RIP Sonny Chiba 8/19/21

[Greg]

COVID sucks. I met him for DM.

Sonny Chiba, Martial Arts Legend and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor, Dies at 82 of COVID Complications

By Jordan Moreau
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[color=var(--color-brand-secondary-50)]AP[/color][/color]
Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba, the Japanese actor and martial arts legend who had roles in American films like “Kill Bill” and “The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift,” died on Thursday, his agent confirmed to Variety. He was 82.
Chiba’s career in film and television spanned from the 1960s through the 2010s, and he appeared in countless Japanese titles, in addition to some popular American films. In many of his projects, he showcased his expert martial arts skills, and he went on to choreograph fight scenes later in his career.
Born Sadaho Maeda in Fukuoka, Japan, on January 22, 1939, he began learning martial arts while at the Nippon Sports Science University in 1957. He studied under karate master Masutatsu “Mas” Oyama and earned a first-degree black belt in 1965. He later played Oyama in a trilogy of films, “Champion of Death,” “Karate Bearfighter” and “Karate for Life,” in the late 1970s. In 1984, he received a fourth-degree black belt. He also held black belts in ninjutsu, shorinji kempo, judo, kendo and goju-ryu karate.

[Drunk Monk]

Just heard. I was not a huge fan, but I totally respect his contribution to the genre.

Fucking covid

[cranefly]

I long blurred Sonny Chiba and Toshiro Mifune.  But a couple recent viewings have helped me differentiate them.  Sonny wasn't much of an actor, and Mifune was absolutely brilliant.  Both were powerful and athletic, but I've come to give the nod to Sonny in that department.

The recent viewings were Wolf Guy: Enraged Lyncanthrope and Hunter in the Dark.

It's very sobering that someone so over-the-top robust should be taken down by covid.

[Drunk Monk]

Den just reached out to me to do a film retrospective. I don't know that I have the bandwidth. It's time sensitive, of course and I've got Cypress Hill tonight - just about to leave actually. Now I'm regretting committing to that. 

I told Den I might be able to do something tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up on those films, cf. I still haven't seen those (I did queue them) but I may poach your reviews for my retro, assuming they are okay with it being later tomorrow.

[Drunk Monk]

Done and published. 

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/sonny-c...st-movies/

Thanks for the assist, cf. I guess I should cycle back and actually watch Wolf Guy: Enraged Lyncanthrope and Hunter in the Dark. They are queued now. 

[cranefly]

Not certain I've ever seen The Street Fighter.  If so, shame on me.

I probably haven't seen Invasion of the Neptune Men either.

[Drunk Monk]

Both are DOOM recommended (although the MST3K version for Neptune Men). 

It's been decades since I've seen most of these films. I need to revisit them.