On This Day in Horror History: Japan’s Greatest Filmmaker, Takashi Miike Celebrates His 57th Birthday!

Takashi Miike is a legend of film. Not only is he the sharpest, most prolific filmmaker in the Land of the Rising Sun, he constantly pushes boundaries, daring viewers to take the plunge into darkness. Well, we all appreciate your contributions, Mr. Miike, so we’re wishing you a warm HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Born in 1960, Miike shot his first movie in 1991. For such a late bloomer (he was 31 when getting into the directorial line of work), he has a mind-blowing list of credits under his belt.

Among the Takashi Miike flicks you’ve got to see, Audition, Ichi the Killer, Gozu, One Missed Call, Three… Extremes and Yakuza Apocalypse top the list, though even his non-genre films are surprisingly successful.