Sion Sono`s TAG Press Notes

Source: Asmik Ace Entertainment, Inc., Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Movie Site: realonigokko.com (Japan)

No men in sight, only women... and something unthinkable is killing girls! Internationally acclaimed director Sion Sono (LOVE EXPOSURE, COLD FISH, WHY DON`T YOU PLAY IN HELL?, TOKYO TRIBE) is back at his best and craziest with TAG (???????, Real Onigokko). Described as "a film that depicts young women`s fragile and sometimes dangerous emotional turbulence and their fear of being chased by the unknown", the movie is based on the best-selling novel Real Onigokko by Yusuke Yamada with more than two million copies in print. In Yamada`s story the victims all have the family name "Sato". For the movie adaptation, Sono has changed the focus to joshi kokosei -- female high school students -- abbreviated in Japan as "JK". TAG stars Reina Triendl (JU-ON: THE BEGINNING OF THE END), Mariko Shinoda (OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB) and Erina Mano (CHRONICLE OF MY MOTHER, THE NEXT GENERATION -PATLABOR-, SHINJUKU SWAN). Synopsis A bus full of high school girls are on their way to a school trip. A sudden gust of wind slices the bus in half, length-wise killing 40 girls in the blink of an eye, except Mitsuko our protagonist, who ducked just in time. The Wind, however, turns back around to Mitsuko. She runs for her life... and incomprehensibly finds herself walking to school with her classmates. Mitsuko and her classmates, Aki, Yuki and Sur (short for Surreal) chat like they`ve done hundreds of times. Was the tragic deaths of 40 high school girls a nightmare? The next moment, a schoolteacher with a machinegun opens fire, leaving piles of dead girls. Mitsuko runs again. Now she finds herself in a peaceful street lined with shops. "What`s wrong, Keiko? Today`s your wedding!" says her old friend. Mitsuko is now Keiko, a 25-year-old woman. Before she can resist, Keiko is dressed in a wedding gown. A pig in a tuxedo holding a knife, chases her. What is this irrational world? One of the women tells Keiko, "As long as you`re around, everyone will be killed!" Keiko is now Izumi. Is this a nightmare? Or is it some kind of game? The answer lies at the very ending.

Credits World Premiere: Thursday, May 14, 2015 (Cannes Film Festival Market Screening) Japanese Theatrical Release: Saturday, July 11, 2015 (Nationwide Roadshow) Running Time: 85 Minutes Cast Mitsuko: Reina Triendl Keiko: Mariko Shinoda Izumi: Erina Mano Aki: Yuki Sakurai Maryjun Takahashi Sayaka Isoyama Aki Hiraoka Ami Tomite Mika Akizuki Makoto Kikuchi Seia Yasuda Akari Ozawa Hanane Miyahara Cyborg Kaori Hikaru Horiguchi Chihiro Shibata Miki Yokota Miku Sano Misaki Saisho IZUMI Mebu Yoshida Rin Honoka Rika Hoshina Hiroko Yashiki Mao Mita Staff Director: Sion Sono Screenplay: Sion Sono Original Story: Real Onigokko by Yusuke Yamada (published by Gentosha Inc.) Planning and Production: Kazunari Shibata Producers: Masayuki Yajima, Ryuichiro Inagaki, Takahiro Ohno Cinematography: Maki Ito Lighting: Shinichi Matsuguma Recording: Gen Komiya Art: Takashi Matsuzuka Action Director: Toshiro Takuma Special Makeup Effects Supervisor: Yoshihiro Nishimura Costumes: Masami Ito Hair and Makeup: Ryo Takahashi Editing: Junichi Ito VFX Supervisor: Satoshi Akabane Sound Effects: Keisuke Shibuya Music: Tomoatsu Kikuchi Assistant Director: Maya Ayabe Production Contact: Satoshi Takada Casting: Yuriko Kitada Planning Cooperation: Yoshihiro Yanagihara, Yoshihiro Ando Publicity Producer: Masahiro Endo Play Song: MONO Theme Song: "Real Onigokko" by GLIM SPANKY (Universal Music) Production: SEDIK Production: "Tag" Film Committee? (NBC Universal Entertainment, Takao, Shochiku, Asmik Ace) Distribution: Shochiku, Asmik Ace International Sales: Shochiku © 2015 "Tag" Film Committee?