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Balancing elements of cyberpunk, body horror, and psychological drama, Shinya Tsukamoto‘s filmography ranges from the metallic nightmares of “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” to the meditative intensity of “Killing“. Given this diversity of his oeuvre, spanning multiple eras from his early student films in the 1980s to his latest works, creating a ranked list of Tsukamoto’s filmography felt essential for the members of Asian Movie Pulse. With this in mind, we crafted a ranking that should resonate with viewers who have watched at least half of his 16 features. This ranking does not include Tsukamoto’s student films, shorts, or the segments he directed for various omnibus projects. However, we chose to include “Haze” since its second version runs over 45 minutes, making it eligible as a feature. The voting panel consisted of Sean Barry, Rouven Linnarz, Andrew Thayne, and Panos Kotzathanasis. Here are the results.

16. Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009)

Given...

“Welcome to your new life.

I hope you’re enjoying it.”

Given the nature of Shinya Tsukamoto’s “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” the idea of turning it into a series or franchise seems quite strange, to say the least. Not that there is anything wrong with hearing and seeing more of the world the Japanese filmmaker has shown us in the first one, but considering its experimental, industrial design, to name one aspect, you might wonder whether there is indeed more to be said which would legitimize more movies.

In some ways, these critical voices considered “Tetsuo II: The Body Hammer” as a confirmation of these doubts. Even though the look was still there and even creatively expanded by Tsukamoto, the idea of the machinist cult behind the transforming protagonist was not universally met with praise. You might even say it hurt the mysterious, powerful enigma behind the narrative of the two films,...

TollywoodFollowing its overwhelming success in Japan, a manga version of the film has been released.Tnm StaffTwitter/SS RajamouliThe success of SS Rajamouli’s epic action series Baahubali in Japan is well-known. In April this year, the film’s second part, Baahubali: The Conclusion, clocked its 100th day, emerging as the third highest grossing Indian film of all time in Japan, the other two being Superstar Rajinikanth’s Muthu (1995) and Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots (2005). The film’s latest milestone in the country, however, is the adaptation of Baahubali in Japanese manga. A popular comic art style from Japan, manga is part of international pop culture. With Baahubali entering the realm of manga, it propels the fictional world of Mahishmati into international stardom. Adapted by Akira Fukaya, who’s known for Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, Mitsurin Shounen and Hakobia Ken, Baahubali Manga is now available for sale. The manga is being brought out by Gentosha Comics. It gives us utmost delight to inform you all that Baahubali has now stepped into the renowned and internationally popular 'Manga' from japan. Available in markets now. @baahubali_manga pic.twitter.com/IOBWKKsZzm — Baahubali (@BaahubaliMovie) June 30, 2018 Sharing his excitement over the news on Twitter, director SS Rajamouli posted a picture of himself and Shobu Yarlagadda holding a copy of the book. Excited to be holding another extension to @baahubaliMovie franchise @baahubali_manga... We continue to be overwhelmed by the love shown to our film by fans in Japan. Hope they will appreciate the Manga too..:) pic.twitter.com/P4q1iZQxIc — rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) June 30, 2018 Produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni under the banner Arka Media Works, Baahubali was made on a budget of Rs 250 crore. The film was released in various languages including Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam. Baahubali: The Conclusion was not only a commercial success but was critically acclaimed as well. The film went on to win the Telstra People’s Choice Award at the 2017 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. It premiered at the British Film Institute and was the inaugural feature film at the 39th Moscow International Film Festival. Baahubali: The Conclusion was released in Japan on December 29. The manga, Baahubali – The Revival of the King, is available for purchase online at 920 yen + tax while the e-version is priced at 833 yen + taxes. Japan has always welcomed Indian films with much enthusiasm and warmth. Actor Rajinikanth enjoys a superstar status in the country where his film Muthu is more popularly known as the Dancing Maharaja. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 17.0px; font: 14.7px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; background-color: #ffffff} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 17.0px; font: 14.7px Helvetica; color: #222222; -webkit-text-stroke: #222222; background-color: #ffffff} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #0000ff; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #0000ff} span.s3 {font-kerning: none; color: #999999; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #999999}...

Shinya Tsukamoto’s film plays in Venice Competition and Toronto Wavelengths.

