Sion Sono’s Prisoners of the Ghostland Was Shaped By a Heart Attack

Nicolas Cage strikes a martial arts pose in Prisoners of the Ghostland while several bystanders watch him closely.

Nicolas Cage in Prisoners of the Ghostland.
Image: RLJE Films

If director Sion Sono hadn’t had a coronary heart assault, his newest movie wouldn’t be what it’s at the moment. Sono was prepping his English-language debut, Prisoners of the Ghostland starring Nicolas Cage, to movie in Mexico. However, after the life-changing occasion, his Oscar-winning star recommended possibly capturing in Sono’s residence nation of Japan could be higher for the director’s well being—and that’s one of many causes we obtained the distinctive mix of genres that’s Prisoners of Ghostland.

io9 spoke to Sono—recognized for movies like Love Exposure, Cold Fish, and Tokyo Tribeby way of a translator in the course of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, the place the movie debuted. After just a few months (which is frankly higher than most movies have had it these days), it’s lastly hitting choose theaters and on-demand on September 17. When the movie was going to shoot in Mexico, Sono stated the “idea was truly more like a classic spaghetti Western type of film.”

However, when his coronary heart assault moved the movie’s location, his creativeness perked up much more. “Cage suggested that [it would be] a good idea now to shoot in Japan,” Sono stated. “And then, from that moment on, as we love to shoot in Japan, all these ideas of like classic samurais mixed with a spaghetti western [began].” As it stands now Sono believes the movie is “like a new genre type” which he very a lot “had fun with.”

Director Sion Sono watching filming on Prisoners of the Ghostland.

Prisoners of the Ghostland director Sion Sono.
Image: RLJE Films

In Prisoners of the Ghostland, Cage performs a mysterious prison who’s compelled out of jail by an area mob boss. The boss (Bill Moseley) says if Cage’s character can go right into a harmful, post-apocalyptic wasteland and convey again the man’s granddaughter (Sofia Boutella), he’ll be freed. The downside is, he has to put on a swimsuit that can explode in three days if he’s not profitable.

The movie not solely blends genres however is exclusive in that it feels each futuristic and timeless. Like possibly it’s on Earth or possibly it’s not. That ambiguity was a part of Sono’s plan. “It was on purpose that I didn’t make anything clear when it comes down to time and place and even the history on this planet,” Sono stated. “I completely ignored all the stuff… The real intention is that the whole thing, the whole story seems very unrealistic. But the truth is it is actually realistic with this ironic, rather critical world that I’ve created, as if it’s more cynical to really what’s going on in this world.”

So mainly, Sono has created an motion/sci-fi/samurai/post-apocalyptic/gangster movie. It’s indifferent from any recognizable movie actuality, but in addition a commentary on our personal. If that wild mix of concepts and ideas sounds up your alley, Prisoners of the Ghostland is out this week.


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https://gizmodo.com/sion-sonos-prisoners-of-the-ghostlands-unique-blend-of-1847654135