5 Films With Ridiculous Detail You Didn't Even Notice

4. Takashi Miike used real semen for the title screen in Ichi the Killer

ichi-the-killer Japanese horror director Takashi Miike is pretty famous for crossing lines in his bloody experimental films. He's also extremely well-respected among the world of Japanese actors, who can't seem to sing his praises high enough €“ even though he occasionally crosses lines behind the scenes, as well. Ichi the Killer is a film about sadomasochism, focusing on a gangster's obsessive hunt for the man who killed his boss. Rather than seeking revenge against the murderer, though, the gangster's motive is simply to find someone who will hurt him in the way he prefers to be hurt. The killer, a conflicted sociopath named Ichi, is simultaneously repulsed and aroused by his own need to kill. In order to create an opening that would highlight all of these twisted themes, Miike chose to start his film with a plant that is literally dripping with semen, followed by a title that rises up from a close-up of a semen puddle. Other directors might have animated this or used an appropriately textured replacement substance, but not Miike. Instead, he simply handed a bucket to his cast, who proceeded to make some €œdonations€ to the cause. There's something to be said for contributing a part of yourself to your work, but this might be going overboard.
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Articles published under the WhatCulture name denote collective efforts of a number of our writers, both past and present.