Coproduction Office is beginning world sales on maverick Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto’s Venice competition entry, Fires On The Plain (Nobi), company boss Philippe Bober has confirmed. All territories are available excluding Japan.

After Venice, the film screens in Toronto’s Wavelengths section.

The anti-war film, made through Kaijyu Theater, is the second project from Tsukamoto that Coproduction Office has handled after Tetsuo: The Bullet Man.

Bober confirmed that the film’s Japanese release has been set for August 15, 2015, the 70th anniversary of date that the Japanese announced their surrender, thereby bringing about the end of the Second World War.

“It has an exceptional character historically speaking,” Bober said of the film, which is set in the Philippines at the end of the War and follows the desperate battle for survival of some stranded Japanese soldiers.

This is one of the only films about Japanese wartime...

If you’ve read this website for any length of time, then you probably know that I’m a certified Tsukamoto junkie, an unapologetic fanboy who blindly follows the director wherever he goes. Hell, I even enjoyed “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man”, a film that really isn’t that great when compared to the filmmaker’s other, more accomplished efforts. The guy’s latest flick, the emotionally-charged drama “Kotoko”, looks incredible, and has more in common with his more subdued pictures than the “Tetsuo” franchise. Still, a subdued Tsukamoto is much crazier than your typical cinematic endeavor. You’ll see what I’m rambling about in just a few seconds. But first, let’s investigate this synopsis: A single mother (Cocco) becomes afflicted with double vision. Taking care of her newborn baby becomes a nightmare as the mother also becomes paranoid. The only time the mother doesn’t see double is when she sings.

Just when you thought Third Window Films couldn't get any better, they have told us exclusively that their most recent acquisition is Shinya Tsukamoto's festival hit (Tiff, Venice, Et al.) Kotoko.  The word on the street is that Kotoko is a return to form for Tsukamoto, the type of film we were hoping for when we got Tetsuo: The Bullet Man.  The film brings Tsukamoto back to the dark, unsettling arty drama of films like Vital and A Snake of June, which is a welcome return, in my opinion.  Rather that continuing to prod horror and cyberpunk films, Tsukamoto appears to have wrangled his dark obsessions into a genuinely disturbing film.  Third Window's Adam Torel had this to say:Personally I think it's a true return...

Vital marks an important milestone in the evolution of Shinya Tsukamoto's (Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, Nightmare Detective 2) signature style. When it was first released the film seemed to divide fans and naysayers alike. And while I clearly recognize the obvious differences with his earlier projects, Vital still feels like a film that could not have been made by any other director. On top of that, it turned out to be one of my favorite Tsuka films to date. The most obvious difference between Vital and Tsukamoto's earlier work is the film's affinity with nature. Tsukamoto's early films (ignoring his commissioned work for a minute) are known for their unmistakable urban vibe. Many of the key scenes in Vital play in some idyllic vision of...

The Film:

Few films have the raw, kinetic energy that director Shinya Tsukamoto displayed in his Tetsuo: The Iron Man 20 years ago. Picture David Cronenberg’s flesh/machinery love affair, hyped up on Redbull, just ‘roid-raging for a little over an hour. Yet it was morally and sexually ambiguous, something that aided the stark black-and-white film, in a rare narrative free-form exercise that was undeniably memorable. Perhaps it’s nothing more than a cool, underground cult film (although the film’s status might prove otherwise), Tsukamoto dropped a few forgettable films like its sequel, Tetsuo: The Body Hammer and Nightmare Detective.

While not wholly successful, the raw, constant energy is back with a vengeance in Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, which ultimately is less ambitious than its predecessor.

The story is simple, and less ambiguous this time out, which often feels like a weird sequel/rehash of Tetsuo: The Iron Man.

After a trip back to his roots with Tetsuo: The Bullet Man it would appear that Japan's Shinya Tsukamoto is returning to the sort of dark drama that has marked more recent works like Vital.The story of a single mother who suffers from double vision; caring for her baby is a nerve-wrecking task that eventually leads her to a nervous breakdown. She is suspected of being a child abuser when things get out of control and her baby is taken away.Anyone worried that a suspected child abuse drama would turn into a two-hankie weepie melodrama in Tsukamoto's hands need only look at the still above to allay those fears. I don't know about child abuse but someone has clearly been abusing Tsukamoto's face. Two...

