Japanese director Miike Takashi, who is known for slasher film “Ichi the Killer” and stomach-churning “Audition,” has signed with CAA for representation.
Miike is one of Japan’s most prolific and bold directors, with more than 100 feature film credits, spanning genres, including horror, comedy and action. “Ichi The Killer” and “Audition” enjoy cult followings globally.
The auteur has also received acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival for “Shield of Straw,” “Gozu” and “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai.”
His film “Crows Zero” is immensely popular in Asia, especially among Gen Z.
In March, Miike was selected to represent Japan in Apple’s “shot on iPhone” project, directing a short film based on Osamu Tezuka’s iconic 1986 manga “Midnight,” now streaming worldwide.
In 2022, he directed drama series “Connect,” produced by South Korea’s Studio Dragon and distributed by Disney+, which is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S. “I’m...
Miike is one of Japan’s most prolific and bold directors, with more than 100 feature film credits, spanning genres, including horror, comedy and action. “Ichi The Killer” and “Audition” enjoy cult followings globally.
The auteur has also received acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival for “Shield of Straw,” “Gozu” and “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai.”
His film “Crows Zero” is immensely popular in Asia, especially among Gen Z.
In March, Miike was selected to represent Japan in Apple’s “shot on iPhone” project, directing a short film based on Osamu Tezuka’s iconic 1986 manga “Midnight,” now streaming worldwide.
In 2022, he directed drama series “Connect,” produced by South Korea’s Studio Dragon and distributed by Disney+, which is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S. “I’m...
- 5/14/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
A new feature from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike is to be launched by Gaga Corporation at the Cannes market this week.
The untitled project will centre on two young men in a juvenile reformatory who become inspired to participate in a martial arts tournament called Breaking Down and both go into training. Casting has not yet been announced.
Now in production, the script is written by Shin Kibayashi, best known as the co-creator of popular manga Drops of God, which was adapted by Legendary Entertainment and launched on Apple TV+ last year.
Miike is known as the director of Audition,...
The untitled project will centre on two young men in a juvenile reformatory who become inspired to participate in a martial arts tournament called Breaking Down and both go into training. Casting has not yet been announced.
Now in production, the script is written by Shin Kibayashi, best known as the co-creator of popular manga Drops of God, which was adapted by Legendary Entertainment and launched on Apple TV+ last year.
Miike is known as the director of Audition,...
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Animation studio Mappa has partnered with K2 Pictures, a newly launched film company, to produce films for the global market. This was announced on the official website of K2 Pictures.
In addition to Mappa, K2 Pictures is also partnering with renowned filmmakers, including Shunji Iwai, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Kazuya Shiraishi, Miwa Nishikawa, and Takashi Miike.
This partnership signals a significant shift for Mappa, which is the only animation studio on the list of partners. the studio has expressed its eagerness to contribute to the filmmaking process as a partner.
“We have joined this project with the desire to support K2 Pictures’ challenge. We want to contribute as much as we can as a partner in movie production while considering what an animation studio can offer.“
K2 Pictures was established by Japanese producer Muneyuki Kii, a former Head Producer at Toei, with the goal of creating a new ecosystem for Japanese films.
In addition to Mappa, K2 Pictures is also partnering with renowned filmmakers, including Shunji Iwai, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Kazuya Shiraishi, Miwa Nishikawa, and Takashi Miike.
This partnership signals a significant shift for Mappa, which is the only animation studio on the list of partners. the studio has expressed its eagerness to contribute to the filmmaking process as a partner.
“We have joined this project with the desire to support K2 Pictures’ challenge. We want to contribute as much as we can as a partner in movie production while considering what an animation studio can offer.“
K2 Pictures was established by Japanese producer Muneyuki Kii, a former Head Producer at Toei, with the goal of creating a new ecosystem for Japanese films.
- 5/13/2024
- by Ami Nazru
- AnimeHunch
Veteran Japanese film producer Muneyuki Kii has assembled a bold new venture to shake up Japan’s traditionally sclerotic and risk-averse approach to movie financing. The executive, formerly a lead producer at Tokyo-based studio Toei, revealed the launch Thursday of K2 Pictures, a mini-studio that aims to bring a more direct, Hollywood-style model of film funding to Japan’s industry.
