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September 11, 2013

Movie Review: Dead Ball (2012, Blu-ray)


Well Go USA has given admirers of Asian cult cinema a myriad of films with the always growing variety of interesting flicks in their library. The films produced by Sushi Taiphoon are a personal favorite of mine because, well, most are just bat-shit crazy and usually fun to watch because they are so out there.  Director Yudai Yamaguchi has made a few films (Battlefield Baseball, Meatball Machine and Yakuza Weapon) that could very well be in the "bat-shit" variety. He takes a lot of what made his previous films enjoyable and rolled them into his own tasty, blood-drenched comedy/action/ horror flick in Dead Ball.

Baseball is without a doubt America’s number one pastime. It’s also right up there for the Japanese. Jubei is one of the many youths who love the sport. His father and him go out often to play – that is until Jubei cracks open his pop’s cranium with a devastating fast-ball that would make Randy Johnson quiver in his size 16 cleats. Jubei has a special gift in his 200 mph flaming pitches, he also has some anger issues that arise as he grows into a teen, but it isn't against the innocent - he takes it out on the slime of city.

After dozens of vigilante murders, Jubei finds himself in prison run by a ruthless female warden dressed in Nazi garb who likes to have her guards fist inmates. See, I told you this was a comedy. She also runs the baseball team where Jubei soon is forced to shows off his heat. Blood flows graphically with some nice practical FX  and some incredibly cheesy CGI. The CGI almost seems intentional so it's not overly irritating.


Dead Ball isn't the best Sushi Taiphoon has had to offer but it is amusing enough and delivers plenty of laughs and splatter to keep fans of Yamaguchi's work content. Recommended.

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