Takashi Miike

[Os Cangaceiros]

http://www.rankopedia.com/CandidatePix/5058.gif

Japanese director of over 70 films, ranging from crime thrillers to dramas, horror films to movies for kids. His latest film is an historical samurai film.

I've seen four of his films: Ichi the Killer, Audition, Fudoh: The New Generation and Imprint. Liked the first two (ITK especially), didn't much are for the latter two. The special features & interviews on Fudoh were interesting, though...I now know that Starship Troopers is his favorite film. Good commentary on some aspects of the Japanese film & TV industry, too. There's an excellent film I watched fairly recently called "Last Life In The Universe", about a relationship between a Japanese man and a Thai woman, in which he has an amusing cameo near the end.

Thoughts on his work?

[Magón]

He's pretty much the best Japanese director ever when it comes to a guy who spans his directing career over several genres and styles of film. I don't think there's any other director, foreign or not, that can match Miike's style and attitude in films.

He's a hit and miss director, like any director, but he's just awesome in my eyes.

I'm actually going to go check out 13 Assassins, the Samurai flick, tomorrow with some friends.

[kitsune]

I agree that Koroshiya Ichi and Audition were amazing. Two other favorites of mine are The Happiness of the Katakuris and The Great Yokai War. Very, very different from the first two.

[Gorilla]

Gozu. See it.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I actually heard less than favorable things about Gozu. But if you say so.

I've got a few films on my hard drive that I need to watch first, though. I think that Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition And Torture is next on the agenda.

[Sasha]

i love the dead or alive series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_or_Alive_%28film%29 must be some of the best no-holds barred film making, the cinamotographic work is excelent too.
zebraman was very good too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebraman
i think ichi is overated (very entertaining but yeah, overated)
audition is very high on my list of altime favorites

[Magón]

Watch Izo if you haven't.

[El Chuncho]

I am not familiar with his work, but his latest jidaigeki looks interesting, but then, I'm a sucker for history, and a fond memory was visiting the Hakone Sekisho (a reconstructed checkpoint on the Tokaido), at the shores of the Ashinoko. Anyone interested in that open-air museum can find more about it here, it is even more interesting that the Edo Museum in Tokyo: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5205.html

[Gorilla]

I actually heard less than favorable things about Gozu. But if you say so.

I wouldn't call it a good movie, exactly. But it is worth seeing.

[x359594]

Miike is an extremely versatile director with a large oeuvre that's very hit and miss as Nin noted above. That said, I wouldn't miss any new movie coming from him.

[praxis1966]

If there are any of his fanboys around I'd love to see a list of what to see and what not to. Miike's one of those directors that I've been meaning to get into for a while, but as x said he has a really large oeuvre so it's difficult to know where to begin. That said, I plan on watching Ichi later on.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I def. wouldn't say I'm a fanboy but I have seen most of the movies people have mentioned - not even sure if I really felt satisfied by any the movies, but they are always interesting and keep you on your toes.

I'll try and summarize some of them without giving too much away:

Gozu = "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" if it was a yakuza movie directed by David Lynch. With a hint of "Weekend at Bernie's".

The Happiness of the Katakuris = "Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" meets "Motel Hell"... the musical.

"Ichi the Killer" = overrated IMO

"Audition" = this was probably the most popular/infamous of his movies... at least it rented the best when I worked at a video store. I borrowed it form the store and then quit before I brought it back... but I've never watched it.My girlfriend flat-out refuses to watch it and I'm too a-scared to watch it alone.:D


But as far as surreal bizzaro-horror-comedy from Japan, folks who like Miike should also check out "House".

[Os Cangaceiros]

I did not care for "House". There was a film about a crazy haunted Japanese house that was made in the late 80's which I liked a lot better. It's called "Sweet Home", and unfortunately I don't think it's ever gotten a DVD release; unfortunate because there are some impressive practical FX in it. There's a pretty good torrent on cinemageddon, though, and I think it may be on the internet elsewhere as well. (Sweet Home would go on to inspire the Resident Evil series, oddly enough).