ACF 761: Detroit Metal City due on DVD November 9th, 2010 from VIZ Pictures

HEAVY METAL SINGER FROM JAPAN IS UNLEASHED
ON THE U.S. IN HILARIOUS COMEDY
DETROIT METAL CITY
ON DVD FROM VIZ PICTURES

Film Based On A Popular Manga Series And Features Appearances
By Gene Simmons Of KISS And Marty Friedman Of MEGADETH

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced the DVD release of Detroit Metal City this coming Tuesday, November 9th. The live-action comedy, directed by Toshio Lee and based on the popular manga comic created by Kiminori Wakasugi, is presented in Japanese with English subtitles and will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN.

Detroit Metal City takes the zany rock antics inspired by films like Spinal Tap to hilarious new extremes in this story, based on a popular manga comic created by Kiminori Wakasugi that has sold more than 4.5 million copies in Japan (and published in North America by VIZ Media). It features notable appearances by Gene Simmons from the legendary band, KISS, and Marty Friedman of Megadeth, and stars Kenichi Matsuyama, one of the most adored actors in Japan today and known widely for his role as 'L' in the Death Note films (also available from VIZ Pictures).

“Detroit Metal City is a delightfully funny film that is a must-see for any rock fan,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “Actor Kenichi Matsuyama brings the character of Johannes Krauser II to life in an inventive slapstick performance takes hints from Jim Carrey, Johnny Rotten and Alice Cooper. We look forward to audiences discovering this hilarious comedy that shows how fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when you’re the most diabolical, foul – and popular – heavy metal singer in Japan.”

In the film, Soichi Negishi (played by Kenichi Matsuyama) is a sweet and shy young man who dreams of becoming a trendy singer songwriter. But for some reason, he is forced into joining the devil worshiping death metal band “Detroit Metal City” (DMC). In full stage make-up and costume, he transforms into Johannes Krauser II the vulgar-mouthed lead vocalist of the band. But he must keep this a secret from his crush, Yuri Aikawa, who despises death metal. What would she think if she found out? But against Negishi’s will, DMC rises to stardom. Things get even more complicated when the legendary king of death metal, Jack IL Dark (played by Gene Simmons), challenges DMC to a duel in the film’s climatic finale. What will be the fate of innocent Negishi as he climbs to the top of the death metal world?

ACF comment: Like Negishi, I'm not a big fan of Heavy Metal. But I really enjoyed this movie. I even got some understanding of why this musical genre appeals to a certain audience . For me the film really worked at several levels. I give it an ACF rating of 3.5 out of 4 stars (highly recommended)

More information on Detroit Metal City and other VIZ Pictures titles is available at www.viz-pictures.com.