The 1950s are considered the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. The aftermath of World War II and particularly the atomic bomb, and the subsequent American occupation left the country scarred, but filled with inspiration and eagerness to start over. One of the most iconic films of this era is Akira Kurosawa's “Seven Samurai”, considered among the most influential movies of all time, and the basis for a plethora of productions, with John Sturges' “The Magnificent Seven” being a direct adaptation. This influence became widely known, even at the time, as the film was nominated for two Oscars, while Kurosawa won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
In 16th century Japan, during the feudal wars, an entire village is on the border of starvation due to the constant raids by a gang of armed robbers. When a villager learns,...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
In 16th century Japan, during the feudal wars, an entire village is on the border of starvation due to the constant raids by a gang of armed robbers. When a villager learns,...
- 2/24/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any film or performance. Like any organization or body that votes, each individual category is fluid and subject to change. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Last Updated: Feb. 2, 2023
2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Adapted Screenplay All Quiet On The Western Front, (aka Im Westen Nichts Neues), Daniel Bruhl, 2022. ph: Reiner Bajo /© Netflix /Courtesy Everett Collection
Category Commentary: Netflix’s “Glass Onion” by Rian Johnson, Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” by Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie and MGM/Uar’s “Women Talking” by Sarah Polley...
Last Updated: Feb. 2, 2023
2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Adapted Screenplay All Quiet On The Western Front, (aka Im Westen Nichts Neues), Daniel Bruhl, 2022. ph: Reiner Bajo /© Netflix /Courtesy Everett Collection
Category Commentary: Netflix’s “Glass Onion” by Rian Johnson, Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” by Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie and MGM/Uar’s “Women Talking” by Sarah Polley...
- 2/3/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
By the end of the 1940s, director Akira Kurosawa had established himself as a dependable worker for several movie studios, including Daei, who had already produced “The Quiet Duel” in 1949 and who would approach him with the proposal of adapting “In a Grove”, a short story by writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa. At the end of the same year, and despite a fire in the studio, Kurosawa and his team managed to finish “Rashomon”, which would be released in Japan to moderate success, but ultimately to some international attention, such as Giuliana Stramigioli, the president of Venice Film Festival. The rest, as they say, is history, with “Rashomon” becoming a major success for its creator and the Japanese film industry as a whole, whose reputation, even today, relies to some extent on Kurosawa’s works. Despite its role for Japanese culture, “Rashomon” regularly attracts many cinephiles and scholars for its approach to storytelling,...
- 1/28/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Masaki Kobayashi was a filmmaker who was never afraid to speak his mind on a matter. He was always open with his mindset, regularly criticizing systematic corruption and violation of human rights throughout the majority of his filmography. He didn’t often direct jidaigeki cinema, but when he did, the director generally delivered a stellar picture. His haunting masterpiece “Harakiri” gives a darker examination of the flawed aspects of the Bushido Code. Kobayashi would bring corruption and humanism to the forefront in his excellent film “Samurai Rebellion.”
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The original Japanese title for the feature translates to “Rebellion: Receive the Wife,” which is fitting, considering what transpires within the story. The movie is based on Yasuhiko Takiguchi’s short story “Hairyozuma shimatsu.” The screenplay is written by acclaimed screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, who had previously collaborated with Masaki Kobayashi on his samurai movie “Harakiri.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The original Japanese title for the feature translates to “Rebellion: Receive the Wife,” which is fitting, considering what transpires within the story. The movie is based on Yasuhiko Takiguchi’s short story “Hairyozuma shimatsu.” The screenplay is written by acclaimed screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, who had previously collaborated with Masaki Kobayashi on his samurai movie “Harakiri.
- 10/24/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
The psychological effect war has on the human mind is unimaginable. Following the end of World War II, many anti-war projects would come out of the Japanese entertainment industry from visionaries like Kon Ichikawa, Kaneto Shindo, and Masaki Kobayashi. Jingoistic propaganda was no longer as common and wasn’t being forced upon artists anymore by militarists. Many post-war Japanese war films stand by a humanist nature while reminding audiences how horrific errors should not be repeated. A notable reminder of evolving from past mistakes in history is the superb political thriller “Japan’s Longest Day.”
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Kazutoshi Hando and Soichi Oya, this haunting recollection of disturbing events would kickstart the “Toho 8.15 series,” a collection of war movies that recreate Japan’s war history. Fittingly, nihilistic filmmaker and anti-war advocate Kihachi Okamoto would be appointed as the movie’s director and frequent...
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Kazutoshi Hando and Soichi Oya, this haunting recollection of disturbing events would kickstart the “Toho 8.15 series,” a collection of war movies that recreate Japan’s war history. Fittingly, nihilistic filmmaker and anti-war advocate Kihachi Okamoto would be appointed as the movie’s director and frequent...
- 8/3/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: Two-time BAFTA winner Bill Nighy is joining the Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo high concept thriller Role Play from Studiocanal, Picture Company and Amazon Prime Video.
Nighy steps in for Billy Bob Thornton who had to depart the project due to a scheduling conflict, we hear.
The Thomas Vincent directed pic revolves around a married couple, played by Cuoco and Oyelowo, whose life turns upside down when secrets come out about each other’s pasts. The role that Nighy is taking over for was under wraps, described as a mysterious stranger who encounters the couple. The movie is shooting in Berlin currently at Studio Babelsberg.
Cuoco received her second Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy nomination yesterday for HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant.
Nighy received a BAFTA Supporting Actor win for his turn in 2003’s Love Actually as well as a BAFTA TV award for Best Actor...
Nighy steps in for Billy Bob Thornton who had to depart the project due to a scheduling conflict, we hear.
The Thomas Vincent directed pic revolves around a married couple, played by Cuoco and Oyelowo, whose life turns upside down when secrets come out about each other’s pasts. The role that Nighy is taking over for was under wraps, described as a mysterious stranger who encounters the couple. The movie is shooting in Berlin currently at Studio Babelsberg.
Cuoco received her second Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy nomination yesterday for HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant.
Nighy received a BAFTA Supporting Actor win for his turn in 2003’s Love Actually as well as a BAFTA TV award for Best Actor...
- 7/13/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Great filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa have brilliantly showcased film as a creative medium for storytelling. The renowned director is praised not just for how technically mesmerizing his work is but also for his consistent track record in creating an engaging narrative. The story could be simple on paper but with closer examination, has a lot of depth to appreciate. Elements can range from the characters to the themes being presented. Kurosawa could establish a basic setup for a movie and turn it into a fascinating historical epic with so much content to analyze and admire. Look no further than his tremendous “Seven Samurai.”
on Amazon
The screenplay for the ambitious project was written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni. Initially, Kurosawa wanted to make a film about a day in the life of a samurai. Over time, though, the initial idea expanded and was developed...
on Amazon
The screenplay for the ambitious project was written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni. Initially, Kurosawa wanted to make a film about a day in the life of a samurai. Over time, though, the initial idea expanded and was developed...
