Geez: probably opening a can of worms here, but that movie sounds really interesting. i didn't know until recently that the koreans and japanese have a sort of 'rift' between them. i mean, they don't totally hate each other, but it doesn't seem like they get along too well. i notice that some movies and dramas (like 'friends') is maybe trying to correct that?

jholic wrote:

Geez: probably opening a can of worms here, but that movie sounds really interesting. i didn't know until recently that the koreans and japanese have a sort of 'rift' between them. i mean, they don't totally hate each other, but it doesn't seem like they get along too well. i notice that some movies and dramas (like 'friends') is maybe trying to correct that?

The Japanese and Koreans have gone to war with each other more often than the English and the French. (The Japanese were said to have been especially brutal to the Koreans during WWII)

Then came the competition between the two countries on the economic front from the mid fifties on, as the two rebuilt themselves.

From looking at the TV shows, and movies they've been making, and their constant attempts to send good looking good will ambasadors over to Korea (right now it's Ryoko Yonekura) it looks to me like Japan is trying very hard to mend fences.
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Manga is to Literature
what Graffiti is to Art

had anyone seen this.... http://www.casshern.com/
my officemate was talking big.. abt. this movie

just have a dvd shop mania today:
akira kurosawa movies
Rashomon
Seven Samurai
Kagemusha
Dreams
Sanjuro
Dersu Uzala
Stray Dog
Yojimbo

Ichi the Killer
kimutaku's 2046
tokyo confession part 2
Band of Brother's (dvd set)

To be released on March 8:

bmwracer wrote:

To be released on March 8:

Any notes on what's contained within?

Can't be all of them... can it?

Can't have any samples from the TV series... can it?
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Manga is to Literature
what Graffiti is to Art

Geezer wrote:

Any notes on what's contained within? Can't be all of them... can it? Can't have any samples from the TV series... can it?

No details from amazon.com...

Ahhh, I'd rather get that Gojira perfect collection and/or the recently released Kinji Fukasaku The Yakuza Papers boxed set.

Geezer wrote:

Any notes on what's contained within? Can't be all of them... can it? Can't have any samples from the TV series... can it?

According to DVDSoon:

INCLUDES ZATOICHI MEETS YOJIMBO, ZATOICHI THE OUTLAW, ZATOICHI: THE FESTIVAL OF FIRE, ZATOICHI AT LARGE, ZATOICHI IN DESPERATION, ZATOICHI'S CONSPIRACY AND ZATOICHI MEETS THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN IN A COLLECTOR'S BOX - 7 DVD BOX SET SUBTITLED

Shurayuki-hime wrote:

According to DVDSoon: INCLUDES ZATOICHI MEETS YOJIMBO, ZATOICHI THE OUTLAW, ZATOICHI: THE FESTIVAL OF FIRE, ZATOICHI AT LARGE, ZATOICHI IN DESPERATION, ZATOICHI'S CONSPIRACY AND ZATOICHI MEETS THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN IN A COLLECTOR'S BOX - 7 DVD BOX SET SUBTITLED

Thanks for the info...

Wonder why they picked those particular episodes for this box set.

I already have Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo and Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman, so..........

bmwracer wrote:

Thanks for the info... Wonder why they picked those particular episodes for this box set. I already have Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo and Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman, so..........

I think this box set is released by animeigo, so I quess they just put all seven Zatoichi film they have released in one box.

Is Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman good? I just saw One-Armed Swordsman trilogy (liked a lot) and became interested of this film. I haven't seen any of the old Zatoichi's but I thought to start from the first film and then get Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman.

Shurayuki-hime wrote:

I think this box set is released by animeigo, so I quess they just put all seven Zatoichi film they have released in one box.

So desu ne...

Quote:

Is Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman good?

Yeah, it's as good as any of the other Zatoichi films... I think I like Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo a little more though...

Quote:

I just saw One-Armed Swordsman trilogy (liked a lot) and became interested of this film. I haven't seen any of the old Zatoichi's but I thought to start from the first film and then get Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman.

Yeah, I bought the trilogy a while back and it's excellent.

bmwracer, thanks for the recommendation. I was considering about buying Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo but wasn't sure if it's good. But now I'm definitely gonna get it too.

And about One-Armed Swordsman trilogy: I loved the first film, and liked the third even more, but didn't like the second one so much. It wasn't bad but the other two were just much better. It was still pretty entertaining movie. Overall it's a great trilogy, something that I'm proud of having in my collection.

