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Takashi Miike's Black Society Trilogy Shinjuku Triad Society/Rainy Dog/Ley Lines Takashi Miike Three key early films from Japanese auteur Takashi Miike that show a master director forging a style that would take the world of international cinema by storm. Violent, bleak and fast-paced, the yakuza films that make up the Black Society Trilogy are visual wonders and, while thematically liked, each exists as a complete, stand-alone film. Includes Shinjuku Triad Society (1995, 102 mins.); Rainy Dog (1997, 95 mins.) and Ley Lines (1999, 105 mins.). Three-DVD boxed set is letterboxed and includes a commentary track by author Tom Mes, biographies, filmographies, the original theatrical trailers and more. Japan, 1995/1997/1999, 302 mins. DVD | $54.95
The Takashi Miike Omnibus Takashi Miike A collection of eight violent crime films from Takashi Miike: Shinjuku Triad Society (1995, 102 mins.); Ley Lines (1999, 105 mins.); Rainy Dog (1997, 95 mins.); Full Metal Yakuza (1997, 103 mins.); Young Thugs: Innocent Blood (1997, 107 mins.); Young Thugs: Nostalgia (1998, 93 mins.); Sabu (2002, 122 mins.); and Osaka Tough Guys (2005, 102 mins.). 8-DVD set. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1995-2005, 829 mins. DVD | $89
Takashi Miike's Black Society Trilogy Shinjuku Triad Society/Rainy Dog/Ley Lines Takashi Miike Three key early films from Japanese auteur Takashi Miike that show a master director forging a style that would take the world of international cinema by storm. Violent, bleak and fast-paced, the yakuza films that make up the Black Society Trilogy are visual wonders and, while thematically liked, each exists as a complete, stand-alone film. Includes Shinjuku Triad Society (1995, 102 mins.); Rainy Dog (1997, 95 mins.) and Ley Lines (1999, 105 mins.). Three-DVD boxed set is letterboxed and includes a commentary track by author Tom Mes, biographies, filmographies, the original theatrical trailers and more. Japan, 1995/1997/1999, 302 mins. DVD | $64
Miike Madness 2 (The Bird People in China / Osaka Tough Guys) Takashi Miike Two very different, but equally striking Takashi Miike films for the prices of one. The director finds ways to arrest his viewers with lush cinematography and emotional warmth in The Bird People in China (1998, 118 mins.), an adventure-fantasy about a Japanese salary man sent to investigate a claim of jade in a small Chinese village. Guided by an elderly explorer, he is led on a spiritual adventure that changes his fundamental view of life. The roughs in Osaka Tough Guys (2005, 102 mins.) also embark on an adventure, but there's nothing spiritual about it. When Osaka and Eiji weary of endless stretches of drinking and fighting, they enroll in a yakuza training academy, where they put their manic energy and love of violence to good use. Miike lends his signature verve to an action-comedy that bursts colorfully from the screen. 2-DVD set. Letterboxed. Includes exclusive interviews with Takashi Miike, audio commenties by Tom Mes, original promotional materials, and trailers. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1998/2005, 220 mins. DVD | $44.95
Young Thugs: Innocent Blood / Nostalgia Takashi Miike A double feature of hyperkinetic, blood-red action films from Asian cult icon Takashi Miike. Young Thugs: Innocent Blood (1997, 107 mins.) is a semi-autobiographical tale about three friends navigating the gritty world of organized crime in their first year out of school. The violent and often funny tale of youth gone wild is set against the backdrop of modern Osaka. In Young Thugs: Nostalgia (1998, 93 mins.), Miike continues his exploration of wild youth by focusing on a young adolescent whose dysfunctional home life evokes both violent and comic moments. Miike has called Nostalgia his favorite film. Includes director interview, featurette on Osaka's history and culture, Osaka People featurette, trailers, biographies and filmographies, and 5.1 sound. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1997-1998, 200 mins. DVD | $44.95
Andromedia Takashi Miike Computer technology advances lead to deadly circumstances in this sci-fi/action amalgam from the great Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer). After his daughter's death, a distraught father throws himself into his ongoing research on memory preservation on microchips until he is able to recapture his daughter's essence in a computer. His new discovery prompts interest from a large corporation who will stop at nothing to possess it. The DVD is letterboxed and includes a stills gallery, biographies, film notes by author Tom Mes and a TV spot. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2000, 109 mins. DVD | $37.95
