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ICHI THE KILLER!

Posted in 2010, Extreme Movies, Foreign Films, Geisha of Gore Reviews, Gore!, Japanese Horror, Takashi Miike Films, VIOLENCE!, Yakuza Films with tags , , , , , , , , on November 10, 2010 by knifefighter

THE GEISHA OF GORE REVIEWS
ICHI THE KILLER
by Colleen Wanglund

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Takashi Miike.  For me he’s right up there with Hitchcock, Leone, Kurosawa, and Kubrick—easily one of the greatest directors ever—a cinema genius.  At fifty years old, Miike has directed over seventy films covering everything from family-friendly movies such as THE GREAT YOKAI WAR (2005) to the violent yakuza (Japanese gangster) film DEAD OR ALIVE (1999).  He’s even tried his hand at westerns with SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007) and horror with his short “BOX” in THREE….EXTREMES (2004), ONE MISSED CALL (2003) and AUDITION (1999).  In 2005 Miike was invited to direct an episode of MASTERS OF HORROR, a series of hour-long shows for the Showtime cable channel, each done by a different director and supposedly free of restrictions.  Miike’s installment, entitled IMPRINT, was deemed so controversial that it has yet to air in the United States.  Thankfully it was released to video so it can be seen here….and if you haven’t seen it yet, what the hell are you waiting for?!?  Many of Takashi Miike’s films have become known for their depictions of extreme violence and odd sexual behavior, and this has led to his almost cult-like following in the West.

One of Miike’s most controversial films is 2001’s ICHI THE KILLER.  It’s sadomasochistic, misogynistic, and bloody as hell—and that’s why I love it so much.  Based on a manga by Hideo Yamamoto, ICHI tells the story of a yakuza clan whose boss, Anjo, has gone missing along with 300 million yen (equal to about 3.75 million U.S. dollars) and his girlfriend.  Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), Anjo’s right-hand-man, will stop at nothing to find Anjo and the missing money.  Of course Anjo and his girlfriend are dead—his murder is among the opening scenes.  Anjo’s murder is an extremely bloody affair, committed by a strange man in a suit with the number 1 emblazoned on the back (Ichi in Japanese for the number one).  The apartment is covered in blood—floor, walls and ceiling—and one of the clean-up crew takes a tumble in a steaming pile of intestines.  When Kakihara goes to the apartment looking for clues, it’s spotless—the blood and bodies have been removed along with the money.  As word gets around to the other families, an informant shows up claiming that a man named Suzuki from a rival family was bragging that he was responsible for Anjo’s disappearance.  That informant is Jijii, an outcast from the yakuza played brilliantly by Shinya Tsukamoto (director of the TETSUO trilogy).  Among the families there exists an agreement that basically sets up boundaries so everyone make can make money, although that doesn’t mean spats don’t break out from time to time.  Kakihara sends his men to get Suzuki and in a scene that even I found hard to watch, Kakihara hangs the man from the ceiling by hooks through Suzuki’s skin.  To add to the torture, when Kakihara doesn’t get the answers he’s looking for, he douses the man in hot oil that he had just used to make shrimp tempura.  I did mention sadomasochism, right?   Suzuki’s boss comes to see what’s happening, but when he’s told of the info they got from Jijii—surprise, surprise—Jijii is gone.  Upon learning he made a mistake, Kakihara goes to Suzuki’s boss to formally beg forgiveness.  This is another very disturbing scene but I won’t spoil it.  I want you to be just as uncomfortable watching it as I was.

Meanwhile we are introduced to Ichi played by Nao Omori.  Ichi is a very meek individual who may also be a bit slow mentally, although nothing is ever really said about it.  Ichi has fallen in with Jijii, Ryo and Inoue—two more yakuza outcasts who appear to be working with Ichi as his clean-up crew.  Appearances are deceiving and Ichi is in fact being manipulated by Jijii.  When pushed to his limit, Ichi dons his black costume with the number 1 on the back and blades in the heels of his shoes and basically tears people apart.  When Ichi was in school he had witnessed the gang rape of a female student and he didn’t help her.  Jijii uses this to get Ichi to kill the yakuza members that he wants dead.  Just how he actually manipulates Ichi is quite interesting.  After one bloody attack on Anjo’s clan, Kakihara finds one man still alive and questions him on what happened.  Another of Anjo’s girlfriends, Karen, shows up and seems to revel in the pain she and Kakihara inflict on the man before he dies.  He decides he wants Karen to be his girl but quickly loses interest when she isn’t capable of inflicting pain on Kakihara.  After this latest attack on the clan, Kakihara enlists the help of a couple of police detectives—a set of brothers—to help him find Ichi.  They find Ryo and kidnap both him and his girlfriend.  To get Ryo to talk they torture his girlfriend in a rather gruesome manner.  Again, it’s difficult to watch.  They ultimately find out about Ichi and set out to find him.  With the help of one of Anjo’s bodyguards, a disgraced cop named Kaneko, Kakihara finds Ichi and the final showdown on a building rooftop is bizarre, to say the least.

