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On Monday, Apple Original Films and A24 released the official trailer for Highest 2 Lowest, the upcoming crime thriller directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington. The film has already sparked awards buzz following its debut at the Cannes Film Festival and marks the fifth collaboration between Washington and Lee—their first in nearly two decades.

Who’S In The Cast

Highest 2 Lowest stars two-time Oscar winner Washington as a powerful New York music mogul whose son, played by Aubrey Joseph, is kidnapped and held for ransom. “Somebody’s got our son,” Washington’s character, David King, says in the trailer. The cast also includes Ilfenesh Hadera as Lomg’s wife, as well as Jeffrey Wright and A$AP Rocky, who not only appears in the film but also contributes new original music to the soundtrack.

The Backstory

Inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, the film is...

Denzel Washington’s new movie will hit theaters everywhere on August 22, but the classic masterpiece that inspired it is climbing streaming charts ahead of its premiere. Washington will star alongside Jeffrey Wright in Highest 2 Lowest, the upcoming police procedural that’s inspired by High and Low, the 1963 film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. High and Low is streaming on Max, and the film has begun climbing streaming charts around the world ahead of its remake’s debut, particularly in Taiwan, where it’s one of the 10 most popular films in the country. Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller earned a nearly flawless 96% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and enough early reviews have come in to give Highest 2 Lowest an 89% rating on the aggregate site, which sets a record for Washington and director Spike Lee.

The original High and Low was based on the novel Kingu no minoshirokin by Evan Hunter,...

This year’s Cannes Film Festival is officially in full swing, and you know what that means, don’t you? Reviews for some of the hottest films at the fest are pouring in hot off the presses. Not long after Denzel Washington received an honorary Palme d’Or Award for his outstanding career, the first reactions (reviews) for his new film, Highest 2 Lowest, are here!

Spike Lee directs Highest 2 Lowest from a screenplay by William Alan Fox, based on High and Low by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Ryūzō Kikushima, Eijiro Hisaita, and King’s Ransom by Evan Hunter. Highest 2 Lowest takes Kurosawa’s classic crime thriller to New York City and tells what happens when a titan music mogul is targeted with a ransom plot.

Check out some of the first reactions from entertainment outlets in the Cannes crowd below:

According to Variety‘s Peter Debruge, Highest 2 Lowest brings Kurosawa...

One of Hollywood’s most gifted actors, Denzel Washington, is having a hell of a Monday after being surprised with an honorary Palme d’Or award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Only 21 people have acquired the prize for career achievement since Marty director Delbert Mann first received the award for his 1955 romantic drama. Cannes director Thierry Fremaux surprised Washington with the Palme d’Or ahead of the screening of Spike Lee’s police procedural crime drama Highest 2 Lowest, starring Washington as David King. Lee presented Washington with the Palme d’Or after an enthusiastic introduction from Fremaux. Naturally, the moment elicited a spirited standing ovation from the crowd.

“This is a total surprise for me, so I’m emotional,” Washington said as part of his acceptance speech. “It’s a great opportunity to collaborate with my brother once again, brother from another mother, and to be here once again in Cannes.

Over the course of sixteen years, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington made four movies together: Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Malcolm X (1992), He Got Game (1998), and Inside Man (2006). Now, after almost twenty years, Lee and Washington have finally reunited for another film: the crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest. This one is set to receive a limited theatrical release on August 22nd, then it will move over to Apple TV+ on September 5th. Those dates aren’t too far off, so today a trailer for Highest 2 Lowest has dropped online, and you can check it out in the embed above.

People notes that this film is described as being “a reinterpretation of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller High and Low,” with the setting moved to “the mean streets of modern day New York City.” Here’s the synopsis: When a titan music mogul, widely known as having the ‘best ears in the business,...

Filmmaker Spike Lee took to his Instagram account to give fans a first glimpse of his upcoming Highest 2 Lowest, a remake of Akira Kurosawa's classic film noir High and Low, starring Denzel Washington. In the post, Lee thanked "the judge and jury for the not guilty verdict," referring to rapper and Highest 2 Lowest co-star A$AP Rocky's acquittal on felony assault charges on Feb. 18, 2025.

Alongside the caption, Lee shared a still of Rocky from the film, wearing what appears to be an orange prison uniform. Very little is know about the project other than it's a "reinterpretation of the great Kurosawa," according to Lee (via Variety). The original film, High and Low, follows Kingo Gondo (frequent Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune), a wealthy shoe company executive whose chauffeur's son is mistakenly kidnapped and ransomed for 30 million yen.

