“Beat” Takeshi Kitano
Date of birth (location) 18 January 1948 (Tokyo, Japan)
Nickname: Take-chan
Trade mark: Short quick bursts of violence.
He is credited as “Beat Takeshi” as an actor, and credited as “Kitano Takeshi” as a director.
Kitano’s original career choice of engineering was derailed when he was kicked out of school for rebellious behavior. He proceeded to learn comedy, singing and dancing from the famous comedian Senzaburo Fukami and while working as a liftboy at a comedy/strip club, he got his big break when the comedian originally scheduled to perform fell ill. Shortly after Takeshi formed the comic duo, “The Two Beats” (his stage name Beat Takeshi comes from this), which became very popular on Japanese television. Kitano started his movie acting career in the gangster film, “Violent Cop”(1989). It was during the making of this film that Kitano also began to direct when the intended director fell ill. Immediately afterwards he set out to make a second gangster movie, “Boiling Point”(1990). In 1994, just after finishing “Getting Any”, Kitano was involved in a serious motor cycle accident. He barely survived, and in an effort to change his way of life he became a painter. In his movies this same cha nge can be seen as asethetics began to play a more crucial role. Movies such as “Fireworks (Hana-bi)”(1997) and “Kikujiro”(1999) are prime examples. The following is a filmography of Beat Takeshi, actor and Kitano Takeshi, director. View and enjoy!
As Actor: Beat
Kikujiro (1999) (Japan)
Violent Cop (1998) (Japan)
Fireworks (1997) (Japan)
Johnny Mnemonic (1995) (Sci-Fi)
Getting Any? (1994) - not available
Sonatine (1993) (Japan)
Boiling Point (1990) (Japan)
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) (Britain)

As Director: Takeshi
Kikujiro (1999) (Japan)
Violent Cop (1998) (Japan)
Fireworks (1997) (Japan)
Kids Return (1996) (Japan) not available
Sonatine (1993) (Japan)
Scene at the Sea, A (1992) (Japan) Coming Soon!!
Boiling Point (1990) (Japan)
Scenes by The Sea: Life and Times of “Beat” Takeshi (Documentary)

John Malkovich: And now, an excerpt from a classic movie scene....
Catherine Keener - “...Sounds great! Who the f*ck is John Malkovich?”
John Cusack - “Oh, he’s an actor. He’s one of the great American actors of the 20th century.”
Catherine Keener - “Oh yeah, what’s he been in?”
Well... in descending release date order we give you the 30 films of John Malkovich!
RKO 281 (General)
Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (General)
Being John Malkovich (Comedy)
Rounders (General)
Man In the Iron Mask (General)
Con Air (General)
Portrait of a Lady (Australia)
Ogre, The (Germany)
Mulholland Falls (General)
Mary Reilly (General)
Cannes Man (Comedy)
Convent, The (France)
Heart of Darkness (General)
In the Line of Fire (General)
Alive (General)
Of Mice and Men (General)
Shadow and Fog (Woody Allen)
Jennifer 8 (General)
Object of Beauty (Comedy)
Queens Logic (Comedy)
Sheltering Sky (General)
Dangerous Liaisons (General)
Miles From Home (General)
Empire of the Sun (General)
Glass Menagerie, The (General)
Making Mr. Right (Comedy)
Eleni (General)
Killing Fields, The (AIF)
Places in the Heart (General)
American Dream (AIF)

Albert Brooks: Actor, Director… all around Funny Guy (in order or appearance)
Taxi Driver (Comedy)
Real Life (Comedy)
Private Benjamin (Comedy)
Modern Romance (Comedy)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (Sci-Fi)
Lost in America (Comedy)
Broadcast News (General)
Defending Your Life (Comedy)
I’ll Do Anything (Comedy)
Scout, The (Comedy)
Mother (Comedy)
Muse, The (Comedy)

