Takashi Miike and "straight-to-DVD" filmmaking

[Scharphedin2]

I was looking at Takashi Miike's extremely long list of directorial credits today - sometimes totaling as much as a dozen films a year. From what I understand, a great number of these films are made and released specifically for the DVD market. The only Miike film that I own and have seen is Audition, which apparently was a theatrical feature (and a very good one at that, as I remember). However, I am curious about Miike's work, and more generally about the "straight to DVD" filmmaking approach.

How widely is this filmmaking strategy used in Japan and the rest of Asia? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the system (both creatively and financially)? How has it impacted the film industry in the Asian region? I would be interested to read the comments of forum members with a greater insight into this filmmaking system, as well as the work of both Miike, and other Asian filmmakers working in this mode. References to texts (on and off the internet) are also welcome.

Secondly, I am curious to hear thoughts on why this approach does not exist in the Western world (to my knowledge).

[patrick]

Here's a quick-and-dirty summary of the world of Japanese direct-to-video movies from Wikipedia:

V-Cinema
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Japanese V-Cinema is the direct-to-video industry that appeared in Japan in the 1980s. The term is a trademark of Toei Company but is widely used in the West to describe any Japanese direct-to-video release. Unlike its Western counterpart, this industry has a considerably better reputation, with directors sometimes making V-Cinema movies by choice, due to the creative freedom afforded by the less stringent censorship of the format, and the riskier content the producers will allow.

Notable examples are director Takashi Miike, who has released several direct-to-video films after his theatrical debut, and Takashi Shimizu, whose Ju-on series of films started out as V-Cinema, becoming surprise hits as the result of favorable word of mouth.

Incidentally, former television performer Masashi Tashiro has directed V-Cinema since his dismissal from the entertainment world, as well.

Azumi Muto, a Japanese murder victim, appeared on V-Cinema before her death.

The more common term OVA (Original Video Animation) is applied when the film in question is anime.

I can't really speak outside of Miike's work, but the Masters of Horror: Imprint DVD has some things to say about his direct-to-video work. To me it just appeared that Japan had a big market for direct-to-video features in the late 80's/early 90's, whereas they didn't really seem to get a foothold in the US until after DVD came along (with some exceptions, like Disney sequels) because people viewed them as being inferior.

From the extras on the Imprint DVD, it seems that he broke into the DTV world because there was money floating around to make movies, as long as you were making the type of movie the video companies wanted (which generally seem to be either yakuza or horror movies).

And according to Miike himself, he'd rather be directing anything as opposed to not working, which is why he ends up making everything from Ichi The Killer to The Great Yokai War. It seems to have worked well for him in the US, since there's a neverending stream of product with his name on it getting released here.

Other than Miike, probably the most familiar V-Cinema titles to Western audiences are the Guinea Pig movies.

[Titus]

Some of Miike's films that were eventually released theatrically were actually shot as DTV movies as well, I believe. His theatrical debut was Shinjuku Triad Society in '95, but it was planned (and shot) as DTV -- it was just decided, upon completion, that it would also get a theatrical run. I believe nearly everything he did up until '99 or so was initially intended as DTV (which includes much of his very best work). Even Gozu, which was fairly recent and is considered one of his major films, had DTV origins.

[colinr0380]

Another interesting career to consider is that of Rokuro Mochizuki. He came from, and then seems to have returned to, the erotic video genre but in between made a number of well respected yakuza films - Another Lonely Hitman, Mobster's Confessions, The Fire Within, A Yakuza In Love - that have all been released on Region 1 DVDs by Artsmagic with a very complimentary quote from Tony Rayns on their covers!

[margot]

Secondly, I am curious to hear thoughts on why this approach does not exist in the Western world (to my knowledge).

Because straight to DVD releases are seen as "unworthy" for theatrical release because the studio thought they wouldn't make enough money by releasing it in theaters, so it's generally really bad movies.


But hey that full-length Machete movie is going to be straight to DVD.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

I'm sure there are people here with more knowledge on the subject, but my understanding is that the development of V-Cinema is related to the decline of the major Japanese studios in the '70s and '80s, which reduced the viaiblity of theatrical exhibition (since the theaters were vertically integrated within the studio system) and prompted would-be filmmakers and film investors (including, as noted, some less-than-savory types) to seek out alternative distribution. It also seems like V-Cinema functions as a replacement for the old studio apprenticeship system. I know even less about direct-to-video cinema outside of Japan, but apparently Nigeria has a very lively DTV market.

As an aside, according to Tom Mes, Shinjuku Triad Society was the first Miike film made with theatrical distribution in mind -- The Third Gangster was the first to actually receive it.

[Titus]

As an aside, according to Tom Mes, Shinjuku Triad Society was the first Miike film made with theatrical distribution in mind

Ah -- after checking his interview accompanying the Artsmagic DVD, Miike states that he wasn't aware during shooting that the film would be shown theatrically, but he doesn't suggest that the producers didn't have it in mind. My memory's failing me.

[Scharphedin2]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

So, these films by Miike and others that are produced and go straight to the video market, do they have any kind of premiere run on TV?

Thinking further about this, I suppose that many directors in the Western hemisphere have started, and intermittently worked, in television. Would it be correct to assume that the "need" filled by straight-to-DVD titles in Asia is taken care of by television in the West?

Even if this is the case, I would think that there would still be a potential market for straight-to-DVD in the West as well. A studio specialising in this type of filmmaking would be able to brand itself in a manner not possible on TV. Surely this would work with the genres that are also popular in this format in Asia (action, horror), but I would think also with more experimental or "artistic" features.

Also, having spent some time reading about Miike, and going over his list of credits, I have become interested to see a few more of his films. What would be a handful of his best and most important/representative films aside from Audition (both titles and dvd editions, please)?

[Jun-Dai]

Even if this is the case, I would think that there would still be a potential market for straight-to-DVD in the West as well. A studio specialising in this type of filmmaking would be able to brand itself in a manner not possible on TV.

I suspect that in the West this basic phenomenon will skip straight-to-DVD and manifest itself as straight-to-Internet, where people are likely to exploit the idea that filmmaking over the Internet has some reason to be there other than just not being good enough for the theaters.