DVD Playhouse—July 2011

By Allen Gardner

The Music Room (Criterion) Satyajit Ray’s 1958 masterpiece looks at the life of a fallen aristocrat as a metaphor for an India that is not only becoming Westernized, but modernized technologically and culturally beyond recognition. When the beloved music room, where he has hosted lavish concerts in the past, starts falling into disrepair as attendance drops steadily, the man realizes his way of life is vanishing. Stunningly shot in black & white, one of Ray’s finest works. Bonuses: Documentary on Ray from 1984 by Shyam Benegal; Interviews with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair; Excerpt from 1981 roundtable discussion between Ray, critic Michael Ciment, director Claude Sautet. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.

Beauty And The Beast (Criterion) Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of the classic fairy tale become a beloved classic upon its 1946 release, and hasn’t faded since.

It may come as some surprise to hear this, but IFC is dumping Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo: The Bullet Man on DVD in the U.S. today. The third (and final?) film in the Tetsuo trilogy is being released with little/no publicity and only on DVD. I haven't seen anything that says for certain, but it doesn't look like there are any special features on the disc, either. A possible reason for this might be the mostly negative reviews received after the initial festival runs, but in the time since, a number of more positive reviews have surfaced. And IFC has done this before with films that were very successful critically, like Valhalla Rising and The Chaser. Oh well. There's always the Japanese Blu-Ray, I guess.

The legend of Tetsuo continues when the latest film in the violent and surreal cyber-cinema series, 2009’s Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, comes to DVD from IFC on June 28 for a suggested retail price of $24.98.

A sci-fi action thriller of the nuttiest order, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man was written and directed by Japanese filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto, the creator of the two Tetsuo cult movie favortites: Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) and Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992).

Man merges with machine in Tetsuo The Bullet Man.

This latest film in the series revolves around office worker Anthony (Eric Bossick), who lives in Tokyo with his family and is pushed over the edge after he witnesses his young son Tom getting killed by a hit-and-run driver. Violent emotions begin to grow in Anthony, whose body starts to transform as his cells turn into iron. When the driver who killed Tom reappears and horrible truths...

Rick Baker. Friend of apes. Maker of monsters. Seven time Oscar winner. And that lucky number seven was for The Wolfman, shared with fellow Efx maestro Dave Elsey. Their on-stage speech was great, but the extended Thank You Cam was even better. Both Baker and Elsey thanked Jack Pierce and Dick Smith for inspiring them. Though there were grumblings online that the Academy clip showed the CG transformation rather then the make-up. It is always a treat to see our own getting the gold.

In the best original music category, Trent Reznor won for The Social Network. But who could forget his rivethead contributions to Class of 1999, Se7en, and Tetsuo: The Bullet Man? And Danny Boyle’s nominated 127 Hours didn’t win for Best Picture, but we will always love him “best” for his bloody crazies in the 28 Days series.

Rounding out the highlights in horror cred are nods to Jason X,...

Tetsuo: The Iron Man is a balls to the wall, bug-nuts crazy, 1989 Japanese cyber-punk film about a man that slowly begins to grow metal from his body. It’s stark black and white visuals and spastic revolutionary editing can still be seen as a major influence on filmmakers working today. In short … search it out and watch it if you haven’t already (Hopefully, you don’t have a shaky stomach). Director Shinya Tsukamoto expanded his universe (and his budget) with the 1992 “quasi-sequel” Tetsuo: Body Hammer. Since, the director has gone on to direct the criminally underrated A Snake of June and Nightmare Detective. He returns to the bodily horror with the third installment, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, in the series that is set for a limited release through IFC Midnight this year. Continue on to watch the new Us trailer.

Judging by the trailer, it seems Tsukamoto...

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Nostalgia de la luz (Nostalgia for the Light) Trailer For all the blowhardy things I say about what makes this trailer a good one or...

Shinya Tsukamoto is something of a legendary Japanese cult film director. His 1989 movie Tetsuo: The Iron Man brought him a worldwide following as the unconventional and graphic film was met with quite some acclaim. Later, he brought Tetsuo II: Body Hammer. Now the acclaimed director is bringing us a third film in the series titled Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. A trailer has been released for the movie that you can find after the jump.

If it's too cold to leave the house for your local theater, there's plenty of options if you stay inside online, on demand and on DVD. What follows is your guide to all the new releases coming your way between now and April.

