Takashi Miike

Audition

Director Takashi Miike fashions an explosive drama in Audition. Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) has lived as a widower for too long and decides it's time to marry again. But how will he find a wife? When a friend suggests he hold a fake audition to pick the right woman, he takes him up on it -- only to realize that his choice may be a better actress than he bargained for.

Dead or Alive

Although the Chinese have lived in Japan for centuries, they've never been integrated into Japanese society. This larger conflict underscores the bloody tale of two gangs vying to purchase drugs from a Chinese gang. Honest cop Jojima (Show Aikawa) needs money for his daughter's operation, so he gets a "loan" from the head of a Japanese gang. But when Jojima's partner kills the brother of the leader of the Chinese mafia, a blood feud begins.

Dead or Alive 2

In the second film in director Takashi Miike's Dead or Alive trilogy, Mizuki (Sho Aikawa), a Yakuza gangster, observes a shooting by an enemy assassin and tries to track down the murderer to size up the competition. To Mizuki's surprise, the man turns out to be an old childhood friend, and the two band together and try to return to their childhood home in an effort to escape gangsters who are out to get them.

Dead or Alive Final

Hoping to create an evil society of his own, Woo (Richard Cheung) drugs the entire population of his city with Prozac-infused hormone pills and ships the pregnant women and children off to prison. Woo's biggest follower is Honda (Riki Takeuchi), who fends off a growing underground resistance led by Fon (Terence Yin), his vicious girlfriend Jyun (Josie Ho) and a spunky robot named Ryo (Sho Aikawa), who becomes Honda's greatest challenger.

Fudoh: The New Generation

High schooler Riki Fudoh bears a great psychological burden: His Yakuza kingpin father murdered Riki's brother to settle a business deal. Vowing revenge on his father and the older generation of Yakuza bosses, Riki forms a gang comprised of pre-teen assassins, schoolgirl strippers and other teenage mutants and wages war on the adults. Acclaimed by Time magazine, this movie is based on the manga (Japanese comic) by Hiroshi Tanemara.

Gozu

Minami (Hideki Sone) mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for. …

Kintaro: The White Collar Worker

No matter how hard mobster Kintaro (Tsutomo Yamazaki) tries to go legit, his past finds a way to nip at his heels. But maybe that's not so bad. Now working for a construction company, Kintaro finds that his old tricks come in handy when his new firm is harassed by a large corporation adept at corruption and coercion. But two can play that game, and soon, Kintaro's called upon to tap into his old network to level the playing field.

Ley Lines

Bored with suburban life and looking to pursue their dreams, three Chinese-born teens have no idea how harsh the big city can be until they travel to Tokyo, where their hopes are dashed when a wily prostitute robs them blind. Broke, discouraged and facing racism at every turn, they begin plotting an audacious heist to escape Tokyo for a better life in this final installment of director Takashi Miike's Black Society trilogy.

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka

Two Yakuza mob rings are pitted against each other in an evil fight after one boss is murdered. Determined to avenge their leader's death, the underlings recruit Kunisada (Riki Takeuchi) to help them bring down the enemy group. As tensions begin to rise among all involved, Kunisada uncovers information about the side he's working for that he was not meant to see, leaving him to fend for himself when both sides turn against him.

Rainy Dog

Yuuji (Sho Aikawa), a yakuza who makes his living carrying out assassinations for a local crime boss in Taiwan, is barely scraping by when a woman from his past shows up with some unexpected baggage: his son. But does Yuuji have it in him to be a father? Special features in this second installment of director Takashi Miike's Black Society Trilogy include a full-length feature commentary by Japanese cinema scribe Tom Mes.

Sabu

Takashi Miike (Full Metal Yakuza) directs this powerful action drama, a tale of justice, redemption and survival based on the popular Japanese novel by Shugoro Yamamoto. Locked away inside the Ishikawa Island prison camp for a crime he didn't commit, Eiji (Tatsuya Fujiwara) clings to his innocence and the hope that his faithful friend Sabu (Satoshi Tsumabuki) can work a miracle. Will he ever taste freedom again?

The Bird People in China

This visual allegory of desperation and longing from director Takashi Miike chronicles the adventure of a Japanese businessman sent on a trip to a Chinese village where he discovers a girl with a haunting voice and a secret that allows men to fly. Environmentalism, human value and the perception of wealth are among the themes explored in this soul-searching drama.

MPD Psycho

Traumatized after witnessing the murder of his wife, police detective Kobayashi (Naoki Hosaka) develops multiple personality disorder and assumes a new identity who calls himself Anamiya. In this persona, he tracks down his wife's killer and solves the case. But years later, a series of copycat crimes forces the retired investigator back into the field, and his close personal ties to the case may irreparably damage his delicate mental balance.

Big Bang Love, Juvenile A

Directed by world-renowned filmmaker Takashi Miike and based on the novel by Ato Masaki, this visually stunning tale centers on the tumultuous and passionate relationship between two young gay prisoners inside a juvenile detention center. With outstanding performances from Ryuhei Matsuda and Masanobu Ando, this captivating homoerotic thriller marks another notable entry in the controversial director's considerable oeuvre.

