We are making Japan's first ever "Rock and Roll Horror" film. It is
called "A Japanese Rock 'n' Roll Ghost Story" and features some of
Japan's coolest Rock 'n' Roll bands.
Here is the crowdfunding page (English page should be ready any moment):
https://www.makuake.com/project/rock
Here is the crowdfunding page (English page should be ready any moment):
https://www.makuake.com/project/rock
Shooting a scene from "A Japanese Rock 'n' Roll Ghost Story" in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 26, 2015
The
movie is about a rock musician who is slowly going insane. He believes that he
can be immortal by writing the perfect song. He is pushed along by a ghost who
promises to help him. By the end of the movie the perfect song is completed; is
the musician dead or has he gone completely insane? (The full synopsis
below).
Here's our Crowdfunding trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q89eCEd6T14
(The black and white scenes are our protagonist's imagination. The color scenes are reality.)
(The black and white scenes are our protagonist's imagination. The color scenes are reality.)
Here's the link to our crowdfunding page on Cyber Agent's Makuake:
Introduction to bands,
actors and the team.
The Neatbeats
The Neatbeats are the "Japanese Beatles!" And they are hot.
The Neatbeats often tour Europe and are on the road constantly in Japan throughout the
year. They are about to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The Neatbeats main vocal, Mr. Pan, will be main actor in movie. He can act
well (watch the trailer!) and has been on TV and radio many times and has also
acted in one small part in a movie before.
The Neatbeats -
Twistin' Time With You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aifvxB6YmQ
The Privates
The Privates are
easy to describe too. How about "The Japanese Buzzcocks!" They have
been rocking Japan's underground scene for more than 30 years! Last year in December of 2014, they sold out Ebisu's Liquid Room (1,200) for their 30th Anniversary show!
The Privates -
Drive All Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dixV0AAxsdE
The 50 Kaitenz
And last but not
least, the 50 Kaitenz. A punk band from Osaka that is punkishly
hilarious! And, considered by many in the west to be, possibly Japan's funniest and most entertaining rock band in history.
The 50 Kaitenz on Fuji
TV Special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IzzdPpzWk8
All three of our main bands in the movie have huge followings in Europe and the USA.
Ike Nelson
Our ghost is played by Ike Nelson. Ike has been a professional radio DJ and on television in Japan for more than 25 years. Here's Ike performing at Tokyo Dome:
Hitoe and DJ Ike at Tokyo Dome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=21&v=CVns_ncW_MU
Taro Furukawa
Taro is a well known comedian and TV and radio show host who currently hosts the smash hit TV show, called, "The TV Show" (created and produced by Mike Rogers on Niconico Douga with over 1.5 million viewers a week!)
The TV Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCE1N_81A58
The production
team:
Producer/Co-Director
Mike Rogers
Mike was the lead
vocalist of the 1970s L.A. Punk band, The Rotters, that were a One-Hit Wonder
with the smash punk classic, "Sit on my Face, Stevie Nix" in 1978. He won
film awards at Moorpark college (1st Place Sophomore Class 1978) and at the
UCLA International Student Film Festival (3rd Place Senior Class 1980). Mike has lived
in Japan since 1984 and was the first foreigner in Japan's history to be the
general manager of a major Japanese broadcasting station. He has made many hit
TV and radio shows over the years in Japan.
Consultant Patrick Cunningham
Our consultant is
Patrick Cunningham. Patrick is an award winning Hollywood producer now living
in Japan. Patrick's bio on IMDB says Patrick is a casting director and
producer, known for Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011), Never Met Picasso (1996) and Descendants (2008).
Martha Marcy May
Marlene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPLqzVECEhU
Co-Director Enrico Ciccu.
Co-Director
Enrico Ciccu. Enrico is a talented
young director from Italy now in Japan and he has a great flair and style and has made many hit commercial productions as well as many short videos and musical artist promotional videos.
Here is a recent
work: Julie - Johnny Guitar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-6ehTDZBrE
Lighting Director
Yuji Wada.
Yuji Wada is a famous Hollywood lighting director (and old friend of Mike's). Yuji has worked on several hit Hollywood films as well as he does the lighting for all of Sofia Cappola's movies including the smash hit "Lost in Translation."
