From the President
June 15, 2006
PiFan Commemorates Teruo Ishii with Film Retrospective
Korea's Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) will kick off its 10th edition this year on July 13th and includes a retrospective spotlighting recently deceased Japanese cult director Teruo Ishii. Other such honorees include Fritz Lang, Jacques Tati and Audrey Hepburn, so the Pinky Violence Godfather is obviously held in high esteem. The timing is impeccable, with the Panik House releases of Screwed and Blind Beast Vs. Killer Dwarf scheduled less than two weeks later on July 25th. Female Yakuza Tale will be available again at this time giving audiences a healthy sampling of the many aspects of this legendary director's career.
Stateside, there will be a few private screenings of Ishii's (and other Panik House) films at the 15th Annual Anime Expo in Anaheim, California July 1 - 4 and then in the film program at both Gen Con Indy (in Indianapolis) August 10 - 13 and Gen Con So Cal (in Anaheim) November 16 - 19.
It's shaping up to be a Pink summer, people!
Stay Tuned!
Posted at 06:07 AM
April 20, 2006
A SNEAK PEEK AT THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE!
Well, we have wrapped up the super deluxe DVD of THE UNINVITED, which will be in stores on May 30th. I’ll be giving you the skinny on that when I get the finished product early next month. The packaging is quite possibly the best we’ve done yet, but I’ll speak more about that later. I want to give everybody a sneak peek of our two upcoming July titles, both from the chaotic camera of the late, great (and wonderfully deranged) Teruo Ishii. The first is SCREWED, an insane adaptation of cult manga artist Yoshiharu Tsuge’s Neji-shiki (aka Wind-up Type). Tadanobu Asano (of Ichi The Killer) stars in the director’s final 35mm film.
The companion release for July 25th will be the director’s swan song:
BLIND BEAST Vs. KILLER DWARF
What’s in a name you ask? Well let me run down the checklist:
Naked Japanese Girls
Dwarves
Lots Of Blood
This release will sport exclusive artwork created specifically for Panik House by underground New York artist GEA* (currently on exhibit at the prestigious V-Gallery in Switzerland).
Edogawa Rampo would be proud!
Posted at 02:02 PM
April 05, 2006
SEX IS ZERO CHARTS HIGH AT AMAZON!
This weekend we received word that SEX IS ZERO had broken into the top 1000 titles on Amazon.com, and at one point had been close to breaking into the top 900! Not bad for a foreign comedy with no marquee names. It just goes to show that people like a good laugh every once in a while, and this film delivers on that. The trailer is up on the Panik House MySpace page, and we encourage you to be a Panik House friend. Sign on and check out the comments that people are leaving us, and be sure to leave your own. In other MySapce news, Jane, the reigning Miss Pinky Violence has her own MySpace page, and will soon have her own dedicated website, so check back here for the official launch next week.
www.myspace.com/panikhouse
www.myspace.com/misspinkyviolence
Posted at 02:09 PM
March 28, 2006
Are You Ready for Spring Break...Panik House style?
SEX IS ZERO hits stores today! This hilarious teen sex comedy was the all time box office champ in it's native Korea, and it's easy to see why. It's hysterically funny. This title took a lot of effort to bring to the US as foreign censors attempted to prevent it's export, so fight censorship by running out and buying one! It's now available for purchase online and in most major retail chains and also available for rent at Hollywood Video.
This disc is absolutely bursting with special features –I've never seen so many on a single disc release! The cast interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, bloopers, deleted scenes and alternative takes are over an hour and a half long, and there are two entirely different commentary tracks for English and Spanish speaking fans. Mike McPadden and Mr. Skin of the Howard Stern Show handle an informative and hilarious track that features a few interjections from a certain DVD company president who shall remain nameless. So scoop these babies up! They're worthwhile for the booklet alone! Screen it at your next Fraternity or Sorority party!
You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll never eat a fried egg sandwich again!
Posted at 02:17 PM
March 20, 2006
A Full-On Media Frenzy, I Tell You
On Friday I received an anonymous link to some fan trailers of various Panik House titles. There were trailers for Sex Is Zero, The Uninvited, and a long form music video entitled This Is Pinky Violence, which gathered footage from all of our Japanese 70s sexploitation releases thus far. They were posted on YouTube and were really kick-ass, so I sent the link to a handful of friends.
Posted at 04:29 PM
March 17, 2006
WE HAVE A WINNER!
