Author: coolpapae
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Criterion: Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple – is giant
Musashi’s presence is undeniable as the burgeoning samurai. His is one of the giant characters in episodic history, every bit worth the value of the legend he represents.
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Criterion: I Live In Fear (*****) has reason on all sides
Kurosawa, Shimura and Mifune by this point are in full swing. There is nothing in the world that matches their ability to relay a story.
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Criterion: Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (****) begins a great adventure
This is definitely a star turn for Mifune, if there ever was one. His performance is exceptional and layered.
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Criterion: Vendetta of a Samurai (****) – Correcting a history of violence
Mifune, learning from his mentor (Shimura) a sense of subtlety, is able to further his effectively obvious passion through restraint. Even without words, we understand both perfectly.
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BlacKkKlansman (****1/2) greatness mixed with prejudice
Spike Lee makes a great film, then he takes a dump in the credits with easily refuted claims through selected editing. Why?
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Black and Blue (**1/2) is familiar territory
Overall, the film is competent, nothing more. There are no real scenes that give one the sense of being in New Orleans, other than destitution. If you like the actors, give it a try.
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Criterion: Red Sun (*) You can’t spend ideas
Director Terence YoungScreenplay Denne Bart Petitclerc, William Roberts, Lawrence RomanStarring Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, Toshirō Mifune, Alain Delon, Capucine Red Sun is a Franco-Italian gimmick film made on the cheap. It seemed like a great idea, I suppose. Mifune’s move to making American films always feels gimmicky. Race relations had evolved only to the point…
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Netflix’s Extraction (****) Hold my beer
Extraction is a very good film. It will be a big hit on Netflix for a while when the streaming giant needs something to keep everyone happy in quarantine. I know I will be watching it again soon.
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Criterion: Seven Samurai (*****) stands the test of time
Seven Samurai should be Movies 101 for any serious lover of film. If you haven’t seen it, you should.
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The Fifth Element (****) is worth Another Look
The name Korben Dallas just begs for a series of sequels. These never happened. Maybe it is for the best, but I could have enjoyed a few more ventures to other planets in the future.
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 