Online and On Demand

My French Film Festival

Thanks to bids for Oscar consideration, the winter is traditionally one of the rare times foreign films get plenty of attention in the States, particularly at West Coast festivals such as Palm Springs and Santa Barbara. However, Francophiles in particular will be excited to know you won't have to go to California or New York -- or even Paris for that matter -- to be able to catch some of the most recent cinema from France since uniFrance is unveiling My French Film Festival, which is being billed as the "first exclusively online film festival celebrating French talent" that...

IFC Films has debuted a domestic trailer for Japanese film "Tetsuo: The Bullet Man" from hero cult Shinya Tsukamoto. It opens with drama scenes following Eric Bossick's Anthony, a young man raising family in Tokyo. His wife, who is crippled by anxiety and unable to leave the house, has recurring nightmares about their young son which turn to be reality when Tom is cruelly run down in the street.

His son's death triggers violent emotions in Anthony. He flies into a terrible rage which transforms him into a strange, metallic monster while learning the truth about his father's past experiments on human guinea pigs and about his mother's death. This delights the mysterious man who ran down Anthony's son, a man who now continually taunts Anthony from a distance.

The first English-language film from Shinya Tsukamoto, "Tetsuo: The Bullet Man" was premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The action...

[1] IFC Midnight Films has released the movie trailer for Shinya Tsukamoto’s first English-language film Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. The movie stars Eric Bossick as a young man raising a family in Tokyo who "flies into a terrible rage" after suffering a major tragedy, and "soon discovers that the power of his emotion transforms him into a strange, metallic monster." This is the third film in Tsukamoto's cyberpunk film series. The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The closing credits song, an original track titled "Theme for Tetsuo: The Bullet Man" was composed by Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor, who co-wrote the soundtrack for The Social Network) for the movie. Watch the trailer now embedded after the jump. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. Synopsis: The third installment in the series, Tetsuo III: The Bullet Man, and Tsukamoto’s first English-language film, stars Eric Bossick as Anthony,...

IFC Films recently unleashed this insanely awesome trailer for Shinya Tsukamoto’s new film Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, which is the third and final film in Tsukamoto’s series.

This trailer blew me away, and I'm extremely excited about watching this flick! If you haven't seen the original Tetsuo: The Iron Man, do your self a favor and check it out. Chud has a great explanation of it saying that it's "A cyberpunk nightmare that feels like early David Lynch decided to tackle some Cronenberg body horror, it’s short and violent and has an ending that will never escape your memory." I couldn't agree with that statement more. Its on Instant Netflix, in case you were wondering.

Here's the new films synopsis:

Calm office worker Anthony, son of an American father and a Japanese mother, lives in Tokyo with his wife Yuriko and their little son Tom. Since...

Rage mutated him... Revenge transformed him... He is... The Bullet Man! This obviously won't appeal to everyone, but it's worth watching because of how insane it looks. Chud debuted the Us trailer for Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, but it was Quicktime so we embedded it below. The film features a soundtrack by Nin's Trent Reznor and I think you can hear some of it in this. It's the third film from Shinya Tsukamoto's cult sci-fi series that started with Tetsuo: The Iron Man in 1989, but it's the first English film in the series and boy does it look totally nuts. The Bullet Man in this one is played by Eric Bossick. Watch at your own risk! Watch the official Us trailer for Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo: The Bullet Man: The series has been described as a "cyberpunk nightmare" with hints of David Lynch and Cronenberg. After his...

Our pals at Chud are sporting not only a new design, but they've got the trailer for Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo: The Bullet Man and it's pretty nuts. No embed for this one, folks, so you'll have to get your ass to this spot to watch the preview. The third entry in Tsukamoto's series makes its VOD debut on January 19. A limited theatrical run begins in New York City at the IFC Center on the 21st.

Tetsuo, the Iron Man is one of the most gleefully insane films I’ve seen. The director is back with his latest film and our own Raffi Asdourian quite liked Shinya Tsukamoto‘s new entry into his Tetsuo series when he saw at Tribeca. He even had a chance to sit down with the director himself and talk about the project. You can read his review and interview here. The film is now gearing up for a limited release via IFC this month and we have the first domestic trailer. Chud provides it below for the film that stars Eric Bossick, Akiko Monô, Yûko Nakamura, and Stephen Sarrazin. It also features new music from Trent Reznor, who gave us one of the best scores of the year.

