DEAD OR ALIVE (1999)

One of the many things I enjoy about the films of Takashi Miike is each time you sit down to watch one of his movies you honestly have no idea what you are in for.  A lot of times the story sounds pretty straight-forward and normal, but then Miike adds in his special touches and suddenly you have something unique and very entertaining.  The story on this outing sounds normal enough...

Riki Takeuchi is a small time Chinese thug operating in Tokyo.  Along the way he manages to piss off local yakuza boss (Renji Ishashi) and crooked police officer (Sho Aikawa).

...but there is more to the film than just that.  Exceptional editing, a brutal kiddie pool scene that looks like the cover to a goregrind album, strong acting, the two main characters (who hate each others guts) introducing the film together before the opening credits, a knife-throwing act with nearly naked dudes, dog sex.  It's not the greatest Miike yakuza film ever, but it's a solid one that's entertaining from beginning to end.  And speaking of the ending: holy shit.  That was one of the best endings to a low budget film I've ever seen.  I sat there stunned for a few seconds, giggled, then watched it again 4 more times.  Brilliant!  Also make sure to watch the alternate ending to YAKUZA DEMON for a joke based on this ending.

Part 2 - Dead or Alive 2: Birds (2000)
Part 3 - Dead or Alive: Final (2002)

YAKUZA DEMON (2003)

Made only a year after DEADLY OUTLAW: RIKKA, YAKUZA DEMON is very similar in story: Foot soldier Seiji (Riki Takeuchi) looks to the boss, Mr. Muto, of his small yakuza family as a father.  So when Mr. Muto owes the larger Date Family money, he agrees to personally kill an executive of the rival Tendo Family in payment for his debt. Seiji knows Mr. Muto will be killed so he calls the cops and they arrest him on minor gun charges. The Date Family believes Mr. Muto chickened out and called the cops himself. Seiji is angered by this insult...things escalate and before long Seiji and his faithful yakuza brother begin attacking the heads of the Tendo themselves. He has become a "stray dog", a "demon".

Despite the colorful title there's nothing excessively bizarre going on like in some other Miike films.  That said, there are a few moments that did stick out for that unique Miike touch: the Date Family bosses are having a meeting and the one boss (Kazuya Nakayama from DETECTIVE STORY) doesn't move at all for 100 seconds!  He just sits there completely motionless, like he's frozen.  Another clever bit was when a yakuza guy goes to eat with his girlfriend.  They're sitting outside under a umbrella and rain (a lot of rain) splashes up on the camera lens, then some dramatic stuff starts happening and suddenly the action is being filmed from a camera shooting the action on a computer monitor!!!  At one moment it even shows the top of the video player!  I don't think I've ever seen that before: a camera recording a monitor displaying the movie we're currently watching and the original camera lens is covered in rain.  When the one guy fires his gun the muzzle flash reflects on the water on the camera lens!  Absolutely brilliant.

Amazing cast, quick pace, brilliant editing, a Miike cameo(?), cinematography that should be studied in film school and, of course, great direction.  Highly recommended.  Double feature with DEADLY OUTLAW REKKA.

Also make sure to watch the extremely funny alternate ending which is a play on the insane ending from DEAD OR ALIVE.  I liked it even better than the real ending.