Lee stated in an interview with Deadline that Washington will play a new version of Mifune's character,...

Shōgunseason 1has ended, and the disparity of where to get a good dose of samurai drama can be a challenge. There is a wealth of media, mainly from Japan, that fans can watch that echoes the drama, splendor, tragedy, and intensity of this feudal culture of warriors, which has excited audiences within cinema for decades.

From wild anime and incredible live-action epics to the original adaptation of Shōgun, the variety can be endless, so to narrow it down a little, having a broad-stroke variety that covers some dramatic bases that this year's Shōgun is in good order. Many die-hard fans may find a favorite or two missing. However, these films and shows provide a kaleidoscope of media that can inform and excite audiences about the history and culture uncovered in Shōgun.

Updated February 15, 2025, by Anthony Jeanetta. The samurai genre remains a reliable producer of quality content, from anime to live-action movie classics.

Spike Lee spoke about his upcoming film, Highest 2 Lowest--which will reunite the director with Denzel Washington--and the Japanese director that inspired it.

Spike Lee has long been an acclaimed director. Films like Do The Right Thing and BlacKkKlansman are searing examinations of the impact of racial politics in the United States, while works like She's Gotta Have It and 25th Hour show his versatility as a director, covering wildly different subjects and genres. According to Variety, he spoke about his newest film, Highest 2 Lowest, during an on-stage talk Tuesday at the Red Sea Film Festival, for which he is president of the competition jury. He talked about how the legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa was a key inspiration for his film career.

Related 'I Didn't Give a F—': Spike Lee Defends Madonna's Casting in 1996 Comedy

Acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee breaks down his thought process...

One could say it’s a “by-the-numbers” summer with “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside Out 2”” and “A Quiet Place: Day One” among the top box office films. But one of the masterpieces of the 20th century, Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai,” is back in theaters for its 70th anniversary in a limited release in a new 4K restoration. The acclaimed, influential epic is set in a 16th century Japanese village of poor farmers who hire the seven samurai to protect them from invading bandits intent on stealing their barley crop.

The film stars two members of Japanese filmmaker’s stock company — Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura. “Samurai” as noted in the press notes for the new restoration “virtually redefined Japanese cinema’s sword play and period genres, proving Kurosawa a master of both visually thrilling and dramatically complex storytelling.”

Though “Seven Samurai” was released in Japan on April 26, 1954, and was...

Akira Kurosawa's iconic classic Seven Samurai takes home an impressive box office haul in a single theater over 70 years after its initial release.

Per box office analysis account ERCboxoffice on X, the recent release of the 4K remastered edition of Seven Samurai at the Film Forum theater in New York City brought in $19,000. The release is set to expand into Los Angeles and Boston next week, which brings the potential for the box office return on this edition of the film to expand exponentially.

Related 'A True Legend': Jon Landau Remembered by James Cameron and Avatar Cast

The cast of Avatar and longtime collaborator James Cameron remember legendary producer Jon Landau after his passing.

Akira Kurosawas 4k restoration of Seven Samurai scored $19k in just a single NYC theater (Film Forum) this weekendwill expand to LA and Boston next week. pic.twitter.com/xG4dmvxGHH Exhibitor Relations Co. (@ERCboxoffice...

When Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni were writing the screenplay for their 1954 epic "Seven Samurai," they couldn't have predicted its lasting influence on cinema. Not only did Kurosawa's masterful direction alter and revolutionize the way action sequences would be shot, but the premise became a reliable and lasting template that multiple other filmmakers would employ in the ensuing decades. For those unlucky enough to have never seen "Seven Samurai," the setup is simple: a remote farming village is regularly looted by passing bandits, leaving them destitute. Unable to withstand another attack, the villagers gather up their modest means and hire seven rogue samurai to protect them. The samurai know that the job won't pay, but each one has their own reasons for joining the cause. Using their cunning and limited means, the samurai repel the bandit attack.

Most recently, the "Seven Samurai" premise was transposed onto Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon.

The 1950s are considered the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. The aftermath of World War II and particularly the atomic bomb, and the subsequent American occupation left the country scarred, but filled with inspiration and eagerness to start over. One of the most iconic films of this era is Akira Kurosawa's “Seven Samurai”, considered among the most influential movies of all time, and the basis for a plethora of productions, with John Sturges' “The Magnificent Seven” being a direct adaptation. This influence became widely known, even at the time, as the film was nominated for two Oscars, while Kurosawa won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

In 16th century Japan, during the feudal wars, an entire village is on the border of starvation due to the constant raids by a gang of armed robbers. When a villager learns,...

