Each new episode of Shōgun raises the stakes, deepens the political intrigue, and brings us closer to the brink of war. It’s a description that, years ago, would have applied to Game of Thrones, a show to which Shōgun has been compared ad nauseam. It’s not an inappropriate comparison. Both tout sprawling casts, sweeping locations, political intrigue, backstabbing, and characters residing in moral gray areas, ready to surprise and disappoint. Though, it may be more apt to compare the show to Japan’s Chanbara or samurai films.
Given Shōgun’s intensity and cliffhangers, waiting a week between episodes is excruciating. Digging back into Game of Thrones or even House of the Dragon might not scratch that Shōgun itch in the long days between installments.
Instead, let’s dive into samurai epics in and around the Edo period when Ieyasu Tokugawa unified Japan and built a shogunate that ruled for more than two centuries,...
Given Shōgun’s intensity and cliffhangers, waiting a week between episodes is excruciating. Digging back into Game of Thrones or even House of the Dragon might not scratch that Shōgun itch in the long days between installments.
Instead, let’s dive into samurai epics in and around the Edo period when Ieyasu Tokugawa unified Japan and built a shogunate that ruled for more than two centuries,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
This article contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" episode 4, "Fallen Jedi."
"I grew up in a small town in northern California," George Lucas once related during a 2001 interview for the Criterion Collection's edition of Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." "The movie theatres there didn't show much more than 'Bridge on the River Kwai' and 'The Blob.' So I didn't really experience foreign films until I found my way into film school. At that point is when I was exposed to Kurosawa. A friend of mine, John Milius, was actually a huge fan of Kurosawa's, so whenever a film was showing, he'd say, 'Oh, you gotta come see this.' The first one I saw was 'Seven Samurai,' and then after that I was completely hooked. I said, 'This is really good.'"
In order to understand the DNA of "Star Wars," one must understand the film DNA of Kurosawa -- specifically,...
"I grew up in a small town in northern California," George Lucas once related during a 2001 interview for the Criterion Collection's edition of Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." "The movie theatres there didn't show much more than 'Bridge on the River Kwai' and 'The Blob.' So I didn't really experience foreign films until I found my way into film school. At that point is when I was exposed to Kurosawa. A friend of mine, John Milius, was actually a huge fan of Kurosawa's, so whenever a film was showing, he'd say, 'Oh, you gotta come see this.' The first one I saw was 'Seven Samurai,' and then after that I was completely hooked. I said, 'This is really good.'"
In order to understand the DNA of "Star Wars," one must understand the film DNA of Kurosawa -- specifically,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
In 2022, Jane Campion made history as the first female director to be nominated for Best Director twice. And then, for “The Power of Dog,” she followed through and won, becoming the third female director to take home the top prize.
The win was a triumphant and long overdue achievement for Campion, who has consistently been one of the best directors actively working since her 1989 feature debut “Sweetie.” The black comedy about a dysfunctional family marked the New Zealand-born director as a great talent immediately, entering the Cannes Film Festival and taking home an Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film shortly afterwards. Just a year later, Campion released her first masterpiece: the Janet Frame biopic, “An Angel at My Table.”
From there, her 1993 feature “The Piano” netted Campion her first Best Director nomination, while efforts like “The Portrait of a Lady,” “Holy Smoke,” “In the Cut,” and “Bright Star” received acclaim.
The win was a triumphant and long overdue achievement for Campion, who has consistently been one of the best directors actively working since her 1989 feature debut “Sweetie.” The black comedy about a dysfunctional family marked the New Zealand-born director as a great talent immediately, entering the Cannes Film Festival and taking home an Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film shortly afterwards. Just a year later, Campion released her first masterpiece: the Janet Frame biopic, “An Angel at My Table.”
From there, her 1993 feature “The Piano” netted Campion her first Best Director nomination, while efforts like “The Portrait of a Lady,” “Holy Smoke,” “In the Cut,” and “Bright Star” received acclaim.
- 8/23/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Japan during the 1960s saw a surge in crime flicks. Examples include the stylish gangster features by Seijun Suzuki and the darkly comical underworld movies by Kihachi Okamoto. Yet, there were also slower pieced character study crime thrillers that took their time to develop their characters and create overwhelming suspense and atmosphere with powerful themes that made audiences think. Look no further than Akira Kurosawa’s terrific films “The Bad Sleep Well” and “High and Low.” Yet, Kurosawa wasn’t the only notable director to put out poignant noir tales. Right around this time, filmmaker Tomu Uchida had built quite a name for himself with the numerous jidaigeki pictures he made. Occasionally, Uchida would step away from cinematic depictions of feudal Japan to do something more unique in his filmography, such as his phenomenal crime epic, “A Fugitive from the Past.”
on Amazon by clicking...
on Amazon by clicking...
- 9/14/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
Miyamoto Musashi has been solidified in history for his phenomenal skills as a swordsman. As such, he’s been depicted in cinema for decades. His story has been shown as a hopeful journey in Hiroshi Inagaki’s “Samurai Trilogy” or as a Zen-seeking quest in Tomu Uchida’s five-part film series. The ronin would even be used as a symbol of patriotism in the propaganda feature “Miyamoto Musashi,” directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Yet, the famed warrior was far from perfect, and there was more to him besides his sword skills. He was also a human and one with imperfections for that matter. These complexities are showcased in Tai Kato’s gritty but human jidaigeki epic “Miyamoto Musashi.” An alternative title for the picture is “Sword of Fury.”