The winner of the Miss Pinky Violence Contest is…
Jane!
Age 22, from Ayuthaya, Thailand. Her interests are karaoke, scooter racing, sushi, origami, switchblades, chain fighting, hair salons, small furry animals and revenge!
Jane flew all the way from Thailand to enter the Miss Pinky Violence contest, and we liked her right off the bat. With the perfect mix of sweet & sexy, Jane best embodies the qualities that Panik House’s Women of Pinky Violence represent.
Posted at 07:27 PM
February 16, 2006
We've expanded the Miss Pinky Violence contest!
Many contestants have been writing to ask if entry in the Miss Pinky Violence contest is limited to attendees at Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors in Chicago on March 4th and 5th. Well, I've got some good news for all of you.
If you are unable to attend, you can submit your photograph by mail (see below) or email to info@panikhouse.com where a crack team of fully qualified judges (that would be me and the rest of the Panik House team) will narrow down these submissions to five photo finalists who will compete against the live convention contestants for the Miss Pinky Violence crown. A special celebrity guest judge will pick the winner at the Panik House booth on Sunday afternoon, and runner-ups will be given special convention exclusive swag. This should ensure that the competition is tough, and the winner worthy.
Images sent by email must be no larger than 2MB in size, and should be either Jpegs or Pdfs. If your images are web hosted, you can email a link.
Mailed in Submissions should be sent to:
Panik House Entertainment
Miss Pinky Violence Contest
1625 N. Damen Ave. 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60647 USA
And now a word from our lawyers:
All images submitted must be the legal property of the contestant. Submission of any and all images will constitute a grant of rights to Panik House Entertainment, and we reserve the right to exploit any such images as we please. This contest is open to all female individuals over the age of 18 except where prohibited by law.
Miss Pinky Violence is a registered trademark of Panik House Entertainment. All rights reserved.
Posted at 02:34 PM
January 27, 2006
Attention Pinky Violence Girls!
The first ever Pinky Violence Babe Search is on!
Are you a red hot, butt kicking megababe? Do you deserve the title Miss Pinky Violence?
Come strut you stuff past the Panik House table at the upcoming Fangoria Weekend of Horrors where we will crown our new site hostess. We are looking for go-go girls or biker chicks dressed like Reiko Ike, Reiko Oshida, and Miki Sugimoto, and we'll be handing out Panik House swag to winners and runner-ups. The Grand Prize Winner will receive her own website, and hold the title of Miss Pinky Violence for one entire year. More details to follow.
Don't you just love a contest?
Posted at 03:11 PM
January 13, 2006
Well I Ain't Superstitious...
It's Friday The 13th, and appropriately all is well in the House of Panik. Check out our new Coming Soon page for starters -I told you we'd have it up soon! Speaking of which, I just received my retail samples of TOKYO PSYCHO, and the puzzle cover looks pretty bitchin' if I do say so myself!
Like much of what we've done so far, you really have to see it with your own eyes to fully appreciate it. There is a 100% functioning jigsaw puzzle between the front of the amaray case and the shrink wrap. These are limited to 7500 retail editions, and a number of online vendors are already accepting orders. Like all of our special packages, when this first run of puzzle covers is sold, they will be gone for good, so be sure and get your orders in before the street date (February 18th).
This disc is definitely more than just a sexy package, though. We've filled this disc from edge to edge with special features, including bilingual menu navigation, commentary tracks in English & Spanish, Behind-The-Scenes and Film Premiere Footage, trailers for this and other upcoming releases, essays, bios, galleries and a sticker! This disc was produced under close filmmaker supervision and will stand as the global definitive edition, boasting an all new true 5.1 surround mix. We're so excited about this release that we refuse to wait until street date: we've set aside a handful of copies to give away on Valentines Day! Stay tuned for contest details...
Posted at 07:26 AM
January 03, 2006
A New Year Brings New Praise!
The Pinky Violence Collection tops the Aint It Cool News year end DVD picks! AintItCool
Harry Knowles selected our favorite little pink package as his signature review for December 2005, calling it his "discovery of the month" and went on to say that the opening of Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom was (his words -not mine) "F**king amazing!" We managed to wrestle top honors away from releases by the Criterion Collection and Disney, so I'm feeling pretty good about myself today...
On New Year's Eve I received check discs for Tokyo Psycho, and my new
Chicago staff and I tirelessly monitored every aspect of the disc navigation and content before taking a cup of kindness for Auld Lang Syne.The menus on this disc are absolutely sick (and I mean that only in the best possible way!)
