Seeing Beat Takeshi being exploited on TNN the other night made me think about Battle Royale. Columbine made it rather difficult for a film about high school students fighting to the death to find an American distributor. But I did find a DVD which would play in my DVD player (most were region 3 only, or were in the PAL format) at HKFlix.com (the link takes you to a different DVD than the one I purchased, but which I just now found, but which is also apparently completely USA-DVD player-compatible). They shipped it to me at lightening speed, and I watched it this evening. I don't know what to say. I understand the controversy, especially since it doesn't have a nice clear message to assure you the film is not mere exploitation (the film's message, according to the film itself? "Run!"). It was entertaining to watch, even as it was unsettling. The film is basically a Lord of the Flies-inspired look at what happens when hormone-ravaged youngsters are given access to weapons of mass destruction and urged to kill each other. My DVD had very sub-standard subtitles (which is why I linked to the "Special Edition," though I do not know if its subtitles are any better), so I imagine I missed some subtle nuances, but I found the film both unsettling and thought-provoking.

Perhaps Battle Royale's theme of the loss of innocence would appeal to the White Stripes, and so I now have a segue into mentioning that apparenlty the White Stripes were on Conan all week. I'm watching it tonight, and saw a rerun on Comedy Central, where they covered "Jolene," but missed most of it. Serves me right for going to bed after the late-night syndicated episode of King of the Hill.