In the early 1960s, an Italian auteur, inspired by a Japanese legend, cast an American star in what would become one of the greatest Westerns of all time. As Clint Eastwood put it, the film about a Mexican gang war was “an Italian-German-Spanish co-production of a remake of a Japanese film in the plains of Spain.”
Clint Eastwood on the set of Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy [Credit: United Artists]
Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars was a layered narrative in terms of production and behind-the-scenes development. As a story, it was quite simply a Western that redefined Westerns for generations to come. However, for Clint Eastwood, the Dollars trilogy was the stepping stone to a 70-year-long career in Hollywood that was more illustrious and enduring than any other actor originating from the Golden Era of the film industry.
The Legacy of Clint Eastwood’s Dollars Trilogy Clint Eastwood as...
Clint Eastwood on the set of Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy [Credit: United Artists]
Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars was a layered narrative in terms of production and behind-the-scenes development. As a story, it was quite simply a Western that redefined Westerns for generations to come. However, for Clint Eastwood, the Dollars trilogy was the stepping stone to a 70-year-long career in Hollywood that was more illustrious and enduring than any other actor originating from the Golden Era of the film industry.
The Legacy of Clint Eastwood’s Dollars Trilogy Clint Eastwood as...
- 10/16/2024
- by Diya Majumdar
- FandomWire
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
The year was 1963, and Clint Eastwood was tired of playing a Western hero. As Rowdy Yates on CBS' "Rawhide," he was stuck in a flavorless rut of white-hat derring-do, herding cattle and being an altogether swell guy while contending with stock genre villains. There was a future in this, yes, but it would require Eastwood to play the same note over and over until he became a lasso-wielding self-parody.
So, when he wrapped his fifth season of "Rawhide," he accepted an offer to make a big screen Western with a promising Italian director in Spain. That film was "A Fistful of Dollars," and all it did was launch the "Spaghetti Western" trend, which, along with the revisionist American works of Sam Peckinpah, extended the popularity of the genre for a solid decade.
"A Fistful of Dollars" was not, on the surface,...
The year was 1963, and Clint Eastwood was tired of playing a Western hero. As Rowdy Yates on CBS' "Rawhide," he was stuck in a flavorless rut of white-hat derring-do, herding cattle and being an altogether swell guy while contending with stock genre villains. There was a future in this, yes, but it would require Eastwood to play the same note over and over until he became a lasso-wielding self-parody.
So, when he wrapped his fifth season of "Rawhide," he accepted an offer to make a big screen Western with a promising Italian director in Spain. That film was "A Fistful of Dollars," and all it did was launch the "Spaghetti Western" trend, which, along with the revisionist American works of Sam Peckinpah, extended the popularity of the genre for a solid decade.
"A Fistful of Dollars" was not, on the surface,...
- 10/15/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
We are already half-way through the month of October, and the end of the year is coming. That’s why Criterion is already looking ahead to 2025 with its new January releases announcement.
Read More: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch
Leading off the announcements for January is the film “The Mother and the Whore” from legendary French filmmaker Jean Eustache.
Continue reading January Criterion Releases Include ‘The Mother & The Whore,’ ‘Jo Jo Dancer,’ ‘Yojimbo’ & More at The Playlist.
Read More: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch
Leading off the announcements for January is the film “The Mother and the Whore” from legendary French filmmaker Jean Eustache.
Continue reading January Criterion Releases Include ‘The Mother & The Whore,’ ‘Jo Jo Dancer,’ ‘Yojimbo’ & More at The Playlist.
- 10/15/2024
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
It’s October, which means Criterion’s already thinking about 2025. Their new year auspiciously starts with a 4K Uhd release of Jean Eustache’s magnum opus The Mother and the Whore, featuring a new interview with Françoise Lebrun and a new conversation with filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin and writer Rachel Kushner.
Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sanjuro get 4K Uhd upgrades in a two-film set, while Anthony Mann’s Jimmy Stewart-led western Winchester ’73 also gets a 4K Uhd release alongside Stephen Frears’ The Grifters and Richard Pryor’s Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.
Find cover art in the slideshow below and more details at Criterion.
The post The Criterion Collection’s January Lineup Includes The Mother and the Whore, Akira Kurosawa, and Anthony Mann on 4K first appeared on The Film Stage.
Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sanjuro get 4K Uhd upgrades in a two-film set, while Anthony Mann’s Jimmy Stewart-led western Winchester ’73 also gets a 4K Uhd release alongside Stephen Frears’ The Grifters and Richard Pryor’s Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.
Find cover art in the slideshow below and more details at Criterion.
The post The Criterion Collection’s January Lineup Includes The Mother and the Whore, Akira Kurosawa, and Anthony Mann on 4K first appeared on The Film Stage.
- 10/15/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
There will be spoilers for "Star Wars: Mace Windu - The Glass Abyss" by Steven Barnes in this article.
The latest novel to come from the "Star Wars" universe is "Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss" by Steven Barnes, and it offers a window into one of the most powerful and enigmatic Jedi on the Jedi council and sets him on a noir-style adventure sparked by the death of Qui-Gon Jinn.
Beginning at the tail end of "The Phantom Menace," Mace Windu receives a posthumous message and a request from his now deceased friend and dejarik buddy, Qui-Gon Jinn. The late Jedi has asked him to complete a mission he was unable to on a distant planet. Mace has very little idea what he's getting into, and after some counsel from Master Yoda, finds himself on a planet in the Outer Rim called Metagos.
There will be spoilers for "Star Wars: Mace Windu - The Glass Abyss" by Steven Barnes in this article.
The latest novel to come from the "Star Wars" universe is "Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss" by Steven Barnes, and it offers a window into one of the most powerful and enigmatic Jedi on the Jedi council and sets him on a noir-style adventure sparked by the death of Qui-Gon Jinn.
Beginning at the tail end of "The Phantom Menace," Mace Windu receives a posthumous message and a request from his now deceased friend and dejarik buddy, Qui-Gon Jinn. The late Jedi has asked him to complete a mission he was unable to on a distant planet. Mace has very little idea what he's getting into, and after some counsel from Master Yoda, finds himself on a planet in the Outer Rim called Metagos.
- 10/15/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
60 years ago this September, Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name stepped on screen for the first time in Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars." It would be a few more years until the low-budget Spaghetti Western made it to America, but the actor's star power and the director's talents were instantly recognizable for early adopters – even if critics took longer to get on board. By the time Leone had released two more Eastwood-led films, rounding out what became known as the Dollars Trilogy, Eastwood's narrowed eyes and steely attitude had become a fundamental image of the movie cowboy.
The Dollars trilogy, which continued with "For A Few Dollars More" and concluded in 1966 with "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," is now celebrated as one of the best on-screen Western sagas of all time. The genre would...
60 years ago this September, Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name stepped on screen for the first time in Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars." It would be a few more years until the low-budget Spaghetti Western made it to America, but the actor's star power and the director's talents were instantly recognizable for early adopters – even if critics took longer to get on board. By the time Leone had released two more Eastwood-led films, rounding out what became known as the Dollars Trilogy, Eastwood's narrowed eyes and steely attitude had become a fundamental image of the movie cowboy.