The new company will launch a content fund — dubbed the “K2P Film Fund I” — to finance both live-action and animated Japanese features. K2P also has lined up an impressive roster of Japanese directors to collaborate with on its first slate, including Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), local industry mainstay Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins), Shunji Iwai (Love Letter), Miwa Nishikawa (Sway), Kazuya Shiraishi (The Devil’s Path) and leading anime studio Mappa, known for mega-hits like Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Attack on Titan.
Kii...
The new company will launch a content fund — dubbed the “K2P Film Fund I” — to finance both live-action and animated Japanese features. K2P also has lined up an impressive roster of Japanese directors to collaborate with on its first slate, including Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), local industry mainstay Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins), Shunji Iwai (Love Letter), Miwa Nishikawa (Sway), Kazuya Shiraishi (The Devil’s Path) and leading anime studio Mappa, known for mega-hits like Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Attack on Titan.
Kii...
- 5/10/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former Toei producer Muneyuki Kim has launched K2 Pictures, which will work with major directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda and aim to create a new funding ecosystem for Japanese animated and live-action features.
The plan is to return profits that would traditionally go to film companies to investors and creators, which its founder says closely follows approaches used in Hollywood and elsewhere. Creators who team with K2 will be able to participate on projects as shareholders.
Kii, who will be K2’s CEO, says most Japanese films are produced through a system of ‘production committees’ with industry know-how formed through film companies, TV networks and publishers, which it believes makes entry into the market difficult and limits returns to producers and creators.
To this end, company has launched the K2P Film Fund I, which will provide support for animated and live-action features and enable to “investors, creators and crew...
The plan is to return profits that would traditionally go to film companies to investors and creators, which its founder says closely follows approaches used in Hollywood and elsewhere. Creators who team with K2 will be able to participate on projects as shareholders.
Kii, who will be K2’s CEO, says most Japanese films are produced through a system of ‘production committees’ with industry know-how formed through film companies, TV networks and publishers, which it believes makes entry into the market difficult and limits returns to producers and creators.
To this end, company has launched the K2P Film Fund I, which will provide support for animated and live-action features and enable to “investors, creators and crew...
- 5/9/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
"If he's trying to murder me, I'll kill him first." Another official trailer is available to watch for this kooky and crazy Japanese horror film called Lumberjack the Monster, based on the novel of the same name. A suspenseful thriller directed by Takashi Miike and starring Kazuya Kamenashi. The brutal film is about a series of bizarre murders by someone wearing a strange monster mask found in the picture book 'Monster Woodcutter' who then steals their brains. Akira heads out to get revenge on this Lumberjack killer. The plot follows this Patrick Bateman-like psychopath lawyer (who also kills) going up against this vicious masked murderer - pitting a psychopath against a serial killer in a totally bonkers new Takashi Miike creation. Only someone like Miike could make something so absurd! Lumberjack the Monster stars Kazuya Kamenashi as Akira Ninomiya, Nanao, Riho Yoshioka, Shota Sometani, and Shido Nakamura. The film already opened in Japan last December,...
- 4/19/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
As we have mentioned many times before, Takashi Miike is a director that can shoot anything, as his career and his ‘director-for-hire' style have proven repeatedly. As such, it comes as no surprise that Apple commissioned him to shoot a short film using only an iPhone 15 Pro, in order to highlight the capabilities of the model. The result was “Midnight” a film based on the homonymous manga by Osamu Tezuka.
Check the full movie
In intensely bright and colorful fashion, with the neon lights of Tokyo setting the tone, we are introduced to the protagonist of the 19-minute short, a late-night taxi driver named Midnight. As the movie begins, he is hosting a very noisy and in general annoying couple, who do get their punishment, however, almost immediately, in the most scary but also funny fashion. The film then starts moving in neo-noir paths, with a meeting of rather shady characters taking place,...
