VIZ Cinema Presents "Tokyoscope" and SEGA's "Yakuza 3"

CRIME, HONOR, BETRAYAL AND DEATH THE MYSTIQUE OF JAPANESE YAKUZA GANGSTER FILMS IS EXPLORED AT VIZ CINEMA IN TOKYOSCOPE: THE WILD AND CRAZY WORLD OF JAPANESE CULT FILMS


New Lecture Series Launches In March With An Installment On Gangster Cinema; SEGA To Demo New Yakuza 3 Video Game

The shadowy and often bloody celluloid world of Japanese gangsters – hit men, loan sharks, outlaws, gamblers and tattooed tough guys – or “yakuza” cinema, is explored in detail in TokyoScope: The Wild & Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films, a new lecture series launching at VIZ Cinema on Friday, March 5th. TokyoScope, Vol.1 Yakuza Night Fever begins at 6:00pm with a reception and discussion to be hosted by Patrick Macias, Editor-in-Chief of Otaku USA, a leading national magazine on anime and Asian pop culture.

Also sponsored by SEGA® of America, the evening will feature highlights of Yakuza 3, the eagerly anticipated new release for the PlayStation 3 that debuts on March 9th. Preceding the release, SEGA will demonstrate Yakuza 3 in a special sneak preview and give away the actual game (valued at $54.99) to lucky 10 winners at the event. Tickets for the event are $10.00.

Macias’ hour-long lecture starts at 7:00pm and will trace the history of gangster cinema in Japan, highlighted with clips from such genre masterpieces as Brutal Tales of Chivalry, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Dead or Alive, and Like a Dragon. Macias will discuss the culture of the yakuza genre and its action-packed, blood-soaked cinematography, along with themes of loyalty and betrayal these films often explore.

SEGA’s Yakuza 3 is the next chapter in the prestigious video game saga, offering an authentic, gritty and, often, violent story set in modern day Japan. Following the events of the previous game, Kazuma and Haruka (his adopted daughter) have left Kamurochoto to seek a new life in Okinawa where they manage an orphanage for children. However, their peaceful life is soon interrupted when a series of events unfold, pulling Kazuma back into the shadowy past he thought he had left behind. Making its first appearance exclusively on the PlayStation 3 platform, the rich story and vibrant world of Yakuza 3 lets players engage in intense brutal clashes on the streets of Okinawa, and the pulsating and, often, dangerous city of Tokyo where only the strongest will survive. Yakuza 3 will carry an ESRB rating of ‘M’ For Mature Audiences.

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.