Customer Reviews
Not really effective 
2008-06-23
I have seen way to many horror/thriller films for this to have any effect on me. I was expecting something far more dark and interesting. I have heard many things about this film. It is supposed to be scary, crazy, amazing torture scenes, its not for the squeemish, etc. I must say, after watching this, that this is borderline mild, compared to other films I've seen. It is certainly not a horror film, but a messed up love story disguised as a thriller. There really is no air of suspense, no jumps of any kind, and it makes no sense. The supposedly infamous torture scene is very boring and again, very mild, unless you are afraid of needles...
I realise that violence and gore do not necessarily make a movie. Obviously, it is the case with great films like the Sixth Sense and The Others. However, Audition has nothing at all to offer. The story line is confusing, jumpy as hell and the end leaves you feeling absolultely nothing. The entire thing feels like a waste. If you want to watch a truly gruesome, wicked and suspenseful film with an OMG type of ending, watch the french film "Inside."
Watch the director's commentary also 
2008-06-19
There's already plenty of other reviews about the movie itself, so I'll just skip right to my own thought: be sure to watch director Takashi Miike's commentary. The last part of the movie does get confusing, what with different characters and scenes getting jumbled together and conversations changing. The director's commentary clarifies some things as he explains what he was trying to communicate with a particular scene or with a character's actions. Not all questions are answered though, but enough to make the movie a richer experience (as opposed to an "ok, what exactly happened here?" experience). Even the "kiri kiri kiri kiri" words spoken by Asami are given some additional explanation by Miike that, to me, makes them all the more creepier.
Audition is a classic film 
2008-06-16
Audition is a simple movie about a man who, after losing his wife to illness years ago, is pushed by his son and friends to "get back out there" in the hopes he may find happiness again. His friend and coworker, both he and his friend work in show business, pushes him to put on an audition for a movie...that doesn't exist...in order for him to meet some women. Reluctantly, our hero finally agrees.
Our hero meets a very shy, soft spoken women...wearing all white...that he is attracted to. His friend doesn't think she is the right type of women for him but he decides to ask her for a date anyway and she accepts.
The rest of the movie is them finding out about each other. Basically, he is a widower that is feeling guilty about dating again and dreams that his new "dream girl" has a few, let's say, issues.
I believe this is one of the best suspense movies ever made. I put this movie in the same category as Hitchcock's best and absolutely feel comfortable saying this movie should be on the top 50 movies list of all time. It is a special movie.
Well, it's certainly effective as horror 2008-05-31
I knew this film was going to be rough to watch, but when the girl really got going I had to turn it off. And that's rare for me. This is strong viewing.
I admire Miike in small doses, but this was just too disturbing for me.
(LOL, I can't watch Marathon Man for the same reason!)
Like Nightmare on Elm Street, But Worse! 
2008-05-01
So I like horror. I liked Hostel. Audition director Takashi Miike was in Hostel. I liked the book In The Miso Soup. Audition is an adaptation of a book by Ryu Murakami, who wrote Miso Soup. Seems like I should enjoy this movie, but alas, I did not.
The movie starts real slow, like 80 minutes of setup, but I'm thinking, That's cool, he's just making us feel comfortable before he hits us with the hammer. But when the hammer fell, I was not awestruck.
The beginning was fine and the ending was fine, but right before the torture starts there's one of the strangest montages in cinema history. It's like a flashback, but it includes things we never saw before. We don't know if this is a flashback, a dream or something else entirely. And the sequence ends with the worst horror gag of all time, the fake it-was-all-a-dream awakening, before going right back to where you started.
I cannot tell you how much I hate not knowing what it is I am supposed to be watching. That's why I gave up on the Elm Street series, and the even worse TV show. Every five minutes someone wakes up. Was it a dream? Was it real? Was it a dream that WAS real? Is this a dream? We are never told, and I lost any investment I had in the movie.
Don't buy it. You're wasting your money. Unless you'd like to buy my copy, which I will definitely be selling without giving it a second viewing.
Happy Valentine's Day..... 2008-02-14
If you want the full sledgehammer-to-the-stomach effect of
Audition, stop reading this review now. Just watch it and take the consequences. At first glance, Takashi Miike's jack in the box of a movie works like a romantic comedy: amiable widower Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) decides it's time to find a new wife, and a friend suggests holding a fake audition to find the right girl. It soon becomes clear that there is something wrong with Aoyama's choice. This is no ordinary
Fatal Attraction-style thriller, however;
Audition slowly and carefully builds into a wrenching exploration of both deep male fears and the stereotype of the cute, submissive Japanese woman.