MPD Psycho II

Based on a manga by Eiji Ootsuka, MPD Psycho is a six-episode miniseries directed for Japanese television by cult filmmaker Takashi Miike. Containing the third and fourth episodes of the series, Yousuke Kobayashi, a homicide detective traumatized by the murder of his wife, takes on the identity of shrewd investigator Anamiya Kazuhiko, who tackles cases that baffle ordinary inspectors. Naoki Hosaka, Ren Osugi and Chiaki Kuriyama star.

Izo: Special Edition

In life, Okada Izo was a ruthless samurai swordsman who was recruited and trained as a soldier by a powerful Japanese warlord. But after earning the moniker "Izo the Slaughterer," he was executed for his notorious bloodlust, and his spirit now roams between heaven and hell. Whiling away eternity with his trusty sword in tow, Izo seeks his vengeance the only way he knows how -- by killing every human he encounters.

Three... Extremes

Three Asian masters of horror spin twisted tales in this terrifying trilogy. Hong Kong's Fruit Chan directs "Dumplings," in which an aging actress's obsession with recapturing her youth leads to an unnatural diet. In Korean filmmaker Chan-wook Park's "Cut," a movie extra with a grudge torments a successful director. And in "Box," from Japan's Takashi Miike, sibling rivalry and jealousy reach disturbing new heights.

The Negotiator

Three men have a hospital's patients and staff under siege. As time runs out for the hostages, Inspector Ishida (Hiroshi Mikami) and Capt. Tohno (Mayu Tsuruta) negotiate for their release, while Lt. Ando (Shirô Sano) tries to uncover a motive. But there's more to this crisis than meets the eye. Yôji Tanaka and Masatô Ibu co-star in acclaimed director Takashi Miike's pulse-pounding adaptation of the novel by Takahisa Igarashi.

MPD Psycho III

Detective Kazuhiko Amamiya continues to probe the mysterious bar-code cult in the final two installments of the surreal, six-episode miniseries based on Eiji Ootsuka's manga series. Directed by cult filmmaker Takashi Miike, these tales follow the gumshoe (who suffers from multiple-personality disorder) as he investigates the spontaneous combustion of cult members and attempts to recover his missing child.

Osaka Tough Guys

In cult favorite director Takashi Miike's humorous crime flick, two losers run out of drinking money and have to look for work. When they luck into high-paying jobs that don't require any experience, they take them immediately -- not realizing they've signed up for the yakuza. Soon, they're involved in all kinds of rowdy antics and minor crime. But when their friend is conned into making a hard-core S&M video, they must get serious to help her.

Young Thugs: Innocent Blood

By turns humorous and violent, this action-packed thriller set in Osaka, Japan, tracks three high school delinquents, two of whom fall into Yakuza-style thuggery, while the other takes a low-paying job at a hair salon. When one of the pals drifts into a gauzy romance, and away from his responsibilities, the trio's friendship is tested. Director Takashi Miike's coming-of-age story explores maintaining youthful innocence in an unscrupulous world.

Young Thugs: Nostalgia

In this sequel to Young Thugs: Innocent Blood, Riichi, a resilient sixth-grader, endures seemingly endless battles with local punks. At home, he copes with his overstressed, dysfunctional family. Riichi's innocence quickly erodes en route to an absurd, comical adulthood. Director Takashi Miike's peripatetic camera angles and nonstop action and bloodshed make this thriller an exhilarating ride.

Bodyguard Kiba

When he agrees to become the "Bodyguard of Darkness" and provide protection for the high-profile Soryukai family, karate apprentice Naoto Kiba finds himself in more danger than he's ever been in before. Now, as each day unfolds, he's forced to fight off the evil Ishimine without the aid of any weapons other than his strength, smarts and considerable martial arts skills. But if anyone can keep the Soryukai safe, it's bodyguard Kiba.

Family

Oh, the trials of being a gangster: Members of a small yakuza family are routinely kidnapped, tortured and taunted by rival groups in this action flick from director Takashi Miike. And that means its godfather, Kouichi Iwaki, must constantly seek revenge. Add to the mix Miike's flair for visual trickery, and you have a violent roller-coaster ride through Tokyo's turbulent underworld. Kazuya Kimura, Kase Taishu and Yoko Natsuki also star.

The Great Yokai War

When 10-year-old Tadashi Ino (Ryunosuke Kamiki) stumbles into a spirit war, it's up to him to free the spirit world from the forces of repression in director Takashi Miike's genre-bending fantasy tale. Populated by mod villains, scrap-metal robot monsters and goblins from Japanese folklore, this children's adventure yarn marks a departure from the gory action flicks that have become Miike's stock in trade.

Bodyguard Kiba 2: Combat Apocalypse

Prolific director Takashi Miike (Audition, Dead or Alive) helms this bloody martial arts thriller. When Naoto Kiba (Hisao Maki) takes on a new security job to earn money for the upkeep of his dojo, he unwittingly finds himself matched up against the Soryu-kai -- the most dangerous gang in all of Okinawa. And to make matters worse, Kiba finds himself falling for his client's beautiful girlfriend, Yoko -- also a target of the Soryu-kai.

