Welcome to the first trailer post of the week.
There will be three, so come back over the next two days to see what else is released.
I’ve been going on a real Hong Kong movie run with lots of Category III and underseen titles from the 80s and 90s. The last time I watched this many was the last time I was ill, which was a couple of years ago, and I watched nothing but Girls and Guns action films – Hong Kong pioneering female action heroes.
We could have gone longer with that topic on Heroic Purgatory since there are loads and loads of titles, but we’ve moved on. The irregular posting patterns due to time constraints prevent the weekly releases that would have allowed us to cover more films.
What is live on Heroic Purgatory is a special episode dedicated to master filmmaker David Lynch.
What are the first set of films to be released this week?
Ghost in the Shell 4K Remaster 
攻殻機動隊 「Koukaku Kidoutai」
Release Date: November 18th, 1995
Running Time: 83 mins.
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Writer: Kazunori Ito (Screenplay), Shiro Masamune (Original Creator)
Starring: Atsuko Tanaka (Motoko Kusanagi), Akio Ohtsuka (Bateau), Tamio Ohki (Daisuke Aramaki), Kouchi Yamadera (Togusa),
The Ghost in the Shell franchise started life in 1989 as a manga by Masamune Shirow (Black Magic, Appleseed, Dominion Tank Police) before being adapted into an anime film by Mamoru Oshii (Urusei Yatsura, Patlabor, The Sky Crawlers) in 1995. I’ve seen this on the big screen and on the small screen too many times to count and I talked about it for a Heroic Purgatory podcast.
In September 2021, the 4K remastered version of this film was released in IMAX and it is released again to coincide with the 4K remastered version of its sequel , Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, which is getting its 20th anniversary screening.
Synopsis: The film takes place in 2029, a time when technology and the internet have advanced far enough that nearly all of humanity is cybernetically augmented and able to roam between real and virtual environments.
The story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team at Public Security Section 9 who are on the hunt for a cyber-criminal known as The Puppet Master, a prolific “ghost hacker” who breaks into and takes control of human minds. It soon becomes apparent that The Puppet Master is part of a wider conspiracy wherein another government agency has created an artificial intelligence which has become sentient…
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence 20th Anniversary 4K Remaster 
イノセンス 「Inosensu」
Release Date: March 06th, 2004
Duration: 99 mins
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Writer: Mamoru Oshii (Screenplay), Masamune Shirow (Original Manga),
Starring: Akio Otsuka (Batou), Atsuko Tanaka (Motoko Kusanagi), Koichi Yamadera (Togusa), Tamio Oki (aramaki), Yutaka Nakano (Ishikawa), Naoto Takenaka (Kim),
Animation Production: Production I.G
It was the first Japanese animation ever to be entered in Competition at the Cannes in 2004 and remains the only anime to have been nominated nominated for the Palme d’Or. It won the Feature Film Award in the 9th Animation Kobe Awards in 2004. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the film’s 2004 release, a 4K remastered version will be released in theatres in February 2025 – it has already toured the US.
I haven’t watched Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence since it’s initial cinema release. While the first film had a more compelling police procedural plot to provide power to its philosophical musings, this one was more intellectualising and stunning visuals with the odd bit of action. My mother, knowing I’m a fan of the franchise, bought the accompanying novel After the Long Goodbye. That had a similar feel – more noir with musings from Batou. I think if I go back to both now, I would appreciate them more.
Synopsis: Three years after the firs film and after Major Motoko Kusanagi disappears, Section 9’s Batou and Togusa are assigned to investigate a string of gruesome murders committed by gynoids (sex robots). Initially deemed a case of faulty tech, when one leaves Batou a cryptic message, they begin to investigate the cause of their malfunctions and is on the case of politically motivated murder and the trail of an illegal “ghost.”
The Gesuidouz 
ザ・ゲスイドウズ 「Za Gesuidouzu」
Release Date: February 28th, 2025
Duration: 93 mins.
Director: Kenichi Ugana
Writer: Kenichi Ugana (Screenplay),
Starring: Natsuko, Leo Imamura, Yutaka Kyan, Rocko Zevenbergen, Yuya Endo, Saori Izawa, Takumi Saitoh, Lloyd Kaufman, Sports Makita,
Kenichi Ugana (Visitors – Complete Edition) is fast rising in the film world following Extraneous Matter – Complete Edition at Nippon Connection a few years ago. His sci-fi/horror genre tales are perfect for genre festivals and this film, a horror-themed music movie, played at Midnight Madness at Toronto, the Busan International Film Festival, and Tokyo FILMeX.