Like many adaptations, the film is based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s epic novel “Musashi,” a fictionalized account of the famous ronin with touches...
Like many adaptations, the film is based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s epic novel “Musashi,” a fictionalized account of the famous ronin with touches...
- 7/29/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” has won Best International Feature at the 94th Academy Awards. The Japanese film is only the second film from that country to win this prize competitively, following 2008’s “Departures.” Japan previously won three Honorary Oscars before the (previously named) Best Foreign Language Film category was instituted for films from 1956. Those honorees were Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon,” Teinosuke Kinugasa’s “Gate of Hell,” and Hiroshi Inagaki’s “Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto.”
“Drive My Car” was far and away the the favorite to win Best International Feature this year, and it stands as not just one of the most acclaimed international features of the year, but one of the most acclaimed films full stop. It was up against Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated Danish submission “Flee,” Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” (Italy), Bhutan’s entry “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” by Pawo Choyning Dorji,...
“Drive My Car” was far and away the the favorite to win Best International Feature this year, and it stands as not just one of the most acclaimed international features of the year, but one of the most acclaimed films full stop. It was up against Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated Danish submission “Flee,” Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” (Italy), Bhutan’s entry “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” by Pawo Choyning Dorji,...
- 3/28/2022
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Keep track of all the submissions for best international feature at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Entries for the 2022 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
The 94th Academy Awards will take place on March 27, 2022 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. This is the first time since 2018 that the ceremony will take place in March, having moved to avoid conflicting with the Winter Olympics.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly non-English dialogue...
Entries for the 2022 Oscar for best international feature are underway, and Screen is profiling each one on this page.
Scroll down for profiles of each Oscar entry
The 94th Academy Awards will take place on March 27, 2022 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. This is the first time since 2018 that the ceremony will take place in March, having moved to avoid conflicting with the Winter Olympics.
An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the US with a predominantly non-English dialogue...
- 10/11/2021
- by Ben Dalton¬Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Last February, just before the pandemic upended virtually everything about how the film industry operates, “Parasite” made history at the Academy Awards. The ingenious South Korean thriller became the first international film to “overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles” and win best picture, as director Bong Joon Ho phrased it at the podium.
But that was just one of the many barriers to “Parasite’s” potential success. Asia — which has produced some of the world’s most gifted directors — has had a particularly difficult time being recognized with the Academy. Hard to believe, but when Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was nominated for best picture in 2000, it had been a full 45 years since an Asian film had won Oscar’s foreign language prize (that film was “Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto”).
European movies do fine in what’s now known as the “international feature” category — especially those from the four “Figs” markets,...
But that was just one of the many barriers to “Parasite’s” potential success. Asia — which has produced some of the world’s most gifted directors — has had a particularly difficult time being recognized with the Academy. Hard to believe, but when Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was nominated for best picture in 2000, it had been a full 45 years since an Asian film had won Oscar’s foreign language prize (that film was “Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto”).
European movies do fine in what’s now known as the “international feature” category — especially those from the four “Figs” markets,...
- 3/9/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The film received a Cannes 2020 label and premiered at Toronto in September.
Japan has selected Naomi Kawase’s True Mothers as its entry for the best international feature film category at the Oscars.
The decision was made by the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan.
Kawase’s drama received a Cannes 2020 label earlier this year and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last month before screening at San Sebastian.
True Mothers is a drama in which a woman with an adopted child is contacted unexpectedly by the child’s birth mother.
This is the first time Kawase has represented...
Japan has selected Naomi Kawase’s True Mothers as its entry for the best international feature film category at the Oscars.
The decision was made by the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan.
Kawase’s drama received a Cannes 2020 label earlier this year and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last month before screening at San Sebastian.
True Mothers is a drama in which a woman with an adopted child is contacted unexpectedly by the child’s birth mother.
This is the first time Kawase has represented...
- 10/29/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Craig Lines Oct 5, 2016
Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai trilogy is a feast best enjoyed in one go. We revisit the groundbreaking films right here...
The 1950s are widely regarded as a golden age of Japanese Cinema. To enormously simplify a complex period in history (so we can get talking about swords and duels and all that badass stuff), a lot changed between the end of WWII in 1945 and the end of the Allied Occupation of Japan in 1952. Censorship was simultaneously lifted and imposed. The Occupation restrained Japan in terms of what it could say in films being produced (for example, anything that 'promoted feudal values' was not allowed), yet at the same time, exposed it to all kinds of western material that had been forbidden in the pre-war years. When the Americans left, the restrictions were lifted but the new influences survived, unleashing a tsunami of innovative, passionate cinema, much of...
Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai trilogy is a feast best enjoyed in one go. We revisit the groundbreaking films right here...
The 1950s are widely regarded as a golden age of Japanese Cinema. To enormously simplify a complex period in history (so we can get talking about swords and duels and all that badass stuff), a lot changed between the end of WWII in 1945 and the end of the Allied Occupation of Japan in 1952. Censorship was simultaneously lifted and imposed. The Occupation restrained Japan in terms of what it could say in films being produced (for example, anything that 'promoted feudal values' was not allowed), yet at the same time, exposed it to all kinds of western material that had been forbidden in the pre-war years. When the Americans left, the restrictions were lifted but the new influences survived, unleashing a tsunami of innovative, passionate cinema, much of...