Graveyard of Honor

When Rikuo Ishimatsu (Goro Kishitani), a simple dishwasher, saves the life of a notorious yakuza boss, he's rewarded with a warm welcome into the criminal fold. Before long, Rikio has become a powerful gangster with several kills to his name. But has he also become a monster in the process? Controversial filmmaker Takashi Miike helms this bloody revamp of cult director Kinji Fukasaku's Japanese classic by the same name.

Zebraman

Bullied by his students and ignored by his family, mousy teacher Shin'ichi Ichikawa (Sho Aikawa) dresses up as Zebraman, a long-ago TV hero, as an escape. But when a UFO crashes outside of town, Ichikawa must come to the rescue for real. Director Takashi Miike reveals whether Ichikawa can pull it off in this black comedy about channeling your inner superhero.

Sukiyaki Western Django

In a strange land where East meets West, two rival gangs -- the Heike Reds and the Genji Whites -- are locked in a deadly feud over a fortune in gold until a lone hero (Hideaki Ito) comes to town, meets the gangs' various victims and tries to restore order. Director Quentin Tarantino guest stars as a gunslinger in this visually stunning spaghetti Western from Japanese cult film director Takashi Miike.

The Happiness of the Katakuris

Horror director Takashi Miike's decidedly nontraditional musical tells the story of the Katakuri clan, innkeepers who live on the depopulated slopes of Mount Fuji and who band together with tuneful Von Trapp-like determination when their guests keep turning up dead. Upon discovery of the first body, reaction shots of each family member are given the full music-video treatment … replete with dry ice and blue light!

The Way to Fight

Dangerous street fighter Kazuyoshi Tamai finds out that his rival, Takeshi, is the leader of a gang responsible for a series of assaults. Kazuyoshi is ready to face off against Takeshi, but comic challenges keep his nemesis out of reach. It's not until years later -- when Kazuyoshi becomes a championship boxer and Takeshi is a pro wrestler -- that they meet again in a battle that pits two combatants with very different fighting styles.

Yakuza Demon

Takashi Miike's dark thriller examines the plight of two brothers, Seiji and Yoshifumi (Riki Takeuchi and Tetsuro Tamba), both of whom work for Mr. Muto, a top-ranked mobster in the Yakuza. Having bonded with their boss, the two are hesitant to support his plans to lead a dangerous project that he was only supposed to finance. So, the brothers concoct a plan that appears to be the ultimate betrayal -- but that's meant to save their boss's life.

Silver

Disguised as a wrestling warrior, heroine Jun Shirogane (Atsuko Sakuraba) goes after the gang that killed her family in Takashi Miike's action-packed thriller. Aided by secret service colleague Yusuke Minamida (Kenji Haga), Jun goes undercover as Silver, a formidable fighter in the professional women's wrestling circuit. But Jun's success in the ring doesn't detract her from her primary mission -- exacting revenge on the Paradise gang.

Andromedia

When teenage Mai Hitomi (Hiroko Shimabukuro) dies in a traffic accident, her scientist father (Tsunehiko Watase) uses his experimental technology -- which logs memory and personality as bits and bytes -- to generate Ai, a virtual version of Mai. But an unethical corporation has evil plans for his handiwork, and soon he and Ai are on the run from some shadowy killers in maverick Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike's offbeat sci-fi flick.

Shinjuku Triad Society

Replete with violence, gore and dark humor -- director Takashi Miike's hallmarks -- this first entry in the Black Society trilogy centers on a win-or-die duel between corrupt cop Tatsuhito Kiriya (Kippei Shiina) and crime kingpin Wang (Tomorowo Taguchi). Livid after learning that his younger brother works as an attorney for the vicious Wang, Kiriya wages an all-out war against his adversary when the lawman's sibling vanishes.

One Missed Call

Possessed cell phones predict their owners' untimely deaths in Takashi Miike's high-tech horror tale. One by one, Yumi's (Kou Shibasaki) friends receive chilling calls on their cell phones from themselves, placed a few days in the future. They listen in horror to their own bizarre deaths, which eventually occur. As Yumi frantically tries to solve the mystery, she uncovers a shocking link between herself and the murders.

Neighbor No. 13: Special Edition

After spending his childhood as the target of playground bullies, Murasaki Juzo (Shun Oguri) grew into a psychologically scarred adult with serious anger issues. So when he discovers that Akai Toru (Hirofumi Arai), the same person who used to torment him as a child, is now living in the apartment above his -- and that he's also his new boss -- something snaps, and he assumes a scary new identity as the vengeful Neighbor No. 13 (Shido Nakamura).

Family 2

Director Takashi Miike brings the popular comic from Shukan Jitsuwa Weekly to the big screen in this high-octane crime thriller. When Hideshi (Kouichi Iwaki) discovers that yakuza boss Mr. Nishiwaki is the one that ordered the hit on the Mitsumikai boss, he uncovers a world of conspiracy and dangerous secrets. With huge explosions, dizzying boat chases and blistering action sequences, Miike ups the ante in this climax to the Family saga.