With 25 adventures of shintaro katsus famed blind, wandering swordsman zatoichi recently becoming available through both a remarkable criterion collection box set, and digitally via hulu plus, our team decided it was time to walk down the dusty roads of adventure and watch and discuss the entire legendary chanbara series. With shintaro katsu, kayo mikimoto, kyosuke machida, takashi shimura. And in fight, zatoichi, fight zatoichi goes lone wolf and cub on us while trying to avoid all the people he has pissed off the previous films. Zatoichi runs afoul of some evil fugitives, working for a. Overview of zatoichi and the fugitives, 1968, directed by kimiyoshi yasuda, with shintaro katsu, takashi shimura, kayao mikimoto, at turner classic movies. But for a matinee idol, he receives a decidedly modest introduction.
He made 24 installments between 1962 and 1973, and made the last. Zatoichi, zatoichi is a fictional character featured in one of japans. Zatoichi and the fugitives is a 1968 japanese chambara film directed by kimiyoshi yasuda. It was originally released by the daiei motion picture company later acquired by kadokawa pictures. He plays, as usual, a man with an impassive face, few words, and sudden bursts of action that end in a few seconds.
The fugitives beat the doctor to find out where zatoichi is. A book featuring an essay by critic geoffrey obrien. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy shintaro katsu became. Its written by kinya naoi and directed by kimiyoshi yasuda. Returning to the village where a year before he had killed hirate, a muchadmired opponent, zatoichi encounters another swordsman and.
Zatoichi triumphs at a village wrestling match, much to the chagrin of his yakuza opponents. The story behind these fugitives is a mystery thats gradually revealed, so i wont go into much detail except to note that the coldblooded bastards dont hesitate to wipe out innocent families and murder children. Zatoichi and the fugitives as victor stated, the titular gang of baddies are a fearsome bunch, and include among them a stoic leader, knife thrower, pistol wielder, and perhaps most unusually, a lady. Zatoichis spurting blood road is the seventeenth film in the series. Zatoichi returns and cops down six of the fugitives. Along his travels he also met a blind monk who makes zatoichi question his murderous lifestyle. Many of the plots revolve around his criminal past. Zatoichi, the blind swordsman dvd collectors edition box set 2005. Zatoichi embodies the kinds of contradictory elements that make takeshi kitano japans most intriguing contemporary actordirector. If you like zatoichi and the fugitives you are looking for exciting, rough and serious movies about with snake, katana, adventure, martial arts, gangsters, samurai and crimes themes of drama, action and adventure genre shot in japan. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy shintaro katsu became an instant superstar, lending a largerthanlife presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who. One of the most popular heroes in japanese cinema, zatoichi the blind swordsman inspired 26 feature films, more than 100 tv episodes, and countless comics and collectibles. The wounded zatoichi is still too much for the doctors son and he quickly chops him down.
Zatoichi and the fugitives is the 18th zatoichi film and it first appeared in the theaters august 10 1968. The colossally popular zatoichi films make up the longestrunning action series in japanese history and created one of the screens great heroes. Beat takeshi kitano directs and plays the title role in this tribute to the wildly popular blind swordsman of japanese cinema who was the hero of more than 20. The third zatoichi film, and the first in color, the new tale of zatoichi is packed with action and some great battle scenes and displays of zatoichis drawing skills as he splits more candles in. He has a code, but enforces it according to his own rules. The character, a blind masseur and blademaster, was created by novelist kan shimozawa this originally minor character was developed for the screen by daiei film now kadokawa daiei studio.
