The Last Samurai (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a Japanese living in the United Staes, I can say totally, that this film is amazing. There're some critics says Tom Cruise's acting and so on, however, this film sucessfully depicts the history of Japan, and people's traditional lives and the end of samurai era.
This is a spectacular movie with sweeping sword actions and it is based on the true history events in japan, I've seen a lot of samurai movies(made in japan for japanese) but i can say this one is GREAT as the other movies, plus this is not usual hollywood movies that awfully depicts samurais and even Yakuzas and brush off the truth.
I can say, however, without Tom Cruise, this movie could have also been great as well. But i would guess that it is because of him, this movie gained more attention among people and so typical americans can get the idea of what samurai really is and what they really think.
so overall i gave this movie 5 stars. I plan to go watch it again.

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Epic Action Drama. Set in Japan during the 1870s, The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the Emperor attempts to eradicate the ancient Imperial Samurai warriors in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly government policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly impressed and influenced by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him.DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Edward ZwickDeleted Scenes:The Beheading (Behind the Beheading) Algren and Katsumoto Documentaries:History vs. Hollywood: The Last Samurai {History Channel Documentary)Featurette:Tom Cruise: A Warrior's Journey Edward Zwick: Director's Video Journal {Behind-the-scenes production journal - narrated by Ed Zwick and Tom Cruise A World of Detail: Production Design with Lilly Kilvert Silk and Armor: Costume Design with Ngila Dickson Imperial Army Basic Training: From Soldier to Samurai: The Weapons Interviews:Making an Epic: A Conversation with Edward Zwick

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Charles Bronson: Cabo Blanco/U.S. Marshal Review

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(More customer reviews)"Cabo Blanco" is must-have DVD for true Bronson fans--and not the least reason is because you actually get to see the man act. But the most surprising thing about this Laserlight DVD is that the transfer, picture and sound, is actually quite good. And, unlike most budget dvds of contemporary films, this one is presented in widescreen. I know another reviewer mentioned that the film was originally shot in 'scope ("scope" is a term for generic Cinemascope techniques) but the aspect ratio here seems to be the correct one--no panning or scanning, and no actors cut in half on either side of the screen.
Now, it's certainly not a "restored" version of this obscure film, but they did find a very nice print which only shows wear at the reel-change spots.
And, as a bonus, you get to see a very young Bronson in an episode of the 1950s drama series "U.S. Marshall."
This is one of the few budget dvds of a public domain Bronson film that's actually worth buying.

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The Master Gunfighter (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're looking for a sophisticated, well written and well acted western, look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a unique western that will provide you with silly entertainment, get this movie. The movie can simply be described as a "Billy Jack" movie set in the old west and Billy Jack is armed with a samurai sword and a special revolver (and he, of course, knows how to use them both). If you're a fan of the "Billy Jack" movies or you're just looking to expand your 1970's cultural awareness, you'll enjoy this movie.

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Loaded Guns Review

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(More customer reviews)Apart from flashes of Ursula Andress naked I thought this a total waste of money. If you are an Ursula fan you may be interested but otherwise save your money and buy another title.

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Akira Kurosawa: 4 Samurai Classics - The Criterion Collection (Seven Samurai / The Hidden Fortress / Yojimbo / Sanjuro) (1956) Review

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(More customer reviews)That's right, these ARE some of the greatest Japanese films ever made and are especially wonderful samurai movies!
By now you know abouth the movies that are included so let me make some technical reference to the DVDs.
In terms of picture quality, Seven Samurai has been restored to present the best presentation of the film to date. Yojimbo features a fine 2.35:1 non-anamorphic transfer of the film. Don't get me wrong, it is quite good, especially for a film of its age, but you won't be writing home about it. Sanjuro (my favorite of the bunch) is presented in a non-anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio and starts off poor. The film looks worn for the first few minutes and shapes up after that. Overall, a very good transfer. Hidden Fortress has the best picture of the bunch, having been mastered from a pristine interpositive to a high definition transfer!
Sound on the disc is as follows: Seven Samurai features a restored mono track and is a improvement over the old video tape I used to watch! Yojimbo's sound isn't quite as good. There's a hiss throughout the Japanese 2.0 Mono track. To sum it up, it is fair. Sanjuro, happily, doesn't have the hiss present in the Yojimbo track. It is a pleasant Japanese 1.0 mono track. Hidden Fortress gives the viewer the choice of a 1.0 mono track or a 3.0 Dolby Digital track.
Extras? Seven Samurai features audio commentary by Japanese film historian Michael Jeck which offers insights into Kurosawa's work, the film and Japanese culture which combine to make a highly engaging commentary. Also included is a theatrical trailer. Yojimbo is pretty much a bare bones disc, including only the trailer and liner notes. Sanjuro has the same features as Yojimbo. Theatrical trailer and liner notes. Hidden Fortress includes a theatrical trailer and an eight minute interview with George Lucas who discusses Kurosawa's influence on him as a filmmaker.
In conclusion, these are excellent films with presentations that I'm sure are the best we will ever see for them. Don't hesitate to add these to your film library!

