IZO (2004), directed by Takashi Miike, is about Izo Okada (1832-1865) - an historical samurai and assassin in 19th century Japan who met a tragic end: he was tortured and crucified. The film is a surrealist exposé of Izo's exceedingly bloody yet philosophical encounters in an afterlife heavy on symbolism, occasionally interrupted by stock footage of World War II accompanied by acid-folk singer Kazuki Tomokawa on guitar. Kazuya Nakayama plays Izo, and the countless characters he encounters on his journey include for instance Takeshi Kitano and Bob Sapp.