Zatoichi Rules!

[Flashjeff]

I'm a Dish Network subscriber and have the HD package which gives me nearly 20 high definition channels, one of which is Kung Fu HD, a channel devoted entirely to all manner of martial arts flicks, everyone from Bruce Lee classics, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat, badly dubbed flicks from the 80's, even black and white samurai flicks from way back in the day.

Every now and then, my new hero shows up on the channel----Zatoichi!! For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, this was a series of Edo period samurai flicks from the early 60's to the mid 70's about a blind, unassuming masseur named Zatoichi who wanders from town to town, getting into adventures while slicing and dicing bad guys with his cane sword as he's a skilled samurai who's hell on wheels in a fight, even without sight. I think it's the coolest! Every time a Zatoichi flick comes on, I stop whatever I'm doing and tune in! The sword fights are nothing short of sensational, and the stories are pretty good too! Zatoichi is well worth checking out.

 

[Mycernius]

Have you seen the film with Beat Takashi in? It's a great film.
My brother is into old 70s and 80s martial arts flicks, so I just borrow his. He keeps saying he might get the Zatoichi films when they eventually all come out. At the moment they seem to only release a few at a time in "collector" boxes. He has got the Babycart series though, so I might borrow them sometime.

 

[yukio_michael]

Honestly, I haven't seen any of the other Zatouichi, other than the one done by Beat Takashi. I'm told they are quite disimilar, but I like the Takashi version quite a lot, and it had been something like 20 years since the last Zatouichi movie---

Anyways, the latest film I think is great, but I haven't gotten to see how it compares to the older ones.

 

[Flashjeff]

Have you seen the film with Beat Takashi in? It's a great film.

What a coincidence! I just found that movie yesterday and checked it out. I liked it a lot, Beat Takashi was great as Zatoichi and the plot of the movie was outstanding what with those murdering geishas out for revenge against the men who killed their parents when they were kids. And that dance number with the townsfolk at the end was slammin'! All in all, it was very enjoyable.

 

[den4]

I liked Beat Takeshi (or shall I say Takeshi Kitano?)'s Zatoichi, haven't seen the older versions, but I am still looking for Twilight Samurai, When the Last Sword is drawn, and Shinobi ....

Also am looking for this one version of the long list of Miyamoto Musashi movies that was made that I saw back in the early '80's...forgot the title of the one I saw, but it was a lot different than the version done as the samurai trilogy with Toshiro Mifune.....this version I saw was a trifle more violent, and Musashi just would go through a horde of people with a wooden blade...

and this was before CG and other SFX was made for the movies....so many movies to see, so little time and access to see them all

 

[xerxes99]

I really enjoyed the New version a lot, but I love the old ones so much. Jeff, have you seen Zatouichi Versus Yojimbo? It's one of the later ones with Toshiro Mifune. It's a lot of fun!

 

[ricecake]

We've seen most of the re-mastered color version of Zatoichi TV series from the 1950's-1960's,great storylines and entertaining sword fights.

 

[Flashjeff]

I really enjoyed the New version a lot, but I love the old ones so much. Jeff, have you seen Zatouichi Versus Yojimbo? It's one of the later ones with Toshiro Mifune. It's a lot of fun!

I haven't seen it, but I've heard of it. And yeah, it does sound like fun. I'll have to look for that one!

 

[yukio_michael]

Right now they are packaging Kitano's excelent yakuza film, Sonatine w/ Zatouichi, so if you get a chance even to rent it, you'll get to see Sonatine as well. Available also from Amazon, here.