Actors: Kentaro Shimazu, Shigeru Matsuzaki, Rina Takeda
Directors: Noboru Iguchi
Rated: Unrated
Studio: First Look Pictures
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Run Time: 91 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
What can you expect from a film titled “Dead Sushi”? Well take what you think and throw it away because it will leave your mouth wide-open saying “WTF is going on here!”. That is the way I was watching this film but that was I was expecting. I am very familiar with Noboru Iguchi’s work like “Machine Girl”, “Robogeisha” and the upcoming “The ABC’s of Death”. If you are fans of these films then you are going to LOVE this film. I never thought that I would enjoy a film about mutant killer sushi but this is a laugh riot packed with amazing gore and humor.
Keiko the daughter of a legendary sushi chef runs away from home when his Karate-style regimen becomes too severe. Finding work at a rural hot springs inn she is ridiculed by the eccentric staff and guests including the employees of a pharmaceutical firm there on a work retreat. But little do they know that a disgruntled former researcher has also come to the inn with a plan for revenge using a serum he developed that can awaken the murderous instincts of ordinary sushi turning it into bloodthirsty monsters! Keiko must use both her sushi training and her martial arts skills to save the others and defeat the flying killers.
I have to admit, I expected much more from the Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p transfer looks decent and is presented with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The audio tracks is where I was very disappointed. There is both a Japanese and English audio track but they are only available in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. Not sure why they couldn’t go the HD route on this but this may work for DVD but not Blu-ray. In terms of special features there is a decent making-of featurette. The World Premiere Stage Greeting and Fantasia Film Festival interview are not-bad. Though, the best feature is a “Dead Sushi Extreme Sushi Eating Contest”, definitely worth checking out. Lastly there is a trailer included as well.