Watch Out GAMERA For "LOVE AND PEACE" = Daikaiju Pikadon?!

[AVERY GUERRA]

Sorry 'bout the title....I Just had too...Prolific filmmaker Shion Sono has a new crazy looking film oddly entitled "LOVE AND PEACE" that just so happens to feature a man and his daikaiju turtle?! A homage to Gamera's 50th. perhaps? At the same time it kinda sounds a little TMNT too...Oh and did I mention it has spfx by Kiyotaka Taguchi?!

"In the summer of 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. Ryoichi dreamed of becoming a punk rocker when he was younger, but became a timid salaryman at a musical instrument parts company. He has feelings for Yuko, but he can't tell her how he feels..

One day, he has a fateful meeting with a turtle on the rooftop of a department store. He names the turtle Pikadon and he adores it, but his co-workers laugh at him. Ryoichi throws Pikadon into the toilet. He regrets what he did. The turtle though goes through sewerage and meets an old man who lives in the underground. Something then happens."

Trailer:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xfRJPpaxFLc

Website:

http://love-peace.asmik-ace.co.jp/sp/index.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4173494/

[klen7]

Interesting

[kiryugoji04]

OH MY GOD IF SION SONO IS MAKING AN HONEST TO GOD KAIJU FILM I AM JUST DONE. THAT'S AMAZING PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN.

*ahem*

[kiryugoji04]

Also, it looks like creepy video game guy from Gamera 3 is in it. XD

[kiryugoji04]

OH MY GOD, KIYOTAKA TAGUCHI IS DIRECTING THE SPECIAL EFFECTS. NO OTHER MOVIE THIS YEAR MATTERS.

[MekaGojira3k]

This is now my most anticipated film, not just because of a kaiju but the trailer made the film seem really fun.

[jellydonut25]

[kiryugoji04]

[jellydonut25]

I guess Why Don't You Play in Hell was decent, so I guess I could be interested in this maybe...

[kiryugoji04]

Sorry, Jelly. I checked the actor's Japanese wikipedia page and it turns out he IS in this movie. Ha!

I still need to see Why Don't You Play in Hell. I think it looks great though. My main investment in this is from seeing Love Exposure, which was one of my favorite films of the decade.

[jellydonut25]

Why Don't You Play in Hell is slow to start but good in the second half. Cut 20 minutes from the first half and it'd be much improved

[kiryugoji04]

I'd be curious to see how I like it by comparison. Love exposure is just three minutes shy of four hours and I wouldn't cut a thing.

[lhb412]

This looks... very interesting. I'll have to check out Love Exposure. I know my library has it.

The turtle is probably more because of the place the turtle holds in mythology. Same reason behind Gamera.

Using some of Ifukube's non-film music, though? Total kaiju homage.

[AVERY GUERRA]

Full official trailer!!

http://twitchfilm.com/2015/04/love-and- ... atest.html

[kiryugoji04]

Youtube embed for the aforementioned trailer:



And now CHECK OUT THESE MINIATURES. Kiyotaka Taguchi posted these BTS shots to Facebook sometime today or yesterday and they are GLORIOUS. So stoked to see this movie.

[Rody]

This looks totally weird and totally interesting. I look forward to it.

[AVERY GUERRA]

New poster art:



Images of the kaiju suit??:

[lhb412]

This movie looks super interesting. Is there any release of this with English subs that's Region 1 (or region free)?

I know several of Sono's films have had US home video releases, and that in conjunction with the kaiju element made me think this was a shoe-in for showing up on some art film label, but no dice as of yet.

[kiryugoji04]

I finally saw this several weeks ago, thanks to the power of the internet. Holy crap, it was so wonderful. My new favorite Sion Sono film and the best Christmas movie ever. XD

[klen7]

If it weren't for a few fans raving about this film, i would think it was an elaborate prank. There is zero footprint in the US for this film despite a couple festival showings.

[kiryugoji04]

Yeah, it's a real shame because it's SO GOOD. Really needs a subtitled region A blu ray release but I don't think anyone has picked it up stateside yet. It's got a UK release but the distributor region locks all of their releases.

[Mac]

[kiryugoji04]

Well it's frustrating given how many other Sion Sono movies were snatched up for US distribution in the two or three years prior to Love & Peace and then it comes along and it's one of the craziest things he's done and no one touches it. Boo.

[jellydonut25]

I saw it. If not for the main character, I'd probably love it, but he alternates between looking like he's smelling rotting carcasses filled with pig feed and manure, and being a complete jerk. I think he was pushed too far in both directions by Sono, during his time as a "sad sack" AND as he rises to fame. I think a little more middle ground would have made him overall more likable and helped the movie be more enjoyable.

It's got quite a bit of charm though and I think even though it's NOT a kaiju movie (at all. Even the "kaiju" portion feels almost nothing like a kaiju movie and actually goes out of its way to make it NOT seem like Pikadon is a kaiju at that time) there's still plenty for kaiju fans to enjoy here, as we're also typically fans of practical effects work, and puppetry and muppets and elaborate sets and that's here in spades.

[lhb412]

So many video labels that would be perfect for this here in the US: Cohen Media Group, KINO, Arrow, Drafthouse... even SHOUT! or Criterion could do it. It's got arthouse cred and genre appeal!