Member DeathShrike Posted April 2, 2009 Member Share Posted April 2, 2009 I'm sure there is a thread for this already, but I have no idea what to search for. I have found it pretty easy to find quality samurai movies. But what I would like suggestions for is the "Arterial Spray" heavy samurai movies. Which films that feature this kind of hyper-violence do you recommend? Examples of what I consider in this sub-sub-genre: The Lone Wolf and Club series The Lady Snowblood series Hanzo the Razor series I would even count Sanjuro for it's perfectly timed single arterial spray moment, though artistically valid is not what I am looking for necessarily. What are some entertaining actiony-type samurai movies that fit this bill? I want BLOOD! Hell, I will take suggestions for any kind of Japanese ultra violent action film, including the likes of the Street Fighter series! What are some "good" films that match that quotient of mega-violence? I'm making my way through the Female Prisoner Scorpion series, but I'm not so into the sexual violence. It will be tolerated on occasion, but I would prefer to avoid rape-centric flicks, if possible (he says, in a post that includes Hanzo the Razor as an example). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gaijin84 Posted April 2, 2009 Member Share Posted April 2, 2009 the Mikogami trilogy, 1972-73: The Trail of Blood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y8sn3f6szw) The Fearless Avenger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyi7wVVRCrY) Slaughter in the Snow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEb9yH91m5A) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DeathShrike Posted April 3, 2009 Author Member Share Posted April 3, 2009 Sweet. Netflixin' those bitches. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gaijin84 Posted April 3, 2009 Member Share Posted April 3, 2009 Try these too: Demon Spies - http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Demon_Spies/70036634?trkid=222336&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strkid=483859671_0_0 Shadow Hunters - http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Shadow_Hunters/70039265?trkid=222336&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strkid=841560617_2_0 Shadow Hunters II - http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Shadow_Hunters_II_Echo_of_Destiny/70039266?trkid=174833 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tosh Posted April 3, 2009 Member Share Posted April 3, 2009 Check out some of the Yakuza movies for some ultra violence, as they're not always shooting each other, you have limbs being cut off, heads smashed in with steel pipes, ect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DeathShrike Posted April 3, 2009 Author Member Share Posted April 3, 2009 Check out some of the Yakuza movies for some ultra violence, as they're not always shooting each other, you have limbs being cut off, heads smashed in with steel pipes, ect. Which Yakuza films were you thinking of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 4, 2009 Administrator Share Posted April 4, 2009 Which Yakuza films were you thinking of? Check out GRAVEYARD OF HONOR. Both the original Kinji Fukasaku film, and the remake by Takashi Miike are both bloody, violent, and great films. Have you seen BATTLE ROYALE? Excellent, gory film- again by Fukasaku. The sequel is no where near as good, but just as bloody. A few more gory ones off the top of my head... TOKYO GORE POLICE MACHINE GIRL TOKYO FIST VERSUS MEATBALL MACHINE (I thought this film kind of sucked, but it has almost non-stop gore) WILD ZERO ICHI THE KILLER EVIL DEAD TRAP As for more samurai stuff, the above mentioned ones- recommended by Gaijin84- are all great, but none of them are going to be quite as crazed as LONE WOLF in the arterial spray department. But check out SHOGUN'S SHADOW, and there's usually some cool, bloody sword battles in the films of Hideo Gosha. Try his film HUNTER IN THE DARK, that's a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gaijin84 Posted April 4, 2009 Member Share Posted April 4, 2009 the above mentioned ones are all great, but none of them are going to be quite as crazed as LONE WOLF in the arterial spray department. That's the problem - you're really not going to find any movies on the level of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. It was on a seriously different level in terms of a great story along with fantastically done action and blood-letting. It still amazes me that the "special effects" in those were so superior to that in the latest installment of the Zatoichi series. CGI blood just doesn't work.. hopefully it goes away as soon as possible. I think those were also great because of the original manga from Kazuo Koike. He was also responsible for Lady Snowblood. It would be fantastic if someone went old school and did a series of films from the Samurai Executioner manga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DeathShrike Posted April 4, 2009 Author Member Share Posted April 4, 2009 That's the problem - you're really not going to find any movies on the level of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. It was on a seriously different level in terms of a great story along with fantastically done action and blood-letting. It still amazes me that the "special