Can you believe that 26 Zatoichi movies were made so far? Well now there is a female twist on the ongoing saga as pop idol Haruka Ayase is Ichi, the blind musician wandering the land looking for her father. But, an instinctive use of a lethal sword ability sucks her into a feud between the chief clan of a small inn town and the mountain toughs muscling in on their turf. I thought I was going to be all for an attractive girl to step up to refresh the Zatoichi franchise and then I saw this. The lead actress was a super weak representation of the series super bad sword slinger.

Ichi herself remains a somewhat more distant figure, and although she does develop somewhat on her quest to find the man who may or may not be her father, director Sori seems oddly less interested in her as a character. The movie swings from melodrama to earnest sadness, and while the audience can see the skeleton of a love story, there’s not a lot of passion to make it a great one. There is a strong emotional content and lots of brooding silences, profundities, and deep thoughts. Keep in mind, this is a samurai movie after all.

The production values were obviously high. There’s blood, lashings and lashings of it as our heroine wades through the bad guys using her special backhanded slicing technique. Visually, the film is gorgeous, with Sori making the very most out of the beautiful countryside and bleak snowy mountains. For my money, although it has its problems, Ichi is one of the better Japanese period set action films of recent years. A sequel is not an unwelcome proposition, but an older Ichi would make for a better tale.

Through the eyes that Ichi cannot see, we reach her soul and the true relief when she finally connects with others by finding love and friendship. We care about Ichi and not about the hackneyed feud between local village overlords and a marauding mountain. This aspect for me made the plot irrelevant which is a huge minus. Also on a somber note to end this review, anyone sniffing potential girl-power credentials in the set-up will be saddened to hear it’s the bumbling male cohort that ends up saving the day, with Ichi half slain at the mid-point. Mark me down for not caring too much.

Film del 2003 di Takeshi Kitano, che interpreta la parte del protagonista. Zatoichi é un film in costume con i classici ingredienti del film del genere: c’é lo straniero misterioso, in questo caso un massaggiatore cieco incredibilmente abile con la spada nascosta sotto le sembianze di un bastone, che arriva in un villaggio vessato dagli yakuza di turno.

Egli si trova ad essere ospite di una contadina, a conoscere il nipote di lei, giocatore d’azzardo ma in fondo brav’uomo, e ad essere coinvolto nel piano di vendetta di due fratelli scampati al massacro della loro famiglia. Tutto finisce bene, con uno scatenato tip-tap di gruppo finale durante una festa organizzata dai contadini.

Quella del tip-tap non è l’unica scena in cui ci si trova ad ascoltare e vedere gli umili che seguono dei ritmi irresistibili mentre lavorano nei campi o alla costruzione di una casa, e devo dire che nonostante sia strana nel contesto, la cosa funziona e non dà fastidio, perché il resto del film è decisamente classico (si riesce a non far caso anche al fatto che il massaggiatore è biondo ossigenato).

In alcuni punti potrebbe apparire un po’ lento, ma personalmente ho apprezzato il modo in cui dei gesti dei personaggi diano vita a dei flashback nei quali si comprendono le loro motivazioni e la loro interiorità. Nel complesso la trama è abbastanza tragica, dalle vicende dei due fratelli (un ragazzo e una ragazza) che per anni hanno vagato nelle vesti di geisha vivendo di sotterfugi e cercando i responsabili della strage della loro famiglia, al ronin che per curare la moglie malata si mette al servizio degli yakuza come guardia del corpo.

Le storie di tutti i personaggi si intrecciano, tra schermaglie spettacolari in cui spiccano i virtuosismi del massaggiatore e del ronin e momenti che rappresentano la vita quotidiana, come le scommesse alla bisca, il bagno nella casa di campagna, la danza composta di una geisha davanti all’ospite di turno, la locanda, le dimostrazioni di abilità marziale.

Nel complesso l’ho apprezzato, nonostante inizialmente mi sia apparso troppo lento. Ma piano piano, quando le storie dei vari personaggi si intrecciano e si disvelano, risulta molto gradevole. Il personaggio di Zatoichi non viene approfondito più di tanto, credo perché si tratta di un personaggio noto più o meno a tutti. Penso che questo film sia stato inteso come l’ennesima sua avventura e rilettura.

