Ya know, I could actually sit here and write 2 full reviews about Graveyard of Honor (I guess I kina did with my last editorial). One review would center on the film itself, while the other would detail the experience of watching this fine Miike flick in a theater full of fucking dipshit assholes. You can read our rants about the actual experience in the editorials we posted, but I feel that I do need to reiterate the fact that the people in this theater should have all been put to death afterwards. Not in a kind or quick manner either. Think of the worst possible most painful deaths from 80's European horror (eaten by cannibals or disemboweled, you get the idea) and you'll begin to comprehend what I'm talking about. I think that I have just seen Miike's greatest accomplishment as a filmmaker (which is saying a lot because the man is a genius), but I'm not quite sure at this point how I feel. The behavior of the audience put a real damper on such a complicated and oh so fine Miike flick, that my enjoyment factor seriously declined. I know that Michael feels the same way and this is certainly a real shame because we were both REALLY looking forward to this screening and now we're just both in piss poor angry at the world kinda moods. Such a shame indeed.

Graveyard of Honor is a loose remake of the 1975 film directed by Kinji Fukasaku of the same title (also based on a novel). Apparently some changes have been made and Miike along with his collaborators went back to the original novel to secure their screenplay. The end result is a harrowing character study of one man's steady decline over a brutal 10+ year period. Let it be known that there is nothing funny, cute or charming about this film. There is no comic relief and I seriously doubt that ANY moments from this film deserve anything above an uncomfortable chuckle. However, judging by the audience reaction, the experience of viewing this uncompromising crime drama is akin to a late night screening of Bringing Down the House 2: House Dawgs Yo! Sigh - what a world we live in, what a world.

At its heart, the story of Graveyard of Honor is a quite simple one. A young man named Rikuo Ishimatsu, climbs the ranks of the Yakuza. He goes from lowly dishwasher to Yakuza member, madly represntin' on a grand and violent scale. It's a quick and brisk climb up the ladder, unfortunately Ishimatsu is in a world all his own. The core of the problem here is that Ishimatsu is an ungodly violent lunatic type who doesn't care whose toes he steps on. You know who he is almost immediately. He's the one with the wallet that reads BAD MUTHAFUCKA! In any event, it doesn't take long for everyone to realize that Ishimatsu is a loose cannon. No one is safe from the wrath of Ishimatsu not even his superiors.

The constant downward spiral that is Graveyard of Honor boils down to a brilliantly mesmerizing and upsetting dive literally from the first frame to the last. Gone are the trademark Miike flashes of comic style sickness that dominate nearly all of his previous efforts. Miike's take on a straight drama proves once and for all the kind of filmmaking force we are dealing with here. Miike is truly one of a kind and taking in a Miike film as well, is truly a one of a kind experience.

An important key to the incredible success of Graveyard lies within the sole performance of Goro Kishitani as the unflinching Ishimatsu. Most, if not all of the onscreen violence is perpetrated or provoked by Ishimatsu, a true fucking bad ass in every sense of the word. Ishimatsu could literally be one of the cruelest, most unkind figures I have ever seen in a motion picture. His defiance of order in society along with his swift, extremely violent episodes of vengeance are truly upsetting. Each time that Ishimatsu walked in frame I cringed, it's never cake and ice cream when he's around. There's NOTHING funny in these moments of depravity, sexual assault or extreme hard-core blood shed. Ishimatsu is an asshole, plain and simple and at times, not even human. Ishimatsu drives around town looking for another soul to massively fuck up...he's Travis Bickle gone waaaaay over the deep end.

One thing you can expect within Graveyard (in case you haven't gotten the point already) are the heavy doses of blood-drenched gore Miike fans have become accustomed to. In addition the many extremely brutal beatings, stabbings and bullet wounds you'll discover more than your fair share of sexual crimes and drug abuse. The violence itself is way over the top with unnatural blood spurts and the hugest splash of blood you've ever seen from a death fall. As evidenced by the audience reactions, these are all facets of high comedy deserving of the loudest of laughter, hand clapping and foot stomping.

For a brief moment, this brings me back to the audience, yet again. Nearly every moment of violent depravity seemed to be of the incredibly comical type to these clods. I'm glad we live in the type of society in which brutal rapes and heartless bloodshed make for meaningless comedic fodder. This is a message to the audience of Graveyard of Honor last night; YOU SHOULD ALL DIE A HORRIBLE FUCKING DEATH AFTER LAST NIGHT'S DISPLAY! Whew! There, I feel better now.

I'm pretty sure that Graveyard of Honor was a good flick. No scratch that, I'm positive that Graveyard of Honor was an incredible flick, and truly one of Miike's best. I said it at last years festival, and I'll say it again. A wise man once told me, "I wish this film had better viewers". So true...so true. I look forward to an untainted viewing of Graveyard of Honor hopefully in the near future. In any event, this film still comes highly recommended from yours truly, just try not to see it in a theater full of festering after births like we did.

Thumbs Up to the film. Thumbs way down to the insensitive fuck wads in the audience.