Yakuza Apocalypse (2015)

Although he remains as prolific as ever and retains a loyal cult following, there nonetheless seems to be a portion of Takashi Miike’s fanbase who’s response to some of the Japanese madman’s more recent output has been lukewarm, with a feeling that Miike’s later work lacks the bite of his 90’s and early 2000’s classics. Despite films like Lesson of the Evil (2012) and Over Your Dead Body (2014) rendering that mindset somewhat absurd, there is a reasoning behind some of the directions Miike has taken in recent times, namely the various changes in the Japanese film industry. With many new Japanese films the products of filmmaking by committee, investors are looking for the most commercial material possible and its also important to note that that days of V-cinema, the Japanese direct-to-video market, are more or less over, therefore films like Full Metal Yakuza (1997), Visitor Q (2001) and Gozu (2003) simply wouldn’t be greenlit in the current Japanese cinematic ecology. Still, Miike has managed to survive and with the announcement of Yakuza Apocalypse, many fans cheered when Miike himself said “Say good-bye to wimpy and boring Japanese movies. Nobody asked me, but I’ve decided on my own to return to my roots and start a riot!” It was a statement that proved to be fairly accurate with Yakuza Apocalypse being a thoroughly unhinged genre blending sideshow with Miike’s troublemaking ways fully intact.

Kamiura, a highly respected and powerful yakuza boss is confronted by two mysterious members of a larger organized crime syndicate demanding his return. Kamiura refuses and is soon killed, although before dying he reveals his true nature, that of a vampire, to his pupil, Kageyama, biting him and passing on the vampyric curse. Determined to avenge Kamiura’s death, Kageyama, unaware of how to manage his new condition, inadvertently causes an outbreak of vampirism amongst civilians and the criminal underworld which becomes even more on edge with the impending arrival of the ominous Kaeru-kun, known throughout the crime world as the “worlds toughest terrorist”, who’s presence is said to bring about the apocalypse.

Subtitled “The Great War of the Underworld”, Yakuza Apocalypse (Gokudō Daisensō, 極道大戦争) is Miike reveling in his reputation of being a purveyor of the outrageous. Given its melding of multiple genres, particularly horror and comedy, comparisons to The Happiness of the Katikuri’s (2001) are inevitable (sans the musical numbers, although they would have fit right in), plus the films array of surreal situations and offbeat characters are reminiscent of Gozu. The film is rather busy when it comes to its plotline and as a result various story elements become fairly blurry, yet none of that really matters once the film gets going. With so much insanity on display, fuzzy minor plot details are hardly a concern. While there are far too many nutty moments and characters to list them all, some of the highlights include a Django/pilgrim type of yakuza enforcer complete with a coffin backpack, a female yakuza general plagued with a very unusual cranial condition, human/flower hybrids and perhaps most importantly, the character of Kaeru-kun, the so-called “worlds toughest terrorist” is in fact a man in a hilarious giant frog mascot costume with impeccable martial arts skills. Such a sight involved in well choreographed fight scenes is quintessential Miike mischief. Incredibly, the film isn’t all frivolity, with Miike tossing in a slightly romantic subplot involving Kageyama and a woman wounded in the midst of the gang war which makes for some interesting tonal shifts but by and large, lunacy is the order of the day and Miike delivers it in spades.

The film was screened at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Directors Fortnight. Although Miike was not in attendance, he made sure to make a lasting impression as Andrew Pulver of The Guardian noted “Miike, of course, is known for churning out an average of three films a year since the early 90's, and was unable to attend this Cannes screening due to having started work on the next one. However, he did send over an amusing short video message apologising for his absence, in which he appeared in full geisha drag, saying that he had switched professions and would never make violent films again.” Miike has had an interesting history with Cannes. Although made for the video market, Gozu found its way to many worldwide festivals, one of which was Cannes where the film premiered as part of the Directors Fortnight. Miike has returned to Cannes a few times since then, albeit with more conventional fare such as Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011), 13 Assassins (2012) and Shield of Straw (2013) which was in the main competition for the Palm d’Or, even though Miike himself didn’t feel the film should have been, interesting enough. Unlike all those films however, Yakuza Apocalypse is far from being a conventional film and should prove to fans who’s interest in Miike might have waned that Miike’s more mischievous side hasn’t gone anywhere.

