This deluxe set features the string of twentyfive zatoichi films made between 1962 and 1973. But zatoichi never backs down, even if death looms from all directions this is the seventeenth volume of zatoichi, but as usual, the series shows no signs of losing its sharp edge. With shintaro katsu, jushiro konoe, miwa takada, yukiji asaoka. Frequently asked questions how many zatoichi films were made. A dogooder blind masseur with a penchant for gambling and steel blades might appear an unlikely cinematic hero. Shintaro katsu plays zatoichi and toshiro mifune plays yojimbo, though he has another name in the film. The interplay between zatoichi and the young boy he becomes protector slows down the film a bit. Great swordplay and a glimpse of earlier japanese life.
The movies are on nine discs in a sturdy slipcase along with. This list tries to track down not only the greatest, but also the most essential zatoichi films which brought this formula to live, tried to improve it or varied it intelligently. It was originally released by the daiei motion picture company later acquired by kadokawa pictures zatoichi challenged is the seventeenth episode in the 26part film series devoted to the character of. The next and last in the series zatoichi film is back to the standard look. The script was written by director kihachi okamoto and tetsuro yoshida. The colossally popular zatoichi films make up the longestrunning action series in japanese history and created one of the screens great heroes. Ichis opponent is also his friend, a tubercular samurai who wants to check out with style but needs a little help from the. The blind swordsman movie videos for the full length movie and video clips on mefeedia. Wildly popular in japan during the original airing of the zatoichi movies and tv series of the 60s and 70s. This film is a shebang, a fullscale show, complete with everything you would happily pay to see. Take kurosawas yojimbo character a misnomer, i know and throw him up against katsus zatoichi and you get nothing but samurai goodness.
With this film, toho studios starts making the zatoichi films. Another gang sets upon zatoichi and ryota, and this time tajuro staves off the thugs. 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. Later an enigmatic samurai joins them and helps fight off a second gang. Zatoichi challenged is a 1967 japanese chambara film directed by kenji misumi and starring shintaro katsu as the blind masseur zatoichi. The iconic mysterious stranger that always appears at the start and end of zatoichi films has a larger role here and is an interesting character. Capping off zatoichis feature film era before he made the transition to television in 1974, this chapter is suffused with melancholy, closing the series on a note of. Its one of the best photographed and choreographed duels in zatoichi history. While staying at an inn, ichi shares a room with a sick woman and her child, ryota.
Zatoichi 20 zatoichi meets yojimbo zatoichi to yojimbo 1970 2003 toho co. The complete criterion collection as of 1112018 page 28. Mifune and katsu two great tastes that went great together. His recent film was zatoichi, the blind swordsman 2003, a remake, a homage, and a wry take on one of the most popular series of films from japan in the 1960s and 1970s. The best martial arts movie series youve never heard of. Determined to bring father and son together, zatoichi pits his skills against the gangsters and a ronin who is not entirely what. Its barely worth noting that this particular episode served as the loose basis for a 1990 hollywood adaptation called blind fury. However, the movie quickly settles into an engaging plot. Zatoichis spurting blood road is the seventeenth film in the series. Reviewed in the united states on december 28, 2007. After an artist is threatened by the yakuza into creating valuable but highly illegal pornography, the law aims to execute him.
Zatoichi the outlaw dvd 2004 complete katsu shintaro animeigo. Zatoichi challenged 1967 after an artist is threatened by the yakuza into creating valuable but highly illegal pornography, the law aims to execute him. The blind swordsman box set gets our highest recommendation and damn well deserves it. This deluxe set features the string of twentyfive zatoichi films made between 1962 and 1973, collected in one package for the first time. Amazon teams with sxsw to stream a onetime online film festival for 10 days that will be free to anyone w an amazon account. Zatoichi challenged is by far the best zatoichi movie of the bunch. Not every zatoichi film qualifies as great cinema, but even when the series falters a bit, every single one of these films is still well worth your time. We take a dive into the whopping 25film bluray release of zatoichi. Shintaro katsu, jushiro konoe, miwa takada, yukiji asaoka. A list of the zatoichi films in chronological order.
