Based on the teeth-gnashingly violent Manga comic of the same name, Ichi The Killer follows Yakuza foot soldier Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano) as he tries to find out who's behind the disappearance of his boss. The name that keeps popping up is Ichi (Nao Omori), a near-mythical assassin.
Whispered about in awed tones since its Japanese release in 2001, this demented butcher shop of a movie takes Asian cinema to new extremes - even with over three minutes of mutilation and rape trimmed. Director Takashi Miike reckons it's a love story... But then he did claim Audition was a romantic drama.
DVD Extras:
Miike sits down for a rare interview, producer Elliot Tong and Asian cinema "expert" Bey Logan spend their entire commentary flirting with lead actress Alien Sun, while cast yaks and behind-the-scenes footage complete a comprehensive package.
