Takashi Miike | Director of Horror 's Films | Movies | Film | Horror | Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi | Fantasy | Thriller | Action

Director of Horror 's Films.

Takashi Miike (Japan)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Takashi Miike (born August 24, 1960 in Yao, Osaka, Japan) is a highly prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker.

Miike has directed over sixty theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. In the years 2001 and 2002 alone, Miike is credited with directing no fewer than fourteen productions.

Career profile
Although Miike claimed to have attended classes only rarely, he graduated from Yokohama Vocational School of Broadcast and Film (Yokohama Hoso Eiga Senmon Gakko) under the guidance of renowned filmmaker Shohei Imamura, the founder and Dean of that institution.

His very first films were television productions, but he also began directing several direct-to-video V-Cinema releases. (These were purportedly financed as money-laundering operations for the yakuza, although there has never been any conclusive proof of this.) Miike still directs V-Cinema productions intermittently due to the creative freedom afforded by the less stringent censorship of the medium and the riskier content that the producers will allow.

Miike's theatrical debut was Shinjuku Triad Society (1995). The film showcased his extreme style and his recurring themes, and its success gave him the freedom to work on higher-budgeted pictures. Shinjuku Triad Society is also the first film in what is labeled his "Black Society Trilogy", which also includes Rainy Dog (1997) and Ley Lines (1999). He gained international fame in 2000 when his romantic horror film Audition (1999) and his violent yakuza epic Dead or Alive (1999) played at international film festivals. He has since gained a strong cult following in the West that is growing with the increase in DVD releases of his works.

Film themes
Miike has garnered international notoriety for depicting shocking scenes of extreme violence and bizarre sexual perversions. Many of his films contain graphic and lurid bloodshed, often portrayed in an over-the-top, cartoonish manner. Much of his work depicts the activities of criminals (especially yakuza) or concern themselves with non-Japanese living in Japan. He is known for his black sense of humor and for pushing the boundaries of censorship as far as they will go.

It should be noted that, despite his somewhat notorious reputation, Miike has also proven himself to be capable of directing lighthearted children's films (Zebraman, The Great Yokai War), touching period pieces (Sabu), and subdued, moving pictures such as the road movie The Bird People in China. His dabbling in every sort of genre and emotional range is a testament to his versatility as a director, though a lot of his output is genre-defying. For example, The Happiness of the Katakuris is an unconventional farcical musical-comedy-horror involving a bizarre claymation sequence, zombies and b-movie pastiches.

Other less controversial works include Ley Lines and Agitator, character-driven, serious crime dramas. Graveyard of Honor (2002) is a remake of the 1975 Kinji Fukasaku film by the same name. Andoromedeia, perhaps one of his less renowned films, is a teen drama starring the J-pop girl-band SPEED.

Critics have sometimes noted the puzzling discrepancy of Miike's artistic development noting that he appears to be simultaneously becoming more radical and more mainstream a director. Films like One Missed Call are his most commercial works to date while films like Izo and the "Box" segment in Three... Extremes are less accessible and target arthouse audiences and fans of extreme cinema.

Despite Miike's voluminous output, it would be erroneous to consider him a dilettante or a director for hire. Academics have recognized Miike as an auteur, noting much depth as well as stylistic and thematic consistency in his body of work. Reoccurring themes and imagery in his work include reincarnation, birds, family, chaos and order. Films like Visitor Q and Izo are highly philosophical beneath their violent, taboo-laden exterior. This mingled with his imaginative and often idiosyncratic cinematography makes his work instantly recognizable regardless of the genre he works in.

Controversy Miike's style is often regarded by detractors as offensively misogynistic, though usually Miike's female characters who retain ultimate power, which they use to overturn established principles of Japanese patriarchy (e.g. Audition (1999), Visitor Q (2001)).

One of his most controversial films was the ultra-violent Ichi the Killer (2001), adapted from a manga of the same name and starring Tadanobu Asano as a sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer. The extreme violence was initially exploited to promote the film: during its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2001, the audience received "barf bags" emblazoned with the film's logo as a promotional gimmick (one typically flamboyant gory killing involves a character slicing a man in half from head to groin, and severing another's face, which then slides down a nearby wall).

However, the British Board of Film Classification refused to allow the release of the film uncut in Britain, citing its extreme levels of sexual violence towards women. Many regarded this as inconsistency, as they had recently passed Irreversible (2002), a film featuring a nine-minute rape scene, uncut. In Hong Kong, 15 minutes of footage was cut. In the United States it has been shown uncut (although unrated). An uncut DVD was also released in the Benelux.

In 2005, Miike was invited to direct an episode of the Masters of Horror anthology series. The series, featuring episodes by a range of established horror directors such as John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper and Dario Argento, was supposed to provide directors with relative creative freedom and relaxed restrictions on violent and sexual content (Some violent content was edited from the Dario Argento-directed episode Jenifer). However, when the Showtime cable network acquired the rights to the series, the Miike-directed episode Imprint was apparently too graphic and disturbing for the network. Showtime cancelled it from the broadcast lineup even after extended negotiations, though it was retained as part of the series' DVD release. Mick Garris, creator and executive producer of the series, described the episode as "amazing, but hard even for me to watch... definitely the most disturbing film I've ever seen." [1]

While Imprint has yet to air in the United States, it has aired on Bravo in the UK and on FX in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, The Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. Anchor Bay Entertainment, which has handled the DVD releases for the Masters of Horror series in the US, released Imprint on R1 DVD on September 26, 2006.

Filmography
taken form imdb.com
Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) (post-production)
Taiyo no kizu (2006)
... aka Scars of the Sun (USA: literal English title)
... aka Sun Scarred (International: English title)
Waru: kanketsu-hen (2006) (V)
"Masters of Horror" (1 episode, 2006)
- Imprint (2006) TV Episode
Waru (2006)
46-okunen no koi (2006)
... aka 4.6 Billion Years of Love (International: English title: informal literal title)
... aka A Big Bang Love: Juvenile (International: English title)
... aka Big Bang Love (Singapore: English title)
Yokai daisenso (2005)
... aka The Great Yokai War (International: English title)
... aka Hobgoblins & the Great War (literal English title)
... aka The Great Hobgoblin War (literal English title)
"Urutoraman Makkusu" (2005) TV Series (multiple episodes)
... aka Ultraman Max (International: English title)
Izo (2004)
Saam gaang yi (2004) (segment "Box")
... aka Three, Monster (South Korea)
... aka Three... Extremes (International: English title)
Paato-taimu tantei 2 (2004) (TV)
... aka Onna to ai to misuterii 146 (Japan: series title)
... aka Part-time Detective 2 (International: English title: literal title)
Zebraman (2004)
Chakushin ari (2003)
... aka One Missed Call (Philippines: English title) (USA)
... aka You've Got a Call (Japan: English title)
Koshonin (2003) (TV)
Kikoku (2003) (V)
... aka Yakuza Demon (USA: DVD title)
Gokudo kyofu dai-gekijo: Gozu (2003)
... aka Gozu (International: English title) (USA)
... aka Yakuza Horror Theater: Gozu (USA)
Yurusarezaru mono (2003)
... aka The Man in White (International: English title)
Paato-taimu tantei (2002) (TV)
... aka Onna to ai to misuterii 94 (Japan: series title)
... aka Part-time Detective (International: English title: literal title)
Jitsuroku Ando Noboru kyodo-den: Rekka (2002)
... aka Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (International: English title)
... aka Violent Fire (USA: DVD box title)
Pandoora (2002) (V)
Kin'yo hametsu Nippon: Togenkyo no hito-bito (2002)
... aka Shangri-La (International: English title)
... aka Togenkyo (Japan: short title)
Shin jingi no hakaba (2002)
... aka Graveyard of Honor (Japan: English title)
... aka New Graveyard of Honor (International: English title: literal title)
Sabu (2002) (TV)
Onna kunishuu ikki (2002)
Dead or Alive: Final (2002)
Katakuri-ke no kofuku (2001)
... aka The Happiness of the Katakuris (Japan: English title) (UK)
Araburu tamashii-tachi (2001)
... aka Agitator
... aka The Outlaw Souls (poster title)
Koroshiya 1 (2001)
... aka Ichi the Killer (International: English title)
Bijito Q (2001)
... aka Love Cinema Vol. 6 (International: English title: series title)
... aka Visitor Q (International: English title)
Family (2001/II)
... aka Family 2 (Japan: video title (second part title))
