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One of the most notorious J-horror films ever made, Takashi Miike’s Audition exploded onto the festival circuit at the turn of the century to a chorus of awards and praise. The film would catapult Miike to the international scene and pave the way for such other genre delights as Ichii the Killer and The Happiness of the Katakuris.

Recent widower Shigharu Aoyama is advised by his son to find a new wife, agreeing Shigeharu seeks the advice of a colleague having been out of the dating scene for many years. Taking advantage of their position as a film company they stage an audition. Interviewing a series of women, Shigeharu becomes enchanted by Asami, a quiet, 24-year-old woman, who is immediately responsive to his charms. But soon things take a very dark and twisted turn as we find that Asami isn’t what she seems to be…

Pulling the audience into a story that will lead to one of the most harrowing climaxes in cinema history, Miike twists and turns us through delirious editing and shocking visuals for one of the most depraved nightmares of all time!

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
• Brand new 2K restoration of original vault elements
• Original 5.1 audio (DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray)
• Optional English subtitles
• Audio commentary with director Takashi Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan
• Brand new commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes examining the film and its source novel
• Introduction by Miike
• Ties that Bind – A brand new interview with Takashi Miike
• Interviews with stars Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Renji Ishibashi and Ren Osugi
• Trailers
• Gallery including behind-the-scenes images
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
• More to be announced!

Poncho Punch wrote:

dvdane wrote: who hates how the west has misinterpreted Audition.

Would you mind elaborating on this?

I can't find the interview where he directly says it right now. But it has to do with (1) many western critics looking at Audition as a tale of morality and (2) a romantic comedy (partly). She does not revenge her past by killing men. She is just, in Miike's words (as I recall), strange.

dvdane wrote:I can't find the interview where he directly says it right now. But it has to do with (1) many western critics looking at Audition as a tale of morality and (2) a romantic comedy (partly). She does not revenge her past by killing men. She is just, in Miike's words (as I recall), strange.

I recall an interview on the UK DVD of Audition in which Miike refuses to be drawn in to any feminist reading of the film, declaring that people are free to bring to it what they will, but that he has no intention of elaborating on his own thematic statement in the film. I certainly can't imagine any interpretation of Audition being definitive, but that doesn't mean it's any less of an excellent film.

Has anyone here read Tom Mes' book? Is it worthwhile?

Does anything think that "Audition" is one of lamest film titles ever considering the intense horror the film is able to create?

I like the Cantonese title better: "A love that cuts to the bone".

kevyip1 wrote:Does anything think that "Audition" is one of lamest film titles ever considering the intense horror the film is able to create?

I like the Cantonese title better: "A love that cuts to the bone".

That title makes me cringe just like the scene I'm sure it's referring to. I swear I could actually feel it while watching it.

kevyip1 wrote:Does anything think that "Audition" is one of lamest film titles ever considering the intense horror the film is able to create?

I like the Cantonese title better: "A love that cuts to the bone".

The title stems from the thematic core of the film, or more precisely, who is being auditioned.

cdnchris wrote:

kevyip1 wrote:Does anything think that "Audition" is one of lamest film titles ever considering the intense horror the film is able to create?

I like the Cantonese title better: "A love that cuts to the bone"

That title makes me cringe just like the scene I'm sure it's referring to. I swear I could actually feel it while watching it.

And the brilliance of that scene is that the act itself is shown explicitly only for a split second or so. Much of the horror is conveyed indirectly -- the evil smile of the killer, the excruciating noise of the cutting, etc. IOW, the horror is mostly in your mind. The scene is also rather quiet with very little hysterics. The fact that such an delicate, understated scene is able to create such intense horror makes this film very admirable.

Another scene I like is when (highlight text to see spoiler)

Spoiler

the heroine vomits into a bowl and feeds it to someone whose tongue she has cut off.

But the scene is filmed in a way that not all the details are shown --

Spoiler

the vomiting is not shown, and the victim's missing tongue and fingers are not yet explained.

By not showing everything, it lets you imagine the rest. I admire films like that.

I consider Audition a horror masterpiece, even though many think it crosses the line because of its taboo images and activities.

kazantzakis wrote:

kevyip1 wrote:Does anything think that "Audition" is one of lamest film titles ever considering the intense horror the film is able to create?

I like the Cantonese title better: "A love that cuts to the bone".

The title stems from the thematic core of the film, or more precisely, who is being auditioned.

Perhaps the title should allude more to the female revenge aspect of the film. And the audition itself is

Spoiler

not really an audition

It seems the original Japanese title is also "Audition." But I just can't picture anyone getting excited by it.

Does the title have to be "exciting"?

The male character is also being auditioned. And the viewer. The first 40 minutes draw you in, the middle section warns you and the finale is explosive horror. I think the title works perfectly. Are title of the "Kill them and eat them", "Anthropophagus" and "I spit on your grave" variety "better"? They should be more "exciting" for sure.

kazantzakis wrote:Does the title have to be "exciting"?

Yes, it does, in order to attract people to see it. Any movie needs a good title. The better the title, the more viewers it will attract, as simple as that.

