Having dinner with the samurai zombies from Tak Sakaguchi's "Samurai Zombie"

by Chris MaGee

We're big fans of action star, and now filmmaker in his own right, Tak Sakaguchi here at the Pow-Wow, so any news about his upcoming action/ horror/ shlock-fest "Samurai Zombie" is good news. The film, Sakaguchi's sophomore directorial effort after 2008's "Be a Man! Samurai School", tells the story of a family whose road trip gets sidelined by gun toting gangsters and undead samurai and in advance of its Valentine's Day release in Japanese theatres its producers arranged an appropriately macabre promo event.

The film's star Airi Nakajima (the only one above who's alive) as well as some of the samurai zombies themselves wined and dined at Alcatraz E.R., a very strange themed restaurant in Tokyo. Describing itself as the “Shibuya Medical Prison” diners are handcuffed by waitresses dressed as nurses in prison cells and can sip cocktails with names like “Influenza” and Acute Mental Stabilizer” from I.V. bags. It's hard to think of a more appropriate venue for a release party for a film called "Samurai Zombie".

Check out more about "Samurai Zombie" at its official site here and if you're really curious about Alcatraz E.R. check out its Japanese language site here. Thanks to Cinemacafe.net for the news and Gaijin Tonic for info on what sounds like a... um... unique dining experience.