- 7/5/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
By the end of the 1940s, director Akira Kurosawa had established himself as a dependable worker for several movie studios, including Daei, who had already produced “The Quiet Duel” in 1949 and who would approach him with the proposal of adapting “In a Grove”, a short story by writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa. At the end of the same year, and despite a fire in the studio, Kurosawa and his team managed to finish “Rashomon”, which would be released in Japan to moderate success, but ultimately to some international attention, such as Giuliana Stramigioli, the president of Venice Film Festival. The rest, as they say, is history, with “Rashomon” becoming a major success for its creator and the Japanese film industry as a whole, whose reputation, even today, relies to some extent on Kurosawa’s works. Despite its role for Japanese culture, “Rashomon” regularly attracts many cinephiles and scholars for its approach to storytelling,...
- 6/29/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
"I don't know what I've been doing with my life all these years." It's time to start living! I finally watched the Akira Kurosawa classic Ikiru (from 1952) just last year, and of course it's wonderful. I had no idea that the film was getting a remake for its 70th anniversary, and I didn't even realize this new film is that remake until I caught others chatting about it during the festival. Living just premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and it is indeed a remake of Ikiru, with multiple references in the opening credits to Kurosawa and the film's original writers - Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni. South African director Oliver Hermanus worked with Japanese writer Kazuo Ishiguro (!!) to adapt and update the 1952 script, and create this new film set in London instead of Japan. And I am very happy to report this is one of those rare...
- 2/1/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
I have always had a philosophy that if you are going to do a remake, remake a movie that didn’t work the first time like Howard the Duck, not a classic by a great filmmaker. Well, the latter is exactly what director Oliver Hermanus (Moffie) and Nobel Prize-winning screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro have had the audacity to do in “reimagining” (the popular term for remakes today) iconic Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s highly praised 1952 drama Ikiru. And they haven’t even bothered to change the early ’50s era in which it takes place, only the location and language, moving from Japan to England. Despite my reservations I am happy to say Living, which has its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, works very well and that is solely thanks to the loving care these filmmakers have put into...
- 1/21/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Akira Kurosawa’s tale of ascetic mercenaries brought together for a single job inspired endless imitations, but the original has lost none of its magic
While researching samurai history for an Akira Kurosawa film project in the early 1950s, producer Sojiro Motoki discovered references to masterless warriors, or ronin, defending villages from marauders in 16th-century Japan. Movie history was made. Kurosawa and his co-writers Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni created an epic primal myth which has pulsated in cinema ever since, through the genres of westerns, war movies and crime dramas: the crew of ascetic, unsentimental but uncynical freelance mercenaries, brought together for a single job, taking pity on the desperate civilians who have nothing to offer but gratitude. They also see that there is a nobility and purity in this all-but-lost cause, which will refine their martial vocation as nothing else would.
Having been inspired by Hollywood westerns, Kurosawa...
While researching samurai history for an Akira Kurosawa film project in the early 1950s, producer Sojiro Motoki discovered references to masterless warriors, or ronin, defending villages from marauders in 16th-century Japan. Movie history was made. Kurosawa and his co-writers Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni created an epic primal myth which has pulsated in cinema ever since, through the genres of westerns, war movies and crime dramas: the crew of ascetic, unsentimental but uncynical freelance mercenaries, brought together for a single job, taking pity on the desperate civilians who have nothing to offer but gratitude. They also see that there is a nobility and purity in this all-but-lost cause, which will refine their martial vocation as nothing else would.
Having been inspired by Hollywood westerns, Kurosawa...
- 10/27/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
“Living,” an upcoming film starring Bill Nighy, has sold United Kingdom distribution rights to Lionsgate.
Set in London in the 1950s, “Living” centers on Williams (portrayed by Nighy), a veteran civil servant who becomes a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As the job starts to consume him, he learns he has seven months to live. The realization sparks his quest to find meaning in his life before it slips away.
The movie is currently in pre-production and expects to start filming in the U.K. this spring. Oliver Hermanus is directing “Living” from a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro. The film is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic “Ikiru,” written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.
“Lionsgate is continuing its longstanding commitment to acquiring the best of British cinema and bringing the highest caliber entertainment to U.K. audiences,” said Jason Constantine, president of...
Set in London in the 1950s, “Living” centers on Williams (portrayed by Nighy), a veteran civil servant who becomes a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As the job starts to consume him, he learns he has seven months to live. The realization sparks his quest to find meaning in his life before it slips away.
The movie is currently in pre-production and expects to start filming in the U.K. this spring. Oliver Hermanus is directing “Living” from a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro. The film is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic “Ikiru,” written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.
“Lionsgate is continuing its longstanding commitment to acquiring the best of British cinema and bringing the highest caliber entertainment to U.K. audiences,” said Jason Constantine, president of...
- 12/21/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Lionsgate has acquired the UK rights to Living, starring Bill Nighy, ahead of production set for the U.K. in spring 2021.
The period drama will be directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Number 9 Films’ Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen. The screenplay is by Kazuo Ishiguro and is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic story Ikiru, written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni.
Set in London 1952, Living focuses on Williams (Nighy) a veteran civil servant, who has become a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As paperwork piles up on his desk, Williams ...
The period drama will be directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Number 9 Films’ Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen. The screenplay is by Kazuo Ishiguro and is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic story Ikiru, written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni.
Set in London 1952, Living focuses on Williams (Nighy) a veteran civil servant, who has become a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As paperwork piles up on his desk, Williams ...
- 12/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lionsgate has acquired the UK rights to Living, starring Bill Nighy, ahead of production set for the U.K. in spring 2021.
The period drama will be directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Number 9 Films’ Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen. The screenplay is by Kazuo Ishiguro and is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic story Ikiru, written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni.
Set in London 1952, Living focuses on Williams (Nighy) a veteran civil servant, who has become a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As paperwork piles up on his desk, Williams ...
The period drama will be directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Number 9 Films’ Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen. The screenplay is by Kazuo Ishiguro and is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic story Ikiru, written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni.
Set in London 1952, Living focuses on Williams (Nighy) a veteran civil servant, who has become a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As paperwork piles up on his desk, Williams ...
- 12/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Production has wrapped on Eva Husson’s star-studded “Mothering Sunday,” which was among the first crop of major features to start rolling cameras amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The film has now completed principal photography in the U.K., producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley of Number 9 Films confirmed to Variety. Rocket Science is handling international sales and is presenting the film to buyers at the American Film Market (AFM) this week.
The film — whose title references the U.K.’s loose equivalent of Mother’s Day, which takes place in March — is set in 1924. It follows Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young), a maid in the wealthy Niven household, who has the day off to celebrate Mothering Sunday while Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman) attend a lunch to mark the engagement of their neighbor’s only remaining son, Paul (Josh O’Connor).
The day is particularly significant for Jane,...
The film has now completed principal photography in the U.K., producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley of Number 9 Films confirmed to Variety. Rocket Science is handling international sales and is presenting the film to buyers at the American Film Market (AFM) this week.
