CHRIS' QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DAY (5/20/20): ONE CUT OF THE DEAD MISSION: REMOTE

CHRIS' QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DAY (5/20/20): 

ONE CUT OF THE DEAD MISSION: REMOTE

by Chris La Vigna (@Chris_LaVigna)

The OCOTD crew is back, and they're better than ever!



So I've already dedicated a Q-Rec to the great Japanese "zombie film"/meta-comedy ONE CUT OF THE DEAD. It's a superb film that starts off as a very intense horror short and pivots into being a fun behind-the-scenes comedy, a beautifully crafted love letter to filmmaking that will have you smiling and clapping with pure joy by the end. Well, you definitely need to watch it now, because writer/director Shin'ichirô Ueda, along with all of the first film's cast, has come back with a sequel short film: ONE CUT OF THE DEAD MISSION: REMOTE!

Once again, the dutiful director Higurashi is contacted by the two eccentric producers who recruited him to make that live one-take zombie film, but with a different and even more implausible-sounding pitch: they want him to direct a true crime dramatization for their TV station, shot remotely in its entirety! At first Higurashi is daunted by the task, but just as we've seen him do before, he rises to the occasion, thanks to a little help from his daughter Mao, his wife Harumi, and the rest of the OG cast of their ragtag zombie film.

Together, they tell the story of the "serial tickler," a man who broke into over one hundred homes in Japan and tormented unsuspecting citizens by...tickling them until they broke out laughing. It's a delightfully silly premise, and much as the first film's humor came from poking fun at all the tech and personnel issues that come with shooting live, this film utilizes all the common glitches and blunders that come with video conferencing and shooting footage on your phone to make the story feel all too real. It also acknowledges the power of social media and fan communities, showing dozens of fans sending their own self-made videos of them being tickled to be a part of the program.

This is a fun short film with tons of heart, and by the end, when Higurashi's daughter Mao is tearing up as she talks about all the stuff she wants to go out and do when this coronavirus-related madness is finally over, I'm willing to bet you'll find yourself getting a little misty eyed too. Ueda seems to be the master of making films that are about the the power of film and filmmaking, and how it can bring us all together in even the darkest of times. I think that's a message we could all use right now. So watch this ONE CUT OF THE DEAD and its terrific sequel MISSION: REMOTE. 

...and remember: KEEP ROLLING!


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