Beat Takeshi Vs. Takeshi Kitano

Called "the world's most original action auteur" by the Village Voice, world-renowned Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano is an enormously popular figure in his own country, not only for his films but for his legendary alter ego, comedian Beat Takeshi. The U.S. release this summer of his latest film, Kikujiro -- an official selection at Cannes 1999 -- will add to the recognition he gained here with Fireworks two years ago, and expose an even larger audience to the stylish noir aesthetic previously lauded by such directors as Martin Scorcese and Quentin Tarantino. Kitano's films have won awards at the Venice and Cannes film festivals, but despite his impact on contemporary cinema, Beat Takeshi vs. Takeshi Kitano is the first English language book to be published on his work. This collection of essays by Casio Abe, one of Japan's preeminent cultural critics, examines both Kitano's films and his Beat Takeshi persona, offering an incisive and revelatory critique of the Japanese consumer culture which Kitano's films and comedy both draw on and play against. Beat Takes