ELVIS! ELVIS! ELVIS! ELVIS!
The entertainer of the century! Check him out & find out why (then let us know)!
Elvis: ’56 (Music)
Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special (Music)
Elvis: The Lost Performances (Music)
Elvis: Mondo Elvis (Music)
Elvis: On Tour (Music)
Blue Hawaii (Classics under Elvis)
Charro! (Classics under Elvis)
Clambake (Classics under Elvis)
Double Trouble (Classics under Elvis)
Follow that Dream (Classics under Elvis)
Frankie and Johnny (Classics under Elvis)
Fun in Acapulco (Classics under Elvis)
G.I. Blues (Classics under Elvis)
Girl Happy (Classics under Elvis)
Girls! Girls! Girls! (Classics under Elvis)
Harum Scarum (Classics under Elvis)
Jailhouse Rock (Classics under Elvis)
Kid Gallahad (Classics under Elvis)
King Creole (Classics under Elvis)
Kissin’ Cousins (Classics under Elvis)
Live a Little, Love a Little (Classics under Elvis)
Loving You (Classics under Elvis)
One Night With You (Classics under Elvis)
Paradise, Hawaiian Style (Classics under Elvis)
Speedway (Classics under Elvis)
Spinout (Classics under Elvis)
Stay Away, Joe (Classics under Elvis)
That’s the Way It Is (Classics under Elvis)
The Trouble With Girls (Classics under Elvis)
Tickle Me (Classics under Elvis)
Viva Las Vegas (Classics under Elvis)

Films Starring Jet-Li
Abbot Hai Teng of Shaolin
Black Mask (DVD only)
Bodyguard From Beijing (DVD only)
Dragon Fight
Dragons of the Orient
Fong Sai Yuk II (DVD too)
Lethal Weapon 4 (DVD too)
Lord of the Wu Tang
My Father Is a Hero
New Legend of Shaolin
Once Upon A Time in China III (DVD too)
Tai Chi Master (DVD too)

ROCK STARS IN FILMS...
David Bowie
Absolute Beginners (Britain)
Basquiat (General)
The Hunger (Horror)
Into the Night (Gen)
Just a Gigolo (Gen)
Labyrinth (Sci-Fi)
Last Temptation of Christ (Gen)
Linguini Incident (Comedy)
Man Who Fell to Earth (Sci-Fi)
Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (Bri)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk w/Me (Gen)
UHF (Comedy)
Yellowbeard (British Humor)
Meatloaf (aka Marvin Lee Aday)
Black Dog (Gen)
Dead Ringer (Gen)
Leap of Faith (Com)
Mighty (Gen)
Out of Bounds (Gen)
Roadie (NLA)
Rocky Horror Picture Show (Gen)
Spice World (Com)
Squeeze (Com)
Gun In Betty Lou’s Handbag (Com)
Wayne’s World (Com)
Sting (aka Gordon Sumner)
Adv of Barron Munchausen (Bri)
Bride (Hor)
Brimstone & Treacle (Bri)
Dune (Sci-Fi)
Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
Plenty (NLA)
Quadrophenia (Music)
Stormy Monday (Gen)
Tom Waits
At Play in the Field of the Lord
Big Time (Music)
Bram Stocker’s Dracula (Hor)
Candy Mountain (Gen)
Cold Feet (1989) (Com)
Cotton Club (Gen)
Down by Law (A.I.F.)
Fishing with John (Doc)
Iron Weed (Gen)
Mystery Train (Gen)
Outsiders (Gen)
Paradise Alley (NLA)
Queen’s Logic (Com)
Rumble Fish (Gen)
Short Cuts (Gen)
Mystery Men (Com)
The Last Waltz: These are all members of the Band:
Robbie Robertson
Carny (Gen)
Crossing Guard (Gen)
Levon Helm
Coal Miner’s Daughter (Gen)
End of the Line (Gen)
Feeling Minnesota (Com)
Fire Down Below (Gen)
Man Outside (Gen)
Right Stuff (Gen)
Smooth Talk (NLA)
Staying Together (Com)
Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel
Man Outside (Gen)

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