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A Takashi Miike Never one to settle into a genre, cult director Takashi Miike adapts Ikki Kajiwara and Hisao Maki's homoerotic prison novel into an ambiguous drama that keeps audiences at bay with Godardian devices, but invites attention with its visual brilliance. Two new arrivals at a juvenile detention center are drawn together by their different backgrounds. Jun (Ryuhei Matsuda), a young gay man charged with murder, is taken under the wing of Shiro (Masanobu Ando), a tattoo-covered brute with a tormented childhood. Their surreal journey plays out against the very real backdrop of a prison murder investigation. "Big Bang Love joins Gozu and Izo in the Miike pantheon of hard-edged ontological essays pushing the limit of representation" (Nathan Lee, Village Voice). An Official Selection at the Berlin Film Festival. Also known as 46 Oku Nen No Koi, or 4.6 Billions Years of Love. 2-DVD set. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2006, 85 mins. DVD | $44.95
The Bird People in China Takashi Miike Wada, a Japanese salary man, is sent to investigate a claim of jade in a small Chinese village. Guided by an elderly explorer, Chen, he is led on a spiritual adventure that changes his fundamental view of life. Prolific director Takashi Miike takes a sojourn from ultraviolent filmmaking (Ichi The Killer, Fudoh) with this sensitively rendered drama. Rather than dazzling with extreme sex and violence, Miike finds ways to arrest his viewers with lush cinematography and emotional warmth. DVD includes optional English subtitles, and a director interview, commentary by Tom Mes, biographies, filmmographies, promotional material, and trailer. Japan, 1998, 118 mins. DVD | $44.95
Dead or Alive Trilogy Takashi Miike Takashi Miike's three outrageous odes to violence, crime and black humor find a home in this exclusive boxed set. Includes the original Dead or Alive (2000, 104 mins.), which finds a cop caught between the Japanese Yakuza and a group of Chinese gangsters in an intense gang war; Dead or Alive 2 (2000, 97 mins.), where two hitmen team up to pay off their spiritual debts in blood; and the futuristic Dead or Alive Final (2002, 88 mins.), which finds an underground group rebelling against the tyrannical ruler of Yokohama. Three-DVD boxed set. Letterboxed (except Dead or Alive Final). Includes an interview with Miike, optional English subtitles, original theatrical trailers and a trailer gallery. Japan, 2000-2002, 289 mins. DVD | $69.95
Dead or Alive (Unrated Edition) Takashi Miike Step into the warped world of Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer), "one of the most exciting, versatile directors working today" (New York Post). This surreal, high-voltage crime thriller about a cop caught between the Japanese Yakuza and a group of Chinese gangsters in an intense gang war finds Miike at his best, creating a shocking and over-the-top kaleidoscope of ultra violence, sex, drugs and mayhem. "A full-gore gangster story" (San Francisco Examiner). In Japanese with English subtitles. The DVD includes an interview with Miike, optional English subtitles, original theatrical trailers and a trailer gallery. Japan, 2000, 104 mins. DVD | $37.95
Dead or Alive 2 Takashi Miike The second installment in Takashi Miike's Dead or Alive series continues the spree of violence begun in the original, but offers a new story with the same lead actors, Sho Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi. When two rival yakuza hitmen realize that they are long-lost childhood friends, they team up to pay off their spiritual debts by becoming killers-for-hire and donating their money to children's charities. In Japanese with English subtitles. The DVD includes optional English subtitles, the original theatrical trailer and a trailer gallery. Japan, 2000, 97 mins. DVD | $37.95
Dead or Alive Final Takashi Miike Post-apocalyptic Yokohama in the year 2346 is the setting for the bizarre third installment of Takashi Miike's wild Dead or Alive series. Cruel dictator Woo rules the city-state with an iron fist, prohibiting procreation and requiring everyone to take mood-altering birth control pills. When a small band of rebels kidnap the son of Yokohama's top super-cop (Riki Takeuchi), they unleash a barrage of insane revenge. Also stars Show Aikawa. In Japanese with English subtitles. The DVD includes optional English subtitles, the original theatrical trailer and a trailer gallery. Japan, 2002, 88 mins. DVD | $37.95
Deadly Outlaw - Rekka Takashi Miike Takashi Miike (Dead or Alive, Audition) ventures back into the Japanese yakuza underworld to deliver another supreme amalgam of gangster cool, manga-inspired violence and general insanity. Miike regular Riki Takeuchi stars as a hitman looking for the men behind his boss's brutal murder. The truth, however, proves to be closer than expected. Essential viewing for Miike fans. Features a brief cameo by Sonny Chiba. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2002, 96 mins. DVD | $44.95