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man hits the IFC Center in NYC on Friday, January 21st and on VOD on the 19th.

Are you a fan of the series?...

[Editor's note: If anyone says 2010 was a sh!% year for movies, please refer them to this post.]

Instead of the usual "best" or "worst" films of the year lists, I thought a good way to take a look at the highs and lows of the 2010 film year would be to compile almost every single review we published in 2010 and let readers meander through the wasteland as it were.

I'm really amazed at the range of films we managed to cover from around the globe this year. Quiet Earth has certainly come a long way over the years and it's really due to the talents and passion of our team of writers who literally travel a world of fests to bring news and reviews of new films.

I hope you're all taking notes. Many of these films were from fests and will probably be hitting VOD and Blu-ray sometime in the new year, so this is a good chance to get a start on your must-watch lists.

The...

End of year lists, a very fine tradition indeed. Like previous years I've assembled a list of the best films I've seen the past 12 months. No new content, all films and reviews have been featured on Twitch before, but a very good reminder of things you should definitely put on your "to-see" list before you forget about them altogether. Brace yourself for a selection of cinematic excellence (at least according to my taste).

10. Pk.com.cn

Chinese films are often quite traditional both in themes and presentation. Pk.com.cn is a welcome variation on the regular output, serving a hyper-modern romance dominated by social media and internet-savvy characters. The resulting film is quite unique, even outside the somewhat limiting confines of Chinese cinema. This one is for people who feel at ease in these modern times and dare to embrace the social revolution. Comes highly recommended.

09. Valhalla Rising

Chances...

Despite my somewhat puzzled reaction to Shinya Tsukamoto’s surreal sci-fi actioner “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man”, I think it’s incredibly cool that this ambitious production will find its way into a handful of Us theaters beginning on January 21st courtesy of IFC Films. And while a comprehensive list of theaters hasn’t been made available to the public as of this writing, apparently New York, Chicago, Denver, and Detroit are apparently already scheduled to screen the film. Although my opinion of the picture isn’t overwhelming positive, you’d be quite silly to pass up the opportunity to see this beast of a movie in a theater. If you’re curious to read my thoughts, feel free to investigate my review. Via Tokyograph...

Japanese filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto’s delirious 2009 sci-fi actioner “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man” is, if nothing else, one hell of a ride. The film is a dizzying, disorienting, and frequently maddening experience, and it’s certainly not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The sensation is akin to the sort of visceral response associated with the music of Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, or Autechre: the presentation is initially jarring and unpleasant, but you slowly begin to see a method to the madness, a beauty to the chaos. All of this may sound strange to those who aren’t familiar with the “Tetsuo” franchise or the aforementioned electronic musicians, but it’s the only way I know how to adequately describe the film to anyone who hasn’t properly consumed the insanity on their own. The film opens with the vehicular murder of a small boy, an event that’s witnessed...

The last few years Tsukamoto has been experiencing a slight decline towards (relatively) more commercial cinema. His latest (Nightmare Detective 2) is the ultimate proof of this change of style. Some might have you believe this new Tetsuo film is continuing the downward spiral, I clearly saw a completely different film. Tsukamoto returns back to his optima forma and delivers a film filled with more insanity than his age would ever betray.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a positive Tetsuo: The Bullet Man online. And while most negative feedback is definitely grounded, it seems to be missing the point entirely. This third Tetsuo film is in every way more of a sequel to the first film, somewhat ignoring the style and direction of the second one. It's in part an update of Tsuka's first Tetsuo film, but also somewhat of a rehash. I can only guess of course, but I'm not...

In recent weeks, four (count ‘em, four!) more Tff 2010 films were picked up for distribution: Tetsuo: The Bullet Man; Sons of Perdition; The Arbor; and Ticked-Off Trannies. Full details are not yet available about the release plans, but we're sharing what we know so far... IFC Films has acquired North American rights to two of the three films in Shinya Tsukamoto's acclaimed Tetsuo trilogy: Tetsuo III: The Bullet Man (which premiered at Tff 2010) and Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, which was made in 1992. The Bullet Man, Tsukamoto's first film in English, follows the story of Anthony, who turns into a human weapon when his son becomes the victim of a hit-and-run car accident. From the Tff catalog: 'In a time where technological advancements are constantly reshaping the way we function on a basic level, Tetsuo forces us to engage and become a part of what we're watching: a reminder ...