“High and Low” received nominations for the Golden Lion at the 24th Venice Film Festival, and the Best Foreign Film at the 21st Golden Globe Awards. It was also awarded at the Mainichi Film Awards for the Best Film, and for the Best Screenplay. Upon its release in Japan, it earned approximately $1.3 million and became the top-grossing film of 1963.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

The script, written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Eijiro Hisaita, and Ryuzo Kikushima, is loosely based on Evan Hunter's novel from 1959, “King's Ransom”. Toho, the film company that Kurosawa was working with at the time, acquired the film rights for $5,000. The first half of the story revolves around Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), a board member of a Japanese shoe company, facing a critical dilemma. He must decide whether to use his considerable wealth to secure executive control in the company or help his chauffeur,...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any film or performance. Like any organization or body that votes, each individual category is fluid and subject to change. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Last Updated: Feb. 2, 2023

2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Adapted Screenplay All Quiet On The Western Front, (aka Im Westen Nichts Neues), Daniel Bruhl, 2022. ph: Reiner Bajo /© Netflix /Courtesy Everett Collection

Category Commentary: Netflix’s “Glass Onion” by Rian Johnson, Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” by Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie and MGM/Uar’s “Women Talking” by Sarah Polley...

Following the financial failure of “Dodes’kaden” and the completion of the Soviet-Japanese feature “Dersu Uzala,” Akira Kurosawa would return to the familiar world of jidaigeki. His samurai epic “Kagemusha” would be a successful return to form, wowing audiences with its striking visuals and compelling story. While experimental with the scope as the director’s most ambitious feature at the time was, budget finances were more comfortably assembled than with previous projects. On top of that, the production would also receive additional funds. This other aid was thanks to the help of admirers George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, who worked as co-producers, along with international financial support and distribution by 20th Century Fox. At this point, Kurosawa was getting older, yet he was still motivated to create art. A few years later, he would do just that again and went on to release his grand masterpiece “Ran.

Emancipation is a 2022 drama movie directed by Antoine Fuqua starring Will Smith.

A period piece based on a true story that brings us up and close to extreme suffering and the resilience required to overcome extreme events. Will Smith proves, yet again, that he has the ability to get into character with unquestionable talent and dedication, and with intensity.

Premise

Inspired by the gripping true story of a man who would do anything for his family—and for freedom. When Peter, an enslaved man, risks his life to escape and return to his family, he embarks on a perilous journey of love and endurance.

‘Emancipation’ (2022) Movie Review

A movie that is beautifully produced, with evocative photography. It is a hefty and very dramatic feature that does not shy away from showing the most grueling sides of mankind. It was not intended to be taken lightly, so if you are seeking...

Peter O'Toole's acting career spanned seven decades and involved hundreds of roles, a million sardonic smirks, and no small amount of liquor. On screen, O'Toole could be heroic, villainous, affable, and off-putting, sometimes all at once. In interviews, O'Toole was frank and unguarded, quick with a jibe, and unwilling to suffer fools. O'Toole and his frequent collaborator, the actor Richard Harris, have both appeared on many talk shows toward the ends of their lives to tell many, many stories of getting drunk together. 

Somewhere along the way, O'Toole garnered enough fame and clout to more or less select any project he wanted. By the time he starred in Peter Medak's "The Ruling Class" in 1972, O'Toole had already appeared in 18 feature films, including a James Bond movie. That same year, O'Toole would appear in "Under Milk Wood" and a film adaptation of "Man of La Mancha." One might say...

Exclusive: Two-time BAFTA winner Bill Nighy is joining the Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo high concept thriller Role Play from Studiocanal, Picture Company and Amazon Prime Video.

Nighy steps in for Billy Bob Thornton who had to depart the project due to a scheduling conflict, we hear.

The Thomas Vincent directed pic revolves around a married couple, played by Cuoco and Oyelowo, whose life turns upside down when secrets come out about each other’s pasts. The role that Nighy is taking over for was under wraps, described as a mysterious stranger who encounters the couple. The movie is shooting in Berlin currently at Studio Babelsberg.

Cuoco received her second Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy nomination yesterday for HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant.

Nighy received a BAFTA Supporting Actor win for his turn in 2003’s Love Actually as well as a BAFTA TV award for Best Actor...

Great filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa have brilliantly showcased film as a creative medium for storytelling. The renowned director is praised not just for how technically mesmerizing his work is but also for his consistent track record in creating an engaging narrative. The story could be simple on paper but with closer examination, has a lot of depth to appreciate. Elements can range from the characters to the themes being presented. Kurosawa could establish a basic setup for a movie and turn it into a fascinating historical epic with so much content to analyze and admire. Look no further than his tremendous “Seven Samurai.”

on Amazon

The screenplay for the ambitious project was written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni. Initially, Kurosawa wanted to make a film about a day in the life of a samurai. Over time, though, the initial idea expanded and was developed...

