IFC (Independent Film Channel) is running Samurai Saturdays again. Every Saturday morning (8:30/7:30c; check your local listings) they show another film in the Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman series from Japan. It was the "blind" part that got my attention when they ran the series last year. Had to see what that was about, if it was serious or just played for fun. Check out the Wiki page to get the details: I won't repeat everything here.
The films are shown in widescreen format with the English subtitles placed in the black space under the active film area. It doesn't block any of the action or scenery. It's neat to see how another culture views its own history. At the time these movies were being made ('60s) Clint Eastwood was making his spaghetti westerns and Sean Connery was making the first series of James Bond movies.
Fight, Zatoichi, Fight coming up on August 25th, if I have my movie details correct, has a very moving story. Ichi assumes responsibility for an infant child when its mother is killed. At the end, when he has to give up the child, and realizes that he loves it and wants to raise it himself, but also that he cannot because of his lifestyle and disability, it shows that the films are more than just action-packed swordplay.
The Zatoichi series includes 26 films and a television series. Just for grins I looked up the records for other film series:
5 - Planet of the Apes (not including the 2001 version, which was a remake)
6 - Rocky
8 - Police Academy
8 - Nightmare on Elm Street
9 - Halloween
10(11) - Star Trek (#11 in 2008)
21(22) - James Bond (22 if you count Sean Connery's 1983 Never Say Never Again)
26 - Zatoichi!
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