#1761  
Old 11-07-2009, 01:00 PM
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  #1762  
Old 11-09-2009, 06:24 AM
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Sword of the Beast (1965). This wonderful though short samurai flick (85 min) is filled with intrigue, plot complexities, and honor, or a lack thereof. The irony here is that the hero, compelled to abandon his samurai code, is one of the few people that is truly honorable in the story. Though a little shy of swordplay, there is one scene that sports such a sudden frenzy of swords a swinging that one cannot but be delighted by the superior skills of the two warriors. This fight scene may be one of my all-time favorites (though nothing compares to the end of Sword of Doom). As stated previously, i only wished that this flick was longer so that i could have enjoyed it for longer. Ashe.
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  #1763  
Old 11-11-2009, 05:52 AM
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Ab-normal Beauty (2004). Oxide Pang again demonstrates ability to make an artistically stylish film. Either ripe or murky with color as dictated by the scene, this visually striking flick is sure to please any retina. The story itself is rather dark, and while it may leave lots to be desired for gore-hounds, it will surely please those appreciative of an morbid art deliciously served up. The acting was solid, the art direction was absolutely stunning, and some of the scenes were brilliantly depicted (the suicide scene was awesome- don't worry, this is not a spoiler). At times, there was even a Requiem of a Dream feel to this wonderful movie. A well-done, dark psychological thriller all around. Ashe.
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  #1764  
Old 11-15-2009, 05:48 AM
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Sword of Doom (1965). Better the second time around. Definitely my favorite samurai movie; probably the darkest one of the bunch. Ashe.
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  #1765  
Old 11-15-2009, 11:14 PM
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The Soul Guardians (1998)

>>: C-
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  #1766  
Old 11-17-2009, 03:56 AM
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  #1767  
Old 11-17-2009, 02:07 PM
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  #1768  
Old 11-19-2009, 01:28 AM
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Youth of the Beast (1963)

I haven't seen any Seijun Suzuki's film before, so this is my first one and believe me..this is an absolute blast for any Yakuza movie fan! Pretty tightly paced story with lots of 60's typical actions & humor that shows through beautiful camera works & settings (particularly the office set up for 2 Yakuza boss were fantastic..one in a sound proof room in a night club with one sided mirror and other one behind the screen of a movie theater!). Loved it.

>>: A-
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  #1769  
Old 11-21-2009, 11:54 AM
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Mongol (2007). An absolutely epic tale of the rise of a Mongolian Khan, this film is intensely enjoyable. The beginning has almost too much action, and the viewer rarely enjoys a breather. After a tumultuous start, it relaxes just enough for one to catch his breath. With cinematography that is spectacular, and some of the fight scenes are epic, the story never strays away from the main characters as the central part of the story. The trials and tribulations that must be endured here would tax away the life out of just about everyone but our hero, but that is what makes the rest of us schmucks so ordinary. i would say this is a must see for just about everybody, save for those that are bothered by a little (actually a lot of) blood. Ashe.
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Old 11-22-2009, 05:38 AM
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Kiru AKA Kill! (1968). Another absolutely incredible Japanese classic by Kihachi Okamoto. This wonderful samurai flick somehow takes all of the cliches of this genre and lightly makes fun of them. While the story is standard fare, this movie is more about the characters and a wonderful balance between humor and gravity than the story itself. Not that the story is weak, with all of the twists and betrayals and codes of honor that are perfectly sprinkled in. What makes this movie so awesome is the shadowy humor that is infused in between the cliches and sometimes heart-wrenching scenes. Tatsuya plays his part as the disillusioned samurai turned vagrant yakuza with much aplomb. After watching this, it would not be a faux pas to place him even above the inimitable Mifune as one of the greatest Japanese actors of his time. This man has scope (his role in The Human Condition also shows this). All in all of of the most enjoyable samurai flicks of all time. Ashe.
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