tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40004708166823438852012-02-16T20:06:06.197-06:00SPOILER WARNING!!! Endings will sometimes be discussed in these here reviews. Now that that's out of the way, a bit of info. I read and watch stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. My particular kick is that I like to experience the complete works of a storyteller (author, screenwriter, director, etc.) or a complete series ... in order ... even the bad stuff. Feel free to share comments, disagreements, or otherwise related thoughts. Comments on older posts are equally welcome.NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.comBlogger1831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-36600022889643954842012-02-06T17:41:00.000-06:002012-02-06T17:41:12.963-06:00

Directed by Primo Zeglio. Written by Fede Arnaud, Alberto Liberati, and Primo Zeglio. Based on the novel by Emilio Salgari Related reviews: 1908 novel Here I was all set to open this review by talking about how great of a lead Lex Barker is. As Count Enrico di Ventimiglia, son of the long dead Red Pirate, he cuts a tall, dashing figure with a sharp gaze and a charming grin. Famous for playing

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-54546352265192439792012-02-03T15:40:00.002-06:002012-02-06T17:42:02.476-06:00

Written by Emilio Salgari. Related reviews: 1959 film This is a story about the pirates of the Caribbean. Seriously, anyone familiar with the ride or the Disney films will recognize elements at play as pirates wander the Central American seas, looting towns and fight the constant battle for absolute freedom against ruling parties controled by a European wealthy elite. It's got sword fights and

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-34094570316803352912012-01-13T05:16:00.000-06:002012-01-13T05:16:09.776-06:00

1959 film. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. Written by Robert Anderson. Based on the novel by Kathryn Hulme. Related Reviews: The 1956 novel. Nuns are a fascinating breed of individual. Dedicating themselves to absolute obedience and piety in the face of their god, they live quiet yet rigorous lives where they flow through their services in a clockwork fashion of near anonymity. It's an unusual life.

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-28330646544042891172012-01-01T02:49:00.001-06:002012-01-13T05:18:56.475-06:00

1956 novel. Written by Kathryn Hulme. Related Reviews: 1959 film adaptation Berlin, the late 1920s. Still heartbroken over a failed engagement (her father didn't approve), Gaby Van der Mal decides to pledge her life to God by becoming a nun. Still able to pursue her goal of medicinal care, the book chronicles the next 17 years of her life as she goes through rigorous training and discipline,

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-68729954801221215472011-07-31T16:04:00.003-05:002011-08-05T16:05:26.799-05:00

Over at I Hate/Love Remakes: Episode 7: The Manchurian Candidate Episode 8: Charade / The Truth About Charlie Over at The Super Saturday Short-Lived Showcase: Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light #8 "The Power of the Wise" Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light #9 "Horn of Unicorn, Claw of Dragon" Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light #10 "Trail of the Three Wizards" Visionaries:

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-12511368199312906662011-06-30T15:50:00.026-05:002011-07-10T16:09:33.006-05:00

Over at I Hate/Love Remakes: Episode #6: Ocean's Eleven Over at The Super Saturday Short-Lived Showcase: Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light episode #4 "The Price of Freedom" Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light episode #5 "Feryl Steps Out" Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light episode #6 "Lion Hunt" Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light episode #7 "The Overthrow of Merklynn"

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-11775339394795726942011-06-29T12:12:00.000-05:002011-06-29T12:12:57.431-05:00

2011 novel. Written by Angelle Tusa. As the opening of oh so many superhero stories go, Elizabeth is your average young woman. She's a small town girl in the middle of LA for college, who's dealing with a new roommate, her best friend's band, and that handsome guy who saved her purse from a snatcher. Oh, and she has superpowers. There have been numerous attempts in the past to explore comic

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-75743389297817382832011-05-31T15:10:00.000-05:002011-07-10T15:49:49.813-05:00

Over at The Super Saturday Short-Lived Showcase: Automan, final thoughts. Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light, introduction. Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light #1 - "The Age of Magic Begins" Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light #2 - "The Dark Hand of Treachery" Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light #3 - "Quest for the Dragon's Eye" Over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-29802669286666545572011-04-30T04:11:00.001-05:002011-05-19T04:12:16.859-05:00

Over at I Hate/Love Remakes: Episode #5: Clash of the Titans Over at The Super Saturday Short-Lived Showcase: Automan #11: Zippers Automan #12: Death by Design Automan #13: Club Ten Automan, The Novel Over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape (season 2) #16: The Locket Farscape (season 2) #17: The Ugly Truth Farscape (season 2) #18: A Clockwork Nebari Farscape (season 2) #19:

