Third Window Films will release Lesson of Evil on September 28th and I have had mine on pre-order since it became available on day one. I’ll wait until I get it before I review it but I am anticipating a barn-storming bit of entertainment. It’s a title I have kept track of ever since it played at the Rotterdam film festival and I was excited by the buzz because the reviews pointed to it as evidence that he was going back to his roots in gory horror and action titles and those are the films I first go to know him by. The film is based on a book written by Yusuke Kishi, an award winning novelist who specialises in horror and stars a lot of great actors.
Also, awesome DVD case!
Here are the release details:
LESSON OF EVIL
A film by Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins, For Love’s Sake)
Japan / 2012 / 129 Mins / In Japanese with English subtitles / Colour
Starring: Hideaki Ito (Sukiyaki Western Django, The Princess Blade, Umizaru)
Shota Sometani (Himizu, Tokyo Tribe, Sadako 3D)
Fumi Nikaido (Himizu, Au Revoir L’Ete, My Man, Why Don’t You Play In Hell?)
Takayuki Yamada (13 Assassins, Gantz, Crows Zero)
On DVD & BLU-RAY September 29th
DVD/BLU-RAY Special Features:
2 hour long Making Of, New UK Trailer
Synopsis
Cool and charismatic English teacher Seiji Hasumi (ITO) is popular with students and teachers alike. He inspires trust and respect from his class, greeting many with an affectionate, if irritating, ruffle of the hair. But his actions soon take a turn, revealing something dark behind that charming smile. Students become suspicious when friends slowly start to disappear, but little do they know that absolute jaw-dropping carnage is just around the corner.
Adapted from Yusuke KISHI’s horror novel, Aku no Kyōten, a commentary on tough high school life and dark student–teacher relationships, with plenty of black humour, absurd violence, and a splash of Cronenbergian fantasy added for good measure.
Director, Takashi Miike Biography
Born on August 24, 1960. After studying under Shohei Imamura and a number of other directors, he made his debut in 1991 and has directed many productions of various genres since then. His innovative ideas and edgy direction are highly praised in and out of the country, and he has enthusiastic fans all over the world. In 1997, along with John Woo, he ranked as the tenth most promising film directors chosen by “Time” magazine in the U.S. In 2000, “Audition” won the International Film Critics Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. In 2003, “Gokudo kyofu dai-gekijo: Gozu” was shown during the Directors’ Fortnight of the Cannes International Film Festival and received accolades from critics. In 2006, “Big Bang Love, Juvenile A” was shown in the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2010, “13 Assassins” was in the competition section of the Venice International Film Festival, and in 2011, “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” was in the competition section of the Cannes International Film Festival. Miike is one of the most promising directors of our time.
