May 26, 2020May 5, 2023 by Eternality Tan

Zatoichi’s Flashing Sword (1964)

The franchise’s 7^th movie is its first true disappointment with a middling story, low stakes and a weak villain.

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May 1, 2020May 5, 2023 by Eternality Tan

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964)

This sixth installment benefits from the wild, manic energy sustained by relatively new director Kazuo Ikehiro.

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April 24, 2020May 10, 2021 by Eternality Tan

Antiporno (2016)

The enfant terrible of contemporary Japanese cinema gives the ‘Roman Porno’ series by Nikkatsu a cheeky middle finger with this ultra-bizarre, pretentiously-feministic meta-film.

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April 24, 2020April 24, 2020 by Eternality Tan

Guilty of Romance (2011)

Loads of explicit sex and misogyny wrapped in this study on sexual degradation and the politics of the (female) body, but wished it was more gripping.

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April 17, 2020May 5, 2023 by Eternality Tan

Zatoichi on the Road (1963)

It does feel overly-plotted, but this fifth ‘Zatoichi’ installment builds up to an all-out street gang war.

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March 25, 2020May 5, 2023 by Eternality Tan

Zatoichi the Fugitive (1963)

This fourth ‘Zatoichi’ movie sees loyalties put to the test and swordfighting action on a larger scale.

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March 10, 2020June 30, 2020 by Eternality Tan

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

One of the most visually-stunning biopics ever made, this complexly-layered work about art, politics, memory and imagination is arguably Paul Schrader’s finest moment as a filmmaker.