Reviews (1)

An outcast swordsman in old Japan
SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH: SWORD OF ADVENTURE, 1964 (aka SHOWDOWN) is the 5th entry in the Kyoshiro Nemuri/"Son of the Black Mass" series of Japanese swordplay films about a wandering outcast red-haired swordsman whose mother was Japanese and whose father was a European missionary.

In this one, Nemuri meets a local Finance Commissioner who runs afoul of the Shogun's high-living daughter when he cuts off her allowance. Nemuri is impressed by the old man's integrity and saves his life, thus making himself a target of assassins. It's an interesting tale relating the delicate dilemmas faced by public officials in old Japan trying to maintain public order yet not offend powerful interests. However, it gets quite convoluted as it involves a growing cast of characters, including at least five men who want to kill Nemuri, all for varying reasons, including one who just wants to test his swordplay skill against Nemuri's "Full Moon Cut" technique. Unfortunately, there's surprisingly little action until the big fight at the end, where Nemuri takes on all of his opponents.

It's all very well acted and beautifully photographed in color and widescreen (showcased well in this sharp letter-boxed video transfer). It's a proficient work by director Kenji Misumi, whose later films, most notably the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series, are less polished and less formal, but leaner, bloodier and more action-packed and more memorable to fans of the genre. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Zatoichi #4
I really appreciate Home Vision Entertainments production of the Zatoichi movie series. Each release has been an excellent presentation of Zatoichi. As a Japenese Samurai Movie fan I think that this series of DVD's is the best. The character of Zatoichi is very compelling and each story helps you identify with this Blind Swordsman who always trying to do good for others. The examples of Japenese culture during this time period is very beautiful and detailed. Shintaro Katsu displays a wide range of emotions as Zatoichi and his display of swordmanship is excellent. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An...interesting...movie experience
This movie was great fun to watch...possibly because I was laughing incredulously and making sarcastic comments the whole time.
The movie seems to be composed largely of a series of completely random coincidences. The ship's raggedy captain suddenly reveals himself to be the Spanish court lady's father. The samurai escapes from prison JUST IN TIME to save his "young lord", who has coincidentally escaped at exactly the same time.
There are also some things that are SO FAKE it's unbelievable. For one thing, I'm no sailor, but I doubt that you're supposed to leave all the ship's sails up in a wild storm. And that completely impossible and really fake-looking backward somersault in one fight scene was BAD.
That being said, I must admit that the movie wasn't ALL bad. It had interesting bits of East/West contrast, such as a great contrast shot of the Japanese and Europeans praying, Ye Olde Katana-versus-Toledo-Steel debate, and the crowning scene of a JOUSTING MATCH between an armored knight and a samurai with a spear.
The ending was wonderful, actually. The Moroccan sultan's last line ("...infidel, you teach me the meaning of honor") was memorable and quite uplifting. The skinny red-haired boy's promotion to captain was funny. The samurai's expression when the lady kissed his "young lord" was PRICELESS. And the very last line..."under perfect conditions, forever"...aah! So cute and sweet!
So basically, I spent most of the movie laughing and being loudly sarcastic, and the last five minutes loving it. If that's the experience you want to have, you're welcome to watch it.

Without question, the worst movie I've ever seen!
I can't believe anyone would make a movie like this! This flick is a classic example of ignorant people assuming that Asian Martial Arts are the best in the world. The moronic stunts that guy pulled with that katana are impossible! No sword, least of all a katana, can slice through good European plate armour like that! I refer the reader to the recent record-setting "kabutowari" achieved by Toshishiro Obata. This cut holds the world record, and measures a mere handful of centimeters. None of that "slicing helmets in half" crap in the real world. People wore armour because it worked, folks. And there are people who've seen this movie who totally believe this fiction.

History lesson: European steel and metallurgy was vastly superior to contemporary Japanese sciences. Native Japanese steel occurs only in extremely small deposits of black iron-bearing sand, called tamahagane. The excessively complicated process the Japanese smiths developed for forging a sword was necessary due the the incredibly poor quality of their ore. Moreover, the technique of combining hard, high-carbon steel with softer, more resilient iron was well-known in Europe during the Dark Ages. It was employed by the Norse centuries before their ever was such a thing as a katana. Europe's technology had advanced sufficiently by the time the Japanese got around to it, and it was all but obsolete in the West. In fact, when the Europeans first showed up in Japan, the Japanese almost immediately begin European metal. Finally, many, many samurai wisely imported European armour, recognizing that it was far more protective than their own.

