Lone Wolf and Cub

[El Dingo]

I took Trump inauguration day off to avoid rain, protests and the end of democracy.

I had disc 1 of the release of the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series. Previously I had only seen the American release which I believe was an edit of the first two movies. This disc contained the full versions of the first 3 movies.

They were fantastic.

My favorite was the 3rd installment "Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades".

Several intersecting storylines contributed to the beautiful cinematography of Japanese  countryside, costumes and social mores.

I think the appeal of "Lone Wolf and Cub" is not the scenes of violence but the scenes of bonding and quiet between Iggo and his son.

The 3rd entry, "Baby Cart to Hades" was my favorite. Gorgeous landscape shots, characters you care about, a finale that makes you think.

Next up: "Hard Target 2"

[cranefly]

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (1972)

When you mix breasts and tattoos in a movie, you're just asking for a tit-for-tat revenge tale.  And so it goes with this entry in the series.

It's a well-crafted tale in so many ways, with dramas and dangers for Lone Wolf and his child separate as well as together, and multiple potent villains and surprising back-stories on why they're after Lone Wolf and Cub.  The tit-for-tat woman is introduced in all her vengeful glory in the opening scene, though her big encounters come at the very end -- so she bookends the whole tale very effectively.

Tomisaburo Wakayama (known as the Rowan Atkinson of Japan) plays Lone Wolf as always, and as only he can, clowning it up with his expressive face and masterful comic timing to make this one of the most fun and uplifting entries in the series.

[Drunk Monk]

When you mix breasts and tattoos in a movie, you're just asking for a tit-for-tat revenge tale. 

Tomisaburo Wakayama (known as the Rowan Atkinson of Japan) 

[Drunk Monk]

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)

I needed something medicinal tonight and there's just no comfort flick like LW&C. I had forgotten what an awesome film this is. The sanguineousness stands out the most - those high pressure arterial sprays - must be all that ajinomoto driving up their blood pressure. And on top of that, the aftercut decapitations, dearmatations, there's even a great deanklation. So cheesey but also so brilliant - blood red brilliant. 

It's a brutal film full of cold blooded murder, rape, barfing blood into the lens, and generally beastly behavior, but it has this quiet side too. I was struck by how many scenes were soundless. And how hard it rains. And how peaceful the intercut scenes are - monkeys playing, mountain hot springs, swinging forest bridges, that ASMR of trickling water (or blood), it balances the bursts of ultravi. It's almost artsy in the grindhouse way. 

The fight choreo is genius - remember no cgi - everythign has to go in one take because who wants to clean up all that blood and start again? The fights are cleverly blocked so heads can roll and blood can splatter. 

I wonder what became of Daigoro. I mean, that cub must've been pretty psychologically screwed by the time he grows up.  I wonder if the manga ever got into the adult Daigoro.

Such a great franchise. So feckin harsh, so merciless, yet beautiful. 

Seen on Criterion

---

Kazuo Koike on LONE WOLF AND CUB

Just watched this Criterion short - an interviewer with the writer behind the manga. He did kill Itto at the end. I never read that issue. I only read a few of them. 

Criterion has all six films. Might just have to watch them in order again. It's been years. Well, at least since before the D00M4M here...

[Drunk Monk]

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades

[Drunk Monk]

Sorry I started my review but got interupted by work (had to finish up a tribute to GM Yu Hai). 

I figured after my Kung Fu Rabbit debacle, I should watch something I know I've seen but haven't watched in a while so my memory is weak on it. And this was a perfect film.

I forgot how beautiful these films can be. Some of the composition just knocks me out - scenes of nature as LW&C traverse the lands. The structures, the landscapes, so lovely. And then there's the brutal rape and murder scenes. 

This one has an odd tone. It's important for clans to distinguish themselves, whether they are mercenary, ronin, or work for brothels. There's codes of honor or lack thereof. 

I love Tomisaburo's (Itto) work in these films. He's so ridiculously stoic. And his sword play is electric. He has one of the best noto in the genre (noto is the act of resheathing your sword). That's the hardest part for me. The whole theory and symbolism of resheathing only exists in Iaido, and noto is hard. Even with a dull blade, being that smooth and quite like Tomisaburo is a striking display of skill. 

This film is fairly tame for a LW&C until the end when Itto must face an army. Then it gets ridiculous. Grenades, pistols, arrows, spears, and swords. So many swords. I love that whenever the grenades go off, you can see a foot or hand flying dismembered with the shrapnel. 

Watched on Criterion

[Drunk Monk]

And now it gets confusing. 

I’ve been tuned into a YouTube channel called ‘Samurai vs Ninja’ with vintage Japanese jidaigeki tv shows lately and I just found another called ‘Ninja vs Samurai’. They have the 2002-2004 TV series, which hasn’t been shown in the US before. It’s not Wakayama as Itto. But I just watched the first ep and it wasn’t bad. Some decent swordfights - in fact, it opens with a decent oner where Itto cuts down like a dozen samurai. His sword work is good, but so far I feel Wakayama was better than this new guy - Kinya Kitaoji - but the new guy has decent gravitas, yet not as grave an expression. It’s not as ridiculously bloody either, which isn’t to say it’s not bloody, it’s just ones down for TV. So far, so good. 

I’ll watch more. 

Here’s the channel - lots of other stuff there too but I’ve got plenty to watch now in the chanbara genre.

[Drunk Monk]

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)

The final scene where Itto cuts the 3rd monk of death came up in conversation at Iaido when discussing a denko cut so I revisited this. 

The bulk of the US remix Shogun Assassin is drawn from this film and my memory of it is crystal clear - scene for scene, line for line, although I remember the dubbed US version better. That also had a better soundtrack, cheesy electronic 80s music, plus the dubbing was wryly sarcastic and worked well. As translations go, Shogun Assassin has its own unique merits. The original soundtrack is like Japanese folk jazz, not as engaging.

I did catch one scene that I believe was edited out of SA - in the original, when the radish ninjettes attack, there’s a quick cut of nekkid breasts being slit - looked like a latex chest. That must’ve been too graphic for New World at the time.

Styx stills holds up well. The burning boat looks intense because it’s real fire. And I can’t but wonder how the scene where Daigorō brushes the head ninjette’s nekkid nipple was directed. Still wonder what became of that kid actor. 

Seeing this again, I’m struck by how well Wakayama handles a katana. The details of his actions demonstrate finely trained skills, especially his noto.