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-22758889916365227762011-03-31T04:08:00.005-05:002011-05-19T04:11:16.868-05:00

Over at I Hate/Love Remakes: Episode #4: Love Affair / An Affair to Remember Over at The Super Saturday Short-Lived Showcase: Automan #7: The Biggest Game in Town Automan #8: Renegade Run Automan #9: Murder MTV Automan #10: Murder, Take One Over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape (season 2) #12: Look at the Princess, Part 2 - I Do, I Think Farscape (season 2) #13: Look at the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-30015976721578015592011-02-28T04:06:00.003-06:002011-05-19T04:08:12.893-05:00

Over at I Hate/Love Remakes: Episode #3: Godzilla (part 1) Episode #3: Godzilla (part 2) Episode #3: Godzilla (part 3) Over at The Super Saturday Short-Lived Showcase: Automan #3: The Great Pretender Automan #4: Ships in the Night Automan #5: Unreasonable Facsimile Automan #6: Flashes and Ashes Over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape (season 2) #8: Dream a Little Dream

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-13495537897775872812011-01-31T12:12:00.004-06:002011-05-19T03:42:12.651-05:00

We continue making our way through season 2 over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape #2.4: "Crackers Don't Matter" Farscape #2.5: "The Way We Weren't" Farscape #2.6: "Picture if You Will" Farscape #2.7: "Home on the Remains" Our podcast I Hate/Love Remakes debuted with a discussion of Psycho. We followed it up with the second episode, The Parent Trap. And I've started yet

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-73921977473327082782010-12-31T12:00:00.005-06:002011-05-19T03:41:31.708-05:00

We wrap up season 1 and get started on season 2 over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape #22: "Family Ties" Season 1 Overview Farscape #2.1: "Mind the Baby" Farscape #2.2: "Vitas Mortis" Farscape #2.3: "Taking the Stone" Since I've become rather notorious among my friends for my support of the art of cinematic remakes (yes, I'm pompous enough that I called it an art), I

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-89787671742736014052010-11-30T12:00:00.003-06:002011-05-19T03:40:58.363-05:00

We continue making our way through season 1 over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape #18: "A Bug's Life" Farscape #19: "Nerve" Farscape #20: "The Hidden Memory" Farscape #21: "Bone to Be Wild"

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-10112538332848729662010-10-31T12:00:00.004-05:002011-05-19T03:40:24.239-05:00

We continue making our way through season 1 over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape #13: "The Flax" Farscape #14: "Jeremiah Crichton" Farscape #15: "Durka Returns" Farscape #16: "A Human Reaction" Farscape #17: "Through the Looking Glass" In one my strangest review experiences, I took part in a round-table review of This Isn't The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - A XXX Parody over

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-56350915415017377232010-10-21T15:05:00.000-05:002010-10-21T15:05:49.249-05:00

1981 film aka THE ABERDEEN EXPERIMENT directed by William Malone written by Robert Short and William Malone (purchase DVD) (wikipedia) (internet movie database)

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-85838190110117956192010-09-30T12:00:00.001-05:002011-05-19T03:39:42.702-05:00

We continue making our way through season 1 over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape #9: "DNA Mad Scientist" Farscape #10: "They've Got a Secret" Farscape #11: "Till the Blood Runs Clear" Farscape #12: "Rhapsody in Blue"

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-41385006658786013922010-09-24T13:01:00.001-05:002010-09-24T13:02:53.707-05:00

Freddy Krueger + Power Glove = It's so bad.

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-54113894870126186222010-09-16T02:42:00.001-05:002011-01-18T16:26:20.029-06:00

Humor me while I try something new with a video review of this early little picture from director William Malone.

