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Dead Or Alive [DVD] [1999]
 
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Dead Or Alive [DVD] [1999]

DVD ~ Riki Takeuchi
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
RRP: £14.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Dead Or Alive [DVD] [1999] + Dead Or Alive 2 [DVD] [2000] + Dead or Alive 3 [DVD] [2007]
Total RRP: £44.97
Price For All Three: £18.94

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Dead Or Alive [DVD] [1999]
71% buy the item featured on this page:
Dead Or Alive [DVD] [1999] 3.7 out of 5 stars (11)
£6.98
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Three...Extremes [DVD] [2004]
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The Happiness Of The Katakuris [2003] [DVD]
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Product details

  • Actors: Riki Takeuchi, Renji Ishibashi, Sho Aikawa, Susumu Terajima
  • Directors: Takashi Miike
  • Format: PAL
  • Language Japanese
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: All Regions
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 18
  • Studio: Tartan Video
  • DVD Release Date: 24 Jun 2002
  • Run Time: 105 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000066CX0
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 42,014 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

The director of Dead or Alive, Takashi Miike, made his name on the international scene with Audition, a chilling psychological thriller that builds from a quiet start towards a prolonged torture sequence almost too unbearable to watch. But such deliberate pacing isn't typical of Miike, whose movies often assault the viewer with an onslaught of slam-bang action that makes John Woo look like Eric Rohmer. Dead or Alive, his most successful cops-vs-yakuza thriller to date, kicks off with six non-stop minutes of machine gun-paced violence, sex and slaughter, all set to a pounding heavy-metal beat.

Thereafter things calm down a little, though not much. Given Miike's penchant for murky, livid-toned visuals and skewed camera angles, it's not always too easy to work out exactly who's doing what to whom, but the general outline's clear enough. The Tokyo underworld is being torn apart by a turf war between the yakuza gangs and the invading Chinese triads. Ambitious yakuza member Ryuichi isn't above playing both sides off against each other in his bid for power, while police detective Jojima, himself none too scrupulous in his methods, is out to destroy the gangs.

Into this conventional plot framework Miike piles enough warped characters and bizarre, twisted happenings to fuel half-a-dozen Tarantino movies, while cheerfully borrowing--and inflating--key moments from such hard-boiled gangster-noirs as The Big Heat and Kiss Me Deadly. One character deep-fries his own hand, a stripper is drowned in a paddling-pool filled with her own excrement, and the literally apocalyptic finale, the showdown to end all showdowns, will leave you gasping. The appallingly prolific Miike, who regularly makes about five movies a year, has since directed two sequels--the first only three months after the original.--Philip Kemp



DVD Description

Special Features
Star and Director Filmographies
Scene Selection
Original Trailer
Miike Takashi Interview
Chris Campion Film Notes Asia Extreme Trailer Reel

Feature Length: 105 mins Approx
Video Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen
Disc Format: PAL DVD 5
Region code: 0
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
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 (5)
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 (1)
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Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Ultra violence Miike style, 8 Nov 2006
By Mr. Nicholas Davies "Your FILM DEITY" (Redditch, Worcs, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
Fine stuff from Japanese director Takashi. Dead or alive is a gangster style flick that revolves around a turf tussle between the chinese triads and the japanese yakuza. At the front of the film is a tough cop intent on putting and end to the reign of terror...yeah sounds boringly familiar doesn't it. In truth this film has a fairly thin story but the set pieces and shock value it incorperates make it an enjoyable view.
The paddling pool scene is particularly memorable as is the much hyped but still excellent opening scene. My favourite section from the film must be the crazy party shootout though which has seen many isolated viewings in my player. Definitely one for the boys.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Miike's subversive deconstruction of the crime thriller., 11 Sep 2007
By Jonathan James Romley (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
In the interview for the region 2, Tartan DVD of Dead or Alive, filmmaker Takashi Miike relates the details of the film's haphazard conception; proudly stating that the film was made in reaction to the money hungry producers who approached the gonzo filmmaker with the two male leads and the basic outline of a plot - and then told him to base whatever he wanted around them - safe in the knowledge that the star power alone would be enough to make it a hit. Thus, Miike's idea of for the film was to purposely go against this notion and to fill the film with enough jaw-dropping scenes and situations as to make it incredibly difficult for the film to play to any kind of mainstream audience. In doing so, he managed to create a lucrative three-film franchise that seems to parody the kind of Yakuza-based crime stories that the director was initially known for; whilst simultaneously deconstructing the entire language of the film in a way that is both satirical and highly subversive.

Of course, this kind of cinematic excess is easy to appreciate on paper, but perhaps not so exciting for those of us looking for a "proper film"... and, if the second half of this statement relates to you, then most probably Dead or Alive is something you might want to miss (if you do want to see Miike handle a more routine crime story, then I suggest his Triad Society trilogy, including the films Shinjuku Triad Society, Lay Lines and Rainy Dog). Dead or Alive shares certain similarities to those films, but takes it to an extreme level, in which the story is heightened to an almost preposterous level; characterised by that crashing introduction which plays like the opening credits of some hard-hitting TV cop show (only featuring topless pole dancers, excessive shoot outs, high-street assassinations and kinky homosexual sex) right the way through to that jaw-dropping final; which will no doubt have the majority of viewers scratching their heads and staring blankly at the screen in shocked disbelief. Oh no, he didn't!!! Oh, but he did!!!

