Miike Stage Production DEMON POND Coming To DVD!

Excellent news for fans of Takashi Miike from Cinema Epoch! The prolific cult auteur has been dabbling in live theater a good amount these days and whenever a new stage production is announced you can count on voices lamenting the fact that they'll probably never get to see Miike's stage work anywhere outside of Japan. Well, that may be true as far as seeing it live but Cinema Epoch have just announced that they will be releasing Demon Pond, one of Miike's recent stage efforts on DVD in North America in May. You'll find all the details below the break.

Cinema Epoch has acquired DEMON POND, a stage play by Takashi Miike, for DVD release in May.

DEMON POND, by prolific director Takashi Miike, captures the popular Kabuki-esque play of the same name that he staged and directed to sold-out audiences in Japan. The sparse, almost minimalist production, dramatically recounts a mythical fantasy based on a traditional fairytale by Kyoka Izumi. In it, Miike weaves the modern-day story of a man searching for a friend who has mysteriously disappeared, with a magical tale involving strange creatures, a heartbroken princess, and a pact that can't be broken. Conflicts between faith and skepticism, and between social obligation and personal desire drive the narrative toward a dramatic conclusion where the worlds of the real and the surreal inevitably collide.

Takashi Miike, who has proven himself a master of multiple genres as a filmmaker, expands on his talents with this dazzling stage production. He has adapted the traditional fable faithfully, while updating the tale with humor and wit, a truly exceptional experience.

The DVD release will include special behind the scenes footage of Miike directing the stage play.

Cast: Shinji Takeda ("Taboo", "Pulse"), Tomoko Tabata, Ryuhei Matsuda ("Taboo"), Yasuko Matsuyaki ("Hula Girls," "Another Heaven"), Kenichi Endo ("Big Bang Love", "Great Yokai War"), Kitaro ("Samurai Fiction"), and legendary actor Tetsuro Tamba ("You Only Live Twice").