12/13/2014

Wild, Kinky Trailer for Hitoshi Matsumoto's Absurd 'R100'


So where to begin with R100, exactly? If you've been listening to my show Cinema Royale or checking me and +Tim Gordon on Addicted to Film each week chances are you've heard me mention Hitoshi Matsumoto's insane S&M comedy more than once. It was the oddest experience I had at Sundance because the film was designed to test the limits of what the audience will endure. That may seem like a joke but it's true; probably more than half of the audience was gone by the time it was over. Equal parts wacky, gross, and totally incomprehensible, R100 is not a film for everybody but those who take to it, like I did, will find it unforgettable.

A new trailer and poster for the film has been released and the warning should say it all: "No one under 100 will be admitted." The Japanese rating system's equivalent to NC-17 would be R18, so the movie's title is basically saying this sh*t is too wild for just about anybody, and they're right. In fact, the ratings board plays an integral role in the film, and all I'll say is their introduction flips the plot sideways. Nao Omori (Ichi the Killer) plays a single father who joins a unique S&M club, one with an unbreakable one year contract. He gets off on enduring punishment (hence the euphoria on his face), but things go out of control when dominatrixes start showing up everywhere and anytime to kick his ass. They show up at work, on the street, and unfortunately at home when his kid is around. The trailer sells just how crazy the movie really is without giving away too much, plus it has some shots of my girl (and ex-pro wrestler) Lindsay Kay Hayward who plays the big bad "villain" of the piece.

R100 is in some theaters now but expands and hits VOD next month.