Member Takuma Posted February 12, 2011 Member Share Posted February 12, 2011 "Machine gun arm. Rocket launcher leg. And a bad attitude to match. Shozo Iwaki just became the world's deadliest, and most pissed-off, gangster!" MADE IN JAPAN, KICKING ASS WORLDWIDE The team who brought you VERSUS have returned with another hard-edged battle royale featuring tough gangsters, deadly women and cybernetic penis implants! Working as a hard-to-kill mercenary in South America, ex-yakuza Shozo Iwaki (Tak Sakaguchi) is informed of the death of his gang boss father, Kenzo (Akaji Maro). Returning home after four years, Shozo discovers that his father's number-one man, Kurawaki (Shingo Tsurumi), has double-crossed and assassinated Kenzo, leaving Shozo not only in charge of what little remains of the Iwaki Family, but also burning with the desire for vengeance. After a titanic battle in which an entire building is leveled, both Shozo and Kurawaki are left barely alive, Shozo missing an arm and a leg. Despite his debilitating wounds, the nearly superhuman Shozo clings to life, and wakes up in a mysterious medical facility with an M61 Vulcan cannon in place of his right arm, and a rocket launcher where his left leg used to be! Although confused by his new body and tormented by the pain it brings him, Shozo quickly learns to love his weaponized frame, and makes himself ready for a rematch with Kurawaki, who also has some mechanical improvements of his own. But before that, Shozo must also deal with Tetsuo (Jun Murakami), his former best friend who's fallen into drugs and hard times, and has been coerced by the Kurawaki gang to find and kill Shozo! Nearly a match for Shozo's strength and fighting ability, Tetsuo also has a mechanical secret: his younger sister Sumire (Cay Izumi), who's been transformed into a naked weapon, using the same technology that gave Shozo his arm and leg! But can Shozo bring himself to destroy his own best friend, the only thing standing between him and final vengeance? Co-directed by Yudai Yamaguchi and Tak Sakaguchi, who between them have created crazy, action-filled comedies like BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL, CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL and BE A MAN! SAMURAI SCHOOL, and featuring action direction by Yuji Shimomura (DEATH TRANCE, VERSUS, SHINOBI), special makeup effects by Yoshihiro Nishimura (TOKYO GORE POLICE, HELLDRIVER) and based on an adult comic by Ken Ishikawa, who co-created CUTIE HONEY, GETTER ROBOT and many other famous series, YAKUZA WEAPON is a wild combination of hard-boiled gangster action, manga-style comedy and splatterific special effects. Tough as nails, armed to the teeth, pissed-off and looking for a fight, Shozo the YAKUZA WEAPON is coming soon to kick your ass!" - http://www.sushi-typhoon.com/films/yakuza-weapon Hell yes!! My favorite supporting actress, Cay Izumi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted February 12, 2011 Author Member Share Posted February 12, 2011 oh, just in case someone missed, Sushi Typhoon is the world's most kick ass label. They've produced 6 films so far... These 6 poster arts tell more than a 1000 words... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted February 13, 2011 Member Share Posted February 13, 2011 oh, just in case someone missed, Sushi Typhoon is the world's most kick ass label. They've produced 6 films so far... These 6 poster arts tell more than a 1000 words... Coldfish, one of the best seriel killer movies I've ever seen... Just simply fucking ballsy and brilliant, a must see!!!! Sion Sono is one of my favorite directors to come out of Japan.. Another movie people must see is, 'Love Exposure'..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member daisho2004 Posted February 13, 2011 Member Share Posted February 13, 2011 I've got to check out some of these films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bamboo spear Posted February 13, 2011 Member Share Posted February 13, 2011 Man, remember when the Japanese made real movies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted February 14, 2011 Author Member Share Posted February 14, 2011 Man, remember when the Japanese made real movies? Yep, that glorious time was yesterday, today, tomorrow. Another movie people must see is, 'Love Exposure'..... I've seen it... 4 times... first alone, then again alone again, then with a bunch of friends, and then again with another bunch of friends. I've been listening people's jaws drop on the floor, and I've witnessed half of my friends place the dvd on order as soon as the ending credits finish. The best asian film of the decade, only challenged by Oldboy and Lily Chou Chou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted February 15, 2011 Author Member Share Posted February 15, 2011 "Saw a sequence from the upcoming YAKUZA WEAPON that's the closest a movie has ever come to making my eyeballs pop out in disbelief."