Movies 65,66 Visitor Q, I Live in Fear

Visitor Q: Takashi Miike here delivers the most over-the-top film I’ve ever seen. Think of the most taboo subjects you can imagine- they’re probably explored graphically in this film. Thankfully it’s so over- the- top and done in such a style that it’s watchable, but only barely. There’s some sort of examination of “reality TV” going on here, but mostly it’s just a festival of perversion. Not really recommended. Here’s a quote I found from Miike that explains some of what he’s all about:

“In today’s Japanese film industry we always say we don’t have enough budget, that people don’t go to see the films. But we can think of it in a positive way, meaning that if audiences don’t go to the cinema we can make any movie we want. After all, no matter what kind of movie you make it’s never a hit, so we can make a really bold, daring movie. There are many talented actors and crew, but many Japanese movies aren’t interesting. Many films are made with the image of what a Japanese film should be like. Some films venture outside those expectations a little bit, but I feel we should break them. ”

I Live in Fear: Kurosawa’s take on cold war era H-Bomb paranoia, Japanese style. Mostly worthwhile for Mifune’s performance. I watched a terrible print so saying anything definitively beyond that is a stretch.

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