"Minna no Uta" Directed by Takashi Shimizu Scary rather than Surprise [Director's Interview Vol.341]

Sana, a girl who plays a cursed melody that becomes contagious once you hear it, approaches. ``Minna no Uta'', the latest work by Japanese horror master Takashi Shimizu, is a horror movie in which the members of GENERATIONS appear as themselves. Although the combination of ``GENERATIONS'' and ``horror'' may seem unlikely at first glance, director Shimizu has successfully created a ``scary horror movie.'' How did director Shimizu create this "scary" movie? I spoke to him.

“Minna no Uta” synopsis

Jun Komori of GENERATIONS is a personality on a popular radio program. Before recording, they discover a cassette tape with the words ``Minna no Uta'' written on it that had been left there 30 years ago in the radio station's warehouse. Later, during recording, he hears a disturbing noise and a voice saying, ``Did you receive the cassette tape?'' He suddenly disappears while preparing for a live performance in a few days. Manager Rin (Akari Hayami) asks former detective Gonda (Makita Sports) to investigate in order to resolve the situation quickly and secretly. All the members are interviewed, and it turns out that Komori, who disappeared, said that he heard a radio recording and said, ``I can't get the strange melody, like a woman's humming, out of my head.'' Other members also testified that they saw the "spirit of the girl" during rehearsals. As the time limit until the live performance approaches, leaders Alan Shirahama, Rin, and Gonda embark on a search. Eventually, the true identity of the girl's spirit is revealed to be a junior high school girl named "Sana", but her "cursed melody" begins a chain of terror...

Index

• I want to make a scary horror movie
• Create a character as yourself
• The cursed melody is a simple hum
• Meeting at an audition
• More scary than surprise

I want to make a scary horror movie

Q: This is a movie starring GENERATIONS, and it is made as a scary horror movie. Did you have a desire to satisfy not only GENERATIONS fans but also horror movie fans?

Shimizu: That's right. If I didn't have that, I wouldn't have accepted it. Since it's a GENERATIONS movie, if there are live scenes or music video-like elements, wouldn't it be better to have a director who is good at those things? That's what I thought at first. Actually, I made a video of GENERATIONS looking back on the past 10 years for the ending, but LDH told me, ``No, it's okay as long as you don't give too much attention to us (GENERATIONS).It's not a GENERATIONS movie. Please make more of Shimizu's films!'' I was told. I also wanted to make a movie that people of all ages and genders around the world could enjoy watching, and I thought it would be a good collaboration.

Q: Is it okay to be scared?

Shimizu: Even though we were told to make it scary, we also included some humorous elements, such as Makita's detective character. I thought I was going to be criticized for being too joking, but everyone involved seemed to enjoy it too... (lol) Japanese audiences are serious, so is it okay to laugh even though it's a horror movie? That's what happens. If you want to laugh, I want you to laugh (lol). In addition, Makita's detective position was necessary as it provided knowledge support to those who were not familiar with GENERATIONS.

“Minna no Uta” ©2023 “Minna no Uta” Production Committee

Q: When you were told that there would be a movie starring GENERATIONS, did you already have some plans in mind? Or were you able to come up with a plan from scratch?

Shimizu: Starting from scratch. At first, I heard that it was GENERATIONS' 10th anniversary, but how do you balance that with horror? I was worried. Also, when I heard about the release date, some people said, "I don't have time! Are you going to shoot now?" If that were the case, it would be a good idea to have a structure similar to Reservoir Dogs , where everyone is talking about the same experience in a fixed location, but each person's story is different. I thought I would be able to take my time with the play without having to do anything. They were rehearsing at a training camp before their concert, and I was thinking that I could use that studio as a base to depict their different recollections, but as I revised the script, I found myself leaving the studio more and more. It became the content. The producer was puzzled and thought, ``It's different from the first story, isn't it?'' (laughs)

Q: The script was arranged based on the physical circumstances of filming.

Shimizu: That's right. There were budget and time constraints, so I think it's a project that should be viewed as having some kind of shackles or regulations, so that you can play within them. In this game, it may have been easier to do anything rather than being free to do anything.

Create a character as yourself