Helldriver

2010, 116 min. HD Cam, color, in Japanese with English subtitles.
Directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura. With Yumiko Hara, Eihi Shiina, Yurei Yanagi, Kazuki Namioka, Kentaro Kishi, Mizuki Kusumi, Minoru Torihada and Guadalcanal Taka.

From March 14–June 30, 2011:
50% of all ticket sales will go to Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund.

Eihi Shiina. Vaura.

With director Yoshihiro Nishimura and actress Eihi Shiina in person!

Japan Cuts/NYAFF "Be a Zombie" after-party!
With black metal band Vaura!  Vaura is a New York-based band comprised of Josh Strawn, Kevin Hufnagel, Toby Driver, and Charlie Schmid. Drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as avant-garde black metal, cold wave and psychedelic prog, this quartet creates music as rich in foreboding atmospheres and harsh textures as in romantic melodies. Having just debuted in October of 2010, the band has nevertheless already shared the stage with some of the most significant acts in the independent metal scene, including Castevet, Monarch! and Yoshiko Ohara of Bloody Panda.

Your one chance to see the original director’s cut of the film, with more action… and more gore!

The screening is also a very special launch event for our 5th Festival of Contemporary Japanese Film (July 7–July 18): Japan Cuts and for the New York Asian Film Festival 2011. It will be followed by a party for ye undead and proud, special announcements will be made revealing titles in this year’s festivals, and prizes will be given away.

In a land where half of the population has become not-so-sexy flesh eaters and the economy gently withers away, all hope seems lost for Japan… until Kika (Yumiko Hara) arrives. A stunning high school girl armed with an artificial heart-powered chainsaw sword, she leads a motley crew of desperados on a secret mission into the zombie-infected wilds to exterminate zombie queen Rikka (Eihi Shiina from Audition and Tokyo Gore Police) and put an end to the plague of the living dead.

But the road is fraught with a thriving zombie culture that, with its own designs on the living half of Japan, refuses to just lay down and die.

Visionary filmmaker Yoshihiro Nishimura’s first solo directorial effort since Tokyo Gore Police is an epic, apocalyptic road movie featuring non-stop, over-the-top splatter action. The long-awaited realization of his dreams, Helldriver is Nishimura’s bid to create the ultimate zombie film.

The showdown for the future of Japan is at hand and no one, living or dead, may survive to see it!

TICKETS
$12/$9 members, students & seniors

Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.