I'm currently wrapping up my time here in Berlin but, heck, I can't help but break my radio silence on all non-Berlin matters for this one. A good while back Machine Girl producer Yoko Hayama offered to serve as a go between for us to conduct a brief interview with cult director Noboru Iguchi, an offer I happily accepted. We fired off five quick questions to Iguchi and our sincere thanks go to Hayama for translating both the questions to Iguchi and his responses back to us. You'll find the interview below the break.
TB: Where did the idea for Machine Girl come from?
NI: I had this sort of idea for a long time. It was originally "One Armed Big Busty Girl". It was simple idea such as a girl in bikini got her arm chopped off then takes revenge....something like that. Then, when I started to think of plot, the idea of putting machine gun on the arm was added. It was based on my passion to make a woman fighting action movie.
TB: What are your main influences in making films? What sort of films did you watch as a child?
I was influenced by the ghost houses or freak shows at Japanese play lands. I was easily scared but loved those facilities since I was a little child. I always think a movie should like that, as an entertaining tool. My policy of making movies is to surprise and entertain the people at the same time.
The movie I was influenced by were Japanese traditional horror movies or off the wall type of the movies. Such as "House", "Yatsuhaka-mura" and "Japanese Hell", I wish foreign audience would watch these if they have a chance. As for foreign films, "The Child" "Phantom Of Paradise" and "Dee End".
Do you prefer writing your own stories (like with Machine Girl) or adapting other people's (like your manga adaptations)?
It is easier for me to work on original stories as I can have more freedom on creativity. Other than original stories, I would love to work on comics such as "Devil Man" or "Seibutsu Toshi".
TB: When it comes to blood and violence is there any such thing as too much?
Not really.
TB: What are you working on now?
I am thinking of the story which a human transforms into something. A high school girl transforms into many things. And/or a story about "harakiri".