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
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
There would be no "Star Wars" without Akira Kurosawa. The fabled Japanese filmmaker was a massive influence on creator George Lucas and his vision for a galaxy far, far away, with his period adventures "Seven Samurai" and especially "The Hidden Fortress" informing so much of the Jedi's aesthetics and philosophy, as well as the plot and characters of "A New Hope." Creatives on more recent "Star Wars" projects have only continued to mine inspiration from Kurosawa's oeuvre, with Rian Johnson drawing pretty explicitly from the director's classic "Rashomon" for the perspective-shifting flashbacks to Luke Skywalker's confrontation with his nephew Ben Solo in "The Last Jedi."
For "Ahsoka," a spinoff of "The Mandalorian" and live-action sequel to his animated series "Star Wars Rebels," creator Dave Filoni -- who's since been promoted to chief creative officer of Lucasfilm -- looked to another Kurosawa film entirely for the show's most fantastical outing yet.
For "Ahsoka," a spinoff of "The Mandalorian" and live-action sequel to his animated series "Star Wars Rebels," creator Dave Filoni -- who's since been promoted to chief creative officer of Lucasfilm -- looked to another Kurosawa film entirely for the show's most fantastical outing yet.
- 1/28/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Kenzo’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection, presented at Paris Men’s Fashion Week, documents the intercultural exchanges that have intervened between East and West, America and Japan, and most notably in the show, between George Lucas’ science fiction and Akira Kurosawa’s historic imagery. The two distinct ways of filmmaking combined to inspire a perfect synthesis in Kenzo’s show. The fashion label is owned by Lvmh.
Kenzo’s artistic director Nigo, the DJ and record producer, already known as the founder of the streetwear brand A Bathing Ape, once again depicted the introduction of non-Western influences into Eastern culture as a key element of his imagery when designing for the fashion house founded by Kenzo Takada. For this collection, he drew inspiration from films such as Lucas’ Star Wars franchise and Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress.
The Japanese designer praised the way Lucas and his costume designers drew inspiration from kimonos,...
Kenzo’s artistic director Nigo, the DJ and record producer, already known as the founder of the streetwear brand A Bathing Ape, once again depicted the introduction of non-Western influences into Eastern culture as a key element of his imagery when designing for the fashion house founded by Kenzo Takada. For this collection, he drew inspiration from films such as Lucas’ Star Wars franchise and Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress.
The Japanese designer praised the way Lucas and his costume designers drew inspiration from kimonos,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Pino Gagliardi
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s that time of year again. While some directors annually share their favorite films of the year, Steven Soderbergh lists everything he consumed, media-wise. For 2023––another year in which he not only Magic Mike’s Last Dance Review: Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum Take a Familiar, Gentle Bow”>released a new film, but dropped two TV series (Full Circle and Command Z“>Command Z) and shot another film (the Sundance-bound Presence)––he still got plenty of watching in.
Along with catching up on 2023’s new releases, Ferrari, Anatomy of a Fall, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Air, Reality, Dead Reckoning, among others), he took in plenty of classics, including Eyes Wide Shut, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Casablanca, Out of the Past, The Shining, the epic War and Peace, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and, following Tom Wilkinson’s passing, Michael Clayton. He also got an early look at Pussy Island,...
Along with catching up on 2023’s new releases, Ferrari, Anatomy of a Fall, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, Air, Reality, Dead Reckoning, among others), he took in plenty of classics, including Eyes Wide Shut, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Casablanca, Out of the Past, The Shining, the epic War and Peace, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and, following Tom Wilkinson’s passing, Michael Clayton. He also got an early look at Pussy Island,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Cr. Clay Enos/Netflix ©2023
Over a decade in the making, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is the new sci-fi space opera from co-writer/director Zack Snyder. Raised on Star Wars and Akira Kurosawa films, Snyder created the story for the film as a pitch to be a new installment of the Star Wars universe. After that pitch never materialized, Snyder eventually set the film with Netflix after the start of his latest franchise play, Army of the Dead, and its spinoff prequel, Army of Thieves.
Any fan of Snyder’s listed influences for the film would not be surprised by the main plot of the story as it mirrors them almost completely. When a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival.
Over a decade in the making, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is the new sci-fi space opera from co-writer/director Zack Snyder. Raised on Star Wars and Akira Kurosawa films, Snyder created the story for the film as a pitch to be a new installment of the Star Wars universe. After that pitch never materialized, Snyder eventually set the film with Netflix after the start of his latest franchise play, Army of the Dead, and its spinoff prequel, Army of Thieves.
Any fan of Snyder’s listed influences for the film would not be surprised by the main plot of the story as it mirrors them almost completely. When a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival.
- 12/22/2023
- by Andrew Morgan
- Whats-on-Netflix
Even if you're just a casual "Star Wars" fan, you probably know that George Lucas drew significant inspiration for his sprawling space saga from the samurai films of Akira Kurosawa ("The Hidden Fortress" in particular) and the hero's journey monomyth as explicated by Joseph Campbell. The ideas and tropes contained in these works were combined to form the sturdiest of foundations, one that now supports an ever-expanding collection of TV shows, cartoons, video games, books, and so on.
What you might not know is that when Lucas was building this universe in the early 1970s, he also drew influence from one of the era's most notorious con men.
For as long as people have been into spiritualism and religion, there have always been opportunists seeking to exploit this genuine (if often naive) yearning for financial gain. Barnstorming revivalists and faith healers have made a fortune off the gullibility of the masses,...
What you might not know is that when Lucas was building this universe in the early 1970s, he also drew influence from one of the era's most notorious con men.
For as long as people have been into spiritualism and religion, there have always been opportunists seeking to exploit this genuine (if often naive) yearning for financial gain. Barnstorming revivalists and faith healers have made a fortune off the gullibility of the masses,...
- 9/11/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" episode 4, "Fallen Jedi."
"I grew up in a small town in northern California," George Lucas once related during a 2001 interview for the Criterion Collection's edition of Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." "The movie theatres there didn't show much more than 'Bridge on the River Kwai' and 'The Blob.' So I didn't really experience foreign films until I found my way into film school. At that point is when I was exposed to Kurosawa. A friend of mine, John Milius, was actually a huge fan of Kurosawa's, so whenever a film was showing, he'd say, 'Oh, you gotta come see this.' The first one I saw was 'Seven Samurai,' and then after that I was completely hooked. I said, 'This is really good.'"
