by: Chris Eaton source: Bloody Disgusting
Poor Ryuhei Kitamura. The man was the king of the new age of film out of Japan ten years ago. From Versus to Godzilla Final Wars he was on a roll. Then, he made a more personal film in Love/Death. After that, he came out west, to Hollywood. Full filling the dream of many filmmakers, both foreign and domestic alike. To make a god honest Hollywood film. That film was The Midnight Meat Train, starring a pre Hangover Bradley Cooper and Vinnie Jones (sadly in yet another role that he doesn’t get to really speak in). Unfortunately, Midnight Meat Train suffered studio politics and was dumped to second run theaters despite being a first run movie. I should know as I actually tracked down Midnight Meat Train at a second run house and saw it on the “big” screen. Best $2 bucks ever.
After that incident, Kitamura has somewhat languished. He directed Baton, a 50 minute animated film for a Japanese festival. He been attached to several projects. A Tae Kwon Do film, several American horror films, some by Midnight Meat Train author Clive Barker, and an action film called Gun Monkeys. Well, according to Bloody Disgusting, he’s finally moving forward with a new film. Sadly, it’s a horror film, by WWE studios.
Now, one would think I’d be happy. One of my all time favorite directors, and pro wrestling together! But WWE films isn’t excatly the high watermark of films. Each film usually stars one of their own wrestlers, who sometimes shouldn’t be acting. This new film, No One Lives, sounds akin to their last horror film See No Evil.
“revolves around a ruthless gang that takes a young couple hostage in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. When the captive girl is killed, the tables are unexpectedly turned, and the gang finds itself outsmarted by a seasoned killer.“
Luke Evans, whose in the upcoming Immortals, is the only person slated so far. If they’re doing a horror film, I have a good feeling that Kane, who starred in See No Evil, will probably have role. Perhaps R Truth (Ron Killings) as one of the gang members.
Look, I’m glad Kitamura is directing again, but fuck me. A WWE film? It’s going to get a shitty limited run and get dumped to DVD like everything they’ve done since WWE teamed with Lionsgate.