Thursday, June 2, 2011

Yudai Yamaguchi brings Shibuya men's fashions to the "let's-start-a-band" genre

by Chris MaGee

I have most likely said it before, but I'll say it again... the "let's start a band!" genre of films from Japan is starting to out live it's welcome with me. Let's just do a run through of just some of the films that have trotted out this feel good formula: "Swing Girls", "Linda, Linda, Linda", "Shonen Merikensack", "Oh My Buddha", "Beck", "GS Wonderland", "Utahime", "Swing Me Again", "Iden & Tity" and the list goes on and on. Don't get me wrong! There are some of those films I quite like ("linda, Linda, Linda" being at the top of my list), but how many times can this formula be trotted out? Apparently one more time...

Those following Japanese street fashions may know of the magazine "Men's Egg". The mag covers the over the top men's fashions of Shibuya and its pages are filled with models with blonde coiffed hair and pseudo-rock and hip-hop gear. Now "Men's Egg" is coming to the big screen with "Men's Egg Drummers", the story of a group of the magazine's fashion models who form a taiko drumming troupe. What's even more interesting (or insane, depending on your point of view) is that the film is being cast with real "Men's Egg" fashion models. I wonder what their acting chops are like...

What's even weirder about this project is that none other than "Yakuza Weapon" and "Battlefield Baseball" director Yudai Yamaguchi is helming it! Okay, maybe this makes sense if "Men's Egg Drummers" ends up being a satire of all those "let's-start-a-band" films out there. We'll have to wait until July 16th when "Men's Egg Drummers" opens in Japanese theatres. Thanks to Tokyograph for this news, and Oricon for the above promo pic.

No comments: