THAT'S IT Trailer Marks Ishii Gakuryu's Return To His Punk Roots

Contributing Writer; Tokyo, Japan (@patrykczekaj)
THAT'S IT Trailer Marks Ishii Gakuryu's Return To His Punk Roots
A precursor of the Japanese underground cyberpunk movement of the late 1970s and the early 1980s, Ishii Gakuryū, formerly known as Ishii Sōgo, established a strong position at home and gained widespread recognition abroad with Burst City (爆裂都市, 1982). 

It's an insanely energetic, action-packed, post-apocalyptic film about a group of rival biker gangs trying to rebel against the construction of a huge power plant in Tokyo. Burst City is not only a manifestation of the director's love for industrial, hardcore and punk music, but also a picture that arguably inspired such established J-helmers as Tsukamoto Shinya and Miike Takashi.

The 1990s are often referred to as Ishii's experimental period, during which he created a few similarly violent and visually striking, but highly metaphoric films that reaffirmed his cult status as an independent director with his own, unique vision.

Electric Dragon 80.000 V (エレクトリック・ドラゴン 80000V, 2001) reconnected the maverick director with the punk-based roots of his filmmaking career and with very satisfying results. Clocking in at barely 60 minutes, this absolutely powerful audiovisual extravaganza follows electricity-wielding urban warriors who compete for power, and features one of the most electrifying and stimulating soundtracks ever. Although the film was enthusiastically received by audiences, for reasons unknown Ishii decided to take a long cinematic hiatus.

He returned to the international scene with Isn't Anyone Alive? (生きてるものはいないのか, 2012) and Flower of Shanidar (シャニダールの花, 2013), but both films failed to strike a chord with the critics and even turned off certain members of his fan base.

For those viewers who were put off by Ishii's recent attempts, we have some pretty great news. Inspired by the 1999 song Soredake performed by the Japanese rock band Bloodthirsty Butchers, That's It (ソレダケ) apparently marks the maverick director's return to his punk roots. Starring Sometani Shōta, Mizuno Erina and Ayano Gō, the film focuses on a young no-goodnik who tries to escape from his miserable life by stealing gold but accidentally ends up acquiring valuable information, thus infuriating a powerful underworld organization.

That's It will open in Japanese cinemas on May 27, 2015. Check out the trailer below!
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2015Ishii GakuryūIshii SōgoJapanPunkSoredakeThat's Itソレダケ

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