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-77467944442838534042010-08-31T12:00:00.004-05:002011-04-29T02:48:31.716-05:00

We continue making our way through season 1 over at Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch: Farscape #5: "Back and Back and Back to the Future" Farscape #6: "Thank God It's Friday. Again." Farscape #7: "PK Tech Girl Farscape #8: "That Old Black Magic

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-50232658361276587402010-08-18T20:35:00.004-05:002010-08-28T04:20:53.826-05:00

1958 film directed by Mario Bonnard written by Alberto Manca, Mario Bonnard, Sergio Leone, Mario di Nardo, Ugo Moretti I was only able to find a crappy VHS print with so-so subtitles, so let me see if I've got this right.... The unseen Emperor Nero wants to build a new canal in Corinth, so he outsources the job to an equally erratic regent named Antigono (Ivo Garrani), who decides the best way

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-50753834391892295762010-08-13T12:54:00.004-05:002010-08-28T04:25:56.161-05:00

1956 film directed by Robert Wise written by N. Richard Nash, John Twist, Hugh Gray based on the poem THE ILIAD by Homer Let me start off by saying that I hate THE ILIAD. Culturally and historically, it's a work of major importance and I totally get that, but reading it made my brain hurt. There's no consistent narrative, the characters are all over the place, scenes of great power and scope are

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-68523237896710213462010-08-07T14:05:00.001-05:002010-08-07T21:52:01.341-05:00

1951 film directed by Mervyn LeRoy written by S.N. Behrman, Sonya Levien, John Lee Mahin, Hugh Gray based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz (my review of the 1895 novel) (my review of the 1948 screenplay) It started with a book. An absolutely fantastic book full of riches and complexity and thought. It became a screenplay. A good, solid, worthy adaptation. Now, it's a film. An entertaining yet

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-79646961993335183422010-08-01T14:31:00.001-05:002010-08-07T14:07:42.676-05:00

1948 screenplay written by S.N. Behrman, Sonya Levien, John Lee Mahin based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz (my review of the 1895 novel) (my review of the 1951 film) QUO VADIS is a rare book that I consider to be perfect. It creates a rich, complex world filled with rich, complex characters, tells a sweeping, challenging, genuinely moving story, and makes every little detail in the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-23779968091525771442010-07-31T12:00:00.006-05:002011-04-29T03:09:42.861-05:00

This month, I joined three other fans for the start of a new blog called Deconstructing Moya: A Farscape Re-Watch, where, as the title suggests, we review our way through the television series Farscape, one episode a week. I'm really looking forward to this as it's been a few years since I last watched the show. We opened with a prelude essay, explaining who we are and our memories of the show.

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-50138333785481446082010-07-22T13:17:00.002-05:002010-08-07T14:06:48.398-05:00

1895 novel written by Henryk Sienkiewicz (my review of the 1948 screenplay) (my review of the 1951 film) There's an old belief that just because something came first, it's automatically better. While there are many instances where such a thing is true, I very much argue against it being an absolute. Take, for instance, FABIOLA. Written in 1854 by Cardinal Wiseman, it's a historical novel about

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-492089732089682252010-05-28T03:17:00.002-05:002010-06-29T13:57:12.824-05:00

1949 film directed by Carmine Gallone based on the play by Antonio Garcia Gutierrez and the opera by Giuseppe Verdi, Salvadore Commarano, Leone Emanuele Bardare Carmine Gallone was starting to become a bit old-fashioned as a filmmaker in the time immediately following WWII, but he wasn't a pioneer of early Italian cinema for nothing ... as this film kinda sorta shows. His first work of this era

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-21586553833775227752010-05-12T14:58:00.003-05:002010-06-29T15:10:04.142-05:00

1949 film directed by Alessandro Blasetti based on the novel by Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman written by Alessandro Blasetti, Mario Chiari, Diego Fabbri, Jean-Georges Auriol, Antonio Pietrangeli, Cesare Zavattini, Emilio Cecchi, Vitaliano Brancati, Corrado Pavolini, Lionello De Felice, Alberto Vecchietti, Umberto Barbaro, Suso Checchi d'Amico, Renato Castellani (my review of the 1854 novel, from

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-46933560293665644842010-04-22T14:47:00.010-05:002010-06-29T15:17:30.521-05:00

1854 novel written by Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman (my review of the 1949 film adaptation) Propaganda novels are always tricky to review. Written to boost up the morale of an already faithful legion, they have a hard time clicking with those outside the chosen flock, sometimes even becoming loathed objects of scorn that end up doing their cause much more damage than intended. Take this book for

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-67611597815898644442010-04-09T14:21:00.003-05:002010-04-09T15:24:19.111-05:00

1948 filmdirected by Vittorio De Sicawritten by Cesare Zavattini, Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Vittorio De Sica, Oreste Biancoli, Adolfo Franci, Gerardo Guerrieribased on the novel by Luigi Bartolini(my review of the 1946 novel from which this is based)Right from the start, De Sica proves himself a clever filmmaker. The title tells us that thieves will steal a bicycle, so he teases us, building