- 9/28/2016
- Den of Geek
★★★★★ Sadly overlooked by western audiences, Hiroshi Inagaki's superlative Samurai Trilogy is the definitive on screen depiction of legendary 17th-century swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. 1954's Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto begins with Takezo (Toshiro Mifune) losing the battle of Sekigahara with his friend Matahachi (Rentarô Mikuni) and on the run as a fugitive. Both men are brash and inexperienced, but where Matahachi is cowardly and lecherous, Takezo is full of inner turmoil, horribly aware of his inadequacies and lashing out at Matahachi and the women who shelter them after Sekigahara.
- 8/30/2016
- by CineVue
- CineVue
The first successes of Asian films in the Oscars occured during the 50’s, when the award for Foreign-Language Film was not yet introduced and the Academy presented Special/Honorary awards to the best foreign language films released in the United States. Three Japanese productions received these awards during this decade.
1951. Rashomon, by Akira Kurosawa. A priest, a woodcutter and another man are taking refuge from a rainstorm in the shell of a former gatehouse called Rashômon. The priest and the woodcutter are recounting the story of a murdered samurai whose body the woodcutter discovered three days earlier in a forest grove. Both were summoned to testify at the murder trial, the priest who ran into the samurai and his wife traveling through the forest just before the murder occurred.
Three other people who testified at the trial are supposedly the only direct witnesses: a notorious bandit named Tajômaru, who allegedly...
1951. Rashomon, by Akira Kurosawa. A priest, a woodcutter and another man are taking refuge from a rainstorm in the shell of a former gatehouse called Rashômon. The priest and the woodcutter are recounting the story of a murdered samurai whose body the woodcutter discovered three days earlier in a forest grove. Both were summoned to testify at the murder trial, the priest who ran into the samurai and his wife traveling through the forest just before the murder occurred.
Three other people who testified at the trial are supposedly the only direct witnesses: a notorious bandit named Tajômaru, who allegedly...
- 2/28/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Five Ghosts #13
Writer: Frank J. Barbiere
Art: Chris Mooneyham
Colors: Lauren Affe
Publisher: Image Comics
The Archer. The Wizard. The Detective. The Samurai. The Vampire. If you were to add ‘walked into a bar’ to these subjects, this might turn into a joke someone might have told you at one time. Five Ghosts is no joke. It is highly entertaining and is easily one of the most underrated series on the shelves. Frank J. Barbiere writes stories that harken back to the magic one would feel as a kid when reading about Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes. If the concept of having a treasure hunter possessed by the five ghosts (Robin Hood, Merlin the Wizard, Sherlock Holmes, Musashi Miyamoto, Dracula) of five famous literary figures doesn’t grab you, the artwork of Chris Mooneyham will make you a believer. On top of the creative team, the creased look on the...
Writer: Frank J. Barbiere
Art: Chris Mooneyham
Colors: Lauren Affe
Publisher: Image Comics
The Archer. The Wizard. The Detective. The Samurai. The Vampire. If you were to add ‘walked into a bar’ to these subjects, this might turn into a joke someone might have told you at one time. Five Ghosts is no joke. It is highly entertaining and is easily one of the most underrated series on the shelves. Frank J. Barbiere writes stories that harken back to the magic one would feel as a kid when reading about Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes. If the concept of having a treasure hunter possessed by the five ghosts (Robin Hood, Merlin the Wizard, Sherlock Holmes, Musashi Miyamoto, Dracula) of five famous literary figures doesn’t grab you, the artwork of Chris Mooneyham will make you a believer. On top of the creative team, the creased look on the...
- 10/24/2014
- by Anthony Spataro
- SoundOnSight
The Usagi Yojimbo Saga: Volume 1
Writer, Art, and Letters: Stan Sakai
Series Editors: Michael Dooney and Jaime S. Rich
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo is a series that works on multiple levels. It has the epic feel of a Japanese chanbara (sword fighting films), alongside moments of melodrama, in which the relationships of the characters are at the forefront. Sakai was born in Japan and emigrated to the United States, where his great comic Usagi Yojimbo would begin in 1984, continuing to this very day. Sakai incorporates many elements of his Japanese background by placing the main setting of the story within the Edo period of Japanese history. There is a lot of terminology used with certain aspects of this time, from the weapons, the clothing, to the social statuses. Sakai definitely does not shy away from the immense amount of research incorporated, really making Usagi Yojimbo...
Writer, Art, and Letters: Stan Sakai
Series Editors: Michael Dooney and Jaime S. Rich
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo is a series that works on multiple levels. It has the epic feel of a Japanese chanbara (sword fighting films), alongside moments of melodrama, in which the relationships of the characters are at the forefront. Sakai was born in Japan and emigrated to the United States, where his great comic Usagi Yojimbo would begin in 1984, continuing to this very day. Sakai incorporates many elements of his Japanese background by placing the main setting of the story within the Edo period of Japanese history. There is a lot of terminology used with certain aspects of this time, from the weapons, the clothing, to the social statuses. Sakai definitely does not shy away from the immense amount of research incorporated, really making Usagi Yojimbo...
- 10/22/2014
- by Anthony Spataro
- SoundOnSight
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying." – Woody Allen
Greetings from the apocalypse! Woody Allen may have been cracking wise with that quote, but when it comes to Wolverine, eternity is no laughing matter. Somehow this weekend has found a way to include both in your moviegoing diet, so let's feast, shall we?
Friday, July 26
Pow! In Theaters
Bias Admission: When Darren Aronofsky announced that he would be directing "The Wolverine," I went out and bought up the original Chris Claremont/Frank Miller source material, absorbing the Japan-set rōnin's tale in all its '80s glory. Then the "Black Swan" helmer dropped out, James Mangold took up the reins and I promptly sold that graphic novel. Why? It wasn't worth getting invested in anymore. Aronofsky is a visionary director, Mangold is a journeyman, and as soon as he signed on...
Greetings from the apocalypse! Woody Allen may have been cracking wise with that quote, but when it comes to Wolverine, eternity is no laughing matter. Somehow this weekend has found a way to include both in your moviegoing diet, so let's feast, shall we?
Friday, July 26
Pow! In Theaters
Bias Admission: When Darren Aronofsky announced that he would be directing "The Wolverine," I went out and bought up the original Chris Claremont/Frank Miller source material, absorbing the Japan-set rōnin's tale in all its '80s glory. Then the "Black Swan" helmer dropped out, James Mangold took up the reins and I promptly sold that graphic novel. Why? It wasn't worth getting invested in anymore. Aronofsky is a visionary director, Mangold is a journeyman, and as soon as he signed on...
- 7/26/2013
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
Usagi Yojimbo (Japanese for “Rabbit Bodyguard”) is about Miyamoto Usagi, a 16th century ronin (masterless samurai) who wanders Japan, occasionally selling his sword for protection, but generally doing honourable deeds in return for food and shelter. Stan Sakai’s character and world features anthropomorphic creatures in place of humans with Miyamoto as a rabbit, and is set during Japan’s Edo period where feudal lords run the land. The series incorporates Japanese history and folklore into its episodic narrative with Usagi himself based upon the famous Japanese swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi (who also inspired the excellent manga series, Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue – definitely worth checking out).
In Volume 27, the main story features Usagi going to a town which has been turned into a living hell thanks to two warring gang leaders over control of the town and its resources. Usagi determines to help out the highest paying gang leader, fighting alongside the legendary swordsman Kato,...
In Volume 27, the main story features Usagi going to a town which has been turned into a living hell thanks to two warring gang leaders over control of the town and its resources. Usagi determines to help out the highest paying gang leader, fighting alongside the legendary swordsman Kato,...
- 6/24/2013
- by Noel Thorne
- Obsessed with Film
What's this? A trance inducing, time hopping, hypnotic treatment of iconic samurai Musashi Miyamoto - author of The Book Of Five Rings - from Denmark? With the producer of Valhalla Rising and Only God Forgives on board as an executive producer? That's exactly what you have in Sidney Lexy Plaut's Dark Samurai.Through life, death, rebirth and the afterlife, the film flows seamlessly between the past, present and future, all simultaneously unfolding in parallel voids and universes. The film explores the very human and agonizing processes that go through the shattered mind of Miyamoto who is so broken and destroyed that the only thing he has left is the rapidly fading memories of his love -- his undying, yet to a samurai-yakuza warrior strictly forbidden love...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/13/2013
- Screen Anarchy
The official website for Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Bride, the second season of Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls, revealed additional cast members for the second season on Tuesday.
The additional cast is as follows:
Chinatsu Akasaki as Sasuke Sarutobi
Yōko Hikasa as Musashi Miyamoto
Naomi Shindo as Kojirō Sasaki
Haruka Tomatsu as Motaemon Araki
Satomi Satou as Inshun Hōzōin
Mamiko Noto as Keiji Maeda
The website also confirmed that the series will premiere in April. The staff for the second series remains the same, except Satoru Nishizono (Needless, Welcome to the Nhk) is handling the series composition instead of Ryunosuke Kingetsu.
The series, based on Akira Suzuki‘s novels, is set in the early 21st century — except in this alternate world, the Tokugawa shogunate never lost power and Japan maintained its enforced seclusion from the rest of the world. At a giant academy for children of military families at the foot of Mt.
The additional cast is as follows:
Chinatsu Akasaki as Sasuke Sarutobi
Yōko Hikasa as Musashi Miyamoto
Naomi Shindo as Kojirō Sasaki
Haruka Tomatsu as Motaemon Araki
Satomi Satou as Inshun Hōzōin
Mamiko Noto as Keiji Maeda
The website also confirmed that the series will premiere in April. The staff for the second series remains the same, except Satoru Nishizono (Needless, Welcome to the Nhk) is handling the series composition instead of Ryunosuke Kingetsu.
The series, based on Akira Suzuki‘s novels, is set in the early 21st century — except in this alternate world, the Tokugawa shogunate never lost power and Japan maintained its enforced seclusion from the rest of the world. At a giant academy for children of military families at the foot of Mt.