Check the full movie
In intensely bright and colorful fashion, with the neon lights of Tokyo setting the tone, we are introduced to the protagonist of the 19-minute short, a late-night taxi driver named Midnight. As the movie begins, he is hosting a very noisy and in general annoying couple, who do get their punishment, however, almost immediately, in the most scary but also funny fashion. The film then starts moving in neo-noir paths, with a meeting of rather shady characters taking place,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Prolific genre filmmaker Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) is back with Lumberjack the Monster, an adaptation of Kaibutsu no Kikori by Mayusuke Kurai. And it’s heading to Netflix this summer.
It’s going to be battle to the death between a serial killer and a psychopath.
Lumberjack the Monster will make its North American premiere on May 6 at the Japan Society, in partnership with Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca, ahead of its Netflix debut on June 1, 2024.
In the film, “Akira Ninomiya (Kamenashi) is a remorseless lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. One night he is brutally attacked by an unknown assailant wearing a monster mask. Although he miraculously survives the assault, Ninomiya becomes fixated on finding the attacker and getting revenge. Meanwhile, a series of gruesome murders occur where the victims are found with their brains removed from their bodies.
It’s going to be battle to the death between a serial killer and a psychopath.
Lumberjack the Monster will make its North American premiere on May 6 at the Japan Society, in partnership with Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca, ahead of its Netflix debut on June 1, 2024.
In the film, “Akira Ninomiya (Kamenashi) is a remorseless lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. One night he is brutally attacked by an unknown assailant wearing a monster mask. Although he miraculously survives the assault, Ninomiya becomes fixated on finding the attacker and getting revenge. Meanwhile, a series of gruesome murders occur where the victims are found with their brains removed from their bodies.
- 4/11/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
One of the latest and most interesting slight trends in Korean cinema is combining genre basis with arthouse aesthetics, particular in sci-fi and horror movies, with titles like “Seire” and “Fallen” being among the most prominent samples. Han Dong-seok also implements a similar approach in “The Sin”, which begins as a film about an experimental film, before it becomes a full-throttle horror, retaining though, the arthouse aesthetic essentially throughout.
The Sin is available from KT Alpha
Si-young has been chosen to play the lead in an experimental art film centered around her dance major. As soon as she arrives in the remote building that is to serve as the main set, a number of unpleasant surprises fall on her (pun intended). As soon as she reaches a building, she witnesses a body falling from the roof next to her. Although it turns out it was a test doll for the shooting,...
The Sin is available from KT Alpha
Si-young has been chosen to play the lead in an experimental art film centered around her dance major. As soon as she arrives in the remote building that is to serve as the main set, a number of unpleasant surprises fall on her (pun intended). As soon as she reaches a building, she witnesses a body falling from the roof next to her. Although it turns out it was a test doll for the shooting,...
- 4/4/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Each new episode of Shōgun raises the stakes, deepens the political intrigue, and brings us closer to the brink of war. It’s a description that, years ago, would have applied to Game of Thrones, a show to which Shōgun has been compared ad nauseam. It’s not an inappropriate comparison. Both tout sprawling casts, sweeping locations, political intrigue, backstabbing, and characters residing in moral gray areas, ready to surprise and disappoint. Though, it may be more apt to compare the show to Japan’s Chanbara or samurai films.
Given Shōgun’s intensity and cliffhangers, waiting a week between episodes is excruciating. Digging back into Game of Thrones or even House of the Dragon might not scratch that Shōgun itch in the long days between installments.
Instead, let’s dive into samurai epics in and around the Edo period when Ieyasu Tokugawa unified Japan and built a shogunate that ruled for more than two centuries,...
Given Shōgun’s intensity and cliffhangers, waiting a week between episodes is excruciating. Digging back into Game of Thrones or even House of the Dragon might not scratch that Shōgun itch in the long days between installments.
Instead, let’s dive into samurai epics in and around the Edo period when Ieyasu Tokugawa unified Japan and built a shogunate that ruled for more than two centuries,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook.NEWSThe Delinquents.The start of the Academy Awards ceremony was delayed by hundreds of protestors obstructing the red carpet to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.Asghar Farhadi has been cleared of plagiarism charges by an Iranian court after allegations were leveled by a former student, who accused him of stealing the idea for A Hero (2021) from her documentary on the same subject, produced in his 2014 filmmaking workshop.Meanwhile, Alexander Payne has been accused of plagiarizing The Holdovers (2023) “line-by-line” from a screenplay by Simon Stephenson he appears to have read on spec.Thailand is planning to reform its national film industry as part of a “soft power” program, which may include increased production funding, more rebates for foreign productions, and a reduction of state censorship domestically.