The film — whose title references the U.K.’s loose equivalent of Mother’s Day, which takes place in March — is set in 1924. It follows Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young), a maid in the wealthy Niven household, who has the day off to celebrate Mothering Sunday while Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman) attend a lunch to mark the engagement of their neighbor’s only remaining son, Paul (Josh O’Connor).
The day is particularly significant for Jane,...
- 11/10/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
BAFTA and Golden Globe winner Bill Nighy will headline the cast of “Living,” alongside Aimee Lou Wood, known for her breakout role in Netflix’s “Sex Education.”
The screenplay by Nobel and Booker Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro (“The Remains of The Day”) is an English-language adaptation of the 1952 classic “Ikiru,” written by Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.
The film will be directed by multiple award-winning filmmaker Oliver Hermanus (“Moffie”).
Set in London circa 1952, the film will follow Nighy’s veteran civil servant, who has become a small cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post-wwii England. As endless paperwork piles up on his desk, he learns he has a fatal illness, and begins a quest to find some meaning to his monotonous life before it slips away. He becomes intrigued by a young co-worker, who inadvertently shows him how to harness his years of experience and dedication...
The screenplay by Nobel and Booker Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro (“The Remains of The Day”) is an English-language adaptation of the 1952 classic “Ikiru,” written by Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.
The film will be directed by multiple award-winning filmmaker Oliver Hermanus (“Moffie”).
Set in London circa 1952, the film will follow Nighy’s veteran civil servant, who has become a small cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post-wwii England. As endless paperwork piles up on his desk, he learns he has a fatal illness, and begins a quest to find some meaning to his monotonous life before it slips away. He becomes intrigued by a young co-worker, who inadvertently shows him how to harness his years of experience and dedication...
- 10/15/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Bill Nighy (Love Actually ) and rising UK actress Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education) are set to star in feature Living for director Oliver Hermanus (Moffie).
The screenplay by Nobel and Booker Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of The Day) is an English-language adaptation of the 1952 classic Ikiru, written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.
Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen’s Number 9 Films (Carol) will produce. The plan is to shoot on location in the UK next spring and Rocket Science is handling sales and will be selling ahead of and at next month’s virtual AFM.
The film has been developed with and will be funded by Film4 and Ingenious Media, in association with Kurosawa Productions, with executive producer Ko Kurosawa. Oscar-nominated Fiona Crombie (The Favourite) has come on board as production designer.
Set in 1952 London, the film will follow Williams, a veteran civil servant, who has...
The screenplay by Nobel and Booker Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of The Day) is an English-language adaptation of the 1952 classic Ikiru, written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.
Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen’s Number 9 Films (Carol) will produce. The plan is to shoot on location in the UK next spring and Rocket Science is handling sales and will be selling ahead of and at next month’s virtual AFM.
The film has been developed with and will be funded by Film4 and Ingenious Media, in association with Kurosawa Productions, with executive producer Ko Kurosawa. Oscar-nominated Fiona Crombie (The Favourite) has come on board as production designer.
Set in 1952 London, the film will follow Williams, a veteran civil servant, who has...
- 10/15/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
After his dramatic feature “The Lower Depths”, Japanese auteur Akira Kuroswa returned to the jidai geki genre with his 1958 effort “The Hidden Fortress”. While the movie would continue his exploration of the human condition, in particular, its expression during times of war, this work also marks the first time Kurosawa would use the widescreen-format, a technology which would continue to influence his future works. Besides the often quoted “Rashomon” or “Seven Samurai”, to name just two examples, “The Hidden Fortress” may just be one of the director’s most influential features as it inspired the likes of George Lucas and his Star Wars-movies.
As mentioned before, the story is set during a time of war, after a significant battle has caused the near defeat of House Akizuki and its leaders. After their escape from imprisonment, two farmers and petty thieves names Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi...
As mentioned before, the story is set during a time of war, after a significant battle has caused the near defeat of House Akizuki and its leaders. After their escape from imprisonment, two farmers and petty thieves names Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi...
- 8/11/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Most epic movies make you ponder the money involved. How many bootstraps and belt buckles were crafted for The Lord of the Rings (2001-3)? How many computers were used to design the final battle in Avengers: Endgame (2019)? How much napalm blew up the jungle in the opening shot of Apocalypse Now (1979)? Seven Samurai (1954) doesn’t inspire such analyses; at least, not while you’re watching it. Watching this immersive medieval parable from Akira Kurosawa is like embracing a long-lost legend, dug up after hundreds of years like an ancient text on celluloid. Kurosawa was so seamless as a filmmaker that the sets and costumes and details all melt into his story.
From the American cowboy remake The Magnificent Seven (1960) to Pixar’s insect adventure A Bug’s Life (1998), the premise of Seven Samurai simmers in the cinematic consciousness. Set in 16th century Japan, ravaged by civil wars, a group of armoured...
From the American cowboy remake The Magnificent Seven (1960) to Pixar’s insect adventure A Bug’s Life (1998), the premise of Seven Samurai simmers in the cinematic consciousness. Set in 16th century Japan, ravaged by civil wars, a group of armoured...
- 5/15/2020
- by Euan Franklin
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
by Vikram Zutshi
When Akira Kurosawa passed away in 1998, the tributes poured in endlessly. He had been a major influence on some of the most important directors in the history of cinema. It is not enough to say that Kurosawa was a legend. At the time of his demise, he was a colossus whose myth had inspired a number of artists considered legends in their own right. Roman Polanski, Werner Herzog, Andrei Tarkovsky, Bernardo Bertolucci, Francis Coppola and George Lucas have all cited Kurosawa as one of their greatest influences.
“Let me say it simply” declared Martin Scorsese, “Akira Kurosawa was my master, and … the master of so many other filmmakers over the years.” Federico Fellini called him “the greatest example of all that an author of cinema should be” and Steven Spielberg declared “I have learned more from him than from almost any other filmmaker on the face of the earth.
When Akira Kurosawa passed away in 1998, the tributes poured in endlessly. He had been a major influence on some of the most important directors in the history of cinema. It is not enough to say that Kurosawa was a legend. At the time of his demise, he was a colossus whose myth had inspired a number of artists considered legends in their own right. Roman Polanski, Werner Herzog, Andrei Tarkovsky, Bernardo Bertolucci, Francis Coppola and George Lucas have all cited Kurosawa as one of their greatest influences.
“Let me say it simply” declared Martin Scorsese, “Akira Kurosawa was my master, and … the master of so many other filmmakers over the years.” Federico Fellini called him “the greatest example of all that an author of cinema should be” and Steven Spielberg declared “I have learned more from him than from almost any other filmmaker on the face of the earth.
- 3/23/2020
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
After the completion of his “The Human Condition”-trilogy in 1961 with “A Soldier’s Prayer”, Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi expressed interest in doing a samurai film, a jidaigeki. In retrospect, a director whose theme has always been the relationship of the individual and the system, the time and age could not have been better for a closer focus on that subject within a more historical context. Considering the following years would have re-discover the genre as a means to explore repressive regimes, codes and how these influence society and the character of a person, “Harakiri” fits perfectly in this time of Japanese cinema. Even though Kobayashi’s approach respects the tradition of the genre, there is an undeniable link to the times, the increasing sense of frustration with an inhumane system, which, in the end, makes his film one of the classics within Japanese film.
