Win JAPAN CUTS 2014 Tickets!

See a Great New Japanese Movie on the Big Screen for Free, Courtesy of Japan Society and SciFi Japan Source: Japan Society Official Site: japansociety.org/japan-cuts-2014 Special Thanks to Jason Serrano The 2014 New York Asian Film Festival/Japan Cuts: The New York Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema is now in full swing. Running through July 10 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and July 10-20 at Japan Society, the combined festival will feature more than 70 films, international and world premiere screenings, Q&A`s with filmmakers, and other special events. Our friends at Japan Society are offering SciFi Japan readers two chances to win free tickets to see some of the great new films on their schedule. Our first contest features three movies premiering next weekend... the twisted MARUYAMA, THE MIDDLE SCHOOLER; the award-winning MISS ZOMBIE; or THE RING director Hideo Nakata`s MONSTERZ starring Tatsuya Fujiwara (DEATH NOTE) and Takayuki Yamada (MW). All three screenings will take place at Japan Society, located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second Avenues in New York City.

MARUYAMA, THE MIDDLE SCHOOLER (Chuugakusei Maruyama) Friday, July 11 at 8:30 pm **New York Premiere, Co-presented with NYAFF Japan. 2013. 119 min. Blu-ray, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Kankuro Kudo. With Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Takuma Hiraoka, Kenji Endo, Ik-June Yang, Maki Sakai, Toru Nakamura, Nanami Nabemoto, Yuiko Kariya, Fumina Hara, Ryo Iwamatsu. Though described by acclaimed actor/scriptwriter/director Kankuro Kudo as a "self-fellatio" comedy, Maruyama is also a moving coming-of-age story and an exploration of the infinite possibilities of the human imagination. Maruyama, a sex-crazed 14-year-old (Takuma Hiraoka) is not only dedicated to auto-eroticism but desires to defy the limitations of his body and transcend himself -- until his spine literally cracks. When he encounters a newcomer, a nerdy, single father (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) who finds fault with his neighbors, things take a weird turn as corpses are found in the otherwise ordinary neighborhood. As Maruyama`s imagination gets out of control, his fantasies go joyously wild and free as he reimagines his family and the inhabitants of the entire apartment complex as manga-like characters cast in an action-packed saga of assassinations and revenge. “[A] hugely entertaining, sensitive, hilarious and whimsical pop-comedy gem.” – Twitch Film

MISS ZOMBIE Saturday, July 12 at 8:30 pm **New York Premiere, Co-presented with NYAFF Japan. 2013. 85 min. HDCAM, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by SABU. With Ayaka Komatsu, Toru Tezuka, Makoto Togashi, Riku Ohnishi, Tateto Serizawa, Takaya Yamauchi. In a future or parallel world, family-man Dr. Teramoto (Toru Tezuka) receives a very special delivery: a crate containing a mail order female zombie (Ayaka Komatsu), complete with an instruction manual prescribing a vegetarian diet, a cautionary note against any meat, and a gun -- just in case. Teramoto`s wife (Makoto Togashi) promptly puts the zombie to work, assigning her the task of scrubbing the garden patio. In lieu of wages, she gets daily rations of rotten greens. Things take a disturbing turn when two contractors working at the villa molest the zombie girl. Witnessing this, the doctor becomes turned on and makes her his plaything. The zombie shows no particular emotional response and yet, as she stoically sews back her wounds, a sense of foreboding emerges. Fate comes knocking at the door when Teramoto`s young son, Kenichi (Riku Onishi), has a dreadful accident. The tables begin to turn for master and servant. “A deadpan social satire, an ode to motherhood, and a self-consciously grungy homage to classic silent horror-thrillers” – Variety Winner of the Grand Prize at the 2014 Gérardmer Film Festival; Winner of Best Film Award at the 2014 Fantasporto Film Festival

MONSTERZ (Monsutazu) Sunday, July 13 at 3 pm **North American Premiere, Co-presented with NYAFF Japan. 2013. 111 min. DCP, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Hideo Nakata. With Tatsuya Fujiwara, Takayuki Yamada, Satomi Ishihara, Tomorowo Taguchi, Motoki Ochiai, Taiga, Masaki Miura, Mina Fujii, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Yusuke Hirayama. Japanese horror master Hideo Nakata (RING, DARK WATER) returns with a remake of the 2010 South Korean film Haunters, a paranormal thriller that offers an original, exciting variation on the tale of two men with supernatural abilities locked in a duel to the death. The nameless villain is a brooding loner (Tatsuya Fujiwara) who uses his mind control to rob banks to fund his solitary lifestyle. He is thrown off guard when delivery man Shuichi Tanaka (Takayuki Yamada) remains unaffected by his power, even after everyone standing in a public square has been placed under the control of his menacing sapphire eyes. Feeling threatened, the malevolent mind-bender sends a speeding truck after Shuichi and leaves him for dead. The young man mysteriously recovers and finds a job working for the driver, Mr. Kumoi (Tomorowo Taguchi), a guitar-shop owner. But when the mind-bender finds out that Shuichi is still alive, it is a war to the death between the two men.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES and INFORMATION

