MMM: Takashi Miike Retrospective in L.A.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Takashi Miike Retrospective in L.A.

This is one of the few times I wished I still lived in L.A.

Takashi Miike Retrospective at LA's Silent Movie Theatre.

Jan 6th - Audition (1999)

Jan 13th - One Missed Call (2003)

Jan 20th - Big Bang Love (2006)

Jan 27th - Gozu (2003)

Feb 3rd - The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) & Visitor Q (2001)

Feb 10th - Ichi the Killer (2001) & Fudoh: The New Generation (1996)

Feb 17th - Great Yokai War (2005) & Zebraman (2004)

God, I would kill to be there. Miike is without a doubt one of the best and most challenging directors active today. If you haven't seen any of his films I recommend attending the Sunday screening of Audition to get your feet wet. It is a pretty brutal horror movie, but one so beautifully crafted that you can appreciate it on many levels.

If you feel up to it, the February 3rd showing will be an awe-inspiring display of Miike's range. Two movies - released in the same year - one, The Happiness of the Katakuris, a cinematic horror musical with a broad appeal, and the other, Visitor Q, a low-budget DV exploitation shocker about the degeneration of a nuclear family, are about as different as they come. Do NOT watch Visitor Q if you are easily-offended, although past the shock is actually a beautiful story.

The February 17th showings have the broadest appeal, although I haven't seen either movie. The Great Yokai War is a children's fantasy film and Zebraman is a superhero parody.

Here are a bunch of the trailers:

Audition