AUDITION (1999) d. Takashi Miike (Japan/S. Korea)

After seven years of mourning and encouraged by his teenage son to find a new wife, widower Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) seeks the advice of a colleague within the film company for which they both work. Together, they hit upon the perfect plan: Staging an audition for actresses, ostensibly for a new feature project, but in reality hoping to find the new ideal woman to share Aoyama’s life. While interviewing a series of candidates, the lonely widower becomes enchanted by Asami (Eihi Shiina), a quiet, young woman, who is immediately responsive to his charms. The two seem to instantly fall for each other, but things take a very dark and twisted turn (or three) as we discover Asami isn't all she seems to be....

One of the titles that launched the international J-horror wave of the early 21st century, Audition exploded onto the festival circuit to a chorus of awards and praise, catapulting director Takashi Miike into the consciousness of cinephiles around the world and paving the way for future off-kilter offerings as Ichi the Killer, Visitor Q, and The Happiness of the Katakuris.

Playing with temporal constructs and toying with audience genre expectations (it’s a slow burn… but, hey, what’s that bag doing there?) and concluding with one of the most agonizing climaxes in recent memory. (The phrase “Kiri kiri kiri kiri” will haunt your nightmares for weeks.)

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (John Reskusich, Michelle Kisner, Raul Benitez, Cati Glidewell aka The Blonde in Front, Dominic Conti) as they discuss Miike's exploration of pain, trauma, relationships, and how the film predicted the rise of Tinder!
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RAUL BENITEZ is a film programmer in Chicago for over 15 years. Raul currently is the Senior Programmer at the Midwest Film Festival, and the After Dark programmer at the Chicago International Film Festival. Raul also programs at Comfort Station Logan Square, Full Spectrum Features, and the Nightingale Cinema.

DOMINIC CONTI is a Chicago-based writer and actor. His first novel, Your Book Club, is now available. (Orders can be placed at dcontimail@gmail.com, or you can just say hi.)

CATI GLIDEWELL (aka The Blonde in Front) is a Chicago-based film critic, lifelong cinephile, film festival jury member, and a member of Chicago Indie Critics since 2020. You can find her on all social media platforms, as well as Post mortem radio and Radio of horror on YouTube.

MICHELLE KISNER is a film critic, freelance writer, and physical media advocate. She has contributed to several websites to include The Cultural Gutter and The Movie Sleuth and is also a member of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild.

JOHN RESKUSICH, a lifelong lover of movies and comic books, dwells in St. Louis, Missouri.
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