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

MPAA Rating: R

Director:  Fumihiko Sori

Review Rating: 7.5

Ichi is a goze, a blind musician who specializes in the shamisen, strong and self sufficient. Touma is the bumbling but well meaning samurai who attempts to befriend Ichi and save a town from marauding gangs.

This is a very good movie, but only if you like that sort of thing – plenty of fantastic fight scenes, performances and emotion, yes, but there’s little that makes this movie truly stand out. It’s apparently based off of Zatoichi, the story of a blind samurai who (surprise!) saves a town from bandits. Haruka Ayase stars as Ichi herself, stoic and lovely and capable, though she runs around most of the movie in rags. The scene where she’s finally dressed in a purple kimono with her hair done up and plays a tune on the shamisen, I thought was lovely. Takao Osawa stars as dear liar Toma, who takes the credit for Ichi’s star swordsmanship and of course gets himself into more than he can handle. Takao is certainly attractive without his warriors topknot, even though they made most of the rest of the male cast have them. Shido Nakamura stars as Banki, leader of the bad guys who has the melted eye covered by a patch, sadly he seems to have succumbed to over-acting when it comes to being a bad guy. The little boy who becomes a kind of brother and porter to Ichi, played by Yosuke Kubozuka, is a bright spot of acting in a rather sad movie. After all, it is an action-adventure-romance kind of film, but still remember it’s Asian and that generally means one thing – tragedy in there somewhere.

Check out the subtitle-less trailer

Clash of the Titans

The fact that this movie exists, and that it is actually good, is a rare surprise. When two characters are as popular and famous as Katsu Shintaro’s Zatoichi and Mifune Toshiro’s Yojimbo, the temptation to throw them together into a single film is often too great to resist for movie studios, but the results are usually a disaster. They are gimmick films at their hearts.

Fortunately, this one was done right. The 20th installment in the 26 film Zatoichi series, “Zatoichi meets Yojimbo” (original title “Zatoichi to Yojimbo”, meaning “Zatoichi and Yojimbo”, the “meets” was thrown in there for Western audiences), teams up two of the titans of the samurai genre, three if you count director Okamoto Kihachi (The Sword of Doom). There is an easy comradeship between them, and Mifune’s star power does not overshadow Katsu’s lead.

The story is pretty typical of the series. Zatoichi is weary; he has broken his famous cane sword, and seeks refuge in a village he passed through some years ago. In a nod to the original Yojimbo film, the once-peaceful village finds itself in the middle of a gang war where two rivals fight for control of the town. Zatoichi’s appearance makes him a wildcard, as both sides bid for his service. But then into town comes a rough and ready character and apparent drunkard willing to also sell his sword to service. The two play off of each other, circling around for the inevitable battle. Of course, there is more to the story: The beautiful prostitute Umeno (Wakao Ayaka Red Angel, Manji) is capturing both rival’s hearts, a secret stockpile of gold is to be found and fought for, and a third rival comes to town in the form of Kishida Shin (Kill! ) as gunslinger Kuzuryu, the nine-headed dragon.

Admittedly, the plot isn’t going to win any major awards, but one doesn’t really watch the Zatoichi series for the plot. They watch it for Katsu’s easy charm, and the fun familiarity that only comes with a long-running series. Mifune’s drunken swaggering is a great counterbalance to the Zatoichi character. This isn’t exactly the same character from Kurosawa’s classic films, but close enough. There is one nice in-joke, where he is referred to as Shijuro (forty-year-old), setting the character ten years after Sanjuro (meaning thirty-year-old). The showdown between the two isn’t quite as dynamic as I was hoping for, but the ending was very satisfying.

Mifune and Katsu would meet again just a few months later after the release of “Zatoichi meets Yojimbo”, in the Inagaki Hiroshi flick Incident at Blood Pass. Mifune would again reprise the Yojimbo character for this film, although Katsu was a mountain-bandit Gentetsu. Mifune clearly was not opposed to a good team-up, as he would meet The Magnificent Seven actor Charles Bronson a year later in the Western Red Sun.