Yuji Wada is a famous Hollywood lighting director (and old friend of Mike's). Yuji has worked on several hit Hollywood films as well as he does the lighting for all of Sofia Cappola's movies including the smash hit "Lost in Translation."
Lost in
Translation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6iVPCRflQM
Camera
Ken Nishikawa.
Ken Nishikawa is camera and he is former BBC. Ken has worked for nearly 3 decades making TV productions and music videos (Shonen Knife, Glen Matlock, many famous Japanese bands) with him. Here is one of our favorites:
Ken Nishikawa is camera and he is former BBC. Ken has worked for nearly 3 decades making TV productions and music videos (Shonen Knife, Glen Matlock, many famous Japanese bands) with him. Here is one of our favorites:
Shonen Knife - Ghost Train ／ 少年ナイフ - ゴースト・トレイン https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCpfohSnp0U
Business
Advisor Haji Taniguchi.
Haji was the
president of Avex Trax Music Publishing and retired last year. He is currently
the president of the MPAJ (Music Publishers Association of Japan) as well
as a Board Member of The International Confederation of Music Publishers
as well as Vice-Chairman of PROMIC (Foundation for Promotion of Music Industry
and Culture). He is handling the business side distribution, foreign TV
and film licensing and all publishing rights for the music for our movie.
Haji
Taniguchi:
Advisor/consultant
Aki Morishita.
Aki was the vice-president of Fuji Pacific Music Publishing (the world's largest music publisher) as well as the former vice-president of EMI and Virgin Music. Aki is advising on all areas of production as well as film licensing and all publishing and mechanical and synchronization rights for the music.
Aki was the vice-president of Fuji Pacific Music Publishing (the world's largest music publisher) as well as the former vice-president of EMI and Virgin Music. Aki is advising on all areas of production as well as film licensing and all publishing and mechanical and synchronization rights for the music.
Story Synopsis:
Takashi is a struggling
small town rock musician who dreams of becoming a big rock star someday. He obsesses about it so much so that he begins to go slowly insane. His friends,
family and band members worry about him.
In his town, there is a
sort of “Rock and Roll boom.” One other musician, Nobu, came from that very
same town has become somewhat famous and now plays in larger clubs and venues
in Tokyo. There are rumors that the Nobu is about to be signed to a major
record label. Because of this success, others dream of following him and a few
Live Houses have opened up in that small town. The town becomes a sort of Mecca
for music.
Takashi and Nobu were
friends since they were in elementary school. In high school, they played in
the same band. But now that Nobu has become famous, he treats Takashi like dirt and disrespects him at every turn. Nobu has thrown away his past friends and
now has his sights on superstardom.
Of course, Takashi also
dreams of becoming like Nobu. He and his band keep trying hard, but something
just doesn’t click and they fail to attract any crowds or attention. In spite
of the lack of success, Takashi keeps at it and decides that he must keep
refining his “pure” sound and so he spends all his money on antique musical
instruments and amplifiers. His studio is full of old fifties and sixties equipment. His
family thinks it is a waste of money.
One day, Takashi finds an
old guitar amplifier at a guitar shop. The amplifier is rumored to be haunted
as it was owned by a very famous Blues musician who had a strange death but became famous in death. All new owners of this amplifier keep having "bad luck" events and the amp has a reputation for being haunted. So much so, that the guitar shop is selling the amp for a
ridiculously low price. When Takashi buys the amp, the old guy running the shop
tells him to always leave the amp unplugged when he is not using it.
Takashi takes the guitar
amp back to his studio and begins to use it. From the first moment he plugs the
amp in, strange things begin to happen; when Takashi is practicing alone at night,
he begins to be visited by a ghost who plays along with him as he practices.
They make fantastic music together.
Takashi is amazed and
excitedly tells his other band members, friends and family about the man who
comes to play with him at night. His band members really begin to think he is
losing his mind. When they come to the studio to see for themselves, they can’t
see any ghost and see nothing but a bunch of empty whiskey bottles, beer
cans and ashtrays full of cigarette butts.
Somewhat surprised that
the ghost didn’t appear when Takashi’s other band members arrived, he gets upset at the
ghost the next time he sees him. He tells the ghost that he wants the ghost
help them to become famous. The ghost convinces Takashi, though, that the best
way to make the band become famous is by helping Takashi only. If he helps the
entire band, then one of them might become more popular and famous than
Takashi. Greed gets the best of Takashi and he agrees. They then begin to
discuss writing the perfect song.