- Patrick Macias - http://twitter.com/Patrick_Macias Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted March 15, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 15, 2011 Yakuza Weapon trailer Sheldon Warnock / AV Maniacs An English-subtitled trailer for Yakuza Weapon has been added to the page for the movie on the website of the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart). Yakuza Weapon is scheduled to be screened at Filmart on March 21st. Yakuza Weapon English-subtitled trailer (streaming Windows Media Video) Filmart: Yakuza Weapon (w/ trailer) Worried about the use of CGI, but I put my hopes on misleading trailer. Looks like a fun film otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted March 15, 2011 Member Share Posted March 15, 2011 @ Takuma: Is ZABORGAR any good? BTW: It's good to see you post. I was under the impression you lived in Japan and noticed you hadn't posted in a while so I was concerned. I understand you're in Finland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted March 15, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 15, 2011 @ Takuma: Is ZABORGAR any good? BTW: It's good to see you post. I was under the impression you lived in Japan and noticed you hadn't posted in a while so I was concerned. I understand you're in Finland? I haven't seen Zaborgar. Iguchi hasn't convinced me yet, but I'm always hopeful about his new films. Same goes with Zaborgar. Here's the trailer: And a review: http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2011/01/iffr-2011-karate-robo-zaborgar-review.php While Zaborgar should be another family friendly film (like Robo-Geisha, which was pg-12, except in the UK where it was rated 18 ) Iguchi said he'd later release an "unrated version". And yeah, I'm back in Finland, since last year. I did live one year in Japan, though, and I'm trying to work my way back there sooner or later. Even now, I'd much rather be in Japan. I feel so helpless having to follow the news from here and not being able to do anything... Back to Sushi, I just reserved my ticket for Cold Fish screening at Night Visions, one of the coolest film fests in the word. Just two nights, but look at the program!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted March 21, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 21, 2011 Here's the final Yakuza Weapon trailer: http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/03/behold-the-coming-of-the-yakuza-weapon.php The earlier one was "incomplete" and "not meant for public eyes". That being said, the new one is almost identical content wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted April 16, 2011 Author Member Share Posted April 16, 2011 Started my Sushi Typhoon coverage. Sushi Typhoon - Part 1: The Art of Export http://sketchesofcinema.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/sushi-typhoon-part-1-the-art-of-export/ More to come during the next weeks and months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted July 7, 2011 Moderator Share Posted July 7, 2011 The first full length review I've come across for this movie has been posted over at Twitch written by Greg Christie, unsurprisingly it sounds like more of the same from the Sushi Typhoon crew, if you like what's gone before you'll probably enjoy this, if you didn't then stay well clear. The difference for me is that it has Tak Sakaguchi at the reins, & while the only mention of the fight choreography is confined to the 3 lines consisting of the second to last paragraph, the reviewer gives it enough of a thumbs up for me to want to go & give it a look when it'll be showing during the 'Sushi Typhoon Matsuri' in Ginza Cine-Pathos cinema starting on the 24th July (http://www.sushi-typhoon.com/category/news/recent-news) I could just as easily copy and paste my review from RoboGeisha last year to sum up my feelings for Yakuza Weapon. But since I'm enjoying a nice happy hour at my local watering hole with lap top in tow, where would the fun be in that? Much like RoboGeisha, I made a rather silly decision to try and watch the film sober and initially found it be a grueling exercise in infantile overabundance. As with nearly every other Sushi Typhoon film of the past year, my gut reaction was, "aren't they done with this yet?" Yet, when I sat down for a second go with a six pack of Golden Monkey and my own magical flask, the experience changed entirely. Somewhere between my second beer and third knock of whiskey, Yakuza Weapon suddenly transcended into a blissfully idiotic good time. I found myself giggling uncontrollably like a 12 year reading through the cartoons of a Hustler magazine after huffing glue under the bleachers. I've been unfair to Tak Sakaguichi in the past as his recents films largely felt like bottom feeder material within the Sushi Typhoon cinema movement. Nishimura and Iguchi are largely given all of the credit and good press with their films. Meanwhile, Sakaguichi's Samurai Zombie, and Be a Man: Samurai School were mostly overlooked and forgotten. Nishimura and Iguchi are the better directors, but let's not forget that Tak played an integral role with Ryuhei Kitamura's early films, particularly, Versus, which paved the road for Nishimura and Iguchi's own popular brand of madness. Anymore, the slew of ultra gory comedies coming from Sushi Typhoon haven taken on an air of Asian minstrel show. These pictures are being produced specifically for a western market, for those with cultural misconceptions and expectations of what a Japanese genre film should be. Many of these have yet to be released or even