Know your Samurai flicks? [A "Name that movie" thread]

Fallingman

Gah, this has been driving me nuts!
I'm on a Samurai movie bender at the moment (potentially in the lead up to finally joining a Kenjutsu club), and I remember a scene in a movie, but it's eluding me.

I remember a character having flashbacks to his earlier days in a dojo where he's beaten rather sadistically by another man (may have been a challenging student?), and humiliated.

He ultimately comes back for revenge to find:

The guy is old and sick, and no threat to anyone any more

Help!
I'm totally going to swear once someone can help me out - and say "of course it bloody was!" it's on the tip of my tongue!

Hmmm.While we're here - I guess if you're into it, recommend away. For what it's worth, I've seen and recommend:
- 7 Samurai
- Yojimbo
- Twilight Samurai
- 13 Assassins
- The Hidden Blade
- The Last Samurai (I know, but I have a weak spot for it)

I'm looking at some more modern ones too like Azumi and I see there's a Rurouni Kenshin live action film... Anyone know if these are any good?

Hajime!

Fantasma

If you have nothing against anime, Samurai Shamploo.

Also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Honor

metaghost

@Fallingman — What you've described kinda sounds like Sword of Doom, which has a main character who is the sadistic dickhead who brutally murders a man during sparring at a dojo. The murdered man's younger brother then hunts down the main character, only to find that he's turned into a sloppy drunk.

Gaslight

I don't know the specific film you're thinking of, but it sounds like a winner, so I'll be interested to see if @metaghost was right or if somebody else figures it out for you.

As for other recommendations...

Hara-Kiri (only seen the recent remake of this, have the Criterion release of the original 60's version but haven't had time to watch it yet - remake was tops, I expect nothing less from the original.)
Three Outlaw Samurai
Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy

If you've already seen Yojimbo, there is a sequel to Yojimbo called Sanjuro, which is somewhat lighter in tone but still worth seeing.

Sticking with Kurosawa, perhaps not "just" samurai movies per se, but having seen Seven Samurai you owe it to yourself to see Kagemusha, and Ran (which is kind of Kurosawa doing King Lear and his last major film). The earlier Throne of Blood (Kurosawa doing MacBeth basically) is pretty great as well.

The Hidden Fortress I have to admit I was not impressed with on first viewing, though I wanted to like it very much since it's Kurosawa and I know it was a big influence on George Lucas in creating Star Wars. The princess character in particular annoyed the heck out of me. I need to rewatch it.

Also, the Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman series. There's a total of 26 (!) films in this series plus a hundred episodes' worth of a TV series from the 70's, so they could keep you occupied for a while. I've only seen a few of the movies but they've all been worth the time. There is also apparently a 2003 Zatoichi movie I somehow wasn't aware of before, but which was apparently well received.

mojojoeo

can i ask one here too? I remember very little about the movie but the closing scene should be distinctive enough.

Good guy vs 7 bad asses. The move has him going through 2 or so. He agrees to duel the 3rd or 4th guy who is leagues better than the others thus far. The duel is to be held in the morning on a small island. Good guy rows out. Finds bad guy already on beach. He carved his boat into a big wooden sword. He is bored by combat after being so successful and will use this weapon to entertain him. And besides only one of them is rowing back. The duel on the beach. Good guy wins. I think thats the end but am not sure. I *THINK* the movie ended with unfinished business- ie more guys to kill in a sequel.

That scene is all that sticks out. I watched it on VHS from blockbuster in about 2000 (i worked there so i watched alot of weird movies). anyone have any ideas?

Librarian

The 2003 Zatoichi movie was made by and is starring Kateshi Kitano and it is very good.

Gaslight

mojojoeo wrote: »

can i ask one here too? I remember very little about the movie but the closing scene should be distinctive enough.

Good guy vs 7 bad asses. The move has him going through 2 or so. He agrees to duel the 3rd or 4th guy who is leagues better than the others thus far. The duel is to be held in the morning on a small island. Good guy rows out. Finds bad guy already on beach. He carved his boat into a big wooden sword. He is bored by combat after being so successful and will use this weapon to entertain him. And besides only one of them is rowing back. The duel on the beach. Good guy wins. I think thats the end but am not sure. I *THINK* the movie ended with unfinished business- ie more guys to kill in a sequel.

That scene is all that sticks out. I watched it on VHS from blockbuster in about 2000 (i worked there so i watched alot of weird movies). anyone have any ideas?

