I read quite a bit about this movie before actually seeing it. I was expecting some incredibly depraved, unholy sickness, just flowing over me and making me wonder why I wasn't turning the film off.
Eh.
That sure didn't happen. There's some unhappy stuff, but nothing shocking to me. It's not disturbing.
There is gore. I like that. I don't like that it's CGI. That about ruined it.
Then there's the story. Whatever. I didn't find it all that interesting, to be honest. WOOHOO SADOMASOCHISM. Yeah, ok. They got the point across fairly early on, and then the movie last another two hours. Really, this film kinda dragged near the end.
At least(MINOR SPOILER ALERT AHEAD) we got to see a little kid die. And in the end, that's what really matters.
If Kakihara got his own spin-off TV show, that would be truly rocking. I would certainly give that five stars.
But yeah, if you want a film that will really make you squirm, watch Unspeakable(the one from 2000, not the 2003 movie with Pavan Grover). That was a really unsettling film.
A Cautious Five
I cautiously give this movie a five because it is, by far, the most disgusting movie I've ever seen, not to mention violent to the point of ridiculousness. Personally, though, I loved it all. I'm not a fan of ultraviolence. But I like stories and the characters that make the stories work, no matter what the actual content of the movie is. And this movie, though a little confusing at times, has a decent story and excellent characters. The case shows the best character in the movie.
Still, this movie will not appeal to everyone. In fact, I'd even say that few would find anything even close to likable in this movie. There are few scenes without blood, even fewer without the characters screaming in pain, and the majority of the characters are masochistic. I'd recommend this movie for modern horror fans or people who work in a morgue.
Thrilling, but not a masterpiece
Great for the most part, but some parts were obviously CG. Probably not a movie you'd enjoy seeing over and over again.
The director of Dead or Alive, Takashi Miike, made his name on the international scene with Audition, a chilling psychological thriller that builds from a quiet start towards a prolonged torture sequence almost too unbearable to watch. But such deliberate pacing isn't typical of Miike, whose movies often assault the viewer with an onslaught of slam-bang action that makes John Woo look like Eric Rohmer. Dead or Alive, his most successful cops-vs-yakuza thriller to date, kicks off with six nonstop minutes of machine gun-paced violence, sex, and slaughter, all set to a pounding heavy-metal beat. Thereafter things calm down a little, though not much. Given Miike's penchant for murky, livid-toned visuals and skewed camera angles, it's not always too easy to work out... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Sho Aikawa Director(s): Takashi Miike DVD Release Date: Released the 27 May 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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If you want the full sledgehammer-to-the-stomach effect of Audition, stop reading this review now. Just watch it and take the consequences. At first glance, Takashi Miike's jack in the box of a movie works like a romantic comedy: amiable widower Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) decides it's time to find a new wife, and a friend suggests holding a fake audition to find the right girl. It soon becomes clear that there is something wrong with Aoyama's choice. This is no ordinary Fatal Attraction-style thriller, however; Audition slowly and carefully builds into a wrenching exploration of both deep male fears and the stereotype of the cute, submissive Japanese woman. Audition is by no means an easy movie to watch--even hardcore horror fans may have trouble--but it... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Ryo Ishibashi - Eihi Shiina Director(s): Takashi Miike DVD Release Date: Released the 04 June 2002 This item is currently not available.
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This has to be the most outrageous and funnist movie I have ever seen. I think that the only taboo that wasn't covered was bestiality - maybe Takashi Miike's next movie. And to think that this film was actually shown on television in Japan - which I suppose is why (at least in my NR-version of the film) genitals were blurred out. Makes you wonder what type of subject matter the Japanese would consider as poor taste or out of bounds. In the U.S. this movie wouldn't even make it past the ratings board without getting an X rating. Some of the other reviewers wrote thorough enough synopses, so I won't repeat all that. I'll just say what I liked about the movie.
For one one thing I liked the way the movie keeps you off balance. As soon as you think you've got a line on what's... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Takashi Miike DVD Release Date: Released the 26 November 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This movie is amazing. The storyline is a bit hard to follow due to the relentless violence and gore, but thats what this movie is all about. The gore is some of the best I've ever seen, and the characters all act as if they were straight out of cartoons. It is a fast paced, awesome, and badass movie from start to finish. The very end doesn't make much sense, and they should have just left that part out, but i guess it leaves room for a sequel. Overall, this movie is the best movie ever, people can stop making movies now because they cannot top this amazing, heart-wrenching (literally), fun, kickass, badass movie. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Ryuhei Kitamura DVD Release Date: Released the 19 August 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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OK I'm not gonna lie the beginning had me going for a while. You know, the girls comitting suicide and the cops trying to figure out things.
from watching the movie I thought it had something to do with the j-pop group dessert. singning subliminal death messages to the people of tokyo and thats why everybody decided to committ suicide. But the kid on the phone ( clearing his throat) destroyed that idea for me. the plot was weird and throw your curiousity to hell.
also the plot gets confusing...( or dumb)
ok there was these hackers that suppose to find the lead on the suicides, which went to hell because this psycho gang leader "genesis" ( lee chalon reject from "Tekken")
destroyed their chance.
the detective committed suicide because he... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Shion Sono DVD Release Date: Released the 18 November 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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