So, we have a film that will certainly appeal to Miike's core audience of devoted followers who will try desperate to track down all of the 586 films he directs per year, but perhaps won't appeal to those unfamiliar with the broader aspects of the director's work. As other reviewers have pointed out, the film's main flaw is that it's incredibly lightweight; the kind of film made for the hell of it by a director undoubtedly having a ball trying to out do him self scene after scene after scene; as the story escalates into literally life-changing dimensions. Yes, it's often quite shocking and yes, it's often hilarious, but for me, it lacks the intellectual depth and broader artistic strokes of social satire that mark out Miike's greatest works; films such as The Bird People in China, Audition, Gozu, Visitor Q, Shinjuku Triad Society and The Happiness of the Katakuris.

Still, with that said, it is an enormous amount of fun for those in the mood, as Sho Aikawa's beleagured detective goes head to head with Riki Takeuchi's deflected Yakuza turned Triad against a backdrop of armed-robbery, drug trafficking, deceit, honour, family and revenge. The film's main talking points are obviously the opening and closing scenes, but between that, we have more controversial Miike-touches including a number of hyper-kinetic shoot-outs, a meeting with a sleazy pornographer (including an extremely graphic bestiality joke) and the sight of one character drowned in a paddling pool of their own excrement. There's also solid performances from the two main leads, in particular Sho Aikawa - one of my favourite Japanese cult-actors - as well as a typically manic supporting role from Miike regular Renji Ishibashi, as well as the usual imaginative cinematography, evocative soundtrack (including that thumping main theme) and a complete disregard for all notions of cinematic logic.

Dead or Alive isn't classic Takashi Miike, but it's certainly typical of his style. My advice to those new to Miike would be to try films like Audition, Ichi the Killer, The Happiness of the Katakuris and the Triad Society/Black Society trilogy first before progressing onto the warped brilliance of the three Dead or Alive projects. If, however, you're already fairly familiar with Miike's work, then I'd say give this one a try. You might not love it, but you'll certainly never forget it.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Struggles to maintain the pace, but still excellent, 17 May 2003
By "brasshande" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Takashi Miike’s highly rated gangster film is noted for several things, the best known being the opening scene. This is, as has often been stated, one of the greatest openings in cinema history. Honestly, that isn’t an exaggeration, the beginning of this film is something else. Killings galore, stylish gunplay, people thrown from buildings, pole dancing and the longest line of cocaine you’ve ever seen in your life, all set to an excellent hard rock track that suits it perfectly, it is a visual and aural treat. Naturally, the rest of the film struggles to live up to the hugely over-the-top beginning, and to tell the truth, it does drag in places. That said, there are some very enjoyable set pieces, with the birthday party shootout, and the infamous ‘paddling pool’ scene taking pride of place. Oh yes, Miike-san isn’t afraid to show controversial material in his films, as anyone who has seen the magnificent Audition will confirm.
The ending to Dead Or Alive is a treat. Without wanting to give anything away, I will say that it could have come straight from a Bugs Bunny or Road Runner and Wil E. Coyote cartoon, and is in it’s own way as over-the-top as the opening scene.
Fans of Japanese cinema know what they’re going to get with a Takashi Miike film, and this delivers it in no uncertain terms. Whilst it may not quite live up to some of Takeshi Kitano’s yakuza classics (for me, Brother is the finest gangster film ever made), and could also do with him as its star, it is worth watching if only to see the beginning and end. There are certainly worse ways to pass a couple of hours.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars more dead than alive
first of all i will say that yes the opening scene grabbed my attention and i thought this is going to be good. Read more
Published 3 months ago by misty rivers

5.0 out of 5 stars A future classic
from the same guy who did the gruelling Audition that makes Misery look like a tea party. Dead or Alive, is a cops-vs-yakuza thriller with the most amazing opener I have ever... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Alister King

3.0 out of 5 stars Gratuitous, technically brilliant, yet shallow!!!
"Dead Or Alive" directed by Takashi Miike seems to have these same unhealthy obsessions. Gratuitous and shocking "Dead or Alive" is a shallow work. Read more
Published on 3 May 2006 by nmollo

1.0 out of 5 stars disappointed.
Professional and well made film, half decent opening but long parts in between action sequences. If you like violent shoot em up action films like the killer or hard boiled then... Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2006 by Gary Evans

4.0 out of 5 stars A quick note
Just a quicky... After reading the reviews on this page, i couldn't wait for the beginning of the film, as it sounded pretty intense. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2005 by Robert Parker

4.0 out of 5 stars Definately breaks conventions, but....
The beggining and the end of this film are extreme stuff, it's crazy, punk-rock, way-over-the-top action, it's quite insane. Read more
Published on 7 Jul 2002 by E. PARRY

5.0 out of 5 stars Perverts only?
I've waited 6 months since I found out this was actually being released. I'd heard so much much about it that even from vague descriptions I never thought it could be released... Read more
Published on 2 Jul 2002 by Ichael Philip Fletcher Jones

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Lord! They released it UNCUT???
First up - This film is nothing like Miike's other film so far released in the UK (Audition). This is a Yakuza Vs Triad thriller as opposed to a nasty psychological horror... Read more
Published on 27 Jun 2002 by Mr. Paul S. Bird

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