screened in Japan and from firsthand experience, pictures such as Versus and Machine Girl don't even play well to a general Japanese audience. Yet, Nikkastu has done well to capitalize on foreign Otaku culture. For all of the gore hounds and fan boys who automatically equate Japanese popular culture with tentacle porn, hyper violent anime, panty vending machines, and the Guinea Pig movies, the Sushi Typhoon label was made just for you. But, I don't believe these films are a product or direct representation of Japanese popular culture or taste, more, they serve as scathing parodies of what the west has come to encapsulate the Japanese as being. When viewed through the lens of a post modern, totally self aware, Vaudevillian style entertainment, these Sushi Typhoon films are kinda brilliant. But that just might be the $3 Manhattans speaking right now. But it's best to approach Yakuza Weapon as a parody since it really plays out like a feature length Mad TV skit lambasting the yakuza film genre. It's silly, sometimes, unbearingly so. Many of the jokes fall flat but there's a frenetic energy and almost sympathetic desperation to entertain that is also very endearing, and under the right circumstances, absolutely fucking hysterical. Much like any great yakuza film, Weapon makes no sense. Even sober, it was damn near impossible to follow the maze like plot. Tak plays Shozo Iwaki, the son of a prominent Oyabun and a warrior of fortune who returns to Japan from some war in some jungle somewhere to find that his father has been murdered and that the many yakuza families are now warring as Tetsuo, Shozo's former friend, tries to absolve them all. Whew. That was a mouthful right? At some point, Tak gets his arm blown off while trying to rescue his ex fiancé and is rebuilt by some secret government agency or another yakuza gang (couldn't figure it out) to become the ultimate weapon in taking out Shozo and his gang. He has a gattling gun arm and rocket launcher knee cap. Really, I have no idea what was happening most of the time. But then again, can anyone actually explain to me the plots of Ichi the Killer or Dead or Alive? What you need to know is that Tetsuo has a younger sister played by Cay Izumi who's been rebuilt as a human gun, a hot, naked lady gun. At one point, Shozo uppercuts a parapalegic, knocking him up into outer space, Shozo then jumps up, punches a nuclear bomb through the falling man's chest, and then pile drives him down into the base of Fuji Mountain. It's retarded, but gut bustingly funny at times. The film spends much of its running time parodying Japanese macho male posturing. There aren't any true obscenities in the Japanese language. There are slang words and derogatory phrases built with out of context words, but there's nothing that really equates to the same raw power of calling someone something like "cock sucker, faggot, mother fucker, shit head, etc." Instead, many Japanese will just yell and roll their tongues to indicate that they are trying to insult or threaten someone. It's a practice that I've always found rather humorous in most yakuza films and I suspect Tak did too. Nearly every line of dialogue is screamed at top decibel with actors rolling their tongues at inappropriate times. I won't claim to be fluent in Japanese or that I could ever even attempt to translate the film, but I understand enough to know that many of the characters are simply yelling gibberish most of the time while rolling their tongues in a really silly pissing match. Unfortunately, the sub-titles don't reflect that and much of the humor is lost in translation. Tak's ego and dedication are both notorious within the Japanese film scene and it seems as though he's trying to laugh at himself a little here. He plays the ultimate badass, but he's also a creep with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The character of Shozo is just so ugly and pathetic, that he doesn't even really work as an anti- hero. There's a lot of violence against women, something fairly common for the genre, but it's taken to extreme levels here that again indicate that the whole film should be viewed as a comedic satire. Shozo beats up his girlfriend, even throws her off of a bridge, and yells at her for getting hurt. One delirious set piece involves a gruesomely violent accidental massacre of innocent nurses. There's an air of misanthropy and misogyny that has the potential to be funny if intended as satire. While the film looks subpar with overlit video cinematography and embarrassing CG, Yuji Shimomura's superb fight choreography and action set- pieces elevate the film. Yakuza Weapon soars when it features Tak doing what Tak does best, kicking ass. Yakuza Weapon is rough around the edges, it looks like hell, it makes no sense, and it certainly is not on the same level of Tokyo Gore Police. But there's a lot of DIY underdog charm to Tak's feature, and for anyone with a deep familiarity of convoluted yakuza films, this should provide plenty of laughs. Yakuza Weapon is perfect fare for inebriated midnight viewing which is fitting as it will be screening midnight on Friday, July 8th as part of the Philly Japan Arts Matsuri. Tak Sakaguichi and fellow cast and crew will be in attendance with NYAFF programmer, Marc Walkow. Tickets are available online at http://www.princemusictheater.