In order to understand the DNA of "Star Wars," one must understand the film DNA of Kurosawa -- specifically,...
"I grew up in a small town in northern California," George Lucas once related during a 2001 interview for the Criterion Collection's edition of Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." "The movie theatres there didn't show much more than 'Bridge on the River Kwai' and 'The Blob.' So I didn't really experience foreign films until I found my way into film school. At that point is when I was exposed to Kurosawa. A friend of mine, John Milius, was actually a huge fan of Kurosawa's, so whenever a film was showing, he'd say, 'Oh, you gotta come see this.' The first one I saw was 'Seven Samurai,' and then after that I was completely hooked. I said, 'This is really good.'"
In order to understand the DNA of "Star Wars," one must understand the film DNA of Kurosawa -- specifically,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
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
The most rudimentary research into the creative origins of the groundbreaking 1977 sci-fi flick "Star Wars" will reveal to the reader that creator George Lucas was inspired by "Flash Gordon" serials from the 1930s, as well as Akira Kurosawa's 1958 epic "The Hidden Fortress." Kurosawa's film famously opened with two clownish characters (Kamatari Fujiwara and Minoru Chiaki) who aimed to earn their fortune as samurai. After several misadventures, the peasants unwittingly become embroiled in a much larger plot about a missing princess (Misa Uehara), a war, and a brave protective warrior (Toshiro Mifune). "Star Wars" borrowed that film's structure, introducing audiences to its sci-fi action through the eyes (lenses?) of the robotic characters C-3Po (Anthony Daniels) and the non-humanoid R2-D2.
C-3Po was a prissy, fastidious droid who seemed impatient with the foibles of the organic beings he lived with, and was frequently panicked and afraid. The only time...
C-3Po was a prissy, fastidious droid who seemed impatient with the foibles of the organic beings he lived with, and was frequently panicked and afraid. The only time...
- 8/26/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
It's no secret that George Lucas' original vision for "Star Wars" was heavily influenced by Japanese cinema, specifically the samurai, or chanbara, sword-fighting films of his youth. "Seven Samurai" and, of course, Akira Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress" were direct inspirations for "A New Hope" and the misadventures of C-3Po and R2-D2. Any student who has studied martial arts will also be able to see a direct link between the ancient techniques of Japanese swordsmanship and the fighting style of Jedi Knights throughout the entire saga. Beginning with the classic duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader aboard the Death Star, the original film's stunt coordinator Peter Diamond incorporated the basic strikes, parries, and blocks that are taught in kendo. Even the concept of balancing one's internal Qi ("chi") energy became the foundation for the Force.
The bridge between the martial arts world and the "Star Wars" galaxy has been...
The bridge between the martial arts world and the "Star Wars" galaxy has been...
- 8/25/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
It's not unusual for artists to have a complicated relationship with their work. Whether it's a piece that fails to land with viewers or a successful passion project that ultimately gets sucked into the commercial machine, it's an especially tight line for filmmakers to walk. For George Lucas, 1977's "Star Wars" (by 1981 it would be retitled "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope") was the latter: an offbeat, mystical science fiction film that he had spent years developing and for which he had the lowest expectations. After all, the story of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) leaving the comfort of his home planet to learn the ways of the mystical Force and befriend a ragtag rebel group facing off against an evil Empire was no sure thing.
"Star Wars" would go on to cast an awfully long shadow, creating a massive franchise and media phenomenon that would tie Lucas up...
"Star Wars" would go on to cast an awfully long shadow, creating a massive franchise and media phenomenon that would tie Lucas up...
- 8/20/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
Zack Snyder may not seem like the right guy for a Star Wars movie, so thankfully his upcoming two-part space epic Rebel Moon sits outside of that galaxy. But that wasn’t always the intention, as Snyder wanted in on the franchise, although stipulations forced him to create his own universe.
Via a new cover story for Empire, Zack Snyder explained the circumstances that led to Rebel Moon becoming its own potential saga, leaving the Star Wars brand in the desert. “The sale [of Lucasfilm to Disney] had just happened…There was that window where, you know, who knows what’s possible? I was like, ‘I don’t want any of your characters. I don’t want to do anything with any known characters, I just want to do my own thing on the side.’ And originally I was like, ‘It should be rated R!’ That was almost a non-starter…I...
Via a new cover story for Empire, Zack Snyder explained the circumstances that led to Rebel Moon becoming its own potential saga, leaving the Star Wars brand in the desert. “The sale [of Lucasfilm to Disney] had just happened…There was that window where, you know, who knows what’s possible? I was like, ‘I don’t want any of your characters. I don’t want to do anything with any known characters, I just want to do my own thing on the side.’ And originally I was like, ‘It should be rated R!’ That was almost a non-starter…I...
- 7/4/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
It’s been an anxious time for Star Wars fans of late. There have been no movies from the franchise scheduled for theatrical release since “Rogue Squadron” was shelved in September. Much of the talk around Disney since then has been about cutting costs, and paring back streaming budgets.
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Disney CEO Bob Iger did promise the company would be looking toward successful intellectual properties like the Marvel and Star Wars franchises as a way to stem losses and start increasing revenues. Iger insisted the company had a commitment to quality over quantity, but there was certainly no lack of new Star Wars content announced at the “Celebration” event held Friday, April 7 in London.
There will be several more Star Wars series coming to Disney+ in the next few years, as well as new movies destined for theaters.
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Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $12.99 a month ($13 savings).
Disney CEO Bob Iger did promise the company would be looking toward successful intellectual properties like the Marvel and Star Wars franchises as a way to stem losses and start increasing revenues. Iger insisted the company had a commitment to quality over quantity, but there was certainly no lack of new Star Wars content announced at the “Celebration” event held Friday, April 7 in London.
There will be several more Star Wars series coming to Disney+ in the next few years, as well as new movies destined for theaters.
