The Hawai’i-made, award-winning action/martial arts movie “Blood of the Samurai” will hit Kilauea Theater next week in a double feature with the summertime surf blockbuster “Blue Crush.” “It is basically a cheesy fun action movie, with ninjas, swords, motorcycles, good
The Hawai’i-made, award-winning action/martial arts movie “Blood of the Samurai” will hit Kilauea Theater next week in a double feature with the summertime surf blockbuster “Blue Crush.”
“It is basically a cheesy fun action movie, with ninjas, swords, motorcycles, good guy/bad guy, and it is all Hawai’i actors,” said Paul Booth, producer.
“It is action, it’s fun, it’s laughs, and it showcases Hawaii talent on the big screen … Three of the four main creative players of the movie are or were Kauai residents while the film was made,” Booth added.
Kaua’i filmmakers and stars from “Blood of the Samurai” will be in attendance. The movie was produced by Paul Booth and written and directed by Aaron Yamasato, both Kaua’i residents. It stars Bryan Yamasaki, Shawn Forsythe, Michael Ng, Colleen Fujioka, Stephanie Sanchez, Miki Tani and Rick Lum. Special makeup effects were created by Screaming Mad George; Japanese wardrobe by Koishiro Nishikawa; fight coordinator Leroy Bartlett; lighting by Masumi Childers; and music by Derek Suzuki.
“Blood of the Samurai” has played at film festivals in Hawai’i, Hollywood, Northern California and Arkansas – and after Kilauea, it will go on to Vancouver, New York and Argentina.
The movie was nominated for Best B-Movie Action Sequences at the 2002 B-Movie Film Festival in New York City and won a special B-movie achievement award. It has also been nominated for Best Picture at the 2002 Firelight Shocks Independent Film and Video Festival in Modesto, Calif.; and Best Action Sequences at the 2002 B-Movie Film Festival. It won the award for Best Film in Hawai’i at the 2001 Hawaii International Film Festival; a Telly Award; and a special achievement award at the 2001 B-movie Film Festival.
It was selected to screen at film festivals around the world, including the 6th Annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival and Argentina’s Cinencuadre Fantasy/Horror/Sci-Fi Film Festival.
“Blood of the Samurai” will play in a double feature with Universal Pictures’ “Blue Crush” at the Kilauea Theater on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 4-5 at 7:30 for $10. “Blood of the Samurai” will also show Sunday for $7 at 9:30 p.m. Kilauea Theater has also scheduled a midnight screening of Sam Raimi’s horror classic “The Evil Dead.”
For more information, call the box office at 828-0438, or visit www.kilaueatheater.com and www.bloodofthesamurai.com.
Staff Writer Kendyce Manguchei can be reached at kmanguchei@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 252).