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-45494239376255749402010-04-03T11:38:00.004-05:002010-04-09T15:18:12.322-05:00

1946 novelwritten by Luigi Bartolini(my review of the 1948 film adaptation)StoryWorld War II still rages in Italy. The fascists are cornered in the north as a line of Allied troops steadily presses through, leaving in their wake a free Italy. Free in the sense of anarchy as the same corrupt politicians turn on their overlords with the hopes of staying in power, an over-tasked police force takes

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-75562449841481996572010-03-24T20:05:00.006-05:002010-04-09T14:42:36.634-05:00

1946 filmdirected by Carmine Gallonebased on the play THE KING'S FOOL by Victor Hugoand the opera by Giuseppe Verdi and Francesco Maria Piave(1832 play - THE KING'S FOOL)In his attempt to adapt Hugo's play to the Italian opera, Verdi came to discover just how unpopular a title it was amongst ruling parties. Nobody wanted to stage something where the king was an immoral, womanizing villain who led

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-91256819095915407562010-03-23T11:24:00.007-05:002011-03-30T12:09:06.774-05:00

1945 film written & directed by Akira Kurosawa created by Tsuneo Tomita (previous) The last thing I expected to comes across in an early Kurosawa flick, particularly one still made during the War Years, was an American speaking English. But that's the very sight we open on as a U.S. Navy man (judging by the accent, though, not an American actor by birth) hassles a cab driver until he finds

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-19814025725365449962010-03-16T21:07:00.005-05:002010-03-24T20:35:20.268-05:00

1832 playwritten by Victor Hugo(1946 film - RIGOLETTO)Early in his career, just one year after publishing THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME, Victor Hugo wrote a play that was banned after a single performance. His ensuing lawsuit against the government - who claimed it was a thinly veiled parody of the current king - made him a beloved and revered symbol of freedom amongst the people.The play itself

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-45993192330636172622009-11-25T12:00:00.001-06:002011-03-06T23:30:34.379-06:00

1985 comic issue. Written by Rich Margopoulos. Illustrated by Dick Ayers and Chic Stone. Related reviews: - The first issue of the series. - The previous issue of the series. "Invaders from Earth" "Conspiracy" "War of the Planets" "Dregs of Defeat" Long separated from their homeworld, the Mantech warriors are shocked to discover that humans, now using interplanetary gateways instead of

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-35716291847804243112009-11-18T12:00:00.000-06:002011-02-17T12:52:39.734-06:00

1985 comic issue. Illustrated by Dick Ayers and Chic Stone. Written by Rich Margopoulos. Related Reviews: - The first issue of the series. - The previous issue in the series. - The next issue in the series.. "The Lost Division of Technoliath" "Reconnaissance" "Rescue" "D-Day" Instead of a collection of smaller stories, the creative team structures their chapters into a big epic war piece that,

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-86350586844764221902009-11-17T12:01:00.002-06:002011-01-18T16:20:42.888-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Yasuhiro Kuroda written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) I'm not sure what to say here. It was a fantastic finale, everything I could have hoped for, but I don't want to give any descriptions for fear of spoiling the last leg of the ride. So humor me as I

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-86550131288435062532009-11-17T12:00:00.002-06:002011-01-18T16:20:36.900-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toru Yoshida written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) Last battle, indeed. Everything comes to a head as Ukyo's mechanical swarm cuts loose, the villagers open up with their stolen guns, and the samurai soar into the fray. I won't go into too much

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-48524460145513969232009-11-17T11:59:00.002-06:002011-01-18T16:20:30.801-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Futoshi Higashide written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) On the flying citadel, Emperor Ukyo inspects his newly lobotomized mechanical bandits. They're wired to obey his every command, which he tests by having them goof off in battle. In the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-16127723508396493482009-11-17T11:58:00.002-06:002011-01-18T16:20:23.542-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) This seems to be the last of the transitional episodes, finally locking all our characters in place for what will be one hell of a finale. Emperor Ukyo has the flying Capital aimed at the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-19268765662615301632009-11-12T12:00:00.002-06:002011-01-18T16:20:18.074-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toshi Saga written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) In a slight nod to Kurosawa's YOJIMBO, it seems Ukyo's strategy as the new emperor is to play both sides of the coin for his own mutual benefit. To the bandits he gives orders to raid the towns out