For further reading, I recommend: Arms and Armour of the Samurai by Ian Bottomley, any of the Osprey books by Anthony Bryant, and anything by John Clements for comparison of Western and Asian martial technique.

Great Movie
Excellent movie... But Sho Kosugi plays Mayeda not Toshiro Mifune.

Swashbuckling tale of shogun warriors
This video was originally released in the UK as "Shogun Warrior" and stars David Essex as an evil Spanish nobleman who is determined to win the day at all costs. Nothing stands in his way, except a heroic shogun warrior called Mayeda, played by Toshiro Mifune. Great combat scenes and a particular nasty ending for the evil Don Pedro. Has a love interest too as the shogun battles to save a ladies honor from the clutches of Don Pedro. Also stars John Rhys Davies (famous as Indys arab sidekick in the Indiana Jones Movies). Altogether a very enjoyable tale of tragedy, love and adventure.David Essex fans will not be disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Keep them coming guys & girls of HVE!
I just caught this one during the weekend on IFC (Independent Film Channel) here in the good ole USA. And a feeling of joy came over me, as I realized the people at HVE, (Home Vision Entertainment, who are also the distributors of the famed Criterion Collection dvd's) in conjuction with Janus Films, must be coming out with series 9, 10, and 11, in the next series of "Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman". My first thought was to come over here on Amazon, and to see if it was indeed true that they were coming out with these next 3, and to my delightful surprize, they are, on August 19th, 2003. They are all numbered, just like their famed Criterion's that they put out. But the numbers of these, are also in conjuction with how the order of the series ran. They've been showing the first 8 on IFC for so long now, and when I saw this one, I knew they must finally be putting the next 3 out. That's how they been doing them over at HVE, is putting them out by 3's. There's 26 total in the Zatoichi series, and it looks like they're going to keep going for now with them until they get them all? Hopefully, this is the case? These series of Zatoichi are so much fun to watch. I just happened one day to catch one on IFC, and I had to learn more about this man they call Zatoichi, played by the loveable Shintaro Katsu, in a very convincing role. You'd swear he was born with that cane sword in his hand, he uses it with such ease & style.These series mix adventure, with comedy as well, as Zatoichi meets foes in every town he happens upon. Helping out the weak, and needy. You can't help but love the guy.In this one titled, "The Adventures Of A Blind-Man", he happens to go to a town for the celebration of the New Year, and meets a woman who believes her father is either dead, or just missing. And another woman, who's brother was double-crossed by a gang of Yakuza's after murdering a man who the bosses wanted murdered because he knew too much. In the process the Yakuza bosses set this woman's brother up, to cover their own little scheme of corruption among the people in this town. So he's been on the run ever since and wants to go into Exile, but not before gettin these people who double-crossed him. Because the man who they double-crossed also knows too much, and they want to silence him forever. It's a game of cat & mouse. Zatoichi, being the man that he is, wants to help these two young ladies out, but also doesn't want to make anymore enemies, as that's all he pretty much has. He does what he's good at, and Zatoichi once again goes into battle to help these woman out, but not everything goes as planned, and Masseur Ichi must face one foe who believes he can take the blind-man in battle. A very exciting movie, as they usually are with the Zatoichi series.I for one, cannot wait until they come out on dvd, but will continue to watch, hopefully, the next two in the series if they continue to show them on IFC on their "Samurai Saturday's". I own all the series so far that they put out, and they are the prize of my Samurai collection that I have. Zatoichi is an overlooked folk hero of sorts, in my opinion, because he's overshadowed by the likes of Akira Kurosawa, and Tishiro Mifune. But Zatoichi holds his own, and does it with such grace & style. He is most certainly a legend in Japanese Cinema, and a well beloved, respected man in his life as an actor. Shintaro Katsu pasted away a few years back, but his memory lives on in these "Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman" series. They are a must have for any Samurai fan, and a great addition to collector's collection's everywhere, in my opinion. Rest In Peace my friend, and thanks for the memory's

A good adventure
Zatoichi at it again. The humble massuer stumbles into to a town or person and brings the corrupt and wicked to justice with his fast and furious swordwork. This film is another great installment of the Zatoichi series. These movies are all highly entertaining and a joy to own and watch. These films were all made in the 60's but are of a really high quality. What I like most about these films is that they deal more with the common people of that era of Japan rather than just dwelling on the Samurai cast. Highly recommended.

