Imagine my surprise to find that someone thought I was actually deserving of a DVD Screener.  Not just any old screener but a screener of a film that made the Frightfest Main Event in Leicester Square last year.

I was over the moon.  So my first shout out and request is that you follow @vampiregirlDVD on twitter for all the latest updates on this UK DVD Release.

Of course I have a feeling one of my Frightfest buddies who works in the industry pointed @vampiregirlDVD in my direction.  Thank you @V_for_Vienetta.

DVD Specs:

Being sent a screener, I received only contained the film and trailer but with the final release, you lucky punters will get a couple of extras on the retail copy.

Genre: Horror/Asian
Running Time: 85 Mins approx
Certificate: 18
Region: 2
Language: Japanese
Country of Origin: Japan
Subtitles: English

Special Features:

Making of Vampire Girl Vs Frankenstein Girl (65 Mins)

Japanese Release Day Stage Greetings with Stars & Director (20 Mins)

The Press Release:

Partly because it’s the first real press release I’ve had access to, I want you lot to have as many of the facts as possible about this film.  So here it is.  I’ll post my watered down version of the synopsis in the review that will appear directly after this section.

From the man (Yoshihiro Nishimura) behind the outrageous-ness of Tokyo Gore Police and The Machine Girl comes this crazed response to both Twilight and Let the Right One In, a film that consistently overwhelms the viewer in its sheer dementia……

High school student Mizushima receives Valentines Day chocolates from the new student, Monami. Little did she know that the chocolates contained traces of Monami’s vampire blood. He gets infected from eating them and Monami confesses that she wants to live with him forever as vampires. Meanwhile, Mizushima decides that he wants to fully become a vampire with Monami’s help. Keiko, Mizushima’s girl friend, sees the two on the school rooftop kissing and in a state of hysteria, attempts to throw Monami off the roof but falls off herself instead.

Keiko dies but her father, Kenji Furano, the mad scientist, resurrects her as Franken girl. Thus begins a deadly combat between Franken Keiko and Vampire Monami in the name of love. As we all know, this kind of Vampire vs. Frankenstein conflict can only be solved by fighting, beating, stabbing, chewing, clawing and a showdown high atop Tokyo Tower!

©2010 Pony Canyon / Concept Film / Excellent Film Partners

The Review:

Now I once scared @VampiregirlDVD (Are you not following yet?) by letting them know that and I quote “This film is so close to the knuckle that it begs to fist the viewer”.

It’ll never make it onto the cover

Which is true as Yoshihiro Nishimura director of Tokyo Gore Police brought us killer giant penis’ in that epic but in this film? He takes crazy to the next level.

Japanese horror appears to have taken a U-Turn from making the viewers blood curdle in Ringu to now making us squeal with delight as Anime Horror come to life in live action entertainment. This film plays like an insane episode of the Power Rangers only urrr without the power rangers. (It made sense when I made the notes.)

It’s a strange progression in horror for the Japanese market. Tokyo Gore Police rocked it out of the park and Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl takes it to the next level trying to add a little more substance to the characters involved.

©2010 Pony Canyon / Concept Film / Excellent Film Partners

Meet Monami the vampire girl and the boy she tricks into tasting her blood, Mizushima.  The great thing about the transformation of Mizushima is that he doesn’t suddenly feel ill but goes on some insane acid blood trip that will cause the viewer to do a double take as the screen is overwhelmed with rather shoddy CGI. The thing is, the effects in this film are shoddy from the get go and that’s the charm of this Live action Anime.

Along with those two we have Keiko, the girl who has her eye on lover boy, Midori the over sexed school nurse who also doubles as the assistant to the insane Vice Principal (Keiko’s father) who fancies himself as a Dr Frankenstein of sorts.  Killing students in order to reanimate them. (Not necessarily in the same order they entered the lab)

It’s very rarely that a film lands in your lap and lets you know that you’re going to need to switch your brain off to get through it.  Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl lets you do that from the outset.  It even removes a few brains in the opening sequence just to get the point across. 

The over the top opening sequence is one that needs to be seen to be believed, in a somewhat tame display for the film as a whole; we see Monami take on three pissed Frankenstein creations.  The results are very messy indeed as are most encounters with Monami.

There’s also a very close to the cuff look at Racial and EMO stereotypes.  When I first saw the film at Frightfestmy jaw hit the floor, as did those around me.  It was just one of those moments when you see a reference to black culture through the eyes of another culture.  The stereotypes are almost the same but not quite.  It was hilarious and remain just as funny, the second time through. (Although it did feel a little un PC every time)

The Ganguro Gang take black culture to the next level, the leader runs like an Olympian I tell you.

The EMO stereotype comes in the gory form of The Wrist Cutter club. A Group of Anaemic self harming girls who cut their wrists in competition for the school and for fun! Their motto? “Not too Deep, Avoid The Arteries”

There is just too much to say about this film but no matter what is said, you just wouldn’t believe me.  The moments with the Vice Principal in his mode as the Doctor are just filled with so much insanity that it’s pure entertainment. 

Is it wrong that I got a touch turned on by Nurse Midori playing with eyeballs around the nipple department?

©2010 Pony Canyon / Concept Film / Excellent Film Partners

An episode of Takeshi’s Castle was never this fun!

God Bless Japan for this new evolution in horror.  It’s entertaining, funny and pushes the limits of decency.

The film is out on 15th March, availible online and in your local retailers… lets face it HMV is probably your best bet as it now rules the high street.

It’s well worth a watch if you’re interested in the bizarre and fancy something different.  I’m not saying that because I want more screeners (I would like more dammit) but from a non pro point of view it’s a good film and deserves to get some good sales figures so they’ll eventually release it on Bluray.

Speaking of the Bluray, there are no plans as of yet. I have asked!

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