Bakemono Gets a Distribution Deal with Midori Impuls!
A while back we reviewed a really good independent film titled Bakemono by Director Doug Roos. All of the action takes place within the cramped concrete walls of a Japanese AirBnB. Lurking within the shadows is a Lovecraftian monster that feeds off of the fear of it victims. We loved the film, especially that practical effects that evoke some of the visceral tentacled horror of Rob Bottens work on The Thing (1982).
What really make Bakemono sing is the underlying subtext that horrors like Bakemono feed off of bad energy that we cycle in and out of the world.
We recently talked to Doug and he gave us the scoop on some big news.
Japanese horror film Bakemono has found a new home in Germany through Midori Impuls, the distributor known for releasing cult favorites like Meatball Machine, Why Don’t You Play in Hell?, and LoveDeath. The German edition, however, will be available only with German subtitles, omitting both English and Japanese language options. Fans looking for an English-friendly version can still track down the Kickstarter and Indiegogo Blu-ray editions, which include subtitles and feature an exclusive cut boasting additional nudity and expanded practical-effects sequences. The Kickstarter and IndieGoGo campaigns are live. SUPPORT INDIE HORROR!
Since its debut, Bakemono has been a steady presence on the horror-festival circuit, earning recognition around the world. The film took Best Feature honors at Spooky Empire Horror Film Festival, along with Best Special Effects wins at both Atlanta Horror Film Festival and Motor City Nightmares. Additional accolades include Best Practical Effects from A Night of Horror Film Festival, Best Genre Production from Japan Film Fest Hamburg, Best Beast from Bay of Blood Film Festival in Canada, Best Foreign Origin Feature from Bare Bones Film Festival, and Best Creature Feature from Another Hole in the Head Film Festival.
The film recently caught the attention of filmmakers Adam Green (Hatchet, Frozen, Digging Up the Marrow) and Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2, Everly, Mayhem, Suitable Flesh), who discussed it on episode 629 of The Movie Crypt. Green described Bakemono as “pure J-horror — not an Americanized version — but J-horror colliding with Hellraiser,” while Lynch compared it to “a Takashi Miike kind of experience, somewhere between Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Enter the Void — you can see the influences, but it’s something completely its own, built around incredible practical effects.”
Veteran filmmakers Jun’ichi Yamamoto (Meatball Machine) and Shinichi Fukazawa (Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell) have also voiced their appreciation for the film. Yamamoto even collaborated on casting for the director’s upcoming project, Subjugation, another Tokyo-shot monster feature relying entirely on practical effects, now in post-production.
Once again, we really liked this one, and we think you will too. SUPPORT INDIE HORROR!