The male character is also being auditioned. And the viewer. The first 40 minutes draw you in, the middle section warns you and the finale is explosive horror. I think the title works perfectly. Are title of the "Kill them and eat them", "Anthropophagus" and "I spit on your grave" variety "better"? They should be more "exciting" for sure.

The title should at least convey a minimal amount of horror, tension, or a hint of the the unknown or mystery. E.g. The Sixth Sense, The Eye, The Uninvited.

kevyip1 wrote: By not showing everything, it lets you imagine the rest. I admire films like that.

I consider Audition a horror masterpiece, even though many think it crosses the line because of its taboo images and activities.

It is a great film, I agree, and it's for that very reason, the quiet and the fact nothing was really shown (you can imagine so much worse than what you're shown). Plus the build up was beautifully done. Oh, and the whole "deeper, deeper, deeper" bit was the icing on the cake.

How many of us have actually experienced an audition? They're a pretty scary event from any perspective.

The only likely reason it was titled "Audition" that I can think of was that the filmmakers didn't want to give away any horrific details in the films. The blandness of the title could also mean they didn't really know what to call the film.

I think it's an appropriate title because the horror reveals itself so gradually. The viewer doesn't really know what's going down until well into the second hour of the film, if memory serves. I knew there was something sinister in the film the first time I watched it, but I didn't know what or how sinister it would be. So, in my view, the innocuous title is pefect.

lilnemo wrote:Lion's Gate is going to release the recently OOP Audition on August 23.
Here's a list of features direct from Lion's Gate's Audition page

Back on topic for a moment, I saw that Bravo segment when it was first broadcast last year. Audition was ranked #11. Comments from the "experts" include, "Some of the best horror films are made by the Asians right now," and "This film makes you want to ask the filmmakers, 'What were you thinking??'" Other comments practically gave all the plot details away. The segment lasts about 3-4 minutes.

I remember the whole show gave away spoilers like no tomorrow. They even showed that big-surprise shot of The Ring.

Andre Jurieu wrote:How many of us have actually experienced an audition? They're a pretty scary event from any perspective.

Well played, Andre, well played...

kevyip1 wrote:I remember the whole show gave away spoilers like no tomorrow. They even showed that big-surprise shot of The Ring.

Yeah, but it's pretty hard to do a spoiler-free special on the 100 scariest movie moments when the scariest moment in a fair amount of horror movies comes in the midst of the climax.

-Toilet Dcuk

Gregory wrote:I think it's an appropriate title because the horror reveals itself so gradually. The viewer doesn't really know what's going down until well into the second hour of the film, if memory serves. I knew there was something sinister in the film the first time I watched it, but I didn't know what or how sinister it would be. So, in my view, the innocuous title is pefect.

I'm sure very few of us were in that basket (or sack), but a first-time viewer of this film with no prior knowledge could well think they're viewing a quirky romantic comedy for the first 20 or so minutes. Can you imagine how freaky a viewing experience that would be?

So I watched Audition last night. It's a weirdly conventional film for the first hour or so, then the last half an hour and just beyond. I mean they are seriously fucked up. At one point I left the room and actually spewed into the toilet.

I'm not sure what I make of this to be honest. In a way, it's worse than Salo because I don't understand what it's trying to say. It's not really scary, just sick. And apart from that, the girl is really really annoying.

It's clever from the point of view as it is not clear what is real and what is not, what is a dream/ hallucination/ nightmare and what is actually happening, but to what end I ask? I'm not sure if there is a point to it all. If it's all real then it is simply "fear the abused psycho!", if it isn't it's "why is that guy so totally paranoid?". Neither of those things are that interesting.

Try a little harder...

Mean what exactly? If you think Audition is some profound masterpiece, do elaborate.

Coming from Arrow in February of 2016

Worth pointing out there are two editions of Audition - one's just the standard Blu-ray (without a booklet), the other is a Dual Format steelbook (with a booklet). Also fairly priced at £13.99 (standard) or £15.99 (steelbook). Think I'll be pre-ordering at some point as this is basically the only Miike film I would've considered pre-ordering if Arrow were to release it!

This is the highlight of the UK only announcements for me. Bit disappointed that I'd have to buy the steelbook to get the booklet but both editions are very reasonably priced.

MichaelB confirmed on blu-ray.com that the only exclusives to the steel book are the DVD extra and the booklet.

Poncho Punch wrote:• Optional English subtitles

And with that they've bested the US Blu-Ray!

This is also apparently going to be an in-house restoration from the original negatives, and apparently it's looking in tip-top shape. Looking forward to it! Certainly the only one I'm interested in so far (not being a hardcore Bava fan, and like many others, already owning the Reggio films).

Makes me wonder what they have in store for us tomorrow...

rapta wrote:This is also apparently going to be an in-house restoration from the original negatives, and apparently it's looking in tip-top shape.

It's definitely an in-house restoration, but the source is the original 35mm interpositive. But it should be a substantial advance on previous video versions.

The four existing interviews are also being presented in the original HD for what I believe is the first time.