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We’re back to Cool & Strange Music for April 12, 2016! And we have a special edition, the Horror Movie Trailers!

Here are some recent horror (humor?) movie trailers that have caught my eye. (And one that I made myself, so this could be construed as shameless self-promotion. So what? It’s my blog so, sue me!) These are some of my faves over the last couple of years that disgust me or make me laugh (mostly do both). These films are deliciously ridiculous and, if you have a twisted sense of humor, like me, you are going to crack up at these stories.

First up, at #4, is Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl. Wiki says this about this classic: “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (吸血少女対少女フランケン, Kyūketsu Shōjo tai Shōjo Furanken) is a 2009 Japanese gore film. It was directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura and Naoyuki Tomomatsu and premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival in June 2009. It is based on a manga of the same name by Shungiku Uchida.”

It gets better….The plot will crack you up! Continued: “In a typical Tokyo high school a perpetually teenage vampire named Monami (played by Yukie Kawamura – she’s hot!) falls for her classmate, Mizushima, who happens to already be the reluctant boyfriend to the vice principal/science professor’s daughter, Keiko, a leader of a Sweet Lolita gang. The ensuing love triangle leads Keiko to seek the assistance of her father who, unbeknown to his daughter, moonlights as a Kabuki-clad mad scientist with the school nurse as his assistant. (Bwa! Ha! Ha! – Me) The pair experiment on students in the school basement hoping to discover the secret of reanimating corpses (akin to the work of Victor Frankenstein). Their hopes are answered when they discover a solution of Monami’s blood holds the properties to bring life to dead body parts and inanimate objects.”

This film was made into a German and a French version, but, alas, no English version… But watch this trailer and you’ll get the picture. The theme song that comes in at 1:30 is great and a dead ringer for a song by the first foreigner who ever sang a song in Japanese and had a #1 hit in Japan in 1967 (I think it was). That was a singer from France named France Gall and the song was “Yume no Naka no Chanson Doll” (The Chanson Doll in my Dreams). Watch France Gall singing that hit in Japanese here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyevT4j34A4

#4  Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAGMzxhk3Hg

At #3 is a brand new movie that has yet to be released in Japan. It has an incredibly original title called, “Ghostroads – A Japanese Rock N Roll Ghost Story.” It’s about a Japanese rock n roller who buys an antique amp formerly owned by a famous (now dead – duh!) musician who promises to help him become famous by writing the perfect song… in exchange for a few favors. The film stars three of Japan’s best underground rock bands (The Neatbeats, the Privates, and the 50 Kaitenz), one of Japan’s most famous actresses, as well as a team of bizarre (and sexy) people. Watch for it being released later this year. Go “Like” the FB page for: “Ghostroads – A Japanese Rock N Roll Ghost Story” here: https://www.facebook.com/Japaneserocknrollghost/

By the way, the Privates currently have a hit on Rodney on the Roq on KROQ Los Angeles named “Action Woman” (video by yours truly and Ken Nishikawa and Kevin Hammontree.) Speaking of Rodney Bingenheimer, he and film director/producer Kansas Bowling have a cameo in this film!

#3) Ghostroads – A Japanese Rock N Roll Ghost Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOASlR7MQLk

The Japanese have the most bizarre sense for weird ideas for movies. Of course!…. This is Japan, right? The most bizarre place in the entire universe! So at #2 is one of the most absurd Japanese films of modern times (I think). It is called, “Alien vs Ninja” from 2010. This particular movie was also released in English, so you don’t need too much of an explanation for the trailer, but here’s and edit by me of the basic plot from Wikipedia:

“Four hundred years ago, a band of ninja warriors are assigned to investigate the crash of a mysterious object from the sky. Upon arriving at the crash site, they discover the remains of other ninjas that have been brutally torn apart. Shortly after they encounter a boy whose village was massacred by an unknown assailant. Before they can get any further explanation from the boy, the ninjas are attacked by aliens from another planet. After a grueling battle that takes the lives of several ninjas, they manage to kill three of the aliens, but one of the aliens retreats while kidnapping one of the ninjas. The kidnapped ninja wakes up, hanging upside down at a temple, only to discover an organism lurking within his throat, but before he can react, it takes over his body.

The other ninjas make it to the temple to rescue their friend, only to be surrounded by dead ninjas, who are being manipulated by small organisms secreted from the alien’s nostrils. After discovering a pair of eyes peeking from a dead ninja’s mouth, the good ninjas target the dead ninjas’ throats. After a long struggle, the good ninjas release their formerly captive friend from the alien’s control. They finally square off against the last alien in a cave. Finally, they destroy the alien and all are happy… But, unbeknownst to the ninjas, the boy who survived the village attack, has hidden one of the alien organisms in his bag.”

Got that? Simple. Happens everyday, right?

#2) Alien vs Ninja Trailer – English Subtitled https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M_QC2fatXQ

At #1 is a film from Hollywood (Hollyweird?) called “BC Butcher.” This film gets the nod for #1 because it is successful and was made by a 17-year-old girl! WTF? A 17-year-old girl? WTF? How did she do that? Amazing for sure! This brilliant young lady is named Kansas Bowling! This young lady is going places. I’m duly impressed. The ingenuity and perspicacity of this prodigy is an inspiration to everyone! All I can say is, “Kansas Bowling! You go, girl!”

Wikipedia says, “B.C. Butcher is a 2016 American horror film and comedy directed by 17-year-old Kansas Bowling. It is about a tribe of cavewomen being stalked by a prehistoric monster. It has been dubbed as “the first prehistoric slasher film”. It was released in January of 2016 by Troma Entertainment.”

Here is the plot:  “A tribe of cave women sacrifice one of their members after it is revealed she is having an affair with the tribe leader’s man (Kato Kaelin). They leave her body in the wilderness and it is discovered by a prehistoric beast who falls in love with the dead cave woman and vows to avenge her death. The monster, know as “The Butcher,” hunts down the cave women responsible for her murder.”

The film also features a music video interlude by Los Angeles punk band The Ugly Kids. Here is the FB page for BC Butcher, go like it or go live in a cave…. If you dare! https://www.facebook.com/thebcbutcher/?fref=ts

Oh, and Rodney Bingenheimer (Rodney on the Roq) and Kansas Bowling herself appears in this movie too!

#1) BC Butcher – Official Theatrical Trailer  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxsSH4NhXMc

Well that’s it! Thanks for tuning in this time. See you next week for more Cool & Strange music! – Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers