films seen
14
average score
3.61*
nationality
Japan - 52 years old
status
Alive and kicking
more info

Yamaguchi breathes cult. Whatever he tackles, be it comedy, horror or even crime, the result is always a bonkers genre film with infinite cult potential. Not all his work is outstanding, but he's made plenty of great films, and they're never boring.

Movies


A wonderful collection of shorts, visually pleasing, fun to watch and from time to time refreshingly weird.


Sakigake!! Cromartie High

Sakigake!! Kuromati Koko: The Movie
2005 / 85m - Japan
Comedy
Sakigake!! Cromartie High poster

If you don't mind a bunch of 40-year old actors playing 16-year old high school student with greasy hair and no manners to speak of, you're probably fine.

One Percenter

2023 / 85m - Japan
Action
4.0*/5.0*
One Percenter poster

An entertaining action film, that has the extra benefit of being pretty meta. Fans of Tak Sakaguchi will no doubt see how this film was built around him (not unlike JCVD), though it's not essential to appreciate what Yamaguchi is doing here. The brawler scenes are cool, the cinematography is slick and Sakaguchi oozes flair. There are some badass villains too, and there is no unnecessary padding. Everything I want from a good action flick, and then some.

Tamami: The Baby's Curse

Akanbo Shojo
2008 / 100m - Japan
Horror
Tamami: The Baby's Curse poster

It sports a cool main character, some nice camera work and very atmospheric and detailed styling.


Chin-Yu-Ki: The Journey to the West with Farts

Chin'yuuki
2016 / 100m - Japan
Comedy
3.5*/5.0*
Chin-Yu-Ki: The Journey to the West with Farts poster

High & Low the Red Rain

2016 / 110m - Japan
Drama
3.5*/5.0*
High & Low the Red Rain poster

Yakuza Weapon

Gokudô Heiki
2011 / 105m - Japan
Sci-fi, Action
3.5*/5.0*
Yakuza Weapon poster

Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Present

Umezu Kazuo: Kyôfu Gekijô - Purezento
2005 / 49m - Japan
Horror
3.5*/5.0*
Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Present poster

Meatball Machine

Mîtobôru Mashin
2005 / 90m - Japan
Sci-fi, Action, Horror
3.5*/5.0*
Meatball Machine poster

Battlefield Baseball

Jigoku Kôshien
2003 / 87m - Japan
Comedy, Horror, Sport
3.5*/5.0*
Battlefield Baseball poster

One of those films that prefaced the Sushi Typhoon age. It was Yudai Yamaguchi's first feature film, fronted by action/horror bad boy Tak Sakaguchi, and adapted from a manga. There was bound to be craziness galore, and crazy is what you're getting. It's just that the execution is a little wonky.

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Yakyu Jubei is new at his school. He never really fitted in, but he's a very gifted baseball player, and when his school's team is chosen to play one of the toughest, meanest teams in the league, Jubei is the only one likely enough to give them a fighting chance. He needs a bit of convincing, but finally, he commits.

There are some crazy ideas and insane plot elements, which are mostly played for laughs. The film works better as a comedy, the gore is a bit basic and looks rather cheap. It doesn't hinder the film too much, but since then crazier, weirder, and more outrageous films have been released. Still good fun, but not really a masterpiece anymore.


3.0*/5.0*
Rokuroku: The Promise of the Witch poster

Yamaguchi's latest film is probably a good indication of the position Japanese underground horror finds itself in these days. Underfunded, without a dedicated international audience and straining to survive. With the proper talent and budgets backing this film this could've been a lot of fun, now it's mostly just unrealized potential.

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Though they haven't seen each other in 10 years, Izumi and Mika decide to meet up again and catch up for old time's sake. Meanwhile, a string of seemingly unrelated hauntings is taking place. When Mika reveals a lingering trauma from their childhood days, everything appears to be coming together.

The film plays a little like a horror anthology, with one main thread bringing all the shorts together in the end. There are some fine ideas here, and it's not hard to see how this could've been a great Japanese horror film, but cheap production values, poor performances and icky CG don't really help Yamaguchi. It's a shame, because underneath that cheapness this was good fun.

Deadball

Deddobôru
2011 / 99m - Japan
Comedy, Horror, Sport
3.0*/5.0*
Deadball poster