By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Director Minoru Kawasaki, whose crazy filmography includes THE CALAMARI WRESTLER, THE WORLD SINKS EXCEPT JAPAN and THE MONSTER X STRIKES BACK: ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT, has a new creature bash in U.S. release.
SRS Cinema has issued MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS on Blu-ray (in a limited pressing, for $24.95), and on VHS with just 50 tapes available. Pre-orders are currently being taken here, with the product scheduled to ship in late April, accompanied by a free limited-edition 11 x 17-inch mini-poster while supplies last. Written by Kawasaki and Masakazu Migita (DEATH KAPPA), based on a story Japanese effects master Eiji Tsuburaya came up with in the ’50s, the film stars Keisuke Ueda, Yuya Asato, Ayano Yoshida Christie, Hide Fukumoto, Kei Grant, Masami Horiuchi, Gota Ihashi and Tomotaka Imamichi. The synopsis: “Yuta [Ueda}, a young master at the Tsukiji Fish Market, accidentally drops his meal of mixed seafood into the Sumida River. Sometime afterwards a gigantic mutated squid monster arises from the depths and begins to wreak havoc upon an awe-stricken Tokyo. Attempts by the Japan Self-Defense Forces to stop the creature prove futile. As it seems things couldn’t get any worse, an enormous mutant octopus monster emerges from the deep and heads into a clash of the titans with the gargantuan squid. As a last ditch effort, the government forms the ‘Seafood Monster Attack Team (SMAT)’ and an all-new plan of attack is immediately put into action. But just as the tide appears to be turning in humanity’s favor, a colossal crab monster appears, joining in the Monster Seafood Wars and plunging the world into culinary chaos.” Check out the Japanese trailer below the art.
