The Legends of Tak Sakaguchi

So have you heard of Tak Sakaguchi?

I thought I knew all the essentials. I did some digging, and was amazed with what I've found. And there is no exaggeration here of these points, I've only re-worded information from other articles for my artistic integrity!

Tak was a REAL live Japanese street fighter who was discovered DURING a street fight by future maverick director Ryuhei Kitamura.

Apparently -- Kitamura told him "You should be fighting in movies not on the streets" -- and during their second meeting, at a film party, it was Kitamura laying the beat down on someone when Tak walked in. (Source: Midnight Eye)

This next source is even more crazy... I did not make this up, but it's out there, been up since 2007. These are Chuck Norris internet meme level attributions, which just might have some truth to them:

• He passed a car that was going 60 km on a bicycle. Okay, I could see that.
• He fell from the fourth floor of a condo, with no injuries. Not gonna try it, but I suppose a well trained guy could conceivably do so.
• While he was training in the mountains, a wild BOAR attacked him, and he killed it.  What?!  It gets better!
• Tak is said to have fought a bear hand to hand and WON. 
• He's got a 22 consecutive win record in underground fighting. After seeing Alive, I can imagine this. 
• He fought also with 23 guys at the same time and won (I'm not adding anything in this translation! I'm going to say this is more impressive than the 22 win streak, although I guess those guys could have been more dangerous individually?)

Movie blood might be just as close as he gets to human mortality.

And according to my wife's research on another website in Japanese -- Tak even broke his neck while filming an action scene for Yakuza Weapon (2011), which he also directed, went on to do TWO more takes before agreeing to go to the hospital. Apparently, the doctor told him, "If it wasn't for your neck muscles, you'd be dead."

So just who IS this guy?! 

Well, he first emerged unto the international film scene as the star of Midnight Madness sensation Versus (2001).  Versus spawned a huge cult following and cemented his status as a cool, calm badass anti-hero who could believably destroy equally impressive opponents with guns, spinning swords and his reality hardened martial arts. 

Kitamura and Sakaguchi's partnership flourished through several more films: Alive, Arigami, Godzilla: Final Wars -- and the recently announced Versus 2, which was enough to bring Tak out of a short lived retirement.

Over his action packed career, Tak's blossomed into an action director and co-director (Vampire Girl vs Frankenstien Girl (2009), Tokyo Gore Police (2008), Himizu (2011), and single handedly directed  Be A Man Samurai School (2008); , Samurai Zombie (2008) and the aforementioned Yakuza Weapon.  He shares another co-director credit with amazing director Sion Sono in the upcoming Kenkichi -- but now:

Tak returns to Midnight Madness this year in ar in Sion Sono's manic romp,  Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013).

So just how much of the legends are true? We may never know, but one thing is certain: He'll bring his trade-mark badassness and effortless physicality to the role.


WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL? Screening Times:
Friday, Sept 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Saturday, Sept 14th, 3:45 PM SCOTIABANK 1

Flashback: Hitoshi Matsumoto in "The Five Rangers"

Check out these great comedy sketches, (internet translated) of Japanese comedy giant Matchan as part of a defective group of power-ranger type heroes, who can't ever seem to get it right!

Embedding has been disabled by request, so click through to see "5 Rangers":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3J9vQC02pI

Initially, he's the middle ranger!

There's actually 13 of these, the story ever evolves to hit stranger and stranger heights!

More of Matchan's unique brand of comedy is on display in R100 (2013)!

R100 Final Screening:
Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

THE STRANGE COLOUR OF YOUR BODY'S TEARS: Another Look at Amer

You will fall into a deep trance!

Amer (2009) caught me totally off guard.  I was confused by it, and left the theatre kind of angry. I don't think this is the film's fault. I think it had been mis-positioned for me.  I had been expecting and totally psyched up for a traditional giallo/slasher film -- I was no where near the mindset needed to appreciate a sophisticated installation art piece like Amer.  Instead of a traditional narrative - the story came in waves of bombastic imagery and psychedelic sound. More stream of consciousness than linguistic. There is a story, for those who are prepared to engineer if from the clues -- I wasn't.  Only in thinking about it afterwards, I started to appreciate it more, and realize that I had robbed myself of a unique experience.