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted July 12, 2011 Author Member Share Posted July 12, 2011 Another review: http://www.allgeeksconsidered.com/?p=147 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted July 13, 2011 Author Member Share Posted July 13, 2011 Fangoria calls it "literally a blast" http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5082:yakuza-weapon-film-review&catid=50:movies-tv&Itemid=181 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted July 14, 2011 Member Share Posted July 14, 2011 I get to see this sucker in Austin in Sept... Also to be played alongside this movie is another classic Versus 10 anniversary.... That's going to be a rockin good time... Not sure if it's going to be the DC or Ultimate versus, either way I get to see it on the big screen, FUCK YEAH!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted July 18, 2011 Author Member Share Posted July 18, 2011 Yakuza Weapon is a riotously entertaining ride that demands to be seen on as big a screen as possible... ... the single best action performance Sakaguchi has given in a career full of highlights... ... Cay Izumi as the Naked Human Weapon. She earns the moniker in a jaw dropping sequence that will have cult film fans on their feet cheering for more... - http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2011/07/fantasia-2011-yakuza-weapon-review.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted August 12, 2011 Moderator Share Posted August 12, 2011 I just got back from watching this movie at the 'Sushi Typhoon Matsuri' being played at one of my local cinemas, alongside 'Dead Ball', 'Helldriver', and 'Alien Vs Ninja'. I have to say that my anticipation to see this movie was definitely one of mixed feelings...for a start it's a Sushi Typhoon production, and yes I'm one of those people that fall into the line of thinking that once you've seen one of Japan's recent splatter movies, you've seen them all, and secondly, even for a Sushi Typhoon movie, this was done on a tight budget and an even tighter schedule...just 12 days...and the last movie I watched made under similar circumstances, 'Kunoichi', I'm still desperately trying to forget. However the one reason that made me decide I would definitely check it on the big screen was of course Tak Sakaguchi. Having seen him kick and punch his way through the likes of 'Versus' and 'Death Trance', I became a fan immediately. However, like most Japan action stars, work comes in more of a trickle than thick & fast, so upon hearing that he'd be in this movie front and center (along with 'Dead Ball'!), the opportunity to see it on the cinema wasn't to be missed. Thankfully my fears were unfounded. Is it low budget? Yes. Does it make complete sense? Not really. Does it matter? No! If you're wondering why, the reason pretty much rests with Takaguchi. He has a screen charisma that carries this movie all the way, and here he's hamming it up to the max as the arrogant pig headed yakuza Shozo, whenever he's on screen he chews scenery like there's no tomorrow. I think I understand what it is that makes the recent splatter output seem so repetative and dull...it's the splatter which is in fact the problem, with the makers aiming for how over the top they can make their movie, with everything else secondary. With 'Yakuza Weapon' this isn't the case, first and foremost Takaguchi and co-director Yamaguchi seem to be out to make one thing - a fun movie. This is clear even from the opening sequence, which has Takaguchi walking into a fire fight, in the middle of the South American jungle, with bullets filling the air while he just stands there, lighting a cigarette, and announcing that if you don't think bullets will hit you, they won't. He then goes on to ape both Stallone's Rambo character and Schwarzenegger'a Dutch character from Predator. One laugh out loud moment, of which the movie has many, has Sakamoto covered in mud up against the wall to blend in with his surroundings like Schwarzenegger did with the Predator. However, instead of sneaking up on his attackers, as soon as he see's them he just casually steps out into the pathway and punches them in the face. Which brings me onto the action choreography, done by long-term Sakaguchi collaborator Yuji Shimomura. One word - great! The fights really make this movie, and they have to, otherwise you're just left with buckets of cheap looking CGI blood. Takaguchi gets ready to rumble several times, and even when he has the gun attached to his arm, he often yells that fighting with fists is better than shooting a gun, and puts it away in return for some fisty cuffs. Of particular note, is a 4 minute single take fight scene with Takaguchi taking on countless assassins with a combination of fists, kicks, machine guns, and knee cap rocket launchers (it'll make sense when you see it). I haven't seen something like that since Tony Jaa in 'Tom Yum Goong'. Even though the finale is free of martial arts, it still manages to pack a punch with it's out and out crazyness, and I would highly recommend people to see 'Yakuza Weapon' should they have the opportunity. Sakaguchi is still as fast as lightening and it's always a pleasure to watch