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.

Yoshihiro Nishimura’s latest gore-fest looks set to raise the bar in the exploitation market, with swords, cops and mutants galore

have to admit, a lot of the big 90s Japanese horror movies left me cold. You know the ones. Most of them were remade for the US market, and they often involved a vengeful spirit stalking the living through some piece of seemingly innocuous modern technology. Even the Ringu movies - which won a loyal cult following at home and abroad - just seemed a little dull and convoluted to me.

Which brings me to the latest slice of Japanese horror to hit our screens - the fantastically titled Tokyo Gore Police. Trailers for Yoshihiro Nishimura’s latest began to leak onto the internet in early May, via the always informative Twitch.net, and each successive trailer is serving to make this insane-looking exploitation flick seem more and more like essential viewing.

Obviously influenced by such low budget auteurs as Herschell Gordon Lewis (Blood Feast, The Gore Gore Girls), and
Andreas Schnaas (Violent Shit 1-4) - as well as seemingly taking some homegrown inspiration from the Yokai Monsters series - Tokyo Gore Police mixes cheap-looking gore effects, improbable plotting, and some breathtakingly imaginative creature effects. The plot (as described on the official site) revolves around Ruka, a samurai sword wielding female cop (played by Audition’s Eihi Shiina) and her attempts to track down Key Man, a mad scientist who has flooded Tokyo with all kinds of bizarre mutants. Ruka and Key Man, however, share a vendetta against the Tokyo Police, who murdered their respective fathers in the past. So we’re talking sword wielding cops, mad scientists, mutants and revenge. Sounds like a perfect Saturday night to me.

As with most films of this nature, the plot seems secondary to the visuals, and so far the trailers are promising us a slick, vile, silly and totally over the top feast for the eyes. Look out for the barmy crocodile woman in the second trailer. Tokyo Gore Police is the brainchild of the same team (director Nishimura and production company Fever Dreams) that gave the world the frankly astonishing Machine Girl. That one was the story of a schoolgirl who rebuilds herself as a cyborg assassin to take revenge on the yakuza who destroyed her life…

There is no official release date for Tokyo Gore Police, but already it is the talk of the horror movie fan sites. I’d say it’s about time to start drooling in anticipation now.

Source

I can’t say that I really consider myself to be a trend-follower. Despite this, however, I’ve got my finger firmly on the pulse of everything that’s cool, hip and happening! I know all about what the kids are into these days, whether it’s invisible cola, pet rocks, or even the macarena. Because I care, I’d like to impart a bit of insight into the latest fad sweeping the globe: Replacing amputated limbs with firearms!

It all began during that magical era known as “last spring” when Rose McGowan … ahem … blasted her way onto the screen in Planet Terror, the Robert Rodriguez–helmed half of Grindhouse. As go-go dancer Cherry Darling, McGowan proved that there’s something oddly alluring about a gal blasting away at zombies with a machine gun that’s been crammed into her thigh. Who knew?
Upping the ante in machine-gun chic is the forthcoming Japanese flick The Machine Girl (Kataude mashin garu), a film that concerns a schoolgirl out for revenge when her family is killed (and her arm is amputated) by the Yakuza.
The Machine Girl has truly got it all: ninjas, sailor fuku school girls, revenge, Yakuza, flying guillotines, drill bras and, of course, the gatling gun arm. According to my calculations, those elements may add up to equal the best movie ever … and by “best movie ever,” I mean I made out with the trailer five times last night. See for yourself, though be warned: the trailer is over-the-top bloody and totally NSFW.

While I’ll be first in line for The Machine Girl, I would never condone such violence in real life. I mean, if my arm were ever chopped off by a clan of ninja Yakuza, I’d like to think that I’d rise above the notion of revenge. Instead of a Gatling gun, maybe I’d attach a Super Soaker to myself and spend my days watering gardens and cooling off the neighborhood children during the summer heat. You know, giving peace a chance and all that.

NOBORU IGUCHI’S
KATAUDE MASHIN GÂRU
『片腕マシンガール』
a.k.a. THE MACHINE GIRL

Download The machine Girl Trailer .mov for Quicktime
Download The machine Girl Trailer .wmv for windows media player

Minase Yashiro idol video .mov for Quicktime

DIRECTOR:
NOBORU IGUCHI (IGUCHI NOBORU)

SCREENWRITER:
NOBORU IGUCHI (IGUCHI NOBORU)

ACTION CHOREOGRAPHER:
YÛJI SHIMOMURA (SHIMOMURA YUUJI)

CAST:
MINASE YASHIRO (YASHIRO MINASE)
ASAMI (ASAMI)
HONOKA (HONOKA)
NORIKO KIJIMA (KIJIMA NORIKO)
KENTARÔ SHIMAZU (SHIMAZU KENTAROU)
TARÔ SUWA (SUWA TAROU)
NOBUHIRO NISHIHARA (NISHIHARA NOBUHIRO)
RYÔSUKE KAWAMURA (KAWAMURA RYOUSUKE)
YÛYA ISHIKAWA (ISHIKAWA YUUYA)
KENTARÔ KISHI (KISHI KENTAROU)
RYÔJI OKAMOTO (OKAMOTO RYOUJI)
DEMO TANAKA (DEMO TANAKA)
HIROKO YASHIKI (YASHIKI HIROKO)
ERIKA TERAJIMA (TERAJIMA ERIKA)

PRODUCTION COMPANIES:
FEVER DREAMS LLC
NIKKATSU CORPORATION (NIKKATSU K.K.)

INTERNATIONAL SALES AGENT:
NIKKATSU CORPORATION (NIKKATSU K.K.)
production stills courtesy of Yoshihiro Nishimura’s

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.