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-38619482053502457302009-11-12T11:59:00.002-06:002011-01-18T16:20:11.262-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Kahoru Igusa written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) Picking up from the exciting cliffhanger of the last episode, Katsushiro and Kikuchiyo are racing through the flying Capital in search of both the kidnapped women and their leader Kambei, all

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-12889267940318542772009-11-11T12:00:00.002-06:002011-01-18T16:19:55.181-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Jiro Fujimoto written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Natsuko Takahashi based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) The old emperor is dead. His cloned offspring, the sadistic Ukyo, is guilty of the crime and now declares himself emperor. Long live the emperor. In the beginning of the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-69595721404759053782009-10-28T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:19:47.999-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Jiro Fujimoto written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Shuichi Koyama based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) With Kanbei and the team of Katsushiro and Kikuchio each on separate missions to locate the hidden Capital and recover the kidnapped women and children of several villages,

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-18615155008782436952009-10-28T11:59:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:19:34.296-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) Though they've already worked through the central plot of the film, there's one element they hadn't touched, and it's interesting that it would be the one to carry us into an original

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-59447676424203700942009-10-27T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:19:27.963-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) As our last episode came to a close, the village suffered much damage and some striking losses, but, through the actions of the samurai as well as the bravery of the farmers themselves, the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-40380128757031637372009-10-27T11:59:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:19:22.089-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toru Yoshida written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) As the early morning sky is drowned out by a raging storm, the bandits make their move. Despite their strength and intelligence and skill, not even the samurai could have planned for an assault

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-47080882797165781612009-10-27T11:58:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:19:15.748-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Makoto Sokuza written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) Having totally wiped out the first wave of attackers, destroyed the bandits' massive pair of floating headquarters, and killed several of their main generals, the last thing our heroes want to

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-29685292555924030932009-10-21T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:19:08.651-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Futoshi Higashide written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) As our last episode came to a close, the villagers kneeled before the enraged bandit horde, pleading for forgiveness. Three of our heroes were missing, three were tied up, and Kikuchiyo's

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-10926093254824109442009-10-14T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:19:01.953-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Yoshikata Nitta written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) After days of preparation - building fortifications, mapping out strategies, and training the villagers in archery - it all begins as the hulking, mechanical bandits appear on the horizon ...

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-53858898265861784452009-10-13T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:18:56.355-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Inuo Inukawa written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) In our last episode, Manzo, the frightened villager, decided the best way to save himself and his daughter was to rat out our heroes to the bandit patrols. Not only was he caught, but the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-19413527460978170652009-10-13T11:59:00.003-05:002011-01-18T16:18:50.900-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Shunsuke Tada written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Shuichi Koyama based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) The time has come for the samurai to reach the focal point of all future conflict: the farming village of Kanna. And true to the original film, not everyone there is eager to

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-63693129041226854822009-09-18T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:18:45.225-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Yukio Okazaki written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Natsuko Takahashi based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) With roaming patrols of bandits scouring the lands in search of a large group of samurai, our heroes decide to divide into three groups, two samurai per farmer, and meet up

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-6638112256877948092009-09-10T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:18:05.746-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toru Yoshida written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) The central action of the series gets a bit of an early start as the bandits, having learned about the hiring of the samurai, ambush our heroes as they near the farming village. I love the idea

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-70148407080434728292009-09-09T12:00:00.003-05:002011-01-18T16:17:57.672-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hirofumi Ogura written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) Having escaped the magistrate's forces in the partially flooded caverns beneath and beyond the city, our heroes come across the Shikimori, bizarre mechanical mole men who build electric fuel

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-36802677766925554122009-09-09T11:59:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:17:42.464-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Hiroyuki Okuno written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Shuichi Koyama based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) Still pursued by the magistrate's son, Ukyo, and his armed police force, our heroes duck into the shady depth of the city's red light district. Right up front, things go a

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-73354628745497315352009-09-09T11:58:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:17:31.650-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Mitsuo Kusakabe written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Hisaya Takabayashi based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) An imperial envoy to the city is found brutally murdered; the only evidence on scene being a bloody sword. Ayamaro, the city's magistrate, thus orders that all samurai

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-29892034478764601922009-09-09T11:57:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:17:22.973-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Shunusuke Tada written by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Natsuko Takahashi based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) Our villagers are running out of rice and having very little success when it comes to recruiting new samurai. They only have two of the required seven so far, with young