- 3/13/2024
- MUBI
“Everyone has a dream. For Moe, it is to be a stripper, much to her father's objections as he resents her unknowingly living up to the legacy of her absent mother. Is there something that can change his mind? Perhaps seeing the art of stripping for himself…” (Official Synopsis)
Ririka of the Star is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
Actor Tokitoshi Shiota's directorial debut is difficult to approach without some familiarity with him as a person or, more importantly, his work with director Takashi Miike as an actor in several projects. “Ririka of the Star” even dons the production moniker of “Gozu Productions,” featuring the image of the bullheaded monstrosity that appears in the Miike film of the same name. To those in the know, this will be an indicator to take the following lightly, with the movie showing its influence early on, an important factor but one...
Ririka of the Star is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
Actor Tokitoshi Shiota's directorial debut is difficult to approach without some familiarity with him as a person or, more importantly, his work with director Takashi Miike as an actor in several projects. “Ririka of the Star” even dons the production moniker of “Gozu Productions,” featuring the image of the bullheaded monstrosity that appears in the Miike film of the same name. To those in the know, this will be an indicator to take the following lightly, with the movie showing its influence early on, an important factor but one...
- 3/8/2024
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
If someone wanted a gateway introduction to Takashi Miike, a seasoned fan would likely direct that person's attention toward ‘Audition,' or ‘Ichi the Killer.' The caveat here is that these are full-length films: Neither of them get their point across instantly, and traces of that characteristic Miike calamity come and go.
The beginning of Miike's ‘Dead or Alive' is such an effective taste test because it showcases the sheer zaniness of the prolific director's mind, all within a mere few minutes. The opening shot features the dynamic duo of protagonists, Detective Jojima and Yakuza member Ryuuichi as they pop a squat, crane their necks to look backwards towards the camera and count to four in English.
It is like the two are theme park conductors about to lead their viewers on a rollercoaster ride: Once they reach four, the iconic ‘Doa' logo pops up against a black backdrop,...
The beginning of Miike's ‘Dead or Alive' is such an effective taste test because it showcases the sheer zaniness of the prolific director's mind, all within a mere few minutes. The opening shot features the dynamic duo of protagonists, Detective Jojima and Yakuza member Ryuuichi as they pop a squat, crane their necks to look backwards towards the camera and count to four in English.
It is like the two are theme park conductors about to lead their viewers on a rollercoaster ride: Once they reach four, the iconic ‘Doa' logo pops up against a black backdrop,...
- 3/8/2024
- by Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette
- AsianMoviePulse
Prolific genre filmmaker Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) quietly released short film “Midnight,” based on a manga by Osamu Tezuka, on Apple’s YouTube channel yesterday. And that’s not even the most impressive part: per THR, the filmmaker shot the thrilling short on an Apple iPhone 15 Pro.
Watch “Midnight” below.
The short film “centers on a late-night taxi driver named Midnight, played by popular Japanese actor Kento Kaku, who roams the streets of Tokyo offering help to those in need. The film follows Midnight as he comes to the aid of a young woman, played by Konatsu Kato, who is struggling to take over her recently deceased father’s truck-driving business while fighting off a nefarious local gang, led by an evil boss played by the acclaimed character actor Yukiyoshi Ozawa.”
The 19-minute comedic action short looks incredible for being shot on an iPhone, and mixes live-action with manga illustrations.
Watch “Midnight” below.
The short film “centers on a late-night taxi driver named Midnight, played by popular Japanese actor Kento Kaku, who roams the streets of Tokyo offering help to those in need. The film follows Midnight as he comes to the aid of a young woman, played by Konatsu Kato, who is struggling to take over her recently deceased father’s truck-driving business while fighting off a nefarious local gang, led by an evil boss played by the acclaimed character actor Yukiyoshi Ozawa.”