The Dollars trilogy, which continued with "For A Few Dollars More" and concluded in 1966 with "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," is now celebrated as one of the best on-screen Western sagas of all time. The genre would...
- 10/13/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
When Daiei Studios and star Shintaro Katsu made “The Tale of Zatoichi” in 1962, little would they have known that in just 8 years, they would be on the 20th entry in the series. No mean feat, they managed to reach the mammoth number by continually reinventing the narratives while still staying true to the same formula and putting a number of different directors at the helm, with five of the twenty titles made by Kenji Misumi. For the twentieth, they aimed to make the biggest and most ambitious entry yet, getting none other than the legendary Toshiro Mifune to share screen with Katsu, playing one of his most famous on-screen incarnations, the nameless ronin he played so wonderfully in “Yojimbo” and its follow-up “Sanjuro”. But how did they fare? Let’s find out.
Tired of all the killings and wandering, Zatoichi returns to his hometown after a long time,...
Tired of all the killings and wandering, Zatoichi returns to his hometown after a long time,...
- 9/30/2024
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
It is borderline impossible to define the six-decade-long artistic legacy that Clint Eastwood had painstakingly mapped, as his stacked filmography includes everything from certified classics to overlooked gems. Of course, no artist can have an impeccably perfect run, but some, like Eastwood, inch very close to that ideal by re-defining entire genres that will always have a place in cinematic history. Not every good film that Eastwood helmed or starred in made a ton of money at the box office, but artistic success cannot be solely measured via such narrow metrics, as his name is embedded into the public consciousness, for better or worse.
It is tempting to dissect Eastwood's artistry purely through the Western genre — works like "A Fistful of Dollars" or "The Outlaw Josey Wales" capture his contributions succinctly — but there is much more to him than a drawling accent or laidback gunslinging. The actor has often been...
It is tempting to dissect Eastwood's artistry purely through the Western genre — works like "A Fistful of Dollars" or "The Outlaw Josey Wales" capture his contributions succinctly — but there is much more to him than a drawling accent or laidback gunslinging. The actor has often been...
- 9/22/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars" is not the greatest Spaghetti Western ever made, but it is widely considered to be the first. As the film that made Clint Eastwood an global movie star, it is inarguably the most significant. Most importantly in today's movie marketplace, people who've never seen a Spaghetti Western likely know the title, which makes it a viable candidate for a remake.
And this is fitting because "A Fistful of Dollars" is itself a remake. In fact, it was such a brazenly beat-for-beat copy of Akira Kurosawa's 1961 samurai classic "Yojimbo" that U.S. distributors wouldn't release Leone's film until the filmmaker settled up with the Japanese master and his backers at Toho (Kurosawa wound up making more money off this deal than he did with "Yojimbo").
Of course, "Yojimbo" wasn't an original either. Kurosawa openly acknowledged that his film was inspired by Stuart Heisler...
And this is fitting because "A Fistful of Dollars" is itself a remake. In fact, it was such a brazenly beat-for-beat copy of Akira Kurosawa's 1961 samurai classic "Yojimbo" that U.S. distributors wouldn't release Leone's film until the filmmaker settled up with the Japanese master and his backers at Toho (Kurosawa wound up making more money off this deal than he did with "Yojimbo").
Of course, "Yojimbo" wasn't an original either. Kurosawa openly acknowledged that his film was inspired by Stuart Heisler...
- 7/9/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
A few years ago, we heard that a TV series adaptation of one of the greatest Westerns ever made, the 1964 Sergio Leone / Clint Eastwood classic A Fistful of Dollars, was in the works at Mark Gordon Pictures. That project, which was described as a “contemporary retelling of the story,” has never made it into production – but it looks like we’re going to be getting a new version of A Fistful of Dollars nonetheless. Deadline reports that Euro Gang Entertainment, the company founded by producers Gianni Nunnari and Simon Horsman, is working with Enzo Sisti of Fpc and Jolly Film, which produced A Fistful of Dollars, to get a feature film remake off the ground.
Deadline notes, “It’s still early in the process so production details are under wraps for now. This would most likely be English-language but that hasn’t been confirmed by the team and a writer,...
Deadline notes, “It’s still early in the process so production details are under wraps for now. This would most likely be English-language but that hasn’t been confirmed by the team and a writer,...
- 7/9/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, starring Clint Eastwood, is set for a remake now in development from Euro Gang Entertainment.
The classic film, directed by Leone in 1964, created the “spaghetti Western” and was itself a remake of Akira Korosawa’s 1961 film Yojimbo. The latest version will come from Gianni Nunnari and Simon Horseman’s Euro Gang Entertainment and Italian production partner, Enzo Sisti and Fpc S.r.l., and Rome-based Jolly Film, the film’s original producer and distributor.
Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, about a drifting and detached gunfighter who plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride and revenge, made Eastwood a star. A Fistful of Dollars was also the first of a trilogy that included For a Few Dollars More and The Good the Bad and the Ugly, films about the “man with no name” that starred Eastwood.
The classic film, directed by Leone in 1964, created the “spaghetti Western” and was itself a remake of Akira Korosawa’s 1961 film Yojimbo. The latest version will come from Gianni Nunnari and Simon Horseman’s Euro Gang Entertainment and Italian production partner, Enzo Sisti and Fpc S.r.l., and Rome-based Jolly Film, the film’s original producer and distributor.
Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, about a drifting and detached gunfighter who plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride and revenge, made Eastwood a star. A Fistful of Dollars was also the first of a trilogy that included For a Few Dollars More and The Good the Bad and the Ugly, films about the “man with no name” that starred Eastwood.
- 7/9/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Saddle up! One of the great westerns is getting a remake.
Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood classic A Fistful Of Dollars is set for a movie remake from Euro Gang Entertainment, the company founded by Hollywood vet Gianni Nunnari (300) and Simon Horsman (Magazine Dreams), alongside Italian production vet Enzo Sisti (Ripley) of Fpc, and Rome-based Jolly Film, which produced the original movie.
Hit western A Fistful of Dollars is the story of a wandering gunfighter with no name who plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.
The film, released in the mid ’60s, helped launch the “spaghetti western” genre and Eastwood’s career (and others including that of composer Ennio Morricone). Its huge success spawned two more films in an iconic trilogy also comprising For a Few Dollars More and The Good the Bad and the Ugly, all starring Eastwood.
Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood classic A Fistful Of Dollars is set for a movie remake from Euro Gang Entertainment, the company founded by Hollywood vet Gianni Nunnari (300) and Simon Horsman (Magazine Dreams), alongside Italian production vet Enzo Sisti (Ripley) of Fpc, and Rome-based Jolly Film, which produced the original movie.
Hit western A Fistful of Dollars is the story of a wandering gunfighter with no name who plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.
The film, released in the mid ’60s, helped launch the “spaghetti western” genre and Eastwood’s career (and others including that of composer Ennio Morricone). Its huge success spawned two more films in an iconic trilogy also comprising For a Few Dollars More and The Good the Bad and the Ugly, all starring Eastwood.
- 7/9/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Mild spoilers ahead for the first four episodes of "Star Wars: The Acolyte".
