2LDK

Starring:Maho Nonami, Eiko Koike, Daisuke Kizaki
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Studio: TLA Releasing
Product Type: DVD

Description

Loaded with blood and mayhem, the first collection from Danger After Dark is a trio of action-packed cult-favorites from Japan. In Suicide Club, a wave of unexplained suicides sweeps across Tokyo after 54 smiling girls join hands and throw themselves in front of an oncoming train. Meanwhile, Japanese pop sensations Gackt and HYDE star in Moon Child, a wildly entertaining hybrid of futuristic sci-fi, John Woo-style gunplay and gothic vampire horror. The triumvirate is completed with 2LDK, a vicious comedy about two roommates whose petty catfight turns into a duel to the death.

Customer Reviews:

confused.........2007-03-05

Does anyone know if the version of Suicide Club in this box set is the same as the Unrated version? Or is it like the rated R version? I've heard that there was a difference in the amount of gore/blood in the two.

Note on Suicide Club.......2007-01-10

Of the three movies only 2 are in Anamorphic widescreen as the box and DVD's say. Suicide Club is 4/3 letterboxed widescreen and will not display properly on the widescreen TV without zooming which cuts off parts of the subtitles When printed on the box,in big letters, it says "new anamorphic widesceen transfer" one would expect it to be correct! Wouldn't one?
Addition: TLAreleasing emailed me today, and stated that there was a problem with the disk and has been corrected. Unfortuntantly the new ones are bad too. It wasn't fixed.

GREAT, even though it's risky..........2006-10-28

I am obsessed with watching all the movies in this box set. My favorite would definately be Suicide Club, and then Moon Child.

Suicide Club wasn't "strange" for me at all because i researched some of it before i watched it. Therefore i understood things that most people would consider as "grotesque" or "weird."

Moon Child i watched purely in "Yaoi fangirl" mode. Although, i do see the movie having somewhat bad acting in certain parts BUT still a great movie overall. BL fangirls or Yaoi fangirls would love this movie! So would any other person. (^.^)

2LDK...I watched this movie last because i was expecting it to be the most bloody. Yet, to my dismay, there wasn't any blood (like SC) until the last 5 or so minutes. To me, and American, i laughed at many things...such as how the japanese define "catfight" when normally here, in America, a catfight is an all-out-brawl with ripping of the hair, etc.

Suicide Club and 2LDK are movies that provoke your mind to twist in ways it never has before. Moon Child is sheer bliss and BL love.
Definately worth 26 bucks because Moon Child is 16 (or so) bucks on it's own...Worth EVERY CENT! ^.^ Even if you don't like one of the movies you'll be paying the price of a new DVD release anyway! So it's an awesome deal!

Not so much "Danger After Dark", but still good........2006-08-12

I'll review in the order I watched the movies. I didn't get the boxed set first. I brought Moon Child here after a recommendation. Let me first say that I love Gackt and Hyde. Their music makes me happy and I think both are beautiful. That was the biggest draw for me: two of my favorite Jrockers in a movie about gangsters and vampires. However, when I watch it, I forget about the stars and focus on the story and characters.
There are a few layers to each of them. Kei is a vampire, yes, but he doesn't act much like one. If you need a Western parallel, think Louis of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. He's tortured by his curse and it hinders many aspects of his life. Sho starts as your typical gangster and continues much in that vein. However, little things change him as the movie continues. I won't say much else in case I spoil this for anyone. Toshi and Shinji are very much the comic relief for most of the film, but they have their dramatic moments as well. Son is pretty no-nonsense, though he has a lighter side. You'll get what I mean. Yi-Che is very quiet and reserved, hardly ever speaking unless she absolutely must and sees no other option. I'm sure someone would bring up a little spoiler here, but I'm referring more to after that.
The story is on of friends, family, bonds, love (not the sort I'm sure you're thinking!), and time's effects on them all. I saw a thread on another site about the homo-erotic undertones in this. Well, there are none unless you want them to be there.
All in all, I personally enjoyed Moon Child. I suggest this if you enjoy Jrock/Jpop, can tolerate vampirism, like some comedy and a dash of action with your drama, and don't mind your fights scenes big, loud, and a bit over-the-top.