ICHI THE KILLER is one of my all-time favorite movies.  It’s definitely one of Miike’s masterpieces.  There is so much going on, but it’s not too much that it gets confusing.  It’s definitely a wild ride and you know it from the title sequence using a particular body fluid—and it isn’t blood.  I must point out that the scarred man on the movie poster/DVD cover is NOT Ichi.  So many people seem to think it’s him but it is in fact Kakihara, because the movie is about him as much as it is about Ichi.  It’s also about Jijii and his obsessive need to wipe out this particular yakuza clan.  Kakihara is a man who feels nothing.  He needs to feel pain in order to feel human.  There is a joke made about Kakihara maybe being “in love” with Anjo, but the fact is he needs the pain that Anjo inflicted on him.  There’s a scene where Kakihara is chained up in a room and he is instructing Karen on how to inflict the most pain, but she can’t quite do it and he becomes extremely disappointed in her.  It’s almost sad to see as he changes his mind about Karen being his girlfriend.   In the manga version, there is an almost supernatural element to Kakihara, with his ability to absorb the pain and use it for power.  Miike has quite effectively changed that to a much more psychological element.  Kakihara’s quest to find Ichi is not so much about revenge for his boss’s murder, but his almost suicidal need for Ichi to inflict the ultimate pain on him.

Another element to the movie that I find interesting is the lack of fight scenes.  There is a lot of blood spilled at the hands of Ichi, but we don’t ever actually see it happen.  We only see the aftermath of Ichi’s work and it’s still quite gruesome.  The blood sprays but the action itself is rarely seen.  However, as I’ve already mentioned, there are some scenes in ICHI that are very difficult to watch; not so much for the gore but for the kind of pain you can practically feel yourself.  It really is enough to make you squirm…and I did.  There is also a depth to the characters in ICHI that you wouldn’t necessarily expect in a horror/yakuza film.  Besides Kakihara’s obsession with feeling pain, there is Jijii’s obsession with taking down Anjo’s clan—killing them all—and how he is able to manipulate Ichi to do what he wants.  Then of course there is Ichi himself and what drives his compulsion to kill the way he does.  You will be asking yourself “How can this meek little man turn into such a cold-blooded killer?”  There’s another story going on with the bodyguard Kaneko and his son Takeshi.  Kaneko is a disgraced cop who was given a chance to earn some money by Anjo.  His wife left him and Takeshi is afraid Kaneko will also leave.  Kaneko is very loyal to Anjo, but must try to balance that loyalty with caring for his son.  Kaneko ultimately plays a major role in finding Ichi.

My DVD of ICHI THE KILLER comes with two hours of bonus material, including the making of ICHI, commentary with Takashi Miike and manga writer Hideo Yamamoto, and the original movie trailer.  There is also a featurette called “The Cult of Ichi,”  which includes interviews with author Jack Ketchum, actress Debbie Rochon and Tony Timpone, publisher of FANGORIA magazine.  My daughter bought the DVD for me while at an anime convention, and it’s one of my favorite gifts from her.  She knows what her mama likes.  This is, in my opinion, a must-have movie for any fans of horror or the bizarre. For anyone who may be interested, you can read the manga that inspired the movie online for free by going here.  It is actually more graphic and bloody than the movie.

Colleen Wanglund
11/7/2010

© Copyright 2010 by Colleen Wanglund

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In the Spooklight – WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953)

Posted in 2010, Aliens, Classic Films, In the Spooklight with tags , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2010 by knifefighter

This one’s from waaaay back in October 2001, less than a month after the events of September 11, 2001.  That tragic day was still fresh in my mind when I wrote this column on WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953).  Incidentally, WAR OF THE WORLDS was on my mind this week because I saw a neat collectible of the Martian ship at the ROCK AND SHOCK convention in Worcester, Mass., this past weekend.  I thought about buying it, but when I went back for a second look, it was gone.  Maybe it flew off!

