Letterboxd — Your life in film

So I was thinking no way Miike tops that absolutely bonkers opening. But he did and how.

Film School Dropouts: A film directed by Victor Sjöström or Seastrom if you prefer.

The first Lon Chaney film I've ever seen. I know understand why the man still enjoys such legendary status even to this day. The amount of pathos and tragedy he brings to this character is remarkable. The first and major circus scene is nearly unbearable as we see him reliving his initial tragic humiliation for the enjoyment of others night after night.

The railway keeps on going
To towns far, far away

A brilliant close to the Black Society Trilogy. That final shot over the water with the boat receding further and further into the distance is mwah *chef's kiss*

Included on the Arrow Blu Ray of Crash.

Fuck. This feels uncomfortably relevant and pointed right now.

Included on the Arrow Blu Ray of Crash.

Yeah but why was it shot that way? I found it very distracting and the film calling attention to it only made the distraction worse.

Included on the Arrow Blu Ray of Crash.

Always (boring)

Included on the Arrow Blu Ray of Crash.

Incredibly bare bones adaptation that actually preceeds Cronenberg's version by some years. Shot in black and white and with a score vaguely reminiscent of Tetsuo.

Included on the Arrow Blu Ray of Crash.

Ballard's early ruminations on the subject of automobiles and their fetishisation. Act's as an uneasy companion piece to Cronenberg's film and is in it's own way more troubling and unsettling.

There's a reason why I don't drive.

This is probably the most mature and least absurd/surreal film I've seen from Miike and I absolutely love it. I'm a sucker for an animal in a film so more of the dog would've been great.

This lacks the polish of the work he would end the 90s with and not quite reaching the same depths of depravity and violence that Miike is also known for. But for his theatrical feature Miike left a helluva calling card.

Some of the earlier scenes, especially those at the Space Research Centre, drag on a bit. But once we get into the action scenes this film really shines. The battle scenes on the moon and the dogfights are superbly done. Plus the score by Akira Ikufube is consistently excellent throughout.