before throwing all of their storylines together. At its heart, it’s an ensemble movie, even if the legendary Guitar Wolf stand proudly at the center like the coolest people to ever ignore the apocalypse.

This thing is loud, unfiltered, ridiculous, and incredibly charming. The third act is absolutely bonkers, piling on zombies, aliens, explosions, romance, and pure punk-rock energy. It shouldn’t make sense, yet somehow it feels completely natural. Every time you think the movie has run out of ideas, it casually throws another one at you.

Having Guitar Wolf play themselves is inspired . Imagine the Ramones in ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL filtered through a Japanese zombie movie with a garage punk soundtrack. They don’t perform every five minutes, but every scene they’re in reminds you why they’re the coolest band in the room. While everyone else panics, they just keep moving forward like the end of the world is an inconvenience. 

One of the film’s biggest surprises is its love story. At the center is a romance between a cisgender man and a trans woman that feels remarkably thoughtful for a film released in 1999. It acknowledges fear and prejudice but ultimately lands on acceptance without ever feeling preachy. It simply lets the characters exist, and Guitar Wolf delivers one of the film’s most memorable speeches about love that perfectly sums up its philosophy.

The world itself is delightfully off-kilter. A club manager is so obsessed with revenge that he’ll chase the band to the ends of the Earth, usually while wearing hilariously tiny shorts. Another character looks like a punk-rock mercenary whose wardrobe somehow becomes more dangerous every time she appears. Nobody dresses normally, nobody acts normally, and that’s exactly the point.

Think of it as SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD nearly a decade early, only traded indie rock for Japanese punk, replaced the exes with a bunch of slow moving classic zombies, and decided aliens might as well show up too.

It’s a movie overflowing with imagination, creativity, and infectious energy. I owned the DVD for years but somehow never got around to watching it until now on streaming. Strangely, I’m glad I waited. I probably would’ve enjoyed it back then, but I appreciate its sheer originality much more today.

I wouldn’t call it a personal favorite, but I absolutely understand why it’s become a cult classic. If you’re looking for something unpredictable, inventive, funny, and unlike almost anything else, WILD ZERO  is an easy recommendation.

Honestly, it feels like the CRANK movies were chasing this same “anything goes” energy years later. Few films embrace insanity with this much confidence and have this much fun doing it.

Grade: B+

100 YEN LOVE (2014)

 

Directed By: Masaharu Take

Written By: Shin Adachi

Cinematography: Hiromitsu Nishimura

Editor: Chieko Suzaki

Cast: Sakura Ando, Hirofumi Arai, Yozaburo Ito, Miyoko Inagawa, Saori, Yuki Okita, Kaito Yoshimura, Shohei Uno 

32-year-old Ichiko lives at home with her parents, passing the days in self-indulgent grunginess. Ichiko's recently divorced younger sister Fumiko has moved back home with her young son. One day, after a particularly heated argument, Ichiko charges out of the house for good. With few employment options to support herself, Ichiko works the night shift at a 100 yen shop (dollar store). On her way home each day she passes a boxing gym where she watches Yuji Kano silently practice, developing a crush on him. The pair starts seeing each other and things change for Ichiko... At last, the bell rings and longtime loser Ichiko's rematch with life begins!

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This is a coming-of-age tale that comes later in life for our lead character. Who simply has not only dropped out of college, but seems to have dropped out of life as all she seems to do is smoke play video games eat badly and take up space rather than actually do anything that helps anyone else or might even help herself.

Once she is thrown out, she has to grow up and little by little she does at first it seems like it’s gonna go easily, but along the way it gets tougher and things never quite work out the way you expect

The film also shows how hard it is to be a woman in society at times. as even a scene of sexual assault in the aftermath isn’t sensationalized it’s dealt with matter fact, but more low-key than anything. This is also a movie about motivation. We watch this characters and it can be infectious for the audience also as a kind of feel good film that is a bit more realistic, and therefore identify.

Throughout the film, she’s disrespected by her coworkers, even by her boyfriend, but as she gains more confidence in herself and learns to take care of herself, she also gains more respect .

The film Isn’t sentimental.

Not going to lie. This is a slow burn of a movie so if you’re looking for something more fast paced and more of a conventional comedy you’ve come to the wrong place. As this film more goes along with kind of a dead pan vibe whereas at times. It’s more comedic and other times it plays more dramatic and even at times it’s even over the top. No it does manage to keep surprising you for the better and more realistic. Though it is awkward throughout. 

That what keeps you going is to watch the main characters journey and her adventures. 

As you wanna see her conqueror and duo, especially as we have witnessed so many loads, she has had to go through just to re-bottom and finally start fighting for herself.

as this is essentially more of a hangout movie and that moves a little more often than those films do and deals with more locations.

This Japanese movie even ended up being remade in China to a much bigger box office. I haven’t seen the remake but just from the trailer. It looks a little more conventional and motivational than this film, which comes across more as an independent comedy drama.