Leading the cast are Natsuko (My (K)night and Joshu Rei (both 2023) and Yuya Endo (Tatsumi (2023), Shotai (2024)). The film features Leo Imamura, of the band-turned-solo-project ALI, who plays a guitarist, Yutaka Kyan, of the Visual Kei band Golden Bomber, who plays a bassist, and the filmmaker Rocko Zevenbergen.
Synopsis: The Gesuidouz are a four-piece misfit horror-themed punk rock band who have been ordered by their manager Takamura to move to the remotes of remote areas in the countryside to write a comeback song after their album fails. Thus, the members help out their neighbours during the day and work at night writing songs. During this time, vocalist Hanako experiences sudden changes and the songs she writes become different.
BUCK-TICK The Movie: BUCK-TICK Phenomenon – New World II
劇場版 BUCK-TICK バクチク現象 New World II 「Gekijouban “BUCK-TICK Bakuchiku genshou New World II」
Release Date: February 28th, 2025
Duration: 142 mins.
Director: Yuichiro Iwaki
Writer: N/A
Starring: Buck-Tick – Atsushi Sakurai, Hisashi Imai, Hidehiko Hoshino, Yutaka Higuchi, Toll Yagami
Director Yuichiro Iwaki has previously made a documentary about BUCK-TICK and it was released in 2013.
This is the second entry in a two-part film following last week’s entry. It coincides with the BUCK-TICK exhibition at Shinjuku Theatre Mercury, which runs from February 21 to March 9. At the exhibition, there will be immersive videos, band costumes, memorabilia, album covers, and there is also TOUR 2025 SUBROSA that will culminate with a concert at Japan Budokan on December 29, 2025.
Synopsis: This documentary was made as the band celebrated their 35th anniversary. It follows the band over a two-year period, from their Nippon Budokan concert in December 2021 to December 2023 and takes in the creation of their album “IZORA”.
It looks like it covers the period when Atsushi Sakurai passed away.
Magic Candies 
あめだま 「Amedama」
Release Date: September 20th, 2024
Duration: 21 mins.
Director: Daisuke Nishio
Writer: Ichiro Takano (Screenplay), Baek Hee-na (Original Story),
Starring: Haruto Shima, Hiroshi Iwasaki, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Sakiko Uran, Ikkei Watanabe, Oi Kiko,
Animation Production: Toei Animation
This is based on Baek Hee-na, winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (the children’s book equivalent of a Nobel Laureate prize for literature) in 2020 for “Cloud Bread” and a popular writer. You can hear her words and see images from Amedama in this talk she took part in.
It was directed by Daisuke Nishio, a veteran with a career that encompasses directing TV anime and movies for franchises like Dagon Ball Z, 3×3 Eyes, Pretty Cure, Interstella 5555, Gegege no Kitaro, and Kindaichi Case Files.
This is the fourth Japanese film ever to be nominated for the 97th Academy Awards in the category of Best Animated Short Film. It’s a sweet work with gorgeous visuals done in CG but made to look like it has a stop-motion feel. It played at Vancouver, London, and Busan film festivals last year.
Synopsis: A loner named Dong Dong initially wanted to buy more marbles to play his solitary games with but he ended up getting magic sweets that lead to some startling developments: every time he pops a sweet in his mouth, he can hear the thoughts and feelings of other people and things and this is how he becomes able to express his own feelings.
Demon City 
Demon City 鬼ゴロシ 「Demon City Oni Goroshi」
Release Date: February 27th, 2025
Duration: 107 mins.
Director: Seiji Tanaka
Writer: Seiji Tanaka (Screenplay), Masamimich Kawabe (Original Manga)
Starring: Toma Ikuta, Matsuya Onoe, Masahiro Higashide, Mio Tanaka, Ami, Touma, Mai Kiryu, Masanobu Takashima, Naoto Takenaka, Takuma Otoo,
Seiji Tanaka, director of Melancholic (2019), has two films released this month:
last week saw The Man Who Failed to Die/Shi ni soko natta otoko JFDB (which is a totally original story by Tanaka) hit cinemas and this week sees Demon City (based on a manga by Masamimich Kawabe) released on Netflix on February 27th, so check your service to see if it is available.
The film stars Toma Ikuta (Close-knit (2017)), Masahiro Higashide (Asako I&II (2018), The Sound of Grass (2021)), Mai Kiryu (Lying to Mom (2018)) and super veteran actor Naoto Tanaka.
Synopsis: Shuhei Sakata is a legendary hit man whose attempt to get out of the game sees him framed for the murder of his beloved wife and daughter by the Kimen-gumi, a criminal organisation famed for its use of demon masks, and shot in the head. He survives the shot but goes into a coma. When he awakens, some 12 years later, the Kimen-gumi attack again and his dormant hitman powers come roaring back into life, as does a desire for revenge.