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Monday, October 7, 2024

25 YEARS OF TAKASHI MIIKE'S AUDITION (1999)!!!

AUDITION (1999) d. Takashi Miike (Japan/S. Korea)




After seven years of mourning and encouraged by his teenage son to find a new wife, widower Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) seeks the advice of a colleague within the film company for which they both work. Together, they hit upon the perfect plan: Staging an audition for actresses, ostensibly for a new feature project, but in reality hoping to find the new ideal woman to share Aoyama’s life. While interviewing a series of candidates, the lonely widower becomes enchanted by Asami (Eihi Shiina), a quiet, young woman, who is immediately responsive to his charms. The two seem to instantly fall for each other, but things take a very dark and twisted turn (or three) as we discover Asami isn't all she seems to be...

One of the titles that launched the international J-horror wave of the early 21st century, Audition (full Blu-ray review HERE) exploded onto the festival circuit to a chorus of awards and praise, catapulting director Takashi Miike into the consciousness of cinephiles around the world and paving the way for future off-kilter offerings as Ichi the Killer, Visitor Q, and The Happiness of the Katakuris.


Playing with temporal constructs and toying with audience genre expectations (it’s a slow burn… but, hey, what’s that bag doing there?) and concluding with one of the most agonizing climaxes in recent memory. (The phrase “Kiri kiri kiri kiri” will haunt your nightmares for weeks.)


Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (John Reskusich, Michelle Kisner, Raul Benitez, Cati Glidewell aka The Blonde in Front, Dominic Conti) as they discuss Miike's exploration of pain, trauma, relationships, and how the film predicted the rise of Tinder!








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