BATTLE ROYALE (2000) d. Kinji Fukasaku (Japan) How did Battle Royale become one of the most influential survival horror films of all time? In this HORROR 101 panel, we dive into Kinji Fukasaku’s controversial cult classic—an ultra-violent dystopian thriller where 42 students are forced to kill or be killed. Based on Koushun Takami’s novel, Battle Royale blends brutal action with haunting emotion, earning its place as a defining work of J-horror and 2000s cinema. Join AC and his incredible panel of J-Horror enthusiasts (Michelle Kisner, Grant Kuchan, Tyler Pistorius) as we explore the film’s horror roots, its commentary on youth, government control, and media spectacle, and how it helped shape everything from The Hunger Games to Fortnite. ----------------------------------------- MICHELLE KISNER is a film critic, freelance writer, and physical media advocate. She has contributed to several websites to include The Cultural Gutter and The Movie Sleuth and is also a member of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild. GRANT KUCHAN is a writer of pulp, wellness coach, and a real swell guy. He plays in any Jug Bands that let him. One day he’ll finish another novel, which will probably be available on Amazon, as well as at most Darktower Comics locations across the greater Chicagoland Area. The horror movie that still gives him nightmares is Matango. He saw it when he was six, and still doesn’t eat mushrooms. TYLER PISTORIUS is an actor, screenwriter, and producer living in Chicago. His recent works include Death is Business and A Missed Connection, and is currently in development on a new project. ------------------------------------------ Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!