I've long been a Kurosawa fangirl, and recently got around to finally watching all his films. Some of the best moviemaking of all time of course, but it also gave me a taste for pulpier samurai movies. To my surprise, the quality of these B-films on average seems to be pretty super! A little more selfserious than the Chinese kungfu genre, with higher production value. And let's face it, we like Japan better and the hidden commie messaging is much rarer.
So anyway, who knows good Jap movies, particularly jidaigeki? Do they still make 'em? Everything I find seems to be 60s-80s.
Here's the ones I vouch
- Shinsengumi (1969) - very sympathetic portrayal of fascist Japanese reactionaries at the end of the samurai era's arrival - REVERE THE EMPEROR, EXPEL THE BARBARIAN
- The Sword of Doom (1966) - portrayal of the same era and historical figures as Shinsengumi. Excellent, well structured film with one of the most avant garde endings I've ever seen where the expected narrative devolves into endless waves of brutal violence. Telling u that because it was baffling, but in retrospect amazing.
- Harakiri (1962) - really really well-made revenge film you could confuse for a kurosawa. SUPER good, must be a primary influence for kill bill, tear jerks and stuns with excellent action.
- miyamoto musashi the ultimate samurai - 5-part film series from 1970s or something, super goofy first installment, starring a gorgeous femme twink as our famed bald eczemic protagonist, very nice. Actually it sucks but I loved it anyway. There's a Toshiro Mifune 3-part Musashi series I assume's better.
- The Tale of Zatoichi - 26-part(!) film series about a blind masseur monk who knows sword tricks. More "realistic" than you'd expect, it's not a superhero movie. A little homoerotic at times!
Watch them with your waifu, make sure you pat her head when a japanese girl does something cute.
all the kurosawas are gr8 but The Hidden Fortress (1958) is probably the best samurai movie ever, possibly the greatest action movie ever. Lots of horse stunts that make you sit up straight. SO good. Inferiorily cloned by star wars. Other favorites are Rashomon (1950), Kagemusha (1980), Ran (1985) [acid trip serious movie].
I've got a dozen more in my library for watching but watchu got? What's the best, weirdest, most fun?