Audition (Oodishon) (V) (JP)
| release date | August 23 2005 |
| studio | Lions Gate Films |
| director | Takashi Miike |
| writer | Ryu Murakami |
| starring | Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki, Jun Kunimura, Renji Ishibashi |
| rating | R |
| tagline | She Always Gets a Part |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
8 Comments
Don’t want to give anything away but wow. What a crazy movie. This is a definite must see flick. The entire time you are lead to believe it is a love story. Then it just becomes really interesting. That’s All I can say, Highly recommended.
Mind blowing, very original. The really scarey part was I was strangely attracted to the woman.
all i can say is wow i loved this movie and it is one of the most original and intence movies i have ever seen everything about this movie is perfection the story,acting,directing,and everthing else just blew my ming and i highly sugest if you love movies that are emotionally straghning than you will love this if i could rate this higher i would
Miike’s most perfect film… so far. (Who knows what will come out of that twisted mind next.) When Miike is involved with 7 different productions in 1999 it is almost unbelievable that this film was one of them. This one will make even the most hardened gore hound wince, maybe even fall in love.
I rented this movie cause of some halloween special with rob zombie talking about it. it was good very creepy and weird. Not scary but it kept me interested until the end. The movie was good and should be watched.
A family classic the whole family can relate too, ladies you know everytime you sit by the phone waiting for your man to call you think back on our Asami…. ok well maybe not, but this is definatly my favorite Takashi Miike film.
I hated this movie. The end was cool , but it wasn’t worth all the boring bullshit for ten minutes of torture. Maybe I was expecting to much because of all the hype. IMO way over rated.
Parts of this movie had me laughing out loud. Other parts had me on the verge of falling asleep. That’s what makes a perfect 10 in our generation?
If this was made by an American director, American released, but with the exact same content, it wouldn’t have gotten half the acclaim it got. But because it was released in Japan, it’s “OMG AMAAZING!!”
The story itself is a pathetic cliché. It’s been used on cartoons before, people. How much more unoriginal can you get? The only difference between this and an episode of SpongeBob is that this has some watered-down torture in the end. And this was infinitely more boring.
Creepy? Slightly. I think the main thing I can compare this to is the American version of The Grudge. This movie has none of the supernaturalism of that movie, but they’re shot in similar style. But Audition is much less creepy and inspired. How does 2 hours of NOTHING happening on screen equal creepy? This isn’t any more horror than walking to your coffee shop at night and making weird noses to creep yourself out. But the latter is much less boring.
Violent? All the violence is a cut-off scene. It doesn’t show any of the “gore”. I’ve literally seen more graphic violence in Star Wars, rated PG.
As long as brainless people acclaim brainless movies like this just because they’re Japanese, true horror isn’t made. You all disappoint me.
I didn’t get this film. It’s exceptionally well-made and directed, and there is a scary scene here and there, but overall…I just didn’t get it. I’m not going to give it a low score just because I didn’t get it, that probably wouldn’t be quite right of a thing to do, but it’s not a perfect film. Still excellent cinema though, and just because I didn’t get it doesn’t mean you won’t, so check it out.
great movie, but slow so if you don’t like that then don’t chek this one out. there are some flaws in the story but still a great watch
awesome
I fucking loved this one too. Awesome gore (acquired taste required) and a strong stomach. I absolutly loved it but the significant other could watch anymore. I loved it….
Director Mike Takashi’s “Audition” is by no means a bad movie; however, it is hardly the gruesome and shocking movie that I had prepared myself for.
The torture scene that the viewer must wait over an hr for really wasn’t ALL that scary, and I was left a bit disappointed.
Maybe after watching “Audtion” featured on Bravos 100 scariest moments (ranked #11), or reading the massive reviews prior to watching the movie; I was expecting more.
However, when all was said and done I didn’t find “Audition” to be all that exciting. The movie itself is decent, if not somewhat slow paced. If your looking to be truly shocked, then I wouldn’t count on “Audition”. The film overall seems to have more “hype” than it does “substance”.
The movie is worth watching, but probably best viewed by an audience who doesn’t know too much about the plot beforehand.