All in all, not a bad way to start the new year. 2006 promises to be as good or better than 2005, so sign up for the newsletter and keep your cursors glued to www.panikhouse.com for all the latest developments as they happen.
Posted at 08:05 AM
December 19, 2005
Happy Holidays
What a year! 2005 is almost over, and on behalf of Panik House, I'd like to wish you all the very best this holiday season. With all the support we've been getting from fans and professionals, we've managed to top a few year-end Best of.. lists. BeardyFreak, DVD DriveIn, DVD Maniacs, Film Fanaddict, Monsters At Play and The Orlando Sentinel have all singled out The Pinky Violence Collection as among the year's best releases, and new articles are submitted to us daily. With 70% of the entire manufactured run already sold, I wouldn't be surprised it the rest are all gone by New Year's Eve. Which reminds me that next year is already shaping up to be better than this year!
How?
For starters, I've decided to move the Panik House offices from Hollywood, California to Chicago, Illinois -which will put me in closer proximity to my warehouse and support staff, allowing me more time to focus all of my attention on each individual release to insure that they are the absolute best they can be. How else?
Starting in February, we'll be switching from bimonthly to a monthly release schedule, which means more titles and less wait. We just wrapped production on our February 28th release, TOKYO PSYCHO, and it may be our most deluxe package yet. This one has a puzzle cover! Never seen one of those before? That's because we're the first! That's not all though: it has a slew of extra features exclusive to this release. In addition to the Making of... featurette and Film Premiere footage, it's got three trailers, two true crime essays (did I forget to mention that this film is based on actual events?), filmmaker bios, and a great set of still galleries. It also has bilingual menu navigation, but this time we included two different commentary tracks -in English and Spanish! Another Panik House first!
Keep your eyes on the website, too. In 2006 we'll be adding a Coming Soon section and we'll provide links to special off-site web pages for select titles. We'll even be producing a Panik House Podcast in the near future and we've got plans to run a few Panik House films theatrically!
The bottom line is that Panik House is going to work even harder to bring you the best in Asian Cinema, and we hope that you continue to come along for the ride.
Cheers!
Posted at 02:25 PM
December 06, 2005
Today is Pinky Violence Day!
The day we've all been waiting for is finally upon us. The Pinky Violence Collection is released! Two thirds of these 5 disc box sets (limited to 10,000 copies) were sold before they even shipped, so it's only a matter of time before they are completely gone, and when they are, they are gone for good!
I have always felt strongly that people should be rewarded for buying early -not punished, so I've made this item as collectible as possible: there will be no re-press of this particular box set - EVER! Check out the Press Page to see what reviewers have to say.
The advance word is that this is the must-own DVD set of the year!
Posted at 10:43 AM
November 28, 2005
No Rest For The Wicked!
While most of America was enjoying a Thanksgiving feast, I was laying down a commentary track with Ko Mori (President of the Japanese film releasing company Eleven Arts) for our February release of TOKYO PSYCHO. Later this week I will be supervising the Spanish language commentary track for this disc, which will be completely bilingual, like the previous Panik House titles BANGKOK HAUNTED and OMEN. To my knowledge, this is the first Spanish language commentary track ever to accompany a Japanese film. This will be the World Definitive Edition of this film, transfered to the filmmaker's specifications. The inaugural edition of 7500 will feature a puzzle cover that you'll have to see to believe. More details to follow.
On another note, some retail sites have posted confusing or incorrect information regarding the release date of the PINKY VIOLENCE COLLECTION, so let me set the record straight: it will be released on December 6th, 2005, one week from tomorrow. I issued a recall of the initial run of box sets to insure that everything was up to Panik House standards after I discovered that some of the GIRL BOSS GUERILLA discs wouldn't play in certain brand DVD players. Unfortunately, in spite of the recall, some were mistakenly dispersed. I then decided to initiate a disc replacement program for the units that had shipped early. The details of this disc replacement program can be found on the Contact Us page. Sorry about the confusion, folks, but when you finally see this box set, I assure you, it will have been worth it.
Amazon.com have already included it on their Best Packaging list!
Posted at 02:36 PM
November 14, 2005
Hang in there -The Pinky Violence Collection will soon be on its way!
