The Seven Samuria on TCM Tonight

[Guest Mnytime]

TCM is showing what I think is Kurosawa's Best film! It's in my top 4 or 5 of all time films. Though almost all his films are classics so picking one to top them all is hard as hell. So this is my choice. B)

Seven Samuria, Baby!!!! You can never have enough of this film!!!!

Did I mention I really love this film?

Yea Baby, Kurosawa!

Oh Yea, they are showing the film at 2am EST and 11pm PST. It's 3hrs 20 mins or so for those that can't stay up that late so set your VCR's!

Kurosawa is in my top 3 directors.

[shrugs]

ok. I added it to my Netflix list!

[Guest Mnytime]

Shrugs

The 1960 The Magnificent Seven is the Hollywood version of this 1954 film. And that is only the first imitation of this classic.

[wulfman]

I've been on a big Kurosawa kick lately, since the local library has a pretty good selection of his films.

The film of the week was Throne of Blood, which is an effective adaption of Macbeth and has some great acting by Mifune.

Next film up is between Kagemusha and Ikiru...any suggestions?

[kdd]

Throne of Blood is the shit but my favorite is Yojimbo, kick ass samurai movie and funny too and to a lesser extent the sequel Sanjuro. These were the basis for the Clint Eastwood/Sergio Leone (not the Good, the Bad and the Ugly but the other two) Spaghetti Westerns

[alankin]

"The Hidden Fortress" is another fun one.

A warrior has to smuggle a princess through enemy lines accompanied by a pair of goofy sidekicks.

(You can bet the George Lucas watched this one.)

[wulfman]

Yep, George is definitely a big fan. The Criterion Collection DVD of Hidden Fortress contains an interview with George where he mentions some of the similarities, and his use of the to tell the story from the point of view of the two peasant "warriors", i.e. droids.

[Simon Weil]

Next film up is between Kagemusha and Ikiru...any suggestions?

Ikiru is a great film, life-enhancing etc. I haven't seen Kagemusha, but it's from Kurosawa's late period, post 60s, when he got bleaker and is supposed to be like that. Ikiru is set in 50s Japan, Kagemusha is period - But Ikuru has the guy in the Yul Brynner role in 7 Samurai as lead again. Though a very different type of role...

Actually bleak but life-enhancing would describe Ikiru.

Simon Weil

[wulfman]

Thanks Simon, I think that I will reserve Ikiru.

I recently saw a different Kurosawa film set in the 50's, where the lead character is a fairly rich industrialist who has an obsessive fear of radiation and atomic weapons, and tries to convince his family to move to a farm in South America to be safe...I think it was called Record Of A Living being, with Mifune in the lead role. Highly recommended!

[Simon Weil]

Thanks Simon, I think that I will reserve Ikiru.

I recently saw a different Kurosawa film set in the 50's, where the lead character is a fairly rich industrialist who has an obsessive fear of radiation and atomic weapons, and tries to convince his family to move to a farm in South America to be safe...I think it was called Record Of A Living being, with Mifune in the lead role. Highly recommended!

OK, wulfman. I'll give that a go...Thanks...

my favorite is Yojimbo, kick ass samurai movie and funny too and to a lesser extent the sequel Sanjuro. These were the basis for the Clint Eastwood/Sergio Leone (not the Good, the Bad and the Ugly but the other two) Spaghetti Westerns

Actually I prefer Sanjuro, though Yojimbo's probably the better movie. It's kind of easy-going - and has some treasurable scenes in it. Yojimbo's just ruthless. Kurosawa said it was supposed to represent the Japan of his time. But the ending of Sanjuro is pretty damn ruthless too.

A Fistful of Dollars was based on Yojimbo. Don't think Sanjuro was remade.

Simon Weil