Takashi Miike’s latest film, the gonzo yakuza thriller First Love, is in theaters from September 27 through Well Go USA. Miike’s first films were made direct-to-video in the V-cinema system, which was a way for Japanese studios to develop young filmmakers without using big budgets. A fierce filmmaker, Miike immediately became known for his energetic style and began to explore new genres and accelerate his output. He has since directed more than 100 features between the late ’90s and 2019. In his work, Miike can be seen perverting the Yakusa Eiga (mafia genre), as well as the burlesque comedy (Yatterman), the intimate drama (Visitor Q), the Western (Sukiyaki Western Django), the horror film (One Missed Call), the manga adaptation (Crows Zero 1 and 2, Ichi The Killer, Terra Formars), Tokusatsu Japanese-style super hero movies (Zebraman) and the action genre (Dead or Alive 1, 2, 3). Miike expresses the “do it yourself” attitude of punk culture in his films. After being saluted by Quentin Tarantino, his 2000 film Audition became critically acclaimed in the West.