In 1961, Akira Kurosawa released his fantastic samurai film “Yojimbo.” A movie that would be both a critical and box office success and go on to inspire countless filmmakers, such as Sergio Leone. The entertaining jidaigeki picture had many qualities to admire from its witty screenplay, stunning camerawork by legendary cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa, fast-paced action scenes, and an outstanding performance from the great actor Toshiro Mifune in one of his most iconic roles. However, to make a sequel to such a groundbreaking piece of cinema would be a challenge. So how does the legendary director Kurosawa follow up on one of the most beloved works of his career? He follows up with “Sanjuro,” a sequel that is not only an excellent continuation but an amazing film on its own.

on Amazon

The movie is a loose adaptation of novelist Shugoro Yamamoto’s short story “Peaceful Days,” which dealt...

"I don't know what I've been doing with my life all these years." It's time to start living! I finally watched the Akira Kurosawa classic Ikiru (from 1952) just last year, and of course it's wonderful. I had no idea that the film was getting a remake for its 70th anniversary, and I didn't even realize this new film is that remake until I caught others chatting about it during the festival. Living just premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and it is indeed a remake of Ikiru, with multiple references in the opening credits to Kurosawa and the film's original writers - Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni. South African director Oliver Hermanus worked with Japanese writer Kazuo Ishiguro (!!) to adapt and update the 1952 script, and create this new film set in London instead of Japan. And I am very happy to report this is one of those rare...

I have always had a philosophy that if you are going to do a remake, remake a movie that didn’t work the first time like Howard the Duck, not a classic by a great filmmaker. Well, the latter is exactly what director Oliver Hermanus (Moffie) and Nobel Prize-winning screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro have had the audacity to do in “reimagining” (the popular term for remakes today) iconic Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s highly praised 1952 drama Ikiru. And they haven’t even bothered to change the early ’50s era in which it takes place, only the location and language, moving from Japan to England. Despite my reservations I am happy to say Living, which has its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, works very well and that is solely thanks to the loving care these filmmakers have put into...

Akira Kurosawa’s tale of ascetic mercenaries brought together for a single job inspired endless imitations, but the original has lost none of its magic

While researching samurai history for an Akira Kurosawa film project in the early 1950s, producer Sojiro Motoki discovered references to masterless warriors, or ronin, defending villages from marauders in 16th-century Japan. Movie history was made. Kurosawa and his co-writers Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni created an epic primal myth which has pulsated in cinema ever since, through the genres of westerns, war movies and crime dramas: the crew of ascetic, unsentimental but uncynical freelance mercenaries, brought together for a single job, taking pity on the desperate civilians who have nothing to offer but gratitude. They also see that there is a nobility and purity in this all-but-lost cause, which will refine their martial vocation as nothing else would.

Having been inspired by Hollywood westerns, Kurosawa...

“Living,” an upcoming film starring Bill Nighy, has sold United Kingdom distribution rights to Lionsgate.

Set in London in the 1950s, “Living” centers on Williams (portrayed by Nighy), a veteran civil servant who becomes a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As the job starts to consume him, he learns he has seven months to live. The realization sparks his quest to find meaning in his life before it slips away.

The movie is currently in pre-production and expects to start filming in the U.K. this spring. Oliver Hermanus is directing “Living” from a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro. The film is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic “Ikiru,” written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.

“Lionsgate is continuing its longstanding commitment to acquiring the best of British cinema and bringing the highest caliber entertainment to U.K. audiences,” said Jason Constantine, president of...

Lionsgate has acquired the UK rights to Living, starring Bill Nighy, ahead of production set for the U.K. in spring 2021.

The period drama will be directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Number 9 Films’ Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen. The screenplay is by Kazuo Ishiguro and is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic story Ikiru, written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni.

Set in London 1952, Living focuses on Williams (Nighy) a veteran civil servant, who has become a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As paperwork piles up on his desk, Williams ...

Lionsgate has acquired the UK rights to Living, starring Bill Nighy, ahead of production set for the U.K. in spring 2021.

The period drama will be directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Number 9 Films’ Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen. The screenplay is by Kazuo Ishiguro and is an English-language adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic story Ikiru, written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni.

Set in London 1952, Living focuses on Williams (Nighy) a veteran civil servant, who has become a cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post WWII England. As paperwork piles up on his desk, Williams ...