Over Your Dead Body (2014)

AKA Kuime (喰女 クイメ )

Given the fact that Takashi Miike’s cinematic output is exhaustively prolific, oftentimes cranking out over 5 films per year (in 2001 alone he managed to turn in 8 feature films and 3 out of those 8 were Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer and The Happiness of the Katakuri’s), its astonishing that Miike somehow managed to find the time to squeeze in a stage play in-between film work. Granted, Miike turned to the stage in 2005 which, by Miike standards was a pretty light year in terms of output, with Miike only helming one feature, The Great Yokai War and several episodes of the Ultraman Max television series, so perhaps its no coincidence it was that year that Miike chose to make his theater debut. The resulting play was Demon Pond, a fantastic Kabuki fable based on Kyōka Izumi's 1913 play of the same name. While the play never traveled outside of Japan, luckily for Miike’s international fan base a performance was filmed and later released on DVD in 2008. Following his return to the horror genre with Lesson of the Evil (2012), Miike once again returned to the genre which he’s proven himself so adept with Over Your Dead Body, an absolutely brilliant example of the art form and a film which also see’s Miike returning somewhat to the world of theater by way of the most famous of all Japanese ghost stories.

Lovers Kousuke and Miyuki (Ko Shibasaki) have been cast as the leads in a stage production of Yotsuya Kaidan, a legendary supernatural tale. Off stage, Miyuki is loyal to Kousuke, however Kousuke is unfaithful and in the midst of an affair with another actress which Miyuki is suspicious of. The longer rehearses for the play go on, the stranger Miyuki’s behavior becomes and soon the plays central themes of betrayal, jealousy and murderous revenge begin to spill over into the actors real lives.

Over Your Dead Body sees Miike fusing the two approaches he tends to gravitate towards in his horror films, the first being mood as seen in the likes of Audition (1999) and One Missed Call (2003) combined with the occasional splash of visceral extremity more akin to a film like Imprint (2006). For the majority of the film, Miike employees the former, establishing a sense of unease from the very start of the film, developing a monumental feeling of dread that is sustained throughout the entire film. The film is an exercise in mood, the epitome of a slow burn with parts of the film being so languid its as if they’re taking place under water which only makes the already off-center tone of the film even more unsettling. What’s more, the central performance from Ko Shibasaki also feel’s slightly alien which couldn’t have been more on point given her characters psyche. Miike also uses sound and editing to their full potential, at times giving the film a Lynch or Roeg type of feel and much like those fellow masters, Miike masterfully plays with the idea of fiction versus the actors reality, with the themes of the play interconnecting with the actors offstage lives. While not an overt bloodbath, when Miike does let the blood flow its certainly memorable with some of the more graphic moments of the film recalling the fetal horrors of Imprint and a sly hat tip to Paul Verhoeven’s The 4th Man (1983) near the end of the film.

The film is also one of Miike’s most visually astonishing, featuring some truly awe-inspiring production design, lighting and costuming, particularly during the scenes of the play’s rehearsal and performance and it can only be assumed that Miike brought with him the tricks he used while constructing the filmed version of Demon Pond. The play, Yotsuya Kaidan, is again quite possibly the most famous ghost story in Japan. Originally written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV in 1825, the story has proven to been a constant source of inspiration over the years in the realm of Japanese horror having been adapted to film well over 30 times with film versions dating back to 1912. How Over Your Dead Body will eventually be ranked alongside other takes on the tale remains to be seen, however some Miike fans have expressed disappointment in the film, the main criticism being that the film is all build-up with very little pay off. Its true that those who go into the film expecting a gonzo horror freakout will probably be disappointed but its crucial to note that with a film like this, much of the pay off IS the build-up. Over Your Dead Body is a stylish, original take on a classic theme and not only one of the finest horror films to come from Miike to date, but just the kind of film modern horror is in desperate need of.