Audition

What better place to start off a blog about shocking horror films than with the notorious, Audition? I have heard for years about how this film was the most shocking thing many people have seen. I finally got my hands on it, and my expectations were rather high for this one due to the massive build up it received over the years. I've also known about Takashi Miike's career in film, and his rather depraved way of going about things. I will certainly have more of his work on here in future, no doubt. As I finally popped Audition into the dvd player, I was excited. I was finally going to see what all the hype and nauseous stomachs were about, and I couldn't wait.

Yet, I had to wait... and wait. The film itself wasn't bad, great acting and direction, but where was all the "crazy shit" people had talked about for years? However, it did have an eerie overtone that gave me a slight uneasy feeling, and just expecting the worst to happen to our lead character. The film kept going, and got stranger, and creepier. Slowly building and building until it hit a switch. Suddenly it felt like we were in some sort of Dario Argento Japanese dream world. I wasn't sure what to think. And then the violence kicked in and... it ended. Years of hype for... not even an hour of medium range shock? Yes, I did like the build to the end and the contrast between the start and finish, but I guess I was just kind of let down. The film itself was rather good. I guess I just wasn't as shocked as most people who saw it. Miike is a great director, and I could see why people were shocked by this movie, but I just wasn't.

Shock or Not? Not.

Film: 3/5
Shock: 2/5