- 4/7/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Toward the end of the Lucasfilm Showcase panel at Star Wars Celebration, Kathleen Kennedy talked about how George Lucas's vision for "Star Wars" going forward was to explore the past, present, and future of the timeline and the universe. To that end, the television projects that were announced only mostly fit that bill. "The Acolyte" will take us deeper into the past of "Star Wars" than we've ever seen in live-action to the era of "The High Republic."
The Second Season of "Andor" will show us a growing Empire in the time before the battle of Yavin. The continuing adventures of "The Mandalorian," "Ahsoka," and "Skeleton Crew" will show us a galaxy in the midst of resurgence after the end of the Empire. These are all really safe periods of time. But when they made announcements for the films, Lucasfilm swung for the fences with movies set in three...
The Second Season of "Andor" will show us a growing Empire in the time before the battle of Yavin. The continuing adventures of "The Mandalorian," "Ahsoka," and "Skeleton Crew" will show us a galaxy in the midst of resurgence after the end of the Empire. These are all really safe periods of time. But when they made announcements for the films, Lucasfilm swung for the fences with movies set in three...
- 4/7/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
The best "Star Wars" films or series are able to forge unique identities for themselves. "Andor" is a grounded espionage thriller; "The Empire Strikes Back" is a darker and more subversive take on the hero's journey or monomyth; "Star Wars Rebels" delves deeply into themes of nature, spirituality, and the Force; and so forth. In the case of "The Mandalorian," the show draws heavily from the same samurai movies and pulp sci-fi serials that inspired George Lucas to create "Star Wars," yet frequently tips its hat to the tropes of the Spaghetti Western. There's even more than a dash of Tolkien-esque fantasy mixed in there, especially in season 3.
With "Ahsoka," the impending "Mandalorian" spinoff series centered on Rosario Dawson's Force wielding Togruta, Ahsoka Tano, "Star Wars" looks to branch out into a genre it's only flirted with in the past: Wuxia. In an interview with the "Star Wars Sessions...
With "Ahsoka," the impending "Mandalorian" spinoff series centered on Rosario Dawson's Force wielding Togruta, Ahsoka Tano, "Star Wars" looks to branch out into a genre it's only flirted with in the past: Wuxia. In an interview with the "Star Wars Sessions...
- 3/29/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Over the course of 45 years and counting, "Star Wars" has evolved and branched into various shades of storytelling, from the gritty, grounded feel of "Andor" to the lore-heavy, adventure-of-the-week style narrative of "The Bad Batch." At its core, the franchise has always been heavily influenced by samurai films and space westerns, with George Lucas paying homage to the genres that shaped his artistic sensibilities. Although Lucas might not be directly involved with the acclaimed Disney+ series "The Mandalorian" — created and executive produced by Jon Favreau — the series proudly wears its samurai and spaghetti western influences on its sleeve. Playing out as a modern sci-fi with futuristic fantasy worldbuilding, "The Mandalorian" embraces its genre influences and subverts them to good measure, where bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) plays the dual roles of a lone ranger and doting father figure, which situates him in the crossroads of questioning "the way."
The...
The...
- 2/27/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Akira Kurosawa's 1975 film "Dersu Uzala," his only film not in Japanese, is about a team of Russian surveyors who are tasked with mapping a portion of the country's eastern wilderness. While on their mission, they come upon a small, elderly man who has been living off the land most of his life. He is peaceful, wise, and possessed of a gentle friendliness. Without much in the way of negotiation, this man, named Dersu Uzala (Maxim Munzuk), takes the Russian surveyors under his wing, and gently instructs them on how to complete their mission in harmony with nature. This involves surviving storms and avoiding trappers.
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas has gone on record with his affection for the films of Kurosawa, and how he based "Star Wars" on elements from Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." Ever since, essayists have expounded extensively on the connection between the two filmmakers. I trust...
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas has gone on record with his affection for the films of Kurosawa, and how he based "Star Wars" on elements from Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." Ever since, essayists have expounded extensively on the connection between the two filmmakers. I trust...
- 1/26/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
There will be spoilers for "Andor" Episodes I, II, III.
Starring Diego Luna in the title role, the first three episodes of "Andor" quite loudly says from the very first scene that this isn't the sort of "Star Wars" you're accustomed to. The first three episodes tell the beginnings of a story with Cassian Andor in two different timelines. In Cassian's early days, he's trapped with other children on an Imperial mining planet, the site of a disaster that has killed most of the folks there. In Cassian's present, he's on an industrial town just outside the jurisdiction of the Empire, working to find his lost sister and to make a score big enough to get off planet and away from the trouble he's in after accidentally murdering a pair of local corporate authorities.
As part of Cassian's plan, he steals an important bit of Imperial technology that would...
Starring Diego Luna in the title role, the first three episodes of "Andor" quite loudly says from the very first scene that this isn't the sort of "Star Wars" you're accustomed to. The first three episodes tell the beginnings of a story with Cassian Andor in two different timelines. In Cassian's early days, he's trapped with other children on an Imperial mining planet, the site of a disaster that has killed most of the folks there. In Cassian's present, he's on an industrial town just outside the jurisdiction of the Empire, working to find his lost sister and to make a score big enough to get off planet and away from the trouble he's in after accidentally murdering a pair of local corporate authorities.
As part of Cassian's plan, he steals an important bit of Imperial technology that would...
- 9/21/2022
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
"Andor" is a completely different sort of "Star Wars" show on Disney+. Where other shows feel like they are, first and foremost, a "Star Wars" property with the influences of a filmmaker laid on top of it, "Andor" feels a bit like it's the other way around. Tony Gilroy is the first and foremost influence on the show and it feels like "Star Wars" is secondary to that. For those that love the show, it's not a bad thing, it's definitely a different energy to "Star Wars" and there are some different film touchstones that might help aid in your enjoyment of the series. If nothing else, watching these will create enjoyment for you independent of "Andor," as every single one is a masterpiece worth checking out for its own merits.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
A great place to start getting ready for "Andor" is the film that...
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
A great place to start getting ready for "Andor" is the film that...
