We analyze in Cinemascomics the Blu-Ray of Ghostland Prisonersthe latest madness of Nicolas Cage
At Cinemascomics we have analyzed the home edition on Blu-Ray of Ghostland Prisoners. Tape qualified by Nicolas Cage himself as the wildest film of his career. This film has already become a cult film, being directed by the unclassifiable Japanese director Sion Sono.
The film is an original story shot in Japan and is marketed in Spain by the hand of Against the Current Filmswhich can now be enjoyed on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as for rent and digital sale, through the main platforms that operate in Spain.
The film is written by Aaron Hendry and Reza Sixo Safai. Adapted by the filmmaker Sion Sono himself to the new circumstances surrounding the project. went from being a ‘spaghetti western’ which was planned to be shot in Mexico, to become a mix between ‘Western’ and samurai films set in Japan, due to the director’s health problems, being shot in English with a mixture of English and Japanese-speaking actors.
The distribution of Ghostland Prisoners is headed by Oscar winner Nicolas Cage (Color Out of Space), Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon), Ed Skrein (Alita: Battle Angel), Nick Cassavetes (The Coupon Queens), Young Dais (Bloody Forest) , Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D), Tak Sakaguchi (Why Don’t We Play in Hell?) and Takato Yonemoto (Legend of the Samurai: 47 Ronin), among others. The film participated in the Sundance Festival, in the Sitges Festival and in the Fright Fest of 2021.
SYNOPSIS:
In the chaotic city of Samurai Town, an unscrupulous bank robber (Nicolas Cage) is released from jail by the Governor of the land (Bill Moseley) to find his runaway adoptive granddaughter named Bernice (Sofia). Boutella). To ensure that he fulfills his mission, the warlord will put the thief in a leather suit with explosives, which he will self-destruct in a maximum period of five days if he does not return to the girl.
Ghostland Prisoners It lasts approximately 103 minutes and is not recommended for children under 16 years of age. Being a crazy action, adventure and science fiction film that is shown in its Blu-Ray version with a multitude of extras, which we have analyzed for Cinemascomics readers, in an edition with a red amaray box and a rigid outer protective cardboard box. The Blu-Ray analysis is completely free of spoilers, in case you haven’t had the opportunity to see it yet and want to know what extras this extravagant film contains that will not leave anyone indifferent.
Technical characteristics:
- Image: 16:9 and 1080p.
- Sound: English and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.
- Subtitles in Spanish.
- Discs: One
- Blu-Ray Import Zone: B/2 Europe, Africa and Oceania
- Original Title: Prisoners of the Ghostland.
- Country: United States and Japan
Additional content:
Trailer:
How it was made:
The actor Nicolas Cage, who plays the Hero, comments that it is a very enigmatic plot, where there is humor, scares and drama. He adds that there is nothing in his filmography that is equal to Sion Sono’s film, of which he highlights his vision and voice, qualifying them as unique.
For his part, actor Bill Moseley, who plays the Governor, indicates that the film has an action-adventure narrative, with a hero who rescues the damsel in distress, who evolves and finds her own voice. He describes his character as the typical flashy tyrant.
Meanwhile, actress Sofia Boutella plays Bernice, describing the script as mind-blowing and immersed in an insane world, but also how creative and artistic Sion Sono is as a filmmaker.
Next, we see the entertainment and rehearsal of the choreography for the action scenes by Nicolas Cage and the rest of the cast. The actor comments that he moved like a boxer, while the choreographer wanted him to move more like a samurai. But since he didn’t have time to learn all the moves, they mixed both fighting styles. In turn, Sofia Boutella assures that he likes to shoot all the action scenes that are left to him and that it is this shoot that he loved recording the sword fight.
Nicolas Cage continues, indicating that his favorite moments in the film are those set in Ghostland, because it has a very surrealist Fellinian style. Regarding the director, he highlights how collaborative he was and that he likes working with him. In addition, it was his first shoot in Japan and he is delighted with the experience and the result, since he likes to shoot films that are a bit out of the norm.
Colloquium:
Interview via videoconference in which the director Sion Sono and the producer Ko Moro participate, after the premiere of the film in the United Kingdom, on August 28, 2021. The discussion is moderated by Alan Jones, with the participation of the tape at the Fright Fest. Thus, they talk about the experience of shooting a film for the first time in English and not in Japanese, and his communication with the English-speaking actors when he needed a translator to understand them.
They also discuss Nicolas Cage’s involvement and his conversation with the director about the project in Tokyo. From the director’s involvement in the script, from the shooting in Japan due to the filmmaker’s heart problems. Nicolas Cage’s inspirations for his character, that Sion Sono likes the consideration he has as a director of cult movies. And the international repercussion of his work (sometimes greater than in his own country). The aesthetics of the film and the work of the director of photography Sohei Tanikawa, how the filming went and all the setbacks that occurred and the commercial nature of this work due to the international repercussion as it was starring Nicolas Cage.
Along with this, they also explain the symbols and references that always appear in all the director’s films. His favorite is Babe the Brave Pig but that he does not plan to work with animals in any film and how the filmmaker himself describes the film he has directed.
Other titles:
- Color Out of Space trailer.
- Mommy and Daddy trailer.
- Revenge trailer.