Having said that, it did do right by the giallo standard.  The difference being, It stripped all of the traditionally executed conventional foundations, and left only the peaks that the genre has become known for. A passionate smattering of vibrant images, raw sexuality and beautiful destruction. A pretty confident thing to witness.

Expect more piercing images.

Cavalier Amer  (2009) filmmakers Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani arrive at TIFF's Vanguard program this year with their sophomore feature; The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears (2013).  And now that I've had a chance to really mull it over, its becoming one of my most anticipated films.  I'm not sure what to expect.  I don't think that they'll play it safe, but then none of my favorite filmmakers do.  This time around, I plan to watch more lucidly.  It will be very interesting to see how these filmmakers have evolved and adapted their hypnotizing and evocative style.

I'm not sure exactly how stylistically close it will be to Amer- will they continue to push down this brazen path, or if it will be a more traditional? The shot-in-the-face trailer certainly suggests the brazen road!  

Did you see Amer? What did you think?

Catch THE STRANGE COLOUR OF YOUR BODY’S TEARS:

Thursday, Sept 12th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 3

Saturday, Sept 14th, 12:30 PM SCOTIABANK 8

Retrospective: 25 Years of Japanese Films at Midnight Madness!

Wow, has it really been 25 years! A whole quarter century of Midnight Madness.  Add to this -- over 35 entries from Japan, or featuring major Japanese Talent.  Let me know what I've missed!

Let us jump into the scroll bar time machine and take a loving look back at all of the deranged, beautiful, hilarious, terrifying and outrageous entries we've seen from Japan!

1998

Programmer Noah Cowan rings in the first year of Midnight Madness, there were no films from Japan. This would soon change.

1989

This is an insanely great choice for a first Japanese movie!  I still haven't seen this one, but boy have I heard about it.

Found a rare above the waist shot of the multi-endowed demon!
Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Over-Fiend (1989)

1. Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Over-Fiend

Dir. Hideki Takayami

1990

 One of my favourite films ever, premieres at Midnight Madness.  A visually explosive master class of what can be accomplished with a camera and a guerrilla spirit!

Tetsuo fully transformed!
Tetsuo The Iron Man (1990)

2. Tetsuo The Iron Man

Dir. Shinya Tsukamoto

1991

Japanese films: none.  Things would more than balance out in the future!

1992

Doubled down; back in business.

3. Tetsuo II : Body Hammer

Dir. Shinya Tsukamoto

4. Tokyo Decadence

Dir. Ryu Murakami

1993

5. Wicked City 

Dir. Yoshiaki Kawajiri

1994

6. Tokarev

Dir. Junji Sakamoto

1995  

BIG year for Japanese films (including two international co-productions), with FIVE entries.

7. Screamers (USA/Canada/Japan)

Dir. Christian Duguay

8. Crying Freeman (USA/Canada/France/Japan)

Dir. Chrisophe Gans

Tokyo Fist left a giant pulsing hematoma on my heart... filled with love!
Tokyo Fist (1995)

9. Toyko Fist

Dir. Shinya Tsukamoto

10. Gamera: Guardian of the Universe

Dir. Shusuke Kaneko

11. Wizard of Darkness

Dir. Shimako Sato

1996

12. Organ 

Dir. Kei Fujiwara

13. Gamera 2: Assault of Legion

Dir. Shusuke Kaneko

1997

Of note:  Colin Geddes take the stage for the first time,  with Noah Cowan.

14. Fudoh: The New Generation

Dir. Takashi Miike

1998

No Japanese films this year, but Colin Geddes is appointed the sole maestro of midnight.  The future of Japan films at TIFF is BIG.

1999

Literally his first solo programmed Japanese film is a giant monster movie!

15. Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris

Dir. Shusuke Kaneko

2000

What's the matter... Chicken? Sorry. Matrix style Chicken fight tho!
City of Lost Souls (2000)

16. City of Lost Souls

Dir. Takashi Miike

17. Wild Zero

Dir. Tetsuro Takeuchi

2001

This blogger's first actual midnight madness, at the uptown. Changed my life forever!

