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Su Lin
08-26-2006, 01:32 PM
Seeing there was a favourite Kung Fu movie thread , thought I would start a Samurai thread.However, at the moment I'm in turmoil as I can't think of my favourite!
I can think of my favourite Samurai movie with tap dancing in, but that's about it. I really have problems making decisions!
It may be too obvious to say Seven Samurai, which is probably the truth, so I may say the entire Lone Wolf and Cub series instead!:rolleyes:
unkokusai
08-26-2006, 11:21 PM
I can think of my favourite Samurai movie with tap dancing in, but that's about it. :


LOL

Yeah, Takeshi was a big fan of tap himself before his accident.
hellhound
08-27-2006, 03:50 PM
Zatoichi by Beat Takeshi. Nice CG work on the bloody scenes. Regards!
MasterKiller
08-28-2006, 06:59 AM
Seven Samurai pwns all.

But, after that...

Yojimbo

Sanjuro

Ran

Hidden Fortress
GeneChing
08-28-2006, 09:50 AM
Seven Samurai is one of my favorite films of all time. And Kurosawa is one of my favorite directors. All the Kurosawa/Mifune colloborations are outstanding. On the flip side, I hated Takeshi's Zatoichi. We discussed that here some time ago. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34433)
Su Lin
08-28-2006, 10:55 AM
Yep, I would have to say Seven Samurai too.
jethro
08-28-2006, 12:46 PM
I would have to go with zatoichi or lone wolf and cub. My fav zatoichi that I have seen is chest of gold and only seen the first 4 LW and C's, but have to say the first one is the best.
Su Lin
08-28-2006, 12:50 PM
Have you seen any Lady Snowblood films ? Seen Blizzard from the Netherworld, it's excellent. Good to see a woman wielding a sword and causing some major blood spurts!:p It's based on a manga by Kazuo Koike, who also wrote the manga Lone Wolf and Cub. I have some of those , they are excellent!
MasterKiller
08-28-2006, 01:04 PM
Seven Samurai is one of my favorite films of all time. And Kurosawa is one of my favorite directors. All the Kurosawa/Mifune colloborations are outstanding. On the flip side, I hated Takeshi's Zatoichi. We discussed that here some time ago. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34433)

Seven Samurai has recently been re-issued:

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/dvd/reviews/df/20060821/115616520002.html?id=1800116040
jethro
08-28-2006, 01:05 PM
Have you seen any Lady Snowblood films ? Seen Blizzard from the Netherworld, it's excellent. Good to see a woman wielding a sword and causing some major blood spurts!:p It's based on a manga by Kazuo Koike, who also wrote the manga Lone Wolf and Cub. I have some of those , they are excellent!

Nope, trying to finish up LW and C, I have two left. Just finished the 4th and LOVED it. Ogami may not be invincible:eek:
FuXnDajenariht
08-28-2006, 01:18 PM
Sword in the Moon. it Koreans

oh and this funny one called Kill!

Zaotoichi owns all by the way.
FuXnDajenariht
08-28-2006, 01:30 PM
i do mean the original with Shintaro Katsu though. the new one had one too many scenes involving trannies and tap dancing for god knows what reason. Zaotoichi is not supposed to play a supporting role in his own movie.
jethro
08-28-2006, 01:42 PM
i do mean the original with Shintaro Katsu though. the new one had one too many scenes involving trannies and tap dancing for god knows what reason. Zaotoichi is not supposed to play a supporting role in his own movie.

I have to disagree with you and Gene Ching and say that I LOVED the newest Zatoichi. The music, the acting, the story. Well the story was kind of the same as all the rest but I like it that they had more than a single storyline. The kid from Gojoe is so freaking awesome in this. Name me a better part than when the kid imagines himself slicing Z up and then right before they go Z switches up his hold on the sword and the kid is screwed. I am really bad at explaining thing but that scene was great as was the whole movie. The ending I guess I just sort of look past, I believe he is still blind:D

After seeing the first 3 Zatiochi movies, I do have to say that like Shintaro Katsu's movies more.
Su Lin
08-28-2006, 01:43 PM
Of course he is invincible!:mad:
jethro
08-28-2006, 01:53 PM
Of course he is invincible!:mad:

I have to admit I was a little scared at the end of Baby Cart in Peril. He comes back for part 5 though:p
Su Lin
08-28-2006, 01:57 PM
The 6th one is the only one I haven't seen! You'll like Lady Snowblood!
GeneChing
08-29-2006, 10:04 AM
Chushingura
The Samurai Trilogy (Miyamoto Musashi)

OK, that's really four more classics, but the Samurai Trilogy is really one very very long epic for me. Hmmm, give me a few days and I'll come up with something that's not a Mifune film...
Su Lin
08-29-2006, 10:17 AM
I'm struggling to come up with a favourite that doesn't feature Mifune!
New thread- favourite Mifune film!:p
5Animals1Path
08-29-2006, 11:23 AM
Memoirs of a Geisha.







Er, wait....:p
tug
08-29-2006, 12:16 PM
Samurai Fiction!

And then, pretty much what everyone else said.
Li Kao
08-31-2006, 03:30 PM
I have to agree with most everyone that Seven Samurai is indeed the finest representation in this genre. It's greatness and impact on the film industry simply cannot be denied. MK, I had heard about the new Criterion release but thanks for the link -- I already own 2 versions of the film, but may just have to fork out for this new set.

Gene, I see you mentioned the Musashi trilogy -- I really liked those too (they did have Toshiro Mifune after all in the lead role). I still prefer the novel by Eiji Yoshikawa, but most attempts at making great works of fiction into movies fail in some aspect. That book, to me, did for the Japanese samurai culture what Journey to the West did for Chinese culture and kung fu. I remember as a teenager, reading the entire 5-set paperback version at least 3 times -- I have always been a voracious reader but that is no small feat. I really liked the mentor relationship that the Buddhist monk Takuan had, and the philosophical lessons were as interesting as the duels and swordplay.

Hate to say it, but I didn't care for Takeshi's Zatoichi either -- I applaud him for attempting to breathe some fresh air into the series, and it does a very unique flavor, but it just wasnt' my cup of tea.

Here is a very well written history of samurai films called "A Man, a Blade, an Empty Road: Postwar Samurai Film to 1970" by San Francisco writer Allen White:
http://www.greencine.com/article?action=view&articleID=70&pageID=138

And another good article about the genre called "Samurai Cinema 101":
http://www.midnighteye.com/features/samurai_cinema_101.shtml
shaolinboxer
09-01-2006, 08:43 AM
Another classic is "Sword of Doom". It's about a samurai who goes insane.

Tokyo shock has been releasing the Zatoichi TV series on dvd, and they are well worth it. It runs 100 episodes at 50 min a piece. They're every bit as good as the films, but don't have the blood squirts (too expensive). Also, only the plots are shorter...the fights and gambling and feats of sword skill all all still there in about the same amount as most of the films.

I am also in the camp for enjoying Takeshi's version.