okay, some new info (or old, depending) on ichi the killer in all it's various forms. i've now got three (yes, 3) versions on dvd. the first of which is an "import"

that clocks in at 93 minutes, the second clocks in at 117 minutes, and the third one clocks in at 129 minutes. i'm under the assumption that the 129 minute version is the fully uncut one. and it's damn good.
on another note, i just finished watching one of the newest films from takashi miike, the director of ichi the killer (they are calling him the japanese quentin tarantino, thanks to the enormous amounts of blood he likes to use in his films. and his films only deal with two subjects - horror and the yakuza. but thankfully, he's a little more prolific than tarantino - he's made 3 movies this year, 5 movies last year, 7 in 2002, and 7 in 2001) -
one missed call. actually, it was made last year (2003) but i don't think it has any distribution in the u.s. yet.
like all the recent great japanese horror films, this one is a ghost story. it involves a group of teenagers who receive phone calls on their cellphones - from themselves. it seems they are calling from the future at their exact moment of death, which is usually a day or two from the time they receive the call. but the call shows up with their own name, number - and the day and time, so now they know when they will die. if you like ring, ju-on, or any of the other recent japanese horror masterpieces, check this one out.