*

só pra constar, achei slumdog millionaire uma merda foda. bocejos do início ao fim. ai que saudade da maya.

zatoichi meus queridos, ZATOICHI. é preciso ter DIGNIDADE pra acabar um filme com coreografia.

*

Fully Hand Forged Zatoichi Full Tang Black Japanese Tanto
@ P6,500

• Blade: Carbon steel, heat tempered;
• Edge: Sharp, hand sharpened by Japanese whetstone;
• Hamon(Tempered line): Obvious Hamon, hand polished on;
• Tsuka(Handle) & Saya: Black wood;
• Tang: Full tang;
• Blade Length: 9.5″
• Handle Length: 5.5″
• Overall Length (with Saya): 16″
• Weight(with Saya): 1.2 lbs
• Weight(without Saya): 0.99 lbs
• Package weight: 3 lbs

2003: Zatoichi di Takeshi Kitano

“Magico film” (Il Sole 24 Ore”), “Un film di raro divertimento” (Repubblica”), “È il suo film più divertito e divertente, il più gratuito forse, ma all’insegna di una libertà fiabesca nella mescolanza dei generi e di un’idea di cinema come fusione di danza, musica, teatro, pittura” (il Morandini): giustamente entusiasta la critica.

Per questo esordio in un film in costume, Takeshi Kitano ha scelto di non utilizzare un suo soggetto ma di ispirarsi alla omonima popolare serie tv giapponese, ricca di 26 episodi in quasi altrettanti anni, tra ‘62 e ‘89. Il film è comunque interamente “suo”: lo scrive, dirige, gira, monta e interpreta. Il risultato è un lavoro entusiasmante (giustamente premiato a Venezia, 2003), curato in ogni minimo dettaglio: la macchina da presa non sbaglia un’inquadratura, la scenografia è magistrale, gli attori eccellenti.

La trama è quasi banale e sa di già visto tante volte (Zatoichi è un vagabondo cieco che si guadagna da vivere come massaggiatore: nonostante la cecità è un giocatore d’azzardo incallito e soprattutto un letale spadaccino. Durante le sue peregrinazioni finisce in uno sperduto villaggio montano angariato dalla banda di un crudele tiranno locale). Ma ciò che importa è la personale reinvenzione del regista. I personaggi recitano e fingono cose che non sono. Vivono il loro dramma ricorrendo continuamente a piccoli flashback. E sono ricordi che si mescolano al presente: si origina un luogo senza tempo, un vero e proprio palcoscenico di teatro dove i generi più diversi e contrastanti sono mirabilmente fusi. Finzione e realtà, umorismo e solitudine, ironia e violenza, dramma e gag, thriller e commedia, comicita e amarezza, serietà e divertimento: il tutto rende questa storia una summa del lavoro di Kitano.

Visivamente affascinante, magistralmente realizzato (indimenticabili le musiche di Keiichi Suzuki), contiene numerosi omaggi al cinema del passato (da Helzapoppin a Dancer in the Dark a I sette samurai) e, affidandosi completamente alla computer graphic per la creazione dei molti litri di sangue versati sullo schermo, anticipa quello che lo stesso Tarantino compirà all’interno dei sui “Kill Bill”. Ma Zatoichi, undicesimo film di Kitano, sarà soprattutto ricordato per la scena finale: un tiptap degno dei migliori musical di Broadway che vede coinvolto l’intero cast e costituisce un vero e proprio colpo di genio.

scheda

sito ufficiale

This is ridiculously cool (the shamisen is a very beautiful 3-stringed Japanese instrument played with a large plectrum/pick, and tap is that dance form that kinda kicks ass):

p.s. The tap dancers are these guys (The Stripes) from Japan who also did a sequence in a sort-of recent samurai film called ‘Zatoichi‘ which looks really good but which I was afraid to see because I really dislike gore, and especially gore created by sharp objects that pierce the skin! Anyway, check out the very cool tap dance scene from the film here. I don’t know who the shamisen player is.

-MissRuckus

Just realized that two of my all-time favourite Comic Book Heroes growing up were Batman and Daredevil. It suddenly occured to me that apart from not having any Superman like super powers these two guys were basically both blind heroes.