Akira Kurosawa's work has been a cornerstone of "Star Wars" since the very beginning. George Lucas's original synopsis for "Star Wars" was, in large part, just the synopsis of Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" with the Japanese names crossed out and the science fiction names of "Star Wars" filled in. The story evolved from there, adding in more swashbuckling and "Flash Gordon" influences. Throw in some "Thx-1138" and "American Graffiti" and you get a world that only George Lucas could have blended up.
From that point forward, Kurosawa has been a major influence on virtually all of the "Star Wars" movies and TV shows. In press events leading up to its release, Lawrence Kasdan cited Kurosawa's "High and Low" as a key reference to "The Force Awakens." Director Rian Johnson clearly loved "Rashomon" and pulled its...
Akira Kurosawa's work has been a cornerstone of "Star Wars" since the very beginning. George Lucas's original synopsis for "Star Wars" was, in large part, just the synopsis of Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" with the Japanese names crossed out and the science fiction names of "Star Wars" filled in. The story evolved from there, adding in more swashbuckling and "Flash Gordon" influences. Throw in some "Thx-1138" and "American Graffiti" and you get a world that only George Lucas could have blended up.
From that point forward, Kurosawa has been a major influence on virtually all of the "Star Wars" movies and TV shows. In press events leading up to its release, Lawrence Kasdan cited Kurosawa's "High and Low" as a key reference to "The Force Awakens." Director Rian Johnson clearly loved "Rashomon" and pulled its...
- 6/19/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Anime is more than just a niche in the United States now and Hollywood is taking notice — Netflix especially. The streamer has both produced English-language anime movie/TV adaptations in-house and imported shows made in Japan for international distribution (such as the live-action "Fullmetal Alchemist" trilogy). One can only wonder which anime Netflix will see fit to adapt next — and whether fans should see that as a promise or a threat.
In the meantime, one of Netflix's most recent imports won't convince it to slow down on live-action anime. 2024's "Golden Kamuy," which premiered in Japanese theaters this past January, was added to Netflix on May 19, 2024. The film is an adaptation of a manga by Satoru Noda, which was previously adapted as an anime in 2018. The "Golden Kamuy" manga is complete (it ran for 314 chapters from 2015 to 2022), while the anime still has a fifth and final season on the horizon adapting the manga's last chapters.
In the meantime, one of Netflix's most recent imports won't convince it to slow down on live-action anime. 2024's "Golden Kamuy," which premiered in Japanese theaters this past January, was added to Netflix on May 19, 2024. The film is an adaptation of a manga by Satoru Noda, which was previously adapted as an anime in 2018. The "Golden Kamuy" manga is complete (it ran for 314 chapters from 2015 to 2022), while the anime still has a fifth and final season on the horizon adapting the manga's last chapters.
- 6/17/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The 1970 war epic "Tora! Tora! Tora!" takes place from August 1939 to December 1941, dramatizing the wartime events that led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The film alternately follows the American and the Japanese military during the same 29-month period, with the American sequences directed by Richard Fleischer and the Japanese sequences directed by Kinji Fukusaku (of "Battle Royale" fame) and Toshiro Masuda. 20th Century Fox ultra-producer Darryl F. Zanuck conceived of the project, as he wanted to give a proper telling of both sides of Pearl Harbor while also wanting to partially exonerate the American military (which had previously been blamed for its inability to prevent the attack).
Planning and shooting "Tora!" took an amazingly long amount of time. Pre-production wrangling lasted about three years, with principal photography taking an entire eight months. To make sure the Japanese segments would be handled by a master, Fox hired Akira Kurosawa to co-direct.
Planning and shooting "Tora!" took an amazingly long amount of time. Pre-production wrangling lasted about three years, with principal photography taking an entire eight months. To make sure the Japanese segments would be handled by a master, Fox hired Akira Kurosawa to co-direct.
- 6/15/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is one of the most acclaimed directors of the generation. He is known for his gory action dramas that have sprinkles of dark humor and act as tributes to all the films he has loved. He is known for films such as Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, Kill Bill, and more. He has also written books about cinema.
Tarantino has always appreciated brilliant pieces of art and has also criticized films that he felt did not meet the mark. He reportedly loved Takashi Miike’s cult horror film Audition. He especially commented on the much-talked-about final scenes in the Japanese horror film and spoke about how Miike took the audience on a ride.
Quentin Tarantino Loved The Ending Of Takashi Miike’s Audition A still from Audition | Credits: Omega Project/Creators Company Connection/Film Face/Afdf Korea/Bodysonic
Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike has been one of the most...
Tarantino has always appreciated brilliant pieces of art and has also criticized films that he felt did not meet the mark. He reportedly loved Takashi Miike’s cult horror film Audition. He especially commented on the much-talked-about final scenes in the Japanese horror film and spoke about how Miike took the audience on a ride.
Quentin Tarantino Loved The Ending Of Takashi Miike’s Audition A still from Audition | Credits: Omega Project/Creators Company Connection/Film Face/Afdf Korea/Bodysonic
Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike has been one of the most...
- 6/3/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
When Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni were writing the screenplay for their 1954 epic "Seven Samurai," they couldn't have predicted its lasting influence on cinema. Not only did Kurosawa's masterful direction alter and revolutionize the way action sequences would be shot, but the premise became a reliable and lasting template that multiple other filmmakers would employ in the ensuing decades. For those unlucky enough to have never seen "Seven Samurai," the setup is simple: a remote farming village is regularly looted by passing bandits, leaving them destitute. Unable to withstand another attack, the villagers gather up their modest means and hire seven rogue samurai to protect them. The samurai know that the job won't pay, but each one has their own reasons for joining the cause. Using their cunning and limited means, the samurai repel the bandit attack.
Most recently, the "Seven Samurai" premise was transposed onto Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon.
Most recently, the "Seven Samurai" premise was transposed onto Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon.
- 5/21/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Another of Kitano's masterpiece is also his most commercially successful film, taking $23.7 million in the Japanese box office and $31.1 million worldwide, mainly because of its wide release in the US that reached 55 theaters. Furthermore, Kitano won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival and yet again, plenty of awards from all over the world, and finally some from the Japanese Academy, although he was solely mentioned in the editing one, along Yoshinori Ohta.
on Imprint Asia by clicking on the image below
The story behind the production is, once again, one of extreme interest. Shortly after Shintaro Katsu's death, who played the main character throughout the Zatoichi franchise, Kitano was approached by the very powerful madam and ex-dancer Saito. She was a close friend of Katsu's, and owned the rights to everything pertaining to Zatoichi. An extremely wealthy woman, the owner of dozens of strip clubs,...
on Imprint Asia by clicking on the image below
The story behind the production is, once again, one of extreme interest. Shortly after Shintaro Katsu's death, who played the main character throughout the Zatoichi franchise, Kitano was approached by the very powerful madam and ex-dancer Saito. She was a close friend of Katsu's, and owned the rights to everything pertaining to Zatoichi. An extremely wealthy woman, the owner of dozens of strip clubs,...
- 5/11/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Clint Eastwood was already 30 years old when he landed his breakout role in the CBS Western "Rawhide." The actor had spent much of the 1950s getting by on bit parts in B movies (most notably the Jack Arnold monster duo of "Revenge of the Creature" and "Tarantula"), and guest roles on TV series like "Maverick" and "Death Valley Days," so you'd think he would've been thrilled. But Eastwood was displeased with his character Rowdy Yates, who, early on in the series' run, was a wet-behind-the-ears ramrod. At his age, he was eager to play a grown, capable man with enough years behind him to allow for a bit of mystery.
