I "get" what Terrence Mallick was aiming for with that movie but it just fell flat in my opinion. The big problem at the time is that I distinctly remember the movie being marketed as "Saving Private Ryan" in the Pacific. It was the furthest thing from that.
You didn't click on the video.
No I didn’t but the title screen for that video is showing a shot from the 1998 version.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
I may check it out one day. I had no clue that the 1998 version was a remake.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Movie is okay but the F-16 scenes are ocky. When they are in dogfight, you only see missiles on the planes wings edge and then whey they start attacking enemy airport, they have bombs and missiles under the wings and body.
All throughout the movie there are many continuity errors with aircraft in flight: changing between one-seat and two-seat aircraft; the number of external fuel tanks they are carrying; the number of weapons remaining on them. This also clashes with the dialogue, with characters claiming no weapons remain while subsequent external shots show the opposite. The weapons on the F-16 change from one shot to another. As the 2 F-16s roll out at the start of the rescue mission, rolling down the runway in full afterburner it looks like both aircraft are unarmed, yet in the next shot as they pull up and retract landing gear, both are fully armed.
The plane can't dogfight carrying all those weapons so the movie producers change it between scenes?
Saw Kurosawa's Yojimbo today. I'd heard that A Fistful of Dollars borrowed heavily from this movie. I'd say they flat out stole it.
In this case "stole" is not the appropriate word since the studio that made "A Fistful of Dollars" paid Kurosawa for the rights to make a remake. The audio commentary for the Criterion dvd of "Yojimbo" has a wealth of interesting information in it.
And of course it was the same deal with "The Magnificent Seven" since that was a remake of "Seven Samurai" with simply a different geographic location and time period.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
I forgot to ask, have you seen "Sanjuro" the unofficial sequel to "Yojimbo"? While it's not as compelling as the first film, "Sanjuro" is still very good and worth a watch.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
I forgot to ask, have you seen "Sanjuro" the unofficial sequel to "Yojimbo"? While it's not as compelling as the first film, "Sanjuro" is still very good and worth a watch.
I have been trying to dissemble and recreated the iconic final duel in 'Sanjuro' without eviscerating myself rather than opponent. Discovered on a Iaido YT channel that Mifune substituted a much shorter katana for the scene. Also read that the special effects geezer overdid the pressure required for the blood spurt after the cut. His humble apologies for ruining the scene were dismissed by Kurosawa who liked it and kept it in.
Also read that the special effects geezer overdid the pressure required for the blood spurt after the cut. His humble apologies for ruining the scene were dismissed by Kurosawa who liked it and kept it in.
Now that explains everything! While I really like the film I always was struck by how exaggerated that death blood spurt was in the final duel. That's the kind of thing that John Woo or Quentin Tarantino would do.
Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 06/15/2212:47 PM.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Also read that the special effects geezer overdid the pressure required for the blood spurt after the cut. His humble apologies for ruining the scene were dismissed by Kurosawa who liked it and kept it in.
Now that explains everything! While I really like the film I always was struck by how exaggerated that death blood spurt was in the final duel. That's the kind of thing that John Woo or Quentin Tarantino would do.
The fighting game series "Samurai Showdown" emulates this perfectly.
Gladbeck. A documentary about a robbery/hostage crisis in West Germany 1988. On Netflix. Only original video is used. A frustrating and appalling event.
The cops never had control of the situation and of the news reporters and the onlookers. The cops should had kept the reporters and onlookers away and secure the scene at the bank, not allowing the robbers to leave with the hostages.
I did not know the rights were sold. I'd always heard Kurosawa was pissed about them stealing his movie. I did just get the criterion collection of Yojimbo and Sanjuro. I guess I'll have to give it another watch with the commentary on as well. Haven't seen Sanjuro yet, though I may have caught parts of it on TV when I was a kid.
I did not know the rights were sold. I'd always heard Kurosawa was pissed about them stealing his movie. I did just get the criterion collection of Yojimbo and Sanjuro. I guess I'll have to give it another watch with the commentary on as well. Haven't seen Sanjuro yet, though I may have caught parts of it on TV when I was a kid.
I wonder if Shakespeare would have been 'pissed' in his grave when Kurosawa 'pinched' the plot of 'Macbeth' for 'Throne of Blood'. The famous arrow scene explained...using real arrows!
The dojo I practice at is performing a demonstration of Iaido and kenjitsu at a fete at a Stately Home shortly. 'What if it rains?" (This is England, remember) "Don't worry," says I. "We can re-enact the final battle from 'Seven Samurai!
I wonder if Shakespeare would have been 'pissed' in his grave when Kurosawa 'pinched' the plot of 'Macbeth' for 'Throne of Blood'.
There's also "Ran" which was based on King Lear. NO ONE adapted Shakespeare into a Japanese context better than Kurosawa.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Just finished Season 6 of Peaky Blinders. I will not post any spoilers. Fantastic drama. I would put it in my top 5 favorites of all time. I can see me revisiting it again. Something I rarely do.
I wonder if Shakespeare would have been 'pissed' in his grave when Kurosawa 'pinched' the plot of 'Macbeth' for 'Throne of Blood'.
There's also "Ran" which was based on King Lear. NO ONE adapted Shakespeare into a Japanese context better than Kurosawa.
Ah thanks PM, I knew there was another Shakespeare-based film, but couldn't think of the title!
You're welcome. I'm always happy when I get to discuss anything related to Akira Kurosawa.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Finished the entire "NYPD Blue" series last week, and I'm having withdrawals. Great show. If you've never watched I highly recommend.
Without giving anything away, "The Andy Sipowicz Story" would have been a fitting title to the series. The best character arc of any series I can think of, just fantastic.
Hint: if you watch on HULU (or possibly elsewhere) make an effort to NOT read any of the episode descriptions prior to watching. There is one episode in particular that has a HUGE spoiler in the description, bad enough that I complained to HULU and even got an apology from them.
US federal spending per person per year, in constant 2025 dollars: 1925 - $153.00 2025 - $20,497.00
"In the vast library of socialist books, there’s not a single volume on how to create wealth, only how to take and “redistribute” it.” - David Horowitz (RIP)
"It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance." Thomas Sowell
I know Jimmy Smits has gone on to do a lot of stuff after NYPD Blue but I don't recall seeing Dennis Franz. I'm actually hard pressed to think of a show or movie that I've seen him in since NYPD Blue ended.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
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