The Happiness of the Katakuris

Rating:
Summary: What the hell did I just watch?
Review: "Happiness of the Katakuris" is about this japanese family who own a guest house in the rural japanese countryside. Every single guest they get end up dead in the morning, and instead of calling up the proper authorities, they handle the situation by BURYING THEM next to the river. Anyway, hijinks and tomfoolery ensue, with lots of spontaneous singing and dancing and flying and clay animation. My favorite scene was when the giant fat man in a kimono furiously banged this chick whom i took for a TWELVE year old. When they were found dead in the morning and the girl was declared "missing", i was yelling "He ate her! He ate her!" But i was wrong. He actually killed her in a much more lazy way. I figured the movie would have been really good, except for the fact that i didn't know what the hell was going on and there was also too much singing. WAY too much goddamn singing. Its supposedly a "parody" of musicals but the singing was just so earnest and BAD it seemed sincere. So i give it a 2.5 out of 5, which amazon doesn't have so whatever.

Rating:
Summary: Someone had to do it... I suppose...
Review: "The Happiness of the Katakuris" is one part Robert Wise, one part Tim Burton and 100% Japanese kitsch (think ninja sequence in the "Peaches" video by The Presidents of the United States of America and you're close.) Can you imagine it? The only director before Miike who has attempted something like this is Peter Jackson (e.g., "Meet the Feebles", "Dead Alive", etc.)... minus, of course, the "Nandayo!" element. In that sense, it had to be done. Just as there has to be a "Pink Flamingos" out there, this movie had to be made. I was wondering when someone would get around to lampooning karaoke videos and, like nearly every inch of Japanese entertainment, Miike can't help himself from doing it. Exceedingly cute, even in its goriest moments, and replete with animation and hilariously wooden choreography, "The Happiness of the Katakuris" is a dizzying display of over-the-top plastic pop culture.

The problem is... the joke only goes so far. The brilliance of a John Waters, for example, lies in his ability to do more than deliver a mock-up: His camera falls in love (albeit in a perverse way) with his actors. Take, for example, the picnic scene in "Polyester". You just know that Waters was both laughing and wiping a way a tear when Edith Massey said "Purr, purr Francine." It's cute, it's campy, it's dumb... and, best of all, it's simple. There's no BS. It's the kind of thing that just HAPPENS during a take and you yell "print it!" Spontaneity is what made "This is Spinal Tap" great, as a second example. Here, unfortunately, there is no element of surprise. You get it immediately and, about halfway through the film, you are left thinking "How much farther can this go... and why?" By the last fifteen minutes, I was looking at my watch as much as the screen.

I would've given the flick four stars had I not seen Miike's better work (e.g., "Fudoh", "Audition", "Visitor Q", etc.) When he plays it straight, he's one of deadliest horror directors... and perhaps the best ever at inspiring REAL terror in an audience. Part of what makes "Katakuris" funny is that it is so different than these other productions in every way save outrageousness. At the same time, as a functional piece, it is reflexive, self-indulgent and a little boring. When, at the end of the film, the mountain erupts with a flood of claymation lava, you have to say to yourself, "Of course this was going to happen." "Happiness of the Katakuris" is one long spew of molten magma, cliché after cliché shoved up the wazoo. If you like that sort of thing, you get it in spades here.

I would have given the "Katakuris" three stars had the DVD not been defective. Is it just my copy, or is there a serious problem with the final tracks of this film? Pixellation, skipping, stopping and starting, jumping over to the commentary track... it was all going on. A film like this had to be made, but it doesn't need to be bought. My library would be just fine without it.

Recommendation: Rent. [You and your troll doll will have oodles of fun watching this film, particularly if you put on your propeller beanie, grab a hula hoop and dump a packet of pop rocks down your throat.]

Rating:
Summary: BIZZARE AND HILARIOUS
Review: A Japanese family starts a guest-house on the top of a hill but it seems to be jinxed -- all the guests who visit them have an unfortunate habit of dying. Dead bodies not being the best thing for business, the family has to come up with a creative way to hide the corposes. They choose to do this while singing along the mountains.