Batman is not literally blind but Bats are and he does pattern himself on the Bat. It’s kinda like how an American Indian warrior might have an animal totem that he considered his brother. Daredevil is blind but his sense of hearing and some weird Radar sense compensate for this.

Blind Heroes, what does that say about Me ?

There’s a proverb that says “In the land of the blind the one eyed man would be king”,  but I believe H. G. Wells was much closer to the truth. In one of his classic science fiction tales Wells tells the story of a planet full  of blind people who kill a mutant that was born with sight and call him crazy. They go back to their regular existence once the “visionary” is out of the way.

Ignoring Jamaica’s national anthem, which says “Give us vision lest we perish”,  in this story having Vision leads to death and the blind happily go back to leading the blind.

We all want to remain in our comfort zones so it’s probably not really that amazing after all to have Blind Leaders or Blind Heroes. In fact maybe they are more apt to stay focused on what’s really important politically and not be scared by the realities surrounding them day to day.

Zatoichi. Daredevil. Batman. Those are still my Heroes and if I ever accidentally get some Vision I’ll keep my mouth shut about it.

Ich hab gestern dieses Video gesehen und mir sofort den Song bei itunes gekauft! Rise von Flobots. Das Video ist auch extrem cool – es zeigt den Original Zatoichi in Aktion:

Tadanobu Asano. Escribo el nombre ya, que no quiero olvidarme.

‘Mongol’ es, cinematográficamente, un intento de volver a la épica, a la aventura. Coproducido por varios países de Europa del Este y Germania, también es un intento de restituir la figura histórica de Temujin, el mongol que unificó los clanes de la estepa y se convirtió en Gengis Khan (Príncipe Universal), conquistando un vasto Imperio desde Europa Central hasta el sur de Asia.

Sobre el Gran Khan no se conoce mucho, algo lógico si tenemos en cuenta que aquí siempre hemos barrido hacia la Historia de Occidente, que es donde vivimos. En Asia, Rusia y Europa del Este es un mito, y su figura ha dado mucho que hablar. Yo lo conocí por El Capitán Trueno (¿para cuándo esa adaptación, Julio?); en un episodio luchan los dos, pero éste no es el típico enemigo del Capitán. Víctor Mora y esa gente le dan un estatus de gran caudillo y de rival digno del héroe español, combatiendo de tú a tú hasta el agotamiento mútuo. Tengo esa imagen metida en mi cabeza desde niño, por lo que fue un placer volver después de tanto tiempo a recordar las andanzas del joven Temujin, convertido posteriormente y tras mil perrerías en el mismísimo Gengis Khan.

Con alguna biografía por ahí, y una adaptación a cargo de Henry Levin en el Hollywood de los 60 (con el gran Stephen Boyd haciendo de Temujin y Omar Shariff dándose algún que otro garbiño), fuimos tirando hasta finales de este 2008. Mirando la cartelera creí ver ‘Mongol’ escrito, y pensé en alguna peli chorras de estas teen, pudiendo hacer un mal uso de esa palabra o una burla tonta (insultar llamando ‘mongolo’ a tu oponente sigue vigente). Pero no, resulta que volvía el gran conquistador de las estepas.

Debo reconocer que no las tenía todas, ¿sería la típica superproducción europea, que chirría más que afina? El tío del poster me era familiar, pero lo dejé ahí. Ahora, con el DVD, no he dudado ni un segundo. Ha salido a la superfície de mi reserva mental particular, y por todo lo alto. ‘Mongol’ es un espectáculo visual-sensorial increíble (hay que creer), digno de los antiguos films de época. Y es que ver caballos por ahí galopando, entre superfícies enormes de terreno (que si estepas, dunas del Gobi, verdes prados, etc.), siempre con el ojo de la guerra presente, es toda una delicia. Y si además le añadimos un actor tan carismático como Tadanobu Asano (el tío del poster), el japonés errante (el ronin de Zatoichi), nos hallamos ante un cóctel muy apetecible. En un momento en que el séptimo arte es una auténtica guadaña, en que siempre andamos quejándonos sobre el mal cine, las copias y las pocas ideas, ‘Mongol’ se alza majestuosa por encima de cualquier convención para regalarnos dos horas de disfrute para los sentidos (si consigues meterte en el rollo).