- 1/7/2013
- by Vesna Sunrider
- Filmofilia
It was released almost two months ago, but I finally got around to savoring Criterion's Blu-ray restoration of Hiroshi Inagaki's The Samurai Trilogy over the last couple of weeks. I've made mention of it in a few posts here and there, but i wanted to make a special point to give it it's own space considering the massive upgrade we are talking about here over the previously released 2004 DVD editions. I can't remember how long ago it was that I bought the DVD editions, but I bought them blind without having seen any of the three films -- Musashi Miyamoto (winner of the 1955 Best Foreign Language Oscar), Duel at Ichijoji Temple and Duel at Ganryu Island -- but watching them those years ago I remember enjoying the films, but not at all moved by the imagery. The DVD presentations were hardly impressive and Criterion's packaging doesn't suggest they were remastered in any way.
- 8/20/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
It has been a bit of a busy movie week for me. I saw The Bourne Legacy, The Campaign and Samsara (in digital 4K at Seattle's Cinerama) in theaters. I watched Side by Side and Baraka, both in HD online. Then I watched the new Jaws and The Raid Blu-rays and also watched Musashi Miyamoto, the first film in Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy on Criterion Blu-ray. The Raid Blu-ray I already commented on and if you haven't joined that discussion, I'd ask you to give it a look. As I'm sure most of you are aware, I already reviewed The Bourne Legacy (my review), The Campaign (my review) and Side by Side (my review) and I will have reviews of the Jaws Blu-ray and Samsara soon. However, I do want to talk briefly about Musashi Miyamoto. I own Criterion's previous DVD release of the Samurai trilogy and this new...
- 8/12/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
By Allen Gardner
The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion) Director Hiroshi Inagaki’s sprawling epic filmed from 1954-56 is an early Japanese Technicolor masterpiece, rivaling the scope of filmmakers like David Lean and Luchino Visconti. Toshiro Mifune, Japan’s greatest actor, stars as real-life swordsman, artist and writer Musashi Miyamoto, following his growth from callow youth to disciplined warrior. The three films: the Oscar winning “Musashi Miyamoto,” “Duel at Ichijoji Temple,” and “Duel at Ganryu Island” are an incredible story of human growth, tender love and sublime, blood-soaked action. Not to be missed. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Interviews with translator and historian William Scott Wilson; Trailers. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
The 39 Steps (Criterion) Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 story of spies, conspiracies and sexual tension put him on the map on both sides of the Pond. Robert Donat stars as an innocent thrust into a deadly plot alongside a cool blonde (Madeleine Carroll...
The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion) Director Hiroshi Inagaki’s sprawling epic filmed from 1954-56 is an early Japanese Technicolor masterpiece, rivaling the scope of filmmakers like David Lean and Luchino Visconti. Toshiro Mifune, Japan’s greatest actor, stars as real-life swordsman, artist and writer Musashi Miyamoto, following his growth from callow youth to disciplined warrior. The three films: the Oscar winning “Musashi Miyamoto,” “Duel at Ichijoji Temple,” and “Duel at Ganryu Island” are an incredible story of human growth, tender love and sublime, blood-soaked action. Not to be missed. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Interviews with translator and historian William Scott Wilson; Trailers. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
The 39 Steps (Criterion) Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 story of spies, conspiracies and sexual tension put him on the map on both sides of the Pond. Robert Donat stars as an innocent thrust into a deadly plot alongside a cool blonde (Madeleine Carroll...
- 7/9/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Bullhead The best film for your money this week is the Oscar-nominated Bullhead. It's a film that's hard to prepare you for when I mix the fact it centers on a cattle farmer who gets mixed up with the mafioso in a meat trading business that's anything but on the up-and-up. The film will give you a proper introduction to Matthias Schoenaerts, whom you'll see again in this year's excellent Rust and Bone, preparing you for an international star that is going to play a much bigger part on the worldwide stage soon enough. You can read my full review of the film right here.
The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion Collection) I have not yet had the chance to watch this trilogy, but I cannot wait. I own Criterion's original DVD release of Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy and the quality is, let's just say, not great. The film is loaded with scratches and visual issues,...
The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion Collection) I have not yet had the chance to watch this trilogy, but I cannot wait. I own Criterion's original DVD release of Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy and the quality is, let's just say, not great. The film is loaded with scratches and visual issues,...
- 6/26/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Moviefone's New Release Pick of the Week "The Artist" What's It About? The Academy Awards' Best Picture of the Year just so happened to be a black-and-white silent film about a beloved actor who struggles to adjust to the advent of "talkies" in Hollywood. See It Because: Even without hearing a word he says, Jean Dujardin (Best Actor Oscar winner) brings a full and expressive performance as movie star George Valentin. And while the film's approach is decidedly old-fashioned, it's a real crowd-pleaser. Oh and also, Uggie the Dog pretty much upstages everybody. (Also Available on Redbox DVD & Blu-ray | Amazon Instant Video ) Family Release of the Week "Mirror Mirror" What's It About? Tarsem Singh ("The Fall," "Immortals") offers his own unique, stylized spin on the "Snow White" fairy tale, bringing Julia Roberts along as the Evil Queen. See It Because: Tarsem's style has always been distinct -- full of lush colors,...
- 6/25/2012
- by Eric Larnick
- Moviefone
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: June 26, 2012
Price: DVD $59.95, Blu-ray $69.95
Studio: Criterion
Toshiro Mifune stars as a legendary 17th Century swordsman in The Samurai Trilogy.
The Samurai Trilogy, directed by Hiroshi Inagaki (The Rickshaw Man) and starring the inimitable Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai), was one of Japan’s most successful action-adventure film exports of the 1950s.
