Pat Coston Movie Reviews

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Zatoichi - The Blind Swordsman

Thanks to NetFlix recommendations, I discovered the Zatoichi movie and TV series from Japan. It's one of the longest Japanese running series. It is set in the Edo period in Japan. Zatoichi is a blind wanderer who makes money as a masseur. He is also good at gambling. Being blind, he uses his other enhanced senses to help him listen to the dice and know if they are odd or even. His main talent is a master swordsman.

These scenes I've captured are from the third film which is also the first colored film.

Being blind, people think he is an easy kill. In fact, he acts crippled, old, slow and unaware until the moment he strikes. When he strikes, your dead. One swing or stab of his sword is all it takes. He hides his sword in common objects like a bed roll or a cane so his attackers think he is unarmed.

He often likes to get down on one knee or both knees. This low position somehow gives him an advantage. You can see in the pictures above how he also holds his swords upside down allowing him to attack using unconventional angles. His technique is very unpredictable. He will also use darkness to his advantage.

Sometimes he will take on a dozen men at the same time as in this picture. Notice how he is listening for the stroke of the sword. He is aware of where each man is. He can hear them breathing and stepping. Click the thumbnail to see the larger version. Knowing there is a man behind him, he will back toward the man to act as though he doesn't know. When the man goes to strike, he quickly spins around and deals a deadly blow before the man can finish his strike.

The story line is similar to the classic TV show Kung Fu where Caine walks the Earth visiting villages and righting wrongs. Zatoichi wanders Japan moving from village to village. Trouble always seems to find Zatoichi or he goes looking for trouble with the intention of helping the poor and helpless. He is a super hero. I would not doubt it if the TV series Kung Fu was based on Zatoichi.

There are 26 films and 112 TV episodes. I've seen roughly 5 of the films and I'm hooked.

I can tell you about the amazing fight scenes but you really need to see them for yourself. YouTube has tons of Zatoichi videos. Here are some of my favorites.

This scene is from the last Zatoichi film made in 2003. It features computer generated blood and amputations. His cane holds his sword and also doubles as a weapon. Made of metal, his cane can successfully block a sword stroke.



This scene is from that same 2003 movie. Notice how he walks like a crippled old man. His hidden attackers have no idea of his skill. In the darkness of night, he has the advantage.



This type of fight is rare since Zatoichi does not kill his attacker with a single blow. The fight lasts a long time and Zatoichi is knocked down and his sword is broken. All seems lost but Zatoichi turns the tables in the last instant.



There are many more videos on YouTube. Certainly Zatoichi is not for everyone but I find it appealing because people under estimate him. He is far more than he appears. He uses his blindness to help people. He kills the bad guys and makes the world a better place.

I have yet to learn how he was blinded or why he wanders instead of settling down but I'm sure I'll have a much better understanding once I finish watching all the movies and TV shows.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Observe and Report

Holy Shit! That's what I said to myself over and over while watching this movie. Time after time, I did not see it coming. It's a movie that is full of surprises not to mention extremely funny and shocking. It's not for everyone. I would not recommend this movie to my parents or anyone under 13.

I think this is one of those love it or hate it movies. I loved it but I've read some user reviews on imdb.com and they either love it or hate it. The reviews are split down the middle. There is no in between.

It does help if the audience is laughing around you. The audience I saw this with thought it was hilarious but strangely enough, I found myself laughing alone at times. This is definitely a dark comedy.

You do have to suspend your belief in reality a few times for example the surprise ending when Seth's character finally takes the mall flasher down ... with extreme prejudice.

The posters are everywhere as you drive around Hollywood. It's rare to see a movie with multiple versions of the movie poster. Perhaps that's a trend we'll see more often in the future.


Not since I saw Harvey Keitel's penis after seeing The Piano and The Bad Lieutenant back to back have I seen so much penis. I thought The Watchmen showed a lot of penis but this one breaks all records for an R Rated movie that I've ever seen. 2009 is the year of the penis in movies. Jason Mewes exposes himself in Zack and Miri make a Porno.

Seth Rogen is really on a role. His first role was a bully burn-out in the TV show Freaks and Geeks. I thought at the time that this guy had no future as an actor. Then I saw him Donnie Darko, Undeclared (TV), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express and Zack and Miri make a Porno.

Jody Hill was the writer and director of Observe and Report. She has had an impressive career as an actor, producer, writer and director. She's had even portions of all four of those careers.

I think we can all relate to Ronnie as he struggled to achieve his dreams. He wants to catch the mall flasher, to date the beautiful make-up girl, to catch the guy that has been robbing the mall on a regular basis and he wants to be a police officer. But life has a way of taking us in directions we had not expected and things usually turn out OK, although different than we expected.