Eastwood's restlessness coincided with a shift in filmmakers' approach to the Western genre. Though maestros like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, and Budd Boetticher had allowed for moral ambiguity in their movies, the vast majority of Westerns were white...
Eastwood's restlessness coincided with a shift in filmmakers' approach to the Western genre. Though maestros like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, and Budd Boetticher had allowed for moral ambiguity in their movies, the vast majority of Westerns were white...
- 4/28/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Even among the more underrated Akira Kurosawa films are timeless masterpieces.
If films like “Dersu Uzala” and “The Idiot” and “Kagemusha” aren’t talked about as much, it’s because the best-known Kurosawa titles — “Seven Samurai,” “Rashomon,” “Throne of Blood” — also happen to be among the most influential movies ever made, casting their shadow over the Spaghetti Western genre, “Star Wars,” and so many more.
Just within the past few weeks, a movie loosely based on “Seven Samurai,” Zack Snyder’s misbegotten “Rebel Moon Part 2,” started streaming, Spike Lee confirmed he’ll direct an adaptation of “High and Low,” and, let’s face it, there’d probably be no “Shogun” at all without the Kurosawa-immortalized Japanese samurai culture onscreen. Probably no director other than Fritz Lang and John Ford has influenced as many genres as Kurosawa, who died in 1998.
But instead of focusing so much on his impact, look at the films.
If films like “Dersu Uzala” and “The Idiot” and “Kagemusha” aren’t talked about as much, it’s because the best-known Kurosawa titles — “Seven Samurai,” “Rashomon,” “Throne of Blood” — also happen to be among the most influential movies ever made, casting their shadow over the Spaghetti Western genre, “Star Wars,” and so many more.
Just within the past few weeks, a movie loosely based on “Seven Samurai,” Zack Snyder’s misbegotten “Rebel Moon Part 2,” started streaming, Spike Lee confirmed he’ll direct an adaptation of “High and Low,” and, let’s face it, there’d probably be no “Shogun” at all without the Kurosawa-immortalized Japanese samurai culture onscreen. Probably no director other than Fritz Lang and John Ford has influenced as many genres as Kurosawa, who died in 1998.
But instead of focusing so much on his impact, look at the films.
- 4/25/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
“Why is it that only those who have never fought in a battle are so eager to be in one?” Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) asks at one point in FX’s Shōgun. It’s a question that resonates not only with the show’s characters but may strike at the heart of our long-standing fascination with samurai.
Its resonance is all the more profound because Shōgun is loosely — very loosely — based on real events from the end of Japan’s Warring States period that pushed the nation into a new era. Taking historical events and crafting drama from them is something the show has in common with many Chanbara or samurai films. The riveting and often bloody history has provided fodder for countless films, including Hiroshi Inagaki’s Samurai trilogy, Sekigahara, Samurai Assassin, and The 47 Ronin.
However, these narrative films can obscure the complex history behind the events. Fortunately,...
Its resonance is all the more profound because Shōgun is loosely — very loosely — based on real events from the end of Japan’s Warring States period that pushed the nation into a new era. Taking historical events and crafting drama from them is something the show has in common with many Chanbara or samurai films. The riveting and often bloody history has provided fodder for countless films, including Hiroshi Inagaki’s Samurai trilogy, Sekigahara, Samurai Assassin, and The 47 Ronin.
However, these narrative films can obscure the complex history behind the events. Fortunately,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The poster for the Cannes Film Festival’s 2024 edition (May 14-25) pays tribute to Akira Kurosawa’s film Rhapsody In August.
The film played out of competition at Cannes in 1991, and follows a grandmother who lost her husband to the Nagasaki bombing in 1945 and how three generations of her family respond to the tragedy. It stars Sachiko Murase as the grandmother, with Richard Gere also among the cast.
It was the penultimate film from the renowned Japanese filmmaker behind masterpieces such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Ikiru and Ran.
The festival said: “Mirroring the movie theatre, this poster celebrates the Seventh Art,...
The film played out of competition at Cannes in 1991, and follows a grandmother who lost her husband to the Nagasaki bombing in 1945 and how three generations of her family respond to the tragedy. It stars Sachiko Murase as the grandmother, with Richard Gere also among the cast.
It was the penultimate film from the renowned Japanese filmmaker behind masterpieces such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Ikiru and Ran.
The festival said: “Mirroring the movie theatre, this poster celebrates the Seventh Art,...
- 4/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Rise of the Ronin, Team Ninja’s latest game, has been a sleeper hit among the masses. Despite being overshadowed by other high-profile games released around the same time (namely Dragon’s Dogma 2), it’s managed to make a cozy name for itself as an enjoyable action title.
During a recent interview, the producer and director of the game shared some valuable information on the inspiration behind the title, as well as other aspects that are worth a read.
Rise of the Ronin Team Finds Inspiration in Unexpected Places
Rise of the Ronin‘s film inspiration isn’t the movie you think it is.
Capturing the essence of Japanese culture and history in any type of media can be a daunting task. For Team Ninja, the creators behind Rise of the Ronin, inspiration was found in unexpected places.
In a recent interview with Game Informer, producer Yosuke Hayashi and director...
During a recent interview, the producer and director of the game shared some valuable information on the inspiration behind the title, as well as other aspects that are worth a read.
Rise of the Ronin Team Finds Inspiration in Unexpected Places
Rise of the Ronin‘s film inspiration isn’t the movie you think it is.
Capturing the essence of Japanese culture and history in any type of media can be a daunting task. For Team Ninja, the creators behind Rise of the Ronin, inspiration was found in unexpected places.
In a recent interview with Game Informer, producer Yosuke Hayashi and director...
- 4/15/2024
- by Vibha Hegde
- FandomWire
One of Hollywood's most frustrating recent news stories is that Francis Ford Coppola is having trouble finding distribution for his self-funded passion project, "Megalopolis" (via The Hollywood Reporter). In a just world, making "The Godfather" would grant Coppola a lifetime blank check, but that has never been the world we've lived in.
What you may not be aware of is one of Coppola's influences for his magnum opus. Like his friend "Star Wars" director George Lucas, Coppola looked to Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. While Lucas took after Kurosawa's Jidaigeki (historical) films, Coppola looked to one of the director's contemporary-set films: "The Bad Sleep Well."
Released in 1960 and starring his go-to leading man Toshiro Mifune, the movie is one of Kurosawa's (comparatively) more obscure ones. It was especially overshadowed by "High and Low," the masterful kidnapping thriller that Kurosawa and Mifune released in 1963. Both movies are set in the world of...
What you may not be aware of is one of Coppola's influences for his magnum opus. Like his friend "Star Wars" director George Lucas, Coppola looked to Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. While Lucas took after Kurosawa's Jidaigeki (historical) films, Coppola looked to one of the director's contemporary-set films: "The Bad Sleep Well."
Released in 1960 and starring his go-to leading man Toshiro Mifune, the movie is one of Kurosawa's (comparatively) more obscure ones. It was especially overshadowed by "High and Low," the masterful kidnapping thriller that Kurosawa and Mifune released in 1963. Both movies are set in the world of...