It is at this time, the
ghost tells Takashi to never tell anyone about him anymore. He says this
because, he tells Takashi, “If you tell people about me, they will think you
are crazy.” He also tells Takashi to never unplug or turn off the amplifier; it
must be left on at all times.
The normally talkative
Takashi begins to become reclusive and quiet. This sudden change in attitude by
Takashi is quite obvious to everyone around. It becomes even more worrisome
when people overhear Takashi talking to the ghost, but, since they can't hear the ghost, they think he is talking
to himself. Since the amp is on all time, he can talk to the ghost and the
ghost talks to him anywhere, not just in the studio.
In fact, because the amp
is on, the ghost follows Takashi around and sometimes bothers him for what seems like no
particular reason. For example, the ghost appears in town up the street staring
at Takashi and when Takashi runs up to talk to the ghost, he disappears around
a corner or is standing at a distance just watching Takashi.
Or is this just part of Takashi’s imagination too? We begin to wonder.
Or is this just part of Takashi’s imagination too? We begin to wonder.
As Takashi and the ghost
begin to create the perfect song together, suddenly things seem to be looking
up for Takashi’s band. Even the band’s member’s notice that Takashi’s
performances have suddenly become very good and something special has happened
to him; the ghost has entered his body.
No one else can see or
hear the ghost excepting for Takashi. Nevertheless, and even after the ghost
tells him to tell no one, he continually talks about him. Due to Takashi’s
repeated discussions about the ghost, his band and friends and family are quite sure he
must be going crazy.
Arguments with band
members and family who all suspect him to be going insane being to increase to
a constant pace. Takashi begins to stay up all night rehearsing with the ghost
so much so that he stops going to work for lack of sleep. One day, after
another show with few customers, three of the members finally tell the leader
they want to quit the band.
Takashi discusses this
situation with the ghost. The ghost tells him not to worry because after he
writes the perfect song, then everything will fall into order. Takashi is
thankful to the ghost. It is here where we learn the true intentions of the
ghost; in return for helping Takashi write the perfect song, the ghost wants
Takashi’s band member’s souls for his own band in hell. He wants Takashi to
kill his band.
The ghost never says it directly
but phrases it more like, “You can help your band members reach their dreams
too. You can help them to become immortal. After all, it’s what they really
want.” The ghost convinces Takashi that the band and him can become like great
rock stars of the past when they all die.
Takashi reluctantly
agrees with the ghost and decides he must try to kill his band. But, after
several chances, he just cannot do it. He tells the ghost, “I just can’t.
Please take my soul instead.”
The ghost laughs and
replies, “I already have your soul!”
One day, Takashi leaves
the amp on and goes to a concert. The ghost comes along. There they walk into
the club and no one sees the ghost, of course. They meet Nobu.
Nobu is in shock. He
looks straight at the ghost and his eyes open wide and his jaw drops. The ghost
says, “Hey Nobu! How ya doin’? Nice to see you again. Told you I’d keep my end
of the deal if you kept yours. Why did you sell our amplifier?”
Takashi is dumbfounded.
Nobu’s attitude towards Takashi takes a 180 degree turn. Suddenly, he no longer
is rude to him or disrespectful, it seems he fears Takashi.
Nobu wonders, “What kind
of a deal has Takashi made?”
Later, at night, when
Takashi and the ghost are alone, the ghost says, “OK. Takashi, my friend, it’s
time to finish the deal and the song.”
Takashi turns on the
recorder and they begin to play. Gradually, the room begins to spin and turn
white and the two in the studio begin to float up into the air as if they are
entering heaven. Everywhere is white like they are in the clouds. Takashi looks
up as they play music and suddenly sees his other band members playing. They
are standing and looking stoic – Takashi recognizes some of them as Nobu’s former
band members - they play music together. Takashi grimaces and the entire scene
is engulfed in white.
The perfect song is made.
It remains on the recorder.
Takashi finally, gets
what he wanted.
Is Takashi dead or has he finally gone completely insane?
Is Takashi dead or has he finally gone completely insane?
End.
