The Killer Auction

In recent times Japanese horror cinema (in particular) has focused on contemporary communication technologies to explore the dark side of modern society. It started with the VHS-derived terrors of Ring (Japan-1998, dir. Hideo Nakata) and its progeny, but exceptional films such as Kaïro [aka Pulse] (Japan-2001, dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa) have helped to re-define the ghost genre, seeing in the anonymous, interactive distancing aspects of computers and the internet an effective metaphor for such ills as social alienation. It is also an effective means of imaging problems of identity. When people can hide behind anonymity in making connections with the rest of the world, questions of whom you can trust and what is real become even more dire than they have always been — or at least the unique nature and ubiquity of the modern communication technologies offers new ways of questioning want is after all a basic human dilemma: what is real?

Other films that have extended the exploration of the horrors of visual and auditory technologies are, to name a few, One Missed Call [aka Chakushin ari] (Japan-2003, dir. Takashi Miike) and its sequels and remakes, Phone [aka Pon] (South Korea-2002; dir. Byeong-ki Ahn), Shutter (Thailand-2004; dir. Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom), FeardotCom (UK/Germany/Luxembourg/US-2002, dir. William Malone), White Noise (Canada/UK/US-2005, dir. Geoffrey Sax), Watch Me (Australia-2006, dir. Melanie Ansley), and Coming Soon (Thailand-2008; dir. Sophon Sakdaphisit).

All of which may be way too cerebral a way of approaching this new Japanese monster movie that takes on a so-far unexploited contemporary internet technology: online auctions — with a wonderfully bizarre Sam Raimi-Evil Dead sort of approach!

The Killer Auction (Japan-[in post-production]; dir. Akira Kato)

The Killer Auction is an independent production that features “a monster, comedy, and horror”. The screenplay is by Yu Yamazaki and the cast features Hyotaro Suzuki and Masakuni Eda.

Synopsis:

He made a successful bid via internet auction for a prop from a monster movie. Little did he know, however, that it is a genuine, and brutal, living thing from outer space. The alien creature is parasitic, taking over a human host, and bending the victim to its evil will! Now our hero must fight against the creature for fate of the human race, helped only by his nerdy friends.

Trailer:

Director Akira Kato told Undead Backbrain that he has loved monster/”kaiju” and zombie movies since he was a child – “a real otaku (geek) when it comes to those movie genres. In fact,” he said, “the first movie that I ever saw was a Godzilla movie.” He is keen for The Killer Auction to be seen internationally, and to facilitate that he and his crew plan to deliver it on completion via the internet with English subtitles.

Initially we do not intend to sell our movie, but want to deliver this movie free of charge through the internet. We want as many people as possible to see our movie. We plan to produce DVDs eventually, though of course we have not decided on what they will cost. I think that the price will be the minimum necessary to allow us to produce it. However for the time being, we can delivered a high-resolution download by using a lot of free web services. We want to use this method mainly.

Yu Yamazaki, the scenario writer of The Killer Auction, is “a journalist for a major Japanese tokusatsu magazine”. [“Tokusatsu” means live action SFX films, such as those featuring Godzilla, Ultraman, The Masked Rider, and The Power Rangers.] So his credentials are perfect for this sort of movie. Yu Yamazaki and Akira Kato, and other members of the crew, have worked together from their student days in a university Art Department. “When we were students,” he explained, “we made some short hero action movies like Darkman and the Japanese Masked Rider.”

A preview of an earlier short student film, directed by Yu Yamazaki, The Grass Hopper, can be viewed here. Mr Kato handled VFX on this one.

Mr Kato added that he also features in The Killer Auction in a particularly central role:

“I die early on,” director Kato said, “and become the main monster!” However, this is what he looks like in real life — or at least, on set:

Note the Savini shirt. That tells us something about his influences!

SFX Sequence:

The Killer Auction seems like it could be a lot of horror-comedy fun — a potential cult film that may introduce a new generation of future genre stars. We’ll keep you informed regarding its release in the New Year.

So what comes next after The Killer Auction is completed? Mr Kato remarked: “Of course we want to make a daikaiju film like the Godzilla movies in the future.”

The Gallery below includes more images from The Killer Auction, including various behind the scenes shots of the crew and the making of the monster suit.

Gallery: