One Cut Dead, Shudder

Shudder and Variance Films present an eccentric spoof of the movie industry in the horror/comedy, One Cut of the Dead, starring Takayuki Hamatsu and Yuzuki Akiyama. Not only has writer/director/editor Shinichiro Ueda put together a wild splatter-fest of a zombie movie, the movie-within-a-movie subplot showcases the inventive use of guerrilla filmmaking. 

While shooting a low-budget zombie film in an abandoned warehouse, the crew find themselves caught between actual zombies and a mad director who won’t stop rolling. If you think you know what happens next, think again. Filmmaker Shinichiro Ueda turns the film on its head more than once for one of the wildest, funniest, and most surprising zombie movies of all time.

Here are 5 reasons why you should see One Cut of the Dead:

5) Yuzuki Akiyama!

One Cut of the Dead

Bouncing back and forth between drama and comedy, Yuzuki Akiyama really is the heart of the movie as Chinatsu. Delivering a truly memorable performance, Akiyama  portrays Chinatsu in the beginning as a naive and fragile actress before becoming a fierce zombie slayer. I don’t want to say too much about the plot twist but Chinatsu (Akiyama) is a completely different person, which allows viewers to see her wide range. 

4) Takayuki Hamatsu!

Takayuki Hamatsu is wild and paranoid in the opening scenes as Director Higurashi. Wanting to get that perfect shot in his movie, Higurash (Hamatsu) pushes his cast and crew to the extremes. Higurash won’t stop the cameras rolling because he has to meet the demands of his low budget and try to get everything in one take. 

3) The One Takes!

The hand-held cinematography by Takeshi Sone features long takes that capture the hysteria of a zombie apocalypse and the madness behind a film production. The shaky camera follows Chinatsu (Akiyama) and Ko (Kazuaki Nagaya) as they run around an abandoned factory, tossing a decapitated hand to each other.

2) The Direction!

If you’re a fan of zombie flicks, then you’re going to love how filmmaker Shinichiro Ueda pokes fun at the horror cliches. And if you’re really into the art of filmmaking, Ueda dives right into the behind-the-scenes drama of making an indie movie.  

1) A Fun Horror/Comedy!

One Cut of the Dead

Not only is One Cut of the Dead an enjoyable zombie flick to watch, it’s also a delightful ode to Do-It-Yourself filmmaking. Audiences are absolutely going to love this one!

One Cut of the Dead opens theatrically in New York and Los Angeles this Friday, September 13th, 2019.

By Jorge Solis