After picking up the box set, I watched decided to watch 2LDK. I'd read up on it a bit and determined that it would be better for my freshly filled stomach. Crazy movie, that one. The sort that makes you not dream of being a movie star, because I could definitely see it happening. Not to this extreme, however, but the tension is real enough.
This follows an evening in the lives of two actresses, Lana and Nozomi. They've just auditioned for the "heavy lead" role in a film, Yakuza Wives. Both of the are the prime candidates for this role. Both of them need said role to get ahead. They would do anything for the part. Anything.
Lana and Nozomi are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Lana has everything she could ever want, could get any man she could ever want. Still something is... off about her. You'll see just what that is. Nozomi is a girl from a small island simply living out her dreams. Both are portrayed in a perfectly believable way.
As I said, this follows two actresses housed in a 2LDK (two-bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen) by their agency. For about one-third to half of the movie, we hear their thoughts as well as the polite conversation. Talk about a study of human nature. For the rest of the movie, we see what happens when the two finally snap and go all out for this part.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. As a matter of fact, it's my favorite in the set. The cinematography is pleasing to the eye and tells the story just as well as the script. The acting is the best in the set and some of the best I've seen period. It is a bit over-the-top but that, I suppose, only drives the message home all the more: don't always trust what you see. There is always more hidden beneath the surface.

Finally, there's Suicide Circle. This is a movie you simply won't get unless you know at least a little something about most, if not all, aspects of Japanese culture. Though I am by no means an experts and some things were lost in translation for me, I have to say this was an entrancing movie. It is, for lack of a better phrase, a murder mystery. Suicides have been occurring en masse and the police are forced to find a way to stop it. But how do you stop people from killing themselves? This is a definite race for the viewer to discover the killer before the main characters do. There are many twists and turns along the way, along with a false lead. But don't worry, all will be revealed in the end.
This one was a bit gory for my tastes and so things made me want to run straight for the bathroom. Still, the intrigue kept me glued until the end. If you're faint of heart or week of stomach, I suggest waiting to eat. All in all, I still liked it. Not much to say about the actors; they were good. And I can't elaborate on the story with spoiling. There were things I didn't like, but I could deal with it. If you don't mind the gore, starting with 53 schoolgirls jumping in front of any and oncoming train, or deceiving cute-ness, I suggest this.

On the whole, I'd buy this again if I had to make the choice. The feeling of "danger after dark" really isn't there, at least not in the way I expected it to be, and Moon Child doesn't really connect with the set, theme-wise, the way 2LDK and Suicide Club do. However, if you like at least two movies in the, I'd spring for the set. Not perfect, but still a good buy.

GOOD!.......2006-07-24

I'm rating this as an overall "bang for your buck" type of thing.

I'll start with Suicide Club.
The movie has got a lot going for it. Great suspense, buildup and twist. It does a good job of bringing a lot of tension in the viewer trying to figure out on their own what is happening, but to me takes a turn into nonsense because of who they are saying is causing these acts. I don't like to spoil for anyone so my words are well-crafted I think. The movie is good up to the point of this ingredient, it then becomes silly. Had they taken a different route it would have been thoroughly enjoyable, but as it is, only about 65% so.

Moon Child.
It's not bad. I think the movie tries to ride on these popstars Hyde and Gackt more than the story itself. Eventhough I like jpop, I know very little of these 2 guys. Take a look at my pic...I think I'm "cuter", lol. So, that said. The story is interesting and has a lot to go for it. It deals with difficult choices individuals have to make and rides on "good and bad" or yin and yang fairly well. Keep that in mind, yin and yang. It's more that than the black and white good and evil. A little bit too low budget. I think if it was kicked up a notch it would have been much better.

Last, I rate 2ldk.
Out of the 3 I believe this is the best. Of the 2 stars, I recognize Eiko Koike. I'm one of those that picks up on details. I recognized her from her voice alone...so after this if you haven't yet, go watch Kamikaze Girls. She has a small role in that.

Eventhough the basis of this story is the most outrageous, vampires and suicide clubs aside, it's all about the premise. It's not "urban legend/myth" like Suicide club and it's not sci fi vampire stuff ike Moon child, but it's more tangible...plausible.

2 roomates, that not only have to live together, but do so with the fact they are complete oppposites...and if that wasn't enough, they have to compete for something that is very dear to them. A dream to become an actor. Throughout it all, you witness them acting within their own world, facades and all. It's quite interesting and very intense.

Buy the pack, you won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Two girls enter...
A very fun and action packed movie
fair...
A Fun Guilty PLeasure
Buy 2LDK AND Aragami

2LDK
Starring: Maho Nonami , Daisuke Kizaki , and Eiko Koike
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Manufacturer: TLA Releasing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Aragami: The Raging God of Battle
Suicide Club (Suicide Circle)
Battlefield Baseball
Alive - Director's Cut Edition
Moon Child

ASIN: B00027JY3U
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Description

Two female roommates, locked in a duel to the death, is the basis for 2LDK, a vicious black comedy about competition, co-habitation, and catfights! Two struggling actresses are sharing an apartment and auditioning for the same role. Petty squabbles turn into fits of rage that involves power tools and electrocution devices! 2LDK is a twisted gem from Japan.