In the case of “Audition”, the less you know the better. Too much information diminishes what is supposed to be a climatic and demented finale……
It’s hard to categorize a movie like “Audtion”. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a horror /thriller movie. I would lean more towards a psychological drama… which I was not expecting going into it. I do have to say that when Asami says “deeper, deeper, deeper” she sounds like a kitten meowing with sadistic glee. I got a kick out of that.
Personally, after watching Audition I would prefer a good old American slasher flick any day; which was exactly what I put on as soon as the movie was over.
Terrifying, shocking, disturbing, psychologically eerie and creepy, although too confusing and incomprehensible to have an overly substantial effect.
I wish I wouldn’t have seen the clips and commentary on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments before I saw this film. Still, I was unnerved and caught myself turning to the wall during the “apartment phone call wait”, and especially the last fifteen minutes. I know this will make me seem slightly femi-nazi; but I can’t help but be delighted with a stereotypically meek and obedient Japanese young woman who has no conscious or regret in her revenge for hurt feelings. It certainly brings up some concern and entertainment on my part, when the guys and I are talking about their new psycho-hose-beast they were planning to blow off…
I have now seen three of Takashi Miike’s films. Ichi the Killer, Visitor Q, and this was the latest. I have to say, this was definately my favorite of the three. Despite my carnal need for gore, which this movie did not have that much of, the gore was executed beautifully in an artful manner. Because of the slow pace of the film, character development was essential in making this such an impactful film. The Score was poignant and subtle which gave the film a very depressing energy. There is not a more effective way to convey true suffering than through a love story, which this film essentially is. At the end of it all, Audition has left me with a strange feeling… this is when I can usually tell the film will also stay with me. This film is not for everyone, as there cannot be any distractions involved. Meaning what you put into the film is what you recieve from it. This is a dramatic horror film, which in my opinion wasn’t intended to scare the audience, but instead coercing the audience into understanding what suffering and torture can mean through different eyes. Not to be missed, I am sorry it took me so long to find this gem.
might be the most disturbing movie ever.
I like miike… I did not like audition. the last 30 minutes were good, the rest… eh.
There is something utterly disturbing about this film. Unlike what some think, it’s not the violence. It’s Asami’s demeanor through those scenes of violence. Something about seeing this very innocent, vulnerable young woman smiling while holding the razor wire is probably the main reason behind what makes this film difficult to watch. The acting was excellent as was Miike’s directing. The violence was…well I expected more based off of the reactions of directors and some friends (one of whom threw up when he saw the film) however, in the end, I was pleased.
One of the most overhyped movies of all time in my opinion. You wait for the build up, and once it comes, it does not live up to the moniker of being one of the most gruesome or brutal movies. Not what it is all cracked up to be.
If you think this movie has excessive gore, forget about it. This is just a story about a lonely man looking for a woman to marry. The 5 minutes of mild gore is not worth watching the whole movie. Worth watching for a love story not a horror movie. If you want to see gore by Miike watch Imprint.
Very crazy. Loved this movie. It messes with your head. I didn’t totally get the ending though.
Great film. Definetly a slow burn on this one. Watch this movie if you appreciate creepy atmosphere, and try and focus on that. It WILL make whatever gore there is powerfull. If you watch this just to see gore. it will let you down.
Visitor Q and Ichi are better.
This movie is not as gory as it is made out to be but it eerie throughout and has an intense ending. It grabbed my attention right from the start and never let go. Definitely worth seeing.
Awesome masterpiece. . .One of the best that I have seen come out of Japan. . .The entire movie builds up to the last 20 minutes of the movie. . .And Trust me, it doesn’t let you down. . .used to have a thing for asian chicks, that kinda went away after the acupuncture scene which was so gruesomely awesome and intensly psychological. . .great film.
This film is demented. If you enjoy torture in movies like the recent Hostels and Saw, then you may be turned on to this film.
This is about an actress trying out for what she does not know is a fake audition being held for a man to meet women. She falls in love with the man, and as the story is unfolding, strange and completely unforseen acts and stories unfold about the young girl that are unimaginable, from vomit being eaten to a body rolling around in a tied sack. The film later focuses on torture, and I love Miikes direction he takes of the up close camera angles of some of the scenes.
Overall I thought this film had a creepy feel to it, especially the footage/flashbacks with the girl prior to the torture scene. There is a lot of slow down time/story telling/flashbacks in this film, and it is subtitled, but other than that, I would recommend this film to anyone looking for some chills and cringing reactions. I would also recommend Imprint, one of Miikes films in the Masters of Horror series.
The only scary movie ever created.
this was boaring until the last scene, a waste of time!
Hard to say anything bad about Audition. Sure it’s a bit slow but it kinda has to be for the ending to have the impact that it does.
Sincerely demented and amazing.
amazing movie. the beginning is a little slow for my taste but Miike still threw in a couple weird parts until the twisted ass ending. all and all its a great movie if you haven’t seen it you should do so
Fantastic execution of a modern day horror film by Takashi Miike. Audition is one of those rare films that bring more to the table than you ever expected. The pacing in this Japanese film is excellent, with some great camera work that adds to the suspense of the film.
Takashi Miike proves himself to be a force to be reckoned with as he brings this horror film to life. The film takes its time developing the important elements and floors you at the end with its violent torture scenes. This is not the usual horror movie its a thinking man’s horror movie which is a breath of fresh air. A definite watch for anyone who likes intellectual stimulation.
Super fucking boring…!!
Except the vomit in the bowl and the oh-so famous torture scene. HUGE disappointment.
That vomit scene is the only scene in any movie I have to look away from, the torture was top notch, but the story did drag a little.
This movie does start out slow but the last 15 mins are worth waiting for.I am a fan of Takashi Miike’s work and this is another one of his good films.
I knew what to expect going in. A slow hourish, then an awesome ending. And that’s basically what I got. It’s a bit slower than the rest of Miike’s stuff, which I didn’t think I would mind that much but I did get rather bored for the first hour and 15 minutes of it. The ending almost made up for it. good, not great, just not my cup of tea.
My 2nd Fave Forign film this is awesome don’t wanna ruin it but the feet lol was kick ass! 8/10
just wait for it, and you’ll be freaked.
Not as bloody as I thought it would be considering all the hype but still satisfies the blood lust. Slow to start but definitely worth watching all the way through.
I have watched this and loved it but I sadly say I still did not understand the movie. At least the ending. Does anyone else have this problem? And does anybody have a way to explain it? It is a good movie though!!
this movie is a very good reason why no one should ever date any Japanese woman unless she has submitted a lengthy psychiatric evaluation!!!!
Slow burn is the perfect way to describe this film.
It starts off like a romantic comedy…but things start to get off-kilter, if only slightly at first, but mroe and more as the film goes on.
Then the phone rings…(y’all know what I’m talking about).
From there it’s a nightmare, it’s absolutely insane, it’s the most excruciating bits of cinema I’ve ever seen. Goosebumps, chills…the only movie I’ve ever looked away at!
It’s a damn good movie too, but if you wanna test yourself on how far into a situation you’re willing to watch before it gets too much…this is the film to do it on.
The Japanese are messed up…judging by this one.
Audition was such a powerful movie.
It was sick and nasty and so great.
Eihi Shiina played terrific as Asami.She was born to play that role. a bit weird towards the end of the movie but wow, what a brutal torture scene.
Audition was a terrific movie and i recommend it to anybody.
A powerful, dark and unique film.
The movie first gets you into the story and characters before rushing into the gore which is good. Then you have some creepy moments and you wonder what is going to happen. Then of course the end scene.
I don’t mind the slow buildup as Miike says you are kept in suspense about what is going to happen (or something like that). You don’t know where it’s going to go.
If you are familiar with Japanese culture then I think you will get more out of this movie, but I enjoyed it, one day I will add it to my collection.
This movie was amazing! It starts out a little slow and doesn’t really feel like a thriller, but at the part where the phone rings, I just got chills! The ending was very creepy!