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The Hunted (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)One of Mr. Lambert's best films, The Hunted finds Paul Racine (Lambert), a New Yorker on business in Japan, who meets the lovely Kirina (Joan Chen) in a bar late one evening and goes back to her place for a night of passion. But when Paul wants to continue seeing her, Kirina sadly tells him that he can never see her again. Unknown to Paul, Kirina is marked for death by the boss, Nemura (James Saito) who hires the cunning and ruthless ninja, Kinjo (John Lone), to carry out his deeds. But a mistake in door keys causes Paul to return to her apartment only to witness her demise at the hands of Kinjo, who fatally wounds Paul, who sees him without his mask (he took it off at the request of Kirina to show her the face of her assassin). Rushed to a hospital, Paul recovers while having reacurring dreams about Kirina (in lovely black and white w/Kirina in color). He is later approached by Takeda (Yoshio Harada), a master Samurai and his wife, Mieko (Yoko Shimada (James Clavell's Shogun)), who both urge him to move as quickly as possible, as Kinjo will surely come back to finish him off. Several hours (and dead cops) later, Paul leaves the hospital and attempts to meet up with Tekeda and Mieko at the train station to escape Kinjo. After evading the ninjas (in a fairly believable way), Paul makes it to the train while still being persued by the ninjas sent by Kinjo to kill him. Many dead and bloodied ninjas later (at the hands of Takeda), Paul is taken to a school, owned by Takeda, to hide out until the threat is over. With a satisfying climax, this film not only has plenty of action to satisfy all, but the added bonus of fine acting by the cast (Lambert, Lone, Chen, Harada, Shimada) which makes it a most enjoyable film to watch again and again. Plus you can't beat the music, which adds another layar all by itself. I really loved this film, seeing it in the movie theater, buying the video, laserdisc and finally the DVD, which includes Cast and Crew Bios for Christopher Lambert, John Lone, Joan Chen, Director J.F. Lawton, Production Notes, Universal Web Links, and the Original Theatrical Trailer. Enhanced in the Widescreen Format (1:85.1), The Hunted is the perfect East meets West action movie.

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Shogun Assassin (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Shogun Assassin" is a great film. Much "controversy" has arisen over the years regarding this film having been cobbled together from two other films in the Lone Wolf series. I think that what has been achieved is an extremely entertaining, fast-paced piece of action. By eliminating non-essential story lines and including a voice over narration, the action moves at break neck speed. The amount of blood spilled is so over the top as to be cartoonish, which only adds to the uniqueness of the movie. The DVD transfer is excellent and the restored picture is high quality. Some reviewers have complained about certain scenes being unrestored, it is actually only two shots totaling maybe five seconds in length. Both shots are of a castle and the excuse for not restoring them was that they were stock footage with no original element available. I do not know why the company had to place the disclaimer of this fact on the film, as I doubt anyone would have really noticed anyway. An added bonus on the DVD is the inclusion of the trailer which, I had never seen before. I can only imagine an audience seeing this trailer and somehow not wanting to see the film, it is awesome. Anyway, if you have never seen "Shogun Assassin" or have seen it a thousand times, buy this DVD, it is well worth it.

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In a time of evil and tyranny, a stone-faced ronin wanders the countryside with his young son (and a weapon-filled baby cart), hunted by the merciless minions of an evil Shogun. Once a noble samurai, he is now the most feared assassin in Japan, known only as Lone Wolf.

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James Clavell's Shogun (1980) Review

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(More customer reviews)It has been two decades since James Clavell's novel first aired, but "Shogun" is still one of the finest mini-series yet produced and it still holds up. The stranger in a strange land story of an English navigator shipwrecked in fuedal Japan strikes such a strong chord because the audience is in the same predicament as the main character, confronted with an unknown and dangerous world that refuses to make sense. "Shogun" was filmed in Japan with remarkable fidelity to both the original story and local culture.
As Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, Chamberlain is often called upon to do more with looks than with dialogue. As the "King of the Mini-Series," it is easy to forget what Chamberlain can do as an actor given the proper material (I wish his version of Christopher Fry's "The Lady's Not For Burning" was available on video tape). Actually, there is a sense in which Chamberlain's performance is arguable the weakest of the cast, but that speaks more to the strength of the supporting players. Certainly John Rhys-Davies steals every scene he is in as Vasco Rodrigues, Damien Thomas' Father Alvito personifies political machination, and Nobuo Kaneko as Lord Ishido has that glare down perfectly. Ultimately, it is the Japanese actors who carry "Shogun." From the legendary Toshirô Mifune as Lord Toranaga, to the novice actress Yôko Shimada as Mariko, to Frankie Sakai as Yabu and every one of the characters who make up Blackthorne's Japanese household, these actors provide the new word that confront's Chamberlain's character. The choice of producer Eric Bercovici to also adopt Clavell's novel was the ideal choice. Bercovici was not only familiar with the mini-series format, having done "Washington Behind Close Doors," but he was the writer on "Hell in the Pacific," a 1968 movie with Lee Marvin and Toshirô Mifune. During WWII the two men end up on a deserted island. What made the film unique was that it was done without subtitles; Marvin spoke English and Mifune spoke Japanese and the idea was to show it in both countries without subtitles. Okay, unfair advantage to the Japanese, but you have to appreciate the idea which "Shogun" certainly uses to great effect.
Director Jerry London does an admirable job of presenting Japanese culture on its own terms, which is exactly what is right for the story. My understanding was that the Orson Welles narration was added at the, uh, request of the network who felt audiences would not be able to read between the lines. I think that for the most part "Shogun" would work without the excessive explanations, even if you have not read the novel, but we will never know.
If you are looking for something to lose yourself in next weekend, you would not find too many things as intelligent and as fascinating as "Shogun." Just be sure you do the complete original mini-series and not the one cassette mini-version.

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