ACF 1218: COLD FISH at MAD

Mr. Murato addresses his bevy of lovely female workers as his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Shamoto and Mitsuko look on in the background.

  Cold Fish / Tsumetai Nettaigyo
Directed by Sion Sono 
With Makoto Ashikawa, Denden and Mitsuru Fukikoshi
Japan, 2010, 144 minutes, Digital Projection
When: Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Where: The Museum of Arts and Design ("MAD")
2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
Admission: $10 general / $7 members and students  

For those who missed it when it screened at the the Film Society of Lincoln Center's recent Nikkatsu Retrospective (or those who did and understandably would like to see it again), there's another opportunity for Sono-philes to see his serial murder drama/thriller Cold Fish. The Museum of Arts and Design will be showing it tomorrow night as part of its film series Sion Sono: The New Poet.

Synopsis: Based on a true story of an infamous Japanese serial killer, the ‘Saitama serial murders of dog lovers,’ Cold Fish is a dark comedy that intertwines the lives of a dysfunctional family with a seemingly respectable owner of a tropical fish shop.

Mild-mannered Nobyuki Shamoto, owner of a modest tropical fish store

ACF Review: Nobuyuki Shamoto (Mitsuru Fukikoshi) is the meek and mild owner of the very modest Shamoto Tropical Fish Shop in Fujimi City, Shizuoka, Japan. A widower, he has a daughter, Mitsuko, who's in her late teens or maybe early twenties. She's resentful of Taeko, Nobuyuki's lovely second wife, and acts out in ways that include shoplifting.

Mr. Murata puts the moves on Taeko, Shamoto's wife.

She's caught in the act by a Mr. Yukio Murata, who turns her into the store manager, but appeals for leniency when Mr. and Mrs. Shamoto show up. In fact, Murata suggests that Mitsuko come work for him. And what is Mr. Murata's business? Well, nothing other than the Amazon Gold Tropical Fish Center, an extremely successful enterprise that puts Shamoto's store to shame, to say the least.

Aiko, Murata's wife, rides Tsutsui, his "legal consultant."

Personable and charismatic, Murata gets Nobuyki to consent to his suggestion, and thus begins a tale of marital infidelity, shady business pracices (to say the least), and, oh, yes, serial murders. Thrown into the mix are good deals of gore and some appetizing nudity. All in all, a fine mix.

Don't say I didn't warn ya about the gore!

ACF Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars. Very highly recommended.

To purchase tickets click here, or call 1.800.838.3006