I halted the shipment of The Pinky Violence Collection Box Set today as a handful of the review copies exhibited a possible playability issue on the Girl Boss Guerilla disc. It was not a unilateral disfunction (it was actually only present in a handful of DVD players) but I felt that it would be best for everyone if we nipped any possible problems in the bud. All retailers have been notified, the problem has been corrected, and the new release date is set for December 6th. This will ensure that all retailers receive the Pinky Violence Collection on the same day, and that all retail editions will be the fully functioning, final release. This will prevent any possibly faulty discs from entering the marketplace. Sample discs will not be replaced, however.
Sorry guys!
Posted at 09:13 AM
November 09, 2005
It's official! SEX & FURY has sold out!
The entire first printing of SEX & FURY (the special "Clear" edition) has sold out, so we will be hard at work manufacturing a second pressing, which we hope to have in stores in time for the Holidays. The second pressing will have all the features on the first disc, but the transparent packaging will not be duplicated. This new edition will feature a white cover in a white case with a white sticker. This will make the first printing something of a collector's item, while allowing those who discovered the film a bit later an opportunity to own it as well. I should mention that FEMALE YAKUZA TALE is very close to selling out as well, so locate those few remaining clear editions while you can!
Posted at 02:12 PM
October 27, 2005
Pinky Violence Collection Trailers!
Trailers are now on our site for the films included in the Pinky Violence Collection!
Go to the Catalog page, and click on one or all of the trailers for 1. Criminal Woman: Killing Melody 2. Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless To Confess 3. Girl Boss Guerilla and 4. Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom. This a just a little tease of the monumental madness to follow. Be sure to check out the upcoming issue of Rue Morgue magazine (issue #51) which will feature an in-depth examination of the Pinky Violence genre from Japanese film expert (and Midnight Eye editor) Tom Mes, reviews of many Panik House titles, and even a glimpse at several as yet unannounced titles as well.
Posted at 07:03 AM
October 25, 2005
Sex & Fury #1 at Borders!
I just received word that the Panik House DVD release of Sex & Fury was the number one best selling DVD for North American retailer Borders last week. It was also in the top five at Best Buy, and at one point resided in the 800 block on Amazon.com! Female Yakuza Tale wasn't far behind, either, so thanks to all the fans for making these releases such a smashing success! The clear case editions of these releases will not be repressed, so be sure to pick up your copies while supplies last.
We've collected and added some more rave reviews (which can be accessed in the Press section) including English translations of reviews written in French, German, Portuguese and Spanish, so it would seem that Pinky Violence has become a global phenomena!
Posted at 07:02 AM
October 19, 2005
Dig Our Crazy Downloads Page!
Hello All!
It's been a while since the last blog entry, but only because we've been busy making the website even better! We've had many requests from web masters and magazine editors for images from our films, and after weeks of careful consideration we've decided to include a password protected downloads page. There now are a plethora of high res images of promotional stills, box cover art, and web banners that showcase but a few of the many highlights of the films bearing the Panik House logo. Breeze on over and check it out! Our legal team (you can recognize them by their samurai swords) urges me to remind everyone that these images are not to be used for commercial enterprises that would infringe upon copyright, so no T-shirts or coffee mugs, please! While no license is given or implied, the images may be used for review and editorial purposes.
There will be a separate page added soon specifically for fan downloads. This new section will include exclusive content for newsletter subscribers, so sign up now, as offers and downloads will vary by seniority.
Posted at 02:37 PM
September 27, 2005
Pinky Violence is upon us!
Sex & Fury and Female Yakuza Tale both make their worldwide debut on DVD today, and I just received word that both had entered the top 2000 on Amazon.com, which is incredible. It's no secret that these are two of my favorite films, and I wish that I could be there to witness the initial reactions of the all fans and critics who are seeing these for the first time, so don't be shy about emailing your feedback. I think that many will find that these are films specifically suited to DVD, as they lend themselves to being viewed and enjoyed again and again... and there's plenty more on the way in November! The Pinky Violence Collection box set will features four all new, all different films from the Toei vaults packed to the edge with extra features and housed with an exclusive booklet and a bonus audio CD!