I finally saw this movie folks and it was bizare and epicly freaky. This is a film that will make you think. A widower is getting back into the dating scene after raising his son alone for many years he does not know what the proper channels are for …dating anymore. So he has his film maker friend have a casting call. Where he finds his patental dream girl who is half his age. He takes this girl out of the town and thinks he has found his dream girl. But much like real life he quickly finds out that she is to good to be true. This is another gem directed by Takashi Miike. The man who film makers like Quinton Tarintino, Eli Roth and Peter Jackson call the ultimate rebal. What I realy liked about this movie is that it didnt leap right on in to the horror. The first hour was all about character development.
I love this film, This was actually my first Miike film and wow, what a introduction to his films.
Like other reviewers have said, its a slow burner, it build and builds both intelligently and emotionally……then introduces a bit of horror here and there, getting creepier and creepier before letting all hell break loose in the last act.
Brilliant film.
Audition is a decent movie with alot of story, character development, background information, twist, and some gore. The story line is intresting and the twist are pretty cool but I saw nothing truly amazing. The gory and “sick” scenes werent really all that. It was intresting to watch but I think the ending , unique and weird as it was, is a bit weak.
really good but not great. The type of movie where i was going in thinking one thing and realized it was something else. Keep watching because the ending is sick
garbage movie, you wait 2 hrs for too see a guy get his foot cut off..What a pile of shit
Beautifully fucked up! The pay off to this slow (very slow) movie is just perfect. Loved every second.
great
The Three Faces of Asami: the ‘Good’ Asami, the ‘Bad’ Asami, & the ‘Real’ Asami
i.e. It’s all psychological
The film doesn’t EVER shows us the real Asami. Neither the submissive girl at the beginning, nor the psychotic fiend at the end is really her. All we are ever seeing is Aoyama’s own perceptions of her in each phase of the relationship; perceptions which are not real but instead are colored by his desires and guilt and then projected onto Asami.
It helps in understanding the meaning of the film if you first understand the symbols used.
Consuming Alcohol represents having a blurred view of reality: The two men are drinking when they discuss their skewed, old-fashioned views of how a woman should behave. Aoyama is drinking when he is reviewing the resumes; spilling directly on Asami’s resume shows that his view of her specifically is unreliable. Also he is usually drinking each time we see him thinking about her. Even just before the torture scene he is drinking, what we are to believe is a poisoned drink, showing that even that view of her is not accurate.
Feet represent adultery or fornication through the metaphor of “running around”. Removing the feet then represents preventing infidelity.
A Tongue represents telling lies, usually; can also be just talking in general.
An Ear represents listening to someone; a missing ear, then, is not hearing what they are saying.
A Finger represents touching; typically physical or sexual abuse, but also may be intimacy.
As the film opens we see Aoyama completely lost in his emotions due to the death of his wife. It is only the appearance of his son that brings him back to stability. In effect, it is his relationship with his son that “saves” him emotionally.
He does not recognize that women have the same feelings that men have. This is indicated by the secretary who keeps announcing that she is leaving to get married, then waits for him to give a reaction that doesn’t come. She’s wanting him to be happy for her, because she has worked for him a long time and cares about what he thinks. But he has never noticed her other than as a worker that’s there to do a job. Her feelings, if she has any, are insignificant. Likewise, in his discussion with his best friend about what kind of girl to choose, he likens it to picking out a car.
We see the father’s attitude towards women also being reflected in his son’s upbringing. Through the image of the son studying dinosaurs we see that the father is teaching his son how to be just as much of an old fossil as he is. At one point the father comments to his son that the son hasn’t had a date in a long time. This isn’t surprising since the son is looking for an old-fashioned girl for himself and that kind of girl is becoming increasingly harder to find. But after the father’s comment the son makes an extra effort an finally finds a “good girl”; a girl who is also studying about “dinosaur-ism”. Upon bringing her home for the father to see, the father signals his approval and the girl gets a “thumbs up”.
After he has been widowed for seven years, it is at last his son who suggests that he enter another emotional relationship. Since his son was once his savior and remains the focus of his life, he has put his son on a pedestal and listens to his advice. Their relationship is not a traditional one where the son always defers to his father; instead the father is submissive to the son, even though it should be the other way around. This is shown when the son tells the father to do the dishes and the father complies; when the son has a guest come over and the father gives up his dinner for the guest; and when the son enters the father’s room without knocking.
