KARAOKE TERROR and PARTY 7 Coming April 29, 2008

Just announced and probably now available for pre-order on your favorite online website (I know these are up on AMAZON right now) are KARAOKE TERROR and PARTY 7. These two titles have been highly requested and have been in the works for a while from us but... no more waiting... they're coming in April!

From the mind of writer Ryu Murakami (AUDITION) comes the satirical tale of two groups of outsiders who make war on each other, set to a soundtrack of retro karaoke hits. A gang of young slacker guys (the Gakis) idle away their time just hanging out, their sole passion in life being elaborate karaoke recreations of their favorite Showa-era songs (oldies from the 40s to the 80s). Across town, a group of thirty-something divorced women calling themselves the Midoris do much the same thing, until one of the Gakis kills a Midori after he's rejected trying to pick her up. The Midoris retaliate, and the absurdist battle of revenge is on, with weapons escalating from knives to guns and eventually to rocket launchers and beyond. A pitch-black comedy of violence filled with rage at the status quo and a seething impatience for the ordinary, KARAOKE TERROR captures the angst and spiritual restlessness of two very different generations, both abandoned by society and seeking payback with apocalyptic results.

KARAOKE TERROR is probably one of the most requested DVDs in our history. It is such a great film and is full of humor, violence and gore (and it certainly helps us that no Japanese DVD was ever released with English subtitles). The acting and music are top-notch and the disc looks amazing! The wonderful folks at TWITCH.NET have an advance copy and have posted the three theatrical trailers for the film on their site (click the link). Check them out... the last shot of the longer trailer just makes me smile every time! "Who will win?"... guess you're going to have to watch and see. Suggested retail is $24.95. Extras include interviews, trailer and more!

Next up, the amazingly strange PARTY 7...

Cult filmmaker and popular commercial director Katsuhito Ishii (SHARK SKIN MAN AND PEACH-HIP GIRL, THE TASTE OF TEA) brings you seven of the strangest characters you'll ever meet. Yakuza punk Miki checks into the remote New Mexico hotel to hide out after stealing a case of gang loot. Not long after, Miki's old flame Kana and her new, geeky boyfriend Todohira show up to collect on a debt, but are soon followed by Miki's elder gang brother Sonoda, who's looking for the stolen money. Meanwhile, shy peeping tom Okita hides out in a secret room built by the mysterious Captain Banana, and both are watching the whole proceedings. Finally, hot on Miki and Sonoda's trail is oddball mob assassin Wakagashira, who's also got a strange obsession for plastic model kits! Throw all these personalities together in the same hotel room and it's a recipe for a party of mistaken identities, sexy comedy and violence. Mixing the spirit of Quentin Tarantino with comic book aesthetics - and an eye-poppingly gorgeous production design - PARTY 7 is an unforgettable portrait of seven weirdos trapped in a cycle of craziness that will have you alternately laughing and gasping with surprise.

PARTY 7 is, well, just INSANE! It's a crazy hybrid of a bit of anime, comedy and subversive crazy situations mixed with a slight dash of sci-fi. It's indescribably strange... almost as if David Lynch directed an Asian film. I'm finishing up checking the project right now and I'm having a blast watching this one again. Suggested retail price is $24.95. Extras include interviews, a making of featurette, trailer, storyboard version of the film and more!