They work fast in Japan. We've given a lot of time and attention to Japanese multi-director cult flick Mutant Girls Squad in these pages and while that film has just released in Japan and will be receiving its International Premiere later this month at the New York Asian Film Festival, the three directors behind MGS are already hard at work on other projects.
Tak Sakaguchi is currently shooting Yakuza Weapon with co-director Yudai Yamaguchi. Yoshihiro Nishimura is wrapping up photography on his zombie driving movie Helldriver. And farthest along is Noboru Iguchi, the director of Machine Girl and Robogeisha, who wrapped principal photography on Zaborgar last month and is currently editing the film with the goal of a mid-fall completion.
Iguchi's highest-budgeted film to date, Zaborgar is a live action adaptation of classic television series Denjin Zaborgar which should allow Iguchi to explore some new territory.
Tokyo-based filmmaker (THE IDOL) and FANGORIA writer Norman England recently visited the set, and comes back with these exclusive photos, plus a comment from Iguchi himself.
1) Iguchi directing actor Akira Emoto, the wheelchair-bound bad guy of the film
2) Takenaka flanked by actors Sakichi Sato (director of TOKYO ZOMBIE) and Hiroaki Murakami
3) Iguchi directing actor Naoto Takenaka, the father of hero Yutaka Daimon
4) It's ZABORGAR, transformed into a motorcycle! (Note hands and feet)
Tak Sakaguchi is currently shooting Yakuza Weapon with co-director Yudai Yamaguchi. Yoshihiro Nishimura is wrapping up photography on his zombie driving movie Helldriver. And farthest along is Noboru Iguchi, the director of Machine Girl and Robogeisha, who wrapped principal photography on Zaborgar last month and is currently editing the film with the goal of a mid-fall completion.
Iguchi's highest-budgeted film to date, Zaborgar is a live action adaptation of classic television series Denjin Zaborgar which should allow Iguchi to explore some new territory.
Tokyo-based filmmaker (THE IDOL) and FANGORIA writer Norman England recently visited the set, and comes back with these exclusive photos, plus a comment from Iguchi himself.
While behind the scenes shots have been popping up on the Sushi Typhoon Twitter feed they've been very careful not to reveal anything substantial so far. But we've got the first four 'official' images for you below. They are:"My new film is a redo of DENJIN ZABORGAR, which was one of the first Japanese special effect hero shows. It's from the 1970s when hero films and TV shows were all the rage. DENJIN ZABORGAR is an important series in Japanese entertainment as it was the precursor of live-action transformation series, in which motorcycles and cars turn into robots. This series inspired Transformers. So, you could say that this is not only the origin of Transformers but also the show that gave birth to the Japanese love of robot shows. So, I'd like to pay homage to that love. At the same time, too, I want to add something new. My version of DENJIN ZABORGAR is much more aggressive and violent than the original. I also aim to show the human drama side of a man's life and how being a hero has its ups and downs." (Thanks to translator Kenichiro Shimbo)
1) Iguchi directing actor Akira Emoto, the wheelchair-bound bad guy of the film
2) Takenaka flanked by actors Sakichi Sato (director of TOKYO ZOMBIE) and Hiroaki Murakami
3) Iguchi directing actor Naoto Takenaka, the father of hero Yutaka Daimon
4) It's ZABORGAR, transformed into a motorcycle! (Note hands and feet)