Stars: Tori Griffith, Tomoki Kimura, Derek Mears, Damian Toofeek Raven, Joey Iwanaga, Matt Standley, Shelby Lee Parks, Stefanie Estes | Written and Directed by Kurando Mitsutake
Lion-Girl was written and directed by Kurando Mitsutake based on characters created by famed manga author and artist Go-Nagai who also created Devilman, Cutie Honey and Mazinger Z among others and produced by Toei Video. If that sounds like a recipe for a whole lot of weirdness, then you’re right.
The film opens in a Tokyo bathhouse with several nude people staring at a young woman named Botan. After, she refuses to be scared by their threats, they begin to transform. They sprout horns and fangs, their faces become brightly coloured kabuki masks as they snarl in anger. A glowing tattoo appears on her back as she turns to face them.
At which point Lion-Girl goes into exposition mode as the viewer learns how...
Lion-Girl was written and directed by Kurando Mitsutake based on characters created by famed manga author and artist Go-Nagai who also created Devilman, Cutie Honey and Mazinger Z among others and produced by Toei Video. If that sounds like a recipe for a whole lot of weirdness, then you’re right.
The film opens in a Tokyo bathhouse with several nude people staring at a young woman named Botan. After, she refuses to be scared by their threats, they begin to transform. They sprout horns and fangs, their faces become brightly coloured kabuki masks as they snarl in anger. A glowing tattoo appears on her back as she turns to face them.
At which point Lion-Girl goes into exposition mode as the viewer learns how...
- 11/8/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Japanese director Sion Sono has been accused by two women of sexual assault in a new report from Shukan Josei Prime.
Sono is known for provocative indie films like 2008’s “Love Exposure,” which screened at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and won two awards. The almost four-hour film follows the erotic adventures of a peeping tom photographer.
An unnamed actress told entertainment magazine Shukan Josei Prime that Sono told her that women have had sex with him for years to gain parts in his films, and that he is to thank for their success in the industry. She said that after Sono offered her a role, he attempted to force her to have sex with him (via Variety). After she refused, the director allegedly called another actress he had previously worked with and proceeded to engage in sexual acts in front of her. An assistant director then allegedly led her outside...
Sono is known for provocative indie films like 2008’s “Love Exposure,” which screened at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and won two awards. The almost four-hour film follows the erotic adventures of a peeping tom photographer.
An unnamed actress told entertainment magazine Shukan Josei Prime that Sono told her that women have had sex with him for years to gain parts in his films, and that he is to thank for their success in the industry. She said that after Sono offered her a role, he attempted to force her to have sex with him (via Variety). After she refused, the director allegedly called another actress he had previously worked with and proceeded to engage in sexual acts in front of her. An assistant director then allegedly led her outside...
- 4/5/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Sono Sion, the self-proclaimed maverick Japanese film director known for raunchy indie movies including “Love Exposure” and “Antiporno,” has been accused of sexual harassment by several actresses in Japan’s film industry.
The accusations were published Monday by the Shukan Josei Prime entertainment news and gossip site. In a lengthy article, several actresses made accusations against Sono under the protection of anonymity. According to the piece, Sono, now aged 60, boasted of making sexual advances to “most of [his] leading ladies.” Sono’s alleged predatory practices have been linked to his acting workshops.
On Tuesday, Sono responded to the allegations with a statement from his company. “To whom it may concern. Thank you very much for your continued support. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may have caused to all parties concerned. We will make a new announcement after sorting out the facts.” His upcoming acting workshop has been canceled.
The accusations were published Monday by the Shukan Josei Prime entertainment news and gossip site. In a lengthy article, several actresses made accusations against Sono under the protection of anonymity. According to the piece, Sono, now aged 60, boasted of making sexual advances to “most of [his] leading ladies.” Sono’s alleged predatory practices have been linked to his acting workshops.
On Tuesday, Sono responded to the allegations with a statement from his company. “To whom it may concern. Thank you very much for your continued support. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may have caused to all parties concerned. We will make a new announcement after sorting out the facts.” His upcoming acting workshop has been canceled.
- 4/5/2022
- by Mark Schilling and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Cinedigm has acquired all North American rights to Suicide Forest Village, Takashi Shimizu’s supernatural horror inspired by a real forest in Japan known for its frequent suicides and disappearances.
Shimizu previously helmed the Ju-On (The Grudge) franchise, directing the 2004 originals and three sequels. His latest stars Jun Kunimura (Kill Bill: Vol. 1), Yumi Adachi (Tokyo Vampire Hotel) and Asuka Kurosawa (Silence) in a story following a group who come across a mysterious box with a deadly secret: the item holds a curse that quickly spreads to those around them. The source of the box is the ‘Jukai Village,’ a rumored location deep within the Jukai Forest.
Shimizu co-wrote the film with Daisuke Hosaka, who previously worked together on Howling Village and The Shock Labyrinth 3D. The film is produced by Muneyuki Kii, Harue Miyake, Chikako Nakabayashi and Daisuke Takahashi.
The deal was negotiated by Brandon Hill, Manager of Acquisitions,...
Shimizu previously helmed the Ju-On (The Grudge) franchise, directing the 2004 originals and three sequels. His latest stars Jun Kunimura (Kill Bill: Vol. 1), Yumi Adachi (Tokyo Vampire Hotel) and Asuka Kurosawa (Silence) in a story following a group who come across a mysterious box with a deadly secret: the item holds a curse that quickly spreads to those around them. The source of the box is the ‘Jukai Village,’ a rumored location deep within the Jukai Forest.