The ICON of horror started here!
Ichi The Killer (2001)

18. Ichi the Killer 

Dir. Takashi Miike

19. Clip Cult(Music Video Compilation)

Dir. Hiroyuki Nokomo (among other non-Japanese directors)

20. Electric Dragon 80,000V

Directed as Sogo Ishii (since changed his name)

21. Versus

Dir. Ryuhei Kitamura
* there is talk now, FINALLY of a sequel to this wonderful action packed film, re-teaming director Kitamura with Versus leading man Tak Sakaguchi, for a fifth time)

2002

22. Alive 

Dir. Ryuhei Kitamura 

2003 A very creepy year!  Ju-On would have a lasting effect on the GHOST genre.  Gozo would have a lasting effect on the way I think about milk.

23. Ju-On: The Grudge

Dir. Takashi Shimizu

24. Gozu 

Dir. Takashi Miike

2004

25. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Dir. Mamoru Oshii

26. Zebraman

Dir. Takashi Miike

2005

A truly bizarre... kids movie!
The Great Yokai War (2005)

27. The Great Yokai War 

Dir. Takashi Miike

2006

28. Trapped Ashes (USA Japan Canada)

Friday the 13th (1980) Director Sean Cunningham's segment "Jibaku" was shot in Japan, featured many Japanese actors, and followed Japanese mythology.

2007 

29. Vexille

Dir. Fumihiko Sori

30. Sukiyaki Western Django

Dir. Takashi Miike

Matchan comes in all shapes and sizes!
Dainipponjin aka Big Man Japan (2007)

31. Dainipponjin

Dir. Hitoshi Matsumoto (Matchan)

2008

32. Detroit Metal City

Dir. Toshio Lee

2009

Matchan's sophomore visit to MM, Colin kept the Pyjamas!
Symbol (2009)

33. Symbol

Dir. Hitoshi Matsumoto

2010 - special mention... no films of Japanese origin, however:

34. Bunraku - USA -- wait, what?
Dir. Guy Moshe

Note: Featured Japanese music and acting sensation GACKT in his first Hollywood role.  It would be crazy not to mention this! And he even made it over for the screening, much to the delight of his legion of adoring fans!

2011

35. Smuggler

Dir. Katsuhito Ishii

2012 - None.  Wait -- though, what's this? Japanese director, and Midnight Madness Alumni Ryuhei Kitamura's second Hollywood feature film joins the line up!

36. No One Lives (USA)

Dir. Ryuhei Kitamura

2013 - YES! The exciting part about this, is it hasn't happened yet! This is an actual timeline moment you can still jump off of and enjoy in reality!

Oh Matchan, what do you have in store for us this year?
R100 (2013)

37. R100

Dir.: Hitoshi Matsumoto

Best way to finish your film: Yakuza investors. Just scary when they come for their "cut".
Why Don't You Play in Hell (2013)

38. Why Don't You Play in Hell

Dir. Sono Sion

So there you have it!  The future looks good - and the future is now!  Be sure to catch both R100 and Why Don't You Play in Hell!

R100 Screening Times:

Thursday, Sept 12th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Friday, Sept 13th, 11:30 AM SCOTIABANK 9

Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 10

WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL Screening Times:

Friday, Sept 13th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Saturday, Sept 14th, 3:45 PM SCOTIABANK 1

Absentia - but not Forgotten!

Whoa, creepy crawlies. Just check out this trailer!

Director Mike Flanagan, I'm liking what you're doing here; Laying down some thick atmospheric eeriness.  Before his feature version of Oculus (2013),  Flanagan not only made a shorter Oculus, but also this disconcerting film: Absentia (2011).

Here's some reviews from around internet land!

Every once in a while we get lucky. An indie project that we know very little about will arrive in the mail and, with the right balance of an intelligent script, completely natural actors, and a director who gets that we don't need absolutely everything explained in minute detail, proceed to knock our socks off. Absentia is just such a film.

Full review:  http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/absentia-2011

Absentia is a fine example, perhaps one of the best in decades, of what has been labeled quiet horror. This is a tradition which has seen far more success in horror literature than in cinema as it relies on moods, ideas, and implication, all difficult to catch on the screen if not actually “unfilmable.” This movie does an incredible job of communicating the spiritual unease in which Daniel’s family has been left, a malaise which is, in the opening sequences, more bittersweet than terrifying.