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-31361942175610998952009-09-01T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T16:17:05.074-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Futoshi Higashide written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) Kyuzo, the potential fifth member of the group, is introduced this episode, and he's every bit the steely-eyed professional of the original film. Barely saying a word, his dual-sword action

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-40476907765959627972009-08-28T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T16:16:57.996-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Toru Yoshida written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous) (next) So far, on their journey to round up some hired blades, farmers Kirara, Komachi, and Rikichi have had to settle with an unlikely pair: Katsushiro, a dedicated but inexperienced teen, and

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-29272356809850871222009-08-27T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:16:51.530-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and Makoto Sokuza written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (previous episode) (next episode) Kirara, Komachi, and Rikichi, representatives of the endangered farmlands, are still on their quest to find samurai willing to help. In a clever spin on the original, they not

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-35296271924789450992009-08-25T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T16:16:45.574-06:00

2004 episode directed by Toshifumi Takizawa, Toru Yoshida, Yasuhiro Kuroda written by Atsuhiro Tomioka based on the film SEVEN SAMURAI by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni (1954 film) (next episode) After the mixed experience that was KAZE NO YOJIMBO, I have to admit a bit of trepidation when it comes to exploring yet another anime series adapted from a classic Kurosawa film, but

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-66301892413512397092009-08-21T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:13:24.247-06:00

2002 film directed by Kei Kumai written by Akira Kurosawa based on the novel by Shugoro Yamamoto With the success of posthumous efforts AFTER THE RAIN and DORA-HEITA, it was only natural that an unproduced screenplay Kurosawa penned in 1993 would be filmed. However, instead of the project being helmed by a colaborator of the legendary director, it was handed over to a filmmaker who, while

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-75897662851100688952009-08-19T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T16:10:34.950-06:00

1999 film directed by Takashi Koizumi written by Akira Kurosawa based on a short story by Shugoro Yamamoto When he died in 1998, Akira Kurosawa left behind a legacy of 30 films which, to varying degrees, demonstrate the art of cinema at its finest. Though a hard act to follow, a group of The Master's collaborators - led by Koizumi, Kurosawa's assistant director since 1980 - decided to take one

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-76930651155465117922009-08-13T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T16:03:46.583-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa and Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) From my review of the previous episode, I made it clear just how damn disappointed I was in what appeared to be the climax. They went for big action instead of deep characterization, but with such week animation, they

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-74251743962694947482009-08-12T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T16:01:46.382-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa and Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) Up until now, the penultimate episode, this has been a frustrating series, filled with missed opportunities, poor choices, and lacking quality. The times where it does rise above its own shortcomings seem to come

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-39783705700218555012009-08-12T11:59:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:59:17.646-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa and Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) "This is a town of sinners. It's filled with those who must pay for their sins." That's a sentiment familiar to every fan of Kurosawa's original film, where a complete stranger comes upon a town bubbling over with

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-54572926920079865782009-08-11T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:59:03.284-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa and Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) Things aren't going good for Samekichi Shirogane, head of the local Ginzame cartel. He lost the group's gambling train, every opportunity to find old-blood Tanokura's hidden treasure is painfully foiled, George

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-17629726841100355022009-08-04T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:58:49.923-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Satoru Nishizono, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) After a brief, unexplained trip out of town, Sanae returns to find her inn brutally ransacked. Searching the rooms, she finds the tavern-keeper and our hero, George,

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-21309132188292019042009-08-04T11:59:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:58:36.870-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Satoru Nishizono, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) It was bound to happen, sooner or later. In the original film, our hero's manipulations are eventually uncovered by one of the town's two opposing factions, and he

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-66153638358186174742009-07-28T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:57:39.110-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Satoru Nishizono, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) As our last episode came to a close, the Ginzame cartel's attempts to kidnap old-blood Tanokura from his home were interrupted when police poured out of the woods to

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-56729708390886729992009-07-23T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:57:27.599-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Satoru Nishizono, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) Following the lethal booby trap sprung on the Ginzame cartel by old-blood Tanokura, the situation escalates with each side taking deadly potshots at one another. It's

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-31288126847612934242009-07-21T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:57:13.630-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Satoru Nishizono, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Tamotsu Mizukoshi based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) After numerous episodes of wanting to see what old-blood Tanokura had hidden in the depths of his supposedly abandoned mines, the Ginzame cartel now have the deed in

