When Razor Reel asked us to curate two Japanese genre films for this edition of their festival, one name immediately came to mind: Yoshihiro Nishimura.
Often hailed as "the Tom Savini of Japan," Mr. Nishimura was a visionary film director, screenwriter, and special makeup/effects artist who sadly passed away earlier this year at age 59. Best known for his explosive work on Tokyo Gore Police, he turned the "blood fountain" into an art form and a signature trademark. A pioneer of modern Japanese Splatterpunk, he crafted wild, surreal, low-budget cinema packed with outrageous practical effects, hyper-kinetic gore, and unrestrained imagination.
Nishimura and BUT Film Festival were true blood brothers in spirit. Tonight, we pay tribute to his legacy by presenting a double bill of two of his most iconic, over-the-top cinematic creations.
Featured Films:
Meatball Machine Kodoku
(Japan | Dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura)
Yōji, a lonely, down-on-his-luck collection agent, discovers an alien parasitic organism and conceals it in his room. When the parasitic infestation spreads across the city, humans are transformed into "NecroBorgs"—grotesque, biomechanical killing machines that mutate their own flesh into deadly weaponry. When the woman he loves is infected, Yōji must embrace the madness and battle through a flesh-and-metal nightmare. A high-octane splatterfest brimming with insane body horror and inventive practical effects.
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Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
(Japan | Co-dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura, Naoyuki Tomomatsu)
High school drama hits a bloody extreme when Monami, a transfer student who happens to be a vampire, gifts classmate Mizushima a Valentine's Day chocolate laced with her blood—turning him into a half-vampire. Enraged with jealousy, Mizushima’s girlfriend Keiko confronts Monami, leading to a fatal drop from the school roof. Keiko's father, a mad scientist school principal, resurrects her as a cybernetic Frankenstein monster. What follows is a wildly chaotic, gory showdown packed with absurd violence, dark satire, and non-stop splatter spectacle.
Tickets + info
Presented & Introduced by BUT Film Festival at Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest.