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on 2/20/2011
It's very dificult to seperate these two and I really can't be fucked to finish my comment. But know this: it woud've been brilliant.
on 5/26/2011
Honestly, I was left kind of cold by Ichi The Killer as far as disturbing stuff goes. Does that make me a fucked up person? Or maybe I've just got a twisted sense of humor. But Visitor Q was SO FUCKING BIZARRE, I didn't know what to make of it after it was over. And I still don't know what to make of it. Did I like it? I'm almost afraid to say yes. I can say I liked Ichi without having to think about it though.
Probably both. People that enjoy Miike tend to have distant boundaries; can't say that I was disturbed by these movies either. So anyway, Ichi The Killer is a comedy movie cum satire (though I'm never quite certain on what it is that it's satirizing) that has some good, gory action. Bizita Q is... well I don't know what the hell it is, but it has some wacky content and screwball imagery that really is quite funny. Like anyone I've had my bizarre sexual experencies. There was the young chick that enjoyed humping my leg (that was absurdly amusing). Then there was the older chick that kept calling me sir (that was freaky). There was also some chick that refused to take her bra off (that was just disappointing). None of that really compares to the mind-crushing weirdness of BQ though. I mean, when he screws the dead chick and remarks about the wonders of the human body (after being bemused by the dead girl's wetty)... that was riotously funny. But as riotously funnay as BQ is in places, it's not as consistently entertaining as Ichi, Kakihara and the old dude with CGI muscles. Score one for sadist vs masochist.
That's a great example of what I'm talking about. When he was getting it on with the dead chick, I didn't know whether to laugh or just sit there with my mouth wide open. At the end of the day, it was funny. But damn. And the breast milk bit. My God, the breast milk bit. That was some outrageous shit. I was so glad nobody walked in my room when I was watching that movie. But yeah, Ichi's definitely the more entertaining of the two. What did you think of the DOA stuff?
Man, they both have great contributions. Ichi wins for it's re-watch value, and Visitor Q wins for just being a brilliant depiction of one man's decent into madness and the absurd. This would be a match up I'd probably change my mind on from mood to mood. But that's an easy way to feel when Miike is pitted against himself... And since you mentioned it-the DOA stuff is just fantastic. The second is my fave, but they all have a place in my heart.
LOL @ the breast milk. And how about that final, closing image of the "happy" family? I honestly don't remember DOA. I think I would've been a young teen when it came out on DVD (in the UK) so it's possible it just completely slipped my brain. More likely that I just haven't seen it. Other than these two I know I've seen Audition, MoH: Imprint, Sukiyaki Western Django, Zebraman and I've probably seen One Missed Call. Planning to go watch 13 Assassins tomorrow night and I'll probably watch Gozu tonight, just to get in the Miike mood. The DOA series is the next logical step of course, so I hope they're as enjoyable as these two films. What say you, are they some of the better Miike efforts?
The first two are. They're not as bizarre as Q or Ichi, but they have their moments. I prefer them to the movies in this matchup, but if you walk in expecting really off-the-wall stuff, you might leave disappointed. I thought Django was just alright, but the opening of Rekka (have you seen that one?) is one of my favorites. @Dangerfaerie: I tend to bounce between the two, so I can see why the second would be your favorite. I just love this guy's stuff, really. I once heard that his favorite movie was Starship Troopers. I'd expect him to pull something really nutty out of his hat if I asked him what his favorite movie was. But Starship Troopers? That's fucking funny. You know what, on second thought, that first DOA can get pretty off-the-wall. (Pool filled with shit, anyone?)
on 5/27/2011
I hadn't heard that about Starship Troopers being his fave. That's funny. This may sound awful, but I didn't get into Django at all, and I'm a pretty damn solid fan of his. The first DOA blew me away at the end with how he chose to handle that fight scene. So strangely appropriate and crazy at the same time. That was the first movie of his I watched after being introduced to Audition. I do wish he'd stay away from the breast milk-he's used that a couple times and it does make me uncomfortable, but I suppose that's the point. Its all to illicit a response. 13 Assassins was wooonderful. It was both grand and showed restraint at the same time. Not quite as much over-the-top insanity going on. I also love Happiness of the Katakuris-that one cracks me the fuck up. Brilliant.
I remember watching the opening of Katakuris in middle or high school, but I never got to finish it. I have it on my Netflix queue. Maybe I should bump it up. Haven't seen 13 Assassins yet, but I've heard nothing but good things. If the Magnet DVD is uncut, I'm on it the week it comes out.
on 5/29/2011
Ooh, haven't seen Rekka either. Looking forward to that one, DOA and Katakuris.
on 9/3/2012
Ichi the Killer has actual characters, which goes a long way... Anyway, I never thought "fucked up," "disturbing," etc. was the point with Miike. There's always another layer to it. He portrays everything like he has no concept of taboo, it's all just nature to him; other directors would give it all an air of "tee hee, this is dirty!" and it would totally suck. But somehow Miike's approach has a certain honesty to it.
Oh and Ichi's probably better, it's visually intoxicating and works on countless levels (gangster film, splatter, subtle black humor, it's even genuinely poignant). Visitor Q is pretty unforgettable though.
I don't know that Miike really has a point when he makes films that fly in the face of convention and normal/acceptable behaviour. If he in fact has any point, I imagine it'd be to show the "fucked up" content through a matter of fact or comical lens so as to eviscerate the whole notion of "fucked up" vs "acceptable". Or maybe an utter lack of point is what makes it so honest, as you say.