- 9/20/2022
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
When Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1951, it allowed Japanese cinema to begin gaining more of a foothold abroad. Throughout his career, Kurosawa incorporated Western influences into his work, with Shakespeare being one ready example as seen in Kurosawa's "Macbeth" and "King Lear" adaptations, "Throne of Blood" and "Ran." The Westerns of John Ford were another major influence on Kurosawa, who managed to combine such inspirations with a local sensibility rooted in his own unique cultural background. In turn, Kurosawa earned the admiration of global audiences and filmmakers, with "The Hidden Fortress" serving as a major inspiration for George...
The post Akira Kurosawa Had A Theory About His Films' International Appeal appeared first on /Film.
The post Akira Kurosawa Had A Theory About His Films' International Appeal appeared first on /Film.
- 8/9/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
"Star Wars" has always taken inspiration from a myriad of sources that go well beyond pulp sci-fi works like "Flash Gordon." Besides spaghetti Westerns, a galaxy far, far away was famously inspired by the films of director Akira Kurosawa, most notably his 1954 samurai movie "Seven Samurai" and 1958 adventure flick "The Hidden Fortress." Similarly, the sub-cultures of the 1950s and '60s have long informed George Lucas' creation, which is how we ended up with such fan-favorite elements as Dex's diner from "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" and the cyborg street biker gang in "The Book of Boba Fett." Yes, siree, everybody...
The post Star Wars Series The Acolyte Will Draw on Wuxia Martial Arts Films appeared first on /Film.
The post Star Wars Series The Acolyte Will Draw on Wuxia Martial Arts Films appeared first on /Film.
- 5/24/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
If you love "Star Wars," you owe a great deal of thanks to Akira Kurosawa. Series creator George Lucas has been open about how Kurosawa's work helped shape the landscape of the "Star Wars" universe, particularly the Japanese auteur's film "The Hidden Fortress." In fact, learning about how much "A New Hope" drew from "Hidden Fortress" in terms of plot and structure during college not only led me to discover more of Kurosawa's work, but it's also the reason I decided to get into seriously writing about film!
With the impact "Hidden Fortress" had on "Star Wars," you'd think it would be Lucas's favorite Kurosawa...
The post This is George Lucas' Favorite Akira Kurosawa Film Of All Time appeared first on /Film.
With the impact "Hidden Fortress" had on "Star Wars," you'd think it would be Lucas's favorite Kurosawa...
The post This is George Lucas' Favorite Akira Kurosawa Film Of All Time appeared first on /Film.
- 3/17/2022
- by Collier Jennings
- Slash Film
Few directors are more beloved by filmmakers and cinephiles alike than Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa. The man spent five decades creating some of cinema's most celebrated works, from the redefining action epic "Seven Samurai" to the sunbaked film noir "Stray Dog" to his take on William Shakespeare's "King Lear" with "Ran." If a film features a story from multiple viewpoints, it will inevitably be said to have a "Rashomon"-like structure, one of his films. Hell, you wouldn't have "Star Wars" if it wasn't for Kurosawa's film "The Hidden Fortress," and I know you people love that "Star Wars." Kurosawa, like Orson Welles and Stanley Kubrick, is...
The post Akira Kurosawa's Career Advice Every Aspiring Director Needs To Hear appeared first on /Film.
The post Akira Kurosawa's Career Advice Every Aspiring Director Needs To Hear appeared first on /Film.
- 3/11/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
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
A review of The Book of Boba Fett series premiere, “Stranger in a Strange Land” — with full spoilers for the episode — coming up just as soon as my tribute is a heartfelt greeting…
As we talked about last year when he introduced himself on The Mandalorian, Boba Fett long occupied a strange position in Star Wars lore, beloved far more for what he represented than for anything he did in the original trilogy. The prequels and Clone Wars featured him a bit more, but as a kid growing up in his late father’s shadow,...
As we talked about last year when he introduced himself on The Mandalorian, Boba Fett long occupied a strange position in Star Wars lore, beloved far more for what he represented than for anything he did in the original trilogy. The prequels and Clone Wars featured him a bit more, but as a kid growing up in his late father’s shadow,...
- 12/29/2021
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Normal 0 false false false En-gb X-none X-none
Review By Adrian Smith
Lexington Books
202 Pages
6 x 9 inches
Hardback
Isbn: 978-1-7936-0121-6
October 2021
Rrp: $95/£73.00
A blind masseur, Zatoichi would wander from village to village in Feudal Japan hoping for employment to maintain his meagre existence. Hidden within his cane was a sword which he would frequently be required to use against an assortment of yakuza, villains, assassins and ronin. Zatoichi was a legendary blind swordsman whose adventures were charted across an initial run of twenty-six feature films and a hundred television episodes all starring Shintaro Katsu between 1962 and 1979, with a return to the character one last time for the film Zatoichi in 1989. Katsu was something of a legend in Japan, and he came from a showbusiness family: his elder brother was Tomisaburō Wakayama, star of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. This in-depth new book from academic Jonathan Wroot takes...
Review By Adrian Smith
Lexington Books
202 Pages
6 x 9 inches
Hardback
Isbn: 978-1-7936-0121-6
October 2021
Rrp: $95/£73.00
A blind masseur, Zatoichi would wander from village to village in Feudal Japan hoping for employment to maintain his meagre existence. Hidden within his cane was a sword which he would frequently be required to use against an assortment of yakuza, villains, assassins and ronin. Zatoichi was a legendary blind swordsman whose adventures were charted across an initial run of twenty-six feature films and a hundred television episodes all starring Shintaro Katsu between 1962 and 1979, with a return to the character one last time for the film Zatoichi in 1989. Katsu was something of a legend in Japan, and he came from a showbusiness family: his elder brother was Tomisaburō Wakayama, star of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. This in-depth new book from academic Jonathan Wroot takes...
- 11/7/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
(Welcome to The Movies That Made "Star Wars," a series where we explore the films and television properties that inspired George Lucas' iconic universe. In this edition: Akira Kurosawa's influence on "Star Wars: Visions.")
For anyone who has any interest in the cinematic influences of "Star Wars," Kurosawa's name is always going to come up -- whether it's the flourishes of "The Hidden Fortress" George Lucas used to establish R2-D2 and C-3Po in "A New Hope" or most of the plot in "The Phantom Menace" to all of the "Seven Samurai" references across the saga,.
With the new series out on Disney+, "Star Wars: Visions," legends in the Japanese animation industry...
