
Virus
Produced in 1980, Kinji Fukasaku’s apocalyptic downer peers into the distant future of 1982 to imagine a virus wiping out the earth’s population. A number of civilians and military stationed in Antarctica survive—the plague can’t operate in cold temperatures. Fukasaku’s movie boasts a cast worthy of an Irwin Allen disaster movie, toplined by Sonny Chiba, Glenn Ford, and Chuck Conners. The American cut features a pessimistic finale while the Japanese version concludes on a more hopeful note.
About Daniel Kremer
San Francisco filmmaker Daniel Kremer has provided audio commentary tracks for Kino Lorber, Shout! Factory, AGFA, and Scorpion disc releases, and essays for Twilight Time special editions. His acclaimed epic-length film Overwhelm the Sky (2019), adapted from a 1799 American Gothic novel, was screened internationally in classic roadshow format, complete with overture, intermission, and printed souvenir programs. These deluxe screenings received many accolades before Kino Lorber acquired distribution rights. Kremer's book Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films was published through Patrick McGilligan's Screen Classics Series in 2015. He is currently under contract at Oxford University Press for the first book about Joan Micklin Silver. His other films include the independent dramas Raise Your Kids on Seltzer (2015) and Ezer Kenegdo (2017). He enjoys doing commentary tracks with fellow TFH guru Allan Arkush.