The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi

Oh wow! I just finished watching "Sword of Doom" on this week's IFC Samurai Saturday and they just showed a promo for the new "The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi," with Beat Takeshi (the guy who played Hijikata in "Gohatto" --- maybe he was too old for the role, but I love this guy). They're advertising it as being in theatres this summer. Anyone know, is this actually coming out in the US? Looks to be another blend of humor and adventure... looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.

phil (who still doesn't believe that Ryunosuke could take down THAT many miburo)


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I just saw the Zatoichi commercial and yeah I'm guessing its here in the
US. I think it was out last year overseas.

I never get to see the whole Sword of Doom movie I always come in near
the end *whine* So how many did he kill? I think he took out the entire
shinsengumi except for the ones killing Serizawa. And was it me or did
Serizawa get gatotsued?

--
Barbara Sheridan

http://www.barbarasheridan.net

Sword of Doom should be on DVD!

Ryunosuke, was also INSANE :D , and the last scene took place in his
mind...note how the bamboo screens seemed to increase by many fold.
Kihachi Okamoto is an awesome director and Tatsuya Nakadai, who
trained briefly in the Kashima Shinryu lineage according to Friday's
book, did an outstanding job in the role. Ryunosuke is based on a
historical figure connected with the Shinsengumi[!] and or one of
the other police forces. Nakadai's role in Sword of Doom and
Harakiri/Seppuku made him my favorite "Gold Era of Japanese Film"
actor. I really wish they would translate the novel Daibosatsu-Toge
already....

--- In SHQ@yahoogroups.com, spiritus saitou
wrote:

> phil (who still doesn't believe that Ryunosuke could take down

THAT many miburo)

I actually tried to count...I estimate around 50 in the entire
movie...Kev do you have a number? :D Its such a horrible body count
scene...I read in an essay that Okamoto told Nakadai that he is
supposed to be a shark in a school of anchovies or something along
those lines. I think Serizawa got hiratsuki-ed

Anyways the same director, Kihachi Okamoto also does comedies such
as Kiru! (Kill!) and Red Lion (which I have not seen). Kiru! pokes
fun at the 7 bungling samurai and the whole bit about the bamboo
sword (it's sad Nakadai gets to make fun of Harakiri/Seppuku which
made him an international star).

*the guy who wrote the screenplay for Sword of Doom also wrote the
screenplay for 7 Samurai too

Ryunosuke is just "misunderstood"...he isn't ~that~ evil...
http://www.gotterdammerung.org/film/reviews/s/sword-of-doom.html

--- In SHQ@yahoogroups.com, Barbara Sheridan wrote:
> I just saw the Zatoichi commercial and yeah I'm guessing its here
in the
> US. I think it was out last year overseas.
>
> I never get to see the whole Sword of Doom movie I always come in
near
> the end *whine* So how many did he kill? I think he took out the
entire
> shinsengumi except for the ones killing Serizawa. And was it me or
did
> Serizawa get gatotsued?
>
> --
> Barbara Sheridan
>
> http://www.barbarasheridan.net

secretary <secretarytocapt3@...> wrote:

>>I actually tried to count...I estimate around 50 in the entire movie...<<

Has to be more than that in the entire movie... although Ryunosuke isn't responsible for the slaughter when he and the group go out to waylay... uh oh... is it Shimada (not *our* Shimada Kai)?

I noticed this time that a Kojima bit the dust. I missed the beginning of the film, so I'm not sure of all the connections... if this Kojima was meant to be from the family associated with Kondou. I have the film recorded; just been lazy about spending time with it. With all the initial Mito connections, though, it's becoming curiouser and curiouser to me about exactly who Sagara's family were and if he possibly had *any* association with the early group that became the Shinsengumi. I'm tired and I've got so much searching to do... sigh.

>>Anyways the same director, Kihachi Okamoto also does comedies such as Kiru! (Kill!) and Red Lion (which I have not seen). <<

I haven't seen "Red Lion" either, but Sagara and the Sekihoutai are in it (in a very minor role, I've read).

>>Kiru! pokes fun at the 7 bungling samurai<<

This one I've seen (it's been shown on IFC) and it's a delight!

>>Ryunosuke is just "misunderstood"...he isn't ~that~ evil...<<

Yeah, sure... :-D The guy's exactly as his father said he was. Saitou must've been on patrol that night. Now, if *he* had been at that party... shorter film.

phil
P.S. And Barb, thanks for the release info on "Zatoichi." It might make it to Phoenix for about a week. The problem is I don't have anyone to take me halfway across town where it'll show up... boooo...


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

First, I just uploaded the other article I meant to
send to the group on the Shogitai in the Files
section. Also, I added an English translated excerpt
from Daibosatsu Toge. The English isn't very good and
some translated terms could have probably used better
words, but it is the only thing in English from that
story. This particular part is the attempt on Hachiro
Kiyokawa's life...of course...if you have seen "Sword
of Doom" you know what happens. I was trying to
conserve space here so you may want to zoom in
somewhere between 75% to 100% depending on how much
your eyes can take. If someone wants me to I can try
to do the excerpt over again later.

I counted the bodies at the end of Sword of Doom
years ago and it is somewhere in the late 40's range I
think. Believe it or not there is a movie called
"Orochi" with Raizo Ichikawa that rivals this endings
bodycount too and probably more. The Lone Wolf and Cub
movies had high bodycounts near the end of most of
them.

The thing about Sword of Doom is if it had continued
in the sequels you would have seen him get up the next
day after he passed out, join the Tenchugumi, some bad
stuff happens to him in that, and he continues to
suffer. His son plays an important role to any hope in
his "salvation" as the story goes along. The story was
originally written as a Buddhist parable about
suffering.

Hope this helps,

Kevin




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