See Hear Podcast episode 53 - Blues Harp

Get ready to dust your broom and sing the blues. See Hear podcast episode 53 is ready for your aural pleasure, and the focus is one of four films Takashi Miike directed in 1998 (!!!), Blues Harp.   The film tells the story of two young men, each with very different goals in life. One is a member of a Yakuza clan who has dreams of heading becoming boss, the other just wants to cruise by life and take pleasure at playing his harmonica. After Chuji helps Kenji out one night, Kenji feels honour bound to protect his new friend from dangers that lie ahead as he gets drawn into a plot of deceipt and backstabbing.   When people think Miike, they typically think of his confronting films like Audition, Visitor Q, or Ichi The Killer. Films like The Happiness of the Katakuris, The Bird People in China, Zebraman and Blues Harp show there's a diversity not always discussed. Blues Harp may not be well known, but it is a film of incredible maturity. Miike uses every technique in his storytelling arsenal to build on what is essentially a character study and make his audience care about his chaacters' fates.   Tim, Bernie, and Maurice discuss Miike's career, as well as oral hygiene, the lengths some people will go to get to the top, confidence (there's a connection) and Little Walter.   You can download the show by searching for See Hear podcast on iTunes or download from https://seehear.podbean.com   If you dig what we do, could you please rate us at iTunes or even better, spread the word that the show exists on social media or at real life social gatherings so more folks can tune in.   Please join our friendly Facebook discussion group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast   You can send us emails at [email protected] to suggest films you'd like us to discuss, give us your thoughts on what we do or anything else music-film related.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices