A Mama Tomato, a Papa Tomato, and a Baby Tomato are walkin down the street. The Baby Tomato starts to lag behind so the Papa Tomato gets real angry and stomps on him, squishing him and says, "Ketchup."
Time for me to play Catch up.
52.
Tokyo Story is one of a handful I severely wanted to see prior to making my list, with a firm belief it would have made my list - never mind being one I truly NEED to see. I've only seen two of Ozu's and with each one my respect and love as grown. Firstly with
A Hen in the Wind where I paused to research Ozu, my discoveries creating a growing fascination that built to love upon seeing another that is on my List; propelling me to firmly place
Tokyo Story on my Watchlist/Film Challenge to ensure I rectify this.
51.
The Celebration I have not heard of but with the high praise, I have read here, it has been added to my Film Challenge for a Dogme entry.
50.
Sansho the Bailiff I consider a Must See! for me and truly need to.
49.
Three Colours: Blue Have not seen any of them and in my ignorance, I have never attempted to.
48.
Close-Up Is unknown to me
47.
Pather Panchali I have heard a lot of praise for this one but have not actively searched it out.
46.
Princess Mononoke This was one of my first introductions to Hayao Miyazaki when I first saw it in a local cinema upon its debut. One that holds more respect than endearment for me. Can't quite explain the why of it, though. It just is. Shockingly, with my love for Miyazaki, especially as I delved deeper into his work recently, I was unable to place one on my List.
45.
Playtime I had not heard of this Tati film until I saw it recommended to @
Thief in a Personal Rec HoF and his enjoyment of it. I have seen and thoroughly enjoyed
Mon Ocle so I definitely need to see this as well.
44.
La Strada I have only recently aka FINALLY checked out Fellini and so I need to delve more and this is one of them I should see.
43.
Grave of the Fireflies Now, I know for a fact that this is an exceptional film, but I have always avoided it due to just how sad of a film it is. Presently I have it nominated for me in a Personal Rec HoF so this just may be the next one I watch this weekend.
42.
Yojimbo #8 from my list.
41.
High and Low #21 from my list.
Yojimbo (1961)
Gonji - Tavern Keeper: What'll you do now?
Sanjuro Kuwabatake: Go next door and buy a coffin.
Gonji - Tavern Keeper: How can you give up like that?
Sanjuro Kuwabatake: You idiot! I'm not dying yet! There's a bunch of guys I have to kill first.
This has been
THE MOST FUN I've had watching an Akira Kurosawa so far.
The few I've seen had been very serious dramas, and unlike them, there is a playfulness to this - what could be considered a classic popcorn-munching action film. One that is very much in the top echelon of that subgenre. Dark humor and sarcastic wit permeate this very entertaining film. Even the Soundtrack invokes a kind of "Comedic Carnival" tone that worked very much in its favor.
The inspiration to Sergio Leone's
A Fistful of Dollars and Walter Hill's
Last Man Standing, it is said that Kurosawa was inspired, equally, with Hollywood Westerns, and, what I didn't know, by
The Glass Key (1942). Which is getting bumped in my Sh#t I just GOTTA see. SOON.
Toshirô Mifune, taking Kurosawa's advice that his character is a wolf or a dog, incorporated, along with some truly great, and at times, amusing expressions, will shrug/twitch much like a dog scratching at fleas.
I can't help but think that he may have had a lot of fun with this character, because of the evident humor within his, as always, fantastic performance.
Along with him are two exceptional actors, Tatsuya Nakadai as the pistol-toting Unosuke -
- and the crotchety Tavern Keeper, Gonji (Takashi Shimura), holding their own with the scene-stealing Mifune.
Exploring my initial pleasure regarding,
Dark humor, sarcastic wit, Soundtrack = a very cool "Comedic Carnival" tone, is the numbskull, cowardly, wannabe thugs, that are the hired soldiers for the two bickering Bosses of the nearly deserted town.
I am UTTERLY heartbroken I could not locate a gif of the cowards vs. cowards attempt at, but too afraid to, street fight.
But, this guy was, and that's how I felt too.
This was utterly, UTTERLY, f@ckin AWESOME!
I discipline my dumb @ss for taking this long to see this FINALLY
High and Low aka Tengoku to jigoku
Ginjirô Takeuchi, medical intern: I'd rather be told the cruel truth than be fed gentle lies.
This is my second detective film by Kurosawa, the first was
Stray Dog.
My initial films for Kurosawa, for all their greatness - which can not be denied, have had a tendency to drag a bit at times for me.
This did not.
Along with so many great shots and his usual attention to detail, we get a very full investigation in finding, pursuing, and the eventual capture of a kidnapper. None of which had that lull that had caused me to drift on other films, such as
Seven Samurai,
Throne of Blood and
Stray Dog. All of which I truly love and need to revisit.
I found myself fully immersed, pausing the timer out of curiosity and pleasure of how it moved along for me. This in itself is a bit of a curiosity for me, since, if you asked me, I could not say why this specific film of his kept my complete attention as opposed to other truly great films of his.
But I was.
From the first introduction of Gondo and his fellow Directors of the Board for the shoe company they worked for to the kidnapping, the drop-off, and the real chase: Finding the kidnapper and capturing him for a greater crime and thereby, the harsher punishment.
The final third of the film as they followed him as he purchased more heroin was far more gripping than many films I've seen with a similar circumstance.
To state a Kurosawa film as excellent is pretty much redundant, but, for me, this is something new, it was gripping.
Movies Seen: 25 of 60 (41.66%)
3. Shoplifters (2018) #72
4. Rome, Open City (1945) #93
5. Rififi (1955) #76
6. Army of Shadows (1969) #90
8. Yojimbo (1961) #42
13. Samurai Rebellion (1967) #79
19. Paprika (2006) #100
21. High and Low (1963) #41
25. In This Corner of the World (2016) One Pointer
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