set allowed them to overcome those limitations. Shin added distortion effects to "show that the Isomer is something that you see and yet can't see." Shin considered using motion-tracking software to better process irregular camera movement, however, the program wasn't able to process some camera movements and it had to be done by hand. Backgrounds with green-screens had to be recreated shot-for-shot to correspond with camera movement. Kitamura wanted the Versus scene to defy the laws of physics, feeling it would have been "lame" for them to simply remain on the ground boxing. Cameras were set up overhead for mid-air shots. Via wire-action, Sakaki and Sakaguchi jumped double the height than what was originally planned, at Kitamura's request. A custom bottle was produced so Sakaki would be able to hit Sugimoto, however, the bottle still managed to cut Sugimoto. Music The music for the Versus scene had to be rewritten repeatedly due to Kitamura's dissatisfaction with previous versions. Composer Nobuhiko Morino felt the Versus scene's music couldn't be downbeat, yet not upbeat like Rock music. Morino also didn't want the Versus scene's music to "destroy the whole tone of the film," but needed to have a "good beat." Composers Morino and Daisuke Yano produced a rough composition prior to syncing it with the scene. The track began as a guitar piece, however, all of the guitars were removed from the first version. Morino admitted to only having a few vague ideas for the Versus scene, which later snowballed into a version that was different to his and Yano's original idea. Release Theatrical Alive was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2002, as part of the festival's Midnight Madness programme. The film was theatrically released in Japan on June 21, 2003. Critical response Eddie Cockrell of Variety stated "Kitamura more concerned with lavish production design, super f/x and (gasp!) talk. Item will still live it up at specialty and adventurous mainstream fests, with cult ancillary a given." He also noted that the film lacks the "imaginative, grisly mayhem" that made Kitamura's debut film Versus a "roller-coaster ride" and that the martial arts sequences don't emerge until the 76-minute mark. Andy Patrizio of IGN awarded the film eight out of ten, stating the film "proved just as much fun as Versus" and concluded by saying "Kitamura has proven to be an intelligent director, combining both action and ideas,