The San Diego Comic Con has become a Hollywood appendage, and it’s where theatrical motion pictures and indie films test the waters to see how big a splash they will make when they ultimately hit the big screen. At the San Diego Comic Con this past summer, there was one indie picture that promised to take up where “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs” left off, creating a crimson splash while displaying the talents of some major film icons – Mark “Luke Skywalker” Hamill and Tony “Candyman” Todd, for starters.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and this has never been more evident than in “Sushi Girl,” a diabolical whodunit starring a virtual who’s who of cult icons. In his directorial debut, Kern Saxton, under the auspices of Assembly Line, LLC and Level Up Productions, populated his dark crime thriller with Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Noah Hathaway (The NeverEnding Story), Tony Todd (Candyman), Andy Mackenzie (Shoot ‘Em Up), James Duval (Donnie Darko), David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight), Michael Biehn (The Terminator), Danny Trejo (Machete), Sonny Chiba (Kill Bill Vol. 1), Cortney Palm (Superbad), and Jeff Fahey (Grindhouse).
We first met Jeff Fahey at a video convention about 20 years ago, after he had appeared in “Lawn Mower Man.” We ended up spending half an hour talking with him at the Comic Con “Sushi Girl After Party” and were impressed by his easygoing style and philanthropic adventures. According to the Jeff Fahey Unofficial Website, “For a few years now, in his spare time, Jeff has been volunteering in orphanages in Afghanistan. He also financially supports one of the orphanages in Kabul. In addition to that he has spearheaded the opening of the American University in Kabul, Afghanistan, and has been working hard to promote women’s rights in Afghanistan. In addition to that, unbeknownst to most, Jeff also travels to Darfur where he takes part in the ongoing efforts to improve the situation of the people of Darfur.” He’s a sort of Gandhi in his quiet and unassuming manner, but a Gandhi who enjoys a good cocktail.
We interviewed Mark Hamill for a segment on Extra. He has moved light years beyond Star Wars and wasn’t interested in talking much about that, but he did say that he relished playing a villain – “It’s so much more fun!” - and then he delivered a very disturbing laugh that may be familiar, if you’ve ever seen “The Joker” in the animated Batman series.
In “Sushi Girl,” both Fahey as Morris and Hamill as Crow, deliver a couple of characters you would not want to meet in a dark alley.
“Sushi Girl” follows Fish (Noah Hathaway) on his first night of freedom after having spent the last six years in jail keeping his mouth shut not only about the robbery he helped commit, but about his co-conspirators as well. The four men he protected celebrate his freedom with a lavish dinner, comprised of an array of sushi served off the naked body of a beautiful young woman (Cortney Palm). The sushi girl appears catatonic, trained to ignore everything in the room even as the dinner venue descends into darkness. Sure enough, the four thieves can’t help but open old wounds in an attempt to find their missing loot. And one thing nobody wants to do is get on Crow’s bad side.
“Sushi Girl” is expected to debut in early 2012.
Learn more about “Sushi Girl” at SushiGirlMovie.
Follow the film on Twitter at @SushiGirlMovie for updates as well.
Related articles
- What I Did On My Summer Vacation – the 2011 San Diego Comic Con – A Pocket Production Video by Patty Mooney (dbaentrepreneur.blogspot.com)
- How I Spent My Summer Vacation – A Pocket Production by Patty Mooney (sandiegovideopro.wordpress.com)
