films
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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
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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
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Yotsuya kaidan (The Ghost of Yotsuya) (1959)
Directed by Kenji Misumi Because the current is swift, even though the rapids blocked by a boulder are divided, like them, in the end, we will surely meet, I know. — Sutoku-in (1119 – 1164) Daiei’s gorgeous production of the… Continue reading
