Punk Samurai Slash Down (2018) new punk samurai film

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Toei Company released the movie Punk Samurai Slash Down (Panku-zamurai, kirarete soro) in Japan on June 30, 2018.  Its world premiere was at the Shanghai International Film Festival a few days earlier.  The movie, with its "loopy weirdness and jolts and anachronistic rock 'n roll energy", has its North American premiere at the 2018 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal.  Punk Samurai Slash Down is based on a 2004 novel by Kou Machida.  The director, Gakuryu Ishii, has been writing and directing for Japanese films since the 1970s.  As "Sogo" Ishii, he directed the punk cinema classics, Crazy Thunder Road and Burst City, as well as the samurai film, Gojoe.  The movie is "about a little bluff that triggers a secret samurai mission.  Ten men who try to guess each other's ulterior motive.  A woman and her romance.  And a monkey who reveals an astounding secret.  Who will live to the end?  A story beyond our earthly comprehension is about to be unveiled..."  "Many well-established actors fought to be in this movie and the ones who were lucky enough to get roles were":  Go Ayano (Rurouni Kenshin; Gatchaman), Keiko Kitagawa (Judge!), Masahiro Higashide (Death Note: Light Up the New World), and Shota Sometani (Legend of the Demon Cat).  Supporting cast includes:  Tadanobu Asano (Thor), Koen Kondo (13 Assassins), Jun Kunimura (Mumon: The Land of Stealth), Jun Murakami (Cutie Honey: Live Action), Kiyo Shibukawa (Yakuza Apocalypse), Etsushi Toyokawa (Hula Girls), and Masatoshi Nagase (The Hidden Blade), "who will be playing a monkey dressed as a shogun".  Toei press notes and article are here - http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2018/06/29/punk-samurai-slash-down-press-notes-and-high-res-photos-from-toei/   One less-than-enthusiastic, but intriguing movie review is here - https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2018/06/27/films/film-reviews/punk-samurai-slash-audacious-adaptation-may-look-better-paper/#.Wzj2_NVKhUSKiyohiko   Movie trailer - 

 

 Movie poster -