06-28-2022, 11:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-28-2022, 11:39 PM by 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...
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...
Shadow boxing the apocalypse