The 19-minute comedic action short looks incredible for being shot on an iPhone, and mixes live-action with manga illustrations.
- 3/6/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Takashi Miike works, still, at such a tireless pace that it was just a matter of time until he shot an entire project with the camera in his pocket. Strange though it is seeing the man behind Audition and Ichi the Killer make sponsored content for the world’s biggest tech company, Miike took an opportunity (and what I can only assume is a rather healthy payday) to shoot a characteristically manic, action-heavy short, Midnight, on the iPhone 15 Pro.
Obviously a director of Miike’s stature can access superb post-production studios––evidenced most clearly by the animation, VFX, and black-and-white images, but running all throughout 19 minutes colored and graded a bit more lavishly than what even the newest iPhone might capture. Nobody has ever asked Takashi Miike for naturalism, though, and it’s nice knowing his manic, metal sensibility isn’t dulled too much by a camera downgrade.
Watch it...
Obviously a director of Miike’s stature can access superb post-production studios––evidenced most clearly by the animation, VFX, and black-and-white images, but running all throughout 19 minutes colored and graded a bit more lavishly than what even the newest iPhone might capture. Nobody has ever asked Takashi Miike for naturalism, though, and it’s nice knowing his manic, metal sensibility isn’t dulled too much by a camera downgrade.
Watch it...
- 3/6/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Here’s a nice surprise to get you over Hump Day: Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike secretly shot a 19-minute short film, titled “Midnight,” on an Apple iPhone 15 Pro. Apple quietly released the film on YouTube.
“Midnight,” originally a manga by Osamu Tezuka and directed for film by Miike, follows a mysterious taxi driver, Midnight, who lends a hand to Kaede, a young girl chased by assassins. This dude is a hell of a lot better than that “Cash Cab” guy, and “Midnight” is a hell of a lot better than your home iPhone videos.
Midnight can see the near future, which makes him one of the only people outside of Miike himself who saw this film coming. But when you do see it, you’ll probably want to trade in your Samsung device.
The short film is visually stunning, especially when you consider its camera — Miike’s iPhone has no...
“Midnight,” originally a manga by Osamu Tezuka and directed for film by Miike, follows a mysterious taxi driver, Midnight, who lends a hand to Kaede, a young girl chased by assassins. This dude is a hell of a lot better than that “Cash Cab” guy, and “Midnight” is a hell of a lot better than your home iPhone videos.
Midnight can see the near future, which makes him one of the only people outside of Miike himself who saw this film coming. But when you do see it, you’ll probably want to trade in your Samsung device.
The short film is visually stunning, especially when you consider its camera — Miike’s iPhone has no...
- 3/6/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Midnight is one of manga master Osamu Tezuka's lesser-known works. Published in two parts just two years before his passing, it tells the story of Midnight, a mysterious taxi driver who encounters strange passengers during his late-night drives. Today, a new short film has dropped, inspired by the classic manga—and it was filmed entirely on the iPhone 15 Pro. The 19-minute film was directed by Takashi Miike, known for everything from gritty films like Audition and Ichi the Killer to his adaptations of Ace Attorney and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure . Film and TV actor Kento Kaku plays Midnight, who roams the streets of Tokyo in his specially modified taxi. Konatsu Kato plays Kaede, a young trucker on the run from her father's killer (played by Yukiyoshi Ozawa). Miike himself has a cameo as Kaede's late father in a flashback. Watch the entire short here. Don't forget to turn on...
- 3/6/2024
- by Kara Dennison
- Crunchyroll
Apple had a surprise in store Wednesday for fans of Japanese manga and the always-stimulating, neo-noir cinema of Takashi Miike — a 19-minute short film made by the filmmaker using only an iPhone 15 Pro.
Titled Midnight, the mini-movie is an adaptation of a lesser-known work by legendary Japanese manga artist Osamu Tezuka. Much of the film takes place in neon-lit Tokyo at night, including a thrilling car chase sequence — a deliberate exercise on Apple’s part to showcase their device’s video capture capabilities in low lighting. (Watch the film below)
The story centers on a late-night taxi driver named “Midnight” played by popular Japanese actor Kento Kaku, who roams the streets of Tokyo offering help to those in need. The film follows Midnight as he comes to the aid of a young woman, played by Konatsu Kato, who is struggling to take over her recently deceased father’s truck-driving business...
