thetenken wrote:Not a big fan of the new Zatoichi. I think severely overrated by most. It is a very nice cinematographic achievement, but questionable choices in the storyline mire it in conventionalism (The song and dance at the end?).
Yeah, that was something. Looked like some modern dance club steps (which I actually shouldn't be saying as one who hasn't entered such dwellings in over, oh, yeah, I'd say at least 10 years) going there. The nuttiest had to have been . . .
:yell: S P O I L E R
A H E A D :yell:
. . . when Beat Takeshi opens his eyes and, if I'm not mistaken, those eyes are blue? So -- and I'm not trying to be racist here; just making an observation -- we're supposed to see (pardon the pun) that he's not so much as blind as we are in that Zatoichi's supposed to be Caucasian? Or, is the lesson that we're supposed to be blind to that in any case?
Don't like the type of blood-flaying special effects Japanese film's incorporating nowadays. They feature the same lame effect in Battle Royale II: Requiem.
The Man wrote::yell: S P O I L E R
A H E A D :yell:
. . . when Beat Takeshi opens his eyes and, if I'm not mistaken, those eyes are blue? So -- and I'm not trying to be racist here; just making an observation -- we're supposed to see (pardon the pun) that he's not so much as blind as we are in that Zatoichi's supposed to be Caucasian? Or, is the lesson that we're supposed to be blind to that in any case?
That's a hard read. And sorta bad in that it could be misinterpreted as some sorta racial comment... *scratches head*
bmwracer wrote:
That's a hard read. And sorta bad in that it could be misinterpreted as some sorta racial comment... *scratches head*
I don't interpreted that way. In fact I don't interpret his supposedly metaphor.. :beaten: :hehe:
I haven't watched any samurai flick lately, the last one was "Mibu Gishi Den" (When the Last Sword is Drawn) It's about one of Shinsengumi members..I like it a lot :)
Since you mention you got the One Armed Swordsman collection, I'm assuming you're talking about the second Golden Swallow movie, "The Girl with the Thunderbolt Kick" since Jimmy Wang Yu is in that one.
Have you seen the first one? "Come Drink with Me"?
Since you mention you got the One Armed Swordsman collection, I'm assuming you're talking about the second Golden Swallow movie, "The Girl with the Thunderbolt Kick" since Jimmy Wang Yu is in that one.
Yep, that's the one, although The Girl with the Thunderbolt Kick title is a misnomer. It's also lame. :shakehead:
Have you seen the first one? "Come Drink with Me"?
I haven't so I'm looking for a review.
Yeah, I've seen Come Drink With Me in the theaters when I was a kid and I have it on DVD... It made a star out of actress Cheng Pei Pei...
Quickie review:
Not bad. The action is sorta dated compared to today's stuff, so if you keep that in mind, it's pretty good. There's a couple of odd musical (?) interludes with co-star Yueh Hua, but it didn't kill me... What's astounding is the quality of the picture: no apparent flaws, and great color and detail... Overall, I'd give the movie a 7.5/10.
I just saw Zatoichi (the Kitano version, which was heads and shoulders better than Kill Bill), Zatoichi Vol.26 (which was only decent), Azumi (great popcorn entertainment!), Sanjuro and Yojimbo (timeless movies! great, runs like a western), Princess Blade (decent movie, but it had Yumiko Shaku and Hideaki Ito in it), Lady Snowblood(great great great revenge movie! the difference between this movie and kill bill, the latter had no soul and no heart!).
And here's The Man's review of Azumi (previously posted :) ):
Director Ryuhei Kitamura (director of the worldwide zombie/yakuza cult hit Versus and of the upcoming Godzilla: Final Wars which includes superhero MUTANTS, apparently [no, not THOSE superhero mutants]) Azumi is another überrific effort from him. If you're into that whole "Battle at Sekigahara" (calling all Musashi-era fans) and Ieyasu stuff AND you like a bit of slightly fantasy-tinged expert/slashing swordplay, if you like films that almost prevents you from blinking so as to not miss a millisecond, then Azumi is for ya'll's.
Minor spoiler ahead if you wanna know the first part of the film: the film starts out nicely, with a disillusioned samurai gathering up kids left orphaned from the various wars around Japan at the time. Their formal education ends up being the arts of the blade, basically training them to be assassins in order to kill wicked warlords and anyone else who might threaten further instability of Japan, and the young crew soon become so proficient, they don't realize how better they are than their blade-wielding counterparts beyond the mountain where they've lived, trained, and never left . . . 'til one day their samurai sensei gives them a final exam that makes even the most interested action/adventure/swordplay fans CRINGE at the prospect in question.
Some outstanding performances come from Joe Odagiri, all dressed in white, carrying a rose (which gave him an air of a tokusatsu villain if you ask me) no handguards on his katana weapon as he claims he never has to make defensive moves. Really, really begs to be told, "eh, somet'ing wrong with YOU, bruddah" in that role. Just brilliant. Expect an over-the-top performance from Odagiri whose penchant for reckless, though funny sometimes, evil makes you wonder why the heck he does his share of heartthrob projects when THIS is the kinda role he should be doing; the ever-popular in-his-own-class Naoto Takenaka (famous for his role as the wigged Tomio Aoki character from the original Japanese Shall We Dance) as a calmly deceitful and unforgiving warlord that Azumi and crew are charged with assassinating (one of the warlords they are charged with assassinating, that is, and a very strong-looking (good to see him again) Yoshio Harada as Gessai, the said assassins' sensei -- now, those of you who don't watch too much Japanese film might remember him from the 1995 Christopher Lambert vehicle The Hunted in the role of Lambert's samurai protector and sensei.
There're spats of really funny humor in this film. That's one of the good things about a Ryuhei Kitamura -- his comedy, however dark it started out (and, it still is in some respects, hehehe), is becoming more deadpanned, more refined.
But it's the action that's the star of the show. Cuts from a katanayou've never seen before (just ask the aforementioned Odagiri charcter). There's lots of it and it's well-done, and it's a great buttered popcorn and soda flick. Period. Do not miss this one.
You J-pop fans'll recognize Ueto Aya as the western coat-wearing, swift and lethal assassin whose name shares the title of this really great film. YOU WILL BELIEVE a J-pop performer can be as lethal as a 007, and if Japan cinema's still looking for their own James Bond or Indiana Jones franchise, then they can stop looking because Azumi does more than enough to fill that order.
I understand that this film is Kitamura's first with a big budget, and he certainly delivers.
Hmm, I suppose it's worth trying to wangle a copy from Elt just to see for myself... I'm a smidge jaded when it comes to chambara/wuxia films, so my expectations are gonna be sorta high... :)
Has anyone seen Tange Sazen - Hyakumanryou No Tsubo, which is a remake of a 1935 version of the film. I know it's a samurai movie but I don't know if it's a comedy or drama or action movie. Anyway, both versions are being released on dvd (japanese R2) soon. The new version also has english subs.
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