The story...
The story...
- 10/30/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Perhaps it is one of the great ironies in the career of Japanese director Kihachi Okamoto that a film he was forced to do was going to be his most memorable one. In a filmography consisting of titles such as “Samurai Assassin” (1965), “Kill!” (1968) and “The Human Bullet” (1968), the director’s 1966-film “The Sword of Doom” stands out as one of the bleakest jidaigeki movies. Based on the novel “Daibosatsu toge” by Kaizan Nakazato, which had already inspired many adaptations, for example, one by “Lone Wolf and Cub”-director Kenji Misumi, Kihachi Okamoto made a film which reflected the trends of the Japanese film industry of that time but is also one of the most interesting portrayals of a man, a world consumed by violence and madness.
At the center of the film, we have Ryunosuke Tsukue (Tatsuya Nakadai), a master swordsman wandering the country, and his life...
At the center of the film, we have Ryunosuke Tsukue (Tatsuya Nakadai), a master swordsman wandering the country, and his life...
- 10/29/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
During the late Ming Dynasty in China, a minor coastal village is besieged by Japanese pirates. Hsiao Feng, a wondering swordsman is caught in the ordeal; he kills a few pirates and decides to stay and help those defenceless villagers. This is the basic setup for “Beach of the War Gods”, an anti-Japanese, patriotic movie written and directed by Jimmy Wang Yu for Golden Harvest studios.
However, before Hsiao Feng can face the Japanese, he sets out to recruit some fighters, all with different skills none the less. One recruit is a good knife thrower; one has a pair of iron shields as weapons and another uses twin spear. Altogether, they start preparing the villages for a heroic bloodshed showdown which eventually takes place on a beach. This plotline does recall the one from Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”, but now we have the Ming Dynasty version, it’s Chinese against the Japanese.
However, before Hsiao Feng can face the Japanese, he sets out to recruit some fighters, all with different skills none the less. One recruit is a good knife thrower; one has a pair of iron shields as weapons and another uses twin spear. Altogether, they start preparing the villages for a heroic bloodshed showdown which eventually takes place on a beach. This plotline does recall the one from Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”, but now we have the Ming Dynasty version, it’s Chinese against the Japanese.
- 6/23/2019
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
For Sunday’s Oscars 2019 ceremony, producers had a difficult decision of which film industry people would make the cut and who would be left out of the “In Memoriam.” For the segment, Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic performed music by Oscar winner John Williams.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
- 2/25/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
While Academy Awards producers have strived for a much shorter ceremony this year, the annual “In Memoriam” segment will definitely remain. In fact this moment on Sunday’s 2019 event should be extra classy since Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic will be performing as part of the tribute.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
- 2/22/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
In an age of comic book adaptations and ’80s film reboots, maybe the next popular intellectual property wave is 1950s Japanese cinema. So goes the thinking for Amblin Television, which has optioned the rights to the Akira Kurosawa film “Rashomon” to develop it into a season of TV.
While the concept of showing one particular crime through the prism of a number of different perspectives has become less of a novelty in the nearly 70 years since Kurosawa’s legendary film, this new series will look to tell one crime in each of its 10 episodes, told from the point of view of a different character. With all the knowledge from those combined inputs, the audience will be able to gather the information necessary to arrive at the truth of what actually occurred.
“Rashomon” was the eleventh film from the iconic filmmaker, co-written by Kurosawa and Shinobu Hashimoto. The pair based their...
While the concept of showing one particular crime through the prism of a number of different perspectives has become less of a novelty in the nearly 70 years since Kurosawa’s legendary film, this new series will look to tell one crime in each of its 10 episodes, told from the point of view of a different character. With all the knowledge from those combined inputs, the audience will be able to gather the information necessary to arrive at the truth of what actually occurred.
“Rashomon” was the eleventh film from the iconic filmmaker, co-written by Kurosawa and Shinobu Hashimoto. The pair based their...
- 12/18/2018
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Japanese screenwriter best known for the the film classics Rashomon and Seven Samurai
When Rashomon won the Golden Lion at the Venice film festival in 1951, it opened up the floodgate forJapanese films to be shown in the west and made its director, Akira Kurosawa, who had already been making films for more than a decade, internationally known. It also launched the career of the film’s scriptwriter, Shinobu Hashimoto, who has died aged 100, helping him to become an essential component in the director’s celebrated oeuvre.
Hashimoto’s screenplay (co-written with Kurosawa), widely considered one of the best ever, was based on a 1922 short story, In a Grove, by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Set in feudal Japan, it tells of a samurai travelling through the woods with his wife. She is raped by a bandit, who then kills her husband. At the trial, the incident is described in four conflicting, yet equally credible,...
When Rashomon won the Golden Lion at the Venice film festival in 1951, it opened up the floodgate forJapanese films to be shown in the west and made its director, Akira Kurosawa, who had already been making films for more than a decade, internationally known. It also launched the career of the film’s scriptwriter, Shinobu Hashimoto, who has died aged 100, helping him to become an essential component in the director’s celebrated oeuvre.
Hashimoto’s screenplay (co-written with Kurosawa), widely considered one of the best ever, was based on a 1922 short story, In a Grove, by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Set in feudal Japan, it tells of a samurai travelling through the woods with his wife. She is raped by a bandit, who then kills her husband. At the trial, the incident is described in four conflicting, yet equally credible,...
- 7/22/2018
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Shinobu Hashimoto, a prominent scriptwriter, director and producer, best known for his work with Akira Kurosawa, died in Tokyo Thursday from pneumonia. He was 100.
During the war years Hashimoto studied scriptwriting under Mansaku Itami, a writer and director who was the father of actor/director Juzo Itami.
A Hashimoto script based on the Ryunosuke Akutagawa short story “In a Grove” caught the attention of Akira Kurosawa, who adapted it for his 1950 film “Rashomon.” After the film won the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival Hashimoto quit his job as a company employee and devoted himself full-time to writing.
He worked on “Ikiru,” “Seven Samurai,” “Throne of Blood,” and other films for Kurosawa, concluding with the 1970 drama “Dodes’ka-den.” Hashimoto also scripted for other directors, including Masaki Kobayashi and Kihachi Okamoto.
In 1958 “I Want to Be a Shellfish,” a post-World War II drama he scripted for the Krt (now TBS) network,...
During the war years Hashimoto studied scriptwriting under Mansaku Itami, a writer and director who was the father of actor/director Juzo Itami.
A Hashimoto script based on the Ryunosuke Akutagawa short story “In a Grove” caught the attention of Akira Kurosawa, who adapted it for his 1950 film “Rashomon.” After the film won the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival Hashimoto quit his job as a company employee and devoted himself full-time to writing.
