KATAKURI-KE NO KÔFUKU

Japan. Directed by Takashi Miike, 2001.

Date: Sep 25th, 2005. Format: Dvd. Surrounding: Liisankatu, Tampere.

The Sound of Music must be one of the dumbest musicals ever made, but to be unpredictably yours - Edelweiss was the first song I ever sang in karaoke. That happened last April at the middle of the day in Ale Pub located in Tampere railway station building. It's relieving to see there's also a Japanese shock homage made to that 1960's semi-innocent family film. This is the definitive far out version of the happy nazi musical, a future cult classic perhaps. The eversweet Katakuris family is running a mountain hotel. The first customer commits suicide. The next one is a sumowrestler who's got a room date with an underaged girlfriend. The forest behind the hotel is soon full of diggins.. The film becomes a psychedelic ode to life with all its joys and troubles. We never know what happens next, and it's obvious that's just how Miike sees life as whole. If you weren't shocked by Audition, you might have a great chance with this. ****