DIRECTOR: Kazuhiko Hasegawa
STARS: Bunta Sugawara (Cops vs Thugs), Kenji Sawada (Mishima), Kimiko Ikegami (House)
SYNOPSIS: This is a truly entertaining and intense thriller / comedy / action / arthouse film from Japan. A likable high school science teacher “Makoto” decides to build an atomic bomb. In an exciting sequence he steals plutonium from a government facility. His cramped apartment is filled with various machines and lab equipment. We watch as he goes through each step of the bomb-making process in a realistic manner. Once it’s completed he lets the cops, and the world, know that he has an atomic bomb. Early in the film our hero crosses paths with a tough but fair cop played by Bunta Sugawa. Later, the cop is assigned to the case and tries his best to uncover the identity of the terrorist. The men have a bit of a cat-and-mouse relationship. One of the fascinating aspects of the film is that Makoto doesn’t have any real motive other than building the bomb. He’s not out for revenge or money - maybe he just wanted to see if he could pull it off. Makoto seems to enjoy watching the cops run around in circles trying to catch him. The film is absolutely packed with beautiful images and sequences. It seamlessly mixes action, drama and black humor. The score is also memorable. Years later in 1986 a somewhat similar plot was explored in the clever film The Manhattan Project. A must have! In Japanese language with English subtitles. WIDESCREEN
Widescreen / Color
Region Free / Code Free DVD-R
DIRECTOR: Kazuhiko Hasegawa
STARS: Bunta Sugawara (Cops vs Thugs), Kenji Sawada (Mishima), Kimiko Ikegami (House)
SYNOPSIS: This is a truly entertaining and intense thriller / comedy / action / arthouse film from Japan. A likable high school science teacher “Makoto” decides to build an atomic bomb. In an exciting sequence he steals plutonium from a government facility. His cramped apartment is filled with various machines and lab equipment. We watch as he goes through each step of the bomb-making process in a realistic manner. Once it’s completed he lets the cops, and the world, know that he has an atomic bomb. Early in the film our hero crosses paths with a tough but fair cop played by Bunta Sugawa. Later, the cop is assigned to the case and tries his best to uncover the identity of the terrorist. The men have a bit of a cat-and-mouse relationship. One of the fascinating aspects of the film is that Makoto doesn’t have any real motive other than building the bomb. He’s not out for revenge or money - maybe he just wanted to see if he could pull it off. Makoto seems to enjoy watching the cops run around in circles trying to catch him. The film is absolutely packed with beautiful images and sequences. It seamlessly mixes action, drama and black humor. The score is also memorable. Years later in 1986 a somewhat similar plot was explored in the clever film The Manhattan Project. A must have! In Japanese language with English subtitles. WIDESCREEN
Widescreen / Color
Region Free / Code Free DVD-R
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