him fight, next up I'll be checking out 'Dead Ball'! On a sidenote, there was a Q&A after the movie with Takaguchi, Yamaguchi, & Shimomura taking to the stage which was great. Once it finished, I even got to meet Tak and talk briefly, and of course a photo together! All in all....a good day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted August 12, 2011 Member Share Posted August 12, 2011 OAB....dude, it's great to hear from you. Thanks for the review. I, like you, was sort of wavering on this but based on your post.....I'm down to see this whenever it's released on dvd. I especially appreciate your comments on the fights. That's what I'm looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted August 13, 2011 Moderator Share Posted August 13, 2011 Thanks for the review. I, like you, was sort of wavering on this but based on your post.....I'm down to see this whenever it's released on dvd. I especially appreciate your comments on the fights. That's what I'm looking for. Anytime! I think in this movies case the tight budget & schedule may well have actually worked in it's favor. Sakaguchi explained in the Q&A that he was originally down to direct it himself, but upon being told he'd only have 12 days to do it, he decided to bring in Yamaguchi to co-direct it with him, and I'm sure it's a much better movie for it... ...and also if it had a higher budget, chances are there would be more emphasis on the splatter aspect of things, with the usual prolonged takes of blood squirting all over the place in never ending geysers, as per the usual routine. As it is, the CGI blood used is about on the same level as you see in a 'House of the Dead' game, with streaks of red just randomly being drawn all over the person being hit, until they literally evaporate. Thankfully Sakaguchi & Yamaguchi seem to be aware that people don't primarily want to see this, so more often than not Sakaguchi is let loose with his natural talent of beating the hell out of people. Another interesting point brought up in the Q&A was when he was asked about the 4 minute single take fight scene, he mentions that in 'Tom Yum Goong' they had something close to a month to prepare and shoot the amazing fight up the staircase which was the standout moment of that movie. For 'Yakuza Weapon', Sakaguchi explained they had just one hour to choreograph and organize it, knowing this fact makes it an all the more impressive feat of choreography and dedication. For me the comedy really worked as well, and I laughed out loud several times. It certainly won't be to everybodies tastes, and is comparable to falling somewhere between a Looney Tunes cartoon and the humor found in 'Kung Fu Hustle', just more violent. One of my favorite scenes was when Sakaguchi's abandoned fiance see's him for the first time in 4 years....first she throws a boat at him, then chases him down the street wielding a machine gun in each hand! This pretty much gives you an idea of the movies over the top tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted August 22, 2011 Author Member Share Posted August 22, 2011 Tak Sakaguchi re-enacts a fight with a bear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXuIG1AdORI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted August 26, 2011 Author Member Share Posted August 26, 2011 Now we're talking... R2J's in December and January. AvN (2 Disc SE) (2011/12/02) (English Subtitles) - Interview - Making-of - Premiere event - Event talk show - Spin-off short movie - Overseas trailers - Theatrical trailer - http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=BBBN-1067 Helldriver (2 Disc SE) (2011/12/02) (English Subtitles) - Making-of - Premiere event - Spin-off short movie - Overseas trailers - Theatrical trailer - http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=BBBN-1068 Yakuza Weapon (2 Disc SE) (2012/01/07) (English Subtitles) - Making-of - Premiere event - Talk show by Go Nagai and the directors - Spin-off short movie - Overseas trailers - Theatrical trailer - http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=BBBN-1070 Deadball (2 Disc SE) (2012/01/07) (English Subtitles) - Making-of - Premiere event - Talk event - Spin-off short movie - Overseas trailers - Theatrical trailer - http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=BBBN-1071 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted December 7, 2011 Author Member Share Posted December 7, 2011 Bonus Features Include: § “The Making of Yakuza Weapon” Featurette § Director’s Discussion § Tokyo Stage Greeting § Spin off Film: Takuzo Weapon § Trailers - http://moviebuzzers.com/2011/12/06/yakuza-weapon-coming-bluray-dvd-insanity-commence/ UK BD is set for late March. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DeathFuMaster Posted December 8, 2011 Member Share Posted December 8, 2011 Yes! Well Go USA is getting more and more useful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted January 17, 2012 Author Member Share Posted January 17, 2012 Seems like me and Boxer just can’t get into an agreement on Korean films and Sushi films... I thought Yakuza Weapon was the worst of all Sushi Typhoon movies. Review later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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