Takashi Miike

Takashi Miike is a well-recognized screenwriter, film producer, and filmmaker, directing more than 100 video, television, and theatrical productions ever since his fateful debut in 1990. His movies span across a broad array of genres, from bizarreness and violence to family-friendly and drama movies. Despite his success, some people view Takashi Miike as a somewhat controversial person in the Japanese contemporary cinema industry, and some of his movies are often criticized for extremely graphic violence.

Miike's very first pictures were mostly television productions, though, during this period, he also started directing some V-cinema direct-video releases. Thanks to the freedom offered by such productions, he still directs them even after he has achieved national success. These movies suffer from much less censorship and can air some riskier content than conventional movies.

Miike's very first theatrical debut only came in 1995 through the two movies Daisan no Gokudo (The Third Gangster) and Shinjuku Triad Society - the latter successfully gained attention from the general public. Both movies presented his very extreme styles, as well as some recurring themes, whose success allowed the director to participate in higher-budgeted projects.

Shinjuku Triad Society is the first movie in Miike's "Black Trilogy", a series that also features Ley Lines (1998) and Rainy Dogs (1996), nominated for a lot of awards at international festivals.

Born: 1960

Notable works: Shinjuku Triad Society, 13 Assassins, Ichi The Killer