Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Dead Sushi Blu-ray Movie Review

Horror to rival the menu prices.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 12, 2013

“Dead Sushi” hits a note of insanity that’s wholly entertaining and frequently uproarious. It’s a Japanese production that manages to merge the madcap and the macabre with a defined sense of humor, making sure to remind those horrified by the geysers of blood and peels of filleted skin that, in the end, it’s all about having a good time at the movies. It’s a difficult tonal tightrope walk, yet writer/director Noboru Iguchi manages to construct an outlandish feature that never overstays its welcome and offers some true originality as it mines the monster madness of old. After all, it’s nearly impossible to dislike a film that highlights flying sushi, a man-sized tuna antagonist (wielding an ax, natch), and offers a song performed by a friendly portion of tamago. “Dead Sushi” is nuts, but its absurdity is most appetizing.

The daughter of a master sushi chef, Keiko (Rina Takeda) has been shamed due to her sex, urged to leave her judgmental father and seek employment outside her food preparation knowledge. Ending up at the Karinoyo Hotel, Keiko accepts a submissive service role, trying to fit in with her more elegant coworkers. When a group of pushy pharmaceutical company employees arrive at the hotel for a weekend of relaxation and sushi consumption, the plan goes awry when former new medicine scientist Yamada (Kentaro Shimazu) stomps into view, carrying a serum that reanimates dead animals, injecting his discovery into a flying squid that eventually infects dinner service. Now faced with a bloodbath carried out by flesh-eating, flying sushi, Keiko must summon her martial art skill to take down the delicious invaders before the guests are murdered, stepping up as the magical sushi chef she once worked diligently to become.

“Dead Sushi” is my first encounter with Iguchi, a former adult movie director who’s maintained an equally eyebrow-raising mainstream filmography with efforts such as “The Machine Girl” and “Zombie Ass.” While I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect with a picture about killer sushi, Iguchi impresses with his borderline good-natured take on mass death, taking cues from “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” and “Gremlins” (the tuneful, helpful strip of tamago is very Gizmo-esque) to inspire his own dark comedy. Mercifully, Iguchi strips off the brakes on “Dead Sushi,” treating the endeavor as one long rocket ride to ridiculousness, electing a cartoon tone that emphasizes exaggerated facial reactions and over-the-top violence, setting a mood of relentless mischief that aids in the digestion of a few of the wilder gore zone set pieces. Iguchi has very little in the way of a budget and CGI work is, well, amateur hour, but there’s an endearing drive to raise hell with an outrageous premise, witnessing the filmmaker work out his appreciation for the bizarre and the silly.

There’s much about “Dead Sushi” that defies description. It’s a martial arts feature at heart, watching Keiko (Takeda being a real-world karate champion) take command of the chaos, dispatching rude pharmaceutical employees with kicks and punches, sold with massive wooshing sounds of movement. It’s also a horror comedy, viewing plates of sushi spring to life, grow teeth and spines, and take to the air in a manner that recalls the silver spheres of “Phantasm,” hunting down their prey. It’s ridiculous (Keiko bonds with the tamago after she witnesses the egg slice being bullied by his fishy brothers), bawdy (one character wonders if he has time to feel up a woman before she’s killed by the sushi), disgusting (there’s an extended snowballing love scene with an egg yolk), and quite dumb (Iguchi loves his fart humor), keeping “Dead Sushi” fascinating as it explores every inch of tomfoolery. It’s spirited where other films would feel leaden, bravely chasing impulses with an adequate appreciation for gruesome make-up effects and satire, taking a few pokes at the egos of sushi chefs and the exalted status of the Japanese delicacy. And just when Iguchi couldn’t get any more demented, he unleashes “rice zombies” in the third act, putting added pressure on Keiko (now armed with sushi nunchaku) as she swats away soaring seafood and deals with the dead returning to life via tainted rice. All that seems to be missing from this phantasmagoria is a cut of roasted sushi that zooms through the air, toasting hapless victims with its inner flamethrower.

Actually, “Dead Sushi” also includes such a moment of pursuit. Wow. Just wow.

Dead Sushi Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation reveals an overly brightened appearance, diluting the richness of the blacks, which tend to register on the milky side. Colors are generally satisfactory but also feel robbed of intensity due to the brightness boost, though blood red certainly retains its bold shock value, and the pinkness of the killer sushi also makes its intended impression. Skintones are less interesting, washed out to a certain degree, though extremes of illness and zombification are easily understood. Fine detail is quite valuable in tight shots, with healthy facial minutiae and a textured look at gore highlights, permitting the viewer to survey the make-up and creature creation efforts. Noise is scattered and rarely overwhelming. The "Dead Sushi" BD doesn't offer a luxurious, cinematic viewing experience, but the basics are tolerable, delivering on the particulars of murderous seafood with a reserved HD kick.

Dead Sushi Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital track offers minimal heft for such a manic effort, with a perfunctory presentation of immersion emerging from the surrounds, which are primarily employed to articulate the far ends of scoring cues and amplify the slapstick. A ripe chance for some seriously frantic directional activity is missed, and while the track sounds full, it's not detailed. Frontal stage activity is more convincing, with an adequate blend of heated dialogue exchanges and screams of terror, with group antics suitably arranged, absent distortion. Scoring is routine and flat but unobtrusive. Sound effects are pronounced satisfactorily, keeping up the cartoon atmosphere of the picture. Low-end is useful for heavier slams of violence, but doesn't take command.

Dead Sushi Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (11:01, HD) offers viewers a peek into the creation of "Dead Sushi," finding Iguchi explaining the genesis of the feature while stuffing his face with rice between shots. It's a lighthearted investigation of on-set camaraderie and special effects artistry, with interesting BTS footage used to showcase filmmaking merriment (Iguchi often has to restrain himself to keep from laughing at his own work). While far from extensive, there's enough personality here to capture the moment.

• "World Premiere Stage Greeting" (11:00, HD) captures the electricity of the movie's 2012 debut at the Fantasia Film Festival, where Iguchi and Takeda (arriving in full costume) answer a few questions in broken English and through the assistance of an interpreter. For added fun, Takeda is prompted to show off her martial art skills with a show of bottle-kicking force, also whipping around the sushi nunchaku to entertain the crowd.

• "Extreme Sushi Eating Contest" (13:34, HD) is a tedious summation of a 2012 film festival event where Iguchi and some volunteers attempt to down food offerings of animal testicles and penises for prizes. Arriving 12 years after the debut of "Fear Factor," the whole endeavor lacks imagination and snappy editing.

• "Fantasia Film Interview" (2:38, SD) catches up with Iguchi and Takeda on a promotional tour, where the director recounts his desire to make his own "food attack movie." The featurette is short but friendly, revealing two excited individuals eager to share their work with the masses.

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:57, HD) is included.

Dead Sushi Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

That "Dead Sushi" manages to sustain itself for 90 minutes of cartwheeling combat is outstanding. The film isn't consistently quality work and perhaps a few of its more eccentric detours could've been trimmed, but the picture as a whole is energetic and gleefully bizarre. For those in the mood for a midnight movie extravaganza that shows attention to the particulars of the palate and reverence for creature attack cinema, "Dead Sushi" is just cracked enough to work.