Posted at 08:58 AM
September 15, 2005
Panik House Hurricane Relief Fund
I recently returned from a trip to Nevada and Arizona, and I've seen with my own eyes relocated victims of Hurricane Katrina. I was actually in New Orleans myself mere weeks before the storm struck, and this past week I ran into friends of mine who I've been trying to contact for weeks. It has occurred to me that sometimes it takes actual personal experience to bring the scope of a tragedy home. Cinematic horrors pale in comparison to the sheer terror that the forces of nature can wreak upon the lives of so many without warning and without remorse, therefore Panik House would very much like to join forces with other websites in the Horror community to raise money for the relief effort in the aftermath of the destruction of late. We would be happy to donate DVDs for auction, and we encourage interested parties to contact us as soon as possible. We believe that the worldwide audience for cult films is a brotherhood, and if we all join together we can make a difference.
We are the audience. We hope you'll join us.
Posted at 09:49 AM
September 12, 2005
OMEN & UNINVITED Win Top Festival Prizes!
I got a phone call today from Enrique Galvez, who organized the film program at the Pacific Media Expo last weekend, and he informed me that OMEN had won the New Audience Award, and had placed second in overall attendance to UNINVITED, which won Top Horror Honors. I was ecstatic to learn that festival audiences are enjoying these films as much as I do. UNINVITED will be making it's DVD debut in January, which will of course be the global definitive edition. I am unable to comment on the status of the proposed Hollywood remake, but keep on the lookout for selected theatrical screenings of the original between now and then.
The infamous Panik House Promo Reel was also screened between features over the course of the expo, and many who saw it approached program sponsors to request copies, but this will never be made available to home video audiences; it shall remain a convention exclusive only.
Posted at 09:48 AM
September 09, 2005
Giant Robot Sponsorship
Saturday, September 10th, will mark the grand opening of Giant Robot magazine's brand new Silverlake store. Panik House has come on board to help sponsor the event, supplying some giveaways (including DVDs) for this special occasion. Be sure to pick up the latest issue of GR (#38), which has a full page peak at Sex & Fury and Female Yakuza Tale on page 2, and includes a great review of the OMEN DVD (featuring a still from the film) on page 85. And if you haven't already, be sure to pick up the latest issue of Rue Morgue (#49), too, which also features a full page tease for our first two Pinky Violence titles (inside front cover), along with a full page spotlight review of Bangkok Haunted.
Posted at 04:10 PM
September 07, 2005
Some Very Sexy Songs!
I was roused from my work this morning by my regular postman, but this was no normal delivery. Today he handed me an express package from Nagoya, Japan. I nearly walked straight into the door frame in my enthusiasm to open this package, as I knew what was inside: the legendary Reiko Ike singing!
Words can not describe the undulating rhythm and breathy delivery of the Pinky Violence icon as she sings, moans and whispers her way through the sexiest recording known to mankind. One need not know a word of Japanese to imagine the impure sentiments expressed on this recording. All I can say is Wow! You won't believe your ears!
Reiko Ike Sings! will only be available in the Pinky Violence Collection box set which ships on November 15th. This is an extremely limited run, and with re-master engineer Kawabata Makoto on tour in the US with the Acid Mothers Temple over the next two months, Mothers fans will be scooping this up in droves for the exclusive remix, so don't forget to pre-order yourself a copy or you may be left in the lurch.
Posted at 01:44 PM
September 05, 2005
Update - Pinky Violence Collection
Yesterday was Sunday, but the time clock and the standard work week hold no sway here at Panik House. In a single marathon session, all the principles were gathered to record scene-specific commentary tracks for all four films in the Pinky Violence Collection DVD box set.
First up in the late morning were critics Andy Klein (NPR's Film Week) and Wade Major (Boxoffice Magazine) who tackled Criminal Woman: Killing Melody. There was a definite spirit of fun mixed with keen cinematic insight and this is one commentary that will be entertaining and informative. Next up was Wyatt Doyle (Asian Cult Cinema), who asked me to sit in and actively participate in his commentary, which I did, and our Girl Boss Guerilla commentary compares and contrasts cultural and exploitation themes, which I hope conveys the enthusiasm deeply rooted in both of us for these films. The two remaining features, Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom and Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless To Confess, were expertly handled by Chris D. (Outlaw Masters of Japanese FIlm) whose vast and in depth knowledge of Japanese Yakuza and Exploitation films is quite frankly astounding. He gave me a copy of his recently published book, and I gave him advance copies of the Panik House DVDs Sex & Fury and Female Yakuza Tale, for which he'd previously provided commentary tracks. Those two special edition discs in limited "transparent" packaging will hit stores on September 27th, so reserve your copies before they are gone!