Full review: http://weirdfictionreview.com/2013/01/an-awful-truth-mike-flanagans-absentia/

Absentia is a horror film that leans more to the slow-burn side of horror filmmaking. I say that lightly though, because there are some early scares, but mostly the film injects tension early and let's it steadily increase as the film progresses. Flanagan executes this style perfectly, with the help of a talented cast.

Full review: http://www.arkhamdigest.com/2013/01/film-review-absentia-2011.html

Want to keep up with the latest in Mike Flanagan's bone chilling developments?  Don't miss:

OCULUS Screening Times:

Sunday, Sept 8th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Tuesday, Sept 10th, 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14

Sunday, Sept 15th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 11

THE STATION: 10 Isolation Horror Films

The monsters will keep you company at The Station

Hola masses of Midnight Madness Marauders! 

Looking forward again to another depraved year of horror and psychotronics?! I sure am.  

To kick things off, explore some ISOLATION horror films -- films where the characters find themselves in an inescapable and utterly desolate predicament, either emotionally, physically - or both.

To mix it up a bit, I came up with some rules. I'm into complex rules for everything.

• Try to avoid home invasion sub genre
• Try to define it as main characters who are in bad spot
• Try to avoid prisoner movies

(MM) denotes the Midnight Madness alumni!  

Spoiler level:  Mostly concepts (so to mid movie) No end game spoilers.  

Here's my picks - in no particular order!

There's a Spider-head in the hallway. Maybe let's go around the other way.

1. The Thing (1982) --  Carpenter remake. So imagine this, you're doing routine work in a remote Antarctic region. There's the slow realization that your group has been infiltrated by an terrifying organism bent on assimilating every life form on earth. Looking at their faces, you can't help but wonder who's already been turned. They act the same -- except when they're alone with you.  In which case, they'll eat you with fangs and tendrils. What makes this one great, is there's so many questions. You're never sure who or what form it will take on next, and psychotic acts of paranoia are completely justified.

2. Cabin Fever (2002, MM) -- Teenagers VS. a thriving strain of Flesh Eating Bacteria in a masterful movie that launched director Eli Roth's career, right here at Midnight Madness!  Looking forward to his new one (link), which could very well be on a future isolation horror best of list - but if you haven't seen it already, Cabin Fever is wall to wall insanity.

3. Bug (2006) -- A kind of a gem. Slower paced and positively itch-inducing.  Ashley Judd and a then lesser known Michael Shannon do a sort of self-imposed isolation, chronicling their increasing paranoia as "BUGS" have gotten deep underneath their skin. Other things to worry about too.

Okay, you know what, let's just go back to the Spider-head hallway.

4. Alien (1979) -- Space craft. Crew full of victims with nowhere to run.  A salivating razor- lined mouth to feed. Executed to perfection. 

5. Ravenous (1999) -- Man, I love this movie.  Somewhere cold, American civil war era. This movie has a very interesting and monstrously cunning villain that keeps you guessing. 

6. Day of the Dead (1985) -- Yeahhhhhh. Now that's what I like. A bunch of poor souls hiding out in a military bunker… during the zombie apocalypse. A George Romero original. Now, as much as I love Dawn of the Dead, I feel this one edges it in the claustrophobia department.  Pretty much a nightmare scenario, seeing as much as we have rotting hordes building at the above ground gate, and underground; along with all the survivors, there's a well-intentioned scientist running experiments inside with "live"-undead. Maybe he's on to something? Now add in an ultra jerk military leader, and you got yerselves a ticking time bomb.

7. The Descent (2005, MM)-- Bunch of lady friends go spelunking!  Soon they are trapped with each other along with their built-in friend dramas. But they're not alone…  some other bump in the night things are crawling up and down the walls…  Result: ultra gore. Really though, for me, it was one entirely relatable shot that landed this on the list. The one where she gets… 

8. Stuck (2007, MM) -- Stuart Gordon's opus about the TRUE STORY of a man who's hit and run by a nurse.  Okay to get technical, he's hit and run, and stuck halfway through her car windshield.  This situation might have then been corrected. Instead he's stored in her garage as he slowly bleeds out in the dark, pleading - why?  I'm sure they took some creative liberties with this one, but man, it does not end pretty.

Church security systems: Don't build em like they used to.