Shimizu co-wrote the film with Daisuke Hosaka, who previously worked together on Howling Village and The Shock Labyrinth 3D. The film is produced by Muneyuki Kii, Harue Miyake, Chikako Nakabayashi and Daisuke Takahashi.
The deal was negotiated by Brandon Hill, Manager of Acquisitions,...
- 12/13/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Occasionally, and particularly during the last years, a number of Sion Sono works look like a tribute to himself, with him implementing aspects of his great movies of the past. This approach actually worked for some titles, with “Tokyo Vampire Hotel” being a great sample. It seems though, it does not work at all in a Hollywood-Japanese collaborative setting, with “Prisoners of the Ghostland” functioning as a faulty mixture of “Sukiyaki Western Django”, “Mad Max”, “Preacher” and Sono’s past movies. Let us take things from the beginning though.
“Prisoners of the Ghostland” is streaming exclusively on AMC+ and Shudder
The story is set in the frontier city of Samurai Town, wherea ruthless bank robber, Hero, who supposedly did not shy away from killing innocent bystanders during his “jobs” is sprung from jail by the wealthy and quite sinister kingpin The Governor, who wants him to find the whereabouts of his adopted granddaughter Bernice.
“Prisoners of the Ghostland” is streaming exclusively on AMC+ and Shudder
The story is set in the frontier city of Samurai Town, wherea ruthless bank robber, Hero, who supposedly did not shy away from killing innocent bystanders during his “jobs” is sprung from jail by the wealthy and quite sinister kingpin The Governor, who wants him to find the whereabouts of his adopted granddaughter Bernice.
- 11/20/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Not too long ago, the Japanese film industry was enclosed in a tight domestic bubble, with local filmmakers mostly making local films for local audiences. Japanese studios appreciated international recognition, but regarded foreign sales as a sort of after-dinner mint – a nice extra, but not essential.
One reason for this “Japan only” mentality was the size of the local market – still the third-largest in the world in terms of box office — which allowed local films at all budget levels to comfortably recoup at home. Another was the long list of missteps and failures by Japanese filmmakers and studios when they ventured abroad or tried to target foreign markets.
The most notorious example was the firing of Kurosawa Akira after two weeks of shooting the 1970 WWII epic “Tora, Tora, Tora.” More recently, one-time uber-producer Sento Takenori lost his production company Rumble Fish in 2008 after his strategy of making art films for...
One reason for this “Japan only” mentality was the size of the local market – still the third-largest in the world in terms of box office — which allowed local films at all budget levels to comfortably recoup at home. Another was the long list of missteps and failures by Japanese filmmakers and studios when they ventured abroad or tried to target foreign markets.
The most notorious example was the firing of Kurosawa Akira after two weeks of shooting the 1970 WWII epic “Tora, Tora, Tora.” More recently, one-time uber-producer Sento Takenori lost his production company Rumble Fish in 2008 after his strategy of making art films for...
- 11/8/2021
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
Sion Sono has lived many lives behind the camera. After several relentless decades spent churning out softcore pornos, demented J-horror classics, furious confrontations with post-Fukushima Japan, a hyper-violent rap opera about masculine fragility, one of the most unflinching serial killer dramas since “Vengeance Is Mine,” a four-hour epic about upskirt photographers (and death cults), an Amazon miniseries called “Tokyo Vampire Hotel,” and a few dozen other films that defy such easy description, the only thing less surprising than the massive heart attack that struck Sono in February 2019 — and literally killed him for an entire minute — is that it hasn’t slowed him down whatsoever.
Forgive the familiar lede, but some things bear repeating, particularly in the context of a new movie that unfolds like a mission statement for its irrepressible creator. The poet emeritus of ero guro nansensu has been prolific as ever since rolling out of his hospital bed two years ago,...
Forgive the familiar lede, but some things bear repeating, particularly in the context of a new movie that unfolds like a mission statement for its irrepressible creator. The poet emeritus of ero guro nansensu has been prolific as ever since rolling out of his hospital bed two years ago,...
- 2/8/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
One of the country’s most prolific directors, Sion Sono has carved an impeccable reputation in working through all manner of genres featuring respectable fare every time out. This newest effort, a re-edited version of a nine-episode miniseries originally aired on TV in Japan, but now sold internationally in a near two-and-a-half-hour edit, shows the maverick at the top of his game and offering plenty of his trademark style on display.
On the verge of a global apocalypse, a clan of vampires lures a crowd of humans, including Manami (Ami Tomite) into a glamorous hotel in order to turn it into their own private blood farm. In the middle of the festivities, a rival family of vamps crashes the party and sparks a violent uprising, hoping to wipe their adversaries off the map for good. Soon, Manami finds herself caught up in the middle of the war and must try...
On the verge of a global apocalypse, a clan of vampires lures a crowd of humans, including Manami (Ami Tomite) into a glamorous hotel in order to turn it into their own private blood farm. In the middle of the festivities, a rival family of vamps crashes the party and sparks a violent uprising, hoping to wipe their adversaries off the map for good. Soon, Manami finds herself caught up in the middle of the war and must try...
- 5/11/2020
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
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