Demon Pond Takashi Miike Known primarily for his gruesome horror films (Audition; Ichi the Killer), Japanese director Takashi Miike makes forays into almost every genre. With Demon Pond, he crosses mediums, fusing the dazzling fantasy production design of The Great Yokai War with Kabuki aesthetics in order bring Kyoka Izumi's magical play to the stage. Filmed in front of a sold-out audience and featuring a stellar cast (Shinji Takeda, Ryuhei Matsuda, Tetsuro Tamba), this surreal tale concerns a man searching for his long-lost friend. He finds him bound by ritual to a strange village, where he is charged with warding off evil pond creatures. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2006, 130 mins. DVD | $44.95
Fudoh: The New Generation Takashi Miike A highly stylized, extremely violent yakuza film that has earned many fans with its energetic brand of action. Traumatized as a child after witnessing his brother's grisly murder at the hands of his own father, Riki Fudoh grows up hiding his rage and plotting his revenge. Organizing his own yakuza mob to take on his father's, Rikki leads the gangsters of his generation in a brutal war upon the old guard. This is the uncut and uncensored version of the cult favorite. Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1996, 100 mins. DVD | $54.95
Full Metal Yakuza Takashi Miike This rare, straight-to-video excursion from one of Japan's most gifted auteurs was made very fast and for little money, yet still shows a director in full command of his vision and of the exploitation genre. Miike uses familiar territory - the yakuza, cartoonish violence, gore, sex, humor and breakneck pacing - to tell the story of a murdered gangster who is given a second chance at life and revenge when he is revived by a mad scientist and fitted with robotic parts. DVD includes a commentary track by author Tom Mes (Agitator - The Cinema of Takashi Miike); interviews with Miike, editor Yasushi Shimamura and actor Tsuyoshi Ujiki; biographies and filmographies; and more. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1997, 103 mins. DVD | $44.95
Gozu Takashi Miike Takashi Miike blends horror and yakuza genres unlike any other with this shocking wonder. When a hitman is ordered to kill his brother, who is in the middle of an unusual nervous breakdown, both are plunged down a dark path of violence, mother's milk, strange characters, cow-headed beasts and general twisted madness. An incredible film that shows Miike at the top of his form. "The man is a genius! He surpasses Lynch in pure weirdness" (Film Threat). The DVD is letterboxed and includes an audio commentary by Andy Klein and Wade Major, and interview with Miike moderated by Darren Gross and featuring Guillermo Del Toro and Eli Roth, a Cannes featurette, a stills gallery, biographies, and film notes by author Tom Mes. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2003, 129 mins. DVD | $37.95
Graveyard of Honor Takashi Miike Takashi Miike's remake of Kinji Fukasaku's violent yakuza thriller, based on the life of a real mob madman. Rikuo Ishimatsu (Goro Kishitani), a poor dishwasher, saves the life of a yakuza boss and quickly rises through the ranks of the Japanese crime underworld, thanks in large part to his unswerving loyalty and utter brutality. Still, most yakuza adhere to a code of honor. Ishimatsu is not one of those yakuza. "It's raw and it's uncompromising, but it's also thoughtful, deeply emotional and rich in significance" (Tom Mes, Agitator: The Cinema of Takashi Miike). In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2002, 131 mins. DVD | $44.95
The Happiness of the Katakuris Takashi Miike Notorious shock filmmaker Takashi Miike (Audition, Dead or Alive) turns the tables on everyone and directs a musical. The Katakuri family opens a country inn, but all of their guests keep dying! In between stylishly filmed, full-blown song and dance numbers, the family buries the bodies in an attempt to keep the deaths secret. Miike even manages to work in a tender love story, claymation sequences, and a few scares as well. "Reaches cheerfully ludicrous heights to which few films even aspire" (Time Out New York). In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2001, 113 mins DVD | $44.95