The predicament is funny itself. But the story telling is uniquely impressive as it effortlessly switches between melancholy romance, adventure, horror, mystery, singing, dancing, flying, some interesting claymation with weird creatures, crooks impersonating members of the british royal family, and even a volcano. It's like watching several different threads of the movie simultaneously, but somehow Miike holds it all together.

As typical of Japanese cinema, there's even a very positive moral to the story, making this bewildering mess quite a bit of fun to watch for the entire family. Get your hands on this hilarious film if you can.

Rating:
Summary: Craziness of the Miike
Review: claymation/comedy/drama/horror/suspense/musical, these are the words that describe this very, very well made film about the strife and love of a Japanese family who open a guest house in the middle of nowhere. I have saw some reviews and lists stating this was a zombie film...dont be misled. Though not totally devoid of undead, the film only contains about 2 minutes of zombies...singing and dancing.

Rating:
Summary: Wildly entertaining from start to finish
Review: Definitely my favorite Miike film. There's never a dull moment and it made me laugh out loud. Miike took a real risk by making a movie as light-hearted as this one and it paid off. And it works because Miike was totally committed to his vision.

The "Making of.." extra also is worth watching.

Rating:
Summary: Imagine a Tim Burton musical remake of Motel Hell
Review: Director Takeshi Miike is a love 'em or leave 'em kind of guy, and Happiness of the Katakuris is no exception. Gratefully, for the general movie audience the graphic gore and violence is abandoned in this film. Miike's interest in stop-motion animation is evident in this film, especially in the inventive credit sequence. Other excursions into this medium throughout the film are jarring and distract from the continuity of the film. Plot is simple: Japanese family owns a b & b where the guests repeatedly die, forcing the family to bury the bodies, all while singing and dancing horribly choreographed musical numbers. Fans of Miike will probably be entertained, but probably won't appeal to the general audience beyond cult status.

Rating:
Summary: Sweet grave diggers
Review: Happiness of the Katakuris is just another glorious scoop for the Miike - the master of bizarre.It is a horror comedy musical (yes musical with the capital M) and since Miike can shoot any type of a movie without messing it, you are guaranteed to have over the top crazy hours in front of your TV
Film starts with a crazy Tim Burton style animation (something even too nuts for Tim's standarts). Here we have a nice Japanese family trying to make a living by opening a small hotel in the middle of nowhere.Family members are nice people : optimistic father, supportive mum, divorced and searching daughter,problematic son and cute grand daughter. They wait for the customers desperately and hope for the road construction to end and bring many people to the area. But katakuris are a bit down on the luck, most of the customers are extremely strange people who happen to die in their rooms . Katakuris however are optimistic and deal with the dead in full family union, becoming professional grave diggers.
Film is a musical as I mentioned and the dances are hilarious . Check grandpa's dances for instance. The first singing and dancing bit (after the death of the first customer) is a hilarious thriller take on. But thats not the only original moment for sure. You have plenty of those. For example,a karaoke singing bit in which we are invited to sing along as well(shot in a cheap karaoke clip type, check the dresses and acting !)is absolutely a cult moment.
Miike uses his animations on the too difficult or too expensive to shot sequences, making film even crazier.
But against all odds and nuts, film has a very optimistic as well as a positive message. Keeping family together and not loosing hope in the hard times (just like in other musicals) is always mentioned but in a very sinister way of course.
Yes Miike has done it again. Director who shot the straight and
gentle documentary like "bird people of China", odd ball action "city of lost souls", cold yakuza thriller "rainy dog" and straight starting but crazy ending bizarre "dead or alive" etc gave us this movie which can be put in the same category with the films like "brain dead" by Jackson. If you like miike, get this movie. If you like black comedy again get this movie.
If you like Japanese odd movies, then here comes another jewel to put it on your collection. And dont forget not to eat anything while watching. You may choke and end up like the customers of Katakuris.

