Singer Hitomi (30) shares top billing with Matsuda Ryuhei (23) in the movie “Akumu Tantei” (Nightmare Detective). Directed by Tsukamoto Shinya, the supernatural thriller had its world premiere yesterday at the 11th Pusan Film Festival in South Korea. The movie’s synopsis reads like “Nightmare on Elm Street” meets “One Missed Call”. Detective Kirishima Keiko (Hitomi) tries to recruit a mysterious man (Matsuda) who can enter people’s dreams to help unravel unusual suicides whose victims are found to have dialled 0 on their mobile phones before their death. With the current boom in Japanese horror and an impressive cast that also includes Ando Masanobu and Osugi Ren, it is sure to be a hit. Hitomi is known for her revealing outfits in promo videos and her movie role is said to be no exception. Matsuda is the son of late legendary actor Matsuda Yusaku. “Akumu Tantei”, scheduled for theatrical release in Japan next January, has drawn interest from more than 25 countries.
“Vespa” was in Tokyo yesterday to promote “Casino Royale”, the latest in the James Bond movie series. Daniel Craig (37), the 6th actor to take on the role, was nowhere in sight but the movie’s director Martin Campbell and new Bond girl Eva Green (26) stood in for him. Green said fans hoping for steaming sex scenes between Vespa and 007 would be disappointed as theirs is a more “platonic” relationship. The film, which has received excellent pre-release reviews, opens here on December 1.