—Michael Arruda, 10/19/20

IN THE SPOOKLIGHT: WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953)
by Michael Arruda

Perhaps it’s the association with Orson Welles’ famous Halloween broadcast of 1938.   Or maybe it’s simply because it’s a damn fine scary movie!  Whatever the reason, the 1953 version of H.G. Wells’ THE WAR OF THE WORLDS is perfect Halloween viewing.

Not in the creaky, spooky, things-that-go-bump-in-the-night way.  But in the “in your face,” “there’s-nowhere-to-hide” way!

Martians invade earth.  Their machines pulverize humankind and our assortment of modern-day weapons (the film updates Wells’ story to the 1950s), while withstanding everything we throw at them, including the atom bomb.  Up until the final seconds of the film, and there ain’t nothin stopping these babies!

And it all starts so innocently, in small town America.  A spaceship crashes.  Townsfolk excitedly investigate.  Three deputies keep an eye on the fallen object which the locals believe to be a meteor.  When the deputies realize it is a spaceship, they attempt to show these extraterrestrial visitors that they are friendly.  They are quickly murdered.

Ships begin to fall all over the earth.  It is quickly realized that the Martian intentions are hostile, and that invasion is imminent.  Countries around the world scramble to defend themselves.  Nation after nation succumb to the alien attackers.  The last country left standing is the United States, and after they drop the atom bomb to no avail—the targeted Martian spaceships aren’t even touched!— the fight appears to be over.

In light of the events of September 11 and the subsequent war against terrorism, it is somewhat jarring to watch this film now, while a real war is being waged.  The scenes of buildings being blown up, of Los Angeles being attacked, of mass hysteria, are all the more poignant and disturbing due to current tragic events.

Yet, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS is still a classic among genre films, one that is not to be missed.  In vivid Technicolor, it’s a beautiful production.  The Martian ships, with their bright greens and reds, and distinctive sounds, are among the most memorable visuals in the history of horror/sci-fi cinema.  No wonder this film took the Oscar for Best Special Effects that year.

The screenplay by Barre Lyndon gives us three-dimensional characters who we care for, and offers many nice touches.  When leading lady (Ann Robinson) first meets the resident hero scientist (Gene Barry) she doesn’t recognize him because he’s wearing glasses.  He replies that he only uses them for distances.  “When I want to look at something up close, I take them off.”  He promptly removes the glasses and looks right into her eyes.  A nice sexy moment.

Director Byron Haskin handles all the action scenes with ease and provides plenty of chills.  After the atom bomb is dropped, the Martian machines emerge from the dust cloud completely unscathed and unhindered, and they’ve never looked scarier.  And the first time we see an actual Martian— it’s absolutely gruesome!

The final sequence, where Gene Barry and Ann Robinson struggle to reach each other, fighting through the horde of panicked people inside a crowded church, while outside the Martian machines are closing in, destroying everything in their path, is classic cinema.  Amidst the screaming crowd, the two leads finally embrace, just as the church walls begin to crumble around them.  Powerful, emotional stuff.

But the true star of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS isn’t the cast, or the direction or the script, or even the Martians themselves, but those magnificent Martian machines.  They are as much an indelible image in horror cinema as Karloff’s Frankenstein monster.  Once seen, they are not forgotten.

—END—

© Copyright 2001 by Michael Arruda

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JAWS

Posted in 2004, Animals Attack, Cinema Knife Fights, Classic Films with tags , , , , , , on February 26, 2010 by knifefighter

(Note: I’m not really sure how this one came about. It was July 2004, and it must have been a real slow month for horror movies, and somehow we ended up reviewing JAWS, and seeing if it still held up.  I almost didn’t post this one, then figured, what the hell. ~LLS)

CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT #4:   JAWS
by Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

(SCENE: A TALL MAN WEARING FISHING GEAR is talking to MICHAEL ARRUDA on a pier)

TALL MAN (Brandishing a large hook): —And when a big fish comes along and bites, the hook tears into the mouth like so. (Bites down hard and rips hook through his cheek).

MA:  Cool.  (FISHERMAN exits in pain).

Welcome to CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT.  We’re coming to you live today from the village of Edgartown, on the beautiful island of Martha’s Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast.

With no new horror movies out this week, it’s time to unveil CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT CLASSIC, where L.L. and I take a look at horror movies from years gone by.  Which is why we’re coming to you live from Martha’s Vineyard, because our pick this month is my all time favorite July horror movie, the classic JAWS (1975), many parts of which were filmed right here in Edgartown.

