movie recommendation

[jjcruiser]

So I've seen Poison Taster, Twilight Samurai, and Hidden Blade. I liked them all (in that descending order). Any suggestions for similar movies?

[Kusemono]

If you haven't seen any of the Akira Kurosawa films ( which is perhaps unlikely ) I recommend Sanjuro for a good Samurai film Yojimbo was a little confusing and I found Sanjuro to be more enjoyable to watch.

From your list I've only seen Twilight Samurai. Poison Taster wouldn't happen to be Love and Honor from the Yoji Yamada trilogy would it?
The best samurai/period films I have seen are Twilight Samurai and Akira Kurosawa's films. I recently bought a few of these and the ones that stood out for me were:
Sanchiro Sugata, Sanshiro Sugata 2 (SS1 & SS2 are about Judo - the sequel is better IMO), Sanjuro and Yojimbo. the Hidden fortress was pretty good too but you've probably seen all of these anyway.

[b8amack]

I love Yojimbo. It doesn't get recommended enough. Much more fun than 7 Samurai, imo. Never heard of Poison Taster. Who's in/directing that?

There have to be at least 100 variants of this thread, though. Search through there.

[jjcruiser]

Yeah poison taster I guess was called "Love and Honor" - I forgot that was it's actual name. Yamada directed it.

[Josh Reyer]

Kitano "Beat" Takeshi's Zatoichi.

[Brian Pettett]

Kurosawa's "Ran" has always been my personal fav.

[yoda-waza]

If you enjoyed the Yamada trilogy, you'll like Semishigure (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQLBp29KVRM):

Stunningly beautiful cinematography. Deeply moving story about love, friendship and unreasonable life. Realistic and exciting sword action. Serene and precise acting of the actors. "Semishigure" already has all the elements of a good samurai movie, but the most powerful one that penetrates through Japanese audience is the quiet appreciation to the virtue that all Japanese people share, throughout its long history and still lives in their hearts. Its serene beauty and the characters' straight posture against their destiny are something that Japanese people seek and apprecaite all the time, either conciously or uncouciously.

Based on one of many samurai novels by Shuhei Fujisawa, Director Mitsuo Kurotsuchi's 15-year long project was finally realized this fall. The main actor Somegoro Ichikawa's picturesque sword action and classy samurai movements are the fruit as his long career as the top Kabuki actor. His opposite Yoshino Kimura is simply beautiful and her hidden sarrow really touches your heart. If you like "The Twilight Samurai", you will definitely appreciate this one by the same original novelist and with the similar appreciation to the Japanese inner beauty.

I have no idea why there is such a corny English title for the film....

[yoda-waza]

I ran across this list of "10 Best Samurai Movies Of All Time" (http://www.spaciousplanet.com/world/guide/10-best-samurai-movies-of-all-time). Guess which one I would not have placed on my list.

[Kokoro777]

Some of Kurosawa's films were finished weakly I think. Kagemusha, for example, is ruined by a poor, abrupt ending. The older films are OK but the Samurai backdrop isn't always integral to the film if you get what I mean-they could be set anywhere and are often adaptations of Shakespearean plays. 'Twilight Samurai' and 'When the Last Sword is Drawn' are the best I've seen IMHO but my personal favourite is 'Samurai Fiction' if only for the humour, great soundtrack and very cute love interest character-its about the recovery of a clan's ceremonial tachi, so who here wouldn't find that enthralling?

[Kusemono]

I agree about Kagemusha. If you're brave enough to delve into anime samurai Movies "Samurai X: The motion Picture/Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for Meiji Restoration Patriots" is pretty good. The English dubbing doesn't suck and it's not gratuitously violent. It also has an interesting story that is played out quite well I thought.

[T.Dehn]

Normally I don't go in for Anime, however I did get sucked into this one:

Samurai 7 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_7)

It is based "loosely" on the original Kurasawa film, that is, if it was set in a steam-punk universe with flying robots.

All in good fun indeed, and it's on Netflix if you have that service.

[Sasayaki]

The Seven Samurai 1954.