Cosas que chirrían: el ritmo del film carece de una linealidad ‘justa’, cosa que, a ojos europeos, molesta un poco. En algún sitio he leído que en realidad es una trilogía, pero eso no la excusa (por buscar cosas que no encajan del todo). La historia abarca desde el Temujin niño hasta su conversión en Gran Khan; es, sobretodo, en esta última parte que notamos algo raro. El tío se va por ahí diciendo: ‘tengo algo que hacer, es mi destino’, o algo del palo, para en la escena siguiente volver con un megaejército con sus mil estandartes creados de la nada. No sé si es cosa del montaje o las prisas (ya bordeaba las dos horas en ese momento), pero ahí queda.

Vuelvo a postrarme sobre el rodaje en sus magníficos parajes y exteriores, un jodido espectáculo (me hace pensar un poco en la grandilocuencia de The Fall), se agradece un campo visual tan amplio. En cuanto a lo escrito, puede que haya partes del guión que se pretendan inflar demasiado (en plan flipada mitológica algo vacía o fuera de época), sobretodo cuando hablan los rivales del Khan, pero también se descubren otras muy jugosas como el papel de la mujer ante el hombre y su rol netamente familiar (doméstico) y claramente sumiso. En un economía de guerra y nómada, cada uno tiene sus funciones asignadas, y de ahí no se puede salir si no se quiere poner en peligro la supervivencia del clan (imagina las estepas, el frío invierno, el desierto… joder!).

Las batallas están muy bien, no hay grandes artificios, y recuerdan mucho a las de Zatoichi, con cortes secos y directos y la misma sangre salpicando. Otro elemento distorsionador, o más bien gracioso, es el hecho de ver el Temujin niño y el hijo de Temujin (te has liado?) y comprobar que son el mismo actor-niño.  Sólo que al segundo le maquillan la peca de la cara… Cosas de europeos o puede que de una economía cinematográfica un tanto… económica. Un último ‘pero’: las uñas del protagonista. El tío se pasa toda le peli dando tumbos, encarcelado y puteado mil, mientras que sus uñas no se ennegrecen lo más mínimo.

Aún y con eso, el film se acerca bastante a lo que pretendemos encontrar cuando vamos al cine o nos ponemos una peli, es decir, que tenga ‘algo’; pedimos que sea todo lo coherente que pueda (no una coherencia total, tan difícil y quimérico hoy) y que tenga un cierto sentido. No es la típica superproducción de Hollywood (el director es un ruso, Sergei Bodrov, que también firma el guión junto con Arif Aliyev) apestosa y acicalada, pero tampoco es un peliculón del copón. Huele a ‘Europa’ (cine europeo), y eso suele bastar hoy en día, un poco como Enemigo a las Puertas o cosas así (tampoco me viene ninguna otra a la testa ahora), intentando alejarse del peligro norteamericano de parecer (y perecer) una pantomima, pero bordeando, del mismo modo, las convenciones que han llevado a ver palidecer este precioso arte (por ser la tendencia impaciente y dominante actual).

Para fans de la épica un pelín condescendientes y amantes de la naturaleza que se puedan teletransportar al nomadismo del mundo mongol de ese medievo tan desconocido. Lo mejor: Gengis Khan-Tadanobu Asano (menuda presencia tiene este tío) y los paisajes. Lo peor: ciertos cortes súbitos o alguna prisa hacia el final del metraje. Que no te metas en el papel.

Dreamed I got in a huge argument with Grandma about whether D.A. is on “hard drugs.”  There was more, but it’s gone now Wait, I remember now!  It was a setting like a cross between railroad tracks and Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster.  And maybe a little (a wee little bit) Haunted Mansion, although there was nothing spooky or ghosty or mansiony about it — just like a fancy room crossed with that dusty-tan-stucco-cave-structure shit.  It doesn’t really feel theme parky, although there are people waiting behind me.  I sit on this small wooden square that is rigged to fit smoothly into the oiled railroad tracks.  There’s no room for my legs, although that doesn’t occur to me in the dream.    I am getting on in the middle of the tracks, so I haven’t been on the previous hill, so I don’t have much momentum to carry me over the next little hill.  It’s a very little hill, like on a kiddie roller coaster now that I think about it.