- 4/15/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Yakuza Wolf 1: I Perform Murder is a 1970s Japanese action film staring Sonny Chiba as Gosuke Himuro. The film is a rip of of Django which is a rip off of A Fistful Of Dollars which is a rip off of Yojimbo which is a licensed remake of The Glass Key (1942). Seeking revenge for his murdered father and kidnapped sister, Gosuke Himuro pits two rival Yakuza factions against each other. The filmmakers steal from other films with abandon. If it's not nailed to a solid slab of copyright law, it's filched. This is your intellectual property? You must have drooped it somewhere.
Yakuza Wolf opens with Gosuke Himuro performing a black gloved giallo murder of a couple in coitus. It could have come straight out of Bava's Blood And Black Lace. The colour palette is Argento. Chiba wears...
Yakuza Wolf opens with Gosuke Himuro performing a black gloved giallo murder of a couple in coitus. It could have come straight out of Bava's Blood And Black Lace. The colour palette is Argento. Chiba wears...
- 2/18/2024
- by Donald Munro
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Actor Denzel Washington and director Spike Lee announced they are joining forces once more, the first time in 18 years, for a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller “High and Low.” The duo have collaborated four times previously, on “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” “He Got Game,” and, most recently, “Inside Man.”
“High and Low” was originally based on the novel “King’s Ransom” by the prolific American author Ed McBain. McBain was a nom de plume for Evan Hunter, who also wrote “The Blackboard Jungle” (adapted to a popular film with a significant early turn by Sidney Poitier) and was a co-screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
The original “High and Low” starred Toshiro Mifune as an executive who faces a moral crisis during a pivotal moment of his career—just as he had intended to move a vast amount of his personal wealth for business reasons, his son...
“High and Low” was originally based on the novel “King’s Ransom” by the prolific American author Ed McBain. McBain was a nom de plume for Evan Hunter, who also wrote “The Blackboard Jungle” (adapted to a popular film with a significant early turn by Sidney Poitier) and was a co-screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
The original “High and Low” starred Toshiro Mifune as an executive who faces a moral crisis during a pivotal moment of his career—just as he had intended to move a vast amount of his personal wealth for business reasons, his son...
- 2/9/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
"Mo Better Blues." "Malcolm X." "He Got Game." "Inside Man." It is always an event when Spike Lee and Denzel Washington team up for a movie, and they always, always deliver. "Mo Better Blues" suffered from being Lee's follow-up to his masterpiece "Do the Right Thing," but its critical reputation has improved significantly over time. "Malcolm X" is probably the second most important (and brilliant) film about race next to "Do the Right Thing." "He Got Game" is an electric-yet-harrowing father-son drama set against the wanton corruption of college basketball. And "Inside Man" is just a plain old pip of a heist movie, one that makes you wish Lee would place his stylistic spin on more straight-up genre stories.
According to Variety, Lee is set to tackle one of the most masterfully crafted cop tales ever made, and you best believe he's re-teaming with Washington to bring it off.
The project is "High and Low,...
According to Variety, Lee is set to tackle one of the most masterfully crafted cop tales ever made, and you best believe he's re-teaming with Washington to bring it off.
The project is "High and Low,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
One of George Lucas' primary influences when making "Star Wars" was Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, who is generally considered his country's best director aside from maybe Yasujirō Ozu. Whereas Ozu is famous for making domestic comedies and dramas, Kurosawa made movies that felt epic: samurai movies, noir thrillers ("High & Low"), and Shakespearean stories translated into his homeland's history ("Throne of Blood").
This may be one reason why "Star Wars" is popular in Japan. If you don't believe the box office, look at Japanese pop culture; anime cornerstones like "Gundam" owe a debt to Lucas. One Japanese "Star Wars" fan is Hiromu Arakawa, the manga artist most famous for creating "Fullmetal Alchemist." (Arakawa is not shy about expressing her opinions on the "Star Wars" films either.)
Set in a world where alchemy is more than just a pseudoscience, "Fullmetal Alchemist" primarily follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who search far...
This may be one reason why "Star Wars" is popular in Japan. If you don't believe the box office, look at Japanese pop culture; anime cornerstones like "Gundam" owe a debt to Lucas. One Japanese "Star Wars" fan is Hiromu Arakawa, the manga artist most famous for creating "Fullmetal Alchemist." (Arakawa is not shy about expressing her opinions on the "Star Wars" films either.)
Set in a world where alchemy is more than just a pseudoscience, "Fullmetal Alchemist" primarily follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who search far...
- 1/18/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Dashiell Hammett didn't invent detective fiction, he just perfected it — partially because he knew good and goddamn well of what he wrote. The high school dropout landed a gig with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and evidently saw the worst side of the profession when his employer got fat off industrial cash by assigning their operatives to muscle, if not kill labor organizers. Years later, he laced his first published novel, "Red Harvest," with the bitter conscience of a man who witnessed evil but out of self-preservation did nothing.
Much of Hammett's work stings like a day drunk's swallow of rotgut whiskey, a belt they absorb over and over again to escape the awfulness of a world they cannot change in any meaningful way. The Continental Op eradicating a cluster of cold-blooded thugs with the 20-steps-ahead cool of a chess grandmaster in "Red Harvest" is so satisfying it's provided the foundation for several brilliant films.
Much of Hammett's work stings like a day drunk's swallow of rotgut whiskey, a belt they absorb over and over again to escape the awfulness of a world they cannot change in any meaningful way. The Continental Op eradicating a cluster of cold-blooded thugs with the 20-steps-ahead cool of a chess grandmaster in "Red Harvest" is so satisfying it's provided the foundation for several brilliant films.
- 1/15/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Another of Kitano's masterpiece is also his most commercially successful film, taking $23.7 million in the Japanese box office and $31.1 million worldwide, mainly because of its wide release in the US that reached 55 theaters. Furthermore, Kitano won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival and yet again, plenty of awards from all over the world, and finally some from the Japanese Academy, although he was solely mentioned in the editing one, along Yoshinori Ohta.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The story behind the production is, once again, one of extreme interest. Shortly after Shintaro Katsu's death, who played the main character throughout the Zatoichi franchise, Kitano was approached by the very powerful madam and ex-dancer Saito. She was a close friend of Katsu's, and owned the rights to everything pertaining to Zatoichi. An extremely wealthy woman, the owner of dozens of strip clubs,...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The story behind the production is, once again, one of extreme interest. Shortly after Shintaro Katsu's death, who played the main character throughout the Zatoichi franchise, Kitano was approached by the very powerful madam and ex-dancer Saito. She was a close friend of Katsu's, and owned the rights to everything pertaining to Zatoichi. An extremely wealthy woman, the owner of dozens of strip clubs,...
- 1/7/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick franchise, has given an exciting update on his upcoming adaptation of the hit video game Ghost of Tsushima. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Stahelski revealed that the script for the movie is done and that they are very close to moving forward with the project.
Ghost of Tsushima is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game follows Jin Sakai, a samurai who must defend his island from the Mongol invasion in 1274. The game was praised for its combat, story, characters, and music, and sold more than 9.73 million copies by July 2022.
