[.ca] Ichi The Killer

c'mon guys:
Anyone who tries to take this film seriously is a fool and they're missing the point. Have you seen Dead Or Alive? Remember the last fifteen minutes of the final showdown and how over the top ridiculous it is? Ichi the Killer is pure entertainment in the same vein filled with scene after scene of gratuitous violence and torture for the sake of shock value. Kind of like those Lucio Fulci zombie flicks from the 70s. Throats slashed, tongues cut off, hot oil, razor sharp needles, the list goes on. The first hour or so focuses more on the violent aspects of the characters and the second hour focuses more on the characters themselves. It could have been a bit better if it did explain more about how the characters became the way they are but it certianly didn't detract from the story: a run-of-the-mill mob revenge flick. The only thing about this film I didn't like was the extreme violence, forced sex and mutilation of women. Perhaps this was a way of expressing how vile these characters really are but it seemed to be the only extreme thing about the movie I felt to be a bit unnecessary. Outside of that a very entertaining film. See this if you're a gore fan.

Ultra Violent Madness, For Better or Worse:
Live Action Anime...yes it is an oxymoron, but it's one way to describe what Director Takashi Miike has done with Ichi the Killer. It's like a live action version of Akira or Ninja Scroll. The film's plot is secondary so I won't dwell on it here, but if you have never seen Miike's films, get ready for a ride through the imagination of a complete mad man. The best part about the film is that Miike and his team are actually outstanding technically, and his sense of humor is both original and in my opinion hilarious. Ichi the Killer is as glossed over and stylized as it is sadistic and violent, and believe me when I say that this film is violent. It's sexually violent content is out of whack as well and alone might earn Ichi an NC-17 stamp but it's violence is so fantastic it almost seems cartoon-like. If you didn't find humor in films like Dead Alive, Robocop, Evil Dead 2 or Kill Bill pass on Ichi, but if you like those films like I do, give Miike a chance, you won't regret it.

Ichi the Killer' is Brutal and somewhat of a Stylish film:
I loved `Audition' by Miike and so I had to see `Ichi.'. While the style is definitely Miike's, I found that I didn't like it quite as much as `Audition.' It is hard to care much about many of the people being tortured because there is no character development in most of them with the exception of Ichi and Kakihara. Kakihara likes to be tortured, but only by those who are the best at inflicting pain. Therefore he is very studied in the art of giving pain and practices this with relish. There is a poor slob in the movie who is tied to a chair and has grossly enlarged needles thrown at his exposed face and who knows what else is done to him before they get the idea to cut his unmentionables into several ribbons with a pair of scissors. While there was little to no character development with this man it is hard not to be sympathetic to his plight. I felt a large rush of horror even though I am a female. Ichi is interesting and has a strangely boyish face for one who is so unbalanced and capable of massive human destruction. It is hard not to feel sympathy for him as well because he is manipulated and used by someone who engages in mentally torturing him to achieve his ends. This film is not just a straight forward slasher as many critics have said - it grabs you from many different angles and keeps the brain ticking away throughout. One minute you're laughing your head off, and the next you're trying your hardest not to look away. Then two minutes later you're deep in thought giving both the main leads a good psychological going over. At the end of the film we get some mixed up mental messages and have to decide what to do with this information-Miike's trademark as far as I can tell. Whilst there are people out there who will absolutely hate this film and find themselves trying not to vomit, those of you who can take some comic book ultra violence and have a slightly darker sense of humour and are as curious as I am can defiantly check this title out.

Psychologically a good study... otherwise, pretty bad.:
For the name of the movie "Ichi the Killer"... that's not Ichi on the front cover. That's Kakihara (a completely insane member of the Anjo gang who REALLY enjoys inflicting and recieving pain). Psychologically, this movie covers a lot of the most base of human desire. The stuff nobody really wants to see in themselves if they're halfway balanced. This film also glorifies violence against women, torture, dismeboweling, amputation and more... It sprays more blood than "Kill Bill"; and then takes it a step further with Kakihara using skewers, hooks and scissors to torture his victims as he searches for "The Boss". I'm glad I watched it, but not so thrilled I'm going to watch it again anytime soon. The plot had a lot of potential if they would have stepped back from the massive amounts of violence long enough to actually explain why several characters are the way they are. Ichi (which is Japanese for "one", and explains the "1" on the back of his suit) is almost like what would happen if a superhero went completely insane... it does explain around how Ichi became what he is, but all in all, it doesn't do it so well you feel anything for him as a character except that he has issues... a LOT of issues. Kakihara is a sado-masochist who happens to be the most interesting character in the movie... but it still wasn't enough to really save this movie in my opinion. I'd probably suggest renting this one...

Content Vs. Packaging Gimmick:
PACKAGING: While the idea of a floppy, gross medical blood bag containing the two (excellent) disks is a whimsical and charming come on for this release, the concept as it stands has been unwisely executed. To begin with, I don't know if i want my disks sliding in and out against a sticky rubber sheet all the time, just for the sake of disk wear and tear, yeah? Also, the first time you try to extricate your disks, they are nearly impossible to pry out because the soft rubber has taken root, depending on how long it's been sitting on the shelf. Not to mention, the openings are about a smidgen too narrow, so you always have to fight with it, which is difficult when trying not to make contact with the play surface. I'd say it's near impossible to remove them without ending up with at least a couple of superficial marks on the disks. It's the least practical design I've ever seen. The blood bag also slides right into a clear hard plastic slip case, which matches up with the dimensions of your other dvds on the shelf. Graphically, its a beautiful sight, and even the bloodbag being virtually functionless doesnt diminish its splendor. What they should have done is put a little snap on the case and had it act like more of a flap than a sleeve, or just lined the pouches with a softer material other than sticky soft rubber. Really stupid execution Tokyo Shock (I still love you tough). Remember that Total Recall dvd they released in the round Mars shaped chocolate tin with the soft red sponge inside? That was perfect. CONTENT: As for the content, it's great. I haven't really had a chance to examine the two versions side by each (I already own the original single disk media blasters release which came with the T Shirt), but the transfer seems to have been improved for this release, it looks perfectly balanced and sharp. The feature disk also includes a forward by annoying, shallow fan boy Eli Roth, who once again repeats stuff that others have said more eloquently and intelligently. If you own any other previous Miike film on dvd, you will have heard everything he has to say several times over already. The second disk is loaded with all the special features I could have wanted, mainly a "Making Of" documentary, and interviews with the cast (Shinya Tsukamoto is endlessly interesting). There's a "Cult of Ichi featurette as well, where a number of people from many walks of life (who all frequent horror film conventions apparently, not that theres anything wrong with that), mull over the qualities and influence and importance of Miike and his awesome cult behemoth known as Ichi The Killer. OVERALL: Get it, while you still can. Its collectible, its awesome, its a definitive presentation of a very mean, soul eating film. I dont consider it to be Miikes best, but its probably the most fun of his masterpieces. Just have a couple of those paper disk sleeves to transfer your dvds into after wrestling them from the packaging, and just keep them in behind the blood pack. DVD gets 4 on 5 (would have been a perfect score had it not been for the packaging)