I’ve to get better about not taking thirty minutes just to wake up enough to get out of bed.  Although, in my favor, my alarm totally just didn’t go off this morning (despite that, upon investigation, it said “7:00 am: on”) — and I woke up on my own at 7:30 sharp, no annoying beep!  Yay.

Katya is all sad and generally bummed that she’s not good company and her dogs are an anxiety attack waiting to happen and won’t leave me alone.  I tried to make her understand that it’s worth it because having the whole gorgeous upstairs room to myself, AND a bathtub, AND a giant bed, is an impossible luxury right now.  Oh well.  One more night there — where to next?

My nails are this fabulous matte hot purple color.  (Hi Ari: I hope your radioactive sea-foam polish turned out as brilliantly!)  I finally turned the bottle upside-down last night to see what they call this impossible color.  It’s called DREAM.

Goddammit, wordpress just ate the rest of this post.  Now I have to type it again.

Wondering last night about the connection between Solace and Solitude.  Let’s see:

Solas: [Middle English solas, from Old French, from Latin sōlācium, from sōlārī, to console.]  

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin sōlitūdō, from sōlus, alone; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots.]

Solas vs Solus.  I love making this shit up.  That means their common denominator is Sol: The Big Fiery Cheese himself, comforting and alone.  Like Zatoichi.  Who is a sun god, if you didn’t notice.  They never mention this, but it’s true.  I promise.

Sneakers (US, 1992)

One of my favorite movies. Though not a lot of people have seen it. It’s a well-crafted story, employing lots of high tech gadgets and a great collection of characters. Robert Redford, narrowly escaping incarceration in college for hacking into computers and moving money from big corporations to good causes, goes underground and ends up forming a company with Sydney Poitier, an ex-cop. They break into other companies and then report on the security. Their company is filled with fascinating and talented people. All hell breaks lose when they steal a decoder.

Procedural dramas like Treasury Men in Action (1950), Railroaded (1947), He Walked by Night (1948), Postal Inspector (1936)

Jack Webb was in He Walked by Night. It served as a basis for Dragnet. Many of them have the familiar deep-voiced narrator. There’s something about these true crime dramas that appeal to me. Usually truth is boring or unbelievable in stories. Maybe they use the fiction brush enough to fill in the logic gaps and add a little more drama where needed. Makes for a taut mystery. I like the way they build their cases methodically, following every lead.

Zatoichi is a legendary Japanese hero, a bit like Sherlock Holmes or James Bond. But, he’s not clever, handsome or slick. He’s blind and wanders around the country with a cane, looking like he needs help. But, my goodness, mess with him or some innocent and watch out! He can kick some butt. I love this weak character that is so very aware of what’s going on and able to protect himself and others so well. Talk about being in the present moment! There are lots of movies and TV shows about him. IMDB has 25 through the 60’s and 70’s. Takeshi Kitano did a movie version in 2003 that is really fun to watch and listen to. You’ll find lots of times where the action is in rhythm.

Toshirō Mifune

Fashion Forward? Jada!

/Kenneth Tangnes

Bonus Pic:

THE TALE OF ZATOICHI

I mange år har jeg lest lovprisninger av Zatoichi-filmene med Shintaro Katsu i hovedrollen, og det er som så ofte ellers gode grunner til å bli med i koret. Katsu gestalter Ichi med en blanding av sårbarhet, kaldblodighet og patos som får Clinterns mann uten navn til å ligne en grimaseskjærende liksomkarakter. I tillegg er vår mann plassert i en liten perle av en film.