Titled Midnight, the mini-movie is an adaptation of a lesser-known work by legendary Japanese manga artist Osamu Tezuka. Much of the film takes place in neon-lit Tokyo at night, including a thrilling car chase sequence — a deliberate exercise on Apple’s part to showcase their device’s video capture capabilities in low lighting. (Watch the film below)
The story centers on a late-night taxi driver named “Midnight” played by popular Japanese actor Kento Kaku, who roams the streets of Tokyo offering help to those in need. The film follows Midnight as he comes to the aid of a young woman, played by Konatsu Kato, who is struggling to take over her recently deceased father’s truck-driving business...
- 3/6/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For this month’s installment of “TV Terrors” we revisit Showtime’s “Masters of Horror,” which was created by Mick Garris and aired for two seasons between 2005 and 2007.
It seemed like a horror fan’s wet dream: a horror anthology series with some of the greatest horror filmmakers of all time lensing short format horror films for premium cable. Although horror icons had teamed in the past to bring us series like “Tales from the Darkside” and “Tales from the Crypt,” there wasn’t a modern series that brought them all together to have a chance to tell their stories in the anthology format. “Masters of Horror” seemed like a prime opportunity to re-invent the waning anthology horror format, and while it didn’t quite re-invent the wheel as planned, it brought with it a lot of great content from some bonafide horror icons.
“Masters of Horror” was originally envisioned...
It seemed like a horror fan’s wet dream: a horror anthology series with some of the greatest horror filmmakers of all time lensing short format horror films for premium cable. Although horror icons had teamed in the past to bring us series like “Tales from the Darkside” and “Tales from the Crypt,” there wasn’t a modern series that brought them all together to have a chance to tell their stories in the anthology format. “Masters of Horror” seemed like a prime opportunity to re-invent the waning anthology horror format, and while it didn’t quite re-invent the wheel as planned, it brought with it a lot of great content from some bonafide horror icons.
“Masters of Horror” was originally envisioned...
- 3/1/2024
- by Felix Vasquez Jr
- bloody-disgusting.com
“Words create lies. Pain can be trusted.”
Few things in this world are more frightening than dating. In addition to the fear of getting stood up or rejected, women have the added bonus of worrying that the person they’ve matched with might turn out to be a serial killer. It’s just smart to text your location and the photo of your blind date to a friend while asking for advice on which earrings best complement your impossibly sexy First Date Dress. Women talk about our hopes for a romantic adventure in the same breadth that we relay justifiable fears that we might end the evening as a collection of dismembered body parts in a trash bag at the bottom of a ravine.
Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) learns about this terrifying dichotomy the hard way in Takashi Miike’s insightful masterpiece Audition. Tired of the single life but terrified of women,...
Few things in this world are more frightening than dating. In addition to the fear of getting stood up or rejected, women have the added bonus of worrying that the person they’ve matched with might turn out to be a serial killer. It’s just smart to text your location and the photo of your blind date to a friend while asking for advice on which earrings best complement your impossibly sexy First Date Dress. Women talk about our hopes for a romantic adventure in the same breadth that we relay justifiable fears that we might end the evening as a collection of dismembered body parts in a trash bag at the bottom of a ravine.
Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) learns about this terrifying dichotomy the hard way in Takashi Miike’s insightful masterpiece Audition. Tired of the single life but terrified of women,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
“Audition” is quite a historic production (at least for its cult following), since it was the film that established Takashi Miike as a prominent member of the horror category and Eihi Shiina as a “priestess” of the grotesque.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Based on the homonymous novel by Ryu Murakami, who actually wrote it as a reaction to a failed love affair, “Audition” tells the story of Shigeharu Aoyama, a middle aged entrepreneur who has recently lost his wife and has been living a disinterested life ever since. His 17-year-old son, Shigehiko, who worries about the turn his father's life seem to have taken, prompts him to meet new women. Yoshikawa, a friend of Shigeharu and a film producer, proposes that he take part in a sham in order to meet women, an idea he agrees to. According to the plan, actresses would...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Based on the homonymous novel by Ryu Murakami, who actually wrote it as a reaction to a failed love affair, “Audition” tells the story of Shigeharu Aoyama, a middle aged entrepreneur who has recently lost his wife and has been living a disinterested life ever since. His 17-year-old son, Shigehiko, who worries about the turn his father's life seem to have taken, prompts him to meet new women. Yoshikawa, a friend of Shigeharu and a film producer, proposes that he take part in a sham in order to meet women, an idea he agrees to. According to the plan, actresses would...