Customer Reviews:

Two girls enter..........2006-10-12

"2LDK" is a blast, pure and simple. There's no depth here, only a hint of a story, but the characters are developed just enough in the beginning to draw you into the insane action that follows.

The film is part of the "Duel Project," set as a challenge by a film producer to two directors, seeing which one of them could make the best film that featured only two characters, a single setting, and only a week to unfold. The second film in the Duel Project was Ryuhei Kitamura's "Aragami." The two films were shown back-to-back, then audience members were asked to vote by placing their ticket stubs in the box for either film. "2LDK" won by exactly one vote.

The word "2LDK" is Japanese short-hand for an apartment with two rooms (2) and a large dinning/kitchen space (LDK). This particular apartment is much cooler than your average 2LDK, and the director obviously had a lot of fun creating the space for the girls to battle in. In one corner we have Lana, a typical modern Japanese girl with bleached hair who lives most of her life making dates on her cell phone. She doesn't make much money, but has a rich collection of expensive brand-name items from male admirers. In the other corner is Nozomi, who is the typical shy country girl, with long, undyed black hair, a shy timid manner and only one man who she is setting her cap at. Putting these two polar opposites in a single living space is enough to make sparks, but to top it off they are both competing for the same role in an upcoming movie.

The director builds the tension between to two in a really clever way, letting it slowly bubble under the surface while both girls retain the veneer of politeness. When the explosion happens, it booms with a shocking fierceness. You know they are going to fight, because that is what the Duel Project is all about, so from there on it is only a matter of style. And Yukihiko Tsutsumi has some style to spare.

The only problem with this release is the DVD itself. There isn't much to it, and "2LDK" only runs 70 minutes which is pretty slim. If they had packaged this film with "Aragami" as a 2-disk Duel Project boxset, complete with back story and interviews with both directors as well as the producer who set the challenge, then it would have been a powerhouse release.

A very fun and action packed movie.......2006-04-14

2LDK essentially stands for 2 bedroom, living, dining room, and kitchen. There are two women living in this apartment, one girl is rich and has everything she could almost want except she is haunted by a horrible past that she cannot escape in her mind. The other girl is from the country. Both girls are up for the same role in a movie called the `Yakuza Wives' and they both want the same man. Finally they have had enough of each other and there is much blood. From what I read this movie was based on the idea by a producer who challenged him and Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, Battlefield Baseball, Sky High) and proposed to them to each make a movie with only two characters and have it done within a week and both have to be battle movies. Kitamura's movie is titled 'Aragami'.

The idea for this movie is very simple and the main cast just consists of 2 girls. There are other characters, some heard over the phone while others are seen through flashbacks. This is a very fun and action packed movie. In the beginning the girls have an internal dialogue where they just talk about what they are annoyed by that the other girl does, and they actually say the opposite thing to them. The girls finally get sick of each other and just try to kill each other with whatever weapon they can pick up. Some of the stuff they pick up is hilarious. There are hairdryers, mini chainsaws, plants being thrown, etc. You really can't help but laugh and cringe.

You really just don't see any of this coming, especially with the ending and you realize that both of these girls must be crazy. I really liked the idea of this movie but I will admit that this film does have its dull moments where you are just waiting for something to happen. Then it goes back to where you think, how many times have all of us just wanted to kill the person we pretend to get along with? Not the greatest style of movies but I did appreciate the lack of background music. It made the movie seem more realistic like you were actually watching two girls trying to kill each other.

fair..........2005-10-10

aragami won the movie duel between it and this one. 2ldk starts off promising but somewhere in the middle it becomes predictable and blah.

A Fun Guilty PLeasure.......2005-05-29

I happened upon 2LDK completely by accident, and was instantly intrigued. This is an odd psychological film, starting innocently enough. But by the end, the two roommate-actresses are literally insane, trying to kill each other. This is a rather over-the-top film, both in terms of the attempted death methods as well as the very short time frame - the entire film takes place in one evening. By the end, the confrontation is somewhat reminiscent of the opening battle of Kill Bill I. This film is clearly NOT for minors, and is quite enjoyable for its odd zaniness.

Buy 2LDK AND Aragami.......2005-05-09

This is actually a review of Dug Fresh's review. Violence in films is good. Good, if the said violence serves the story and isn't gratuitous. If you've ever fired a gun, been in a car accident, or hit someone or have been hit, then you should know that real life violence is so far and away from scripted movie violence they CANNOT be compared. Yes, the world is violent but two characters engaging each other in combat within the context of a good story is not. A good fight scene is like a dance number in a musical or a monologue on SNL. Some people like it and others well... it's just not there thing.

Not a Fanboy just fair.

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