Prize: A. There are three (3) prizes. Each prize consists of two (2) passes to see a selected film at Japan Cuts. B. Passes will be available one (1) hour before the shows at the Japan Society Will Call. The winner must present a photo ID in order to claim their prize. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway at Grand Central or the E and V subway at Lexington Avenue). For more information, call 212-832-1155 or visit japansociety.org. C. In the event that a winner chooses not to (or cannot) accept a prize, he or she forfeits all claim to that prize. D. One entry per person. Prizes are non-transferable. No substitution of prizes allowed. E. These passes are for admission to the screenings only. Japan Society is providing complimentary admission with the condition that no other benefits are implied. Winners understand and acknowledge that they are responsible for all other expenses including transportation, food (you`ll have to buy your own snacks, sorry!), and lodging. Furthermore, winners and their guests understand and acknowledge that Japan Society and SciFi Japan are in no way liable for any injuries or other losses incurred by accepting the passes. Duration of contest: The contest runs from July 5 until 6:00 pm on July 9, 2014. How to enter: A. Answer the following trivia questions (answers should be easy to find with Google) for the films you`d like to attend. Submit the answers along with your name and email address. MARUYAMA, THE MIDDLE SCHOOLER Q) Actor Takuma Hiraoka lends his voice to which Japanese animated movie? A: My Neighbor Totoro B: Wolf Children C: Summer Wars Q) What film did Director/Writer Kenkuro Kudo win an award for Screenplay of the Year? A: Go B: Zebraman C: Brass Knuckle Boys MISS ZOMBIE Q) What famous director is associated with the “zombie horror” genre? A: Sam Peckinpah B: Akira Kurosawa C: George Romero Q) Director Sabu also acted in what 2001 Takashi Miike film? A: Sukiyaki Western Django B: Yakuza Demon C: Ichi The Killer MONSTERZ Q) Actor Takayuki Yamada has also written two songs for an album. The first song is Manatsu no Tenshi. What is the name of the second song? A: Sukiyaki B: Get Over C: Heart Electric Q) Director Hideo Nakata also directed what 1998 horror film that would have a US remake in 2002? A: The Ring B: Dark Water C: Audition Determination of winners: A. Only contestants who have submitted the requested information will be entered in the random drawing. B. SciFi Japan is not responsible for typographical, electronic or other errors in Internet operation affecting the offering, outcome, administration of the contest or the announcement of prizes. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. C. The decision of Japan Society and SciFi Japan is final. Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the SciFi Japan judges, which are final and binding in all respects. D. Following the drawing on July 9, winners will be notified via email. Just email the following information to "Japan Cuts 2014 Contest 1" at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Good luck! Name: Email Address: MARUYAMA, THE MIDDLE SCHOOLER Answers: MISS ZOMBIE Answers: MONSTERZ Answers:

About JAPAN CUTS

Japan Society`s annual JAPAN CUTS festival is an inimitable platform for contemporary Japanese cinema, showing the diversity and vitality of one of the most exciting world cinemas. Since its launch in 2007, the festival has attracted over 34,000 filmgoers and presented over 170 feature films, many never-before seen in the U.S. The first annual JAPAN CUTS was one of the most successful single events in the Society`s 2007-08 centennial celebration. Noted for its "rich and varied selection of recent Japanese films" (The New York Times), JAPAN CUTS has premiered several films that have gone on to garner international acclaim, including: About Her Brother, Buddha, Confessions, Death Note, Fish Story, Gantz, Haru’s Journey, Kamome Diner, Love Exposure, Milocrorze, The Mourning Forest, Ninja Kids!!!, Sawako Decides, Sukiyaki Western Django, Sway, Sketches of Kaitan City, United Red Army, Vacation, and Yasukuni. Every year JAPAN CUTS features a number of panels, post-screening parties, and exclusive Q&As with filmmakers and actors. Past festivals have included appearances by Koji Yakusho, Masami Nagasawa, Kenji Kohashi, Sora Aoi, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Yoshimasa Ishibashi, Shusuke Kaneko, Naomi Kawase, Masahiro Kobayashi, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, Kentaro Moriya, Miwa Nishikawa, Naoko Ogigami, Natsuki Seta, Shota Sometani, Sion Sono, Tomorowo Taguchi, Gen Takahashi, Toshiaki Toyoda, Hitoshi Yazaki, and Isao Yukisada.

About Japan Society

The Japan Society Film Program offers a diverse selection of Japanese films, from classics to contemporary independent productions. Its aim is to entertain, educate and support activities in the Society`s arts & culture programs. The Film Program has included retrospectives of great directors, thematic series and many U.S. premieres. Some original film series curated by Japan Society have traveled to other U.S. venues in tours organized by the Film Program. For more, visit japansociety.org/film. Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a multidisciplinary hub for global leaders, artists, scholars, educators, and English and Japanese-speaking audiences. At the Society, more than 100 events each year feature sophisticated, topically relevant presentations of Japanese art and culture and open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia. An American nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, the Society cultivates a constructive, resonant and dynamic relationship between the people of the U.S. and Japan. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway at Grand Central or the E and M subway at Lexington Avenue). For more information, call 212-832-1155 or visit japansociety.org.

For more information on Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema and New York Asian Film Festival, please see the previous coverage here on SciFi Japan: