so far I've seen Kill Bill Vol. I twice, and I don't have the enthusiasm for it that many, many people do. I wonder, would Tarantino's movie get all the adulation if it came out of Japan directed by an unknown Japanese filmmaker? Tarantino admittedly made the movie as an homage to grindhouse cinema. as an avowed nut of trash cinema I think he gets it partly right. there are some good set pieces in the film, such as the final blowdown between The Bride and O-Ren Ishii, but the cartoonish nature of the flick, ya know the siren calls on the soundtrack when The Bride gets something stuck in her craw, quickly gets on my nerves.

would people applaud the ultraviolence of another flick by another director, or does Tarantino have such a rep that he can film someone taking a dookie to critical acclaim? don't get me wrong I like the dude's work for the most part but last night I watched a film that outdoes Tarantino frame by frame.

Ichi The Killer directed by Takashi Miike is an inventive roller-coaster of a flick. from the opening scene to the beguiling ending Miike transports the viewer to a world of no boundaries, ethics or morals. the story is nearly the same as Tarantino's movie, but predates Kill Bill Vol. I by two years. I have the impression the U.S. filmmaker got a few ideas from Miike.

most people I know who love Tarantino's movies never heard of Miike or his work. I've not seen Ichi The Killer on the shelves of the local Blockbuster either. small matter though, but I wonder would people condemn Miike as being too violent and still celebrate Tarantino's visions?

but to my tastes Miike is the better filmmaker. I've seen three of his films so far, the austere Audition and the goofy Dadaist The Happiness of the Katakuris including Ichi. Miike is a nutball filmmaker. I can't get his images out of my head.