When we last checked in on Seijun Suzuki, he had just landed himself in some serious trouble with his employers at the Nikkatsu Company film studio. Having already warned the director that his films were getting far too weird, Suzuki offered them Tokyo Drifter, a kaliedoscopic, madcap riot, but also the best of the 38 films [...]
Film of the Day – Tokyo Drifter (Seijun Suzuki, 1966)
by alan on 21. Apr, 2009 in talkies
Seijun Suzuki is drinking in the Last Chance Saloon… Or rather, he is drinking in whatever the Japanese equivalent of the Last Chance Saloon is. The year is 1966, and Suzuki is the undisputed king of the B-movie in Japan. He is a contract director at the Nikkatsu Company’s studio in Tokyo, and he has already [...]
Film Of The Day – High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)
by alan on 26. Mar, 2009 in talkies
Blah, blah, blah… Seven Samurai was remade as The Magnificent Seven by John Sturges in 1960… Yackety smackety… Yojimbo served as the inspiration for Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars… Blah, blah, blah… George Lucas ripped off The Hidden Fortress for Star Wars… Yackety smackety… etc. No, I haven’t gone mad. I just want to roll out [...]