Shinya Tsukamoto fans have plenty of reasons to rejoice today. 24 Frames per Second is reporting today that IFC Entertainment will handle distribution rights for the impossibly talented Japanese director’s upcoming feature “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man”, a film I honestly cannot wait to investigate. Additionally, they’re also picking up rights to “Tetsuo II: The Body Hammer”, which was produced way back in 1992. Unfortunately, both films won’t find their way into my anxious arms until early next year. I’ll wait patiently for “The Bullet Man” to make its appearance on Region 1, but it’s not by choice. Interested parties can check out the full press release by clicking here.

Paris -- IFC has taken aim at Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto's "Tetsuo the Bullet Man" with the U.S. distributor snagging all North American rights plus TV, VOD and digital rights for the Middle East, the film's sales agent Coproduction Office said Friday.

The film, which is the third installment in Tsukamoto's "Tetsuo" series, held its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival after a different version screened at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.

Tsukamoto wasn't happy with the Venice version of the film so went back to the studio to produce the final version. "Now, I'm very much satisfied with how it has come out," he said, adding, "This project started as 'Tetsuo America' 17 years ago, so I am very glad that it will be released in the United States."

The film follows a half-American, half-Japanese office worker whose life changes when his son is killed in front of...

Nine Inch Nails frontman says he has nearly completed his soundtrack for David Fincher's The Social Network

Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross are writing the soundtrack for The Social Network, a forthcoming movie about Facebook by director David Fincher.

"I was planning on taking some time off after the continual waves of touring," Reznor explained on his website. It seems that Fincher must have sent him a persuasive Facebook message. Written by The West Wing's Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network tells the story of the site's founding, centering on ruthless young CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "I've always loved David's work but quite honestly I wondered what would draw him to tell that story," Reznor said. "When I actually read the script and realised what he was up to, I said goodbye to that free time I had planned."

Reznor called Ross, with whom he...

Trent Reznor may have disbanded the touring version of Nine Inch Nails, but he recently said the project is not dead. And now, just as his new band How to Destroy Angels prepares to release its first material, there is a new track that is being labeled as by Nine Inch Nails. Even better, it is the scratchy, unusual end credits music for Shinya Tsukamoto's film Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. There's something all too appropriate about this, as early Nine Inch Nails videos owed a lot to Tsukamoto's film Tetsuo: The Iron Man. It always seemed as if he and Reznor should be collaborating all the time. Now they have, and you can hear Reznor's full track, the appropriately titled 'Theme for Tetsuo: The Bullet Man.' [Some Kind of Awesome, via Vulture] The full track is after the break, along with the full version of the music from the Inception trailer. This Inception...

With the Japanese release of Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo: The Bullet Man just around the corner, the distributor has provided Gigazine an exclusive trailer containing an additional clip attached in the beginning and some behind-the-scenes pics taken by lead actor Eric Bossick himself who also happens to be a professional photographer.

Calm office worker Anthony, son of an American father and a Japanese mother, lives in Tokyo with his wife, Yuriko, and their little son Tom. Since Anthony's mother died of cancer, his scientist father has been overly fearful for his son's and grandson's health and rigidly subjects Anthony and Tom to monthly physicals.

Walking home one day, Tom is killed in a hit and run before Anthony's eyes. Losing their boy pushes Yuriko over the edge and triggers violent emotions in Anthony, whose body begins to transform. Little by little, his cells turn into iron. When the driver who...

Year: 2009

Directors: Shinya Tsukamoto

Writers: Shinya Tsukamoto/Hisakatsu Kuroki

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: Bob Doto

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Ever wake up and think: "Yes. Today is the day I'd like to have my inner ears tied to a seven-story turbine as it vomits the digested inhabitants of an insane asylum, while the inside of my eyes are continuously violated watching a conveyor belt sexually molest itself?" Ever feel that way? Yes? Great! Perhaps you'd enjoy Tetsuo: The Bullet Man.

Shinya Tsukamoto's third installment in the Tetsuo empire deals with much of what every other Tetsuo film deals with: the human as machine. Typically, this theme plays out with a man turning into a twisted and monstrous metal "thing" after being traumatized by an event. In The Bullet Man the trauma comes from a father's son being run over with a car multiple times. This, of course, was...

