Japan / 2012 / 129 Mins / In Japanese with English subtitles / Colour
Starring: Hideaki Ito (Sukiyaki Western Django, The Princess Blade, Umizaru), Shota Sometani (Himizu, Tokyo Tribe, Sadako 3D), Fumi Nikaido (Himizu, Au Revoir L’Ete, My Man) and Takayuki Yamada (13 Assassins, Gantz, Crows Zero)
Synopsis
Hideaki ITO stars as the teacher from Hell, in Takashi MIIKE's outrageous, blood-splattered, high school horror.
Cool and charismatic English teacher Seiji Hasumi (ITO) is popular with students and teachers alike. He inspires trust and respect from his class, greeting many with an affectionate, if irritating, ruffle of the hair. But his actions soon take a turn, revealing something dark behind that charming smile. Students become suspicious when friends slowly start to disappear, but little do they know that absolute jaw-dropping carnage is just around the corner.
Adapted from Yusuke KISHI’s horror novel, Aku no Kyōten, a commentary on tough high school life and dark student–teacher relationships, with plenty of black humour, absurd violence, and a splash of Cronenbergian fantasy added for good measure.
Director, Takashi Miike Biography
Born on August 24, 1960. After studying under Shohei Imamura and a number of other directors, he made his debut in 1991 and has directed many productions of various genres since then. His innovative ideas and edgy direction are highly praised in and out of the country, and he has enthusiastic fans all over the world. In 1997, along with John Woo, he ranked as the tenth most promising film directors chosen by “Time” magazine in the U.S. In 2000, “Audition” won the International Film Critics Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. In 2003, “Gokudo kyofu dai-gekijo: Gozu” was shown during the Directors’ Fortnight of the Cannes International Film Festival and received accolades from critics. In 2006, “Big Bang Love, Juvenile A” was shown in the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2010, “13 Assassins” was in the competition section of the Venice International Film Festival, and in 2011, “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” was in the competition section of the Cannes International Film Festival. Miike is one of the most promising directors of our time.