Make a list browse lists search lists leaders help contact suggest feature newsletter. Things go from slightly settled to full on chaotic when the fugitives trade sanctuary with the local yakuza for the murder of a local labor. Publication date 20180929 topics samurai, blind swordsman, feudal japan language japanese. The defeated gang members pay a hotheaded ronin to take out the masseur. The artwork, the accompanying book, and the dvds content are things of beauty. After an artist is threatened by the yakuza into creating valuable but highly illegal pornography, the law aims to execute him. During his travels, ichi has a few runins with members of a gang of fugitives and eventually they all arrive in the same town. These films had a variety of accomplished directors behind the camera, but they always starred shintaro katsu 19311997 in the role of the titular, blind and wandering masseur with a penchant for gambling, sake, and slicing up of bad guys. Zatoichi 18 zatoichi and the fugitives 1968, by mark pollard for kung fu. An illustration of a computer application window wayback machine an illustration of an open book. After falling in with a group of bandits in a remote village, zatoichi is dismayed to learn that a gang of criminals is controlling the citizens by means of a corrupt official in home vision entertainments release of this classic installment of the wandering swordsman series. Not to be confused with episode four, zatoichi the fugitive, this one is about ichi tangling with a gang of six vicious thugs on a murderous crime spree. Zatoichi may avoid stepping in a pile of shit, but still gets pissed in the face in this, the 8th part in the story about zatoichi. Zatoichi has no idea who this is but when he comes upon a small town harassed by gangsters, he finds that taichi was the mans young son.
This lean and mean entry is packed with coldhearted villainy and rough justice, but it finds its heart in the great takashi shimura ikiru, who plays a kindly country doctor caught up in a violent world. Isbn 9781681431239 1681431238 publisher number cc2656bd1cc2656bd9 the criterion collection. See more ideas about the criterion collection, movies and popular. Still while being honorable, funny and a ladys man. Zatoichi, having been honor bound to protect the man and his family, must now run against the law. A letter of challenge is the eighteenth film in the series. Zatoichi the new tale of zatoichi 1963 rotten tomatoes. Tag popularity top rated top rated popular want to watch release date recently wanted date added. In trying to help the town, zatoichi kills some gangsters and becomes a. All three of this weeks films were mixedtosolid in my book. Zatoichi 18 zatoichi and the fugitives zatoichi hatashijo 1968 2004 daiei studios home vision film rating. While staying at an inn, ichi shares a room with a sick woman and her child, ryota. The wandering swordsman finds himself in a small village that serves as hideout for a band of fugitives who control the town officials and enforce brutal slave labor in the local silk mill.
Then another dozen or so and then the show down with the leader. Fight, zatoichi, fight 1964 directed by kenji misumi. Zatoichi and the fugitives british board of film classification. Another solid zatoichi film, zatoichi the fugitive once again follow zatoichi as he is pursued and must do the right thing in order to protect and help the helpless and defend himself from those. Shop zatoichi the blind swordsman the criterion collection bluray. Zatoichi and the fugitives, zatoichi hatashijo is a 1968 japanese chambara film directed by kimiyoshi yasuda and starring shintaro katsu as the blind masseur zatoichi. This is a list of all the zatoichi movies starring shintaro katsu.
So the first of these films that i watched was zatoichi the fugitive, the. Visit decluttr for great deals and super savings with free shipping today. Best movies like zatoichi and the fugitives bestsimilar. Blind swordsmanmasseur zatoichi is pursued by the retainers of a lord who fear that he will reveal a secret weakness of their master. When he finds that his long lost love tane is nearby and romantically involved with a tough samurai in the employ of the gang, he remains in the village.
Shintaro katsu, kayo mikimoto, kyosuke machida, takashi shimura, shobun. Zatoichi, japans most popular cinematic hero, starred in over 25 feature films from 1962 through 1973. Zatoichi the blind swordsman the criterion collection bluray. A very special team of villains attack and kill a group of samurai comic book style. Zatoichi is no retread of past glories its his first period film, set in the 19th century but it restores the sublime mix of introspection and stillness interspersed with brief, bloody.
Zatoichi and the fugitives 1968 kimiyoshi yasudas zatoichi and the fugitives not to be confused with the earlier entry called zatoichi the fugitive strays a bit from the usual formula but its still a recognizable zatoichi picture in general and not a particularly good or a bad installment of the series at that. In the 20s he began to write novels and focused in period aventure dramas. Frequently asked questions how many zatoichi films were made. Zatoichi and the fugitives zatoichi hatashijo is a 1968 japanese chambara film directed by kimiyoshi yasuda and starring shintaro katsu as the blind masseur zatoichi. Zatoichi, zatoichi is a fictional character featured in one of japans longestrunning series of films and a television series that are both set during the late edo period 1830s and 1840s. Zatoichi and the fugitives 1968 the criterion collection. Zatoichi angers a local yakuza gang when he defeats several of them in a wrestling match.
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