Is This the Man to Make a Great Gaming Film?

One of Japan’s most famous directors, Takashi Miike recently revealed that he’s working on a film version of a popular DS game. The game is believed to be a film version of Ace Attorney (these might be the first set pics). Miike isn’t a stranger to video games or video game movies. He’s made a couple before.

https://kotaku.com/is-one-of-japans-bloodiest-directors-working-on-an-ace-5804676

In the West, Miike first made a big splash with his 2001 flick Audition, and his hard-edged films have found Western audiences ever since. Miike is an incredibly prolific filmmaker—he’s made over 70 films since 1991. Not all seventy films are good. He’s made a lot of crap! But he’s also make many truly interesting films.

Whenever he starts a new project, you don’t know if you’re going to get the guy who churned out brilliance like Ichi the Killer or the guy who made the soul-crushing Yatterman movie.

WORKHORSE – Besides directing films, Miike also directs TV dramas, commercials and stage plays.

The Osaka-born Miike views filmmaking like a job, instead of merely a creative endeavor that’s to be done whenever the mood suits. He’s closer to someone like Woody Allen, who is constantly making movies, than to someone like, Stanley Kubrick, who’s films were events. (This isn’t to pass judgment on either Allen or Kubrick—this is merely an observation on working methods.)

There’s no doubt, Miike is making a game film. But it’s not his first game flick. His Dead or Alive series are totally unrelated to the Tecmo fighting games, but he did make a 40 minute film version of Sega’s Yakuza. It’s a prequel, and it was released way back in 2006. In 2007, Miike made a full theatrical feature version of Yakuza. It was decent—a faithful, if not muddled and somewhat tame, movie version of Sega’s crime saga.

http://kotaku.com/148413/ryu-ga-gotoko-vid-to-pack-a-springtime-punch

Miike is comfortable with violence, and also without it. He’s described his upcoming project as a light comedy, which in no way spells doom. Just don’t go expecting Ichi the Killer

Check out the gallery of Miike’s highlights. Note: there’s gore and at least two pairs of boobs.

Culture Smash is a daily dose of things topical, interesting and sometimes even awesome—game related and beyond.

(Top photo | TimeWarp)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odZx8N-veHA

Shinjuku Triad Society

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_6yn1hncgE

Fudoh: The New Generation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgKmPuT26C8

Full Metal Yakuza