(Walks along a dock as he talks)

JAWS is a movie that transcends its material.  In less capable hands than the 25 year-old Steven Spielberg, JAWS could have been just another “monster” movie.  The story is simple, and the movie is easily divided into two parts.  Great white shark terrorizes a New England beach community, and then 3 of its citizens set out to destroy the shark, the three men being Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider), ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and shark killer Captain Quint (Robert Shaw).  By far, the second half of the movie is the most compelling part and makes for one of the most exciting and scary sea adventures ever put on film.

Why?  The chilling suspense built by Spielberg’s energetic and creative direction is part of it, but the other is that item so often missed in today’s films, and that is great character development.  The three men are all different, they are all multidimensional—Brody, the hero, for example, is afraid of the water – brilliant! -and as a result they’re all very real.  It’s cliché, but you really, really care for these guys, even the fanatical Quint.

JAWS is a movie I’ve yet to tire from watching.  I watch it every summer, and it gets better each time.

MA (Comes upon L.L. SOARES sitting on the dock fishing. Behind him is a sign that reads “Amity Island – No Fishing”):  Ahoy there! What did you think of the movie?

LS: Well, I’ve got to admit, I was amazed how well JAWS holds up, and how it doesn’t really seem dated at all. And it’s still easily my favorite of Spielberg’s movies.  I have a really mixed reaction to Spielberg’s career as a whole  – for every film of his I like there are two I don’t, but JAWS remains an achievement that I simply can’t speak badly about. Every scene works. There isn’t a false note in the whole movie, except maybe for the mechanical shark, which does look fake when you see it really up close, but considering the technology of the time, and the movie itself, this is easily forgiven. In a weird way, the fakeness of the shark even adds to the appeal of the film.

MA:  You know, I don’t even notice the fakeness of the shark.  I’m too busy being scared, which is a testament to Spielberg’s direction.

LS: You watch JAWS every summer and the shark still scares you? Are you afraid of Bert and Ernie too?

MA: Hey, if they had choppers like Bruce the Shark, yes!

LS: As for acting, it’s pretty much perfect. Roy Scheider, a favorite actor of mine, is terrific as Brody. Richard Dreyfuss, an actor who can get on my nerves sometimes, is really good as Hooper, and is actually pretty funny in a few scenes. And the great Robert Shaw practically steals the movie as Quint, the Captain Ahab of the bunch, who has his own horror story about sharks back when he was a seaman in World War II and who sees this as a grudge match between himself and the beast of the deep.

The movie works on every level. The suspense is so thick you can cut it with a knife. John Williams’ score adds to that beautifully. The acting and the characters are terrific. The motivations of everyone involved make perfect sense, from the mayor who doesn’t want to lose the precious tourist trade to the leads and their personal reasons for wanting the shark dead.

MA:  John Williams’ music score has got to be the best all time of any horror movie.  You can argue Bernard Herrmann’s PSYCHO theme or John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN theme, but as far as being the most effective, it’s got to be Williams’ JAWS theme hands down.  That music starts, and I can feel the gooseflesh on the back of my neck.  It’s the best.

LS:  Well, I could debate whether the PSYCHO theme is better, but why bother in this instance? JAWS is Spielberg at the top of his game, and unlike a lot of his later movies, there isn’t an ounce of schmaltz to be seen. And you also have to remember how much of a cultural phenomenon this movie was when it first came out. People genuinely were afraid to go into the water after seeing it. Real shark attacks were suddenly front page news, and countless B-movie directors churned out imitations, replacing the shark with everything from grizzly bears to octopi.

MA:  Not to mention piranhas, killer whales, bees, ants, spiders, even dogs

LS lifts bucket and pours fish guts over MA’s head.

MA:  What the—?

LS (Kicks MA off dock):  Well that’s it for us.  Hope you enjoyed this month’s Cinema Knife Fight. See ya next time, chums.

MA (splashing in water):  You’re taking this Knife Fight bit altogether too seriously!  Now cut it out!

(Huge dorsal fin rises from water and JAWS theme begins.)

MA:  Uh oh.  (Raises cell phone above water and punches numbers)  Hello?  Yes, get me Richard Kiel— fast!

—END—

(First published in the HELLNOTES NEWSLETTER on July 15, 2004)

© Copyright 2004 by Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

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