ACF 567: Final two films in Japan Society Chambara series tomorrow night

The two final movies in Japan Society's Monthly Classics series: THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu & Raizo Ichikawa will screen tomorrow evening, Friday, May 14th, 2010,

Cinematic cool and masculinity had two faces in the 1960s: actors Shintaro Katsu (1931–97) and Raizo Ichikawa (1931–69). This retrospective pays tribute to these two Japanese film legends, in their most respected, representative and stylish chambara (sword fighting) films.

The series has been curated by Chris D., genre film expert, cult punk rock icon, and author of Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film. And I for one have to say he'd done a fantastic job.

Note that these are separate screenings and there is a separate admission charge for each.

The Lone Stalker (A.K.A. Lone Wolf Isazo)

Directed by Kazui Ikehiro

Japan, 1968, 84 min

Showtime: Friday, May 14, 6:30 PM

The epitome of the matatabi (samurai gambler) movie, The Lone Stalker (A.K.A. Lone Wolf Isazo) ranks as one of Raizo Ichikawa’s most spectacular performances. Employing flashbacks within flashbacks and a brooding romantic style poised somewhere between Budd Boetticher and early Sergio Leone, director Kazuo Ikehiro charts Isazo’s descent from chivalrous naïf to vengeance-obsessed cynical wanderer, giving a definitive chronicle of the loneliness of the long-distance wanderer.

Order tickets here.

The Devil's Temple
Directed by Kenji Misumi

Japan, 1969, 76 min

Showtime: Friday, May 14, 8:30 PM

In this little known Misumi masterpiece, an abandoned temple nestled in the mountains is the scene of a fateful encounter between a Buddhist monk, two women in love with the same man, and a fallen samurai (Shintaro Katsu, at his most ferocious). As destinies collide: it appears that not just the lives of the quartet are at stake, but their very souls. Hell awaits!

Buy tickets here.

Both screenings take place in the intimate, well-raked auditorium at Japan Society, located at 333 East 47th Street New York, NY 10017.

ACF 546: New Tale of Zatoichi at Japan Society, Saturday, April 24th at 5:00 PM

© Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

New Tale of Aztoichi / Shin Zatoichi monogatari
A.K.A. Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 3 - New Tale of Zatoichi

Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka
Japan, 1963, color, 91 min
Showtime: Saturday, April 24th, 2010 at 5:00 PM

Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) returns to his hometown hoping to leave behind his wayward lifestyle., He reunites with his former sensei, whose daughter brazenly proposes marriage to the Z-man. Further complicating matters are a mysterious gang of criminals and a fellow drifter looking for revenge. Life's never easy for our unfortunate blind masseur.

This is the third in the series of Zatoichi films and the first one in color. Katsu is even more outstanding than usual in conveying Zatoichi's emotional reactions, especially the hurt he feels when he's slighted by his master.

New Tale of Zatoichi gets a 3.5 out of 4 star ACF rating; very highly recommended.

For the Japan Society website page for this film, which includes a link to buy tickets online, click here.

This screening of New Tale of Zatoichi is part of the Monthly Classic Series The Double Edged Sword: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu & Raizo Ichikawa.

New Tale of Zatoichi is available on DVD from Home Vision Entertainment. It also is one of eighteen Zatoichi films that can be streamed from Hulu.com. All of which is fine if you can't make it to this screening. But if you can, Japan Society's presentation is the far better way to go.

ACF 505: Two chambara flicks screening at Japan Society NY today

Just a brief reminder that two more chambara (swordplay) films will be showing at Japan Society today. They are part of The Double-Edged Sword film series that continues through May 14th, 2010.

First up is Zatoichi On the Road: Fighting Journey, starring Shintaro Katso as the blind masseur and master swordsman. This time around Zatoichi is tasked with returning a lovely young woman to her family. I found this to be one of the best films in the series that I've seen so far. The movie is set to begin at 5:00 PM. Info and/or order tickets here.