The post Star Wars: Visions Owes Much To Akira Kurosawa appeared first on /Film.
For anyone who has any interest in the cinematic influences of "Star Wars," Kurosawa's name is always going to come up -- whether it's the flourishes of "The Hidden Fortress" George Lucas used to establish R2-D2 and C-3Po in "A New Hope" or most of the plot in "The Phantom Menace" to all of the "Seven Samurai" references across the saga,.
With the new series out on Disney+, "Star Wars: Visions," legends in the Japanese animation industry...
The post Star Wars: Visions Owes Much To Akira Kurosawa appeared first on /Film.
- 10/10/2021
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
This Star Wars: Visions article contains spoilers.
Star Wars: Visions brings the galaxy far, far away closer to its Japanese roots with nine anime shorts that introduce plenty of new characters to the saga. There’s Ronin, a lone wanderer with a mysterious past who gets stuck in the middle of a Sith invasion; Karre and Am, twins raised from birth to be powerful in the ways of the dark side; Kara, the daughter of a legendary sword smith who may be the only hope for a new generation of Jedi Knights; and the Elder, an aging master swordsman who travels the galaxy looking for worthy challengers.
But there’s one character in particular who seems to be a standout with fans, and it’s for good reason. After all, she’s the only character in Visions who’s also a humanoid rabbit with a lightsaber. We’re of course talking about Lop,...
Star Wars: Visions brings the galaxy far, far away closer to its Japanese roots with nine anime shorts that introduce plenty of new characters to the saga. There’s Ronin, a lone wanderer with a mysterious past who gets stuck in the middle of a Sith invasion; Karre and Am, twins raised from birth to be powerful in the ways of the dark side; Kara, the daughter of a legendary sword smith who may be the only hope for a new generation of Jedi Knights; and the Elder, an aging master swordsman who travels the galaxy looking for worthy challengers.
But there’s one character in particular who seems to be a standout with fans, and it’s for good reason. After all, she’s the only character in Visions who’s also a humanoid rabbit with a lightsaber. We’re of course talking about Lop,...
- 9/22/2021
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
When "Star Wars: A New Hope" released in 1977, audiences were blown away by the original adventure tale. And it is original, in as much as any story idea is. But the American space opera has always had the cinema of Akira Kurosawa coursing through its veins. In crafting his epic, George Lucas leaned heavily on Kurosawa's 1958 samurai picture "The Hidden Fortress," down to mimicked lensing and particular shots. Now, decades, several sequels, three prequels, and a ton of spinoffs and merchandising later, Lucasfilm has joined forces with overseas animation studios to expand the galaxy far, far away, utilizing that very influence...
The post How Star Wars: Visions Embraces and Reinvents the Franchise's Long-Held Values [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
The post How Star Wars: Visions Embraces and Reinvents the Franchise's Long-Held Values [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 9/21/2021
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
There’s a story, it might be apocryphal, about how George Lucas went to Toshiro Mifune to offer him the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars.” It makes sense, right? It’s widely known how Lucas was inspired by, and cribbed heavily from, Akira Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress,” the star of whom is Mifuni of course, and what with the robes and the swords and that “Obi-Wan Kenobi” is nobody’s idea of an obvious nom de plume for Sir Alec Guinness, Mifune.
Continue reading ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Feels Like A Collection Of Anime Cover Songs With Only A Few Hits [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Feels Like A Collection Of Anime Cover Songs With Only A Few Hits [Review] at The Playlist.
- 9/21/2021
- by Walter Chaw
- The Playlist
It’s tempting to think of the first “Star Wars” movie as ground zero for the new era of popular culture. But part of the primal power of George Lucas’s sci-fi landmark is that it represented a kind of dawn-of-the-digital-age, joystick-happy recycling of many, many things from the past. It drew on the ramshackle movie serials of the ’40s and ’50s. It drew on classic films as serious as John Ford’s “The Searchers” and Akira Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress.” And, of course, there would have been no “Star Wars” without J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”.
One of the reasons the “Lord of the Rings” films became such a massive cultural phenomenon is that they were, in effect, the true prequels to “Star Wars.” (It didn’t matter that they unfolded in a more primitive world; they took you over the hills and far away.
One of the reasons the “Lord of the Rings” films became such a massive cultural phenomenon is that they were, in effect, the true prequels to “Star Wars.” (It didn’t matter that they unfolded in a more primitive world; they took you over the hills and far away.
- 7/26/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Zack Snyder’s newfound partnership with Netflix will soon yield more than burgeoning franchise Army of the Dead, as evidenced by the streaming giant’s official reveal of sci-fi movie Rebel Moon. Interestingly enough, the space-set project will allow the oft-discussed director to finally manifest his ideas for a Star Wars movie. Indeed, it appears that Netflix is facilitating the realization of the Star Wars Snyder Cut—well, at least an approximation of such a concept.
Rebel Moon’s very title may sound like a mishmash of Star Wars concepts, and that seems to be by its very design. That’s because the project is essentially a repurposed platform for a story Snyder conceived a decade ago for a pre-Disney pitch to Lucasfilm for what the director described as “a mature” take on the space epic set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Now, Snyder is...
Rebel Moon’s very title may sound like a mishmash of Star Wars concepts, and that seems to be by its very design. That’s because the project is essentially a repurposed platform for a story Snyder conceived a decade ago for a pre-Disney pitch to Lucasfilm for what the director described as “a mature” take on the space epic set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Now, Snyder is...
- 7/7/2021
- by Joseph Baxter
- Den of Geek
Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan, a new historical documentary series on Netflix, is being billed as a “real-life Game of Thrones” but it’s much more than that. This is actual history, which is far more compelling than fantasy because it really transpired. “It is like something out of a movie,” says showrunner Matt Booi. “If you wrote this down, no one would believe it. And if you saw it, I think you’d say, ‘Nah.’ But it happened.”
According to Booi, the show covers one of the most violent periods in Japanese history. The six-part series begins in 1551 with the death of feudal lord Oda Nobuhide and follows the rise of three of Japan’s most influential warriors: Nobuhide’s son, Oda Nobunaga (Masayoshi Haneda), Tokugawa Ieyasu (Hayate Masao), and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Masami Kosaka). Japanese historians, as well as dedicated fans of Samurai movies, will be all too...
