Source: Cinema Epoch Movie Website: demeking-movie.com (Japan) Special Thanks to Gregory Hatanaka and Edwin Santos Next month, the American movie and video distributor Cinema Epoch will release two 2009 independent Japanese monster movies on Region 1 DVD. Both DEMEKING, THE SEA MONSTER and PSYCHO SHARK will be available October 12th for the suggested retail price of $19.98 each.
DEMEKING, THE SEA MONSTER is adapted from the 1991 cult hit manga Demeking by Takashi Imashiro. The film was produced by Tornado Film Co., Ltd. (MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT!) and given a limited theatrical release in Japan by Jolly Roger Inc. starting March 7, 2009. Imashiro also co-wrote the film`s screenplay with director Kotaro Terauchi (SLIT MOUTH WOMAN 2, BOYS LOVE THE MOVIE, SHAOLIN GRANDMA). Takeshi Nadagi, a member of the comedy team The Plan 9 who has been highly praised for his acting ability, stars as Koichi Hachiya, a brooding man who has spent most of his life preparing for an attack by a giant monster from outer space. PSYCHO SHARK was originally known as JAWS IN JAPAN, but has been renamed to avoid any legal issues with Universal Studios over their JAWS franchise. The connection to the Steven Spielberg blockbuster was played up by Japanese production company Ace Deuce Inc. when they released JAWS IN JAPAN on August 21st, 2009... their low budget production was billed as "Classic JAWS versus big tits bikini idols". But the straight to video film`s focus is not on the shark but rather the physical attributes of 23 year old Nonami Takizawa (WATER BOYS) and 24 year old Airi Nakajima (SAMURAI ZOMBIE), two gravure models and part-time actresses who play the lead roles. While Ace Deuce touted that viewers would enjoy JAWS IN JAPAN`s pairing of horror and jiggle, reviews in Japan were uniformly negative with comments such as "unbelievable garbage" and "-5 stars". North American viewers will have a chance to judge the movie for themselves next month.
DEMEKING, THE SEA MONSTER (?????, Demekingu)
In 1969, a young man named Koichi Hachiya finds an anonymous letter in a glass bottle which foretold of the apocalyptic arrival of a cosmic monster known as Demeking. Since then, he has physically prepared himself in a lone struggle for that fateful day when the monster will arrive. Years later, junior high school student named Hiroshi (Kouhei Kiyasu) meets the adult Hachiya (Nadagi Takeshi) as he rides his bike. Hiroshi avoids kids his own age and will only play with younger children, but a strange friendship shortly begins to blossom between him and Hachiya. But then Hachiya disappears, leaving behind only the puzzling words, "I am going to fight Demeking".
Original Story: Takashi Imashiro Director: Kotaro Terauchi Screenwriter: Takashi Imashiro Co-Screenwriter: Kotaro Terauchi, KARORUKO Producer: Kyosuke Ueno, Norio Konishi Co-Producer: Masafumi Fukui Visual Effects Supervisor: Tsuyoshi Kazuno Cinematographer: Yoshiko Osawa Production Designer: Yuji Takamura Editor: Yoshitsugu Sagami Cast Koichi Hachiya: Takeshi Nadagi Hiroshi: Kouhei Kiyasu Yoshihiko Hachiya: Manami Honjo Tadashi Hachiya: GUTS-Ishimatsu Yusuke Nagata: Hiroshi Yamamoto Takashi Matsuo Chiyoko Asami Tatsuma Ito Amane Nikai Tsuyoki Sato PUNCH-Sato ZENJIRO DVD Specs Audio: Japanese Subtitles: English Running Time Time: 90 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 UPC: 899975002511 Release Date: October 12, 2010 SRP: $19.98
PSYCHO SHARK (????????????, Jaws in Japan)
Beautiful girls are in danger. At Sunny Beach, a huge shark is waiting for his prey.
College students Miki, Mai, and some friends decide to celebrate their graduation with a trip to a private beach on a tropical island south of Japan. Arriving on the island, the two girls can`t find the hotel where they booked their reservations, and have gotten hopelessly lost. Luckily for them a handsome young man shows up, offering to take them to his friend`s lodge. But something is not right about the place... the owner`s fingernails are tainted with blood. The girls borrow a video camera and head to the beach for some sunbathing and swimming. Miki feels something sinister lurking nearby. Suddenly, the dorsal fin of a monstrously large shark breaks the surface... Director: John Hijiri Screenplay: John Hijiri, Yasutoshi Kawamura Cast Nonami Takizawa Airi Nakajima Mika Inagaki Jyun Kanaki Megumi Haruno Hiroyuki Nakauchi Hisashi Izumi DVD Specs Audio: Japanese Subtitles: English Running Time Time: 70 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 UPC: 899975002504 Release Date: October 12, 2010 SRP: $19.98
About Cinema Epoch
Cinema Epoch is a Los Angeles-based international sales, production and distribution company formed by distribution veteran Gregory Hatanaka. With a distribution slate that includes internationally acclaimed arthouse films, contemporary American films and edgy cult & midnight works, Cinema Epoch has been inspired by the great 1970s film distributors World Northal and New World Pictures. The company`s annual slate includes 12 films for theatrical distribution and 50 films for ancillary markets (DVD, television, VOD). Cinema Epoch has an exclusive distribution agreement with E1 Entertainment for its DVD releases.