He worked on “Ikiru,” “Seven Samurai,” “Throne of Blood,” and other films for Kurosawa, concluding with the 1970 drama “Dodes’ka-den.” Hashimoto also scripted for other directors, including Masaki Kobayashi and Kihachi Okamoto.
In 1958 “I Want to Be a Shellfish,” a post-World War II drama he scripted for the Krt (now TBS) network,...
- 7/20/2018
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
Shinobu Hashimoto, the screenwriter whose work is credited as being among the most influential in film history, died Thursday of pneumonia at his Tokyo home, according to Japanese media reports. He was 100.
Hashimoto was the screenwriter for some of the most important films in Japanese history, including Rashomon and Seven Samurai from director Akira Kurosawa. Rashomon was his first work made into a film, and he went on to write nearly 80 scripts, including collaborations with such Japanese cinema giants as Kurosawa, Tadashi Imai, Mikio Naruse, Kihachi Okamoto and Masaky Kobayashi.
The Hashimoto story almost ended before it began. He enlisted in the Japanese army in 1938 but caught tuberculosis and spent four years in a veterans hospital. It was while hospitalized that a chance meeting with another Japanese veteran opened his eyes to a new world. He was given a magazine on Japanese cinema that included a sample screenplay. He quickly...
Hashimoto was the screenwriter for some of the most important films in Japanese history, including Rashomon and Seven Samurai from director Akira Kurosawa. Rashomon was his first work made into a film, and he went on to write nearly 80 scripts, including collaborations with such Japanese cinema giants as Kurosawa, Tadashi Imai, Mikio Naruse, Kihachi Okamoto and Masaky Kobayashi.
The Hashimoto story almost ended before it began. He enlisted in the Japanese army in 1938 but caught tuberculosis and spent four years in a veterans hospital. It was while hospitalized that a chance meeting with another Japanese veteran opened his eyes to a new world. He was given a magazine on Japanese cinema that included a sample screenplay. He quickly...
- 7/20/2018
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, who wrote for some of the most iconic films in Japanese history, including The Seven Samurai and Rashomon from director Akira Kurosawa, has died. He was 100.
Hashimoto died Thursday at his home in Tokyo from pneumonia, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.
Hashimoto wrote or co-wrote more than 70 screenplays, including many of Kurosawa's classics, also including The Hidden Fortress (1958). He directed three films as well, including I Want to Be a Shellfish (1959), and carried on as a screenwriter until suffering a stroke in his 90s.
Born in Hyogo Prefecture in April 1918, Hashimoto came up ...
Hashimoto died Thursday at his home in Tokyo from pneumonia, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.
Hashimoto wrote or co-wrote more than 70 screenplays, including many of Kurosawa's classics, also including The Hidden Fortress (1958). He directed three films as well, including I Want to Be a Shellfish (1959), and carried on as a screenwriter until suffering a stroke in his 90s.
Born in Hyogo Prefecture in April 1918, Hashimoto came up ...
- 7/19/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, who wrote for some of the most iconic films in Japanese history, including The Seven Samurai and Rashomon from director Akira Kurosawa, has died. He was 100.
Hashimoto died Thursday at his home in Tokyo from pneumonia, Japanese public broadcaster Nhk reported.
Hashimoto wrote or co-wrote more than 70 screenplays, including many of Kurosawa's classics, also including The Hidden Fortress (1958). He directed three films as well, including I Want to Be a Shellfish (1959), and carried on as a screenwriter until suffering a stroke in his 90s.
The Seven Samurai told the tale of a village of peasants ...
Hashimoto died Thursday at his home in Tokyo from pneumonia, Japanese public broadcaster Nhk reported.
Hashimoto wrote or co-wrote more than 70 screenplays, including many of Kurosawa's classics, also including The Hidden Fortress (1958). He directed three films as well, including I Want to Be a Shellfish (1959), and carried on as a screenwriter until suffering a stroke in his 90s.
The Seven Samurai told the tale of a village of peasants ...
- 7/19/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
It’s almost the end of April, dear readers, and that means the start of the summer movie season is nearly upon us. This week’s installment of Trailer Trashin’ examines the teaser trailer for director Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming remake of The Magnificent Seven.
Premise: With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from a motley crew of seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers, and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.
My take: The Magnificent Seven (1960) is considered one of the all-time classics of the western genre, and...
Premise: With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from a motley crew of seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers, and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.
My take: The Magnificent Seven (1960) is considered one of the all-time classics of the western genre, and...
- 4/28/2016
- by Timothy Monforton
- CinemaNerdz
The awards were first introduced in 1946 by the Mainichi Shinbun (毎日新聞) newspaper, which is the oldest daily Japanese one, since it has been on circulation since 1872. Nowadays, it is one of the three largest in the country, and it is noteworthy that two of its general directors were elected Prime Ministers.
The first winners were:
Best Film: Aru yo no tonosama (Teinosuke Kinugasa)
Best Firector: Tadashi Imai (Minshu no teki)
Best Script: Osone ke no ashita (Eijiro Hisaita)
Best Actor: Eitaro Ozawa (Osone ke no ashita)
Best Soundtrack: Minshu no teki (Fumio Hayasaka)
Since 1962, a year after the death of Noburo Ofuji, one of the pioneers of Japanese anime, a new award was introduced in his name, for the best anime of the season. The first winner was Osamu Tezuka, with “Story of a Certain Street Corner.”With the rise of the anime industry during the 80’s, the major studios started dominating the award,...
The first winners were:
Best Film: Aru yo no tonosama (Teinosuke Kinugasa)
Best Firector: Tadashi Imai (Minshu no teki)
Best Script: Osone ke no ashita (Eijiro Hisaita)
Best Actor: Eitaro Ozawa (Osone ke no ashita)
Best Soundtrack: Minshu no teki (Fumio Hayasaka)
Since 1962, a year after the death of Noburo Ofuji, one of the pioneers of Japanese anime, a new award was introduced in his name, for the best anime of the season. The first winner was Osamu Tezuka, with “Story of a Certain Street Corner.”With the rise of the anime industry during the 80’s, the major studios started dominating the award,...
- 2/26/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Samurai Rebellion (original title: Joi-uchi: Hairyo tsuma shimatsu)
Written by Shinobu Hashimoto
Directed Masaki Kobayashi
Japan, 1967
In 18th century Edo Japan, long-time friends Isaburo Sasahara (Toshiro Mufine) and Tatewaki Asano (Tatsuya Nakadai) of the Aisu clan joyfully anticipate a fast approaching annual festival, but all is not well. Isaburo’s son, Yogoro (Go Kato), needs to be wed soon, yet the perfect bride whose status would respect their family honour has yet to be found. This weighs on Isaburo’s wife, the severe Sugo (Michiko Otsuka), even more so than on Isaburo himself. Familial recognition and pride is at stake, two important factors put to the test when the Aisu clan lord, Masakata Matsudaira (Tatsuo Matsumura), decides that his former mistress, Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa), is to be given to them. Controversy stems from the fact that Ichi was actually dismissed from their lord’s court following a rather unorthodox and unexpected emotional outburst.