Zuiketsu genso - Tonkararin yume densetsu (2001)
Kikuchi-jo monogatari - sakimori-tachi no uta (2001)
... aka Kumamoto monogatari (DVD title)
Dead or Alive 2: Tobosha (2000)
... aka Dead or Alive 2: Birds
... aka Dead or Alive 2: Runaway (literal English title)
Tengoku kara kita otoko-tachi (2000)
... aka The Guys from Paradise
Hyoryo-gai (2000)
... aka The City of Last Souls (Hong Kong: English title: DVD title)
... aka The City of Lost Souls (USA)
... aka The City of Strangers (International: English title)
... aka The Hazard City
"Tajuu jinkaku tantei saiko - Amamiya Kazuhiko no kikan" (2000) (mini) TV Series
... aka MPD - Psycho (Multiple Personality Detective): The Complete Miniseries
... aka MPD Psycho (USA: DVD box title)
... aka MPD Psycho II (USA: DVD box title)
... aka MPD Psycho III (USA: DVD box title)
... aka Multiple Personality Detective Psycho - Kazuhiko Amamiya Returns
Tsukamoto Shin'ya ga Ranpo suru (2000) (V)
... aka The Making of 'Gemini' (informal English title)
Tennen shojo Man next: Yokohama hyaku-ya hen (1999) (TV)
... aka Man, Next Natural Girl: 100 Nights in Yokohama
... aka N-Girls Vs Vampire (USA: informal English title)
Sarariiman Kintaro (1999)
... aka Salaryman Kintaro
... aka White Collar Worker Kintaro (USA: video title)
Dead or Alive: Hanzaisha (1999)
... aka D.O.A. (Japan: short title)
... aka Dead or Alive (USA)
odishon (1999)
... aka Audition (International: English title) (UK)
... aka Oodishon (Japan: alternative transliteration)
Silver - shirubaa (1999) (V)
Nihon kuroshakai (1999)
... aka Japan Underworld (International: English title: literal title)
... aka Ley Lines
"Tennen shojo Man" (1999) (mini) TV Series
... aka Man, a Natural Girl (Japan: English title)
Kishiwada shonen gurentai: Bokyo (1998)
... aka Young Thugs: Nostalgia (USA: DVD title)
Blues Harp (1998)
Andoromedia (1998)
... aka Andromedia (International: English title) (USA: video box title)
Chogoku no chojin (1998)
... aka The Bird People in China (International: English title)
Full Metal gokudo (1997) (V)
... aka Full Metal Yakuza
Gokudo kuroshakai (1997)
... aka Criminal Underworld: Rainy Dog (International: English title: literal title)
... aka Rainy Dog
Jingi naki yabo 2 (1997) (V)
Kishiwada shonen gurentai: Chikemuri junjo-hen (1997)
... aka Young Thugs: Innocent Blood (International: English title: DVD title)
Gokudo sengokushi: Fudo (1996)
... aka Fudoh: The New Generation (USA)
Kenka no hanamichi: Oosaka saikyo densetsu (1996) (V)
... aka The Way to Fight (International: English title: video title)
Rakkasei: Piinattsu (1996) (V)
Jingi naki yabo (1996) (V)
Shin daisan no gokudo II (1996) (V)
... aka New Third Gangster 2 (International: English title: literal title)
Shin daisan no gokudo - boppatsu Kansai gokudo senso (1996) (V)
... aka New Third Gangster: Outbreak Kansai Yakuza Wars
Shinjuku kuroshakai: Chaina mafia senso (1995)
... aka Shinjuku Triad Society
... aka Shinjuku Underworld: Chinese Mafia War (International: English title: literal title)
Naniwa yuukyoden (1995) (V)
... aka Osaka Tough Guys (International: English title: DVD title)
Bodigaado Kiba: Shura no mokushiroku 2 (1995) (V)
... aka Bodyguard Kiba: Combat Apocolypse 2 (International: English title)
Daisan no gokudo (1995) (V)
... aka The Third Gangster (International: English title)
Bodigaado Kiba: Shura no mokushiroku (1994) (V)
... aka Bodyguard Kiba: Combat Apocolypse (International: English title)
Shinjuku autoroo (1994) (V)
... aka Shinjuku Outlaw
Oretachi wa tenshi ja nai 2 (1993) (V)
Oretachi wa tenshi ja nai (1993) (V)
Bodigaado Kiba (1993) (V)
... aka Bodyguard Kiba (USA)
Ningen kyoki: Ai to ikari no ringu (1992) (V)
... aka A Human Murder Weapon (Japan: English title)
Redi hantaa: Koroshi no pureryuudo (1991) (V)
... aka Red Hunter: Prelude to Murder (International: English title: literal title)
Toppuu! Minipato tai - Aikyacchi Jankushon (1991) (V)
Rasuto ran: Ai to uragiri no hyaku-oku en - shisso Feraari 250 GTO (1991) (TV)
... aka Last Run: 100 Million Ten's Worth of Love & Betrayal (International: English title)