I seriusly can't get enough of this stuff. Samurai movies, ninja movies, good old pinky violence, Edo dramas - heck, I even do the kaiju movies!
And, well, being as this forum has lots of people who hold Japanese teas in high regard, is there anyone who watches Japanese movies? Steamboy? Samurai Fiction? Quick Draw Okatsu? Azumi? Always - Sunset on Third Street?
Maybe we can swap recommendations.
I have an unhealthy craving for old samurai chanbara films. I could watch any of the 26 zatoichi films any day of the week, even though they're basically all the same movie. recently I've been working my way through the non-sword play/battle Kurosawa films. though my recent copy of RedBeard stopped playing halfway through (damn you netflix!)
I've been meaning to watch "Samurai Fiction" for a while, thanks for reminding me.
I've also been wanting to see Gojoe... despite the nasty miss-spelling... oh and the changing of history for stylistic benefit... but it seems intruiging as you really don't see movies set in the late heian period of Japanese history as much as you do say edo-jidai or even sengoku-jidai.
I've been meaning to watch "Samurai Fiction" for a while, thanks for reminding me.
I've also been wanting to see Gojoe... despite the nasty miss-spelling... oh and the changing of history for stylistic benefit... but it seems intruiging as you really don't see movies set in the late heian period of Japanese history as much as you do say edo-jidai or even sengoku-jidai.
Good point. Most samurai movies are eido-jidai films. I guess Naikkatsu and Toei already had the sets built...
If you like Zaitochi (and who doesn't?) you should check out the Lone Wolf and Cub movies. They're pretty violent, if that bothers you, but great films.
Oh - and by the way - "Always" will most likely never be released on DVD in America, despite it winning so many awards and topping box office records - because it deals with families rebuilding their lives in Tokyo after the firebombing. Make of that what you will - but it's a great film, and a real tear-jerker.
If you like Zaitochi (and who doesn't?) you should check out the Lone Wolf and Cub movies. They're pretty violent, if that bothers you, but great films.
Oh - and by the way - "Always" will most likely never be released on DVD in America, despite it winning so many awards and topping box office records - because it deals with families rebuilding their lives in Tokyo after the firebombing. Make of that what you will - but it's a great film, and a real tear-jerker.
Apr 4th, '09, 17:03
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Space Samurai
are you kidding? The classics are the BEST 
You really should take a look at the older Zatoichi films... Shintaro Katsu plays that character with such grace, humor, depth... The new one doesn't hardly compare...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSTG4Nap3vY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eWYuR7c ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlqelHFP ... re=related
You really should take a look at the older Zatoichi films... Shintaro Katsu plays that character with such grace, humor, depth... The new one doesn't hardly compare...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSTG4Nap3vY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eWYuR7c ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlqelHFP ... re=related
Apr 5th, '09, 00:54
Posts: 1559
Joined: Jan 28th, '07, 02:24
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Contact:
Space Samurai
People are often fond of the classics, but I rarely agree.
Film had to evolve like any other art, and in the same way that I find Renaisance art more appealing then cave drawings, I think we are making 'better' movies today than we were decades ago.
I watched three or four Kurasawa films, and while I appreciate the impact he had on cinema, I never enjoyed them.
Film had to evolve like any other art, and in the same way that I find Renaisance art more appealing then cave drawings, I think we are making 'better' movies today than we were decades ago.
I watched three or four Kurasawa films, and while I appreciate the impact he had on cinema, I never enjoyed them.
I can certainly see why someone would prefer modern movies, but it's a fallacy of thinking to believe that evolution is linear....
in the art world we went from cave drawings to Ancient Greece and Rome, and then look what happened... 1000 years of degeneration until the renaissance finally came around. then we reached a pinnacle (in painting at least) with the romanticists of the late 19th/early 20th century and look what's happened to painting since then... pfft.
movies are the same way.
Modern movies may in general have "better" integration of sound and visuals, so you think you're getting a slicker, more evolved package... but these are just tricks, (tricks learned from advertising I might add) and don't necessarily equate to a better movie or story.
Kurosawa is like Shakespeare... you shouldn't read it unless you really WANT to read it.
check out some of those Zatoichi movies... some of the slickest swordplay ever put to film. you can have all the spurting columns of blood that a modern movie will give you. I'll take the thrill of 2 or 3 fast cuts deciding the outcome
in the art world we went from cave drawings to Ancient Greece and Rome, and then look what happened... 1000 years of degeneration until the renaissance finally came around. then we reached a pinnacle (in painting at least) with the romanticists of the late 19th/early 20th century and look what's happened to painting since then... pfft.
movies are the same way.