Once he decides to look for a new wife and agrees to the ruse of an audition, he starts having feelings of guilt which begin to interfere with his desires; at first subtly, then more pronounced. He expresses several times that he feels like he is doing something wrong and even feels like he’s committing a crime. He’s not a bad man; he doesn’t want to deceive anyone. He also can’t bear the look of his deceased wife from her photo as he peruses the audition resumes. He still feels a sense of commitment to her, even though she’s gone. His guilt is growing both from stepping out on his wife and from holding a sham audition.
Although we never get to see the “real Asami”, we can gather from the dialogue that she was as she said — an aspiring ballerina who had an unhappy childhood and whose career was cut short by a tragic event. But Aoyama never sees the real Asami because he starts projecting onto her his image of the “perfect partner” from the very start. As he reads her resume, her story that her hopes were ended tragically and she now feels dead inside serves to elicit sympathy. As he remembers his own loss he makes her into a tragic heroine. He then falls in love with his created image of her as the “perfect Asami” without ever having met
I love this film.
Freaky and full of quirks.
But the thing is what I dont get is the whole reason why she is like she is and why that guy tortured her. :/ x
Audition is wierd, yet good. I think looking at some of the other user reviews, I didn’t fully appreciate parts of the movie; I can only recall the significantly creepy bits, namely the end.
I put Audition on, expecting to finish watching it either trembling or mentally scarred, based on various websites saying it was one of the most disturbing films ever, however it didn’t quite live up to this, I felt.
Nonetheless, rent it at least. If it came out in ’99 and its still going strong now, its worth it. I’m sure most people will react badly to this film and brand it as disturbing, therefore I recommend that you horror fans see this.
Still deserves an 8/10.
“Audition” is by far Miike’s Best
“Audition”
Recently my film viewing tastes have led me in the direction of exploitive Tokyo Shock films, uber gory, mutilation flicks( what’s wrong with a little mutilation?) with lack of plot, character development and budget. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of the sub-genre, “Torture Porn” foreign madness. But Takashi Miike’s brings all of these elements into the spotlight and so much more, including his twisted masochistic approach to filmmaking. Miike doesn’t disappoint with his 1999 film “Audition”
“Audition” is about Shigehura Aoyama (Ryo Isibushi) a 50′s something man who recently lost his wife. Now seven years later, widowed and left to raise his son Shigehiko alone ( Tetsu Sawaki). At Dinner Shigehiko suggests to his father that he should remarry, they discuss the apparent bespiritment his father is portraying. Shigehura seriously contemplates the idea and shares it with his friend and business colleague Yoshikawa( Jun Kunimura). Yoshikawa devises an idea how they can set up Shigehura with a new wife. Being that they are in the movie industry, Yoshikawa has a script for a film and wants to cast an audition, unbeknownst to the actresses that they are actually auditioning for Shigehura’s hand in marriage. He narrows the exhaustive list of applicants down to a final thirty, the audition begins. The women come in one by one to showcase their abilities, but Shigehura is intrigued by one woman in particular, the 24 year old Asami Yamazuki( Eihi Shiina, Tokyo Gore Police). After continued suggestion from Yoshikawa to steer clear of Asami,( her references don’t check out) he just has a bad feeling about her. Shigehura insists that he knows what he is doing and continues to pursue her. What he doesn’t know is her past is soiled with abuse and torment transforming her into a deeply disturbed individual( a cute one though)- *Spoiler* If only he knew he would have his foot sawed off with a wire saw by her in about an hour….don’t tell anyone I told you…shhh!
“Audition” is a well paced, brilliantly constructed film based on the novel of the same name by Ryu Murakami. The introduction and development of the characters was just enough to make it through unscathed, only to reveal more later in the film to bring everything into perspective. Eihi Shiina is brilliant playing the disturbed Asami, a soft spoken, obedient women looking only to please, but holds dark secrets about her past. She is so creepy, in one scene she is kneeling in an empty room with nothing but a sack tied closed and a telephone. She kneels with her head contorted in a meditative state waiting for Shigehura to call her or vomiting in a dog bowl for her captive to lap up. She seeps creepiness and at this point in the film it seemed like the tide had turned and I was in for the Miike ride.
