Akira Kurosawa

[ie]

Well, he was facing a lot of hardships at that time. You can read more about it at the Wik.


How is Dodesukaden (do-de-su-ka-de-n)? And how come I never hear about it?

[criterionmaster]

Thanks, I will take a look at that when I am less sick. I haven't seen it, and you probably haven't heard of it because it isn't on DVD. Criterion has plans for releasing it sometime though! I don't even think it has any kind of release, maybe region two or something...?

[wkw]

Hey! This has already been done before...
www.imdb.com/title/tt0814315/

[criterionmaster]

wkw said:

Hey! This has already been done before...
www.imdb.com/title/tt0814315/

www.criterionmaster.proboards104.com/index.cgi?board=new&action=display&thread=1149887095

There is already a thread where you can spew your hatred of this idea.

[criterionmaster]

This is an interesting excerpt from Kurosawa about Tarkovsky. I got the link from cforum.

www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/nostalghia.com/TheTopics/Kurosawa_on_AT.html

Two things about the article that I found cool is that Kurosawa always watches Andrei Rublev before making a film, also the little anecdote about Tarkovsky and water is cool. Definitely worth a read.

[captainofbeef]

Thats in the booklet for Solaryis Criterion DVD I believe...

[criterionmaster]

Ah, that's sweet. I will have to check that out when I buy Solaris. I didn't get a chance to read it when I borrowed it from you. It seems cool that Kurosawa liked him. I always like hearing about what other directors like to watch.

[captainofbeef]

New list:
1. Seven Samurai
2. Ran
3. Rashomon
4. Yojimbo
5. Ikiru
6. Kagemusha
7. The Bad Sleep Well
8. The Hidden Fortress
9. Sanjuro
10. Throne of Blood

Still have much to see, I just rented Hidden Fortress and it was great stuff. Funny and action packed, really showed off Kurosawa's brilliance.

[ie]

Picked up Madadayo (or Maadadayo) from the library. I'll be looking into it later this week.

andruini said:

i was watching tv yesterday, and there's this chick on mexican tv who's smoking hot, and i always thought she was an airhead, but yesterday, they had a contest on the show where they dressed the contestants up as samurais and made them chop a watermelon exactly in half, and she said "you guys look like you came out of a kurosawa movie", or something to that effect. suffice it to say i'm still wiping the drool off the floor.

I've been thinking about this, and really, I think that was scripted. Someone in the staff probably likes Kurosawa, (since I'm not trying to win any cynical awards here) so they were probably like "say this one guy's name, okay?"


Saw Maadadayo. I'll throw in a Madadayo when I mention this movie, but that's how it should be spelled. There's an "a" in the Hiragana, and it should be pronounced like this: Maah dada yo. Not like the trailer; I laughed when they pronounced it Ma da day yo. Twice.

Anyways, it's a pretty good movie and a good comedy (steeped in Japanese culture) too. Some good laughs to be had, but it also was kind of said when I realized that it was a very personal movie. You'll see what I mean when you see it, but the title should tip you off: "Not Yet." 8/10.

[criterionmaster]

yeah, that whole mentioning kurosawa thing i have heard before, i think recently actually, his name gets thrown around a lot by people who have no clue who he is. if she at least pronounced it right i give her credit. but maybe, maybe, she actually knew who he was, but i really doubt it.

i have maadadayo to watch myself, so i am glad you gave it a pretty high rating. was it sad because it was kurosawa's last film? if you are going to spoil anything, mark them, and then i will wait to read it till i watch the film (which will be in a day or two).

[ie]

Well, we've all got accents.


Not going to spoil anything. It was a good ending to his career. What really depresses me is Altman; he was really serious about making a new movie, he was fucking excited about everything, and he doesn't even get to make that last final movie. Kurosawa, at least, got that chance, and even though it is more of a comedy, you can kind of feel like he's shooting from experience.

[criterionmaster]

yeah, it makes me sad when any great artist dies before he is actually done, prairie home companion, while it is probably a good movie, just doesn't seem like the way altman should have gone out, at least to me. kurosawa worked for so long, i don't know how old he was when he made that, but he had to have been into his 80's, so it was probably a good time to end.

[captainofbeef]

Believe me, the end of Prairie Home Companion is a great end to Altman's career. At least in my opinion.

[ie]

captainofbeef said:

Believe me, the end of Prairie Home Companion is a great end to Altman's career. At least in my opinion.

Well, no, we're not talking about QUALITY here. We're talking about how Altman wanted to end his career. Kurosawa was able to get his last movie in that he wanted to, Altman wasn't.

[captainofbeef]

^O, I see.

[Clark Nova]

ie said:

captainofbeef said:

Believe me, the end of Prairie Home Companion is a great end to Altman's career. At least in my opinion.

Well, no, we're not talking about QUALITY here. We're talking about how Altman wanted to end his career. Kurosawa was able to get his last movie in that he wanted to, Altman wasn't.

kind of like how Peter Sellers' swan song is always regarded as Being There, and yet everyone forgets his true final film was The Fiendish Plot of Fu Manchu. sad.

[criterionmaster]

that is the same with cassavetes, his last film was a crap-pile big trouble (haven't seen it yet, just based on rumors), but most fans of his films just say love streams was his last film. which, if he had planned it as so, would have been a great end. it seems like it would suck for a director to make a film "their last", did altman even know he was close to death?

[dontdigonswine]

[1] Seven Samurai - 10/10
[2] Yojimbo - 10/10
[3] Ran - 10/10
[4] Rashomon - 10/10
[5] Ikiru - 10/10
[6] The Hidden Fortress - 9/10
[7] High and Low - 9/10
[8] Throne of Blood - 8/10
[9] Drunken Angel - 8/10
[10] Red Beard - 8/10

[criterionmaster]

i found that crazy ass criterion ak 100 boxset at the exchange for only 125, and let joel buy it so we are going to have a marathon soon of all his shit. but i'm going to see i live in fear in the theater tomorrow. can't wait!

[captainofbeef]

I just got my Netflix going and all the Kurosawa I haven't seen is on my queue. I can't wait!

[criterionmaster]

it is definitely worth it. if you don't really care about extras and want all those films in one thing. depends on what kind of shelf you have, you will probably display it because it is really nice and covered in fabric that'll make any shelf look super classy. it's semi annoying that all the films aren't included, as there are so few left that they could have probably obtained. like ran isn't included. why not release the set before you lost the rights to the film? well, whatever. you can buy that separately. the book included is great and each case inside is nice with nice looking artwork. i am very much an extras guy, so i wouldn't buy it, but i am very pleased joel did so i can see all those films ('cause it is very convenient). he got it for only $120 (i have never been so happy about finding something somewhere), but i'd say it's worth $220 or less new, so if it costs that or less, buy it.