Another Hole in the Head Festival 2009

Based on a Japanese manga, CROWS: EPISODE 0 takes us into a violent sea of black-clad schoolboys. Suzuran, the school of crows, is the proving ground for the next generation of Yakuza. The stark backdrop of heavy metal and graffiti-tagged school buildings sets the tone. Genji Takaya enrolls at Suzuran to prove to his Dad, Yakuza chief Ken Katagiri, that he’s worthy to take the reins. He’s the new rival of Tamao Serizawa, and spends the bulk of the film fighting his way up the food chain to the ultimate confrontation. This final battle? Kurosawa’s “Ran” meets “Braveheart.” Along the way Genji is befriended and mentored by a gangster, who has a final shot at honor within his tribe. CROWS: EPISODE 0 is unrelenting and gripping, with spectacular cinematography.--Mike Skurko