“Audition” is not even close to some of Takashi Miike’s other films like “Imprint”, with over the top shock. This is a real film, with real suspense , making it more thriller with a little gore, than Horror. Quite frankly the best Miike film I have ever seen(I’ve seen them all). In just under 2 hours,”Audition” is a bit longer than I prefer for the genre, but with Direction that good, the film flows brilliantly. The Miike style is subtle yet apparent .”Audition is Miike at his best, a masterpiece of filmmaking, with that classic Miike style. It displays scenes of masked predictability, when you find you were not even close, but….”that’s life, isn’t it”?
BruceVain
One of my favorite horror movies of all time. A near-perfect suspense that ends with one of the most intense sequences ever put to film.
Can’t recommend it enough.
(Y)
Though I did watch this a little while ago and think I may have missed a large section in the middle it does lead up to the end very well, which did make me want to be sick a little.
Audition is brilliantly scary and f*cked in the head. A little slow for me, but great ending to make up for it. I was cringing.
9/10
Its possibly the finest experiment ever – it takes a simple feel good movie by its neck and chokes and cuts and slivers it to pieces – Some people say that the torture scene does not live up to expectation – bozos- its not the torture, which makes the movie great but ASAMI’s face as she tortures at the end – KIRI KIRI KIRI KIRI – its the most cringe inducing severe slap on Male Chauvunist Pigs – we objectify women and classify them and believe they get done in by our charms but its actually the other way round – Its a pity that Miike could never ever make a movie like this again – many people have seen this movie after hearing abt it – well my Mom saw it with no strings attached and she was completely shattered – this movie is a masterpiece – It cannot be compared and the torture scene- probably the most arousing scene ever- u feel like throwing up and at the same time fuck the brains out Asami in THAT LEATHER DRESS – she simply looks awesome – the glee with which she cuts the guy’s toes – and then piercing him with the needles – KIRI KIRI KIRI KIRI – One Word – Brilliant! Its not boring – the first part simply numbs you to a point of safety where u feel that ur watching a nice sweet love story and then it goes for you juggular.WATCH IT – KINDLY TAKE MY ADVICE – ASAMI IS WAITING TO TREAT U IN WAYS UNIMAGINABLE.The torture scene has become my fav sequence of all times.
Great film unsettling to say the most.
It is based on a Ryu Murakami novel of the same title. Over the years, the film has developed a cult following.
A lonely Japanese widower whose son is planning to move out of the house expresses his sadness to a friend and fellow film producer, who’s inspired to hold an audition for a non-existent film to help the widower find a potential bride from the resulting audition pool. The widower ultimately becomes enamored with and fascinated by one particular very young woman (she looks like his dead wife)…but first impressions can often be horribly wrong. I’m not going to tell what will happen, you have to find out for yourself. This isn’t the typical horror movie but that make this film even better. You will never forget what you’re going to see in the end and which part of it is real or just ….!
It can be dangerous to fall for silent, shy women.
I was so confused through out this movie yet I found myself likeing it too.
Give it a watch and form your own opinion.
Crazy Miike! A lot of people cry about the first hour being too slow and boring. Actually it’s what makes the ending that much more creepy. The slow build to the end is what made this movie, if it had crazy shit going on throughout, the ending would have no impact. If you don’t understand that simple technique of the movie, you will be disappointed. Personally I saw the ending before I saw the movie and loved beyond measure.
This film begins with a father and his young son experiencing their wife/mother die right before his eyes on a hospital bed. Fast forward years later, and the father is still single and quite lonely. He then decides to accept an offer from a friend to hold an “audition” for a possible wife(pretty sweet idea huh?). He quickly falls for a simple, proper young girl who seems to have everything he is looking for.