According to Booi, the show covers one of the most violent periods in Japanese history. The six-part series begins in 1551 with the death of feudal lord Oda Nobuhide and follows the rise of three of Japan’s most influential warriors: Nobuhide’s son, Oda Nobunaga (Masayoshi Haneda), Tokugawa Ieyasu (Hayate Masao), and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Masami Kosaka). Japanese historians, as well as dedicated fans of Samurai movies, will be all too...
- 2/24/2021
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Akira Kurosawa wrote the original story for this slam-bang action picture that finally got Cannon Films on a, ‘Hey this is a great movie’ list or two. Mean, nasty, desperate men make an impossible escape attempt across a frozen landscape that might as well be on the moon. Jon Voight gets to use the same eccentric gimmicks that Dustin Hoffman exploited, and comes off great while Andrei Konchalovsky showed Cannon what a brilliant director could do. The show also established Eric Roberts and Rebecca De Mornay as talents to watch.
Runaway Train
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date March 16, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay, Kyle T. Heffner, John P. Ryan T.K. Carter, Kenneth McMillan, Edward Bunker, Hank Worden, Danny Trejo, Tommy Lister, Don MacLaughlin, Loren James, Dick Durock, Dennis Franz.
Cinematography: Alan Hume
Original Music: Trevor Jones
Written by Djordje Milecevic,...
Runaway Train
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date March 16, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay, Kyle T. Heffner, John P. Ryan T.K. Carter, Kenneth McMillan, Edward Bunker, Hank Worden, Danny Trejo, Tommy Lister, Don MacLaughlin, Loren James, Dick Durock, Dennis Franz.
Cinematography: Alan Hume
Original Music: Trevor Jones
Written by Djordje Milecevic,...
- 2/23/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
As far as sci-fi films go, there is before Star Wars and after; the film forever altered the landscape and the box office with an old fashioned sense of adventure long relegated to Hollywood’s past. But what about during Star Wars? After all, Twentieth Century Fox was pushing their bet towards another property for prosperity: the post-apocalyptic Damnation Alley, an adaptation of the hit 1969 novel by Roger Zelazny. We all know which brought in the Fox funds, and it certainly wasn’t this goofy Stagecoach tribute (as opposed to Sw’s The Hidden Fortress one). But as The Little Fox That Didn’t, Damnation Alley was this kid’s sci-fi horror boogie; seven and alone, just me and The Landmaster military Rv that costars.
There’s no need to call child services; growing up in a small town, I saw many a film solo - that darkened screen was my closest friend.
There’s no need to call child services; growing up in a small town, I saw many a film solo - that darkened screen was my closest friend.
- 2/20/2021
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
This Star Wars: The Mandalorian article contains spoilers.
Director Bryce Dallas Howard’s two episodes of The Mandalorian — last year’s “Sanctuary” and season 2’s “The Heiress” — show her deep knowledge of what makes Star Wars tick. In particular, she knows how to deftly deploy the influences that make up the saga’s backbone.
Star Wars began as a patchwork of classic sci-fi stories that inspired George Lucas. He originally wanted to make a Flash Gordon movie but couldn’t secure the rights, which is why it’s such a big influence on the original films. Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress is another major and oft-cited inspiration. Star Wars also shares many elements with the Lensman series of science fiction books by E.E. Smith and the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. Lucas wanted to re-create stories that had thrilled him as a young sci-fi fan and, in throwing together all of his interests,...
Director Bryce Dallas Howard’s two episodes of The Mandalorian — last year’s “Sanctuary” and season 2’s “The Heiress” — show her deep knowledge of what makes Star Wars tick. In particular, she knows how to deftly deploy the influences that make up the saga’s backbone.
Star Wars began as a patchwork of classic sci-fi stories that inspired George Lucas. He originally wanted to make a Flash Gordon movie but couldn’t secure the rights, which is why it’s such a big influence on the original films. Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress is another major and oft-cited inspiration. Star Wars also shares many elements with the Lensman series of science fiction books by E.E. Smith and the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. Lucas wanted to re-create stories that had thrilled him as a young sci-fi fan and, in throwing together all of his interests,...
- 11/14/2020
- by Megan Crouse
- Den of Geek
After his dramatic feature “The Lower Depths”, Japanese auteur Akira Kuroswa returned to the jidai geki genre with his 1958 effort “The Hidden Fortress”. While the movie would continue his exploration of the human condition, in particular, its expression during times of war, this work also marks the first time Kurosawa would use the widescreen-format, a technology which would continue to influence his future works. Besides the often quoted “Rashomon” or “Seven Samurai”, to name just two examples, “The Hidden Fortress” may just be one of the director’s most influential features as it inspired the likes of George Lucas and his Star Wars-movies.
As mentioned before, the story is set during a time of war, after a significant battle has caused the near defeat of House Akizuki and its leaders. After their escape from imprisonment, two farmers and petty thieves names Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi...
As mentioned before, the story is set during a time of war, after a significant battle has caused the near defeat of House Akizuki and its leaders. After their escape from imprisonment, two farmers and petty thieves names Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) and Matashichi...
- 8/11/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
(Welcome to The Movies That Made Star Wars, a series where we explore the films and television properties that inspired George Lucas’s iconic universe. In this edition: Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance.) Samurai movies have long held a place in the inspiration of Star Wars. It began with The Hidden Fortress, which was one […]
The post Examining the Iconic Japanese Samurai Film That Inspired ‘The Mandalorian’ appeared first on /Film.
The post Examining the Iconic Japanese Samurai Film That Inspired ‘The Mandalorian’ appeared first on /Film.
- 8/4/2020
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Ghost of Tsushima‘s developers at Sucker Punch have been very explicit about the ways the samurai films of legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa have influenced their game. The PS4 exclusive even features a “Kurosawa Mode” that allows you to apply a stylish black-and-white filter to the experience, recreating the somber mood and film grain of the director’s work.
Anyone who tells a modern samurai story owes some kind of debt to Kurosawa. He may not have been the first director to tell a samurai story via film and his legacy as one of the greatest directors of all-time may have been secured even if he hadn’t directed a frame of a samurai adventure. What a shame it would have been to live in that world, though.
