Takashi Miike
If Takashi Miike had his way, his biography would be rife with violence that would make the reader squeamish and depictions of the world that would raise questions about the potential goodness of man. The Japanese filmmaker made a living depicting unsettling images of ultra violence on film, whether through theatrical movies or direct-to-video V-Cinema productions. While he occasionally broke that mold in other genres, Miike's work focused on violence and sexual perversions, all presented in an over-the-top manner equally unsettling and cartoonish. Born in Osaka, Japan, Miike grew up in the '60s and '70s, mostly dreaming of racing motorbikes instead of filmmaking. When he was ready to head off to university, he settled on attending the Yokohama Vocational School of Broadcast and Film, primarily because there wasn't an entrance exam. He found himself making use of his time under the tutelage of celebrated Japanese filmmaker Shohei Imamura. It took him quite a while, as he continued to rebel and skip classes far too often, but after his tenure at Yokohama, he moved onto creating direct-to-video films in the 1990s that were a part of the V-Cinema craze. V-Cinema were known for allowing filmmakers more freedom, which let Miike let his hair down and hone his controversial skill and talent for off-color and risky content such as "A Human Murder Weapon" (1992) and "Bodyguard Kiba" (1993). After about a dozen direct-to-video productions over a span of four years, Miike made his theatrical debut with "Shinjuku Triad Society" (1995), which helped Miike put his stamp on the world of film, as his debut featured extreme violence and just an overall level of weirdness that no one else was really doing at the time. "Shinjuku Triad Society" was the start of his Black Triad trilogy, a series of films that all involved the yakuza and Triads. He continued to work in the V-Cinema space over the next few years, as he finished off his Black Triad trilogy with "Rainy Dog" (1997) and "Ley Lines" (1999). He expanded his international profile with two more films, including the psychological horror movie "Audition" (1999) that was known for the high amount of audience walk-outs during its showcase at numerous film festivals. His next trilogy drew more attention when it kicked off with "Dead or Alive" (1999), which garnered a United States release. Once again, he focused on the Triads and yakuza in an ultra-violent affair, drawing ire at film festivals. The final part of his own unlabelled trilogy of audience walk-outs, Miike adapted the manga "Ichi the Killer" (2001) into a highly controversial and extremely violent film. The movie was outright rejected by many ratings boards, and once again, was widely derided at film festivals for its extreme content. While his star was cast as an overly violent auteur, Miike made more than just offensive, violent films. He regularly dove into other genres, such as the light-hearted drama "Salaryman Kintaro" (1999) or the kids movies "Zebraman" (2004) and "The Great Yokai War" (2005). He continued to seemingly alternate between family-friendly content and his more renowned violence on a whim. The samurai epics "Thirteen Assassins" (2010) and "Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai" (2011) were two of his acclaimed works during this period. But even with the more adult content of those two films, he still had a hand in the world of more light-hearted anime and children's films, creating "Yatterman" (2009), "Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City" (2010), and even the video game adaptation "Ace Attorney" (2012).
Photos
Takashi Miike
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
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No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Chain Reactions | Self | - | 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Midnight | Director | - | 2024 |
67% |
|
Lumberjack the Monster | Director | - | 2023 |
86% | No Score Yet | The Great Yokai War: Guardians | Director | - | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Theatrical Version Police X Warrior Love Patrina! Challenge from a Phantom Thief! Let's Tie Up with Love! | Director | - | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Mole Song: Final |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Secret x Heroine Phantomirage the Movie ~Getting the Forbitten Heart on the Movie~ | Director | - | 2020 |
98% |
|
First Love | Director | $218.3K | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | That Moment, My Heart Cried | Director | - | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | First Love | Director | - | 2019 |
No Score Yet |
|
Ichi the Killer: Definitive Remastered Edition | Director | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laplace's Witch | Director | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet |
|
Laplace's Witch (Rapurasu no majo) | Director | - | 2018 |
100% |
|
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1 | Director | - | 2017 |
87% |
|
Blade of the Immortal | Director | $149.2K | 2017 |
No Score Yet |
|
Terra Formars | Director | - | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Mole Song: Hong Kong Capriccio | Director | - | 2016 |
62% |
|
Yakuza Apocalypse | Director | - | 2015 |
57% |
|
As the Gods Will | Director | - | 2014 |
56% |
|
Over Your Dead Body | Director | - | 2014 |
45% |
|
Wara no tate (Shield of Straw) | Director | - | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji | Director | - | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Shield of Straw | Director | - | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
