The Machine Girl

We mentioned quickly last night that Tokyo Gore Police director Yoshihiko Nishimura had mentioned that the next film from the crew behind Tokyo Gore Police and Machine Girl would be Drill Bra Sisters and we had the chance to ask Nishimura for a few more details today. The film is still being written so details are scarce but one of the lead characters is obviously carrying forward from The Machine Girl - which raises the possibility of further character cross overs - and Nishimura confirmed that it will be Machine Girl director Noboru Iguchi calling the shots on this one as well. As for Nishimura? Well, he’s got something big on the horizons himself as well: he will be taking over the reins of the hugely popular Ju-On films - remade in the USA as The Grudge. The next installment of the long running franchise is being written now, series creator and original director Takashi Shimizu will be involved as a producer and Nishimura will be directing. More details as we get them.

By: Joris Westerdaal

Thanks to Joris for sending in this review from the Amsterdam Film Festival

There’s nothing more liberating than watching a revenge movie. I just love the way these movies work. The story is simple, yet very engaging most of the times. Somebody gets treated inhumanely or gets pushed over the edge and starts taking right into their own hands by exacting cold blooded revenge on who ever has put them in these dire situations. THE MACHINE GIRL, by japanese director Noboru Iguchi, is no exception.

Ami and her younger brother Yu have no parents. They commited suicide from shame after falsely being accused of murder. Living alone now, Ami and Yu have sworn to never lose another loved one ever again so they never resort to violence and try to solve all their problems in a peacefull way, like their parents allways told them. Sho is the son of a Yakuza-clan leader and the leader of a gang of bullies who constantly terrorize poor Yu and his friend Takeshi. After Yu and Takeshi are murdered by the bullies Ami tries to investigate but gets attacked by the gang members’ parents who turn out to be even more sadistic than their offspring. Ami freaks out completely and swears to kill all of Yu’s enemies. This wont be easy because these Yakuza are members of the Hattori Hanzo ninja dynasty. Ami even loses one of her arms when she tries to attack the Yakuza home base. Barely alive she is taken in by Takeshi’s parents who happen to be mechanics. They fix her up with the perfect tool for pissed off, one armed school girls: an eight barreled machine gun prosthetic.

When I first heard of this movie I couldn’t help but immediately think of other films that use the same kind of gimmick (a body part thats transformed into a weapon) - like TETSUO or PLANET TERROR. Now that I have actually seen MACHINE GIRL it’s easy to say that this one is way different from those afforementioned two. The story is as simple as it gets and is only used as an excuse to get down to some serious blood-shedding. Most of the characters are totally over the top and unbelievable but still fun to watch. What really helps is that THE MACHINE GIRL herself (portrayed by Asami who is a popstar in her native country) is enjoyable and she looks great in that Japanese school uniform as well.

After a very bloody and disgusting opening sequence, which is a great introduction for the carnage that awaits, it took a bit too long for our leading lady to actually lose her arm and get her machine gun in my opinion. But as soon as Ami gains her machine gun arm the movie turns into the gorefest everybody expects it to be. And though the effects work at display never looks authentic it suits the cartoonish style of this movie just fine. Fountains of blood everywhere, people getting cut in two, decapitations, drillbra mayhem… it’s all in there. The only problem here is that the trailer spoiled a bit too much of the gory set pieces we get here, so if you haven’t seen it yet, I advise you to avoid it and let the movie surprise you.

There are some other minor flaws like some bad acting and poor dialogues, but the movie easilly overcomes its own flaws by never taking itself too serious. And though terribly sadistic things happen in this movie everything is so over the top insane that it had me laughing out loud many times over these atrocities like the raping of a dead school girl. MACHINE GIRL isn’t a revenge flick like KILL BILL, which leaves plenty of room for character development, this one can easilly go without any character development… just tell the story and let the mayhem begin.

This really is a perfect midnight movie; it’s simple, fast paced, funny and gory as hell. Invite some friends over, get drunk (or whatever) and let THE MACHINE GIRL lead you into a world of exploitation and bloody madness. I never saw any of Noboru Iguchi’s previous works but this weird little movie certainly made me curious. His next feature film “Tokyo Gore Police” is rumoured to be even more insane than this one so that certainly is something to look forward to.
Score: 8 / 10