Kurosawa’s samurai films aren’t just some of the best samurai adventures told in any medium, they’re on the...
Anyone who tells a modern samurai story owes some kind of debt to Kurosawa. He may not have been the first director to tell a samurai story via film and his legacy as one of the greatest directors of all-time may have been secured even if he hadn’t directed a frame of a samurai adventure. What a shame it would have been to live in that world, though.
Kurosawa’s samurai films aren’t just some of the best samurai adventures told in any medium, they’re on the...
- 7/13/2020
- by Matthew Byrd
- Den of Geek
With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform.
At certain points in their careers, even cinema’s greatest auteurs have needed to cover their asses with a hit. For Akira Kurosawa at the height of his powers, that wasn’t going to be a problem. Kurosawa had earned a tremendous amount of goodwill after the critical and commercial success of 1954’s “Seven Samurai,” and by 1958 he’d spent every last scrap of it. First there was “I Live in Fear,” a difficult (but worthwhile) melodrama in which Toshiro Mifune played an elderly man so fraught with nuclear anxiety that he obliterates his own family. Kurosawa rebounded with the grim yet profitable “Macbeth” adaptation “Throne of Blood,” only to follow that with the most dire film he would ever make, a...
At certain points in their careers, even cinema’s greatest auteurs have needed to cover their asses with a hit. For Akira Kurosawa at the height of his powers, that wasn’t going to be a problem. Kurosawa had earned a tremendous amount of goodwill after the critical and commercial success of 1954’s “Seven Samurai,” and by 1958 he’d spent every last scrap of it. First there was “I Live in Fear,” a difficult (but worthwhile) melodrama in which Toshiro Mifune played an elderly man so fraught with nuclear anxiety that he obliterates his own family. Kurosawa rebounded with the grim yet profitable “Macbeth” adaptation “Throne of Blood,” only to follow that with the most dire film he would ever make, a...
- 5/8/2020
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
An early clue that The Mandalorian was going to be something special was its casting. Season 1 boasted Nick Nolte, Carl Weathers, Taika Waititi, Gina Carano, Clancy Brown, Bill Burr, Giancarlo Esposito and, the cherry on top, Werner Herzog. Some of these actors will be returning for the second season as well, though many of them didn’t make it through the show’s occasionally brutal first run.
It’s looking like the series is set to keep up its note-perfect casting, too, as last week it was announced that Aliens and The Terminator star Michael Biehn would be stepping into a galaxy far, far away. There’s been no official announcement as to who Biehn’s playing, through the rumor mill suggests that he’ll be a “bounty hunter from the Mando’s past.” This description fits about 75% of the show’s cast, so it doesn’t narrow things down much.
It’s looking like the series is set to keep up its note-perfect casting, too, as last week it was announced that Aliens and The Terminator star Michael Biehn would be stepping into a galaxy far, far away. There’s been no official announcement as to who Biehn’s playing, through the rumor mill suggests that he’ll be a “bounty hunter from the Mando’s past.” This description fits about 75% of the show’s cast, so it doesn’t narrow things down much.
- 4/1/2020
- by David James
- We Got This Covered
by Nathaniel R
100 years ago on this very day Japan's most famous movie star Toshiro Mifune was born. He was "discovered" by accident, when friends entered him into a 'New Faces' competition. Word travelled all the way to Akira Kurosawa, that there was a young actor he had to see. Kurosawa was, in his own words, "transfixed" and the rest -- 16 films of a classic collaboration -- is history. For our Mifune Centennial celebration thus far we've covered Stray Dog, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo but herewith a beauty break to bask in the photographic glory of this iconic masculine star...
100 years ago on this very day Japan's most famous movie star Toshiro Mifune was born. He was "discovered" by accident, when friends entered him into a 'New Faces' competition. Word travelled all the way to Akira Kurosawa, that there was a young actor he had to see. Kurosawa was, in his own words, "transfixed" and the rest -- 16 films of a classic collaboration -- is history. For our Mifune Centennial celebration thus far we've covered Stray Dog, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo but herewith a beauty break to bask in the photographic glory of this iconic masculine star...
- 4/1/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Team Experience is celebrating the Centennial of Japan's great movie star Toshiro Mifune for the next few days. Here's Nathaniel R...
Raised as an American child (through no fault of my own) in the era when the original Star Wars trilogy first captured the world's hearts, it's perhaps unsurprising that I knew Star Wars before any of its influences. Though my innate interest in cinema led me eventually to "Akira Kurosawa's greatest hits" somehow The Hidden Fortress (1958), always escaped my eyes. I knew of it mainly only as 'that movie that everyone says inspired George Lucas's space opera.'
It would be foolish to pretend with snobbish cinephilia that the original Star Wars film doesn't improve on its then 19 year-old inspiration, but The Hidden Fortress deserves more than this footnote status; minor Kurosawa is still Kurosawa...
Raised as an American child (through no fault of my own) in the era when the original Star Wars trilogy first captured the world's hearts, it's perhaps unsurprising that I knew Star Wars before any of its influences. Though my innate interest in cinema led me eventually to "Akira Kurosawa's greatest hits" somehow The Hidden Fortress (1958), always escaped my eyes. I knew of it mainly only as 'that movie that everyone says inspired George Lucas's space opera.'
It would be foolish to pretend with snobbish cinephilia that the original Star Wars film doesn't improve on its then 19 year-old inspiration, but The Hidden Fortress deserves more than this footnote status; minor Kurosawa is still Kurosawa...
- 3/30/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Team Experience will be celebrating the Centennial of Japan's great movie star Toshiro Mifune for the next five nights. Here's Lynn Lee...
It’s impossible to think of Toshiro Mifune without thinking of Akira Kurosawa—and vice versa. Their partnership was unparalleled in its cinematic impact, spanning 16 films between 1948 and 1965 that included stone-cold classics like Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo. While Mifune and Kurosawa did significant work independent of each other, it’s not exaggerating to say they made each other; both men would acknowledge as much even after their falling out. In Mifune, Kurosawa found the perfect player to convey the outsize emotions and imposing physical presence of his most memorable protagonists—typically men of strong passions and even stronger will, whether turned to honorable or horrible ends...