Written by Shinobu Hashimoto
Directed Masaki Kobayashi
Japan, 1967
In 18th century Edo Japan, long-time friends Isaburo Sasahara (Toshiro Mufine) and Tatewaki Asano (Tatsuya Nakadai) of the Aisu clan joyfully anticipate a fast approaching annual festival, but all is not well. Isaburo’s son, Yogoro (Go Kato), needs to be wed soon, yet the perfect bride whose status would respect their family honour has yet to be found. This weighs on Isaburo’s wife, the severe Sugo (Michiko Otsuka), even more so than on Isaburo himself. Familial recognition and pride is at stake, two important factors put to the test when the Aisu clan lord, Masakata Matsudaira (Tatsuo Matsumura), decides that his former mistress, Ichi (Yoko Tsukasa), is to be given to them. Controversy stems from the fact that Ichi was actually dismissed from their lord’s court following a rather unorthodox and unexpected emotional outburst.
- 1/15/2016
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
Ikiru
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Japan, 1952
Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru is the type of movie that can change a life, or at least change a person’s way of looking at life. It is an extremely moving work, standing as a superb example of the emotional and inspirational power of cinema.
Ikiru is also an exceptional vehicle for Takashi Shimura, an actor known for his astonishing range over the course of 200-plus films. In Ikiru, while Kurosawa makes great use of faces in close-up throughout, there is none more expressive than that of Shimura as the cancer-ridden Public Affairs Section Chief Kanji Watanabe. Every emotion and every thought is transparently written on his aged and weary face—it’s hard to believe the actor would embody the vigorous leader of the rag-tag samurai team two years later in Seven Samurai. Here,...
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Japan, 1952
Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru is the type of movie that can change a life, or at least change a person’s way of looking at life. It is an extremely moving work, standing as a superb example of the emotional and inspirational power of cinema.
Ikiru is also an exceptional vehicle for Takashi Shimura, an actor known for his astonishing range over the course of 200-plus films. In Ikiru, while Kurosawa makes great use of faces in close-up throughout, there is none more expressive than that of Shimura as the cancer-ridden Public Affairs Section Chief Kanji Watanabe. Every emotion and every thought is transparently written on his aged and weary face—it’s hard to believe the actor would embody the vigorous leader of the rag-tag samurai team two years later in Seven Samurai. Here,...
- 12/10/2015
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
Ikiru
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Japan, 1952
Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru is the type of movie that can change a life, or at least change a person’s way of looking at life. It is an extremely moving work, standing as a superb example of the emotional and inspirational power of cinema.
Ikiru is also an exceptional vehicle for Takashi Shimura, an actor known for his astonishing range over the course of 200-plus films. In Ikiru, while Kurosawa makes great use of faces in close-up throughout, there is none more expressive than that of Shimura as the cancer-ridden Public Affairs Section Chief Kanji Watanabe. Every emotion and every thought is transparently written on his aged and weary face—it’s hard to believe the actor would embody the vigorous leader of the rag-tag samurai team two years later in Seven Samurai. Here,...
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Japan, 1952
Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru is the type of movie that can change a life, or at least change a person’s way of looking at life. It is an extremely moving work, standing as a superb example of the emotional and inspirational power of cinema.
Ikiru is also an exceptional vehicle for Takashi Shimura, an actor known for his astonishing range over the course of 200-plus films. In Ikiru, while Kurosawa makes great use of faces in close-up throughout, there is none more expressive than that of Shimura as the cancer-ridden Public Affairs Section Chief Kanji Watanabe. Every emotion and every thought is transparently written on his aged and weary face—it’s hard to believe the actor would embody the vigorous leader of the rag-tag samurai team two years later in Seven Samurai. Here,...
- 12/10/2015
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
In six decades of filmmaking and thirty plus titles in his filmography, it’s nearly impossible to determine the weighted importance concerning a number of the influential works from Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa, considered by many to be among the most notable directors from Japan, alongside peers such as Mizoguchi and Ozu. Instead, it’s easier to discuss his work in strategic measures regarding theme or motif, such as his famed Shakespearean adaptations or epic Samurai classics, pillaged endlessly by Western filmmakers in proceeding generations. But certainly a definite standout is his 1952 title, Ikiru, which roughly translates as “to live.” A powerfully humanistic title examining the significance of life as something only to be rightly cherished when seen through the lens of death, it stands at the slender end of a filmography generally examining human tendency for apathy, revenge, and other plateaus of self-destructive forces. Moving without being sentimental, Kurosawa...
- 12/1/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Akira Kurosawa goes full tilt humanist with this emotionally wrenching, vastly insightful look at human nature. A faceless bureaucrat, alone and empty, is diagnosed with stomach cancer. He rebels and breaks down, but then finds a way to give meaning to his life even as he's losing it. Kurosawa one-ups the Italian Neorealists by seeing hope and value even in the oblivion of the human condition. Ikiru Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 221 1952 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 143 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / To Live / Street Date November 24, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Takashi Shimura, Shinichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka, Minoru Chiaki, Miki Odagiri, Bokuzen Hidari Cinematography Asakazu Nakai Production Designer So Matsuyama Original Music Fumio Hayasaka Written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa and Hideo Oguni Produced by Sojiro Motoki Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Criterion has made slow but steady progress upgrading its impressive Akira Kurosawa library from DVD to Blu-ray. The newest...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Criterion has made slow but steady progress upgrading its impressive Akira Kurosawa library from DVD to Blu-ray. The newest...
- 12/1/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
(Region B) Akira Kurosawa's unquestioned top rank classic remains a fascinating study of truth and justice. A forest encounter left a man murdered and his wife raped. Or did something entirely different happen? The witnesses Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura and Machiko Kyo give radically differing testimony. This UK edition offers a full commentary by Japanese film expert Stuart Galbraith IV. Rashômon Region B UK Blu-ray BFI 1950 / B&W / 1.33:1 / 88 min. / Street Date September 21, 2015 / Available at Amazon UK / £15.99 Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijiro Ueda, Fumiko Honma. Cinematography Kazuo Miyagawa Art Direction So Matsuyama Film Editor Akira Kurosawa Original Music Fumio Hayasaka Written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa from stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa Produced by Minoru Jingo, Masaichi Nagata Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
This reviewer doesn't review most foreign discs, but with major studios licensing out their libraries, there are...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
This reviewer doesn't review most foreign discs, but with major studios licensing out their libraries, there are...
- 11/3/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
According to THR, Ethan Hawke is in "final negotiations" to board Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven" starring Denzel Washington. Hawke and Washington made box office bank back in 2001's "Training Day," which earned both actors Academy Award nominations and Washington an Oscar win for Best Actor. Screenwriters John Lee Hancock ("Saving Mr. Banks") and Nic Pizzolatto (a double WGA winner for HBO's "True Detective") base their script on Kurosawa's 1954 "Seven Samurai" written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni. That tale of seven gunslingers banding together to protect a destitute village from blood-seeking bandits was first remade in 1960 as "The Magnificent Seven" directed by John Sturges and starring Steven McQueen. Chris Pratt and Hailey Bennett also boarded the project, which MGM began developing back in 2012 alongside a spate of other titles from its studio library including the forthcoming...