Production has wrapped on Eva Husson’s star-studded “Mothering Sunday,” which was among the first crop of major features to start rolling cameras amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The film has now completed principal photography in the U.K., producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley of Number 9 Films confirmed to Variety. Rocket Science is handling international sales and is presenting the film to buyers at the American Film Market (AFM) this week.

The film — whose title references the U.K.’s loose equivalent of Mother’s Day, which takes place in March — is set in 1924. It follows Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young), a maid in the wealthy Niven household, who has the day off to celebrate Mothering Sunday while Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman) attend a lunch to mark the engagement of their neighbor’s only remaining son, Paul (Josh O’Connor).

The day is particularly significant for Jane,...

BAFTA and Golden Globe winner Bill Nighy will headline the cast of “Living,” alongside Aimee Lou Wood, known for her breakout role in Netflix’s “Sex Education.”

The screenplay by Nobel and Booker Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro (“The Remains of The Day”) is an English-language adaptation of the 1952 classic “Ikiru,” written by Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.

The film will be directed by multiple award-winning filmmaker Oliver Hermanus (“Moffie”).

Set in London circa 1952, the film will follow Nighy’s veteran civil servant, who has become a small cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post-wwii England. As endless paperwork piles up on his desk, he learns he has a fatal illness, and begins a quest to find some meaning to his monotonous life before it slips away. He becomes intrigued by a young co-worker, who inadvertently shows him how to harness his years of experience and dedication...

Bill Nighy (Love Actually ) and rising UK actress Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education) are set to star in feature Living for director Oliver Hermanus (Moffie).

The screenplay by Nobel and Booker Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of The Day) is an English-language adaptation of the 1952 classic Ikiru, written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni.

Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen’s Number 9 Films (Carol) will produce. The plan is to shoot on location in the UK next spring and Rocket Science is handling sales and will be selling ahead of and at next month’s virtual AFM.

The film has been developed with and will be funded by Film4 and Ingenious Media, in association with Kurosawa Productions, with executive producer Ko Kurosawa. Oscar-nominated Fiona Crombie (The Favourite) has come on board as production designer.

Set in 1952 London, the film will follow Williams, a veteran civil servant, who has...

Sci-fi alert! Classic science fiction discoveries are getting rare these days, which makes Arrow’s rejuvenation of Japan’s first science fiction tale in color such a special item. Fans may need both hands to count the ‘copycat’ elements but Kôji Shima’s epic improves on many of its American predecessors. Despite the star-shaped arts ‘n’ crafts aliens, this well-directed First Contact tale has impressive special effects at the service of a surprisingly mature and thoughtful storyline.

Warning from Space

Blu-ray

Arrow Films US

1956 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 87 min. (Japan), 88 min. (U.S. TV) / Street Date October 13, 2020 / Uchûjin Tôkyô ni arawaru (Spacemen Appear in Tokyo) / Available from Arrow Films / 39.95

Starring: Keizô Kawasaki, Toyomi Karita, Mieko Nagai, Shôzô Nanbu, Bontarô Miake, Kanji Kawahara, Kiyoko Hirai, Isao Yamagata, Sachiko Meguro, Fumiko Okamura, Shikô Saitô, Tetsuya Watanabe, Bin Yagisawa.

Cinematography: Kimio Watanabe

Film Editor: Toyo Suzuki

‘Color Designer’: Taro Okamoto

Original Music: Seitarô Ômori...

Koji Shima’s Eye-Popping Warning From Space (1956) will be available on Blu-ray From Arrow Video October 13th

The first Japanese science fiction film to be made in color, Koji Shima s Warning From Space features eye-popping special effects from the same team at Daiei Studios that would bring Gamera to life a decade later.

As Japan is rocked by mysterious sightings of UFOs over Tokyo and large one-eyed aliens attempting contact, scientists collaborate to investigate the unexpected rise in extraterrestrial activity. Unbeknownst to them, one of the aliens has already assumed human form and is about to deliver a very important message that could be humanity s last hope for survival.

With a witty script by Hideo Oguni (screenwriter of several Akira Kurosawa classics including Seven Samurai) and iconic starfish-like aliens designed by avant-garde artist Taro Okamoto, the original Japanese version of Warning From Space finally makes its official English-language video debut.