Based on the rousing, combat-filled novel by Eiji Yoshikawa that’s often called Japan’s Gone with the Wind, the sweeping Samurai Trilogy fictionalizes the life of the legendary seventeenth-century swordsman (and writer and artist) Musashi Miyamoto. Following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior, the three films—1954’s Oscar-winning Musashi Miyamoto, 1955’s Duel at Ichijoji Temple, and 1956’s Duel at Ganryu Island—come together as a passionate epic that’s equal parts tender love story and bloody action.
Issued previously on DVD by Criterion in 2004, these latest DVD and Blu-ray editions of...
Price: DVD $59.95, Blu-ray $69.95
Studio: Criterion
Toshiro Mifune stars as a legendary 17th Century swordsman in The Samurai Trilogy.
The Samurai Trilogy, directed by Hiroshi Inagaki (The Rickshaw Man) and starring the inimitable Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai), was one of Japan’s most successful action-adventure film exports of the 1950s.
Based on the rousing, combat-filled novel by Eiji Yoshikawa that’s often called Japan’s Gone with the Wind, the sweeping Samurai Trilogy fictionalizes the life of the legendary seventeenth-century swordsman (and writer and artist) Musashi Miyamoto. Following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior, the three films—1954’s Oscar-winning Musashi Miyamoto, 1955’s Duel at Ichijoji Temple, and 1956’s Duel at Ganryu Island—come together as a passionate epic that’s equal parts tender love story and bloody action.
Issued previously on DVD by Criterion in 2004, these latest DVD and Blu-ray editions of...
- 4/2/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Well, time to break open those vacation savings for this summer, as The Criterion Collection have dropped a heckuva slate for June, so let's get to it.
Hinted at in the annual New Year's clue, Danny Boyle's breakout debut film, "Shallow Grave," has indeed joined the collection. Starring Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, and Ewan McGregor, all it takes is a dead body and a suitcase full of money to kick off a twisty, funny and vicious little thriller. This edition will be loaded with extras, including "Digging Your Grave," a documetnary from 1993 about the making of the movie by Kevin Macdonald, two audio commentaries, new cast interviews and more. Pretty great set all around.
Steven Soderbergh and/or Spalding Gray fans have much to rejoice about as the director's 1997 and 2010 films "Gray's Anatomy" and "And Everything Is Going Fine" will get the wacky C. The former is essentially a...
Hinted at in the annual New Year's clue, Danny Boyle's breakout debut film, "Shallow Grave," has indeed joined the collection. Starring Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, and Ewan McGregor, all it takes is a dead body and a suitcase full of money to kick off a twisty, funny and vicious little thriller. This edition will be loaded with extras, including "Digging Your Grave," a documetnary from 1993 about the making of the movie by Kevin Macdonald, two audio commentaries, new cast interviews and more. Pretty great set all around.
Steven Soderbergh and/or Spalding Gray fans have much to rejoice about as the director's 1997 and 2010 films "Gray's Anatomy" and "And Everything Is Going Fine" will get the wacky C. The former is essentially a...
- 3/16/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
"Strategy is the craft of the warrior." - Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of the Five Rings Another day, another dragon! Survivor is back for a new slayer-ific season. Ozzy and my old tribe-mate Coach headline what could be one of the best casts ever. I actually can't think of anybody I don't like - at least, based on their three-minute intro videos. From Mark to Dawn to Christine to Rick, this season is composed of strong characters, many of whom are genuine fans. But if I had to choose a few ... Does Cochran have The Juice? I have to root for the young nerdlinger,...
- 9/14/2011
- by Stephen Fishbach
- PEOPLE.com
(It's a history documentary, but with some embellishments... with a script by Mamoru Oshii, but with some deletions...) When the Japanese anime studio Production Ig announced they were going to make a film about legendary swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, with a script by Mamoru Oshii no less, anticipation rose to a very high level. Musashi Miyamoto is a legend in Japan on par with Robin Hood, with Musashi having the advantage of actual historic proof of his existence. A warrior apparently unequaled in battle, Musashi wasn't above a dirty trick or two yet many of his opponents always seemed to have the advantage (at least until they were suddenly dead). So what would Oshii do with this epic character? Well, quoting from (link) Todd's review back...
- 8/16/2011
- Screen Anarchy
A little late this week, mainly because of my own random b.s. that one goes through when attempting to juggle too many things at once. Try not to do it kids, because it means a Hulu article gets sidetracked a bit. A ton of stuff was added since I last was here, but unlike last week’s where I focused on 10 specific films that weren’t in the Collection, this time it’s a bunch of familiar (and not so) faces, be it in their great Eclipse sets or in Criterion’s own pantheon.
A huge thanks to who have already used this link to enjoy their own Hulu Plus and in turn keeping this series of articles up and running. We can always use the help, so please sign up using that specific link. Every little bit does keep this nice and polished. But enough about that. You...
A huge thanks to who have already used this link to enjoy their own Hulu Plus and in turn keeping this series of articles up and running. We can always use the help, so please sign up using that specific link. Every little bit does keep this nice and polished. But enough about that. You...
