Read the in-depth Agitator article at over at www.midnighteye.com 'Fierce. Nonsensical. Vulgar. Powerful. These are words that could be used to describe Takashi Miike. But without doubt the most essential words are self-assured and clever.'
- Shinya Tsukamoto Audition. Dead or Alive. Ichi the Killer. Visitor Q. These films have amazed, stunned, delighted and shocked audiences the world over, garnering critical acclaim for their Japanese director: Takashi Miike. Seen as one of the most important filmmakers to emerge in Japan in the last twenty years, Takashi Miike has directed 49 feature films and 3 TV series in the space of 11 years. Many of them still unseen outside Japan, Miike's films are marked by a dazzling visual style, brilliant narrative invention and a willingness to go far beyond accepted boundaries. Agitator - The Cinema of Takashi Miike examines each of these titles in-depth, revealing a provocative but remarkably consistent body of work. Illustrated with hundreds of stills, behind-the-scenes pictures and rare photographs from the director's private collection, this is the first ever study devoted entirely to the work of one of the world's most exciting filmmakers. Agitator - The Cinema of Takashi Miike includes: Foreword by film critic/director Makoto ShinozakiChapter 1. The Dirt Bike Kid
Takashi Miike's early years, from his first experiments with frogs and firecrackers at age 3 to getting his first shot at directing 28 years later. With exclusive pictures from Takashi Miike's own collection!Chapter 2. Themes in the work of Takashi MiikeChapter 3. The Video Years (films, 1991-1995)
An in-depth look at his early made-for-video films, from 1991's Eyecatch Junction to 1995's Naniwa Yukyoden.Chapter 4. The Outlaw Director (films, 1995-2002)
Even more in-depth, individual analyses of all Miike films and TV series from 1995's Shinjuku Triad Society to 2002's Deadly Outlaw: Rekka.Chapter 5. Stray Dog
Miike as actor, producer and other non-directorial activities.Chapter 6. Ichi the Killer production diary
Takashi Miike's own diary of his experiences making the notorious Ichi the Killer. Published in English for the first time ever!Chapter 7. 'I can't pretend to know what I'm doing' A career-spanning interview with Takashi Miike.Chapter 8. Filmography
A complete filmography with cast and crew credits, running times, Japanese titles, release info and more.Appendix: DVD Releases
Detailed information on all existing DVD releases of Miike's films, with info on region coding, subtitles, extra features, etc.Afterword by Shinya TsukamotoExhaustive and complete, Agitator - The Cinema of Takashi Miike is destined to become the definitive word on the most talked-about filmmaker of the decade. |
