"If he's trying to murder me, I'll kill him first." Another official trailer is available to watch for this kooky and crazy Japanese horror film called Lumberjack the Monster, based on the novel of the same name. A suspenseful thriller directed by Takashi Miike and starring Kazuya Kamenashi. The brutal film is about a series of bizarre murders by someone wearing a strange monster mask found in the picture book 'Monster Woodcutter' who then steals their brains. Akira heads out to get revenge on this Lumberjack killer. The plot follows this Patrick Bateman-like psychopath lawyer (who also kills) going up against this vicious masked murderer - pitting a psychopath against a serial killer in a totally bonkers new Takashi Miike creation. Only someone like Miike could make something so absurd! Lumberjack the Monster stars Kazuya Kamenashi as Akira Ninomiya, Nanao, Riho Yoshioka, Shota Sometani, and Shido Nakamura. The film already opened in Japan last December,...
- 4/19/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike has over 115 directing credits to his name, and it has only taken him 33 years to reach that impressive number. One of his latest credits came on a blood-soaked horror thriller called Lumberjack the Monster, and the folks at Rue Morgue have confirmed that Lumberjack the Monster is going to be available to watch on the Netflix streaming service as of June 1st.
Before the film reaches Netflix, New York City’s Japan Society (located at 333 East 47th Street) will be hosting its the North American premiere screening on Monday, May 6 at 8pm. Rue Morgue notes, “There will also be a pre-screening reception at 7pm with beverages donated by Sapporo-Stone Brewing and Brooklyn Kura. The screening is being presented in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Festival, as part of its Escape from Tribeca program.”
Lumberjack the Monster is based on a novel by Mayusuke Kurai and stars Kazuya Kamenashi,...
Before the film reaches Netflix, New York City’s Japan Society (located at 333 East 47th Street) will be hosting its the North American premiere screening on Monday, May 6 at 8pm. Rue Morgue notes, “There will also be a pre-screening reception at 7pm with beverages donated by Sapporo-Stone Brewing and Brooklyn Kura. The screening is being presented in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Festival, as part of its Escape from Tribeca program.”
Lumberjack the Monster is based on a novel by Mayusuke Kurai and stars Kazuya Kamenashi,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Prolific genre filmmaker Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) is back with Lumberjack the Monster, an adaptation of Kaibutsu no Kikori by Mayusuke Kurai. And it’s heading to Netflix this summer.
It’s going to be battle to the death between a serial killer and a psychopath.
Lumberjack the Monster will make its North American premiere on May 6 at the Japan Society, in partnership with Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca, ahead of its Netflix debut on June 1, 2024.
In the film, “Akira Ninomiya (Kamenashi) is a remorseless lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. One night he is brutally attacked by an unknown assailant wearing a monster mask. Although he miraculously survives the assault, Ninomiya becomes fixated on finding the attacker and getting revenge. Meanwhile, a series of gruesome murders occur where the victims are found with their brains removed from their bodies.
It’s going to be battle to the death between a serial killer and a psychopath.
Lumberjack the Monster will make its North American premiere on May 6 at the Japan Society, in partnership with Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca, ahead of its Netflix debut on June 1, 2024.
In the film, “Akira Ninomiya (Kamenashi) is a remorseless lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. One night he is brutally attacked by an unknown assailant wearing a monster mask. Although he miraculously survives the assault, Ninomiya becomes fixated on finding the attacker and getting revenge. Meanwhile, a series of gruesome murders occur where the victims are found with their brains removed from their bodies.
- 4/11/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Prolific genre filmmaker Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) quietly released short film “Midnight,” based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka, on Apple’s YouTube channel yesterday. And that’s not even the most impressive part: per THR, the filmmaker shot the thrilling short on an Apple iPhone 15 Pro.
Watch “Midnight” below.
The short film “centers on a late-night taxi driver named Midnight, played by popular Japanese actor Kento Kaku, who roams the streets of Tokyo offering help to those in need. The film follows Midnight as he comes to the aid of a young woman, played by Konatsu Kato, who is struggling to take over her recently deceased father’s truck-driving business while fighting off a nefarious local gang, led by an evil boss played by the acclaimed character actor Yukiyoshi Ozawa.”
The 19-minute comedic action short looks incredible for being shot on an iPhone, and mixes live-action with manga illustrations.
Watch “Midnight” below.
The short film “centers on a late-night taxi driver named Midnight, played by popular Japanese actor Kento Kaku, who roams the streets of Tokyo offering help to those in need. The film follows Midnight as he comes to the aid of a young woman, played by Konatsu Kato, who is struggling to take over her recently deceased father’s truck-driving business while fighting off a nefarious local gang, led by an evil boss played by the acclaimed character actor Yukiyoshi Ozawa.”
The 19-minute comedic action short looks incredible for being shot on an iPhone, and mixes live-action with manga illustrations.
- 3/6/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Here’s a nice surprise to get you over Hump Day: Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike secretly shot a 19-minute short film, titled “Midnight,” on an Apple iPhone 15 Pro. Apple quietly released the film on YouTube.
“Midnight,” originally a manga by Osamu Tezuka and directed for film by Miike, follows a mysterious taxi driver, Midnight, who lends a hand to Kaede, a young girl chased by assassins. This dude is a hell of a lot better than that “Cash Cab” guy, and “Midnight” is a hell of a lot better than your home iPhone videos.
