Deadly Outlaw: Rekka & more television

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka is another Takashi Miike yakuza film, although not nearly as insane as most Miike films. Yeah, there's the opening scene, during which a man's hands have to be severed because he won't let go, even after being killed. And there's the last scene, that just sort of is there to mess with the audience. I hope. I know that Miike said that it made sense to him when he read the script, but nope. Just not possible. "Rock and roll"? It was a little more stylish than I was expecting, with the great use of some J-Rock from the 70s, The Flower Travelling Band, apparently written by co-stars of the film, some unnecessary jump-cuts in one scene (and I don't recall any others), and three scenes where blood spatters on the camera, something that doesn't normally happen in non-war films. And there was the crowbar attack. Vicious. As a Miike film, it's also about outsiders, being about a godson of a yakuza boss, killed in the first scene, who, along with a colleague, decide to wreak vengeance with furious anger all over the yakuza families that conspire to remove them from the picture. And, also typical for Miike, there are foreigners, those with Korean blood and those who are Korean, trying hard to fit in, even as those native-born Japanese use those facts against them. I didn't even mention the final gunfight, with a double-barrelled shotgun, an enormous automatic rifle with a stabilizing arm, hundreds, if not thousands, of spent rounds, and quite possibly no deaths. I say that, given the ending. Who knows what the last scenes meant?

After another week of tv, along with finishing off The Office, I have a couple more comments. Why the hell has The Office had three straight hour-long episodes? Just go back to half an hour, no filler, and just more awesome funny. I love that Kristin Chenoweth just burst into Hopelessly Devoted to You, danced with a dog, did slapstick outside the window, and just the cute-twee-kawaii-ness of Pushing Daisies in general was very much fun for me. I understand that most people would gag on the sugar, but it's right up my alley. To make up for that, how could I also not love Sarah Silverman licking her dog's ass? Yes, I found that funny. Also, Game Night! I hope I'm never forced to play the Game of Life at our game night. But I wouldn't turn down the Thai food. I need that elephant crapping out an earth over a pink cloud and a rainbow as a picture. Weird, but extremely funny. Also, apparently, the only things you find when you google for "japanese porn star diet paper" is references to 30 Rock. There I was, hoping that it was an actual diet, just for the weirdness factor. Also, Werewolf Bar Mitzvah? And the Blërg furniture, and Kenneth's seduction attempt, and "inscrutable", and everything that Dr. Spaceman did this episode? I love you so much 30 Rock.