effects" in those were so superior to that in the latest installment of the Zatoichi series. CGI blood just doesn't work.. hopefully it goes away as soon as possible. I think those were also great because of the original manga from Kazuo Koike. He was also responsible for Lady Snowblood. It would be fantastic if someone went old school and did a series of films from the Samurai Executioner manga. I figured LW&C and LS were the cream of the crop, sadly. As for CGI blood, I think we will get used to it, the better it is done. Why don't WE make the Samurai Executioner series. I'm free tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 4, 2009 Administrator Share Posted April 4, 2009 I figured LW&C and LS were the cream of the crop, sadly. As for CGI blood, I think we will get used to it, the better it is done. Why don't WE make the Samurai Executioner series. I'm free tomorrow. The CGI blood ruined the fights in Beat's ZATOICHI for me. That just looked horrible! It was also the downfall of a lot of other scenes in films like DIARY OF THE DEAD (Come on George! Even you? Really?!) and other recent horror films. But I think they're getting much better at making it look real. They still have a ways to go, but at least it wasn't so phony that it distracted me when they used it in PUNISHER: WARZONE (Where it was effectively utilized in conjunction with a lot of great, old school makeup FX) and ONG-BAK 2. Hell, in the old days we were happy just seeing the performer pretend to slice through a gang of stuntmen, as long as at least one of them squeezed off a juicy blood bag now and then. It was just enough to give the illusion that the hero's sword was doing real damage to these screaming, flailing stuntmen. Now, in ONG-BAK 2, as Tony slices multiple thugs- several times each- they add the red stuff to each little strike. And wow, that shit looks cool! Fortunately, they still had the smarts to mix the digital hemorraging with some practical "blood" to make it work. I understand that the CGI blood makes things easier on set, as they don't have a huge cleanup, wardrobe change, et. to do each take, but I still miss the Lone Wolf geisers. XD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gaijin84 Posted April 6, 2009 Member Share Posted April 6, 2009 The CGI blood ruined the fights in Beat's ZATOICHI for me. For me as well. I think I said out loud "oh god no" when I first saw it. I was so surprised and disappointed. I have yet to see Ong Bak 2 - It'll be interesting to see improved effects, but I just think you'll never match the high-pressure blood packs for visceral fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DeathShrike Posted April 6, 2009 Author Member Share Posted April 6, 2009 For me as well. I think I said out loud "oh god no" when I first saw it. I was so surprised and disappointed. I have yet to see Ong Bak 2 - It'll be interesting to see improved effects, but I just think you'll never match the high-pressure blood packs for visceral fun. The CGI blood in the Red Cliff films is largely flawless, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 7, 2009 Administrator Share Posted April 7, 2009 For me as well. I think I said out loud "oh god no" when I first saw it. I was so surprised and disappointed. I have yet to see Ong Bak 2 - It'll be interesting to see improved effects, but I just think you'll never match the high-pressure blood packs for visceral fun. LOL I actually said the same thing aloud! My wife said "What?" The CGI blood in the Red Cliff films is largely flawless, I think. Good to hear. I waited until I had both films to watch, and will marathon them soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WuxiaFan Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 LOL I actually said the same thing aloud! My wife said "What?" Guess I'm alone here-I loved Beat's Zatoichi (2003)! I did not mind the CGI blood. I mean I've seen better effects, but IMO I thought it was well done. Surprised no one mentioned Azumi 1 and 2 for blood geysers! Especially Azumi 1. Highly recommend the Japanese extended version if you can still find it. Azumi 2 is OK, but nothing to write home about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DeathShrike Posted April 7, 2009 Author Member Share Posted April 7, 2009 Guess I'm alone here-I loved Beat's Zatoichi (2003)! I did not mind the CGI blood. I mean I've seen better effects, but IMO I thought it was well done. Surprised no one mentioned Azumi 1 and 2 for blood geysers! Especially Azumi 1. Highly recommend the Japanese extended version if you can still find it. Azumi 2 is OK, but nothing to write home about. The Azumis was an oversight on my part. No, I also really liked Beat's Zatoichi. The CGI blood didn't bother me, but obviously I would have preferred practical blood. Has anyone seen the new Ichi yet? Anyone know how blood-geysery that one was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 7, 2009 Administrator Share Posted April 7, 2009 I also liked Beat's film, but thought that the CGI blood ruined it. His interpretation of the character, the directing, et. was great. But that lame "blood" had me shaking my head in disappointment. Personally I thought AZUMI was a really weak film, and the bloodletting was lame too. I've aso been wondering about ICHI- the film in general- not just the splahy stuff! XD