Deadball
Encyclopedia
is a 2011 Japanese splatter
comedy film directed by Yudai Yamaguchi
. The film stars Tak Sakaguchi
as Jubeh Yakyu, a seventeen year old who accidentally kills his father with his extra powerful baseball arm. Years later, he is a juvenile delinquent and is sent to a reform school after killing over 50 people within a week. To escape the school, Jubeh agrees to join the baseball team, even though he had sworn of the sport since his father's death.
The film premiered at the Fantasia Festival
in 2011. Reception to the film has been more positive than the joint-directoral effort between Yamaguchi and Sakaguchi on their film Yakuza Weapon
.
), now 17, has become a juvenile delinquent responsible for 50 murders within a week. After being caught for his crime, Jubeh is sent to the Pterodactyl Juvenile Reformatory, run by governor Mifune (Ryosei Tayama), until his trial date. Jubeh shares a cell with the 16-year-old killer Shinosuki Suzuku, (Mari Hoshino) and also comes gets into conflicts with the chief warden Ishihara (Miho Ninagawa), who is the granddaughter of a World War II collaborator in the Nazis' genocide programme. In prison, Jubeh finds out that Musashi was also a prisonmate at one point but died there. Ishihara organises the prison baseball Juvie League and wants Jubeh to take his place in the prison's team, known as the Pterodactyl Gauntlets. Jubeh has not played baseball since the accidental death of his father, but after Ishihara threatens to kill Shinosuki he agrees to play on the condition that the prison food is improved and all the players are pardoned of their crimes. The next day the Pterodactyls take on the St. Black Dahlia High School team, composed of young female psycho-butchers.
in Montreal, Canada on July 15, 2011. The film received a theatrical release in Japan on July 23, 2011. Well Go USA has accquired the DVD
, digital, Video-on-demand and television rights for Deadball along with Mutant Girls Squad
, Helldriver
, Yakuza Weapon
and Karate-Robo Zaborgar
.
gave the film a rating two out of four and considered it better than Yamaguchi's other directorial effort Yakuza Weapon
due to it's "increased production value,... occasionally effective gags... and inventive situations". The review went on to state that the film "eventually exhausts with its complete lack of narrative...and nonsensically tacked-on ending". A review in the Montreal Gazette also praised Deadball Yamaguchi's other film, stating that "I liked Deadball (with some reservations) but did not like Yakuza Weapon."
The Japan Times gave the film a three out of five rating. The review compared the film to Yamaguchi's 2003 film Battlefield Baseball
stating that "this one will not disappoint" if you were a fan of the previous film. The review went on to note that "though gags that might have once seemed outrageous, now look, through much repetition in the Sushi Typhoon
films and elsewhere, familiar, if hardly tame". The review went on to state that in comparison to the other Sushi Typhoon filmmakers, Yamaguchi :gives the audience the occasional wink at the absurdity of the proceedings, in the manner of generations of Japanese dotabata (knock-about) comics." Film Business Asia gave the film a seven out of ten rating praising the film's energy and special effects considering its low budget. The review also noted that it was stronger than Yakuza Weapon stating that the film "doesn't just rely on gore-fountains and transgressive humour".
Splatter film
A splatter film or gore film is a subgenre of horror film that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, through the use of special effects and excessive blood and guts, tend to display an overt interest in the vulnerability of the human body and the...
comedy film directed by Yudai Yamaguchi
Yūdai Yamaguchi
is a Japanese film director who has worked mainly in the comedy and horror genres. He has "made a name for himself by mixing goofy gore with manga-esque escapades and plain utter weirdness".-Life and career:...
. The film stars Tak Sakaguchi
Tak Sakaguchi
is a Japanese actor, director, fight choreorapher, and stuntman. He is best known for his lead role in Ryuhei Kitamura's cult film, Versus. Sakaguchi is a talented martial artist, and as such, stars in films featuring copious fight scenes and performs all of his own stunts. He is known to be...
as Jubeh Yakyu, a seventeen year old who accidentally kills his father with his extra powerful baseball arm. Years later, he is a juvenile delinquent and is sent to a reform school after killing over 50 people within a week. To escape the school, Jubeh agrees to join the baseball team, even though he had sworn of the sport since his father's death.
The film premiered at the Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
in 2011. Reception to the film has been more positive than the joint-directoral effort between Yamaguchi and Sakaguchi on their film Yakuza Weapon
Yakuza Weapon
is a 2011 Japanese film directed and written by Tak Sakaguchi and Yūdai Yamaguchi. Based on the manga by Ken Ishikawa, the film is about Shozo Iwaki who works as a mercenary in South America. Iwaki is informed of the death of his gang boss dad and discovers his former Yakuza henchman is involved...
.