- 5/28/2011
- by James McCormick
- CriterionCast
In this week’s column, James ponders the benefits of wearing a samurai outfit and cinema’s delusions of domestic bliss…
If, all of a sudden, I found that I had a lot of spare cash, it's most likely that I'd blow it all on a trip to Japan and a customised suit of samurai armour. I'd then be utterly skint again, but I wouldn't really care. I'd be armed and ready to take on the kamikaze debt collectors despatched to take me down and would look ultra-cool when I eventually committed hara-kiri.
I'd die broke, but I'd die the warrior's way observing the Bushido code instead of killing myself in some crappy kitchen sink manner, like hanging from a lampshade in a Blackpool bedsit.
(I have no idea how the unlikely scenario of sudden tremendous wealth would come about, by the way. Maybe one night I'll go sleepwalking and...
If, all of a sudden, I found that I had a lot of spare cash, it's most likely that I'd blow it all on a trip to Japan and a customised suit of samurai armour. I'd then be utterly skint again, but I wouldn't really care. I'd be armed and ready to take on the kamikaze debt collectors despatched to take me down and would look ultra-cool when I eventually committed hara-kiri.
I'd die broke, but I'd die the warrior's way observing the Bushido code instead of killing myself in some crappy kitchen sink manner, like hanging from a lampshade in a Blackpool bedsit.
(I have no idea how the unlikely scenario of sudden tremendous wealth would come about, by the way. Maybe one night I'll go sleepwalking and...
- 3/17/2011
- Den of Geek
Spittings and salutations my darling dilophosauruses (dilophosauri?). These bang-a-rang prints combine three of my great loves: dinosaurs, superheroes and portmanteau words. Wolveraptor! Rawr! Snikt! (Superhero Dinosaurs)
Chicago has elected Rahm Emanuel their new mayor! Does that make him the most handsome/rapey-eyed mayor in history? "Rapey-eyed," by the by, is a phrase my friend Tam invented to describe Cillian Murphy. Irish Potato, Rapey-Eyed Potahto. (NPR)
Speaking of superheroes and badass politicians, Georgia Congressman John Lewis is making a graphic novel chronicling his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement. Very cool. (Girl Gone Geek)
In other panelled news. . .rejoice! New Hyperbole and A Half! This one pretty accurately describes sisterly dynamics. In my house, I was the younger, which makes me the "fearless little burrito." (Hyperbole and a Half)
Fearless little burrito, by the way, would be a good nickname for Lady Gaga, if she didn't already have eleventy billion. Lobster hats and meat dresses aside,...
Chicago has elected Rahm Emanuel their new mayor! Does that make him the most handsome/rapey-eyed mayor in history? "Rapey-eyed," by the by, is a phrase my friend Tam invented to describe Cillian Murphy. Irish Potato, Rapey-Eyed Potahto. (NPR)
Speaking of superheroes and badass politicians, Georgia Congressman John Lewis is making a graphic novel chronicling his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement. Very cool. (Girl Gone Geek)
In other panelled news. . .rejoice! New Hyperbole and A Half! This one pretty accurately describes sisterly dynamics. In my house, I was the younger, which makes me the "fearless little burrito." (Hyperbole and a Half)
Fearless little burrito, by the way, would be a good nickname for Lady Gaga, if she didn't already have eleventy billion. Lobster hats and meat dresses aside,...
- 2/23/2011
- by Joanna Robinson
In our last interview installment, comedian and Ufc commentator Joe Rogan talked about being a fan of horror books and movies, psychedelic drugs, growing up wanting to be an artist, and how dangerous both chimps and polar bears can be. In this, our second part of three, Dread Central delves deeper into the mind and philosophy of Mr. Rogan.
Once again, it should be said that the following interview includes some of the notorious “7 words” George Carlin warned you about. So buckle up…
DC: You once showed some drawings on your podcast that you did back when you were younger, and they were quite good. Was drawing something you lost interest in and replaced with something else?
Jr: I had a bad high school art teacher who was kind of a dildo. He was one of those guys who was always telling you that life was going to suck. “You...
Once again, it should be said that the following interview includes some of the notorious “7 words” George Carlin warned you about. So buckle up…
DC: You once showed some drawings on your podcast that you did back when you were younger, and they were quite good. Was drawing something you lost interest in and replaced with something else?
Jr: I had a bad high school art teacher who was kind of a dildo. He was one of those guys who was always telling you that life was going to suck. “You...
- 1/14/2011
- by Carnell
- DreadCentral.com
I keep thinking about the H-bomb, but all I can do is think! …
It’s a living hell!
This week’s selection for the Journey Through the Eclipse Series is driven by a desire to maintain some continuity with my Criterion Reflections blog. On that site, I’ve been watching and writing about films released by the Criterion Collection in their original order of release (as films, not DVDs.) I Live in Fear, a 1955 film featured in Eclipse Series 4: Postwar Kurosawa, just happens to fall in line with my most recent review over there, Alain Resnais’ Night and Fog. So during the past few days, just like a small handful of movie watchers in late 1955, I’ve been contemplating those two great horrors of the World War II era: first, the Holocaust, and now the prospect of death by nuclear attack and radioactive fallout. Anyone got a Xanax they can spare?...
It’s a living hell!