- 1/19/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Looking back on the horror genre throughout time, there’s always been a period where certain sub-genres have been most prominent. The 70s and 80s were all about the slasher flicks, with masked villains marauding around sleepy suburbs or high school kids having their heads chopped off, while remakes such as House of Wax and Ring dominated the early noughties. There’s another sub-genre, however, that had its roots in splatter films such as Peter Jackson’s superbly gross Bad Taste and Braindead, plus ‘video nasties’ like 1978’s I Spit on Your Grave. That’s right folk, we’re talking about ‘Torture Porn’, an exploitation horror subgenre known for its nasty, gory, and violent films. Do a quick Google search for the sub-genre, preferably with safe-search activated if you’re at work or Uni, just in case, and you’ll more than likely find several Top 10 lists of the best...
- 1/10/2024
- by Adam Walton
- JoBlo.com
The “death game” sub-genre sees ordinary people fight for survival through murderous games, puzzles, and exercises. These heightened stories have become so popular because of their tendency to turn torture and suffering into a twisted form of entertainment — a concept that feels increasingly authentic with each passing year. There are dozens of anime that fit the murderous death game mold between Deadman Wonderland, Danganronpa, and Gantz. However, there are also a handful of series that specifically follow Takashi Miike’s As the Gods Will and Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game’s example, where childish recreational games and activities become the competitive tools of these characters’ destruction. Kaiji, Liar Game, Death Parade, Alice in Borderland, and Btooom! all follow this model to some extent. As the Gods Will predates Squid Game by six years, but there’s fascinating crossover between these two death game stories. As the Gods Will is the...
- 12/6/2023
- by Daniel Kurland
- bloody-disgusting.com
While there’s plenty to be said and appreciated about cozy, comforting horror that offers catharsis, the genre’s ultimate aim is to terrify, shock, and even repulse. Of course, there is no shortage of ways that filmmakers accomplish this, frequently through gore, violence, and potent scare tactics, but transgressive horror is in a league of its own.
More than just gore, transgressive horror films revel in the taboo. Transgressive horror shatters cultural norms and seeks to explore beyond the boundaries of taste and social sensibilities, challenging viewers with shocking and sacrilegious imagery and themes. And yet, it’s not solely for shock value; transgressive horror has more on its mind than simply gore and depictions of depravity. There’s a purpose behind the pain. This week’s streaming picks are for the seekers of extreme cinema, unafraid to test their limits.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
More than just gore, transgressive horror films revel in the taboo. Transgressive horror shatters cultural norms and seeks to explore beyond the boundaries of taste and social sensibilities, challenging viewers with shocking and sacrilegious imagery and themes. And yet, it’s not solely for shock value; transgressive horror has more on its mind than simply gore and depictions of depravity. There’s a purpose behind the pain. This week’s streaming picks are for the seekers of extreme cinema, unafraid to test their limits.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
- 11/13/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
For many cinephiles, especially those with a keen interest in Asian cinema, one of their first encounters with Japanese cinema comes in the shape of Takashi Miike’s works. Given the sheer number of features he has made ever since he got started at the beginning of the 1990s, this comes as no surprise. Movies such as “Ichi – The Killer”, “Dead or Alive” and “Audition” have cemented the reputation of Miike internationally and introduced many to his cinematic style, which has proven to very influential among his colleagues as well. However, with over 100 films directed, there are obviously a number of them which are either simply bad (“Salaryman Kintaro”) or have gone under the radar as Miike’s more popular works cast a shadow over them. One of these examples is “Blues Harp”, which is not only an overlooked gem in his filmography, but also, in my opinion, one...
- 9/25/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
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