Ichi the Killer Takashi Miike Japanese shock auteur Takashi Miike (Audition, Visitor Q) reaches new heights of insanity in this ultra-intense, yet strangely funny, circle of blood and schizophrenic violence. Sporting bleached-blond hair and a pierced and slashed mouth, the young yakuza Kakihara searches for Ichi the Killer, the madman who murdered his master, and dismembers, bludgeons and impales anyone who gets in his way. He also longs for Ichi, hoping that the hypnotized killer can replicate the exquisite pain that he used to receive at the hands of his abusive master. "Pushes visual brutality to a new high" (Almar Haflidason, BBC). The DVD is the uncut, Unrated Special Edition (129-minute version) which is letterboxed, and includes a commentary with Miike and Manga artist/writer Hideo Yamamoto; a photo gallery; trailers; and more. Japan, 2001, 85 mins. DVD - uncut, Unrated Special Edition $37.95
Izo Takashi Miike Samurai warrior Okada Izo (aka "Izo the Slaughterer") was responsible for such unfathomable human carnage that he was crucified for his brutality in the mid nineteenth century. Maverick director Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer) imagines Izo's journey into the afterlife in this grim, bloodsoaked tale of spiritual revenge. "Miike's demonic warrior begins on the cross and reemerges after a montage of humanity's horrors that looks like The History Channel seen through a lava lamp" (Sam Adams, Philadelphia City Paper). 2-DVD set includes director interview, making-of featurette, Secrets of Izo featurette, trailers, and more. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2005, 128 mins. DVD | $44.95
Ley Lines (Nihon Kuroshakai) Takashi Miike The last film in Japanese shock director Takashi Miike's Triad Society Trilogy is a beautifully filmed examination of alienation awash with stylized colors. Miike follows three disaffected Chinese youths living in Japan as they desperately try to better themselves while simultaneously falling into a life of crime. The DVD is letterboxed and includes a commentary by author Tom Mes, biographies, filmographies, interviews, the original trailer and more. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1999, 105 mins. DVD | $44.95
Masters of Horror: Imprint Takashi Miike Originally aired on Showtime, the Masters of Horror series includes 13 hour-long horror films by proven masters of the genre. Imprint is Takashi Miike's (Audition) contribution to the series, and it's the sole entry in the series that was deemed too graphic for cable TV airing. Based on a popular horror novel, Miike's film is set in 19th-century Japan, where an American journalist's search for a lost lover brings him in touch with a deformed prostitute and otherworldly horrors. With Billy Drago, Youki Kudoh, Michie Ito, and Toshi Negishi. In Japanese with English subtitles. USA/Japan, 2006, 60 mins. DVD | $27.95
The Negotiator Takashi Miike Prolific Japanese shock cinema director Takashi Miike (Audition) helms a tense urban thriller about hostage negotiators (Shuhei Ishida and Maiko Tono) who are reassigned after being suspected of having a romantic affair. When Ishida's wife and child become entangled in a hostage crisis, the desperate pro pleads with Tono to help him save his family. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2003, 107 mins. DVD | $44.95
Osaka Tough Guys Takashi Miike When they weary of endless stretches of drinking and fighting, Osaka tough guys Makoto and Eiji enroll in a yakuza training academy, where they put their manic energy and love of violence to good use. Ultra-prolific filmmaker Takashi Miike lends his signature verve to an action-comedy that bursts colorfully from the screen. Includes director interview, biographies and filmographies, and commentary by Japanese film critic Tom Mes. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2005, 102 mins. DVD | $44.95
Sabu Takashi Miike Takashi Miike (Audition, Visitor Q) proves his versatility with this haunting period piece set during the Tokugawa era. Resting his over-the-top kinetics and ultra-violence for the moment, Miike presents a studied adaptation of Shugoro Yamamoto's novel about a young man imprisoned on a penal island for a crime he did not commit. His childhood friend, Sabu, must discover the true criminal before prison life consumes the innocent. The DVD is letterboxed and includes a behind-the-scenes featurette; 2 interviews with Miike; cast interviews; biographies and filmographies; the original theatrical and TV trailers; artwork; original promotional material; and more. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2002, 122 mins. DVD | $44.95
Shinjuku Triad Society Takashi Miike A rare early film from the master of Japanese shock cinema, Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) and the first his of Black Society Trilogy. When rival gangs attempt to take over business run by the Japanese yakuza, blood from both sides flows through the streets. A cop steps in to stop the killings and finds himself in the midst of the chaos. In grandiose Miike fashion, the blood, guts, dark humor and sadistic displays of violence are in top form, signalling the arrival of a new force in Japanese cinema. The DVD is letterboxed and includes a commentary by author Tom Mes, biographies, filmographies, interviews, the original trailer and more. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1995, 102 mins. DVD | $44.95