Ace Attorney | Director | - | 2012 |
No Score Yet |
|
Ai to makoto (The Legend of Love & Sincerity) | Director | - | 2012 |
No Score Yet |
|
Lesson of the Evil |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 2012 |
76% |
|
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai | Director | $60.2K | 2011 |
No Score Yet |
|
Ninja Kids! | Director | - | 2011 |
No Score Yet |
|
Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City | Director | - | 2010 |
95% |
|
13 Assassins | Director | $802.5K | 2010 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 13 assasins | Director | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
Crows Zero II | Director | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
Yatterman | Director | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
|
God's Puzzle (Kamisama no pazuru) | Director | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | God's Puzzle | Director | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
|
Like a Dragon | Director | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
Crows: Episode 0 | Director | - | 2007 |
56% |
|
Sukiyaki Western Django |
Director, Writer |
$48.0K | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
Detective Story | Director | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Big Bang Love Juvenile | Director | - | 2006 |
No Score Yet |
|
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A (46-okunen no koi) | Director | - | 2006 |
11% |
|
The Neighbor No. Thirteen | Kaneda (Character) | - | 2005 |
No Score Yet |
|
Demon Pond | Director | - | 2005 |
74% |
|
The Great Yokai War | Director | - | 2005 |
85% |
|
Three... Extremes | Director | $75.8K | 2005 |
57% |
|
Zebraman | Director | - | 2004 |
33% |
|
Izo | Director | - | 2004 |
46% |
|
One Missed Call | Director | - | 2004 |
71% |
|
Gozu | Director | $54.4K | 2003 |
90% |
|
Last Life in the Universe | Yakuza (Character) | $31.7K | 2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Man in White | Director | - | 2003 |
No Score Yet |
|
Yakuza Demon | Director | - | 2003 |
No Score Yet |
|
Graveyard of Honor | Director | - | 2002 |
42% |
|
Dead or Alive: Final | Director | $1.8K | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Shangri-La | Director | - | 2002 |
No Score Yet |
|
Koroshiya 1: The Animation Episode 0 | Unknown (Character) | - | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sabu | Director | - | 2002 |
No Score Yet |
|
Deadly Outlaw: Rekka | Director | - | 2002 |
63% |
|
Ichi the Killer | Director | - | 2001 |
69% |
|
The Happiness of the Katakuris | Director | - | 2001 |
60% |
|
Visitor Q | Director | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Guys From Paradise | Director | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Family | Director | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Agitator |
Shinozaki (Character), Director |
- | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Araburu tamashii-tachi (Agitator) (The Outlaw Souls) | Director | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Family 2 | Director | - | 2001 |
100% |
|
Dead or Alive 2: Birds | Director | - | 2000 |
54% |
|
The City of Lost Souls | Director | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Multiple Personality Detective Psycho - Kazuhiko Amamiya Returns | Director | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Japan Underworld | Director | - | 1999 |
55% |
|
Dead or Alive | Director | $3.8K | 1999 |
83% |
|
Audition | Director | $110.8K | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Silver | Director | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Salaryman Kintarō | Director | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Andromedia | Director | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Bird People in China | Director | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Young Thugs: Nostalgia | Director | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Blues Harp | Director | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rainy Dog | Director | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Young Thugs: Innocent Blood | Director | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Young Thugs: Innocent Blood | Director | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ambition Without Honor 2 | Director | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet |
|
Gokudô kuroshakai (Criminal Underworld: Rainy Dog) | Director | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet |
|
Kishiwada Shônen Gurentai: Chikemuri Junjô-Hen (Young Thugs: Innocent Blood) | Director | - | 1997 |
100% |
|
Fudoh: The New Generation | Director | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
Shinjuku Triad Society | Director | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
Bodyguard Kiba 2: Apocalypse of Carnage | Director | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Third Yakuza | Director | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Third Yakuza 2 | Director | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bodyguard Kiba | Director | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Oretachi wa tenshi ja nai 2 | Director | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Oretachi wa tenshi ja nai | Director | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Last Run: 100 Million Ten's Worth of Love & Betrayal | Director | - | 1991 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
100% | 79% | Onimusha | Director | 2023 |
86% | 79% | Connect | Director | 2022 |
63% | 80% | Masters of Horror | Director | 2006 |