Audition is by no means an easy movie to watch--even hardcore horror fans may have trouble--but it will stay with you for a long, long time.
--Ali Davis
Tonya's Opinion 
2008-02-09
This was a gift for my cousin's birthday. i have no idea of what its about, but she loved it!
It's not your normal Audition... 2008-01-27
Sure, the concept seems simple: an audition. But what happens when an audition leads to the most hellish moment of your life?
The horror film genre is considered to be one of the greatest, bestselling markets of all time, but no one--and I mean no one--can even come close to the Asian horror film genre. The Ring--a bestselling movie in America--was based off of the Japanese movie Ringu. Bet you didn't know that, huh?
Audition starts out simply enough. It shows Shigeharu Aoyama--our leading man-- grieving for his wife, while often thinking about what it would be like to remarry. When his son suggests to remarry, our main character decides to hold an audition. Now, this isn't a normal audition; it's fake, set-up, and is supposed to turn out a woman that Shigeharu will fall in love with.
So, the audition turns out good. Shigeharu goes through the résumés of all the women that came out for the audition, thirty in total. One woman's face seems to pop out at him. Asami Yamazaki is a pretty girl who liked to dance before she destroyed her hip in an accident, and she`s the woman that Shigeharu wants to get to know.
What Shingeharu doesn't know is that Asami has a dark past, and that past continues to haunt her...
To the core.
Audition is a fine example of how foreign films can do well to an American audience. Modern-day America wants movies that they can be able to watch without having to read subtitles. (Americans read only one book a year, mind you; and some don't even read that. Why read subtitles on a foreign film when you can watch an American film?) Audition is stunning, horribly disturbing, and downright creepy. Any and all fans of horror must watch this movie.
Oh, and after you're done with the movie, you'll never think of the word kitty (it's actually `kiri' in Japanese, which means `deeper') in the same way ever again.
"It cuts through meat and bone easily..." 2008-01-24
I am a huge fan of Japanese horror and viewed this movie after hearing so much praise. I had not heard any details about the film previously and greatly anticipated all that this motion picture had to offer. In my opinion, this film effectively accomplished what it set out to do and far exceeded my expectations... it might even be the best of its kind to date.
Audition is a truly disturbing film. Throughout the movie, the audience is drawn deeper and deeper into the twisted tale while being forced to experience unsettling feelings along with the protagonist, Aoyama. The loneliness he experienced after the loss of his wife forced him to pour all of his hard work and efforts into establishing the success of his company. Not until his teenage son suggested that he find love and remarry, did Aoyama refocus his interests. One of Aoyama's close friends sympathizes with him and proposes the idea of holding a false audition for actresses from which he would be able to find his new love. One applicant in particular appealed to Aoyama so much that he was certain she would make an excellent companion. Little did he know that, on that fateful audition day, his life would begin to spiral out of control as his obsessions with Asami grew stronger. Everything seemed too good to be true as their relationship progressed to the point where Aoyama decides to propose to Asami. He soon discovers that she may not be the perfect person he grew to know as her actions become terrifyingly suspicious. The audience is held on the edge of their seats all the way to the conclusion where the unexpected ending is unraveled in shockingly graphic detail.
The director, Takashi Miike, demonstrated his mastery of the craft and artistic talent bringing Ryu Murakami's story to life. Each scene was chillingly beautiful and presented the disturbing yet profound elements such as graphic scenes of human mutilation and inhumane treatment with utter perfection. Through his artistic vision and fine attention to detail, Miike projected his ability to display such horrific imagery to successfully induce fear in the audience.
I highly recommend this terrifying film to anyone who enjoys such artistic and excellent endeavors. This film would make a perfect addition to any horror library and can be appreciated as it helps to bridge US and Japanese cinema.
"kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri"
Subtle, la de da, then BANG! 2008-01-20
This is not really a horror movie. More like a thriller along the lines of "Fatal Attraction" in my opinion. Something is not quite right with this love story. Asami seems sweet and beautiful, but she's awfully weird! Too bad Shigeharu is in such a hurry to find a new wife that he doesn't stop to thnk about Asami's actions or really look into her background. Fantastic acting by the girl that plays Asami, especially at the end! The commentary by Takashi Miike is not to be missed. He gives some interesting insights into his film. I enjoyed this movie, and I am glad I saw it, but it's probably not something I would watch more than once. The buildup is pretty long and drawn out.