Silver Takashi Miike Jun is a professional wrestler, who, as a child, was made an orphan by an evil gang calling itself Paradise. Taking the moniker "Silver Jun," she lives only for revenge against this gang using her talents and her blade for some vicious killing as only Takashi Miike can deliver. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1999, 79 mins. DVD | $37.95
Sukiyaki Western Django Takashi Miike If Japanese auteur Takashi Miike is known for anything, it's over-the-top bloodshed and jumping from genre to genre like a schizophrenic chameleon on uppers. This giddy spaghetti eastern is no exception. Hideaki Ito stars as a legendary gunslinger being pulled in a tug of war between two battling clans. Bullets, anachronisms, allusions, wild colors, and even Quentin Tarantino fly in every direction. In English! Japan, 2007, 98 mins. DVD | $44.95
Visitor Q Takashi Miike Takashi Miike surpasses the utter wildness of Dead or Alive and the shocking nature of Audition with this transgressive black comedy about the most dysfunctional of dysfunctional families. Dad is filming a TV documentary about his son's beatings, taking time out to sleep with his prostitute daughter and the corpse of a co-worker. Mom's turning tricks too, when she's not shooting heroin or getting clobbered by her son. Maybe a mysterious visitor who likes to hit Dad with rocks can bring the family together. "Brutal beyond words and brilliantly absurd" (Shock Cinema). Shot on video. Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2001, 84 mins. DVD | $44.95
The Way to Fight Takashi Miike An early entry in the filmography of Japanese cult auteur Takashi Miike, this action-packed film about an ambitious street fighter boasts the graphic violence and hyper-stylized visuals for which Miike is best known. Kazuyoshi Tamai fails in his initial challenge to gang leader Takeshi, a ruthless and brutal thug. Decades later, when Kazuyoshi is again given the opportunity to fight his nemesis, he enters the ring with a determination to bring his foe down. In Japanese with English subtitles. DVD | $37.95
White-Collar Worker Kintaro Takashi Miike Japanese shock-master Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) shows his impressive versatility with this relatively family-friendly, big-screen adaptation of the popular Japanese comic strip and TV show about a roughneck biker's tragic attempts to leave his seedy past behind by taking an everyday office job. When a rival company uses their yakuza connections to take down Kintaro's new employer, he has to use his street smarts and connections to settle the score. Also released as Kintaro, the White Collar Worker. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2000, 110 mins. DVD | $37.95
Yakuza Demon (Kikoku) Takashi Miike Honor, betrayal and kinetic action from Japanese auteur Takahi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer). Miike revisits the yakuza underworld to tell the tale of two gangsters who go to great lengths to protect their boss, whom they both love and respect like a father. Stars Miike regular Riki Takeuchi and Tetsuro Tamba. The DVD is letterboxed and includes film notes by Tom Mes, a stills gallery, biographies and a trailer. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 2003, 100 mins. DVD | $37.95
Young Thugs: Innocent Blood Takashi Miike The rough side of Osaka provides the perfect backdrop for Takashi Mikke to unfold his tale of youth gone wild. Mikke explores the nature of the group dynamic once again as he follows three friends as they try to find their way in the violent world that awaits them after school. The DVD is letterboxed and includes an interview with Miike, the original trailer, biographies and filmographies, and info on Osaka history and culture. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1997, 107 mins. DVD | $44.95
Young Thugs: Nostalgia Takashi Miike The second of Miike's Young Thugs films finds the director continuing his exploration of youth living in Osaka's rough fishing district. Miike focuses on a young boy on the edge of adolescence, whose dysfunctional home life evokes both violent and comic moments. Miike has claimed Young Thugs: Nostalgia to be his favorite film. The DVD is letterboxed and includes an interview with Miike, the original trailer, biographies and filmographies, and info on the people of Osaka. In Japanese with English subtitles. Japan, 1998, 93 mins. DVD | $44.95
