is a 2008 Japanese
comic horror film directed by
Tak Sakaguchi
is a Japanese actor, director, fight choreographer, stuntman and martial artist. He is best known for his role in Ryuhei Kitamura's cult film, '' Versus''. Since his debut, Sakaguchi has worked with Kitamura several times, often appearing al ...
and written by
Ryuhei Kitamura
(born May 30, 1969) is a Japanese film director, producer, and screenwriter.
Biography
Early life
Kitamura was born in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He dropped out of high school at age 17 and relocated to Sydney, Australia, where he attended a sch ...
, who had previously collaborated on ''
Versus''. A family taken hostage and their kidnappers become prey to an undead samurai in a haunted cemetery.
Plot
A family of four (Shigeo, Yasuko, Asami and Ryota) on a road trip has their idyllic holiday turned into a nightmare with a bizarre series of events. They stop their car after accidentally hitting a man dressed in white (Aihara) but when he stands up brandishing a gun, another man, Jirō, shoots Aihara. Jirō and his manic girlfriend Lisa then hijack the family's car, holding the father at gun point. When one of the tires is punctured, Jirō tells the father, Shigeo, that they are in the land of the undead and that the father must go off to find help, leaving his family with the captors. When Shigeo finds a ghostly cemetery he starts digging until he finds a blade which he then uses to decapitate himself, with the resulting fountain of blood spraying an ancient tomb. Some time later an eerie samurai warrior appears from the tomb and begins to hunt the family and the captors. The fugitives think to find shelter in an abandoned building but more horrors and surprises await.
Cast
Release
The film had its world premiere at the
Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Prior to 2015, it was known as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan. Inaugurate ...
as part of the World Fantastic Cinema section. It was released theatrically by Xanadeux () in Japan on February 14, 2009. The film also appeared at the
New York Asian Film Festival
The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is a critically acclaimed film festival held in New York City, dedicated to the display of Asian Film Culture. The New York Asian Film Festival generally features contemporary premieres and classic titles ...
in June 2009. It was also released as a DVD in 2009 under the title ''Samurai Zombie'' with English and Chinese subtitles.
Reception
David Canfield of
Twitch Film
Screen Anarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...
called it a rare film that combines humor, atmosphere, and thoughtful themes. Gareth Jones of
Dread Central
Dread Central is an American website founded in 2006 that is dedicated to horror news, interviews, and reviews. It covers horror films, comics, novels, and toys. Dread Central has won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Website f ...
called it "a wildly entertaining but occasionally unsteady dose of Eastern splatter." Ben Bussey of Brutal As Hell wrote, "It certainly ain't the new ''
Battle Royale'' or ''
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece giv ...
'', but as far as contemporary Japanese horror goes, ''Samurai Zombie'' is certainly one of the stronger entries I've seen for a while." James Mudge of Beyond Hollywood described it as "a cut above" the typical Japanese splatter film.
References
External links
*
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* {{Official website, http://www.cinemacafe.net/official/yoroi-zombie/
2008 films
2008 horror films
Japanese comedy horror films
Japanese slasher films
2000s comedy horror films
Japanese action horror films
Japanese action comedy films
Zombie comedy films
Japanese splatter films
2008 comedy films
2000s Japanese films