- 3/2/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Sword of Doom
Written by Shinobu Hashimoto
Directed by Kihachi Okamoto
Japan, 1966
Teenager Omatsu (Yoko Naito) and her grandfather walk atop a hill in the Japanese countryside on a beautiful day. While Omatsu leaves for a few moments to fetch water, her grandfather is discovered and ruthlessly struck down by a renegade samurai named Ryunosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai). The latter’s actions are but a sampling of his psychotic streak which leaves his underserving victims in the dust. Ryunosuke is a madman, but one gifted with glorious samurai skills, thus making him a highly coveted tool despite his staunchly anti-social personality. His actions on the hilltop thrust into motion a series of events that will see Ryunosuke’s sanity put to the test. He will go on to kill the brother of a young but highly skilled swordsman named Hyoma Utsuki (Yuzo Kayama), the latter whom will fall in love with the beautiful Omatsu.
Written by Shinobu Hashimoto
Directed by Kihachi Okamoto
Japan, 1966
Teenager Omatsu (Yoko Naito) and her grandfather walk atop a hill in the Japanese countryside on a beautiful day. While Omatsu leaves for a few moments to fetch water, her grandfather is discovered and ruthlessly struck down by a renegade samurai named Ryunosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai). The latter’s actions are but a sampling of his psychotic streak which leaves his underserving victims in the dust. Ryunosuke is a madman, but one gifted with glorious samurai skills, thus making him a highly coveted tool despite his staunchly anti-social personality. His actions on the hilltop thrust into motion a series of events that will see Ryunosuke’s sanity put to the test. He will go on to kill the brother of a young but highly skilled swordsman named Hyoma Utsuki (Yuzo Kayama), the latter whom will fall in love with the beautiful Omatsu.
- 2/7/2015
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
Harakiri
Written by Shinobu Hashimoto and Yasuhiko Takiguchi
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi
Japan, 1962
In the early 17th century, the Iyi clan abides by the bushido code to the letter in all its facets, sepukku, the traditional samurai suicide ceremony by which a warrior disembowels himself before being decapitated, being no exception. It is on a bright sunny day that one Tsugumo Hanshirô (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at the Iyi estate, currently run by Saitô Kageyu (Rentarô Mikuni), to plead for space in order to perform a honourable act of seppuku. He claims that the regional peace has led to unemployment, and rather live like a dog, suicide as ordained by bushido seems preferable. Knowledgeable of the occurrences of bluff requests made by other ronin samurai that were merely looking for pittance, Saitô is suspicious of Hanshirô’s motives and begins to relate a recent story of another, younger former warrior (Akira Ishihama...
Written by Shinobu Hashimoto and Yasuhiko Takiguchi
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi
Japan, 1962
In the early 17th century, the Iyi clan abides by the bushido code to the letter in all its facets, sepukku, the traditional samurai suicide ceremony by which a warrior disembowels himself before being decapitated, being no exception. It is on a bright sunny day that one Tsugumo Hanshirô (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at the Iyi estate, currently run by Saitô Kageyu (Rentarô Mikuni), to plead for space in order to perform a honourable act of seppuku. He claims that the regional peace has led to unemployment, and rather live like a dog, suicide as ordained by bushido seems preferable. Knowledgeable of the occurrences of bluff requests made by other ronin samurai that were merely looking for pittance, Saitô is suspicious of Hanshirô’s motives and begins to relate a recent story of another, younger former warrior (Akira Ishihama...
- 1/31/2015
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
The Hidden Fortress
Written by Ryûzô Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Akira Kurosawa
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Japan, 1958
By the time Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress was released in 1958, it was more or less settled that the Japanese filmmaker — the only Japanese filmmaker most average moviegoers had heard of at that point — was among the world’s best. This was after Rashomon, after Ikiru, and after The Seven Samurai. Kurosawa’s talent was beyond question, and his global cinematic prominence was growing. However, his last three films, while positively received by critics, did not do so well with audiences. He needed something that would combine quality with commercial success. “A truly good movie is really enjoyable, too,” he once said. “There’s nothing complicated about it.” He would meet this condition with The Hidden Fortress, out now on a new Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD combo. While not containing the narrative innovation,...
Written by Ryûzô Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Akira Kurosawa
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Japan, 1958
By the time Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress was released in 1958, it was more or less settled that the Japanese filmmaker — the only Japanese filmmaker most average moviegoers had heard of at that point — was among the world’s best. This was after Rashomon, after Ikiru, and after The Seven Samurai. Kurosawa’s talent was beyond question, and his global cinematic prominence was growing. However, his last three films, while positively received by critics, did not do so well with audiences. He needed something that would combine quality with commercial success. “A truly good movie is really enjoyable, too,” he once said. “There’s nothing complicated about it.” He would meet this condition with The Hidden Fortress, out now on a new Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD combo. While not containing the narrative innovation,...
- 3/28/2014
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
Seven Samurai
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
1954, USA
Last Saturday marked the birthday of visionary director, Akira Kurosawa, on what would have been his 103rd birthday. For years, I have known the high regard reserved for Kurosawa but have never seen any one of his films all the way through. I vaguely remember falling asleep during Ran and Rashomon during my early teens. With so many films to choose from, I decided to watch Kurosawa’s winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival nominated for two Academy Awards, Seven Samurai (1954). The film is Kurosawa’s most popular in the West and has spawned dozens of remakes since its release.
This story of sixteenth century feudal Japan is deceptively simple: a poor farming village is terrorized by bandits who threaten to steal their entire crop and raze the village. The villagers...
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni
1954, USA
Last Saturday marked the birthday of visionary director, Akira Kurosawa, on what would have been his 103rd birthday. For years, I have known the high regard reserved for Kurosawa but have never seen any one of his films all the way through. I vaguely remember falling asleep during Ran and Rashomon during my early teens. With so many films to choose from, I decided to watch Kurosawa’s winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival nominated for two Academy Awards, Seven Samurai (1954). The film is Kurosawa’s most popular in the West and has spawned dozens of remakes since its release.
This story of sixteenth century feudal Japan is deceptively simple: a poor farming village is terrorized by bandits who threaten to steal their entire crop and raze the village. The villagers...
- 4/3/2013
- by Katherine Springer
- SoundOnSight
The Writers Guild of America West (Wgaw) announced on Thursday that it is honoring Japanese filmmakers Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima, and Hideo Oguni with its Jean Renoir Award for Screenwriting Achievement.
The Jean Renoir Award, which is the Wgaw’s lifetime achievement international screenwriting award, is given to international writers who have “advanced the literature of motion pictures through the years and who [have] made outstanding contributions to the profession of screenwriter.”
