DVD update: Hiroshi Takahashi's SODOM THE KILLER (SODOMU NO ICHI)

FOR TRAILERS, SEE THE BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE

Media Blasters Inc. is scheduled to release Hiroshi Takahashi's camp-horror movie Sodom the Killer (Sodomu no Ichi) - a.k.a. "Ichi of Sodom" - on DVD (TSDVD-0726) in the U.S. on July 3rd; the DVD is available for pre-order from ScreenAnarchy affiliate Amazon.com Inc.. On the left is the front cover art for the DVD.

SAV-DeAPlaneta Home Entertainment (Sociedad Anonima del Video S.A.) released Sodom the Killer on DVD in Spain on March 21st, under the title "Sodom el asesino". AtEntertainment Co. Ltd. (Atto Entateinmento K.K.) and Culture Publishers Inc. (Karuchua Paburisshâzu K.K.) released it on sale DVD in Japan on April 2, 2005; the DVD was distributed by Geneon Entertainment Inc. (Jeneon Entateinmento K.K.).

Sodom the Killer was one of the four movies in Euro Space Y.K. (Y.K. Yûro Supêsu) et al.'s Horror Bancho (Horâ banchô) series - the other three being Hiroyuki Minato's The Cat, the Moon, and the Gangster (Tsukineko ni mitsu no tama), Yôichi Nishiyama's Fateful (Unmei ningen), and Takashi Shimizu‘s The Stranger from Afar (Marebito). Sodom the Killer and Fateful premièred at Euro Space (in Tokyo) on October 16, 2004; The Cat, the Moon, and the Gangster and The Stranger from Afar premièred there on October 23, 2004.

The screenplay for Sodom the Killer was written by Takahashi. The movie starred Takashi Urai as Ichibei Sodomu and Ichirô Sodomu, a.k.a. Ichi of Sodom (Sodomu no Ichi). The rest of its principal cast was as follows: Rena Komine, Shôko Nakahara, Kiichi Sonobe, Aki Miyata, Yumi Yoshiyuki (she was also in Takao Nakano‘s Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy (Kiseichû: kirâ pusshî)), Seiji Kondô, Mari Asato (she was also the assistant director for the movie), and Hiroyuki Matsumura.

Here's a synopsis for Sodom the Killer from the website of international sales agent Eleven Arts Inc.: "In the beginning of the 18th Century, Lord Sodomu Ichibei is celebrating the happiest days of his life, his wedding day. However, things turn tragic as his wife suddenly dies during the ceremony. Enraged, Ichibei searches for an explanation, eliminating anyone he believes responsible for his bride's death. Two innocent girls, Catherine and Therese, are targeted by Ichibei's allegations. Ichibei, believing them to be the culprits, tortures and kills them. The innocent bloodshed elicits a curse placed on the Sodomu family. ¶ 300 years later, Sodomu Ichiro, a descendant of Ichibei, is about to get married at a banquet. Extremely fond of her brother, Catherine - who has been reincarnated as Ichiro's younger sister - kills everyone at the wedding. The curse corrupts Ichiro with evil, causing [him] to kill his beloved sister, Catherine. Ichiro carries the coffin of Catherine and begins an endless cycle of atrocities and injustice. He [becomes] known as ‘Sodom no Ichi'. Amidst the chaos, Teresa - who [has been] reincarnated as a criminal detective - secretly watches Ichiro. As the last hope, Teresa must stop Ichiro to prevent the plan of destroying the world."

For more information on Sodom the Killer, see ScreenAnarchy's seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, third, second, and first articles on it.

Note: With regard to the Horror Bancho series trailer linked to below, the order of the four movies previewed in it is as follows: The Stranger from Afar, Fateful, The Cat, the Moon, and the Gangster, and Sodom the Killer.

Sodom the Killer trailer #2 (Japanese w/ English subtitles; downloadable 3.2 MB MOV file)
Sodom the Killer trailer #1 (Japanese w/o subtitles; downloadable 4 MB MOV file)
Horror Bancho series trailer (Japanese w/o subtitles; downloadable 4.7 MB MOV file)
Sodom the Killer Japanese rental DVD cover art (176 KB JPEG)

Sodom the Killer official subsite
Shôko Nakahara official website: Sodom the Killer subsite
Eleven Arts: Sodom the Killer
AtEntertainment: Sodom the Killer Japanese VHS & DVDs
SAV: Sodom the Killer Spanish DVD
Amazon.com: Sodom the Killer U.S. DVD