It’s impossible to think of Toshiro Mifune without thinking of Akira Kurosawa—and vice versa. Their partnership was unparalleled in its cinematic impact, spanning 16 films between 1948 and 1965 that included stone-cold classics like Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo. While Mifune and Kurosawa did significant work independent of each other, it’s not exaggerating to say they made each other; both men would acknowledge as much even after their falling out. In Mifune, Kurosawa found the perfect player to convey the outsize emotions and imposing physical presence of his most memorable protagonists—typically men of strong passions and even stronger will, whether turned to honorable or horrible ends...
- 3/29/2020
- by Lynn Lee
- FilmExperience
Whenever a popular and/or critically acclaimed film releases, it inevitably draws comparisons to the films that influenced it. Joker for example pulls a lot from Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver and The King Of Comedy. Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress influenced George Lucas' Star Wars. Hell even Dumb And Dumber owes a debt to The Three Stooges. All great works of art…...
- 1/14/2020
- by Corrye Van Caeseele-Cook
- JoBlo.com
There remains one group we’ve yet to hear from when it comes to the best films of 2019: the directors who made them. IndieWire has reached out to a number of our favorite filmmakers to share their lists and thoughts on what made this year great.
As is advisable with creative people, we gave the directors a great deal of freedom in how they reflected on the year in moving images. What follows is everything ranging from traditional top 10 lists to favorite moments and performances, with lists that span TV, podcasts, and much more.
This is the fourth year IndieWire has done this survey, and what was exciting about this particular group is how many are international, and the wide range of films they celebrated. If you are bored with every end-of-the-year list looking the same, you are in for a treat, as some of the best filmmakers highlight...
As is advisable with creative people, we gave the directors a great deal of freedom in how they reflected on the year in moving images. What follows is everything ranging from traditional top 10 lists to favorite moments and performances, with lists that span TV, podcasts, and much more.
This is the fourth year IndieWire has done this survey, and what was exciting about this particular group is how many are international, and the wide range of films they celebrated. If you are bored with every end-of-the-year list looking the same, you are in for a treat, as some of the best filmmakers highlight...
- 12/30/2019
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Megan Crouse Nov 29, 2019
The Mandalorian episode 4 doesn't only pay tribute to other Star Wars stories but also the work of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa!
This Star Wars article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian.
Episode 4 of The Mandalorian finds the Mando looking for a place to lay low for a while, and a new planet brings new surprises that will be familiar to longtime Star Wars fans and general cinema buffs alike. Here’s our guide to the references and easter eggs in this week’s episode:
Cara Dune
- An ex-soldier, Cara Dune says that everything changed for her after the New Republic rose to power. Before that, she was a Rebel shock trooper, fighting against ex-Imperial warlords. Afterward, “politics” changed her life. What exactly this means is yet to be revealed in full, but she isn’t the first Star Wars character to notice that fighting on the side...
The Mandalorian episode 4 doesn't only pay tribute to other Star Wars stories but also the work of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa!
This Star Wars article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian.
Episode 4 of The Mandalorian finds the Mando looking for a place to lay low for a while, and a new planet brings new surprises that will be familiar to longtime Star Wars fans and general cinema buffs alike. Here’s our guide to the references and easter eggs in this week’s episode:
Cara Dune
- An ex-soldier, Cara Dune says that everything changed for her after the New Republic rose to power. Before that, she was a Rebel shock trooper, fighting against ex-Imperial warlords. Afterward, “politics” changed her life. What exactly this means is yet to be revealed in full, but she isn’t the first Star Wars character to notice that fighting on the side...
- 11/29/2019
- Den of Geek
Rosie Knight Dec 27, 2019
If you love Star Wars: The Mandalorian, you should be reading the Lone Wolf and Cub manga that inspired its main storyline.
This Star Wars article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian.
A lone man stands against a failing Empire. By his side is a small infant, seemingly harmless and completely vulnerable without the warrior at its side. If you've been watching Disney+'s epic slowburn space western The Mandalorian, you might think that we're talking about episode two of the show, which centers on the titular hero and his new charge, a young alien who appears to be the same species as Master Yoda. But, in fact, we're describing the setup of Lone Wolf and Cub, one of the longest running and most iconic manga series of all time and a huge influence on the unexpectedly sweet story at the heart of the first live-action Star Wars series.
If you love Star Wars: The Mandalorian, you should be reading the Lone Wolf and Cub manga that inspired its main storyline.
This Star Wars article contains spoilers for The Mandalorian.
A lone man stands against a failing Empire. By his side is a small infant, seemingly harmless and completely vulnerable without the warrior at its side. If you've been watching Disney+'s epic slowburn space western The Mandalorian, you might think that we're talking about episode two of the show, which centers on the titular hero and his new charge, a young alien who appears to be the same species as Master Yoda. But, in fact, we're describing the setup of Lone Wolf and Cub, one of the longest running and most iconic manga series of all time and a huge influence on the unexpectedly sweet story at the heart of the first live-action Star Wars series.
- 11/22/2019
- Den of Geek
A dose of 21st century attitude mixes nicely with other winning ingredients in “Kingdom,” a thoroughly entertaining adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara’s hugely popular manga set in China, 245 B.C. Centered on two orphan boys who dream of becoming “the greatest generals on Earth,” this Japanese take on a Chinese wuxia is overwrought at times and too simply plotted at others, but wins through with colorful characters, top-class swordplay and snappy dialogue that’ll especially connect with younger viewers. Energetically directed and co-written by manga-to-screen specialist Shinsuke Sato, “Kingdom” grossed a whopping $50 million in local cinemas earlier this year and ought to perform strongly in limited North American release from August 16.
Taking its thematic cues from literary classics including “The Prince and the Pauper,” and adopting the high-spirited story-telling of action-adventures such as Akira Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress,” “Kingdom” refreshes a familiar tale of heroes emerging from poverty to...
Taking its thematic cues from literary classics including “The Prince and the Pauper,” and adopting the high-spirited story-telling of action-adventures such as Akira Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress,” “Kingdom” refreshes a familiar tale of heroes emerging from poverty to...
- 8/16/2019
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
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