Stahelski, who is also producing the movie alongside Alex Young and Jason Spitz via their company 87Eleven Entertainment, said that he is passionate about the game and its story. He also expressed his hope to have an all-Japanese cast speaking in...
Ghost of Tsushima is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game follows Jin Sakai, a samurai who must defend his island from the Mongol invasion in 1274. The game was praised for its combat, story, characters, and music, and sold more than 9.73 million copies by July 2022.
Stahelski, who is also producing the movie alongside Alex Young and Jason Spitz via their company 87Eleven Entertainment, said that he is passionate about the game and its story. He also expressed his hope to have an all-Japanese cast speaking in...
- 11/1/2023
- by CineArticles Editorial Team
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
Those less familiar with the Wuxia genre would perhaps be unaware of just how big a star Jimmy Wang-Yu was in the years prior to Bruce Lee’s emergence. Best known for his appearances as the “One Armed Swordsman” and the self-directed “One Armed Boxer” he was one of the pioneers of the martial arts film. Whilst his career would decline as the 1970’s wore on, he left a body of work ripe for rediscovery. With Eureka Entertainment releasing a 50th anniversary edition of his fabled “Beach of the War Gods”, it’s a good a time as any to revisit his legacy.
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
A Chinese fishing town is under threat from the invading Japanese forces. Hsia Feng (Jimmy Wang-Yu) arrives in town just as the advance party of invaders arrives. With all of the wealthier residents long since departed,...
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
A Chinese fishing town is under threat from the invading Japanese forces. Hsia Feng (Jimmy Wang-Yu) arrives in town just as the advance party of invaders arrives. With all of the wealthier residents long since departed,...
- 9/24/2023
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
Fans of Western movies are in for a treat as Prime Video India has added the legendary Dollars Trilogy, starring Clint Eastwood, to its streaming library. The trilogy, directed by Sergio Leone, consists of three films: A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). The films are widely regarded as the best examples of the Spaghetti Western genre, which refers to Westerns made by Italian filmmakers in Spain.
The trilogy follows the exploits of a mysterious gunslinger, played by Eastwood, who is known as the Man with No Name. He is a master of the quick draw and a man of few words, who often finds himself in the middle of conflicts between rival factions, bounty hunters, and outlaws. He also has a knack for finding hidden treasures and getting into trouble.
For a Few Dollars More Trailer
The first film,...
The trilogy follows the exploits of a mysterious gunslinger, played by Eastwood, who is known as the Man with No Name. He is a master of the quick draw and a man of few words, who often finds himself in the middle of conflicts between rival factions, bounty hunters, and outlaws. He also has a knack for finding hidden treasures and getting into trouble.
For a Few Dollars More Trailer
The first film,...
- 9/22/2023
- by CineArticles Editorial Team
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
There will be spoilers for "Star Wars: Ahsoka" Chapter 3 - Time to Fly
The third episode of "Ahsoka," titled "Time to Fly," begins for Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) with an extended training sequence. At first, she's drilling with the Jedi droid Huyang (David Tennant), but then Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) arrives and believes she needs something a little more difficult. That's when Ahsoka suggests a training regimen called "Zatochi."
Huyang is convinced that Sabine is clearly not ready for such an exercise, but Ahsoka is adamant. Ahsoka then puts a blast helmet on Sabine, much like Obi-Wan Kenobi does to Luke Skywalker in "A New Hope," and tells her to stretch out with her feelings and block her blows without being able to see. Just like Huyang thought, Sabine is not very good at this, but she gives it the best she has. But there's more than a "Star Wars...
The third episode of "Ahsoka," titled "Time to Fly," begins for Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) with an extended training sequence. At first, she's drilling with the Jedi droid Huyang (David Tennant), but then Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) arrives and believes she needs something a little more difficult. That's when Ahsoka suggests a training regimen called "Zatochi."
Huyang is convinced that Sabine is clearly not ready for such an exercise, but Ahsoka is adamant. Ahsoka then puts a blast helmet on Sabine, much like Obi-Wan Kenobi does to Luke Skywalker in "A New Hope," and tells her to stretch out with her feelings and block her blows without being able to see. Just like Huyang thought, Sabine is not very good at this, but she gives it the best she has. But there's more than a "Star Wars...
- 8/31/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Strangely, the most influential films are sometimes the ones that show the most age as time passes. How can you watch “Godzilla” or “Yojimbo” without thinking about the countless, often inferior, films they inspired? “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” the smash hit 1995 Hindi romcom that immediately revolutionized Indian cinema, faces those same disadvantages when being watched by a viewer today. So many subsequent Bollywood productions have borrowed from its sensibilities, and even paid direct homage to specific scenes, that elements seen as fresh in the 90s could be looked at as predictable now. It's hard to imagine a time when filmmakers were hesitant to feature Non-Resident Indians in major roles, and it's even more mind-boggling to think of Shah Rukh Khan as anything less than the global icon he's been for three decades. Yet when it was released, “Ddlj” pushed the envelope and helped to establish a new era in the Indian film industry,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Henry McKeand
- AsianMoviePulse
Movies that get remade don’t always live up to their originals, but some have second-time-around successes. So we’re taking a look at the ten best movie remakes ever. Each of these remake films has built on what made them classics in the first place and created something just as good, if not better, than before.
Related: 18 Best Thriller Movies (Ranked by IMDb Votes)
Nothing is more cringe-worthy for fans of certain movies than seeing an unsuccessful Hollywood reboot or remake. Nonetheless, film studios seem to keep doing so regardless due to their potential profitability, even amongst skeptic audiences. It’s all part of the cyclical nature of cinema, which has seen plenty of examples throughout history—from Robin Hood to Romeo + Juliet. And though most deserve our moans and groans, now and again, gems emerge amidst duds.
To save you time sifting through bad releases, here’s...
Related: 18 Best Thriller Movies (Ranked by IMDb Votes)
Nothing is more cringe-worthy for fans of certain movies than seeing an unsuccessful Hollywood reboot or remake. Nonetheless, film studios seem to keep doing so regardless due to their potential profitability, even amongst skeptic audiences. It’s all part of the cyclical nature of cinema, which has seen plenty of examples throughout history—from Robin Hood to Romeo + Juliet. And though most deserve our moans and groans, now and again, gems emerge amidst duds.
To save you time sifting through bad releases, here’s...
- 4/20/2023
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
Clint Eastwood had at last achieved film stardom in the United States when Sergio Leone's "Dollars Trilogy" was meted out to theaters over the course of 1967 and '68. The films were hits internationally, but had been held back from U.S. theaters because distributors were concerned Akira Kurosawa and Toho might sue them due to 1964's "A Fistful of Dollars," the first movie in the trilogy, bearing a remarkable similarity to the Japanese director's masterpiece "Yojimbo" (which was itself an unofficial adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's "Red Harvest"). Toho did sue, but the success of the second and third films, which were top-down originals, more than offset what they lost over the first movie.
In any event, Eastwood had emerged as a Western antihero for a new, rebellious generation. While he was more than happy to knock out more oaters in roughly the same revisionist vein as Leone's movies,...
In any event, Eastwood had emerged as a Western antihero for a new, rebellious generation. While he was more than happy to knock out more oaters in roughly the same revisionist vein as Leone's movies,...