I was extremely pleased with the outcome of all the sessions, and I'd really like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants. Extra special gratitude is extended to Randall (and the whole gang at Post Haste Sound) for coming in on his day off to supervise the actual recording of these commentary tracks. When I first started Panik House, I knew that success would rely on surrounding myself with the right people for every aspect of production, and I am constantly in awe of the dedication and enthusiasm that greets me every time a project gets rolling.
Thanks everybody!
Posted at 09:59 AM
September 02, 2005
Pacific Media Expo
The Pacific Media Expo is this weekend at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. This cultural event runs Saturday through Monday, and covers all things Asian, from anime and manga to custom cars and wrestling. There is also a film program. Two Panik House releases will be shown as part of the Asian Cinema screening schedule: OMEN and UNINVITED.
Screenings will take place Saturday at 11:00 AM and Monday at 1:00 PM, and trailers for upcoming titles from the Panik House catalog will run throughout the festival. I've also been asked to head a panel on "Marketing Asian Films in America" which will be held at 4:00 PM on Saturday, so if you're in town please stop by and say how do.
Posted at 02:29 PM
August 30, 2005
Reiko Ike Songs
I just got a very special surprise in my email today. Kawabata Mokoto from the Osaka, Japan based experimental music group Acid Mothers Temple sent me a confirmation email that his exclusive remix of rare Reiko Ike songs will be included as a bonus audio CD entitled Reiko Ike Sings! in the Pinky Violence Collection Box Set. This will now be a five disc collection housed in a pink vinyl digi-book which includes a 24 page booklet written by Chris D. (author of Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film). The booklet is an unremovable part of the packaging, written exclusively for this box set. The design is already complete, and it is guarantee to educate and entice. Stay tuned for more details on this extremely limited edition box set.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Acid Mothers Temple & U.F.O. Paraiso or any of the other side projects in which Kawabata Makoto is involved, I can only tell you that one of the single greatest concerts I've ever attended was a Mothers show at the Knitting Factory's Alter Knit Lounge in 2002. It was the magic meeting of early Pink Floyd with the caustic frenzy of Atari Teenage Riot, but with a post millennial groove that could only come from Osaka. I'll be seeing them live again on October 1st at UCLA's Royce Hall. Check out their website (www.acidmothers.com), as they may be playing near you on their latest North American tour.
Posted at 02:11 PM
August 13, 2005
Teruo Ishii
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I was informed this afternoon that director Teruo Ishii died on Friday of complications from Lung Cancer. He was 81 years old.
I had been in contact with him through director Junichi Suzuki and Ko Mori (both of Eleven Arts) and was aware of recent health concerns, but his passing still comes as quite a blow. The Panik House release of Female Yakuza Tale may serve as an introduction to the films of Teruo Ishii for many, and it will be my honor to contribute to the legacy of this great director whose seminal works include the Abashiri Prison series and Horror of the Malformed Men. Panik House had recently acquired the North American rights to Screwed (aka Wind-up Type) and Blind Beast Vs. Killer Dwarf, the latter of which proved to be his final film. I can assure you that both will receive exceptional attention to detail, making them the definitive world editions that would have made Ishii-san proud.
He will live on forever in our memories.
Posted at 11:14 AM
August 04, 2005
Sex & Fury / Female Yakuza: Update
On Saturday, I sat in (quietly) on the commentary track sessions for SEX & FURY and FEMALE YAKUZA TALE with American Cinematheque programmer and Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film author Chris D. It was astonishing how much Chris knew about the people behind the scenes in these films, and his preparation and professionalism will bring a lot to these Panik House releases. He’s also written several bios and essays which will appear on the DVDs, and I included a ton of stills to accompany the text.
Yesterday I received David Zuzelo’s amazing and informative Christina Lindberg bio (which also carries some great images). I also got a press proof of the DVD O-sleeves for both films, and Reiko Ike literally pops off the cover.
Posted at 12:28 PM
July 29, 2005
Notes from the VSDA Show
I just got back from VSDA in Las Vegas, which is a big convention for home video retailers, wholesalers and distributors, and if any of you attended and wandered up to the Ryko booth, you probably saw me. I had a great time talking with folks about the Pang Brothers and D2B, as well as the upcoming releases SEX & FURY and FEMALE YAKUZA TALE, and November’s PINKY VIOLENCE COLLECTION box set.
Posted at 12:26 PM
July 26, 2005
Panik House Debuts!
Panik House is now officially in swing! Our first two titles hit store shelves and net retailers today, and the response has been positively overwhelming.
Posted at 12:23 PM