Back in September, I was pretty psyched about Shinya Tsukamoto’s “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man”, the second sequel to his deliriously cool 1989 cyberpunk flick “Tetsuo: The Iron Man”. Guess what? I’m still psyched, regardless of how lukewarm the reviews may be. The Japanese trailer for the latest installment looks fantastic, and I’m anxious for the film to find its way onto North American shores, which should happen later this year. Until then, the embedded trailer will have to suffice. When I need a fix, I’ll click play. And that’s pathetic.

We’ve had a teaser, we’ve had the international trailer and now Japan takes a turn at showcasing Shinya Tsukamoto’s return (and English language debut) to the deranged, extreme cyberpunk world of Tetsuo. With Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. This is by far the best of the three attempts at a trailer and has done its job very well. Even after the fact that it received quite lukewarm reviews at its premiere at the Venice film festival last year, we really want to see this now. The Bullet Man opens in Japan in May, with a U.S release planned later this year.

We’ve had a teaser, we’ve had the international trailer and now Japan takes a turn at showcasing Shinya Tsukamoto’s return (and English language debut) to the deranged, extreme cyberpunk world of Tetsuo. With Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. This is by far the best of the three attempts at a trailer and has done its job very well. Even after the fact that it received quite lukewarm reviews at its premiere at the Venice film festival last year, we really want to see this now. The Bullet Man opens in Japan in May, with a U.S release planned later this year.

We’ve had a teaser, we’ve had the international trailer and now Japan takes a turn at showcasing Shinya Tsukamoto’s return (and English language debut) to the deranged, extreme cyberpunk world of Tetsuo. With Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. This is by far the best of the three attempts at a trailer and has done its job very well. Even after the fact that it received quite lukewarm reviews at its premiere at the Venice film festival last year, we really want to see this now. The Bullet Man opens in Japan in May, with a U.S release planned later this year.

A few days back John made the rather excellent list of 15 films that are sure to get audience’s pulses racing with anticipation for next year. Yet away from the marketing hype, pre-release publicity and away from the A-List names there are a slew of movies that, whilst not overly commercially minded, look like they may just be delightful. Some might be sleeper hits, some might not. Either way here is a list of 15 films, five each from the U.S., Asia and Europe, you may not have heard of to look out for next year:

The United States

The Fighter

Perhaps tainted by Christian Bale’s lost lustre or director David O. Russell’s reputation, The Fighter is receiving much less attention than I initially envisioned. Mark Wahlberg is to star in the lead role of professional boxer “Irish” Micky Ward with Bale as his half brother. The Fighter...

A few days back John made the rather excellent list of 15 films that are sure to get audience’s pulses racing with anticipation for next year. Yet away from the marketing hype, pre-release publicity and away from the A-List names there are a slew of movies that, whilst not overly commercially minded, look like they may just be delightful. Some might be sleeper hits, some might not. Either way here is a list of 15 films, five each from the U.S., Asia and Europe, you may not have heard of to look out for next year:

The United States

The Fighter

Perhaps tainted by Christian Bale’s lost lustre or director David O. Russell’s reputation, The Fighter is receiving much less attention than I initially envisioned. Mark Wahlberg is to star in the lead role of professional boxer “Irish” Micky Ward with Bale as his half brother. The Fighter...

I’ve been a Shinya Tsukamoto fan for several years now, thanks in part to the director’s iconic film “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” and his ultra-violent boxing opus “Tokyo Fist.” These classics, in addition to his twisted short film “Haze,” drastically reshaped my cinematic tastes, transforming yours truly into an Asian film junkie who prefers the strange and esoteric to the simple and mainstream. The only other director that has had this much influence over me is Takashi Miike, another Japanese filmmaker who dabbles in the strange and unusual. However, over the past few years, Tsukamoto has focused his attention on more commercial fare — “Nightmare Detective” immediately springs to mind — making his return to the gleefully demented Tetsuo universe all the more surprising. Filmed in English, “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man” marks the third entry in Tsukamoto’s cult franchise, and judging from the trailer, promises to be just...