Like I said, the first half of this film is much like a romantic comedy. The “auditions” have some pretty funny moments from the more hapless contestants they must weed through. Once out lead meets the lady of his dreams we then witness them courting and spending romantic dates together.(pfft! Romance! Gross…)
Then…we start getting to the good stuff. Right away you get the eerie feeling that this girl is not who she seems to be. She seems quite shady, and you can tell she is just too good to be true. Unfortunately for our lonely father, he does not see through the act she is putting on, and falls even deeper in love with her. We are introduced to some pretty creepy scenes involving her sitting eerily by her telephone waiting for “him to call”. Plus the large bag(with obviously something inside of it) that she keeps on her floor is just plain creepy in it’s own right. After more of her creepiness we are finally at the climax of the film, which is pretty damn awesome! It gets pretty brutal from here on out, which is totally expected given this is a Takashi Miike film. You may not realize he is directing this at first(due to the romantic comedy portrayal), but once the gore and brutality kick in, you remember just who is directing this flick.
I really enjoyed the overall feel of this movie. It went from one genre, to an extremely different genre, which I thought was pretty damn neat and somewhat creative(this film is based on a cook so creativity is limited to the author himself). I did like the creepy feel when we begin to witness who this chick really as, as well as the epic climax to this film that I’m sure Takashi Miike was just licking his lips to.
What I didn’t like about this film was that it does have some really confusing scenes. I know the asian horror cinema really loves adding some mind-numbing scenes to their films. Towards the end we are shown our lead having some “flashbacks” that seem almost real, and unlike other films, we are never really shown if they are real or not! That is my main complaint. I don’t mind confusing scenes as long as they make some sense, but these were never explained. I’m sure Takashi Miike knew the background on the scenes and how to decipher them, but we were never shown, and that is somewhat annoying. My second and last complaint about this film is that it is somewhat slow at parts. I remember checking the time elapsed while watching this film and a full hour had already passed without anything overly exciting happening. But, sometimes we must be introduced to boredom to allow for character and story development.
Overall, I really enjoyed this film and would really like to read the book this is based off of. I think this is definitely worth a watch but keep in mind it does get slow at some parts and is not an out right “horror” flick.
A caveat for all those who have read reviews on Audition & think if would fit in nicely with an evening of horror/exploitation…it doesn’t! Its essentially a Jackie Chan style Rom/Com for 1h 40mins until the last 20mins when a brief spat of gore occurs & I’ll be honest, it’s less than exciting.
I’m not saying this film is a write off, however I can’t help but feel it’s genre should be revised…perhaps Thriller at best.
If you fancy a Japanese horror flick, save yourselves from 2hrs of subtitled sausage-fest & watch Grotesque instead
J.Mordum
the long, slow build up to the end is perfectly executed. why? because the ending is a total fucking blast. people who “can’t stand a slow movie” or “i turned it off half way through because it was too slow” shouldn’t be allowed to watch movies. the beginning and middle of this movie is what makes it so good. you understand who the characters are, and WHY things turn out the way they do. movies, especially horror movies, just don’t do much of that anymore. this movie represents the epitome of what all horror movies should be! highly reccomended for those of you who are TRUE fans of the horror genre.
This is so much more than a woman cutting a man’s foot off! This film goes deeper, to new levels of deepness it creates a new layer of the Earth’s crust, deeper than the core and it drills below it! (am I making sense? Probably not)
I’d like to start off by answering the many people who criticise the build up. It is not boring, it is not pointless and it is not pointless. In fact the build up is one of the most clever uses in a film. You see what Miike does is he brings us into a world that seems sweet and uplifting, before shocking us all in the last half hour with unexpected insane spurts of torture and gore. Along with flashbacks that bring us deeper into the characters mind-set.
Consider all this crazyness happening, say 20 minuts thorugh. The effect would go, it would just be another gory slasher film. The build up is what defies it from an ordinary film, to a masterpiece and an absolute classic!
Audition leaves you with an imprint, some scenes won’t shake out your head, and although it wasn’t really that gory, the way it was executed was just so shocking and chilling. Miike has constructed one of the most chilling characters ever. And also one of the most well constructed.
All the characters are layed out and purpseful. I just can’t help but think the film ended too suddenly? It was like it had so much more to give! But I suppose that adds to the fact it has no cliches. You don’t know what’s going to happen and towards the end it becomes so crazy and confusing with the past and present joining together in the same flashback and WHOA! It hurts my head just thinking about it.
But what Audition is, is a masterpiece. It’s a classic within our beloved genre and should remain that way for a very long time!