Den blinde Ronin-en Ichi har tilegnet seg en overnaturlig dyktighet med katanaen, men han bruker den nødig og er i sin første film minst like opptatt av å håne hissige gangstere og å fundere over verdens ondskap som å vise kunstene sine. Senere i denne serien på i alt 26 filmer har han lettere for å trekke sverdet. Ikke ulikt hovedpersonen i Yojimbo fra året før (og Spaghetti-remaken A Fistful of Dollars) rusler han inn i en bandekrig, men han er ikke spesielt interessert i verken penger, ære eller å få slutt på stridighetene. Det er hans skjebne å slåss for de som vil betale, det er lite han kan gjøre for å endre dette. Men har han muligheten til å lære noen rettferdighet lar han den ikke gå fra seg.

Det er rart å se en film med en så passiv hovedperson. Intrigen utspiller seg rundt Ichi, men han styrer ikke historien. Slik sett minner han litt om Mr. Moto, som også har en tendens til å være i kulissene til han ikke lenger har noe annet valg en å vise muskler. Men det er intet komisk over Katsus Ichi. Han er trist, truende, sårbar, usårbar, nådeløs og følsom. Har ikke noe problem med å se at det kunne bli 26 av disse.

The tale of Zatoichi har sjangerens kunstferdighet og humanisme, men er samtidig en nittifem minutter lang westernfilm med et ordentlig klimaks. Den er kunstferdig utført men er likevel laget for å underholde. Og hvis du er en av de (tullingene) som sovner til Kurosawa er Ichi helt klart å foretrekke. Jeg gleder meg til de neste fire og skal selvfølgelig holde dere orientert.

MAN ON WIRE

Kan fort ta dokumentaroscaren i år, og det er ikke ufortjent, men historien om sprut gærne Philippe Petit og hans forsøk på å gå på line mellom World Trade Centers to tårn er nok en enda bedre bok enn film. Ikke at historien ikke er spennende (det er den) eller at Petit ikke er en interessant fyr å intervjue (det er han), men som film skuffet faktisk Man on Wire meg litt. Dels henger dette sammen med at det ikke er allverden med video av Petit på WTC , eller fra hans tidligere stunts på Notre Dame og mellom to brohoder utenfor Sidney, slik at vi må nøye oss med stillbilder flere steder, men også med at uforholdsmessig mye tid brukes på at snakkende hoder forteller oss på fransk hvor skummelt det var å gjemme seg under plastikk når det kom vakter den natten i tårnene. Dette ville vært interessant lesning, men spesielt visuelt er det ikke.

Historien i seg selv er ikke bare fascinerende, men smått utrolig. Tror nesten jeg ønsker meg en spillefilm i steden. Og sjekk ut Petit på siste utgave av Wait Wait, Don´t tell me. Mannen er ikke bare gal, han er morsom også.

DESSUTEN:

Bender´s Game er den beste av de nye Futuramafilmene til nå, med god margin. Til tross for enkelte Dungeons & Dragons-referanser har ikke fantasy generelt og rollespill spesielt blitt behandlet så mye av herrene Groening og Cohen. I denne filmen gjør de opp for dette så det monner, og selv om enkelte ting kanskje ikke fungerer helt denne gangen heller (Mum er en herlig skurk, men guttene hennes er slitsomme, og en del av de rene Ringenes Herre-parodiene er platte) er vi i store deler av Bender´s Game tilbake til Futurama slik det var på sitt aller beste. Bare synd at nå er det bare the Wild Green Yonder igjen, så er det kanskje slutt på Futurama for alvor. Beste gag-en denne gangen er Morkene i Moria. Nanoo nanoo!

Hammer-filmer er alltid gøy, men And Frankenstein Created Woman viser tydeligere de kjipe sidene av engelsk skrekk (lavt tempo, i overkant dannet dialog) framfor de underholdende (det rødeste blodet i verden, god plotting, sjefne skuespillere, dype utringninger). En god ide utføres kompetent, men en liten dose kaos og galskap oppi selvhøytideligheten hadde gjort seg.

Orfeu Negre dro noen priser i sin tid, men den brasilianske musikaloppdateringen av legenden om Orfevs og Evridike har ikke tålt tidens tann godt. Musikken er god, men skuespillerne er ujevne (og en del av statistene er skikkelig slitsomme). Det lukter kitsch av dette, men ikke på noen god måte.