Midnight Movie: Shogun Assassin
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Fri 18 February 2005 // 00:00
SHOGUN ASSASSIN
(Robert Houston / 1980 / USA - Japan / 87 Minutes / 35mm / cert18)
(Fri 18th / midnight / £4/3)
In 1980, Americans David Weisman (producer) and Robert Houston (director) stumbled upon the Japanese Lone Wolf and Cub films and realised that while Western Audiences at the time would lap up the violent battles, they might not be ready for the Chanbara genre’s comparatively slow pacing and period politics. They decided to take the best bits of Lone Wolf and Cub parts 1 and 2
(respectively Baby Cart at the River Styx and Baby Cart in Hell), and add their own dubbing and simplified plot. Shogun Assassin was born, and is probably responsible to this day for the Chanbara movie’s arrival in the West.
Shogun Assassin certainly isn’t one for the purists, and could never take the place of the original Lone Wolf and Cub series, but if you like your action, then this is definitely worth a look, and stands out as quality viewing not only as a movie in its own right, but also as a film which played an important role in carrying Asian cinema from its home territories to the global audience it reaches today.
Its effect is clearly seen in the legacy it has left in popular culture - from GZA's Liquid Swords to an appearance in the closing minutes of Kill Bill 2 as BB's bedtime movie of choice. In it's midnight movie slot, you too can drift off to fountains of blood and the sound of mangled flesh...maybe leave the kids at home though...
(Robert Houston / 1980 / USA - Japan / 87 Minutes / 35mm / cert18)
(Fri 18th / midnight / £4/3)
In 1980, Americans David Weisman (producer) and Robert Houston (director) stumbled upon the Japanese Lone Wolf and Cub films and realised that while Western Audiences at the time would lap up the violent battles, they might not be ready for the Chanbara genre’s comparatively slow pacing and period politics. They decided to take the best bits of Lone Wolf and Cub parts 1 and 2
(respectively Baby Cart at the River Styx and Baby Cart in Hell), and add their own dubbing and simplified plot. Shogun Assassin was born, and is probably responsible to this day for the Chanbara movie’s arrival in the West.
Shogun Assassin certainly isn’t one for the purists, and could never take the place of the original Lone Wolf and Cub series, but if you like your action, then this is definitely worth a look, and stands out as quality viewing not only as a movie in its own right, but also as a film which played an important role in carrying Asian cinema from its home territories to the global audience it reaches today.
Its effect is clearly seen in the legacy it has left in popular culture - from GZA's Liquid Swords to an appearance in the closing minutes of Kill Bill 2 as BB's bedtime movie of choice. In it's midnight movie slot, you too can drift off to fountains of blood and the sound of mangled flesh...maybe leave the kids at home though...