I finally watched Ichi the Killer last night. Not nearly as strange as Visitor Q, but one hell of a lot bloodier. In all honesty, I had a little trouble watching some parts of it. For instance...when Kakihara cut off the tip of his tongue? Blech. Or the needles. GAH.

Speaking of which, what is it with Miike and the needles? Remember Asami from Audition?

I digress.

Anyway, I watched the cut version. No nipple slicing in this version. However, you still get to see blood, intestines, and various body parts (including that face that you see sliding down the wall in the trailer I posted last month) flying out of a room and a man slowly peel apart and fall to the floor in two pieces after being sliced straight down the middle by Ichi (not hard to watch at all since it wasn't very realistic).

The movie was actually kind of funny in it's own way. I mean, Ichi is this dangerous killer who kills people while wearing his black rubber costume with blades on the boots, but he has the face of a little boy and spends about half of his screen time in tears. Kakihara is this bleached out yakuza guy who is both an extreme masochist and sadist who likes spearing himself and others with needles.

Now picture this: Ichi is on the roof of a building, curled up and sobbing into the ground. He is lying in two puddles. One is under his face. He is crying so much there is a fairly large waterspot on the ground. The other is a puddle of blood, which is under the foot that has been shot up. Kakihara is poised with two needles and ready to fight, but when Ichi won't stop crying and get up Kakihara kneels down besides him and begins to plead with Ichi in a cajoling voice to please get up and fight. When Ichi still won't get up, Kakihara walks off and sits down and a little boy who look who's father Ichi has just killed begins to kick Ichi. Kakihara now decides that he wants to pierce his eardrums, at which point he closes his eyes and inserts a needle in each ear.

Aaaand yes. And that is what Ichi the Killer was like.

Anyway, I'd been thinking about Visitor Q and realized that the whole thing makes sense in some demented sort of way. Ichi the Killer still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me...especially the ending. I don't get it.

Miike is strange.