9. The Church (1989) -- This is a late night movie; the kind you're supposed to find when you're a kid, and the your parents are sleeping - that you really shouldn't watch.  Because it's filled with everything they've warned you about, and really, you won't understand it.  I still don't understand it!  Granted I just saw it for the first time this year, but I'm young at heart.  So some peeps are trapped in an archaic church when an accidental ritual unleashes a horde of imprisoned evil, and the local demon detecting device puts the building on perma-lockdown.  The imagery is truly eye-popping, everything about this movie is like remembering dream - and the Keith Emerson score is one of my favorites - ever, totally zany and lavishly delicious.

10.  Alive (1993) -- Now is this an isolation horror movie… Or is it a super inspiring true story about using cannibalism to survive unbelievable odds? Cop out pick? Well, the scary thing, this could (and did) happen. Not sure how much was changed, but I don't remember second guessing anything that I saw; the stuff nightmares are made of.

Honorable mentions:

Isolation (2005) --another MM alumni. The pocket-sized mutating predatory farm creatures are among the last things you'd want to be stuck with.

Cast Away (2000) -- That poor sentient volley ball!  Trapped with Tom Hanks - nothing's scarier than a nice guy slowly going nuts.  Except maybe a sentient volley ball. Add in some head exploding powers, and we coulda had a real contender here.

What did I miss? 

Only a million great movies…. Feel free to share your own lists below, and to satiate your own isolation horror fix be sure to check out THE STATION…  

THE STATION Screening Times:

Friday, Sept 6th, 11:59 PM RYERSON

Sunday, Sept 8th, 2:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14

Friday, Sept 13th, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK 9

ABCs of DEATH: Interview with Director Noburo Iguchi

Here's the second interview in our ABCs of Death: Sushi Typhoon director showcase! Sushi Typhoon is a vibrant collective of some of Japan's finest splatter directors. Here I catch up with Noboru Iguchi; director of deliriously violent films such as Machine Girl; Dead Sushi; Tomie: Unlimited; Robogeisha; and co-director of Mutant Girls Squad!

MM: How did you get involved with doing a short for ABCs of Death?

NI: It was presented by my old friend, Mr.Marc Walkow.

What is your highest priority when making a film; to scare, shock, be original, or raise the bar for your competition? Without giving away the story, which approach can we expect in your ABCs short?

My priority themes are quite different for every project, however, if I say the common points, my wish is to shoot movies have an impact that nobody has seen before. 

How would you define your specific styles of filming, and did you use your traditional approaches or decide to try something new for a foreign produced film?

Because ABCs of Death is a foreign project, I consciously  introduced symbolic images of Japan, such as school girls and shrines.  I intended to put the messages of my thoughts about earthquakes and radiation. 

Machine Girl was the first movie of this new wave of Japanese super splatter horror that I saw, and definitely the first one to get lots of attention from my friends. What were your inspirations to make such a fun and crazy film?

I was requested to shoot snuff, a fake torture killing movie first, but it didn't fit in my nature, so I  asked to do an action movie instead.  To tell the truth, this project would not be approved in Japanese movie companies. My first idea was to shoot macaroni western (what they spaghetti westerns in Japan) with high school girls.

How did it feel to adapt Junji Ito's manga, Tomie? I've read several volumes of Tomie and loved it--I would say Ito isn't just my favourite Japanese horror writer, but my favourite horror comics writer period! For your film Tomie: Unlimited, how was it to work with Ito? 

I am a fan of Mr. Junji Ito, too. I put a great deal of effort into grotesque description because there weren't many Tomie movies which were visualized grotesque. I am glad that I could visualize the scene of a no-neck Tomie running, because as soon as I read it, I knew this was a scene I would love to bring to life. I was deeply moved that Mr. Junji Ito himself liked "Unlimited".

You've created some memorable female horror heroes in Japanese cinema… is there any specific actress in Hollywood (or anywhere outside of Japan) you'd like to make a horror film with?

I really like Mia Farrow originally. I want Kirsten Dunst in my movie too. I love Spider-Man and Melancholia.

Be sure to catch Iguchi's contribution to ABCs of Death, and 25 other insane horror shorts from around the world!

THE ABCS OF DEATH

Sat., Sept. 15th, 3:15 PM: SCOTIABANK 9

Sun., Sept. 16th, 9:00 PM: SCOTIABANK 9