DEATH TRANCE…MACHINE GIRL…and now the latest Japanese production from Fever Dreams, TOKYO GORE POLICE! Currently in the middle of a 15-day shoot in the capital of Tokyo, the staff of TOKYO GORE POLICE laid out the welcome mat for Fango this week (photos below). In keeping with the mood of past productions, the POLICE set is an over-the-top assortment of scantly clad mutant women, bizarre fetish gear and anatomically accurate chairs of the female persuasion.
At the helm is first-time director Yoshihiro Nishimura. A special makeup artist by trade, Nishimura has crafted FX for such films as the aforementioned MACHINE GIRL and the bizarre MEATBALL MACHINE, as well as the upcoming Hideo Nakata film L: CHANGE THE WORLD (the follow-up to the DEATH NOTE duo) and several Sion Sono features, including EXTE and STRANGE CIRCUS. In addition to his directorial and scriptwriting duties (the latter shared with writer Kengo Kaji, of UZUMAKI fame), the filmmaker and his staff at Nishimura Eizou have devised a quantity of imaginative makeup FX for this new project.
The plot of TOKYO GORE POLICE revolves around Ruka, a police officer in a special squad formed to eradicate human mutations that have recently sprung into existence, the result of a virus created by a mad scientist simply known as Key Man. Killing these unwieldy mutants is no easy task, and Ruka, naturally enough, carries a samurai sword with her at all times. Despite being on opposite sides of the fence, Ruka and Key Man share a common bond: the murder of their fathers years earlier at the hands of the police, and both she and Key Man seek revenge for their dads’ untimely demise.
Playing Ruka is actress Eihi Shiina, who is most recognizable for her portrayal of Asami, the epitome of the Asian femme fatale in Takashi Miike’s classic film AUDITION. As lovely as ever, the slender Shiina freely brandished her silver sword about the set, making a mess of this weak-kneed Fango reporter’s nerves! Also starring is Itsuji Itao as Key Man; a member of the famous Yoshimoto comedy clan, Itao has appeared in films such as BIG MAN JAPAN, DEATH NOTE 2 and ONE MISSED CALL: FINAL. TOKYO GORE POLICE’s extensive fight scenes are in the hands of Tak Sakaguchi, the well-known stunt coordinator whose work has graced Ryuhei Kitamura’s AZUMI and GODZILLA: FINAL WARS.
TOKYO GORE POLICE is scheduled to wrap later this month, with Nishimura set to debut the film’s trailer at this year’s Yubari Fantastic Film Festival in March, in conjunction with the premiere of MACHINE GIRL (which is slated for release later this year).
Look for a full set report, including exclusive interviews with Nishimura and Shiina, in a future issue of Fango.
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