Sharkskin Man & Peach Hip Girl (1998)
Director: Katsuhito Ishii
Producer: Kazuto Takida
Script: Katsuhito Ishii
Cast:
Tadanobu Asano, Sie Kohinata, Ittoku Kishibe, Susumu Terrashima
Country: Japan
Genre: Action
Theatrical Run: 09/23/1999
Language: Japanese
Running Time: 108 min
Based on Mochizuki Minetarou’s best-selling manga, Peach Hip Girl, Momojiri (Sie Kohinata) is trapped working at her pervy uncle’s hotel when yakuza Sharkskin Man, Samehada (Tadanobu Asano), crashes— in his skivvies—into her dull and hopeless life and spins her off into a “surreal, violent, funny, lovers-on-the-run” adventure. Pursued by a group of deadly hyper-fashioned-geared yakuza killers and hunted by her psychopathic uncle, all they can do is run for their lives. The opening is so cool that even Tarentino wanted to borrow the idea!
—Eiren Chong, AFF
Director’s Comments
“I love offbeat stuff…But whatever the audience reaction turns out to be, I hope everyone has a great ride.”
*Scenes from Sharkskin Man and Peach Hip Girl
© Tohokushinsha Film Corporation
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REVIEWS
“…surreal, violent, funny, lovers-on-the-run adventure… striking cinematography, rapid-fire editing and ultra-rich colors that rise from the young director’s shooting more than 80 Japanese TV commercials. The colorful cast is clad in a designer style known as hyper fashion gear, except Samehada (Asano) who dons Takeo Kikuchi designer fashions, down to his TK brand underwear…Arguably, the coolest movie of the year.””
–Bruce Fletcher, Hawaii International Film Festival
“”Sharkskin Man and Peach Hip Girl is one hell of a piece of work…[It] contains a rare collection of colorful characters that has yet to be seen in another movie. You have about 20 or so unique characters, each one extremely different and well-drawn. Most…had a pretty cool style while others were plain bizarre.””
–Janick Neveux, KFC Cinema