Did HUNGER GAMES leave you unsatisfied? Then come and see the original and greatest of the teen vs. teen actioneers BATTLE ROYALE, possibly the most famous and influencial Japanese movie of the last 20 years despite a very limited international release. The cause of an A CLOCKWORK ORANGE type controversy in Japan at the time of its release, veteran yakuza movie director Keji Fukasaku's adaptation of Koushun Takami's bestselling novel overcame the furor to set box office records in Japan, win thr...
Did HUNGER GAMES leave you unsatisfied? Then come and see the original and greatest of the teen vs. teen actioneers BATTLE ROYALE, possibly the most famous and influencial Japanese movie of the last 20 years despite a very limited international release. The cause of an A CLOCKWORK ORANGE type controversy in Japan at the time of its release, veteran yakuza movie director Keji Fukasaku's adaptation of Koushun Takami's bestselling novel overcame the furor to set box office records in Japan, win three Japanese Academy Awards, and earn a passionate worldwide following including the likes of Quentin Tarantino, who called it the best movie he had seen since 1992!
After a brief setup in which a dystopian future Japan overrun by teenage rebellion is revealed, class 3-B is abducted by the government and forced to participate in the terrifying BR Act, a televised game in which all the students have to kill each other on a remote island. The sinister teacher named Kitano, played by "Beat" Takeshi himself in a brilliant comic performance, sends the students off on their deadly game, plunging us quickly into the action. During the breathtaking, hyper-kinetic carnage, the mostly teenage cast, led by Japanese Academy Award winning Newcomers of the year Tatsuya Fujiwara and Aki Maed and including KILL BILL's Chiaki Kuriyama, try to work out their conflicted feelings about the game, their friendships, and normal teenage anxieties in a way that feels heartbreakingly real and universal. The pathos, action, and deeply dark humor never let up until until a shockingly disturbing climax.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity too see this epic masterpiece on the big screen! Despite it's international acclaim, BATTLE ROYALE has never had any more than a handful of screenings in North America in the sixteen years since it's release!
122m, Japanese w/English subtitles, HD Digital
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