In the 1950s, while the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States heightened the threat of nuclear war, storytellers and filmmakers attempted to capture the mood of the times within their works. With the images of the atom bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima on everyone’s mind especially the science-fiction genre emphasized the catastrophic outcome of nuclear technology which can be seen in works like Ishiro Honda’s “Godzilla” and Robert Wise’s “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Especially the former sparked a plethora of similar stories and resulted in a boom for the genre, with many Japanese studios wanting their share of the success of Honda’s feature. In 1956, Daei released “Warning from Space, directed by Koji Shima, a feature that was met with negative reviews upon release, but has been a source of inspiration for other filmmakers, such as Stanley Kubrick.

Most epic movies make you ponder the money involved. How many bootstraps and belt buckles were crafted for The Lord of the Rings (2001-3)? How many computers were used to design the final battle in Avengers: Endgame (2019)? How much napalm blew up the jungle in the opening shot of Apocalypse Now (1979)? Seven Samurai (1954) doesn’t inspire such analyses; at least, not while you’re watching it. Watching this immersive medieval parable from Akira Kurosawa is like embracing a long-lost legend, dug up after hundreds of years like an ancient text on celluloid. Kurosawa was so seamless as a filmmaker that the sets and costumes and details all melt into his story.

From the American cowboy remake The Magnificent Seven (1960) to Pixar’s insect adventure A Bug’s Life (1998), the premise of Seven Samurai simmers in the cinematic consciousness. Set in 16th century Japan, ravaged by civil wars, a group of armoured...

by Vikram Zutshi

When Akira Kurosawa passed away in 1998, the tributes poured in endlessly. He had been a major influence on some of the most important directors in the history of cinema. It is not enough to say that Kurosawa was a legend. At the time of his demise, he was a colossus whose myth had inspired a number of artists considered legends in their own right. Roman Polanski, Werner Herzog, Andrei Tarkovsky, Bernardo Bertolucci, Francis Coppola and George Lucas have all cited Kurosawa as one of their greatest influences.

“Let me say it simply” declared Martin Scorsese, “Akira Kurosawa was my master, and … the master of so many other filmmakers over the years.” Federico Fellini called him “the greatest example of all that an author of cinema should be” and Steven Spielberg declared “I have learned more from him than from almost any other filmmaker on the face of the earth.

Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû, Mieko Harada, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Hisashi Igawa, Masayuki Yui, Kazuo Katô, Norio Matsui | Written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Masato Ide | Directed by Akira Kurosawa

When aging warlord Hidetori Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides it is time for him to retire, he divides the lands he rules between his three sons. This causes a bitter power struggle between his eldest sons, and his youngest being banished for his warning of the impending doom. As the reality of retirement his Ichimonji war breaks out, with the banished son being the only one who could possibly save his father from the warring brothers.

Ran starts off showing the epic landscape of Japan, teasing at what to expect from the film, and this location is used to full effect in the film. There are many huge battles that feel truly impressive, but the real magic is...

It’s almost the end of April, dear readers, and that means the start of the summer movie season is nearly upon us. This week’s installment of Trailer Trashin’ examines the teaser trailer for director Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming remake of The Magnificent Seven.

Premise: With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from a motley crew of seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers, and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

My take: The Magnificent Seven (1960) is considered one of the all-time classics of the western genre, and...

Ikiru

Written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Japan, 1952

Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru is the type of movie that can change a life, or at least change a person’s way of looking at life. It is an extremely moving work, standing as a superb example of the emotional and inspirational power of cinema.

Ikiru is also an exceptional vehicle for Takashi Shimura, an actor known for his astonishing range over the course of 200-plus films. In Ikiru, while Kurosawa makes great use of faces in close-up throughout, there is none more expressive than that of Shimura as the cancer-ridden Public Affairs Section Chief Kanji Watanabe. Every emotion and every thought is transparently written on his aged and weary face—it’s hard to believe the actor would embody the vigorous leader of the rag-tag samurai team two years later in Seven Samurai. Here,...

Ikiru

Written by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Japan, 1952

Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru is the type of movie that can change a life, or at least change a person’s way of looking at life. It is an extremely moving work, standing as a superb example of the emotional and inspirational power of cinema.

Ikiru is also an exceptional vehicle for Takashi Shimura, an actor known for his astonishing range over the course of 200-plus films. In Ikiru, while Kurosawa makes great use of faces in close-up throughout, there is none more expressive than that of Shimura as the cancer-ridden Public Affairs Section Chief Kanji Watanabe. Every emotion and every thought is transparently written on his aged and weary face—it’s hard to believe the actor would embody the vigorous leader of the rag-tag samurai team two years later in Seven Samurai. Here,...

