Latest Posts
-
Tange Sazen Yowa: Hyakuman Ryō no Tsubo (Tange Sazen and the Pot Worth a Million Ryō) (1935)
Directed by Sadao Yamanaka I’m delighted to say that today’s film has no shortage of reviews online. Unlike my blog’s usual fare, it’s a comedy. I tend to avoid reviewing comedies from other countries because appreciating humor typically requires a… Continue reading
-
Hangyakuji (Conspirator) (1961)
Directed by Daisuke Itō A bleak historical drama about a young nobleman caught in the middle of a dynastic power struggle, Hangyakuji is stunning to look at, gorgeously shot in Eastmancolor by cinematographer Makoto Tsuboi and features strong performances across… Continue reading
-
Jūsan-nin no shikaku (13 Assassins) (1963)
Directed by Eiichi Kudo To my astonishment 13 Assassins currently has four reviews on IMDb. I’m sorry but that’s just wrong. A classic movie deserves better than four paltry reviews. One of the purposes of my blog is to introduce… Continue reading
-
Teki wa Honnō-ji ni ari (Honnō-ji in Flames / The Enemy is at Honnō-ji) (1960)
Directed by Tatsuo Ōsone This should be all the incentive you need to watch Teki wa Honnō-ji ni ari immediately: That is the great Kabuki actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VIII. I’ve mentioned him before, and will no doubt be mentioning him… Continue reading
-
Tenpō Rokkasen – Jigoku no Hanamichi (Passage to Hell / Runway to Hell) (1960)
Directed by Masahiro Makino In a departure from his upright samurai detective character the Bored Hatamoto, Utaemon Ichikawa is on the wrong side of the law this time around. I’m not sure which crimes he’s supposed to be guilty of.… Continue reading
-
Real Men Wear Eyeliner
A casual viewer of Japanese period dramas might wonder what to make of some scenes. The men wear makeup, and they are sometimes depicted weeping openly. What’s going on? Let’s deal with the makeup first. This doesn’t faze me because… Continue reading
-
Bored Hatamoto: Island of No Return (1960); Bored Hatamoto: The Cave of the Vampire Bats (1961)
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki Crime-fighting samurai Saotome Mondonosuke aka the Bored Hatamoto aka the Idle Vassal was Utaemon Ichikawa’s signature role. He portrayed Mondonosuke over the span of more than 40 years in 30 movies as well as a television… Continue reading
-
Jigokumon (Gate of Hell) (1953)
Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa Some of the movies I write about here appear to be little known outside Japan. They have very few reviews in English. Two of the movies I’ve discussed have no reviews at all on IMDb or… Continue reading
-
Ishin no kagaribi (Signal Fire of Restoration / Restoration Fire) (1961)
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda I grew up watching Errol Flynn movies on TV. He was my childhood crush and my personal template for action-adventure heroes. According to this template swordsmen should be equally adept at romance as they are at… Continue reading
-
I Can Fix Him
No Really I Can Continue reading
Ukiyo-e Owl 