- 4/15/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
It's odd to think that there was a time when Clint Eastwood was just a jobbing actor and not the Hollywood legend we know him to be. As an actor and a director, the man has had a career that anyone looking for success in the film industry would envy, being able to make whatever he wanted to make consistently for decades.
Though he's tackled crime stories, romantic melodramas, biopics, and just about everything else you could in the business, we all know Clint Eastwood's bread and butter is the Western, the genre that rocketed him to stardom in the 1960s with the release of Sergio Leone's classic Spaghetti Western "Dollars" trilogy, all three of which hit American movie screens in 1967.
Prior to heading over to Italy to take on the Man with No Name character, Eastwood was the co-star of the television series "Rawhide" for eight years, and...
Though he's tackled crime stories, romantic melodramas, biopics, and just about everything else you could in the business, we all know Clint Eastwood's bread and butter is the Western, the genre that rocketed him to stardom in the 1960s with the release of Sergio Leone's classic Spaghetti Western "Dollars" trilogy, all three of which hit American movie screens in 1967.
Prior to heading over to Italy to take on the Man with No Name character, Eastwood was the co-star of the television series "Rawhide" for eight years, and...
- 4/8/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
“You're a real scumbag, I like you” says Lead villain Sasaki to the nominal hero Mr. Taekwondo. Cinema has always been transnational by design, its visual language allowing features to be reworked and reimagined into different cultures. “Yojimbo” stemmed from Kurosawa's love of the American westerns of John Ford. Sergio Leone then reworked it into “A Fistful of Dollars” and here Lee Doo-yong was to rework the theme again in the quasi-western “Manchurian Tiger”. With the Kung Fu bloom in full flow, the blending together of genres would be ideal box office as the action movie began to take shape. Now, almost 40 years later, does it still hold up?
Mr. Taekwondo (Han Yong Cheol) drifts into town. His prowess sees him hired by Wang (Kim Mun-ju) to rob Sasaki (Bae Su-chun) of 100 bars of gold that he claims are rightfully his. Taking the money despite disbelieving this tale, Mr. Taekwondo...
Mr. Taekwondo (Han Yong Cheol) drifts into town. His prowess sees him hired by Wang (Kim Mun-ju) to rob Sasaki (Bae Su-chun) of 100 bars of gold that he claims are rightfully his. Taking the money despite disbelieving this tale, Mr. Taekwondo...
- 3/27/2023
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
Mark Gordon Pictures ("Ray Donovan") continues developing the 'spaghetti western' gunfighter movie "A Fistful of Dollars" as an episodic TV series, after acquiring rights to director Sergio Leone's 1964 feature and director Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" (1961) that Leone's film was based on:
"...'The Man With No Name' rides into a town riddled with violence...
"...using his wit and gunfighting skills...
"...to trick the town's competing gangs into destroying each other..."
Click the images to enlarge... ...
"...'The Man With No Name' rides into a town riddled with violence...
"...using his wit and gunfighting skills...
"...to trick the town's competing gangs into destroying each other..."
Click the images to enlarge... ...
- 2/8/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Between the pore-rich tightness of his close-ups and the mysterious, patient grandeur of his landscapes, Sergio Leone took the Hollywood-forged myths that enraptured him as a child and created one of cinema’s most influential oeuvres.
Considering Leone’s impact, from those sun-cooked, Ennio Morricone–scored westerns through the nostalgic sweep of his final film, “Once Upon a Time in America,” there’s never not a good time to enjoy a detailed, clip-rich tribute to the legendary Italian filmmaker, and now we have Francesco Zippel’s gratifying biographical appraisal “Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America,” making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Cineastes who watch it should start pulling those Leone DVDs from the shelf beforehand; you’ll want them handy when the parade of praised sequences and behind-the-scenes insight is over, and after interviewee-superfan Quentin Tarantino offers up an amusing post-credits anecdote built around the shorthand...
Considering Leone’s impact, from those sun-cooked, Ennio Morricone–scored westerns through the nostalgic sweep of his final film, “Once Upon a Time in America,” there’s never not a good time to enjoy a detailed, clip-rich tribute to the legendary Italian filmmaker, and now we have Francesco Zippel’s gratifying biographical appraisal “Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America,” making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Cineastes who watch it should start pulling those Leone DVDs from the shelf beforehand; you’ll want them handy when the parade of praised sequences and behind-the-scenes insight is over, and after interviewee-superfan Quentin Tarantino offers up an amusing post-credits anecdote built around the shorthand...
- 9/6/2022
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
A lone stranger wanders through the countryside. He walks into a small town that, at first, looks deserted. When the stranger finally meets a few locals and begins talking to them, he finds that the entire town, though remote, is under the uneasy control of two warring criminal gangs. The stranger, identified as a dangerous handler of weapons, is enlisted by each side of the gang conflict to help eradicate the other. The stranger, cynical and perhaps a bit playful, manipulates both sides into killing each other. After a violent conflagration, the stranger wanders away from the town, happily leaving the madness behind.
This is the story of Akira Kurosawa's 1961 film "Yojimo," written by Kurosawa and Ryūzō Kikushima. "Yojimbo" is easily the most cynical film in Kurosawa's filmography, bitterly taking glee in the copious amount of stupidity-inspired death depicted. Kurosawa, with a scoff, might have been making a dismissive...
This is the story of Akira Kurosawa's 1961 film "Yojimo," written by Kurosawa and Ryūzō Kikushima. "Yojimbo" is easily the most cynical film in Kurosawa's filmography, bitterly taking glee in the copious amount of stupidity-inspired death depicted. Kurosawa, with a scoff, might have been making a dismissive...
- 9/3/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
80-year-old American director Walter Hill can lay claim to have invented at least two movie genres: the street gang film — with the seminal 1979 action thriller The Warriors — and the buddy cop movie with the 1982 Eddie Murphy/Nick Nolte hit 48 Hours. As a producer, Hill was behind Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking sci-fi horror blockbuster Alien and its franchise’s spin-offs, including the three Aliens sequels and the Scott-directed Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017).
But Hill’s first love is the Western. He’s explored the lives of Wild West legends Jesse James (in 1980s The Long Riders), Wild Bill Hickok (1995’s Wild Bill) and Geronimo (1993’s Geronimo: An American Legend) and turned Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, the inspiration for Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Western classic A Fistful of Dollars, into 1995 Prohibition era oater Last Man Standing.
So it’s fitting that in Venice this year,...
80-year-old American director Walter Hill can lay claim to have invented at least two movie genres: the street gang film — with the seminal 1979 action thriller The Warriors — and the buddy cop movie with the 1982 Eddie Murphy/Nick Nolte hit 48 Hours. As a producer, Hill was behind Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking sci-fi horror blockbuster Alien and its franchise’s spin-offs, including the three Aliens sequels and the Scott-directed Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017).
But Hill’s first love is the Western. He’s explored the lives of Wild West legends Jesse James (in 1980s The Long Riders), Wild Bill Hickok (1995’s Wild Bill) and Geronimo (1993’s Geronimo: An American Legend) and turned Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, the inspiration for Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Western classic A Fistful of Dollars, into 1995 Prohibition era oater Last Man Standing.