Modern movies may in general have "better" integration of sound and visuals, so you think you're getting a slicker, more evolved package... but these are just tricks, (tricks learned from advertising I might add) and don't necessarily equate to a better movie or story.
Kurosawa is like Shakespeare... you shouldn't read it unless you really WANT to read it.
check out some of those Zatoichi movies... some of the slickest swordplay ever put to film. you can have all the spurting columns of blood that a modern movie will give you. I'll take the thrill of 2 or 3 fast cuts deciding the outcome
Thanks for the links, I can't wait to check them out. My husband will definitely enjoy them too!
Re classics: they are called classics for a reason - they are considered the pinnacle of the evolutionary idea you espouse.
Seven Samurai is based on the ancient Greek play of Seven Against Thebes. It's also the basis for The Magnificent Seven, another good "classic" movie (Hollywood Western). This is and was a classical way of using theater: for the ancient Greeks, the theater competitions (commemorating religious festivals) were always reworkings and the evolution of the myths. From Aeschylus to Sophocles to Euripides the myths and the notions they invoked evolved which you can see in their plays.
BTW re "Kurosawa is Shakespeare" - Kurosawa (as I'm sure many of you know) also made many films based on Shakespeare. Throne of Blood is a reworking of Macbeth. I have not seen Ran but I am told it is based on King Lear.
Now I am remembering all those great films he made - seriously check out IFC on Saturday mornings if you can. They are all great. They show films by other directors as well, not just Kurosawa, but all fascinating. One of my favorites of Kurosawa's is High and Low.
And I like the modern films too, when they are creative. I would not put them down either.
Re classics: they are called classics for a reason - they are considered the pinnacle of the evolutionary idea you espouse.
Seven Samurai is based on the ancient Greek play of Seven Against Thebes. It's also the basis for The Magnificent Seven, another good "classic" movie (Hollywood Western). This is and was a classical way of using theater: for the ancient Greeks, the theater competitions (commemorating religious festivals) were always reworkings and the evolution of the myths. From Aeschylus to Sophocles to Euripides the myths and the notions they invoked evolved which you can see in their plays.
BTW re "Kurosawa is Shakespeare" - Kurosawa (as I'm sure many of you know) also made many films based on Shakespeare. Throne of Blood is a reworking of Macbeth. I have not seen Ran but I am told it is based on King Lear.
Now I am remembering all those great films he made - seriously check out IFC on Saturday mornings if you can. They are all great. They show films by other directors as well, not just Kurosawa, but all fascinating. One of my favorites of Kurosawa's is High and Low.
And I like the modern films too, when they are creative. I would not put them down either.
I like Miike fairly well - I guess I have about fifteen on his films on DVD - although he can be wildly inconsistent (anyone as prolific as he is will inevitably be inconsistent).
I love sixties and seventies exploitation; it seems that film culture from '65-85 (approximately) was the golden age of independent cinema. Look at all of those kooky Sukeban films, the Sasori movies, and the unforgettable pink films of Masaru Konuma. Even Shuriyukihime was 'appropriated' (some say stolen) as 'Kill Bill'. Heck, Tarantino even used the original theme song. It's really amazing how Japan was so modernized back then, approximating the West in fashion while keeping bushido tradition beneath the surface. Check out any of the Reiko Ike 'female yakuza' films.
Mainstream movies, with exceptions, are a bit formulaic. Then as well as now. That's not to say something great does not occasionally surface.
As always, the indies usually do the most interesting work. I like Azumi, but my tastes being what they are, prefer Versus.
I love sixties and seventies exploitation; it seems that film culture from '65-85 (approximately) was the golden age of independent cinema. Look at all of those kooky Sukeban films, the Sasori movies, and the unforgettable pink films of Masaru Konuma. Even Shuriyukihime was 'appropriated' (some say stolen) as 'Kill Bill'. Heck, Tarantino even used the original theme song. It's really amazing how Japan was so modernized back then, approximating the West in fashion while keeping bushido tradition beneath the surface. Check out any of the Reiko Ike 'female yakuza' films.
Mainstream movies, with exceptions, are a bit formulaic. Then as well as now. That's not to say something great does not occasionally surface.
As always, the indies usually do the most interesting work. I like Azumi, but my tastes being what they are, prefer Versus.