Plot
In modern-day Japan, the young Jubeh Yakyu practices his pitching and catching with his father only to discover that he has super powers by accidentally killing his father with the ball. This is seen by his younger adopted brother, Musashi Nakagawa. Some time later, Jubeh (Tak SakaguchiTak Sakaguchi
is a Japanese actor, director, fight choreorapher, and stuntman. He is best known for his lead role in Ryuhei Kitamura's cult film, Versus. Sakaguchi is a talented martial artist, and as such, stars in films featuring copious fight scenes and performs all of his own stunts. He is known to be...
), now 17, has become a juvenile delinquent responsible for 50 murders within a week. After being caught for his crime, Jubeh is sent to the Pterodactyl Juvenile Reformatory, run by governor Mifune (Ryosei Tayama), until his trial date. Jubeh shares a cell with the 16-year-old killer Shinosuki Suzuku, (Mari Hoshino) and also comes gets into conflicts with the chief warden Ishihara (Miho Ninagawa), who is the granddaughter of a World War II collaborator in the Nazis' genocide programme. In prison, Jubeh finds out that Musashi was also a prisonmate at one point but died there. Ishihara organises the prison baseball Juvie League and wants Jubeh to take his place in the prison's team, known as the Pterodactyl Gauntlets. Jubeh has not played baseball since the accidental death of his father, but after Ishihara threatens to kill Shinosuki he agrees to play on the condition that the prison food is improved and all the players are pardoned of their crimes. The next day the Pterodactyls take on the St. Black Dahlia High School team, composed of young female psycho-butchers.
Release
Deadball premiered at the Fantasia FestivalFantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
in Montreal, Canada on July 15, 2011. The film received a theatrical release in Japan on July 23, 2011. Well Go USA has accquired the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, digital, Video-on-demand and television rights for Deadball along with Mutant Girls Squad
Mutant Girls Squad
is a Japanese film by Noboru Iguchi, Yoshihiro Nishimura and Tak Sakaguchi. The film is about Rin, a sixteen-year-old mutant girl who meets a gang of rebel mutants who aim to take revenge on humans for persecuting their race...
, Helldriver
Helldriver
is a 2010 Japanese splatter film directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura. It stars Yumiko Hara and Eihi Shiina, and was written by Nishimura and Daichi Nagisa.-Plot:...
, Yakuza Weapon
Yakuza Weapon
is a 2011 Japanese film directed and written by Tak Sakaguchi and Yūdai Yamaguchi. Based on the manga by Ken Ishikawa, the film is about Shozo Iwaki who works as a mercenary in South America. Iwaki is informed of the death of his gang boss dad and discovers his former Yakuza henchman is involved...
and Karate-Robo Zaborgar
Karate-Robo Zaborgar
Karate-Robo Zaborgar, also called is a 2011 Japanese film directed by Noboru Iguchi. The film is based on an 1970's show Denjin Zaborger.-Plot:...
.
Reception
FangoriaFangoria
Fangoria is an American magazine devoted to horror and exploitation films, which has a number of associated brands:* Fangoria Comics* Fangoria Films* Fangoria RadioFangoria may also refer to:* Fangoria , a Spanish electro pop band...
gave the film a rating two out of four and considered it better than Yamaguchi's other directorial effort Yakuza Weapon
Yakuza Weapon
is a 2011 Japanese film directed and written by Tak Sakaguchi and Yūdai Yamaguchi. Based on the manga by Ken Ishikawa, the film is about Shozo Iwaki who works as a mercenary in South America. Iwaki is informed of the death of his gang boss dad and discovers his former Yakuza henchman is involved...
due to it's "increased production value,... occasionally effective gags... and inventive situations". The review went on to state that the film "eventually exhausts with its complete lack of narrative...and nonsensically tacked-on ending". A review in the Montreal Gazette also praised Deadball Yamaguchi's other film, stating that "I liked Deadball (with some reservations) but did not like Yakuza Weapon."
The Japan Times gave the film a three out of five rating. The review compared the film to Yamaguchi's 2003 film Battlefield Baseball
Battlefield Baseball
is a 2003 Japanese film directed by Yūdai Yamaguchi. The film is written by Gatarō Man, based on his manga series of the same name, and stars Tak Sakaguchi, Atsushi Itō, and Hideo Sakaki...
stating that "this one will not disappoint" if you were a fan of the previous film. The review went on to note that "though gags that might have once seemed outrageous, now look, through much repetition in the Sushi Typhoon
Sushi Typhoon
Sushi Typhoon is a Japanese genre film production company founded in 2010 and currently owned by media conglomerate Nikkatsu Corporation, Japan's oldest existing film studio. -History:...
films and elsewhere, familiar, if hardly tame". The review went on to state that in comparison to the other Sushi Typhoon filmmakers, Yamaguchi :gives the audience the occasional wink at the absurdity of the proceedings, in the manner of generations of Japanese dotabata (knock-about) comics." Film Business Asia gave the film a seven out of ten rating praising the film's energy and special effects considering its low budget. The review also noted that it was stronger than Yakuza Weapon stating that the film "doesn't just rely on gore-fountains and transgressive humour".