No where near as good as all the hype makes it out to be.
a brilliant film although it can be slow to get into and sometimes you lose the plot slightly…but still worth a watch, more of a psychological thriller than a horror i feel.
It’s too bad this movie has had so much hype built up around it. As a result, I think it can be disappointing to those expecting a hardcore horror film. However, it’s a great piece of cinema with some awesome twists. The slow-burning tension is expertly raised as it progresses, and the ending is fantastic.
The film could have used a few more actual connectors. Not drug induced- dream state- how would he know- tie ups. It’s still interesting and eerie it just didn’t logically flow.
I agree with the people saying that the slowness of the film was one of the greatest things about it. Believe it or not, the slowness of the movie gave it meaning. Trust me, I thought about turning it of once during it, but I am now extremely glad I stayed through to the end. To be honest, the ending still confuses the living hell out of me. However, it makes the movie even more unforgettable in my mind. This movie is defintely not for everyone, though.
whoa, that is one disturbed chick.
I really like this film. It has all the factors – a too-good-to-be-true creepy girlfriend, some gore and suspense, good acting, great cinematography and a good script. It has that David Lynch weirdness about it. I thought it was very creepy and definitely worth watching.
Just could not get into it.
This movie was a little slow for my liking, but it had a good story line and it made up for it in the end. It had a really eerie feeling to it though, one of the few movies that actually makes me feel uncomfortable to watch. Seven out of ten.
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Japanese auteur Takashi Miike burst into the American consciousness with this 1999 horror film. Miike cranks out the films like no one else by directing a staggering 86 titles over the last 20 years. Films like âeoeAuditionâe , âeoeIchi the Killerâe , âeoeFull Metal Yakuzaâe , and most recently the samurai epic âeoe13 Assassinsâe
âeoeAuditionâe stars Ryo Ishibasahi as a lonely single father who decides to start dating years after the passing of his wife. The way he goes about finding this new love of his life is either brilliant or cold and heartless. One of his friends works for a movie studio and sets up an audition to interview young actresses for a non existent movie. I have to say that Iâe(TM)m no expert on Japanese culture, but the depiction of men and women and their roles in society makes quite a glaring message by Miike. During the audition Ishibashiâe(TM)s character of Aoyama looks like he is shopping for a new car rather that a woman. The last girl interviewed is Asami, a meek an introverted former ballet dancer. She is beautiful, mysterious, and Aoyama quickly becomes obsessed with her. His friend gets some serious negative vibes off her and warns him to go slow and that something is just not right with her, but he ignores him.
Aoyama calls her and they start a respectful relationship. We also get some more background on Asami as we se her in her apartment and there is indeed something not right with her. The film is well paced and intriguing throughout with a climax for the ages. The last half of this film is not for the weak of heart and/or stomach, but really does deliver the goods. Asamiâe(TM)s past is revealed as well as what she does to Aoyama. Asami is her own women who has suffered through some serious tragedy and abuse in her past, but is still extremely disturbed.
There are several DVD editions out there and I would have to recommend the unrated and uncut version to get the full effect that Miike intended. This version is also available through Netflix Streaming. Check it Out!
‘Audition’: One of the most baffling things I’ve seen. It;s not the movie that baffles me, it’s the praise this damn “film” gets. I recently watched it again thinking “hey, maybe I missed something, or I just wasn’t in the mood”. Neither were the case. An hour and fifteen minutes followed by a worthless gross-out torture scene is not a movie, far from it actually. See, the only thing this movie has going for it IS the torture scene, which (aside from the eye segment, yuck) was really pretty tame. You could seriously watch the first act (or less) of this then skip to the last 15 minutes and have the same story you had before. To be honest I’ve never seen anything else form Takashi Miike; this was one of the highly rated films from Miike and I decided that if this is what he has to offer then I’m good.
The film is not just bad in terms of the story, it’s also poorly shot and offers very little in the technical department as well. If it were even well-shot and had some style it’s possible it wouldn’t be so dreadfully boring.
I say if you’re going to see this because everyone says it’s required viewing for any horror film, think twice. It’s hardly a horror film and will seriously make you question your sources. Again, this is not a film. This is an endurance test, and that’s not because it’s disturbing, it’s because it’s a bad film altogether.