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-35019141487834623252009-07-15T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:57:01.490-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Satoru Nishizono, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Tamotsu Mizukoshi based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) Over the course of the series, one plot thread has been hanging over nearly all events: there's something hidden in the supposedly dry mine owned by the old-blood

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-8221772239545663802009-07-15T11:59:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:56:48.443-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Satoru Nishizono, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Tamotsu Mizukoshi based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) In the last episode, our hero George had largely been ostracized from the community as the two warring factions of Kimujuku seemingly overcame their differences and

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-68102063614215438902009-07-14T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:56:32.755-06:00

2002 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Satoru Nishizono, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Tamotsu Mizukoshi based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) Over the last few episodes, the Ginzame cartel has lost their hold on one town business after another, quickly collapsing against the deeply rooted Tanokura family,

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-60461257824339678692009-07-14T11:59:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:56:04.516-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Michiko Yokote based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) For episode after episode, this series, while finally starting to find its own feet, has really failed as an adaptation of YOJIMBO, with a lead whose motives and actions run counter to that of the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-90302436536575525832009-07-08T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:55:50.978-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Michiko Yokote based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) When lovably bumbling goon Raccoon is given a gun by his Ginzame bosses and told to break into the home of opposing leader Tanokura so as to procure maps of the mines where treasure may be hidden, he

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-64594421090873675472009-07-07T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:55:42.279-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Michiko Yokote based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) Can it be? Is it even remotely possible that this series, which I've largely discarded as a stumbling waste of poorly executed missed opportunities, may actually bet getting halfway decent? With the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-18154532623313024872009-06-30T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:55:18.623-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Michiko Yokote based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) After three episodes of filler, the last of which was a terrible, worthless piece of fecal spray, the bipolar creative team swings in the opposite direction, diving back into the main story with a

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-91164049048184977022009-06-30T11:59:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:55:03.623-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) While roaming the town one evening with a boisterous Raccoon, George comes across the body of a dead man lying outside a church. In the time it takes for him to fetch

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-89502328145424691692009-06-16T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:54:38.880-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) Every month, the Ginzame cartel invites the local yakuza to enjoy an all-night gambling spree on a rail-bound casino free from the threat of police raids. The

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-42812570926621636342009-06-02T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:54:25.676-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) After George quietly slips back into the main town of Kimujuku (he's literally just there in the noodle shop the next morning) a Professor from Tokyo, Uekusa, arrives

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-75679967167868932092009-05-26T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:54:14.437-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) So Genzo Araki, the missing man from George's past, was apparently the chief engineer of a train that, 15 years ago, mysteriously lost a car full of gold and platinum

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-41728517508162327852009-05-22T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:54:02.164-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) At the end of the last episode, a vacationing group of housewives dropped by Kimujuki so as to enjoy the natural springs in the nearby mountains. While dining at the

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-58347956543684676572009-05-22T11:59:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:53:51.253-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) After taking and leaving jobs on both sides of this fractured town, George kicks back for a bit when he takes a bodyguard job at the neutral inn. We've already met

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-43230755506196127042009-05-21T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:53:40.304-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) When a failed drive-by-shooting gets everybody riled up, George sets out to find the responsible party before the two halves of town erupt in a full-on war. That

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-57718434942575648702009-05-13T12:00:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:52:56.466-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (previous) (next) I'm starting to see a bit more YOJIMBO falling into the mix as our hero, George, gets a job with one of the town's factions, then immediately starts making an offer

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-34693421250401262262009-05-12T12:01:00.001-05:002011-01-18T15:52:34.386-06:00

2001 episode directed by Hayato Date written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Daisuke Yajima, Michiko Yokote, Satoru Nishizono based on the film YOJIMBO by Akira Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kikushima (1961 film) (next) Kimujuku is a small town in the Japanese countryside, split down the middle by railroad tracks. One side is red, with old, brick-style homes and the abandoned mine that used to

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-68074078136131375882009-05-12T12:00:00.003-05:002011-01-18T15:48:00.997-06:00

2000 film directed by Kon Ichikawa written by Akira Kurosawa, Kon Ichikawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Masaki Kobayashi based on the novel by Shugoro Yamamoto Kinoshita. Kobayashi. Ichikawa. Kurosawa. Throughout the 50s and 60s these four names found themselves at the center of the Japanese film industry as each churned out one blockbuster after another. In the late 60s, calling themselves the "Four

