Lone Wolf and Cub Volumes 1 - 3
Eastern Eye/Toho Films : Horror/Action : 1.85 (Anamorphic) : 2.0 mono : Rated R : DVD-9 : PAL : 1972 : 83 mins, 85 mins, 83 mins
The Film(s)
The Lone Wolf and Cub films are legend, however for many years they were only seen outside asia in the bastardised form of Shogun Assassin, a compilation of the first two volumes produced by Roger Corman. They had woeful dubbing, an ugly eltronic music track, and were censored beyond recognition. Finally we can see them intact, in Japanese, and nicely presented.
The films (these are the first 3 of 5 films that also spawned a comic book and television series) were created as a vehicle to turn producer Shintaro's brother into a star. He plays the Shogun's Executioner, the second to those who face the Sepukku ritual suicide. His job is to preserve their honour by beheading them before they show weakness. At this he is a master, however when a rival clan moves to replace him, and kills his wife, he takes to the road in exile with his infant son, living as demons - the assassin known as Lone Wolf and Cub. The first three films have been released by Eastern Eye - Sword of Vengence, Baby Cart at the River Styx, and Baby Cart into Hades, and are true blood brothers of Sergio Leone's westerns with Clint Eastwood. Sword of Vengence is a bloody opera, full of tragedy and betrayal. It is ingenious in it's bloodshed, but poetic in it's vision. Released three montsh later, Baby Cart at the River Styx is a ballet of violence, beautiful to behold. Heads are cleft, bodies pieced to shower geyers of blood. A direct line of heritage can be drawn fron here to Volume One of Tarantino's Kill Bill. But these are not gratuitous films in the vein of horror films to come. These are truely art. By comprison, Baby Cart into Hades is a much more staid, and in some ways disjointed, affair. This is because of it's rather checkered history. It was made in 1969, but held by the censors for three years. When it was finally released, it was minus two major fight scenes, and had to be recut to avoid retelling the back story that had been remade in Sword of Vengence. The subsequent films continued the downward trend before giving way to a very popular television series.
The DVD
Eastern Eye have again done a great job on these disks. The picture and audio quality is extraordinary for the age and history of the films. The audio is Japanese only, with English subtitles. The subtitles show the versitility of the DVD format but also including explainations of important names, places and facts that come up in dialogue. They appear at the top of screen as required to fill in the gaps. Very handy. You also get trailors for all five films (although volumes four and five have yet to appear), and a multi-page historical essay that sheds light on the culture and the politics of the time. It is worth a read as political intrigue is very much the motivation behind these dastardly doings. All in all, good solid offerings.
Film(s) : 4/5 (volumes one and two, 2.5/5 Volume 3) DVD : 4/5
The Film(s)
The Lone Wolf and Cub films are legend, however for many years they were only seen outside asia in the bastardised form of Shogun Assassin, a compilation of the first two volumes produced by Roger Corman. They had woeful dubbing, an ugly eltronic music track, and were censored beyond recognition. Finally we can see them intact, in Japanese, and nicely presented.
The films (these are the first 3 of 5 films that also spawned a comic book and television series) were created as a vehicle to turn producer Shintaro's brother into a star. He plays the Shogun's Executioner, the second to those who face the Sepukku ritual suicide. His job is to preserve their honour by beheading them before they show weakness. At this he is a master, however when a rival clan moves to replace him, and kills his wife, he takes to the road in exile with his infant son, living as demons - the assassin known as Lone Wolf and Cub. The first three films have been released by Eastern Eye - Sword of Vengence, Baby Cart at the River Styx, and Baby Cart into Hades, and are true blood brothers of Sergio Leone's westerns with Clint Eastwood. Sword of Vengence is a bloody opera, full of tragedy and betrayal. It is ingenious in it's bloodshed, but poetic in it's vision. Released three montsh later, Baby Cart at the River Styx is a ballet of violence, beautiful to behold. Heads are cleft, bodies pieced to shower geyers of blood. A direct line of heritage can be drawn fron here to Volume One of Tarantino's Kill Bill. But these are not gratuitous films in the vein of horror films to come. These are truely art. By comprison, Baby Cart into Hades is a much more staid, and in some ways disjointed, affair. This is because of it's rather checkered history. It was made in 1969, but held by the censors for three years. When it was finally released, it was minus two major fight scenes, and had to be recut to avoid retelling the back story that had been remade in Sword of Vengence. The subsequent films continued the downward trend before giving way to a very popular television series.
The DVD
Eastern Eye have again done a great job on these disks. The picture and audio quality is extraordinary for the age and history of the films. The audio is Japanese only, with English subtitles. The subtitles show the versitility of the DVD format but also including explainations of important names, places and facts that come up in dialogue. They appear at the top of screen as required to fill in the gaps. Very handy. You also get trailors for all five films (although volumes four and five have yet to appear), and a multi-page historical essay that sheds light on the culture and the politics of the time. It is worth a read as political intrigue is very much the motivation behind these dastardly doings. All in all, good solid offerings.
Film(s) : 4/5 (volumes one and two, 2.5/5 Volume 3) DVD : 4/5
posted by Gunslinger at 23:05
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