The Shintaro Katsu Zatoichi movies are pretty formulaic. That, however, does not detract from the entertainment value of these movies. I find it interesting that the two most successful and popular series in Japanese movie history--Zatoichi (26 films, 25 of them made within an 11-year span) and Tora-san (48 films within a 27-year span)--share many similarities. The heroes of both these series are essentially itinerant loners; in each film they help a damsel in distress, fall in love, but end up alone. They both seem to blunder through life, making mistakes, acting foolishly and comically, but making things right at the end. The actors who portrayed Tora-san and Zatoichi acted in many other films but both will be forever tied to their most iconic and popular character. While one series takes place during the Edo-period and the other after WWII, both focus on the common people, their struggles and hopes, and their generosity towards their fellow man. You won't get any surprises or plot twists watching these movies-- you basically know what will happen during the course of the film--but these two series provide great entertainment and great enjoyment to the viewer, in large part due to the incomparable characterization of the lead actor.

Shurayuki-hime wrote:

And about One-Armed Swordsman trilogy: I loved the first film, and liked the third even more, but didn't like the second one so much. It wasn't bad but the other two were just much better. It was still pretty entertaining movie. Overall it's a great trilogy, something that I'm proud of having in my collection.

For me the first one is stil the best of the bunch. The second one is pretty good, but it's sorta weak story-wise: it's just wall-to-wall carnage. Not that there's anything wronf with that. The third installment isn't as bad as I thought it would be since it's a different swordsman, but the ending left me wanting....

I agree with shin2. The Zatiochi movies are "pretty formulaic".

The thing is, if you like the formula, you pretty much like them all.

One of the things I like about the series is that while sticking with the formula, Shintaro Katsu brought something new to the character in each movie.

Some were very serious, some melodramatic, many were comedies. In some he was a noble wayfarer, in others he was revealed to be a degenerate gambler, in some his problem was that he drank way too much, in others he was just pissed off.

But they were always different sides to the same personality.

Thanks, Shurayuki-hime for finding the titles. Turns out, I"ve either seen all of those, or own them... but it's great to see there's still interest in these movies.

Any one of Katsu's movies makes mince meat out of that piece of dookie ol'Beat put out.
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I finally got my copy of "One Missed Call".

Shibasaki Kou did a solid job, and looked fantastic. Man, that's a beautiful woman.

Tsutsumi Shinichi is such a presense on screen that he'd do well in anything he was cast in.

Takashi Miike still doesn't know how to craft a third act, still obviously thinks the screen writer is his enemy, and once again has produced a movie that has a few startling scenes, and beautiful lead character... and a lousy story.

I probably would have enjoyed the movie more if I hadn't insisted on getting a copy with subtitles.
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Man, that Takashi Miike. Any of youse manage to catch Gozu? Just . . . just friggin' outrageous. Once you hear that "Gozuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu . . ." spoken, it's just haunting, hahahah.

Miike can still make his actors do all kind, though. Haha.

Geezer . . . you with me on the Fukasaku Yakuza Papers (boxed set)?

Manny,

I haven't gone back to the Yakuza Papers since it first came out (Made in the early 70s? released over here in the early 80s).

It lost me back then. I'm not sure why. Probably because I was tired of gangster movies at that time. Maybe because I hadn't watched enough Japanese movies at that point.

You think I should give them another shot? I know Netflix offers the whole 6 disc set, so it's just a matter of putting them on my waiting list.
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Geezer wrote:

Manny, I haven't gone back to the Yakuza Papers since it first came out (Made in the early 70s? released over here in the early 80s). It lost me back then. I'm not sure why. Probably because I was tired of gangster movies at that time. Maybe because I hadn't watched enough Japanese movies at that point. You think I should give them another shot? I know Netflix offers the whole 6 disc set, so it's just a matter of putting them on my waiting list.

[The Man screams!!!!!]

Mein Gott, Geezer! Are you telling me that you actually got to CATCH the Yakuza Papers in the theatres????? I wish I was you.

Please do add to ya'll "Netflix" list. Please give another chance. Gotta love the Fukasaku Yakuza flicks (that If You Were Young: Rage, though . . . I dunno, I really dunno about that one. Didn't like THAT Fukasaku flick at all). I plan on spending the rest of my Towers gift cards to pick up the entire boxed set.