The whole "Ride out to an island on a boat for a duel and improvise a weapon along the way" thing is a classic part of the Mushashi legend, and I'm sure there have been a number of films that depict it. Though usually the way I've heard it told is that he turns an oar from the boat into a sword...not the boat itself. I am imagining him picking up the boat like a little hulk and smashing his foe over the head with it.

The Samurai trilogy I linked to above includes this episode, but I don't remember it being in the larger context of a series of seven opponents. It's just Musashi dueling a single rival on a beach.

Grislo

The movie you describe doesn't ring any bells, but you might like 'When the Last Sword is Drawn' and 'Twilight Samurai'.

RoyceSraphim

Shogun's Samurai
This one gets a little dark but I enjoyed it, I think its the first Sonny Chiba film I actually saw.

Fallingman

Hmmm, I dont think it was Sword of Doom.

I dont think that this was the main thrust of the story, more of an incidental plot point. I remember the fight a little - it was an exhibition match at the Dojo, and they fight with Bokken (wooden swords). The "good guy" loses and is on the ground, and the bad guy starts thrashing him while he's beaten - with close up on his face to show he's enjoying it.

Page-

No idea what that movie is, but if you're looking for a slightly goofier, more modern (not that modern, it was still made over 10 years ago) take on classic Samurai movies then Samurai Fiction is where it's at.

noir_blood

Ghost Dog.

Fallingman

Ghost dog seems to be on a lot of lists, I might have to re-watch it.

Argh, I still cant get this movie. I dont think it's a classic, I seem to think it's in the slightly more modern category. Late 90's plus?

Nocren

mojojoeo wrote: »

can i ask one here too? I remember very little about the movie but the closing scene should be distinctive enough.

Good guy vs 7 bad asses. The move has him going through 2 or so. He agrees to duel the 3rd or 4th guy who is leagues better than the others thus far. The duel is to be held in the morning on a small island. Good guy rows out. Finds bad guy already on beach. He carved his boat into a big wooden sword. He is bored by combat after being so successful and will use this weapon to entertain him. And besides only one of them is rowing back. The duel on the beach. Good guy wins. I think thats the end but am not sure. I *THINK* the movie ended with unfinished business- ie more guys to kill in a sequel.

That scene is all that sticks out. I watched it on VHS from blockbuster in about 2000 (i worked there so i watched alot of weird movies). anyone have any ideas?

I HAVE THESE MOVIES!

They're actually famous warriors/samurai ressurected as demons. That one actually IS Musashi
Protagonist is Jubei Yagyu.

Jubei's Revenge/Reborn from Hell is the name of the movies/series.

DusT_HounD

Oops, didn't see Grislo's recommendation before posting, but I also liked When the Last Sword is Drawn.
It's very much a study on the philosophy of the samurai, rather than just the cutting people with swords part, and is well worth a watch.
EDIT: that said, one or two people do indeed get cut with swords during the course of the film.

Obviously.

Ataxrxes

If you can track it down, The Gambling Samurai as well as anything starring Toshiro Mifune. For a more ludicrous good time Shogun Assassin or Lone Wolf and Cub, it has a few different names and there are a couple three films in that series I think.

Donovan Puppyfucker

I was just about to recommend lone wolf and cub!

TAFKAP

Librarian wrote: »

The 2003 Zatoichi movie was made by and is starring Kateshi Kitano and it is very good.

I think the OP is thinking of Zatoichi. IIRC, the ronin that is hired as a bodyguard that goes to fight an old nemesis

Fallingman

TAFKAP wrote: »

Librarian wrote: »

The 2003 Zatoichi movie was made by and is starring Kateshi Kitano and it is very good.

I think the OP is thinking of Zatoichi. IIRC, the ronin that is hired as a bodyguard that goes to fight an old nemesis

You know what? You might be right... I'll have to check - I actually own Zatoichi.

Hot3lCali4nia

Didn't know how to make a new thread so figured i'd post it here since the topic is pretty much the same.
Anyways, I watched a movie a couple months ago and can't for the life of me remember what it's called.
It's a Samurai movie (live action) , where the clan is betrayed and murdered by their adopted (?) brother. The protagonist goes into hiding, where he meets a god who begins to train him. His friends become worried for him because he comes home every day beaten and bloody, so they investigate, but find nothing there, so they think he's hallucinating.
He finally confronts his betrayer, and the guy is covered with metal plates/scales that make him impervious, nearly god-like.
Any help would be greatly appreciated lol