Fans of the Japanese cult series Tetsuo got a welcome surprise at this year's Comic-Con: Director Shinya Tsukamoto [1] announced that he had made an English-language sequel, to one of the greatest Japanese cyberpunk movies of all time, Tetsuo: The Iron Man. The latest in the series follows an American named Antony working in Tokyo, whose son Tom is killed by the same evil driver who creates the Tetsuos in previous films. Although I am not excited about this project, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man may atleast open up new audiences to the original classic. The movie will be completed in September, when it will hit the festival circuit and hopefully open it worldwide in 2010. In the meantime feel free to view the teaser. [1] http://io9.com/tag/shinya-tsukamoto/...

Again, this doesn't feel like much of an announcement (see our last post), but I know you still want to see the footage, and honestly, I still want to see the film!

Synopsis:

Calm office worker Anthony, son of an American father and a Japanese mother, lives in Tokyo with his wife Yuriko and their little son Tom. Since Anthony's mother died of cancer, his scientist father has been overly fearful for their health and rigidly subjects Anthony and Tom to monthly physicals. Walking home, Tom is killed in a hit and run before Anthony's eyes. Losing their boy pushes Yuriko over the edge and triggers violent emotions in Anthony, whose body begins to transform. Little by little, his cells turn into iron. When the driver who killed Tom reappears and Anthony learns the truth about his father's past experiments on human guinea pigs and about his mother's death, Anthony...

For the past decade, the San Diego Comic-Con has seen a major upturn in Hollywood presence. As high concept science-fiction and fantasy films continue to dominate the blockbuster charts, Sdcc has become the best venue to promote genre movies. Even movies and TV shows that have nothing to do with comic books or comic book-related genres (I'm looking at you, Judd Apatow comedies) spare their time to make a Con presence. This means plenty of appearances from famous entertainers—directors, writers and performers.

It's easy to whine about the decline of Sdcc's focus on geek stuff (a disenchanted friend pointed out to me that Comic-Con is a place where fans pay money to be advertised to by movie studios), but let's be honest, where else would you see these big filmmakers connect so enthusiastically with their fans? This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sdcc, and more than ever, they boast an impressive roster.

Undoubtedly, the best is yet to come from this year's San Diego Comic-Con, but we've got the scoop on all the horrific delights you can look forward to during Preview Night and the first full day of the event.

Wednesday – July 22

6:00-9:00 Pm: Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings - Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly present exclusive pilot premiere screenings of some of the most buzzed-about new TV series of the 2009–2010 season—Human Target, V, and The Vampire Diaries—as well as an exclusive preview trailer for additional upcoming shows.

The Vampire Diaries

Writer/producer Kevin Williamson (the Scream movies) is back with The Vampire Diaries, an edgy and romantic new drama in which two vampire brothers—one good, one evil—are at war for the soul of one girl. Based on the best-selling book series of the same name by L.J. Smith, the show stars Nina Dobrev...

Wonder why Takashi Shimizu isn’t directing the tenth anniversary installments of his Ju-On franchise himself? The answer is simple enough: because he’s making Japan’s first 3-D horror film instead!

Horror Master Takashi Shimizu Commences The Production Of Japan’S First Live Action Digital 3D Feature In The World’S Longest Horror House Walk-through

Tokyo, June 3rd 2009

Japanese production and distribution company Asmik Ace Entertainement today announced the commencement of the principal photography of “The Shock Labyrinth,” a live action digital 3D film directed by Takashi Shimizu (“Juon,” “Juon 2,” “The Grudge,” “The Grudge 2”). The horror project is aiming at an October 2009 release in Japan. Asmik Ace handles both local and international distribution of the Ogura Jimusyho production. The project marks Japan’s first ever live action digital 3D feature film as well as Shimizu’s long-awaited return to the horror feature after 3 years. Produced by Ogura Jimusyo...

Excuse me while I jab a magnificent fist into the air and strike this breathtaking pose. Indulge me, because being away for the past two weeks covering Sfiff had prevented me from noticing awesome news a-happenin'. And yes, this is awesome news indeed.

On Wednesday, Screen Daily broke the news that a third installment of Tetsuo: The Iron Man is in the works, currently called Tetsuo Project. Not only that, but apparently it's already finished shooting, and a cut is being rushed to Cannes for buyers. Yeah, like the festival wasn't already mindblowing enough. Dammit.

The pic above is a promotional image for the film, which shows its star Eric Bossick in his half-machine make-up.

I began my love affair with Shinya Tsukamoto in high school, when I first discovered the original Tetsuo on video. It was a mesmerizing work of art for the younger and more reckless me: there it was,...