At 7:00 in the evening, Scar Yasoburo, starring Raizo Ichikawa, will be shown in a separate screening. It's the tale of an actor (Ichikawa) whose face is slashed by a band of yakuza after he is caught with the mistress of the gang's boss. Info and/or order tickets here.

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues, New York, NY.

ACF 498: Zatoichi On The Road at Japan Society NY on March 20th at 5:00 PM

Zatoichi On The Road: Fighting Journey / Zatoichi kenka-tabi
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Starring Shintaro Katsu, Reiko Fujiwara, and Shiho Fujimura
Japan, 1963, color, 87 min.

Japan Society's Double-Edged Sword series of chambara films starring Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa continues this Saturday afternoon, March 20th, 2010 at 5:00 with this, the fifth, entry in the Zatoichi series.

Also known as Zatoichi and the Scoundrels, this film has the blind masseur fulfilling his promise to a dying man that he will get the young and lovely O-Mitsu back to her family. Unfortunately, her father is wealthy, and rival groups seek to take her from Zatoichi in the expectation of being amply regarded for returning her.

I've now watched a fair number of films in the series. For me this one is among the best. Every film pretty much has the same components: Zatoichi goes somewhere, encounters at least one lovely female, has a run-in with at least one gang, and kills a lot of bad guys. What enabled the series to be so successful, and to still be so wonderful to watch years later, are the variations in the stories and their execution. Zatoichi On The Road does a superb job of getting all the ingredients right; it's a must see.

Zatoichi On The Road, and all other screenings in the Double Edged Sword series, will be at Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues), New York, NY 10017.

For the Japan Society webpage on Zatoichi On The Road, which includes a link to buy tickets online, click here.

Those of you not in New York, or who just can't make it to the screening, are not out of luck. Zatoichi On The Road, like other titles in the series, is available on DVD from Home Vision Entertainment. I do seem to recall reading, however, that HVE's rights to the first six titles in the series have expired, or soon will. So if you want to add the title to your collection, you might want to do so right away.

And here's a heads-up on another film in the Double Edged Sword series:

Scar Yosaburo, starring Raizo Ichikawa, also will be shown on Saturday, at 7:00 PM. Note that this is not a double-feature. There are separate admission charges for each film. I'll have some info about Scar Yosaburo in tomorrow's post.

ACF 454: Zatoichi the Fugitive

Zatoichi the Fugitive / Zatoichi kyojo-tabe

Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka

Japan, 1963, 86 min

Japan Society's chambara (swordplay) film series The Double-Edged Sword: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu & Raizo Ichikawa continues this Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 7:30 pm with this film, the fourth entry in the long-running series about the blind masseur and gambler. Katsu, who also starred in the shorter Hanzo the Razor series, reprises his role as Zatoichi.

A gang has put a bounty on his head, and Zatoichi finds he must confront not only a slew of yakuza thugs after the bounty, but also a viscious ronin (masterless samurai). Meanwhile Zatoichi must also deal with the unexpected presence of a former love, who's now living with the samurai, and with the complicated love of a sweet girl and the conflicted young heir to the gang.

Zatoichi the Fugitive is another solid entry in the series. 3.5 out of 4 ACF stars (highly recommended).

Japan Society is located at 333 E. 47th Street, between 1st & 2nd avenues, New York, NY 10017.

For more information about the screening or to buy tickets, click here. Be advised that the first film shown in the series, Samurai Vendetta, was sold out. So you may do well to act quickly on this, the second film to be shown.

And for those of you not in New York, or just unable to make the screening (which you should if at all possible), Zatoichi the Fugitive is available on a fine DVD from Home Vision Entertainment (HVE).

ACF 431: Samurai Vendetta lobby cards

In anticipation of tonight's screening of Samurai Vendetta at 7:30 at Japan Society, here are some screen captures of lobby cards that were on my screener DVD.