Jive Guy gives us a peek at that bizarre and controversial Japanese film BATTLE ROYALE!

Hey folks, Harry here having just returned from the Alamo Drafthouse where Tim and I were conspiring to contact and get this film screened here in Austin at the Drafthouse, when lo and behold they screen the baby in Los Angeles at the lovely and beautiful EGYPTIAN THEATER! Now in some ways this is one of the KEY films that should have been being played at Sundance, but alas... It doesn't seem to be. Well, lean back and listen... cuz this is a film that doesn't leave you passive with the brain in the off position.

Hey Harry, got some "ain't it cool news" for ya.

Just got back from the U.S. Premeire of a subtitled version of Japanese director Kinji Fukusakus 'Battle Royal' at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Ca. I must say that this was truly one of the most unique films I have seen in a long while, which is surprising because very few films live to their trailers. The sypnosis of the film is as follows;

In Japans not so distant future a class of 42 9th grade students are selected and taken against their will to a vacated island where they are given supplies and one weapon each where they must follow this simple order: terminate each of their classmates. They are given three days to do it, if there is more than one survivor by the end of the third day, every teen will be killed via an explosive dog collar around their necks. There can only be one winner, with the ultimate goal at stake..... Freedom. Among the weapons are deadly devices such as gernades, knives, sickles, shot guns, uzi's, hand guns, and cross bows, to metal lids, scanners, and binaculars. To keep the pace moving, every hour or so a danger zone in the island is announced on a loud speaker, meaning any collar in the zone perimeter within that hour will explode. The Government calls the game 'Battle Royal."

'Battle Royal' is obviously not for any viewer. The whole concept and the very graphic deaths that the teenagers cause upon eachother can truly be disturbing. I think I truly hit the nail on the head when I say the film is "Lord of the Flies' meets "Evil Dead 2', in the fact that even though the content and theme of the film are dead serious, director Kinji Fukusaku adds a lot of satire in his future world very reminiscent of Paul Verhovens 'Robocop' and 'Starship Troopers,' i.e, the whole 'BR' concept is a big media spectacle like 'The Running Man,' with Ah-Nold.

I seriously doubt the film will get any sort of U.S realse after this tour, I can honestly say that it's one of the top five most violent films I've seen. The friend I saw the film with was quite shooken up after seeing it but I wouldn't rank "Battle Royal' as high as "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," on the disturbing factor, or even half way there. And I doubt most of the crowd did either. Most of the crowd, which consisted of all adults, found the film fun. Don't get me wrong, 42 9th grade students graphically shredding eachother with all sorts of weapons isn't delightful or satisfying, I mean, there's even a scoreboard after each death ("26 to go"), but neither is a platoon of Marines getting picked off by hundreds of 'Aliens', yet there's still that butterfly in your stomach that guiltfully anticipates each and every second.

It was absolutly exciting and interesting seeing how these kids react once they're on the island. Some align, some declare all out war, and a few refuse to fight. Fukusakus son, whose name escpaes me at the moment wrote the film, and did a wonderful job at dislaying the fact that these kids are still kids, despite the heavy situation. These are kids who have crushes on eachother, not savages.

Not since 'Frequency' have I sat in awe for a whole 90 minutes without taking my eyes off the screen. Right from the opening music and cool credits till the very end, 'Battle Royal' delivers and manages to dish out shock after shock with its 'take no prisoners' style. Though disturbing, the originality of the 'Battle Royal' concept and the stunning performances by the youngsters manages to keep you locked into the film wondering just how it will turn out. I don't want to spoil anything, but if you're expecting a large group of teens to come out of this alive think again, remember, this isn't an American movie where there has to be a sunny bright ending. It'll never happen, but I would only wish for an American version where we get to see the gruesome WB teen stars or maybe Freddie Prinze Jr. and Kirsten Dundst battle it out, oh that'd be great.

Anyhow, the director and writer of the film are taking the film to Cleveland, New York, Toronto, and Oregon next (sorry, no Texas!) so if you live in these areas I highly recommend that you find it and see it since you may never get the chance to again. The film is very controversial in Japan right now, but the director said that our aduience had the response to the film that'd he'd been looking for since it came out. He didn't mean it to be taken as serious as a heart attack, and if you watch the film with that in mind, it shuld be fun. No one asked if the film would ever reach America on tape or DVD so I hope this is covered in future screenings.

A very unique, original, kick ass, and thought provoking film. * * * * * out of 5

-JiveGuy

Well, it ain't at Sundance... but damn I feel the buzz....