Grade: B- 

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES & UNFINISHED BUSINESS: HALL OF FAME - FILE #0072: THE LEGEND OF THE STARDUST BROTHERS (1985)

 

Written & Directed By: Makoto Teduka

Music written By: Haruo Chikada

Cinematography: Eiichi Osawa 

Editor: Mari Kishi and Makoto Teduka 

Cast: Shingo Kubota, Kazuhiro Takagi, Issay, Kyoko Togawa, Kiyohiko Ozaki, Kiyoshi Kurosawa 

In 1985, Makoto Tezuka, the son of manga genius Osamu Tezuka, was still a film student with a few experimental shorts to his credit and who was entrusted with the mission to turn an album by Haruo Chikada into a musical film.

LOVE AND OTHER CULTS (2017)

 

Written & Directed By: Eiji Uchida

Cinematography: Maki Ito

Cast: Sairi Ito, Kenta Suga, Kaito Yoshimura, Antony, Matthew Chozick, Denden, Leora Hirota, Tomoko Hayakowa, Hidenbu Abera

Born in a regional city, a young girl named Ai is sent to a cult commune by her religious maniac mother and lives there for seven long years. After the cult is exposed by the police, Ai starts a new, normal life going to a regular middle school, but can't find a place to fit in normal society. Ai drops out to continue finding her path in life, first living with a rock-bottom delinquent family, then moving on to be part of a middle-class family, all along trying to find her place in this world. The only person who understands Ai is Ryota, another drop-out and cast-off from society. Ryota finds his path in a shady world of delinquents while Ai ends up working in the sex industry. Two teens' purity gets swallowed up by the urban jungle of a big regional city. A black comedy depicting the lives of modern youth and their struggles in a place where there is no way out.

GREATFUL DEAD (2013)

 

Directed By: Eiji Uchida Written By: Eiji Uchida and Etsuo Hiratani Cinematography: Shin’Ya Kimura

Cast: Kumi Takiuchi, Takashi Sasano 

Nami is a young woman with numerous hangups sprouting from a dysfunctional childhood. She inherits a small fortune that allows her to pursue various interests, many of which are abnormal.

FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: JAILHOUSE 41 (1972)

 

Directed By: Shun’Ya Ito Written By: Shun’Ya Ito, Fumio Konami & Hiro Matsuda  Based On The Manga Characters created by: Tooru Shinohara  Cinematography: Masao Shimizu  Editor: Osamu Tanaka 

Cast: Meiko Kaji, Kayoko Shirashi, Fumio Watanabe, Yukie Kagawa, Eiko Yanami, Hiroko Isayama 

After spending a year in solitary confinement, Matsu escapes from prison with six more convicts, followed by the guards led by the vengeful warden who wants her dead at all costs.

FIRST LOVE (2019)

 

Directed By: Takashi Miike Written By: Masa Nakamura  Cinematography: Nobuyasu Kita Editor: Akira Kamiya 

Cast: Masataka Kubota, Sakurako Konishi, Shota Sometani, Jun Murakami, Masayuki Deai, Cheng-Kuo Yen 

Leo is a young boxer, successful but unable to show emotion. He has a fight scheduled and is sure that he will win. Instead, his opponent knocks him out. This triggers a chain of unpleasant events involving drugs, corrupt cops, the Yakuza, a female assassin - and Monica, an escort that he must rescue. It's one hell of a night for Leo.

FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: BEAST STABLE (1973)

Directed by: Shun’ya ito Written By: Hiro Matsuda & Tooru Shinohara  Cinematography: Masao Shimizu  Editor: Osamu Tanaka

Cast: Meiko Kaji, Mikio Narija, Reisen Ri, Yayoi Nanbara, Seiya Sato, Takashi Fujiki, Tomoko Mayama, Mitsuru Mori 

Sasori is outside the prison and on the run from the police, wanted for breaking out of prison and murder. She takes refuge with a woman who has a brother with a learning disability. The woman and her brother are also involved in an incestuous relationship. Both the police and an ex-prison mate of Sasori's pursue her.

ONE CUT OF THE DEAD (2018)

Written, Edited & Directed By: Shin’ichiro Ueda 
Based on a Play By: Ryoichi Wada 
Cinematography: Takeshi Sone 


Cast: Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama, Hariuma Shuhama, Kazuaki Nagaya, Hiroshi Ichihara 


A low-budget film about zombies soon features the best cast money could not buy, but the problem is that the new actors are not exactly getting along with the crew. Everyone involved is soon receiving a lesson in the merits of perseverance, the preciousness of family bonds and of course the dangers of the living dead.

CREEPY (2016)

Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa 
Written By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa & Chihiro Ikeda 
Based on the Novel By: Yutaka Maekawa 
Cinematography: Akikio Ashizawa 
Editor: Koichi Takahashi 


Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Yuko Takeuchi, Ryoko Fujino, Masahiro Higashide, Teruyuki Kagawa 

Takakura is a former detective. He receives a request from his ex-colleague, Nogami, to examine a missing family case that occurred 6 years earlier. Takakura follows Saki's memory. She is the only surviving family member from the case. Meanwhile, Takakura and his wife Yasuko recently moved into a new home. Their neighbor, Nishino, has a sick wife and a young teen daughter. One day, the daughter, Mio, tells him that the man is not her father and she doesn't know him at all.