Akira Kurosawa goes full tilt humanist with this emotionally wrenching, vastly insightful look at human nature. A faceless bureaucrat, alone and empty, is diagnosed with stomach cancer. He rebels and breaks down, but then finds a way to give meaning to his life even as he's losing it. Kurosawa one-ups the Italian Neorealists by seeing hope and value even in the oblivion of the human condition. Ikiru Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 221 1952 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 143 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / To Live / Street Date November 24, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Takashi Shimura, Shinichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka, Minoru Chiaki, Miki Odagiri, Bokuzen Hidari Cinematography Asakazu Nakai Production Designer So Matsuyama Original Music Fumio Hayasaka Written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa and Hideo Oguni Produced by Sojiro Motoki Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Criterion has made slow but steady progress upgrading its impressive Akira Kurosawa library from DVD to Blu-ray. The newest...

According to THR, Ethan Hawke is in "final negotiations" to board Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven" starring Denzel Washington. Hawke and Washington made box office bank back in 2001's "Training Day," which earned both actors Academy Award nominations and Washington an Oscar win for Best Actor. Screenwriters John Lee Hancock ("Saving Mr. Banks") and Nic Pizzolatto (a double WGA winner for HBO's "True Detective") base their script on Kurosawa's 1954 "Seven Samurai" written by Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni. That tale of seven gunslingers banding together to protect a destitute village from blood-seeking bandits was first remade in 1960 as "The Magnificent Seven" directed by John Sturges and starring Steven McQueen. Chris Pratt and Hailey Bennett also boarded the project, which MGM began developing back in 2012 alongside a spate of other titles from its studio library including the forthcoming...

The Hidden Fortress

Written by Ryûzô Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Akira Kurosawa

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Japan, 1958

By the time Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress was released in 1958, it was more or less settled that the Japanese filmmaker — the only Japanese filmmaker most average moviegoers had heard of at that point — was among the world’s best. This was after Rashomon, after Ikiru, and after The Seven Samurai. Kurosawa’s talent was beyond question, and his global cinematic prominence was growing. However, his last three films, while positively received by critics, did not do so well with audiences. He needed something that would combine quality with commercial success. “A truly good movie is really enjoyable, too,” he once said. “There’s nothing complicated about it.” He would meet this condition with The Hidden Fortress, out now on a new Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD combo. While not containing the narrative innovation,...

Seven Samurai

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni

1954, USA

Last Saturday marked the birthday of visionary director, Akira Kurosawa, on what would have been his 103rd birthday. For years, I have known the high regard reserved for Kurosawa but have never seen any one of his films all the way through. I vaguely remember falling asleep during Ran and Rashomon during my early teens. With so many films to choose from, I decided to watch Kurosawa’s winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival nominated for two Academy Awards, Seven Samurai (1954). The film is Kurosawa’s most popular in the West and has spawned dozens of remakes since its release.

This story of sixteenth century feudal Japan is deceptively simple: a poor farming village is terrorized by bandits who threaten to steal their entire crop and raze the village. The villagers...

The Writers Guild of America West (Wgaw) announced on Thursday that it is honoring Japanese filmmakers Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima, and Hideo Oguni with its Jean Renoir Award for Screenwriting Achievement.

The Jean Renoir Award, which is the Wgaw’s lifetime achievement international screenwriting award, is given to international writers who have “advanced the literature of motion pictures through the years and who [have] made outstanding contributions to the profession of screenwriter.”

Kurosawa (1910-1998) directed more than 30 films and wrote or contributed to more than 70 titles, including many classic films such as Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ikiru, Yojimbo, Kagemusha, Ran, Red Beard, and High and Low.

Kikushima (1914-1989) contributed to more than 60 films and collaborated with Kurosawa on Stray Dog, Scandal, The Last Fortress, High and Low, Yojimbo, The Bad Sleep Well, and Red Beard. He also worked on Tora! Tora! Tora! with Oguni, and Willful Murder, the latter of...

Article by Dan Clark of Movie Revolt

Well it’s that time again, time for another installment of Streaming for Your Pleasure. With Memorial Day weekend upon us America is about to officially start the summer. Barbeques, beers, and beaches will surely take up much of our time this weekend, however let us not forget the purpose behind this day as we celebrate the glory that is a three day weekend. In all seriousness it is a time to honor our Veterans and current soldiers for the remarkable sacrifices they make. No matter what political stance you may take I feel that is one thing we can all get behind. With that in mind I dedicated this installment to all things military as I look at military centric films currently available on Netflix Streaming.

The Longest Day

Directed By: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, and Darryl F. Zanuck

Written...