So it’s fitting that in Venice this year,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The good news is that Kino’s new 4K encodings of Sergio Leone’s first two Italo ‘Dollars’ oaters look terrific, with Fistful showing a lot of improvement: the basic restorations are from prime Italian film elements. And the packages are collector / home theater enthusiast friendly — standard Blu-ray encodings are part of the deal. As the films are still licensed from MGM, they include the extras from 2007 of which we’re very proud. The end results may be the first Leone disc release that makes this viewer ‘The Man with No Complaints.’ Don’t forget, they’re separate purchases.
A Fistful of Dollars + For a Few Dollars More
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1964-1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date May 31, 2022 / Separate Purchases / Available through Kino Lorber Fistful and A Few More /
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gian-Maria Volontè, Lee Van Cleef
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Directed by Sergio Leone
Yes,...
A Fistful of Dollars + For a Few Dollars More
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1964-1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date May 31, 2022 / Separate Purchases / Available through Kino Lorber Fistful and A Few More /
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gian-Maria Volontè, Lee Van Cleef
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Directed by Sergio Leone
Yes,...
- 5/17/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s always satisfying to see a character get what they deserve. We love it when the bad guy gets his comeuppance and the good guy triumphs. But sometimes, it’s even more satisfying to see a character who started as bad find redemption by the end of the story.
Movies About the Salem Witch Trials (Our 10 Picks)
These movies stay with us because they show us that it’s never too late to turn our lives around. So in this blog post, we’ll be counting down the best movies about redemption.
From ex-cons to former bullies, these characters all find a way to make up for their past mistakes and become better people.
So please sit back, relax, and enjoy our list of the best movies about redemption.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Director and writer Quentin Tarantino’s film “Pulp Fiction”, released in 1994, was a major critical and commercial success.
Movies About the Salem Witch Trials (Our 10 Picks)
These movies stay with us because they show us that it’s never too late to turn our lives around. So in this blog post, we’ll be counting down the best movies about redemption.
From ex-cons to former bullies, these characters all find a way to make up for their past mistakes and become better people.
So please sit back, relax, and enjoy our list of the best movies about redemption.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Director and writer Quentin Tarantino’s film “Pulp Fiction”, released in 1994, was a major critical and commercial success.
- 4/10/2022
- by Israr
- buddytv.com
Hollywood and the West in general have been remaking some of the greatest Asian movies since the 60s, picking the most commercially successful and the most adaptable productions to bring to both American and worldwide audiences. A number of them were of equal or at least similar quality, with John Sturges’s “The Magnificent Seven” (based on “Seven Samurai”) and Sergio Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars” (based on Yojimbo”) being some of the most prominent samples. At the same time, however, and particularly after the 90s, the quality of remakes decreased significantly, resulting in a series of remakes that can only be described as truly awful, even though, on occasion, they were directed by the same filmmakers who shot the originals. Here, we have included 15 of the worst ones, in random order.
1. Ju-On: The Grudge Remake: The Grudge
Takashi Shimizu, who was also the screenwriter, puts the events in a non-chronological order,...
1. Ju-On: The Grudge Remake: The Grudge
Takashi Shimizu, who was also the screenwriter, puts the events in a non-chronological order,...
- 3/7/2022
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Mark Gordon Pictures ("Ray Donovan") continue developing the 'Old West' gunfighter feature "A Fistful of Dollars" as an episodic TV series, after acquiring rights to director Sergio Leone's classic 1964 feature and director Akira Kurosawa's 1961 "Yojimbo", that Leone's film was based on:
"...'The Man With No Name' rides into a town riddled with violence, using his wit and gunfighting skills...
"...to trick the town's competing gangs into destroying each other..."
Click the images to enlarge... ...
"...'The Man With No Name' rides into a town riddled with violence, using his wit and gunfighting skills...
"...to trick the town's competing gangs into destroying each other..."
Click the images to enlarge... ...
- 3/2/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Filmmaker Boaz Yakin discusses some of his favorite films with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Aviva (2020)
The Harder They Fall (2021)
The Harder They Come (1972)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Fresh (1994)
Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
Safe (2012)
Scream (2022)
The Punisher (1989)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Kagemusha (1980) – Bernard Rose’s trailer commentary
Mean Streets (1973)
Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The 400 Blows (1959) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary
Yojimbo (1961)
Dodes’ka-den (1970)
Short Cuts (1993) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray commentary
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Coonskin (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Fritz The Cat (1972) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Wizards (1977)
Heavy Traffic (1973) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Warriors (1979)
Quintet (1979)
Brewster McCloud (1970) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Mash (1970)
Nashville (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Dan Perri’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Aviva (2020)
The Harder They Fall (2021)
The Harder They Come (1972)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Fresh (1994)
Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
Safe (2012)
Scream (2022)
The Punisher (1989)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Kagemusha (1980) – Bernard Rose’s trailer commentary
Mean Streets (1973)
Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The 400 Blows (1959) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary
Yojimbo (1961)
Dodes’ka-den (1970)
Short Cuts (1993) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray commentary
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Coonskin (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Fritz The Cat (1972) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Wizards (1977)
Heavy Traffic (1973) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Warriors (1979)
Quintet (1979)
Brewster McCloud (1970) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Mash (1970)
Nashville (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Dan Perri’s trailer commentary,...
- 2/22/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Dr. Marcus Stiglegger is an Austrian film scholar, publicist, musician and occasional director. Over the years, he has made a name for himself with countless publications in the fields of film and media theory in German, but also in English. He has been part of commentaries and other extras for editions of movies published by Arrow Video, Capelight and many other publishers. Stiglegger is the author of books like “Terrorkino. Angst/Lust im Körperhorror” (Terror cinema. Fear and lust in body horror), “SadicoNazista. Geschichte, Film und Mythos” and “Grenzüberschreitungen. Exkursionen ins Abseits der Filmgeschichte” (Transgressions. Excursions into the marginalized areas of film history) among many others. Additionally, he has written many essays on directors such as Abel Ferrara, David Cronenberg, William Friedkin and the western genre. His latest work includes the essay collection “Berlin Visionen. Filmische Stadtbilder seit 1980” (Berlin Visions. Cinematic images of urbanity since 1980) with co-publisher Stefan Jung and “Schwarz.
- 2/18/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
In Akira Kurosawa’s 1982 autobiography (Something Like an Autobiography) his film Ikiru only gets a passing mention in a chapter dealing with the filming of his cinematic masterpiece, Rashomon. Ikiru, which roughly translates as “To Live”, is one of the director’s most loved masterpieces. Roger Ebert himself claimed that he loved the film so much that he would revisit it every five years; each time, becoming more and more empathetic to the plight of Ikiru’s male protagonist (originally played by Takashi Shimura). However, as good as this 1952 classic may be, it is also a film that is more beloved by extreme cinephiles and graduate level film professors than anyone else. After all, who wants to sit through a two hour plus tale dealing with existential musings on the nature of morality and human decency?
It seems that Hollywood would much rather sit through violent re-renderings of films like Yojimbo or Seven Samurai.
It seems that Hollywood would much rather sit through violent re-renderings of films like Yojimbo or Seven Samurai.
- 1/24/2022
- by Ty Cooper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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.