Author: ksakai1

Writer/Producer Koji Steven Sakai is the founder of Little Nalu Pictures LLC. He has written seven feature films that have been produced, including, most recently, The Commando, a feature film starring Michael Jai White and Mickey Rourke. He also produced five feature films; a one-hour comedy special on Starz, Comedy InvAsian, a television series featuring the nation’s top Asian American comedians; and Brash Girls Club, a limited comedy series which premiered on Tubi TV. Koji’s debut novel, Romeo & Juliet Vs. Zombies (paperback/audiobook); his graphic novel, 442 (online and in print); his newest novel, Zombie Run (print and ebook); and his newest graphic novel, Santa Vs. Zombies, was released in print this past winter. In addition to his writing, he produces and hosts three podcasts; Guy Code; Best OR Worst Podcast with M. Martin Mapoma; and Midnight Watchers with Quentin Lee and Jennifer Field. He is currently a screenwriting instructor at UCLA Extensions, New York Film Academy in Burbank, and Chapman University.

Help Me Get My Movie Funded

by ksakai1

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Dear Friends, Family, and even my Enemies,

First, let me apologize for the mass email. As you may know (or may not know if you’re not on Facebook), I’m going to be shooting a new film Dying to Kill in April of this year. We are raising some of the budget via our star Dwayne Perkins’ comedy show. So please please please please help me get my movie made by buying a ticket to the show. It will mean a lot to me and I will be eternally grateful.

When: January 11

Time: 5 pm and 7 pm

Where: Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Cost:$25 minimum donation

What’s Dying to Kill About? A paint by the numbers stand-up comic who has four jokes to make his captor laugh or die trying. Think of it as Misery meets The King of Comedy. 

Who’s involved in this project?

Dwayne Perkins is the lead actor and my cowriter

Raymond C Lai is the director (this will be his directorial debut)

Lynn Chen will be a lead actor

Stanley Yung/Michelle Sugihara will be producing it

Like the Dying to Kill Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dying-to-Kill/783469828367666

And of course tell your friends about it! Better yet, make it an event and come with a bunch of friends, your wife/husband/significant other/mistress! And if you have time, come early for the Hello Kitty exhibition at JANM, which I’ve spent the last four years of my life working on. For tickets and more info, go to: http://www.janm.org/exhibits/hellokitty/

Thanks! And hope to see you in a week!

Sincerely,

Koji

Happy Oshogatsu!

by ksakai1

Wanted to wish you and yours a happy, healthy, and successful 2015!

Besides Groundhog’s day, my favorite holiday is New Year’s. I look forward to it every year. I always forget though that most people just think it’s a day to watch football. For those who don’t know, New Year’s or “Oshogatsu” in Japan is the most important and elaborate holiday of the year.

When Japanese Americans talk about New Year’s, they usually just mention the “osechi” (New Year’s food). Things like: “soba” (buck wheat noodles) on New Year’s Eve for a long life, the zoni (soup) on New Year’s morning with kurikinton (mashed sweet potato with sweet chestnuts) and kinpira gobo (simmered burdock root) and of course the shot of sake.

But when I think of New Year’s, I think about the Japanese superstition that everything you do on that day is a reflection of the way the rest of the year is going to turn out. To me, this is better than the resolution system because I get to actively shape what’s going to happen to me in the coming year.

Planning the day can be stressful but with the right prep it tends not to be a problem. For example, I can’t spend any money since I don’t want to be spending money all year. So I have to make sure to buy everything I need the day before. I can’t clean or work or do things that can be construed in any way as negative since the last thing I want to be doing this year is any/all of those things.

This tradition has always comforted me because it means that no matter how bad my previous year was, I can shape how the coming year will be.

Taken from my article at Discover Nikkei

Celebrate New Years with me at JANM’s Oshogatsu Family Festival on Jan 4.

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New Film “Dying To Kill”

by ksakai1

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Excited to announce that my newest film Dying To Kill: True Inspiration demands flesh will be going into production in the Spring of 2015.

Here’s a little more about the film:

A paint by the numbers stand-up comic has four jokes to make his captor laugh or die trying.

Be sure to “Like” the Facebook Page ===> Click here!

Want to help us make the film? Support us by buying a ticket to Dying to Kill star, Dwayne Perkins’ comedy special.

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Tickets can be bought here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/985596 

Support Dwayne Perkins Comedy Special

by ksakai1

I’m excited to announce my newest horror film, Dying to Kill. It stars Dwayne Perkins and is the directorial debut of Raymond C. Lai. I wrote it with Dwayne and will be producing it with Stanley Yung, Ray, and Michelle Sugihara.

Dwayne will be shooting a one hour special and has a crowdfunding campaign to help fund it. Please consider supporting him. Any support of him, supports me/the project.