Rating:
Summary: Another Miike Masterpiece
Review: I couldn't believe my eyes or ears watching this movie. Combining dark comedy, romance, zombies, claymation part musical comedy part detective story, part horror/thriller, Miike creates something so wholly unique and genre defying that it is near impossible to adequately describe it. The only thing to do is sit back, watch and enjoy.

Papa Katakuri's desire to get his family out of the city and operate a guest house in the middle of nowhere will resonate strongly for many who have shared similar dreams. Watching the disasters that ensue to keep them from happiness are hilarious, frightening and ultimately touching. The entire cast gives a strong ensemble performance that makes one feel as though watching a real family with pluckiness to overcome their bad luck and enjoy life.


Rating:
Summary: The Zombies are doing the Twist--and it goes like ths
Review: Katakuri-ke no kôfuku is an exceedingly inventive and entertaining film that exploits a wide range of film techniques to often stunning effect. For quite a bit of this film, it looks and feeis very much like Peter Greenaway's "Drowning by Numbers". Director Takashi Miike goes way over the top to create an emotionally rich and deeply sentimental portrait of the spirit of love.

Overall, the musical numbers lift this film into a strange and magical realm. Songs about rotting corpses and romantic longing are perfectly compatible. The film exists in a perpetual dreamlike state that is quite intoxicating. The whole film is romantic--from the longing to run a mountain guesthouse as a family to Shizue's longing for love in the guise of a conman (Kiyoshiro Imawano).

I must admit to spending quite a bit of the film swooning over the heavenly Naomi Nishida, who plays the lovelorn Shizue. She's exquisite--sort of a cross between a young Mia Farrow and Delphine Seyrig. The rest of the cast is quite good as well. Although this isn't a film made by the acting, necessarily, the performances are all expertly utilized and fit into the film's overall structure.

It really is an insane romp in this film. Bodies pile up and they must be disposed. This film alternates between being scary, gross, hilarious, heartwarming, goofy, philosophical, demented, sick, melodramatic, effervescent, ribald, and crude. The songs are lovely and the sentiments are tender and sweet. This is a family that is seeting with potentially devestating chaos just under the surface. Instead of celebrating the dysfunctional aspects, this film focuses on the commonalities that serve as inspiration for the family members in their quest for a happy life. The overall result is delightful, despite and maybe because of the all-singing, all dancing zombies.

Rating:
Summary: The Zombies are doing the Twist--and it goes like ths
Review: Katakuri-ke no kôfuku is an exceedingly inventive and entertaining film that exploits a wide range of film techniques to often stunning effect. For quite a bit of this film, it looks and feeis very much like Peter Greenaway's "Drowning by Numbers". Director Takashi Miike goes way over the top to create an emotionally rich and deeply sentimental portrait of the spirit of love.

Overall, the musical numbers lift this film into a strange and magical realm. Songs about rotting corpses and romantic longing are perfectly compatible. The film exists in a perpetual dreamlike state that is quite intoxicating. The whole film is romantic--from the longing to run a mountain guesthouse as a family to Shizue's longing for love in the guise of a conman (Kiyoshiro Imawano).

I must admit to spending quite a bit of the film swooning over the heavenly Naomi Nishida, who plays the lovelorn Shizue. She's exquisite--sort of a cross between a young Mia Farrow and Delphine Seyrig. The rest of the cast is quite good as well. Although this isn't a film made by the acting, necessarily, the performances are all expertly utilized and fit into the film's overall structure.

It really is an insane romp in this film. Bodies pile up and they must be disposed. This film alternates between being scary, gross, hilarious, heartwarming, goofy, philosophical, demented, sick, melodramatic, effervescent, ribald, and crude. The songs are lovely and the sentiments are tender and sweet. This is a family that is seeting with potentially devestating chaos just under the surface. Instead of celebrating the dysfunctional aspects, this film focuses on the commonalities that serve as inspiration for the family members in their quest for a happy life. The overall result is delightful, despite and maybe because of the all-singing, all dancing zombies.