Picking your favorite Akira Kurosawa film is a tricky choice for any movie fan. From "Rashomon" to "Ran," the great Japanese filmmaker, one of the most beloved and influential directors of all time, knocked out a string of classics in a career that lasted well over 40 years. But more often than not, at the top of the list for Kurosawa fans is "The Seven Samurai," the 1954 samurai epic that redefined the action movie for generations.

Following six samurai (and one pretender, iconically played by Toshiro Mifune) who are recruited by a village of farmers to protect them from bandits, it remains to this day one of the most stirring, thrilling adventures in cinema history, and landed Kurosawa firmly on the map in international cinema. The film was released in Japan 58 years ago today, on April 26th, 1954 (a U.S. release, heavily cut down, would follow 30 months later), and to mark the occasion,...

High and Low Directed by: Akira Kurosawa Written by: Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni and Akira Kurosawa Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Kyoko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Tatsuya Nakadai With the summer blockbuster season wrapping up and a quarter of the year to go, it may be too early to pick a favourite movie of 2011. However, of all the classic films I'll get around to watching for the first time this year, I can comfortably say that Akira Kurosawa's High and Low will likely be my favourite. I arrived a little late to this party, but it's never too late to catch up with great cinema and what better way to do so than with a blu ray release by the Criterion Collection? This film is definitely a buy. Regular Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune plays Kingo Gondo, a successful business man working for a company called National Shoes. His insistence upon high quality...

Ran (1985) Direction: Akira Kurosawa Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Mieko Harada, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Hisashi Igawa Screenplay: Akira Kurosawa, Masato Ide, and Hideo Oguni Oscar Movies Akira Kurosawa's Ran By Dan Schneider of Cosmoetica: "Critical cribbing" is a term I coined in regard to the tendency of critics, in all fields, to not engage a work of art directly, but rather to fall back on lazily repeating claims that have been made by others about the work they are reviewing. Sometimes, these are positive blurbs; other times, they are bits of misinformation repeated endlessly — e.g., the (nameless) characters' names in films such as Alain Resnais' Last Year in Marienbad and Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup. Typical examples of critical cribbing can be found in reviews of Akira Kurosawa’s 27th (of 30) films, Ran (1985), a very good effort despite problems with character development and some mediocre acting.

Shichinin No Samurai / Seven Samurai (1954) Direction: Akira Kurosawa Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi, Isao Kimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, Yoshio Tsuchiya Screenplay: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni Oscar Movies Toshiro Mifune, Seven Samurai By Dan Schneider of Cosmoetica Some films get better after repeated viewings. Akira Kurosawa's 1954 black-and-white drama Shichinin no samurai / Seven Samurai is one of them. It fully deserved winning that year's Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, as well its Academy award nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (black and white) and Best Costume Design (black and white). Additionally, Seven Samurai became an international sensation and it's reported to have been the highest-grossing Japanese film of its day. [Note: Spoilers ahead.] On first view, Seven Samurai is simply a great action film; but with subsequent viewings, the finer points of characterization come through, subliminally and purposefully seeping into the viewer's mind. [...]...

March 23, 2010 is the 100th anniversary of Akira Kurosawa's birthday. As Michael Guillen has noted in previous Twitch posts, the anniversary is being celebrated with screenings, television programming, and home video releases. The Criterion Collection has done their part to honor the Japanese auteur by releasing Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) on individual Blu-Rays and as part of a box set. These films are bona fide classics, and Criterion's Blu-Rays are the absolutely best way to experience them (outside of a theater).

In Yojimbo, a ronin who calls himself Sanjuro Kuwabatake (Toshiro Mifune) strolls into a village besieged by feuding clans, gamblers, and bandits. Sanjuro, who has a superb command of the sword, sees an opportunity to make a lot a money. To do so, he shows off his skills by quickly killing off members of one of the gangs. He then plays the sides against each other. Unosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai), who...

Chicago – I have to admit to a bit of trepidation every time a studio outside of the widely acknowledged masters tries their hand at catalog releases but the Lionsgate/StudioCanal Blu-ray releases of “Contempt,” “The Ladykillers,” and “Ran” are spectacular. Not only do the films look amazing in HD but they’ve been given copious special features. Don’t miss them.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

What do Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt,” Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran,” and Alexander Mackendrick’s “The Ladykillers” have in common? Basically nothing other than loyal followings and, apparently, the same production company that allows them to be released on Blu-ray on the same day. They’re all films well worth adding to any collection of classic titles, especially in packages this lavish and lovingly produced.

Contempt was released on Blu-ray on February 16th, 2010.

Photo credit: Lionsgate Home Video

Four words - “Brigitte Bardot in HD”. For movie lovers who know their classics,...