***UPDATE*** Due to unforseen printing and production problems the release date has been pushed back BUT only two weeks to July 28th. Not long now my pets. And look for a giveaway contest next Tuesday!!! - Andrew
Hot on the heels of Sion Sono's big win down at the New York Asian Film Festival with his latest film Love Exposure it is due time that we announce that Evokative Films is releasing one of his earlier films Hazard on Region 1 DVD next Tuesday.
Hazard tells the story of Shin (Joe Odagiri), a student who, in a fit of soul-crushing boredom, hops on a plane to New York City in search of adventure. More precisely, Shin is seeking “hazard“, his catchphrase for all the danger, excitement and mystery that America has to offer.Upon arrival, Shin is laughed at, thrown from his cab, robbed and ultimately dumped in the middle of an armed robbery. Lucky for him the shotgun-toting thieves both speak Japanese! Lee (Jai West) and Takeda (Motoki Fukami) are a couple of freewheeling part-time stick-up artists who earn their living selling speedball-laced treats from their Mr. Kool ice cream truck. They take Shin under their wing and proceed to educate him in the ways of American life. Before long, Shin is getting high, shooting guns, jacking cars and reading Walt Whitman. Shin’s successful integration is hastened by the fact that Jai West’s Lee manically and effortlessly rambles on in both Japanese and English, punctuated with copious “a’ights” and “ya know wha’m sayin’s,” creating a kind of inner-city Japanese slang that has to be heard to be believed. Andy Mauro, Fantasia
Keep your eyes peeled because we'll have another 5 DVD Giveaway coming up in the next couple days.
Montreal, Tuesday July 7th, 2009 Canadian lovers of the Japanese cinema provocateur Sion Sono will finally have the chance to see his New York adventure HAZARD on DVD. Written and directed by Sion Sono (SUICIDE CLUB, NORIKOS DINNER TABLE, STRANGE CIRCUS, EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS, LOVE EXPOSURE), the film debuted Joe Odagiri (ADRIFT IN TOKYO, RETRIBUTION, SHINOBI), now a Japanese star actor, as well as Jai West (LOVE EXPOSURE, BIG BANG LOVE, JUVENILE A) et Motoki Fukami (CROWS: EPISODE 0).
Shin is a Japanese university student longing to escape his meaningless existence. One day he discovers a book titled "Dangerous Ways to Walk the World" which talks about the hazards of New York City. Shin immediately jets off in search of danger and adventure, but he isnt prepared for the harsh realities of the city. After being mugged for eveything he's got, Shin is befriended by Lee and Takeda, two Japanese-American punks who school him in the ways of crime. It's not long before Shin joins them and starts taking on all comers; robbing, stealing, and celebrating his new found freedom in New
York City.
An anarchic adventure taking place in the pre-Giuliani New-York of 1991, HAZARD was filmed on location with a small budget, often with guerilla-style camerawork. Although filmed in 2002, it was only released domestically in Japan in 2005 and was programmed in a few festivals, such as the New York Asian Film Festival and the Fantasia International Film Festival, in 2007.
The DVD features Japanese and English dialogue with optional English and French subtitles. A Making-of (in Japanese only) and an Exclusive Video Interview with Sion Sono, produced by Evokative Films, are included as extra features. The packaging includes a booklet with an interview with the Director and a foreword by Chris MaGee, founder of the Toronto J-Film Pow-wow, a blog specialized in Japanese films. In accordance with the innovative vocation of Evokative, the DVD packaging is an environmentally-friendly and elegant digipack made of 100% recycled materials and wrapped in a 100% biodegradable cellophane.
It is to be noted that Sion Sonos latest opus, the 4-hours-long LOVE EXPOSURE, will have its Canadian Premiere on July 11th and 12th at the Fantasia International Film Festival. This film was celebrated at this years Berlin International Film Festival, where Sono was awarded the Caligari Film Award and the Fipresci Prize. This week, the film also won the Grand Jury Prize at the New York Asian Film Festival.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Production year / country : 2005 / Japan
Run time : 103 minutes
Format : 1.85 : 1
Sound: 5.1 Dolby Digital
Language : Japanese and English
Subtitles : Optional English and French
Extra Features : Exclusive Video Interview with Sion Sono (English subtitles only) / Making-of (in Japanese only)
Packaging : Booklet featuring Interview with the Director and Foreword / 100% recycled material digipack / 100% biodegradable cellophane.