ZatoIchi blind Robin Hood of feudal Japan-great fun to watch
Zatoichi - blind swordsman of feudal Japan is a surprisingly believeable yet unlikely hero. Despite vices of drink, smoking and gambling -- he consistently defends the weak and powerless during this hour and a half, fun filled movie that shifts seamlessly from fast action to humor and finally to deep human sentimentality in a way that is not often shown in Japanese movies. I recommend this movie highly for anyone interested in a light hearted mixture of action and humor.

ZatoIchi Blind Swordsman of Japan - an Asian Robbinhood
The Zato Ichi Series features blind adventurer, expert swordsman who is protector of the weak. With all the vices including drinking and gambling, Ichi is surprisingly believeable in this improbable sounding film. Action packed and compasionate, this film shows a rarely seen aspect of the Japanese consciousness. This, like many of the Ichi films, includes unexpected twists and turns in the plot that make for an enjoyable evening of intertainment.

I recommend this film without reservations to young and old alike. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Zatoichi Challenged
Let me start out by saying that If I knew about this, Shintaro Katsu would have gotten props from me a long time ago for his superb swordsmanship. Zatoichi Challenged was one of my absolute favorite episodes. Lush scenery, easy to follow plotline, and some of the most unparalleled REALTIME swordplay that this aspiring swordsman has EVER seen. To put it bluntly, this whole series is simply eye-popping. A fair warning to those who don't like to miss much with their movies: When watching ANYTHING from this series.........DON'T BLINK.

This is a Great Movie
I have seen 4 of the Zatoichi movies and have never been dissapointed in any of them. This Movie is no exception. It has a great story and great acting and some of the best martial art weapons action you will ever see. The final fight in this film is beautifully filmed and is among one of the best I have ever seen. I'm glad I have this film in my collection and I hope to have all the Zatoichi films. Not only is the action great but the filmwork, writing and acting are all excellent in these films. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Decked out in stone gray with a scowling jade-green war face, the 60-foot statue come to life, Majin, is one of the most impressive of giant Japanese monster movie threats, an irresistible force relentlessly driving ahead with the thundering echoes of his earthshaking steps. This unusual mix of the fantasy and samurai genres put Daiei into the rampaging monster business in 1966 with not one but three monumental adventures set in the feudal past. In the first of the trilogy, this massive statue rising up out of the mountains contains the trapped spirit of a destructive god, or so goes the legend. An ambitious chamberlain plays on the peasants' fears to overthrow the peaceful lord and enforces an iron fist on his nation, but 10 years later he sends his soldiers to destroy the stone monolith. When Majin is finally roused by prayer and righteous anger it proves to be an impressive figure, leaving the chamberlain's massive fort splinters and rubble in its wake while relentlessly hunting down the villain to deliver his poetic justice. Director Kimiyoshi Yasuda brings a stoic seriousness to these scenes, never once allowing them to slip into camp. If only his handling of the human drama was equally bold. The story of the royal heirs growing up in the shadow of Majin and planning their return to power is serviceable if conventional, but once Majin stirs at the 60-minute mark, the film roars to life for a destructive, ruthlessly satisfying conclusion. The title Daimajin roughly translates to "Giant" or "Monster" Majin; the film isalso known as "Giant Majin" and "Majin: Monster of Terror." Two sequels, Return of Daimajin and Wrath of Daimajin, were shot simultaneously by different directors. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Daimajin Review
I remember seeing this on creature double feature as a kid and it was the english dubbed version. Being half japanese, I started collecting japanese movies and never thought I would see this one for sale but was glad to find it. I brought back memories. The title is fitting...although in truth, three separate words. Dai (large or great) Ma (all powerfull or powerfull beyond comprehension in essence although you assume whatever you are referring to to be evil) and Jin (refers to a person but is also used to refer to a deity). example americanjin (american person) The statue in this movie is supposed to have the spirit of an evil warrior god sealed within it. In the beginning, the just and kind ruler of the people is overthrown and killed by his ambitious chamberlain.
The chamberlain then forces the people into slave labor and a life of total misery. The good lord's son and daughter are secreted away and hidden. In the end, the statue god comes out of the mountain destroying everything it comes across, delivering it's retribution on the evil lord.
The widescreen format makes a big difference and although not everybody's cup of tea, hearing the japanese dialog and seeing the english subtitles is interesting in and of itself. The movie contains several actors who went on to become very famous. The actress who plays princess Kozasa and the actor portraying Kogenta both went on to become extremely famous actors in japan. I found the special effects to be good also. (keep in mind the movie was made in the early 60"s!) A very enjoyable and entertaining movie.

