Posted on 06/11/2024 3:13:19 PM PDT by sphinx
After a debut screening at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the Toho Company’s 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa‘s seminal epic Seven Samurai is hitting the U.S. for a theatrical release through Janus Films. The trailer is in the linked article.
Janus will open the restoration on Friday, July 5 in New York at Film Forum after which a Los Angeles premiere will take place at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre on Sunday, July 7. The film will open wide on Friday, July 12 in Los Angeles at Laemmle Royal.
(Excerpt) Read more at deadline.com ...
I do not know why but I like Japanese cinema, alot.
On the disk I have of The Magnificent Seven, there is an amusing and info-laden 'making of'.
Dersu Uzala is a great film that isn’t talked about enough. Ikiru is my favorite Kurasawa though.
Kurosawa’s films served as templates for so many Western movies. Timeless issues of moral struggle and honor.
Indeed they are.
L
“I’ve always meant to see it...but never have.”
It’s a great film, but be prepared. It’s loooooong! 3 hours 27 minutes!
Also worth a look is Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood.”
I haven’t seen it. I’ll look for it on TCM.
The acting is superb. Top to bottom.
Yes, Yojimbo is the first “Fist Full 0f Dollars” type film. Many other loner vigilante films followed it. In fact, Kurosawa directed and wrote the first of many other genre films: Seven Samurai = Magnificent Seven, Hidden Fortress = Star Wars, and Stray Dog was the first of innumerable odd couple cop buddy films.
That was his take on Macbeth IIRC.
I saw that in 1980 in a theater. I wasn’t sure I could sit through a long Japanese-language movie, but it held my interest throughout.
Shortly afterwards, I saw “Battle Beyond the Stars,” which transports the seven samurai from sixteenth-century Japan to a planet called Akira in a distant galaxy—and that was a hoot.
I grew up watching a lot of Japanese movies, including many samurai movies. My mom worked in a theater in SF that showed them, and I worked as an usher assisting patrons to their seats. Most films were subtitled in English. Surprisingly, a lot of customers were Chinese. My mom said Japanese loved going to Chinese restaurants for food, while Chinese loved going to see Japanese movies. This was back in the 1960's, and I don't know if it is still true. I've purchased many of the samurai movies in digital form as a part of my movie collection.
I have VHS widescreen and DVD copies. I’ve probably seen it half a dozen times. Simply a wonderful film.
https://collider.com/star-wars-george-lucas-hidden-fortress-akira-kurosawa/
The Kurosawa movie “Hidden Fortress” inspired George Lucas to write the original Star Wars script. The droids C3PO and R2D2 are based on the main characters of “Hidden Fortress”. “Princess Yuki’s journey mirrors Leia’s, while Rokurota inspired Kenobi, and the Galactic Empire crest resembles the Yamana clan.” Very entertaining movie.
It might get more butts in the seats than any Disney Star Wars series this year!
I’m a woman and i LOVE that movie. So you are right.
That’s just what I suspected! Makes total sense that it should. And kudos to you for watching it in the first place ;)
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