This week’s selection for the Journey Through the Eclipse Series is driven by a desire to maintain some continuity with my Criterion Reflections blog. On that site, I’ve been watching and writing about films released by the Criterion Collection in their original order of release (as films, not DVDs.) I Live in Fear, a 1955 film featured in Eclipse Series 4: Postwar Kurosawa, just happens to fall in line with my most recent review over there, Alain Resnais’ Night and Fog. So during the past few days, just like a small handful of movie watchers in late 1955, I’ve been contemplating those two great horrors of the World War II era: first, the Holocaust, and now the prospect of death by nuclear attack and radioactive fallout. Anyone got a Xanax they can spare?...
- 6/28/2010
- by David Blakeslee
- CriterionCast
Famously, the samurai film is Japan's western, Akira Kurosawa is its John Ford, and the legendary figure of Miyamoto Musashi is... Jesse James? There might not be an equivalent; Musashi was a 17th-century vagabond warrior with a distinctive double-blade sword style and a philosophy to go with it. His manifesto, The Book of Five Rings, is still in print and commonly used by businessmen busy strategizing about how to annihilate the competition, while fiction about Musashi proliferates like dandelions, making him a national icon. We don't have Western heroes like that, but Japan savors its own -- particularly onscreen.
- 5/5/2010
- Movieline
"The way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death." That's "Coach" Ben Wade quoting Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi in our exit interview—because only a legendary samurai can provide the context for his ouster from Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.. Unlike Courtney, we're going to miss Coach, and we told him so today in our exclusive chat. "Thank you for saying you're going to miss me," he said (awww), "because I'm going to miss myself." What else does Coach have to say about himself? A lot. Read on... First things first, you have to know what Coach is doing this weekend: "I'm gonna conduct the Carolina Pops—a...
- 4/10/2010
- E! Online
8 p.m., Fox American IdolThe top 12 finalists kick off the final round by performing Rolling Stones songs. Cross your fingers for solid renditions of "Tumbling Dice" and "Street-Fighting Man."
9 p.m., Hist SamuraiThis special program profiles 16th-century samurai Miyamoto Musashi and also takes a look at traditional Japanese weapons and training methods. Tom Cruise will not be sharing his experiences as the last samurai (we hope).
10 p.m., ABC More >>...
9 p.m., Hist SamuraiThis special program profiles 16th-century samurai Miyamoto Musashi and also takes a look at traditional Japanese weapons and training methods. Tom Cruise will not be sharing his experiences as the last samurai (we hope).
10 p.m., ABC More >>...
- 3/15/2010
- by Stefanie Lee
- TV.com
By Steven Roberts
It’s not every day that an Eisner Award-winner teams up with a Los Angeles streetwear company, but judging by Stan Sakai’s collaboration with The Hundreds, it might not be a bad idea. The Hundreds will release two t-shirts Saturday, November 21 at their flagship store in Los Angeles and their store in San Francisco celebrating the 25th anniversary of Stan Sakai’s series "Usagi Yojimbo."
For those who haven't tapped into the world of "Usagi Yojimbo" yet, Miyamoto Usagi is a rabbit ronin samurai (the series' title translates to rabbit bodyguard in Japanese, kids), and the main character of Sakai’s long-running Dark Horse comic series. Sakai created the character in 1987 and modeled him after legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi.
Heavily influenced by Japanese history, pop culture and folklore, Usagi’s adventures have even teamed him up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at various points — including...
It’s not every day that an Eisner Award-winner teams up with a Los Angeles streetwear company, but judging by Stan Sakai’s collaboration with The Hundreds, it might not be a bad idea. The Hundreds will release two t-shirts Saturday, November 21 at their flagship store in Los Angeles and their store in San Francisco celebrating the 25th anniversary of Stan Sakai’s series "Usagi Yojimbo."
For those who haven't tapped into the world of "Usagi Yojimbo" yet, Miyamoto Usagi is a rabbit ronin samurai (the series' title translates to rabbit bodyguard in Japanese, kids), and the main character of Sakai’s long-running Dark Horse comic series. Sakai created the character in 1987 and modeled him after legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi.
Heavily influenced by Japanese history, pop culture and folklore, Usagi’s adventures have even teamed him up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at various points — including...
- 11/19/2009
- by Splash Page Team
- MTV Splash Page
Tokyo -- In one of the only upsets of the evening, Yojiro Takita's "Departures" won the foreign-language Oscar on Sunday, beating out highly touted competitors "Waltz With Bashir" and "The Class." The victory of Kuni Kato's animated short "La Maison en Petits Cubes" earlier in the evening made it Japan's most successful night in Academy history.
"Departures" got a rousing sendoff to the Oscars at the Japan Academy Prize on Friday, collecting 10 wins from 13 nominations, including best picture.
The story of an unemployed cellist (Masahiro Motoki) who finds work as a "nokanshi," or ceremonial preparer of corpses, was a low-level surprise hit at the domestic boxoffice, centered as it as around a subject even most urban Japanese are unfamiliar with. It took in $33 million in 2008 but failed...
"Departures" got a rousing sendoff to the Oscars at the Japan Academy Prize on Friday, collecting 10 wins from 13 nominations, including best picture.
The story of an unemployed cellist (Masahiro Motoki) who finds work as a "nokanshi," or ceremonial preparer of corpses, was a low-level surprise hit at the domestic boxoffice, centered as it as around a subject even most urban Japanese are unfamiliar with. It took in $33 million in 2008 but failed...
- 2/22/2009
- by By Gavin J. Blair
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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