The story behind the boys father is rather interesting as a glimpse into japanese. Toshiro mifune, shintaro katsu, ayako wakao, osamu takizawa. Everything comes full circle when zatoichi returns to his hometown. Zatoichi goes to the fire festival he doesnt actually, theres some poetic freedom in that title is the 21st film in the series, and by this point, things have gotten beyond stale. A dying woman begs zatoichi to reunite her son with the father he has never met, but when the blind masseur searches for the man, he discovers that he has been forced by a local yakuza boss to pay off his gambling debts in an unusual way. Zatoichi is one of the great characters of any medieval japanese film, and unusually he is not a samurai himself. Zatoichi challenged, zatoichi chikemurikaidoo kenji misumi 1967. The fugitive, zatoichi kyojo tabi is a 1963 japanese chambara film directed by tokuzo tanaka starring shintaro katsu as the blind masseur zatoichi, originally released by the daiei motion picture company now known as kadokawa pictures. Surprisingly, i found out there were twentyfive more zatoichi films, all starring. Zatoichi meets yojimbo zatoichi to yojinbo 1970 shintaro katsu is the one and only zatoichi, the lovable, blind masseur and roving gambler who, when innocent lives are threatened, becomes the ruthless blind swordsman who can slaughter a dozen men before they know what hit them. Green berets ultralight bug out bag with gear recommendations duration. Can you provide a listing of all the zatoichi film titles.
This criterion box set of all 25 of the early zatoichi movies is a bargain. Zatoichi goes to the fire festival by kenji misumi. In maebara, zatoichi learns that ryotas father is being held captive by gonzo, the town boss, whose black market operations violate the laws of the ruling shogunate. The zatoichi the blind swordsman set ends with zatoichis conspiracy 1973, but theres no sense of closure like a book as the character moved onto television from 1974 to 1979, and then katsu returned to the role one last time in zatoichi the blind swordsman 1989. Actually to be honest the films strong points is in the sequences, ichi and the boy bonding, the opening fight on the road, the massive attack late in the game and the near perfect final confrontation in the snow between ichi and the samurai who has become his friend. This originally minor character was developed for the screen by daiei film and actor shintaro katsu, who created the screen version. Will the two heroes realize in time that they are on the same side. This scene is from the tale of zatoichi, the first film in the series.
Does not include remakes and other similarly related films, just the original film series. The zatoichi series is a great character study combined with great sword fighting and excitement. If you like this film i would suggest looking into katsus oshi samurai series which continues the atmosphere. Zatoichi challenged is not the best installment, but it is a good one without question, is. Zatoichi challenged 1967stream and watch online moviefone. Challenged is now my second favorite zatoichi film next to pilgrimage.
In this japanese actioner, the brave blind swordsman zatoichi is assigned to escort a little boy to his fathers home. The 1989 film blind fury featuring rutger hauer as a blind swordsman in contemporary america is based on zatoichi challenged 1967, the 17th film in the series of 26. One of the best zatoichi films but not similar to the others. Zatoichi fans will find this one of the most enjoyable in the series. One of criterions bestever home video releases, zatoichi. This is a list of all the zatoichi movies starring shintaro katsu. Zatoichi kills all five and continues on his way, now followed by the samurai tajuro. The blind swordsman bluraydvd box set from criterion. The story line was complicated, and seemed to be a hodgepodge of many previous zatoichi story lines. Followed by zatoichi goes to the fire festival 1970 see more. From 1974 to 1979, the television series zatoichi was produced, starring katsu and some of the same actors that appeared in the films.
Zatoichi tries to unrest the mob rule over a small village all while the gang leaders bodyguard is actually the yojimbo, secretly taking the gang down from the inside. He made 24 installments between 1962 and 1973, and made the last one 16 years later in 1989. 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, having been honor bound to protect the man and his family, must now run against the law. This is actually one of the least formulaic entries in the series its cowritten by the star shintaro katsu, but by now, i just dont really care that much for. The 20th zatoichi film was zatoichi meets yojimbo and it came out january 15 1970. Zatoichi challenged msmichel the 17th entry in the long running series is an excellent story where our hero is once again plunged into a world of corruption, misplaced honour and familial anguish. It was originally released by the daiei motion picture company later acquired by kadokawa pictures. Zatoichi is a criticallyacclaimed recent entry in a decadeslong japanese media franchise, but i regrettably found it to be rather poor, with limp, meandering pacing and fun yet uninteresting. Primarily for my own reference as i make my way through the films but may be useful to others also taking the journey along with the blind masseur. This section of the series is up and down, with highs and lows.
Using his supersensitive powers of perception, he kills them. Seeing kitanos film, i was only aware of one other zatoichi film, not the series. The character, a blind masseur and blademaster, was created by novelist kan shimozawa. I was put off by a musical number near the beginningvery 1960s. The fugitive is the fourth episode in the 26 part film series devoted to the character of zatoichi. Zatoichi challenged, zatoichi chikemurikaido is a 1967 japanese chambara film directed by kenji misumi and starring shintaro katsu as the blind masseur zatoichi.
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