I haven't heard anything about it for a long time now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DeathShrike Posted April 7, 2009 Author Member Share Posted April 7, 2009 I also liked Beat's film, but thought that the CGI blood ruined it. His interpretation of the character, the directing, et. was great. But that lame "blood" had me shaking my head in disappointment. Personally I thought AZUMI was a really weak film, and the bloodletting was lame too. I've aso been wondering about ICHI- the film in general- not just the splahy stuff! XD I haven't heard anything about it for a long time now. I thought Azumi was a really great modern interpretation of the pulpy samurai movies. I thought the lead actress was compelling, the story pretty engaging, and Kitamura's direction typically excellent. Not to mention the body count is in the triple digits, with well over a hundred people dispatched by Azumi alone. Azumi 2 was good, but without the excess of it's predecessor, less noteworthy. Actually, that's too harsh. I think if you go into the film knowing you're not going to get the same level of carnage, it is actually a really good film, with excellent (albeit subtler) direction from Gamera savior Shusuke Kaneko. A series that features my two favorite Japanese directors is going to hold a special place in my heart (just like the Godzilla series would have, if I didn't already love that franchise to death). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gaijin84 Posted April 7, 2009 Member Share Posted April 7, 2009 Has anyone seen the new Ichi yet? Please no... there's a remake?? Or are you referring to the 2001 one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WuxiaFan Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 LOL I actually said the same thing aloud! My wife said "What?" Good to hear. I waited until I had both films to watch, and will marathon them soon. I also liked Beat's film, but thought that the CGI blood ruined it. His interpretation of the character, the directing, et. was great. But that lame "blood" had me shaking my head in disappointment. Personally I thought AZUMI was a really weak film, and the bloodletting was lame too. I've aso been wondering about ICHI- the film in general- not just the splahy stuff! XD I haven't heard anything about it for a long time now. Wow, we have a difference of opinion on AZUMI! There's so many awesome scenes... Other than Mark Pollard's initial story on ICHI (do a search on the KFC homepage), I'm watching for it at HKFlix.com: http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.550242/qx/details.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 7, 2009 Administrator Share Posted April 7, 2009 Please no... there's a remake?? Or are you referring to the 2001 one? Yes, a remake this past year with a female Ichi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 7, 2009 Administrator Share Posted April 7, 2009 Wow, we have a difference of opinion on AZUMI! There's so many awesome scenes... I wanted to love it! If you have any interest in why I didn't... you can check out my post in this thread: http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7560&page=3 BTW- I miss your "snowman" avatar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gaijin84 Posted April 8, 2009 Member Share Posted April 8, 2009 Yes, a remake this past year with a female Ichi. Oh man, I totally misinterpreted that post! I thought you were referring to Ichi the Killer and there was a remake with a female Ichi! :S I was totally baffled! I am interested in seeing the female Zatoichi. I absolutely loved Ping Pong, one of the director's other films. It's one of my favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted April 8, 2009 Administrator Share Posted April 8, 2009 Oh man, I totally misinterpreted that post! I thought you were referring to Ichi the Killer and there was a remake with a female Ichi! :S I was totally baffled! I am interested in seeing the female Zatoichi. I absolutely loved Ping Pong, one of the director's other films. It's one of my favorites. That's funny! ICHI THE KILLER had CGI blood too! But I felt it fit the film's OTT tone. No, no remake. But have you seen the animated prequel ICHI 1? Worth checking out. I'm pretty curious about this new ICHI though. I forgot that it was from PING PONG's director, which makes it even more appealing. I got to see that in a packed theater, and the audience loved it. Plus... it didn't have any CGI blood! XD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member kingofkungfu2002 Posted April 8, 2009 Member Share Posted April 8, 2009 Here's the trailer for ICHI m34AZfZtjls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gaijin84 Posted April 8, 2009 Member Share Posted April 8, 2009 I forgot that it was from PING PONG's director, which makes it even more appealing. I got to see that in a packed theater, and the audience loved it. Plus... it didn't have any CGI blood! Funny - I saw it (Ping Pong) in a packed theater too, at the 2003 Subway Cinema NYAFF in the East Village (Grady Hendrix FTW!). I was blown away, not only being an avid Ping Pong player but the emotion behind it was very well done. I recommend the soundtrack too, some great stuff on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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