Sure, it takes a special type of crazy to try to make it in the movies, especially if you’ve been at it for ten years without any sort of premiere, but the strangely persistent four-man production of Why Don’t You Play in Hell? takes this to even crazier heights, involving a yakuza gang war and potentially their lives. Writer-director Sion Sono infuses his signature gore with much more playful comedy, slinging together chaotic action scenes through the pure power of cool, and the entire roster’s enthusiasm for cinema is just so infectious, it’s compelling to watch, even when the plotlines don’t fully mesh well. Why Don’t You Play in Hell? is such a fun tribute to gritty action filmmaking.
"A deliriously gaudy celebration of the decline of everything (including Japanese cinema, film as a medium, and any notion of good taste), it plays like the improbable bastard offspring of Cinema Paradiso (1988) and Kill Bill (2003)"
— Anton Bitel
"A middle-aged filmmaker's tribute to the kind of epic-sized gangster-romance he used to fantasize about making."
— Simon Abrams
In Japan, gonzo filmmakers hatch a three-pronged plan to save an actress's career, end a yakuza war and make a hit movie.
A group of gonzo filmmakers hatch a three-pronged plan to save the acting career of child star Mitsuko, end a yakuza war between Muto’s and Ikegami’s clans, and make a hit movie.
How much fake blood, exactly, was used for this film? It’s actually insane.
People say that it takes a miracle to make a film. This is one heck of a miracle.
Venice
1 nomination
