'I’m getting tired of violent movies' -Beat Takeshi

[Taro Toporific]

Takeshi Kitano Tired of Gangsters and Commercial Constraints
Variety | Oct. 25, 2014
... Kitano could be getting weary. “Maybe I’m getting tired of violent movies. I’ve made a few in order to make money,” he said.
Responding a seemingly innocent question about whether foreigners can make Japanese films, Kitano launched into a critique of the academy that selects Japan’s contenders for the foreign language Oscars.
“Only films from the major studios [Shochiku, Toho and Toei],and sometimes Nikkatsu, get selected. It really annoys me that there is such a narrow source,” he said. “Who are the Academy members? And why is it that commercial considerations always limit what filmmakers can say?”
He acknowledged that some restrictions can be helpful to a filmmaker. “A lack of freedom makes you use your imagination,” he said, and also said that he had recycled things he had learned as a director into his comedy.
In an interesting sideswipe, Kitano said that he did not enjoy the cartoons of Hayao Miyazaki, the Studio Ghibli founder and cultural icon honoured only a day earlier by the festival and Pixar’s John Lasseter. “I really don’t,” Kitano said. “But it is important to recognize other opinions.”
Moments later Kitano was asked by media to elaborate on his future film projects, but it turned into a prime example of the conservatism that Kitano and Rayns had criticized.
“I’m done shooting, but I’ve been told to keep quiet,” Kitano replied.
At that point the event MC cut in to proceedings and, without explaining the reason, said that the festival bosses had ruled such questions as inadmissible.

Variety's full article...

cropped-sonatine_beat1.jpg

[matsuki]

So basically, "I hate being a fucking tool but I can't say anymore than that because I'm a tool."

[Yokohammer]

So basically, "I hate being a fucking tool but I can't say anymore than that because I'm a tool."

I think it's more like: " ... but I'm going to carry right on doing it, because people pay me an unbelievable amount of money to do so."

Not sure I can fault him for that either.

[matsuki]

So basically, "I hate being a fucking tool but I can't say anymore than that because I'm a tool."

I think it's more like: " ... but I'm going to carry right on doing it, because people pay me an unbelievable amount of money to do so."

Not sure I can fault him for that either.

Does he really make that much? I mean, he did say he's done a few just for the money:

Maybe I’m getting tired of violent movies. I’ve made a few in order to make money

...but I can't tell if that means the money was so good he couldn't turn it down....or he needed the money so he did them despite being "tired."

[Yokohammer]

So basically, "I hate being a fucking tool but I can't say anymore than that because I'm a tool."

I think it's more like: " ... but I'm going to carry right on doing it, because people pay me an unbelievable amount of money to do so."

Not sure I can fault him for that either.

Does he really make that much? I mean, he did say he's done a few just for the money:

Maybe I’m getting tired of violent movies. I’ve made a few in order to make money

...but I can't tell if that means the money was so good he couldn't turn it down....or he needed the money so he did them despite being "tired."

Beat Takeshi makes good money for his movies. He's got the name, the awards, and the track record to ensure that.
What he does with his money when he gets it, I do not know.

[matsuki]

If he's "done" filming in Japan, wonder what he'd come up with if he got handed a Hollywood contract.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I doubt he's Hollywood rich but I'm sure he's fuck you rich. Unless of course he's totally mismanaged his money.

[wagyl]

My understanding is that the official story is that he uses the money earned from his commercial releases, to invest in vanity independent projects. I think the Variety article is just him complaining the the work he does to gain that money is the only work considered for awards, and that his vanity independent projects which he feels are a better representation of his art are overlooked for awards.

[matsuki]

My understanding is that the official story is that he uses the money earned from his commercial releases, to invest in vanity independent projects. I think the Variety article is just him complaining the the work he does to gain that money is the only work considered for awards, and that his vanity independent projects which he feels are a better representation of his art are overlooked for awards.

Would make a lot of sense...and make him not so rich.

[J.A.F.O]

I'm more surprised that he said he didn't care for the Miyazato films... that's almost sacrilege here.

[JAVGOD]

Considering his early career working the audiences between strippers in Ueno etc I'm guessing his old school friends take care of him. He's been fairly critical of yakuza lifestyle in 'sideways' ways but he's yet to be tossed out of a 10 story window like maybe Itami was.

His art films are just not very popular here. That's my understanding of it. They probably make Japanese very uncomfortable. Like, "Dolls" for example.

Some years ago we gave him a script through Hiroshi Abe's agent. He actually wrote a very long e-mail back to us about the project. We were all excited about the response until we got to the last two lines when he explained it would be wasted on Tokyo companies because the people involved would surely wreck it and he would not be able to stop the wrecking of it. He thought of doing it but it would be too expensive for him.

I have a Kevin Spacey in "Swimming with Sharks" attitude about Kitano like Spacey did for Lean. Even when Kitano is dead for me, he will simply be "unavailable."
Love his work almost as much as I love Lean's.

[matsuki]

ピッチャーは両方とも外国人、バッターも打ったの外国人。それで日本シリーズ？だれも日本人出て来ない。マートンが打ったとか。どうなってんのこれ？

http://www.daily.co.jp/newsflash/gossip ... 9229.shtml



Played in Japan, Japanese sponsors, only 4 gaijin allowed per team...yeah, I think it's still the Japanese series. At least he said gaiKOKUjin??