Midnight can see the near future, which makes him one of the only people outside of Miike himself who saw this film coming. But when you do see it, you’ll probably want to trade in your Samsung device.
The short film is visually stunning, especially when you consider its camera — Miike’s iPhone has no...
“Midnight,” originally a manga by Osamu Tezuka and directed for film by Miike, follows a mysterious taxi driver, Midnight, who lends a hand to Kaede, a young girl chased by assassins. This dude is a hell of a lot better than that “Cash Cab” guy, and “Midnight” is a hell of a lot better than your home iPhone videos.
Midnight can see the near future, which makes him one of the only people outside of Miike himself who saw this film coming. But when you do see it, you’ll probably want to trade in your Samsung device.
The short film is visually stunning, especially when you consider its camera — Miike’s iPhone has no...
- 3/6/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
The Tokyo Film Festival has set the lineup for its bumper 2023 edition, running October 23 to November 1. Scroll down for the full list.
In the main competition, the festival has set 10 world premieres. The features include Japanese filmmaker Kishi Yoshiyuki’s latest pic (Ab)normal Desire and Gu Xiaogang’s Dwelling by the West Lake. Xiaogang is also set to receive the festival’s Kurosawa Akira Award alongside Mouly Surya.
Of the main competition titles, six are from East Asia, and there is noticeably a feature from Russia, with Alexey German Jr. screening his latest film, Air. Elsewhere, the festival’s Gala section is chock-full of audience favorites from fall festivals. Titles like Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and All of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh will screen alongside David Gordon Green’s remake The Exorcist: Believer. The Japanese films set for the Gala section include Kitano Takeshi’s Kubi, Miike Takashi’s Lumberjack the Monster,...
In the main competition, the festival has set 10 world premieres. The features include Japanese filmmaker Kishi Yoshiyuki’s latest pic (Ab)normal Desire and Gu Xiaogang’s Dwelling by the West Lake. Xiaogang is also set to receive the festival’s Kurosawa Akira Award alongside Mouly Surya.
Of the main competition titles, six are from East Asia, and there is noticeably a feature from Russia, with Alexey German Jr. screening his latest film, Air. Elsewhere, the festival’s Gala section is chock-full of audience favorites from fall festivals. Titles like Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and All of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh will screen alongside David Gordon Green’s remake The Exorcist: Believer. The Japanese films set for the Gala section include Kitano Takeshi’s Kubi, Miike Takashi’s Lumberjack the Monster,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The Tokyo International Film Festival undertook a series of bold changes in 2020 to enhance its international reach, including a location change and major shakeups across staffing and programming. For the global film community, however, much of the overhaul went unfelt due to the travel restrictions of the pandemic. The Tokyo festival’s chairman, Hiroyasu Ando, emphasized at a press conference in the Japanese capital Wednesday that the event “aims to take a bigger leap” this year with its upcoming 36th edition, making good on its ambitions for a transformation.
“We’re really focussing on international interaction,” Ando said, noting that the festival would welcome some 600 overseas guests this year, including filmmakers, jury members and industry professionals, a major uptick from the 104 international industry VIPs who attended in 2022.
The Tokyo International Film Festival will open Oct. 23 with a gala screening of acclaimed German auteur Wim Wenders’ Tokyo-set drama Perfect Days, which...
“We’re really focussing on international interaction,” Ando said, noting that the festival would welcome some 600 overseas guests this year, including filmmakers, jury members and industry professionals, a major uptick from the 104 international industry VIPs who attended in 2022.
The Tokyo International Film Festival will open Oct. 23 with a gala screening of acclaimed German auteur Wim Wenders’ Tokyo-set drama Perfect Days, which...
- 9/27/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Equal numbers of Chinese and Japanese titles adorn the main competition section of the Toyo International Film Festival, which was announced on Wednesday – three each.
Among the Chinese films is “Snow Leopard,” the last feature by the late Pema Tseden, and “Dwelling by the West Lake,” directed by Gu Xiaogang, the surprisingly inexperienced joint recipient of this year’s Kurosawa Award.
The full competition with 15 titles, set to play between Oct. 23 and Nov. 1, includes the world premiere of Russian director Alexei German Jr.’s “Air” and Filipino director Sheron Dayoc’s “The Gospel of the Beast.”
The trio from Japan are: “(Ab)Normal Desire,” by Kishi Yoshiyuki; “A Foggy Paradise,” by Kotsijui Yohei; and “Who Were We,” by Tomina Tetsuya.
The festival’s gala selection appears designed for entertainment pleasure. In addition to the previously-announced “Perfect Days” and “Godzilla Minus One,” set as the festival’s opening and closing films,...
Among the Chinese films is “Snow Leopard,” the last feature by the late Pema Tseden, and “Dwelling by the West Lake,” directed by Gu Xiaogang, the surprisingly inexperienced joint recipient of this year’s Kurosawa Award.
The full competition with 15 titles, set to play between Oct. 23 and Nov. 1, includes the world premiere of Russian director Alexei German Jr.’s “Air” and Filipino director Sheron Dayoc’s “The Gospel of the Beast.”
The trio from Japan are: “(Ab)Normal Desire,” by Kishi Yoshiyuki; “A Foggy Paradise,” by Kotsijui Yohei; and “Who Were We,” by Tomina Tetsuya.
The festival’s gala selection appears designed for entertainment pleasure. In addition to the previously-announced “Perfect Days” and “Godzilla Minus One,” set as the festival’s opening and closing films,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
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