Actors: Tak Sakaguchi, Mari Hoshio, Miho Ninagawa, Takamasa Suga
Directors: Yudai Yamaguchi
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Run Time: 99 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
Whenever I see the label Sushi Typhoon, I just have to watch whatever film it is like “Mutant Girls Squad” and “Karate-Robo Zaborgar”. They always deliver and are so hilarious, gory and always offensive. “Dead Ball” is a very politically incorrect sports splatter comedy. It is director Yudai Yamaguchi’s follow-up to his zombie baseball classic “Battlefield Baseball”. “Dead Ball” also sees the returns of Tak Sakaguchi (“Versus”). Like all Sushi Typhoon films, this is extremely over-the-top and will leave you screaming “What the fuck is going on here!” If you like those kinds of films, then don’t miss this for a fun time.
Official Premise: Baseball prodigy Jubeh Yakyu (Tak Sakaguchi) is the most feared and dangerous juvenile delinquent in all of Japan. After accidentally causing the death of his father with a super-powered fireball pitch, Jubeh swore off baseball, but his life of crime leaves him in the Pterodactyl Juvenile Reformatory, at the mercy of Headmistress Ishihara, the granddaughter of a World War II Nazi collaborator, and her sadistic assistant, Ilsa. Despite having sworn never to play baseball again, Jubeh is presented with an ultimatum: join the reformatory team, The Gauntlets, in the national tournament, or witness the death of his innocent cellmate. Jubeh is now in a fight for his life against the sexy but deadly “psycho butcher girls” of the St. Black Dahlia High School. These teams are literally playing for blood!
The Blu-ray presentation is solid like most for Well-Go Enterainment. The 1080p transfer looks sharp and works weith the action in the film. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks also delivers with the action and the zany madness that happens throughout this film. The Blu-ray also only comes with a Japanese audio track with English subs. I always prefer the Japanese track anyway even through the English dubs sometimes unbearable funny. The special features are good and worth checking it. Included is a Spinoff Short for the film, “Making of Dead Ball” featurette and some Cast Interviews, all with subtitles.