If you only see ONE outrageously absurd and ridiculously over-the-top Asian splatter yarn this year - or even this lifetime, for that matter – you better make damn sure it’s Noboru Iguchi’s “The Machine Girl”! This stupendously demented piece of Japanese “Revengeploitaton” features king-size portions of all the regular and crowd-pleasing ingredients, like crazed stereotypical characters (Yakuzas, Ninjas, schoolgirls in uniform, …) and simplistic story lines, but it particularly specializes in extreme Magna-esquire gore and kitschy comedy. Beautiful and multi-talented schoolgirl Ami lives alone with her nerdy brother Yu since their parents committed suicide for falsely being accused of homicide. Ami protects her brother where she can, but she doesn’t know he and his friend Takashi are the main targets of youthful bullies with prominent Yakuza-parents. The boys get killed, but nobody wants to help Ami because of her notorious family history and her sole attempts to get revenge literally cost the poor girl an arm. She finally gets help from Takashi’s mourning parents, who also provide Ami with a machine-gun prosthesis. “Machine Girl” offers a wide selection of decapitations, dismemberment, close-up gunfire, stabbings, split-open skulls, chainsaw murders, fried limbs, slit throats, electrocutions, impalement and Samurai swashbuckling. Seen all of that before in other schlocky splatter fodder already? Well, yeah … but what about flying guillotines and drill bras? Most of the running time, the screen is literally colored red with gallons of fake blood and removed intestines, but the tone of the film continuously remains blackly comical and light-headed. The phenomenally berserk make-up effects, courtesy of Yoshihiro Nishimura, are often nauseating, but never truly offensive. “Machine Girl” definitely also stars a couple of ravishing and incredibly sexy Japanese actresses, like Ami, her partner in crime Miki and even the supremely bitchy Yakuza’s wife. The battle sequences at the beginning and in the garage, as well as the entire final showdown of course, simply have to be seen to be believed. This outrageously grotesque movie is well-made, well-acted and directed and indescribably entertaining.

source

Carl Morano of Fever Dreams passed on the above costume/makeup test shot from the company’s latest project, tentatively titled TOKYO GORE POLICE. “It’s our next production to be shot entirely in Japan,” Morano tells Fango. “The film will be directed by special effects designer Yoshihiro [MEATBALL MACHINE] Nishimura, and is currently in preproduction, with shooting to begin in early 2008.” Plot details are currently under wraps, but that title is certainly enticing; look for more on the movie at this site in the near future.

In addition, Fever Dreams just unveiled the splatterific trailer for MACHINE GIRL, its previous Japan-lensed film, which we last reported on here. Noboru Iguchi wrote and directed this blood-drenched saga of a young girl who gets revenge on those who killed her brother and severed her arm, with the help of a machine gun attached where her limb once was. Check out the over-the-top preview below! —Michael Gingold

December 18th, 2007 11:54 am
In News: Tokusatsu

A brief look at Noboru Iguchi’s upcoming film
Author: Elliot Gay
Source: Richard York, Twitch, Fangoria, Fever Dreams LLC, Gomorrahy
Special Thanks to Keith Aiken and Sheldon Warnock

Director Noboru Iguchi’s latest film effort, THE MACHINE GIRL (Kataude Mashingaru, THE ONE-ARMED MACHINE GIRL, 2008), will be seeing its theatrical release in Japan in 2008. Written by Iguchi himself, the film follows the story of Ami, a young high-school girl who sets out to take revenge on a gang of bullies after they kill her little brother. On the way to revenge, Ami loses an arm and replaces it with a high powered gun. Insane foes armed with their own bizarre weapons meet a violent end as Ami seeks vengeance for the deaths of those she cares about most.

Noboru Iguchi is no stranger to horror films. Some of his previous credits include but are not limited to director Yudai Yamaguchi’s MEATBALL MACHINE (Mitoboru Mashin, 2007), and SUICIDE CIRCLE (Isatsu Sakuru, a.k.a. SUICIDE CLUB, 2002).

Also on board for THE MACHINE GIRL are Yoshihiro Nishimura and his company, Nishimura Motion Picture Model Makers Group (Y.K. Nishimura Eizô) - “NMPMMG” for short, who will be handling the multitude of special effects in the film. Previous special effects credits include MEATBALL MACHINE and SUKEBAN BOY (Oira Sukeban, 2006). Yuji Shimomura, director of the hyper kinetic film DEATH TRANCE (2005), is handling the martial arts choreography of the film.

The film is said to be a mix of the relentless action of DEATH TRANCE, with the over the top gore of MEATBALL MACHINE, combined to create a dynamic action/horror film. THE MACHINE GIRL stars J-idol Minase Yashiro as Ami. Rounding out the cast are adult actresses Asami Ogawa (Director Noboru Iguchi’s previous film SUKEBAN BOY) and Honoko, model Noriko Kijima, Kentaro Shimazu, Taro Suwa (BATTLE ROYALE, MEATBALL MACHINE), Nobuhiro Nishihara, and Ryosuke Kawamura.

THE MACHINE GIRL is a co-production between the US company Fever Dreams, LLC and Media Suits, a Japanese production house that merged with Nikkatsu Corporation (Nikkatsu K.K.) in 2006. Fever Dreams and Media Suits had previously partnered on DEATH TRANCE. The film’s international distribution rights were put up for sale by Nikkatsu at this year’s American Film Market. Media Blasters may be releasing THE MACHINE GIRL in America as a “Tokyo Shock Original” sometime in 2008.