As many times as I've seen Takashi Miike's Audition, it still never ceases to shock, disturb, sicken or amaze me. Truly one of the great masters of modern cinema, nobody (and I do mean nobody) makes films like Takashi Miike. They're quite often brave, shocking, beautiful and disturbing all at the same time. This is the second review for Audition I've done for MAP, the first being the original Region 2 Hong Kong release. I've taken some excerpts from my previous review as well as added some new insightful tidbits of brilliance (c'mon play along, please?). The latest release of Audition courtesy of The American Cinematheque and Ventura Distribution is without a doubt the definitive edition of this film on DVD and is a MUST have for Miike fans.

With a film like Audition, it's best to go in knowing absolutely nothing. Therefore, my recommendation is for you to grab a copy of Audition on DVD, sit back and enjoy. Don't read any further. Take this reviewers advice, it's worth the trip. However, if you feel the need for description and criticism, be it good or bad, by all means read on. I'll do my best to not give the juicier bits away... promise.

Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is mourning the loss of his beloved wife and was left to raise their son on his own. Luckily, they have a wonderful relationship with one another. Aoyama discusses his new found loneliness openly with those who are close to him, including his good friend who happens to be a movie producer. Together they devise a clever if not unethical plan to help Aoyama. They will hold an open "audition" for a new movie, with the sole purpose of finding a new companion for Aoyama.

During the auditions, Shigeharu Aoyama is struck by one woman in particular named Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina). The two develop a relationship and for Shigeharu Aoyama the relationship ultimately turns into a life or death situation.

The magic of Audition is that it starts off as a sincere "from the heart film" about relationships with incredible detail and character development. After the first hour you want to see these characters healthy and happy yet this is exactly when the film takes a disturbing turn. Audition is most certainly not a film for the squeamish or easily disturbed. If you don't know what you are getting yourself into you may find that at the very moment you want to turn away, that it's just too late.

The image quality on this new Region 1 DVD is nothing short of a revelation. Compared to the previous Region 2 disc, the difference is literally night and day. Colors are sharp and vibrant, black levels are solid and dead on. There is only a minimal amount of print damage a few specs here and there and that's about it. Grain is virtually non-existent and there is no evidence of artifacting. The previous Region 2 DVD (while fine at the time of its original release) featured washed out colors, bad ghosting effects, horrible black levels and really no definition. The Region 2 disc cannot hold a candle to it's US counterpart, simply stunning. It truly is like watching a completely different movie.

Audio is presented in a Dolby 2.0 mix as well as a brand spankin' new 5.1 Dolby Digital mix. I have to admit that I still prefer the 2.0 mix. As subtle and unassuming as the film is, I think the subdued 2.0 audio track fits the bill slightly better. If you don't turn up the volume too much, the 5.1 track can be enjoyed as well, especially during a few key scenes. The 5.1 track can get a bit overbearing with dialogue emanating from all speakers if the volume is too loud which makes the 2.0 mix much more user friendly.

Extras are where this disc really shines. In addition to 7 trailers that include 2 for Audition, City of Lost Souls and Happiness of the Katakuris (man I hope a US special edition of this one is on the way) there's also a brief still gallery, bio on Miike and a video history of The Egyptian Theatre. Last but not least is an interview with Miike himself (runs about 25 minutes) as well as a Miike commentary during the last reel of the flick (about 30 minutes). My only complaint is that Miike is translated with a voice over instead of subtitles, a small price to pay. Also worth mentioning are the well written liner notes, sleek digi-pak design packaging and creative animated menus. This release is definitely the entire package.

Audition is an incredible flick and a shining example of how talented and eclectic a film director Miike truly is. This new DVD distributed by Ventura is the best this film has ever looked and the extras alone screams buy me! Fans of Miike would be wise to pick up this DVD ASAP, first timers should put on their brave caps and dig in. There are very few people who make films like this, which is s shame, because films like Audition are what filmmaking is all about.