Set in
the near future, here is the story of the bourgeois Shizuko family, a
self-absorbed doctor, a high-strung mom and a rambunctious little boy
named Kenichi. The family purchases a female zombie as a 'pet.'
The doctor plans to conduct scientific experiments on the undead woman
but she very quickly becomes the family maid, left to the wife's unimaginative
whims. Sara is a first-stage zombie, not dangerous if kept away
from meat. But regardless, her presence is unwelcome in the community.
Neighborhood children throw rocks at her and Sara is constantly bullied
by older folks. Abuse continues unchecked, eventually leading to rape
and sexual assault by several men including the doctor himself. The tensions
grow into a morbid tragedy with unexpected consequences.
Even though the Japanese
entered the genre relatively late, today they produce more zombie movies
than any country in the world, including the United States. Their first
homemade zombie production was Gaira's BATTLE
GIRL: LIVING DEAD IN TOKYO BAY in 1991. Since that time, they
have delivered must-see classics like VERSUS,
WILD
ZERO, and I
AM A HERO.This 2014 entry from director SABU will certainly
be ranked among them, with numerous International critics calling it "the
best Asian movie of modern times."
Director SABU started
as an actor. Under his birth name Hiroyuki Tanka, he was featured in many
cult films including ICHI
THE KILLER, the DEAD
OR ALIVE series, andPULSE.
He began directing in 1997, delivering one award-winning hit after another
(including MONDAY,
POSTMAN
BLUES andUNLUCKY
MONKEY) before going into semi-retirement in 2003. After ten years,
he has returned to cinema with this profound masterpiece. [Note: see an
extensive interview with SABU in Asian
Cult Cinema Magazine #63]
A
Japanese film with optional ON/OFF English subtitles (+ Korean subtitles);
widescreen uncut (85 min.) black & white film with color ending;
version in DVD encoded for ALL REGION,
playable on any American DVD machine;
Extras include theatrical trailer.
Violence/Rape/Nudity/Sexual
Brutality
Recommended for Mature Audiences