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-46924783201840017682009-04-21T12:01:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:37:44.251-06:00

1993 film written & directed by Akira Kurosawa based on the works and life of Hyakken Uchida Since last July, I've worked my way through all but one of Akira Kurosawa's films (SANSHIRO SUGATA 2 is tricky to find) and here before me lies the task of reviewing this, his final work. I've started this review about a dozen times by now, always going back and deleting the opening lines before I get

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-54171232190304032462009-04-21T12:00:00.003-05:002011-01-18T15:34:10.221-06:00

1991 film written & directed by Akira Kurosawa based on the novel by Kiyoko Murata While their parents are off visiting rediscovered relatives in Hawaii, a group of four young siblings and cousins (Tomoko Otakara, Mitsunori Isaki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Mieko Suzuki) find themselves shacked up with their Grandmother, Kane (Sachiko Murase), in a small country home in the mountains outside Nagasaki.

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-91751384993623928522009-04-16T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:32:55.933-06:00

1985 film directed by Andrei Konchalovsky written by Akira Kurosawa, Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Djordje Milicevic, Edward Bunker, Paul Zindel (1985 script) A pair of prisoners, in the midst of a brazen escape from Alaska's Stonehaven prison, hitch a ride on a train that quickly finds itself roaring out of control through the frozen tundra with no breaks and a dead engineer. You just can't

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-74637090411174675592009-04-15T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:32:00.671-06:00

1985 script written by Akira Kurosawa, Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Djordje Milicevic, Edward Bunker (1985 film) During the 1960s, Kurosawa's career was starting to cool in his homeland, but over in the U.S., he was rapidly rising to a legendary status. So, inevitably, American studios pitched him a few offers for films shot on their shores. One was TORA! TORA! TORA!, which Kurosawa pushed

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-77532282586118052702009-04-14T12:01:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:31:26.615-06:00

1985 film directed by Akira Kurosawa written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Masato Ide based on the play KING LEAR by William Shakespeare (play) (script) Old age. It creeps up our souls like a snail on a mossy branch. Inevitably, no matter how big our name, nor how great our accomplishments, we will find ourselves, our vision, our legacy, gradually drifting to the side as the younger

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-74513941484811861122009-04-14T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:31:13.425-06:00

undated screenplay (published draft) written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Masato Ide illustrated by Akira Kurosawa based on the play KING LEAR by William Shakespeare (play) (film) Hidetora Ichimonji is the fiercest warlord of his day, having conquered lands left and right until everything within sight of the modest castle in which he began is under his claim. But he's growing old. During a

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-82170536311765205882009-04-12T23:59:00.000-05:002011-01-18T15:42:30.126-06:00

1990 film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa Hitting 80 at the time of this film's release, Kurosawa's life and career were starting to slow down. So after using RAN to vent his rage and despair at the younger generations that shoved him aside, he seems to have cooled and took this film, a collection of his actual dreams, to reach back and reflect on his life. Sunshine Through the Rain

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-83555570348796814672009-04-12T12:00:00.000-05:002010-04-06T16:05:10.680-05:00

1603? playwritten by William Shakespeare(my review of the 1985 film adaptation, RAN)Ambition can be a very, very dangerous thing.King Lear of Britain is getting old and wishes to divide his lands between his three daughters. Goneril and Regan instantly start gushing in an attempt to get more goods than one another, but the youngest, Cordelia, doesn't bite. Her father knows how much she loves him,

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-5771834945105082592009-03-26T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:30:22.595-06:00

1980 film directed by Akira Kurosawa written by Akira Kurosawa and Masato Ide It is the 16th century, a stretch of time known as The Warring States, where warlords and their clans constantly feud for control over territory. During a break in one such siege, as soldiers are entranced by the nightly tune of a flute, a sniper's bullet catches Shingen, Lord of the Takeda Clan. In order to keep their

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4000470816682343885.post-43933965185164952442009-03-25T12:00:00.002-05:002011-01-18T15:30:10.456-06:00

1978 book written by Akira Kurosawa On September 1, 1923, sections of Japan were torn to shreds by the Great Kanto Earthquake. Akira Kurosawa was 12-years-old at the time, outside with a friend, throwing rocks at a cow. When the 8.3 Richter tremors hit, they clung to a telephone pole and watched as buildings crumbled around them. After everything had settled and the fires began to spread,

NoelCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01744014386233716741noreply@blogger.com0