Episode 60 - Kinji: Off the Leash

Welcome one and all, back to the cave for episode sixty! We have a really interesting examination of some of the films of acclaimed Japanese auteur Kinji Fukasaku. Beginning in the early sixties Fukasaku embarked on a career that would go on to span four decades and see him try his hand in nearly every genre. First up for us is 1968's The Green Slime. This is a gloriously action packed chunk of cinematic cheese, and I mean that in the best possible way. Lantern-jawed heroes, smoking hot ladies in shiny mini-dresses, awesome miniature work and a theme song for the ages, this has something for everyone. Then we move on to 1978's Message From Space. Clearly an effort to capitalize on the success of Star Wars, Fukasaku and his crew threw elements from everything that was hot in the late seventies into the slow-cooker and came up with pretty much a hot mess! Not without some charms, and absolutely worth a look, this disco, Star Wars, Dukes of Hazzard smash up will either delight or confound you. Lastly, we look at 2000's Battle Royale. I think it's safe to say that if Mr. Fukasaku ever created something that could truly be called a masterpeice, this is it. The progenitor of what has pretty much become a genre unto itself, the "teens fighting for survival in a post apocalyptic world" genre that has seen films like Maze Runner, Hunger Games and many others, Fukasaku's take on this concept still seems sharper and fresher than all of the copycats that have followed it's wake. Strap on your ear buds and hunker down with us for some in-depth discussion of a film maker that should be on any film-fans radar.Send us your thoughts on the show and recommendations for future episodes to [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram, Letterboxd. YouTube.