ACF 994: Miike's 13 Assassins to open in selected cities on April 29th, 2011

13 Assassins / Jûsan-nin no shikaku
Directed by Takashi Miike
Japan, 2010, 126 minutes
Japanese with English Subtitles

Numbers have featured prominently, at least in the English versions, of several Japanese sworplay films. Most notable of course is Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954). Eiichi Kudo's The Thirteen Assassins came out in 1963, and was followed the next year by Hideo Gosha's Three Outlaw Samurai. Starting this coming Friday, in select cities, comes prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins, his version of Kudo's original. For the complete schedule of cities and opening dates, click here.

Sir Doi (Mikijiro Hira, left) and
Shinzaemon Shimada (Koji Yakusho, right)

Set in 1844 the year after Commodore Matthew Perry anchored his four black ships at Tokyo Bay and "opened" Japan to the West, the film centers on the need for Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Goro Inagaki), the shogun's half-brother, to be assassinated. Such words as sick, sadistic and depraved don't quite suffice to describe him. His mad behavior is totally off the charts.

Sir Doi (Mikijiro Hira), a top shogun official, entrusts leading this mission, which must be done as what would today be called a "black op," to Shinzaemon Shimada (Koji Yakusho). A group of twelve set off to ambush Matsudaira and his nearly 300 men. On the way, the group is enlarged by a vagabond named Koyata (Yusuke Iseya), who guides them through a forest and brings their number up to thirteen.

With the odds highly stacked against them, the group decides to attack their target in a village along the route he must take. They employ the villagers, who leave as the confrontation is about to begin, to construct various sliding barricades that will keep the enemy trapped within. The result is a fantastic and protracted set-piece that has the vastly outnumbered assassins set about whittling down their opposition.

The international release time is 126 minutes, 15 minutes shorter than the 141 minute length of the original Japanese release. Although I've only seen the slightly shorter version, I don't think the film has at all suffered from the edits. Must say, though, that I do hope that when the DVD is issued that it will include both versions.

Miike's 13 Assassins is a terrific watch , a definite must see if slicin' 'n' dicin' are at all your thing. It gets a 3.5 out of 4 star ACF rating, very highly recommended.

13 ASSASSINS is a Magnet Release.
All photos courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

ACF 916: Takashi Miike film series coming to Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater

A scene from Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins
Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing

Shinjuku Outlaw: 13 From Takashi Miike
When: Mar. 16 - Mar. 20
Tickets go on sale Thursday, March 3!
Where: The Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater
65th Street near Amsterdam Avenue
West of the 66th Street #1 Subway stop at Broadway

On the eve of the release of his all-star samurai epic 13 Assassins, The Film Society and Subway Cinema are proud to present New York’s first major, in-person retrospective of genre-hopping master of cinema Takashi Miike.

The prolific Japanese filmmaker first smashed his way into the American consciousness in 2001 with Audition and Ichi the Killer, heralding a wave of “Asian Extreme” sex- and violence-crammed titles. But over 80 films later, Miike has outlasted all attempts to pigeonhole him as a cult director. Featuring everything from major hits to legendary rarities never before screened here.

Miike in person for rare U.S. appearance at multiple screenings!

For more info at the Film Society of Lincoln Center website, click here.

ACF 597: Let The 'Fest Begin!!!!!

A scene from Takashi Miike's Yatterman

The ninth New York Asian Film Festival begins today at 3:00 PM with a screening of Yatterman at The Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater.

Complete NYAFF 2010 schedule here.

ACF 217: Takashi Miike at Japan Society on Saturday, February 7th, 2009

Tadanobu Asano as Kakihara in Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer

In conjunction with the screening of Yatterman, his newest film, at this coming weekend's NY Comic-Con, prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike will be talking about his filmmaking at Japan Society this Saturday. The talk, which will be translated into English, will take place at 2:00 PM.

I've been a big fan ever since I saw Ichi the Killer, Miike's 2001 Yakuza splatter-fest, at Lincoln Center several years ago. (Previously I had seen his Fudoh: The New Generation, 1996, on VHS, but hadn't noted his name.)

In the 15th Anniversary Issue of Asian Cult Cinema magazine (1st quarter 2008), Ichi ranked #1 in the ACC Readers' Poll of Guilty Pleasures. Here's the Japan Society info about Miike's upcoming appearance:

From the gory horror of Audition (1999) to the spaghetti western parody Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) to the musical comedy The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001), Japan’s busiest film director Takashi Miike has made over 50 films in the widest range of possible genres. His razor-sharp, most absurd and yet entertaining style of filmmaking makes him one of the most distinctive directors working today, and this has brought a whole new type of international, enthusiastic, young followers to contemporary Japanese films. In this incisive afternoon, Miike will speak in depth on his filmmaking behind-the scenes.

A reception will follow.

Born in Osaka in 1960, Takashi Miike graduated from the Japan Academy of Moving Images in Yokohama. After assisting directors such as Shohei Imamura and Hideo Onchi, he directed a number of Yakuza movies on video and made a theatrical feature debut with Shinjuku Triad Society in 1995. His filmography includes more than 50 films to date, and the latest film Yatterman is being released in Japan in March.

Tickets:$11/$7 Japan Society members, seniors & students.

Purchase tickets online or call the box office at 212.715.1258.

Japan Society is located 333 East 47th Street at First Avenue, NYC.

ACF 207: Takashi Miike's Yatterman to have World Premiere at NY Comic-Con

Takashi Miike's newest film will have it's world premiere at the upcoming New York Comic Convention, February 6-8, 2009, at the Jacob Javits Center. Yatterman is based on Tatsuo Yoshida's '70s anime´ series. Like two of Miike's previous movies, The Great Yokai War and Zebraman, it is intended as entertainment for the whole family.

Miike will be a Guest of Honor at the event and Sho Sakurai, the film's star, will be a Special Guest. The film will be shown twice (once Friday and once Saturday), there will be a Red Carpet walk, an onstage discussion about their careers, and a Q&A.

Kyoko Fukada, who stars as Doronjo, is said to have had input into the design of her costume. Whoever is responsible, she sure looks fine! In the shot below she's pictured with her co-villains Boyacky (Katsushisa Namase) and Tonzra (Kendo Kobayashi), though I'm not sure which one is which in the foto. The trio seek a clue to the location of the world's largest gold deposit.

I'm already registered for Comic-Con and am so totally looking forward to seeing Miike in person and checking out Yatterman. It's his biggest and most expensive movie yet, and it's got robots & mecha, & a babe in a bondage outfit! How can it miss! Look here for coverage during the weekend of the fete and/or shortly thereafter.

Read about Miike and Yatterman @ Subway Cinema News. (Look for the January 21st, 2009 entry.)

Read about the upcoming Yatterman Premiere in NYC @ Grady Hendrix's Kaiju Shakedown.

Read about Miike's interest in bondage costumes for female characters, including Kyoko Fukada @ Grady Hendrix's Kaiju Shakedown.

Read about Kyoko Fukada and her Yatterman costume @ japantoday.com.