One Cut of the Dead - BE@RBRICK
Despite its modest beginnings, One Cut of the Dead rocketed to international acclaim as one of the best modern zombie films. Fans and critics alike praise the film for its originality and witty writing. Medicom Toy jumped on the One Cut of the Dead rise to fame in 2018. The film's debut BE@BRICK figure, "BE@RBRICK One Cut of the Dead 100%," captures the film's creepy yet laughable spirit.
One Cut of the Dead and BE@RBRICK Collaboration Background
One Cut of the Dead appeared in multiple Medicom Toy merchandise lines after its international rise to fame in 2018.
Collaboration Planning and Launch Information
One Cut of the Dead debuted in Medicom Toy's merchandise collections with a BE@BRICK figure in September 2018. An alternately colored White Ver. BE@RBRICK came out that October as a special edition pre-order. The figure came with the Blu-Ray and DVD release of the film and commemorative clear file folder. In November 2018, Medicom Toy released a series of One Cut of the Dead accessories and t-shirts across their apparel brands.
BE@RBRICK One Cut of the Dead 100%
BE@RBRICK One Cut of the Dead 100% is a must-have addition to any film lover's BE@RBRICK collection. Inspired by One Cut of the Dead, the figure adapts its design from the English language poster for the film. The figure is painted solid matte black. The film's title appears on the figure's chest in a bouncy, bold white font. Splatters of blood-like red paint adorn the text, giving off an ominous vibe. The figure has wide, shocked eyes with largely visible whites and tiny, shrunken pupils. On the back, the figure features a streaky red pentagram to complete the design.
- Product Name: BE@RBRICK One Cut of the Dead 100%
- Series: One Cut of the Dead
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: Painted & articulated plastic figure
- Height (Approx.): 70 mm | 2.8"
About One Cut of the Dead: Story
One Cut of the Dead or Kamera wo Tomeruna, is a 2017 Japanese zombie comedy film directed by Shinichiro Ueda. The film's plot contains three main sections. In the first section, the director Takayuki Higurashi is shooting a low-budget zombie film called One Cut of the Dead. He gets into a fight with his crew and eventually abandons them. Suddenly, a real zombie apocalypse begins. Seizing the opportunity, Higurashi tells the cameraman to keep filming. The second section depicts the personal lives of the cast and crew members. The last section involves the shooting of behind the scenes for the film.
About One Cut of the Dead: Reception
Ueda produced the film on a tight, partially crowdfunded budget of around $25,000. The film starred then unknown actors from the Enbu Seminar Drama School in Tokyo. With an initial break-even goal of 5,000 seats, the film opened in an 84-seat art house theater for six days. The film gained international attention as the runner-up audience vote selection in the 2018 Udine Far East Film Festival. Attention from the film festival sparked a wider theatrical re-release in Japan. It became the seventh highest-grossing film of 2018 in Japan. The film made box office history by grossing over 1000 times the initial budget. Internationally, the film grossed over $31 million.
The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews, earning a "universal acclaim" rating on Metacritic. Critics praised the film's enthusiastic tone and clever, satirical writing. Reviewers also praised the comedic payoff in the film's final section in reference to seemingly unimportant details in the middle section. The film received plagiarism accusations from playwright Ryoichi Wada in later 2018. Ueda and Wada later came to an agreement that cited Wada's play Ghost in the Box in the film's credits.
Important One Cut of the Dead characters
One Cut of the Dead film depicts important characters. These include Takayuki Higurashi, Yuzuki Akiyama, and Mao Higurashi.
Takayuki Higurashi
Takayuki Higurashi is portrayed by actor Takayuki Hamatsu. He is the tyrannical director with high expectations. His main conflicts arise from his lackluster and unmotivated lead actress, Yuzuki Akiyama. He eventually gets in a fight with his crew members, so much that he decides to abandon the movie itself. However, upon being attacked by real zombies, Higurashi insists that the camera keeps rolling. As a result, he succeeds in making a true zombie apocalypse film. He has a reputation in the industry as a director that produces cheap, fast, and mediocre films.
Aika Matsumoto
Aika Matsumoto is portrayed by actress Yuzuki Akiyama. She is the film-within-the-film's lead actress, criticized for her lack of passion and intensity in the climax scenes. Higurashi is astonished, unwilling to continue filming the movie. Her status as an idol goes to her head and she flatly dismisses any mistake that she makes with a “sorry.” She uses her idol agency as an excuse for her shortcomings in acting. The role launched Akiyama's career. After her performance, Akiyama signed to Asobi System and gained an international cult following.
Mao Higurashi
Mao Higurashi is portrayed by actress Mao. She is director Takayuki Higurashe's college student daughter and a member of her school's basketball team. Like her father, Mao is interested in the filmmaking industry. However, she disapproves of her dad's style of cheap and low-quality films. Although driven, her nit-picky personality gets the best of her and prevents her from breaking out in the industry. She has a feisty personality and takes out her frustrations on anyone who stands in her way. The character served as actress Mao's breakout role and first performance as a named character.
Links
BE@RBRICK One Cut of the Dead 100%
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