Daimajin
I remember this film from when I was a kid,it was then called"Majin,Monster of Terror"and it was dubbed,not subtitled.The widescreen really makes all the difference I think and it is just as great now as it ever was.Evil warlord takes over Japanese village and its Majin to the rescue!But is Majin's destruction worth the price?

The colossus of Japan.
Mixing elements of the jedai(samurai)film with elements of the kaiju(monster)film, Daimajin is a rousing adventure that is sure to appeal to fans of both types of films. Set in medievel Japan, the film follows the story of a boy and his sister, who are pursued by the man who had their father murdered and then took over his kingdom. Watching all of this is the giant statue of Majin, a powerful spirit that can be invoked to right wrongs and punish evil-doers. The story moves along well, aided by good performances by all of the actors, though it is perhaps a bit slow at first. Once Daimajin("dai" meaning giant, "majin" meaning spirit) revives, all hell breaks loose on the evil Lord and his men. The spfx are spectacular(immensely aided by the widescreen presentation). Functioning like a pounding funeral drum is Akira Ifukube's magnificent score, one of his best non-Godzilla works. This is a great film that is thankfully no longer obscure.

Great Movie
This movie is aweswome. Daimajin destroying the nation is a pretty cool scene. But personally WRATH OF DAIMAJIN is better

A terrific fantasy film I loved as a kid.
A medieval Japanese village suffers a violent coup d'etats during a ceremony to placate the warrior god Majin, whose spirit is encased in a 20-foot stone statue that threatens to come to life and pummel the town to dust. The ceremony works all too well: the peasants endure ten years of forced labor and brutal taxation at the hands of an evil Warlord before the deity awakens from his slumber to destroy the tyrant and his army.

This movie rocks! (Pun fully intended.) The story moves at a brisk pace, as any good adventure should, and creates a fair amount of suspense along the way, despite the all but inevitable conclusion. The cinematography and set design are superb, effectively contrasting the beauty and mystery of the countryside with the back-breaking drudgery of the local labor camp. The special effects are also impressive, from the haunting opening shot of a giant eye superimposed on a gloomy mountainside to Majin's destruction of the villains and their fortifications.

Most interesting is the film's treatment of the Majin himself. Sporting a scowl that would make Redd Foxx shudder, Majin slays all who stand in his path, be they good or evil. Yet this object of terror clearly respects and responds to selfless devotion--a girl's imminent suicide actuates his rampage, while her tearful prayer ends it--which places him on a somewhat higher moral plane than the sneering, sadistic Warlord (boo, hiss). The moral: sometimes the evil we don't know IS preferable to the evil we endure. Heady stuff for a children's fantasy film.

All in all a highly enjoyable kaiju eiga (giant monster movie). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Zatoichi #4
I really appreciate Home Vision Entertainments production of the Zatoichi movie series. Each release has been an excellent presentation of Zatoichi. As a Japenese Samurai Movie fan I think that this series of DVD's is the best. The character of Zatoichi is very compelling and each story helps you identify with this Blind Swordsman who always trying to do good for others. The examples of Japenese culture during this time period is very beautiful and detailed. Shintaro Katsu displays a wide range of emotions as Zatoichi and his display of swordmanship is excellent. ... Read more