13 ASSASSINS (2010)

Directed By: Takashi Miike 
Written By: Daisuke Tengan 
Story By: Shoichirou Ikemiya 
Based on A Screenplay By: Kaneo Ikegami 
Cinematography: Nobuyasu Kita 
Editor: Kenji Yamashita 


Cast: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Arata Furuta, Sosuke Takaoka, Koen Kondo, Masataka Kubota, Ikki Sawamura, Seiji Rokkaku 


A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.

RIVER'S EDGE (2019)

Directed By: Isao Yukisada 
Written By: Misaki Setoyama 
Based on the Manga By: Kyoko Okazaki 
Cinematography: Kenji Maki 
Editor: Tsuyoshi Imai 


Cast: Fumi Nikiado, Ryu Yoshizawa, Aoi Morikawa, Shuhei Uesugi, Sumire 


Haruna is a high school student whose, school-mates, school and life is topsy turvy and often tragic. One of her classmates is the homosexual Ichiro. The boy is often bullied, derided and beaten. He has the scars to show for it. Haruna stands by Ichiro's side and comes to know Ichiro's secret. Then they discover a corpse by a river beside the tall grass.

BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL (2003)

Directed By: Yudai Yamaguchi 
Written By: Yudai Yamaguchi, Isao Kiriyama & Ryuichi Takatsu 
Based On The Comic By: Gataro Man 
Editor: Shuichi Kakesu 


Cast: Tak Sakaguchi, Atsushi Ito, Hideo Sakaki 


Battlefield Baseball is a tough game--it doesn't end until all the members on the opposing team are dead. In this game the Gedo High team is composed of blue-faced zombies, and their opponents on the Seido High team know they don't have a chance at beating them unless they can bring back a star pitcher who has a lethal pitch called the Super Tornado, but who has hung up his cleats and has no desire to return to the game.

THE WORLD OF KANAKO (2014)

Directed By: Tetsuya Nakashima 
Written By: Tetsuya Nakashima, Miako Todano & Nobuhiro Monma 
Based on the Novel By: Akio Fukamachi 
Cinematography By: Shoichi Ato 
Editor: Yoshiyuki Koike 


Cast: Koji Yakusho, Nana Komatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Fumi Nikaidou, Ai Hashimoto, Jun Kunimara, Joe Odagiri

47 RONIN (2013)

Directed By: Carl Rinsch 
Written By: Chris Morgan & Hossein Amini 
Screen Story By: Chris Morgan & Walter Hamada 
Cinematography By: John Mathieson 
Editor: Stuart Baird 


Cast: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ko Shibasaki, Min Tanaka, Tabanobu Asano, Jin Akanishi, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Rinko Kikuchi, Natsuki Kunimoto

DETROIT METAL CITY (2008)

Directed By: Toshio Lee 
Written By: Kiminori Wakasugi 
Based on the Manga By: Mika Ohmori 
Cinematography By: Koichi Nakayama 
Editor: Takuya Taguchi 


Cast: Ken’Ichi Matsuyama, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Ryuji Akiyama, Rosa Kato, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Adeyto, Gene Simmons

WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IN HELL (2014)

Written & Directed By: Shion Sono 
Cinematography By: Hideo Yamamoto 
Editor: Jun’ichi Ito 

Cast: Jun Kunimura, Fumi Nikaido, Shin’ichi Tsutisumi, Hiroki Hasegawa, Gen Hoshino, Tomochika

THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 (1983)

Directed By: Osamu Dezaki 
Written By: Shukei Nagasaka 
Takao Saito (Comic Book) 
Gregory Snegoff (English Version) 
Cinematography By: Hirokata Takahashi 
Editor: Masatoshi Tsurubushi 

Cast: (Voices) Gregory Snegoff, Mike Reynolds, Michael McConnohie, Edie Mirman, Joyce Kurtz, Diane Michelle, Kerrigan Mahan

SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007)

Directed By: Takashi Miike 
Written By: Takashi Miike & Masa Nakamura 
Cinematography By: Toyomuchi Kurita 
Editor: Taiji Shimamura 

 Cast: Hideaki Ito, Masanobu Ando, Koichi Sato, Kaori Momoi, Yusuke Iseya, Quentin Tarantino

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES: HALL OF FAME: FILE #24: TRAIN MAN (2005)

Directed By: Shosuke Murakami
Written By: Arisa Kaneko
Based On The Novel By: Hitori Nakano
Cinematography By: Shigeki Murano
Editor: Junosoke Hogaki

Cast: Takayuki Yamada, Miki Nakatani, Ryoko Kuninaka, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Tae Kimura, Yoshinori Okada