Audition (1999)

A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all.

Director:

Takashi Miike

Writers:

Ryû Murakami (novel), Daisuke Tengan (screenplay)

Stars:

Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki

4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryo Ishibashi	...	Shigeharu Aoyama
Eihi Shiina	...	Asami Yamazaki
Tetsu Sawaki	...	Shigehiko Aoyama
Jun Kunimura	...	Yasuhisa Yoshikawa
Renji Ishibashi	...	Old man in wheelchair
Miyuki Matsuda	...	Ryoko Aoyama
Toshie Negishi	...	Rie
Ren Osugi	...	Shimada (as Ren Ôsugi)
Shigeru Saiki	...	Toastmaster
Ken Mitsuishi	...	Director
Yuriko Hirooka	...	Michiyo Yanagida
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	TV station presenter
Misato Nakamura	...	Misuzu Takagi
Yuuto Arima	...	Shigehiko as a child
Ayaka Izumi	...	Asami as a child

Storyline

In Tokyo, Shigeharu Aoyama is a widower that grieves the loss of his wife and raises his son Shigehiko Aoyama alone. Seven years later, the teenage Shigehiko asks why his middle-aged father does not remarry and Shigeharu meets his friend Yasuhisa Yoshikawa, who is a film producer, and tells his intention. However, Shigeharu has difficulties to approach to available women to date and Yasuhisa decide to organize a sham audition for casting the lead actress for the fake movie. They receive several portfolios of candidates and Shigeharu becomes obsessed by the gorgeous Asami Yamazaki. Despite the advice of the experienced Yasuhisa, Shigeharu calls Asami to date and he falls for her. But who is the mysterious Asami?

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Plot Keywords:

murder | torture | killing an animal | sadomasochism | yoghurt | 

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Taglines:

She always gets a part

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/torture and sexuality

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

3 March 2000 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Audition

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Gross USA:

$131,296

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$359,853

Company Credits

Production Co:

Basara Pictures, Creators Company Connection, Omega Project

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 113 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Heavy metal musician and horror movie director/actor Rob Zombie admitted he found this movie to be the most creepy and unsettling of any horror movie he's ever watched.

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Goofs

16 mins. into the movie when the housekeeper is leaving. on the right side of the doorway.

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Quotes

Asami Yamazaki: Only pain and suffering will make you realize who you are.

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Alternate Versions

Available in "R" and "Unrated" versions.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Zombieland/A Serious Man/Whip It (2009)

User Reviews

A disturbing masterpiece.

Takashi Miike's "Audition" has to be one of the best Japanese horror movies I have ever seen.Ryo Ishibashi plays Shigeharu Aoyama,a lonely middle-aged man.After many years of being loyal to his deceased wife is the right time to begin dating again.His friend Yasuhisa decides to set up a fake casting audition in hopes that his friend can find new wife.Aoyama then goes through countless portfolio's looking for women to audition,but as soon as he sees the beautiful Asami's picture he knows that she is the one.Soon they begin dating.Everything seems perfect at first,but is Asami all that she seems?"Audition" isn't as violent and outrageous as "Fudoh" or "Ichi the Killer",but it certainly delivers some of the most harrowing scenes of violence ever captured on screen.The film is atmospheric and artistic,so if you're looking only for gore and violence avoid this one like the plague.However if you're a fan of Miike's works this masterpiece is not to be missed.10 out of 10.