Man,the Lone Wolf and Cub movies I've seen have been so good...and I didn't even know what was going on! They was Japanese with English subbing on VHS, and the subtitles were obscured by the bottom of the TV. And it was still pretty cool! I'd like to see more while actually knowing what was being said!
Shit, you have to see the new remastered versions. I think they're all out on DVD, but if not, you can torrent all of it, and it's a pristine rip. The subs are fanbased, so they're shitty and garbled, but still good enough, and still better than shitty dubbing.
"On top of that, it was shot in POV, and predates and prefigures Cannibal Holocaust / Blair Witch Project / Cloverfield. In the beginning, we're largely watching the footage from a helmet-mounted camera of an astronaut."
I had a conversation with a friend who thinks that those POV "shaky camera" techniques are going to be the primary thing that will make films made today seem dated tomorrow. I don't know why it became so popular that action films like the Bourne Identity films feel the need to use them to excess now. It makes me wonder if the techniques popularity in film correlates to the popularity of reality television. It seems like years down the line it will seem as much a novelty as 3D films of the 70s.
Yeah, I agree. I think it worked in the Bourne films, and it definitely worked in Cannibal Holocaust. Blair Witch, in contrast, isn't so good, but it works for what it is, and couldn't work any other way. It sort of worked in The Silver Globe (which was started in 1977) but the movie sucked.
I think it's a hard techinque to get right. Did you ever see Breaking the Waves? I think that used it beautifully.
I loved Possession. I spent the whole time with my jaw dropped mumbling "soooo crazy!" to myself.
Can you believe I have never watched Lone Wolf and Cub movies? I'm totally gaga for most samurai stuff. I always heard that the chopped-up and hastily reassembled versions aren't worth my time...
Yeah, they're not worth your time! I mean, they're still cool, but the originals are so much better.
They're releasing them soon, but for now you can torrent them all in one big file. The subtitles suck (and were apparantly written by fans who didn't know English too well) but it's better than dubbing.
No one's harder than Lone Wolf. The Cub is what elevates it so much above the usual revenge flick fare though.
I loved that the stylisation is so extreme that it somehow fits perfectly with the extensive research which is presented so matter-of-factly. It just doesn't matter that Lone Wolf totally depopulates entire provinces as he wanders along. His code of honour is totally ridiculous because he's the last of his kind anywhere - this is why his relationship with the kid is so interesting. It's like they're living the last life that will ever make sense, together.
And man, specifically with the movies - some of those shots! How did they do them?
That's the thing about the Japanese films - they're usually revenge flicks and usually about an ostracized individual who is the only one holding up the old school codes of civilization, honor and morality, against a debased and corrupt civilization. They're always so dour. The Chinese flicks are more about the beauty of kung fu and the majesty of orchestrated movement. The Japanese flicks have that, but as background to composed shots where the shot is as important as the person or the movements.
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I had a conversation with a friend who thinks that those POV "shaky camera" techniques are going to be the primary thing that will make films made today seem dated tomorrow. I don't know why it became so popular that action films like the Bourne Identity films feel the need to use them to excess now. It makes me wonder if the techniques popularity in film correlates to the popularity of reality television. It seems like years down the line it will seem as much a novelty as 3D films of the 70s.
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I think it's a hard techinque to get right. Did you ever see Breaking the Waves? I think that used it beautifully.
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Breaking the Waves is supposed to mimic the turbulant sea and it does just that - and it's a masterpiece.
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Wow, that picture makes me nervous -- why doesn't he put the blade facing AWAY from the baby's face if he's gonna carry it like that?
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Can you believe I have never watched Lone Wolf and Cub movies? I'm totally gaga for most samurai stuff. I always heard that the chopped-up and hastily reassembled versions aren't worth my time...
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They're releasing them soon, but for now you can torrent them all in one big file. The subtitles suck (and were apparantly written by fans who didn't know English too well) but it's better than dubbing.
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I loved that the stylisation is so extreme that it somehow fits perfectly with the extensive research which is presented so matter-of-factly. It just doesn't matter that Lone Wolf totally depopulates entire provinces as he wanders along. His code of honour is totally ridiculous because he's the last of his kind anywhere - this is why his relationship with the kid is so interesting. It's like they're living the last life that will ever make sense, together.
And man, specifically with the movies - some of those shots! How did they do them?
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