Kurosawa (1910-1998) directed more than 30 films and wrote or contributed to more than 70 titles, including many classic films such as Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ikiru, Yojimbo, Kagemusha, Ran, Red Beard, and High and Low.
Kikushima (1914-1989) contributed to more than 60 films and collaborated with Kurosawa on Stray Dog, Scandal, The Last Fortress, High and Low, Yojimbo, The Bad Sleep Well, and Red Beard. He also worked on Tora! Tora! Tora! with Oguni, and Willful Murder, the latter of...
The Jean Renoir Award, which is the Wgaw’s lifetime achievement international screenwriting award, is given to international writers who have “advanced the literature of motion pictures through the years and who [have] made outstanding contributions to the profession of screenwriter.”
Kurosawa (1910-1998) directed more than 30 films and wrote or contributed to more than 70 titles, including many classic films such as Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ikiru, Yojimbo, Kagemusha, Ran, Red Beard, and High and Low.
Kikushima (1914-1989) contributed to more than 60 films and collaborated with Kurosawa on Stray Dog, Scandal, The Last Fortress, High and Low, Yojimbo, The Bad Sleep Well, and Red Beard. He also worked on Tora! Tora! Tora! with Oguni, and Willful Murder, the latter of...
- 1/30/2013
- by Vesna Sunrider
- Filmofilia
Picking your favorite Akira Kurosawa film is a tricky choice for any movie fan. From "Rashomon" to "Ran," the great Japanese filmmaker, one of the most beloved and influential directors of all time, knocked out a string of classics in a career that lasted well over 40 years. But more often than not, at the top of the list for Kurosawa fans is "The Seven Samurai," the 1954 samurai epic that redefined the action movie for generations.
Following six samurai (and one pretender, iconically played by Toshiro Mifune) who are recruited by a village of farmers to protect them from bandits, it remains to this day one of the most stirring, thrilling adventures in cinema history, and landed Kurosawa firmly on the map in international cinema. The film was released in Japan 58 years ago today, on April 26th, 1954 (a U.S. release, heavily cut down, would follow 30 months later), and to mark the occasion,...
Following six samurai (and one pretender, iconically played by Toshiro Mifune) who are recruited by a village of farmers to protect them from bandits, it remains to this day one of the most stirring, thrilling adventures in cinema history, and landed Kurosawa firmly on the map in international cinema. The film was released in Japan 58 years ago today, on April 26th, 1954 (a U.S. release, heavily cut down, would follow 30 months later), and to mark the occasion,...
- 4/26/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
DVD Playhouse—November 2011
By Allen Gardner
Tree Of Life (20th Century Fox) Terrence Malick’s latest effort is both the best film of 2011 and the finest work of his (arguably) mixed, but often masterly canon. A series of vignettes, mostly set in 1950s Texas, capture the memory of a man (Sean Penn) in present-day New York who looks back on his life, and his parents’ (Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain) troubled marriage, when word of his younger brother’s suicide reaches him. Almost indescribable beyond that, except to say no other film in history so perfectly evokes the magic and mystery of the human memory, which both crystalizes (and sometimes idealizes) the past. Like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, this is a challenging, polarizing work that you must let wash over you. If you go along for the ride, you’re in for a unique, rewarding cinematic experience. Also available on Blu-ray disc.
By Allen Gardner
Tree Of Life (20th Century Fox) Terrence Malick’s latest effort is both the best film of 2011 and the finest work of his (arguably) mixed, but often masterly canon. A series of vignettes, mostly set in 1950s Texas, capture the memory of a man (Sean Penn) in present-day New York who looks back on his life, and his parents’ (Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain) troubled marriage, when word of his younger brother’s suicide reaches him. Almost indescribable beyond that, except to say no other film in history so perfectly evokes the magic and mystery of the human memory, which both crystalizes (and sometimes idealizes) the past. Like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, this is a challenging, polarizing work that you must let wash over you. If you go along for the ride, you’re in for a unique, rewarding cinematic experience. Also available on Blu-ray disc.
- 11/25/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Chicago – I’m always amazed when smart people tell me they don’t see foreign films. The fact is that our foreign film market is worse than it’s ever been with fewer and fewer works from other countries actually making an impact in this one. I see dozens of foreign films a year and I’m still just chipping at the iceberg of the international film scene. One of the countries with the most vibrant filmmaking histories is Japan and for proof that they’ve been making intriguing dramas for decades now look no further than the Criterion edition of “Harakiri,” a striking drama that won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and has recently been released on Blu-ray for the first time.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Without the Criterion Collection, I wonder if “Harakiri” would even be on DVD, much less Blu-ray. Some of their titles — “Carlos,...
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Without the Criterion Collection, I wonder if “Harakiri” would even be on DVD, much less Blu-ray. Some of their titles — “Carlos,...
- 10/19/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Harakiri Directed by: Masaki Kobayashi Written by: Shinobu Hashimoto Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentaro Mikuni, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri is a sort of anti-samurai film that explores honour and moral decency within the strict adherence to a centuries old code. Kobayahsi's criticisms hurled towards this authoritative body is just as relevant now as it was in Edo period Japan. The result is a film that plays with the audience as it peels back the layers, strategically revealing plot revelations that tantalize the audience, creating a truly engrossing cinematic experience. Hanshiro Tsugumo, a Ronin Samurai, enters the estate of the Lyi Clan in search of a courtyard to perform Harakiri; an act of ritual suicide through disembowelment. Within the Bushido code, it's used both as punishment or voluntarily by a samurai looking to die with honour. In this case, Hanshiro is out of work due to the current...
- 10/18/2011
- by Jay C.
- FilmJunk
Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: 2-Disc Deluxe Edition (1974)
Synopsis: For some unexplained reason, letters to Santa Claus are being returned to the children of Junctionville. It seems some resident has angered St. Nick by calling him “a fraudulent myth!” Skeptical Albert Mouse has to be brought to his senses “and let up a little on the wonder why.” How Albert is persuaded to change his tune paves the way for Santa’s jolly return to town – and the joyous finale of the animated fable inspired by Clement Moore’s poem and produced by the merrymaking conjures of Rankin/bass studios. The voice talents of Joel grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver and George Gobel make this festive fable even more fun. (highdefdigest.com)
Special Features:
Tba
The 12 Dogs Of Christmas (2005)
Synopsis: A girl who uses dogs to...
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: 2-Disc Deluxe Edition (1974)
Synopsis: For some unexplained reason, letters to Santa Claus are being returned to the children of Junctionville. It seems some resident has angered St. Nick by calling him “a fraudulent myth!” Skeptical Albert Mouse has to be brought to his senses “and let up a little on the wonder why.” How Albert is persuaded to change his tune paves the way for Santa’s jolly return to town – and the joyous finale of the animated fable inspired by Clement Moore’s poem and produced by the merrymaking conjures of Rankin/bass studios. The voice talents of Joel grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver and George Gobel make this festive fable even more fun. (highdefdigest.com)
Special Features:
Tba
The 12 Dogs Of Christmas (2005)
Synopsis: A girl who uses dogs to...
- 10/3/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.