One week and so much Sion Sono! Remakes! New films! Box Sets!

by Chris MaGee

It's been such a busy week for news on the Sion Sono front that I've had to rewrite this story three times... really! Originally this piece was just going to be about a tantalizing bit of information that Sono dropped during an interview with the folks at HKMania (via Wildgrounds). During the interview he let drop a brief but surprising admission about a remake of one of his most defiing films. When asked, "American remake for Suicide Club?" he was quick to respond, "This project is real. It’s currently in the works and I’m set to direct it." The thought of a remake, helmed by Sono of course, of his defining 2002 independent psycho-horror drama about a secret suicide cult would be enough to carry a news story of its own, especially since it comes on the heels of news last year that Sono would be making his English-language directorial debut with a screen adaptation of Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind's "Lords of Chaos". The true crime book tells the story of the 1993 murder of Norwegian black metal guitarist Øystein Aarseth by rival musician Varg Vikernes of the band Burzum.

Then during my usual internet wanderings I came across news posted by Jason Gray about Sono's first film for Nikkatsu's genre/ gore wing, Sushi Typhoon. Titled "Cold Fish" the film will star Mitsuru Fukikoshi and Denden in the based on a true story tale of two tropical fish dealers who slide into madness and serial murder after one of their daughters is held captive by the other. "Cold Fish" is currently in post-production with the folks at Sushi Typhoon and Sono aiming to have it completed by March. Okay, so that was rewrite number one for this story.

Then Wildgrounds popped up again with a third piece of news about Sion Sono, which also had it's origins during Sono's French-language interview with HKMania. It turns out that due to the international success o Sono's 4-hour "Love Exposure" that an unnamed North American DVD distributor was readying a box set of Sono's early film work. "A DVD boxset called 'Before Suicide Club' including all my early films will be released very soon in the USA. So you’ll find films like 'I Am Sono Sion', 'Bicycle Sighs' or 'The Room'," Sono was quoted as saying. For me this was the most exciting piece of news. As many of you will know Sono started out as an underground poet who transitioned into filmmaking to capture his explosive public readings. The thought of being able to finally see these early films, well... it percipetated the third rewrite of this story. Now here's hoping that I don't have to do a fourth rewrite. Ah hell, I'll push that story into Tuesday's updates. I'm tired!