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"A woman's grudge is not something that can easily go away"
A Bloodthirsty Killer aka A Devilish Murder was a cutting edge South Korean horror film from 1965. An oblivious husband and father is about to have his world destroyed, not realizing those closest to him had taken an ax to it years before.Lee Si Mok goes to an art exhibit only to find it closed down. The lone artwork on the wall is a portrait of his ex-wife. On his trip home, the taxi driver hijacks him and takes him to a remote building in the forest where ghosts are roaming. Lee meets the artist who painted the portrait of Ae Ja, his ex-wife. When the clock strikes midnight, the artist shoves Lee and the painting under the bed. The artist is struck down by a female ghost who turns into a cat and disappears. It’s not long before Lee is confronted by his ex, not fully realizing she is not what she seems.
Clueless Lee Si Mok doesn’t realize his life is built on a lie and that he is surrounded by murderous, duplicitous family and friends. After reading the synopsis I was afraid that I was watching the wrong film as the mother-in-law and maid (now dingdong Lee’s wife) don’t show up for a while. The audience and the two murderous women grasp the situation long before Lee does.
The film was far more deadly than I was prepared for given the year. Victims were stabbed, electrocuted, bludgeoned, children were threatened, and blood was sucked. The actions of the villains had been so vile that even a Bodhisattva was like, “You gotta give her this one.” There was absolutely campy laughter and for our time special effects, but it’s important to keep in mind the time and audience it was created for.
Aside from being a creepy horror film, especially for 1965, it revealed how society’s expectations of women exasperated an already volatile situation. Ae Ja had a difficult relationship with her mother-in-law because after three years of marriage she hadn’t delivered a child. She was also gracious and graceful which was a thorn in her MIL's adulterous backside. Hye Suk, Ae Ja’s relative, had few options before her and she was furiously jealous of Ae Ja’s happy marriage and wealthy lifestyle. The MIL had her own horrible secrets which included not being a celibate widow and (gasp!) having a sexual affair with a man. Didn’t she know how o-l-d she was? And of course, there was our sharp as a tack hero, Lee Si Mok, who seemed to prove that one woman was just as good as another.
The title, A Bloodthirsty Killer/A Devilish Murder, made it seem that the vengeful ghost was the demon. After hearing Ae Ja’s horrific backstory, I’m inclined to give her a pass (except for terrorizing the children). Girl had her reasons. If you enjoy old films and ones that are horror adjacent, but not very scary, this would be one to try.
14 October 2026
Trigger warnings: Attempted sexual assault. And I suppose a form of demonic bestiality? Does it count when a ghost is half female specter and half cat? Also, sexual situations with humans implied, but nothing showing.
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"Stop calling me a hero. I just yell."
A Descendant of Urashima Taro was a strange departure for Naruse Mikio who was not known for his politically charged films. Given that it was 1946 and he had both Japanese and Allied censors over his shoulder and a populace reeling economically, socially, emotionally, and politically from WWII, I’m willing to cut him some slack on the overt propaganda. It was supposedly inspired by Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, a 1939 Frank Capra film. There was also a passing correlation to the fairytale of Urashima Taro.*Reporter Tatsuta Akako hears a radio program interview of a repatriated soldier who had been stranded on an uncharted island for a year and a half. He learned a yell the islanders used when they were sad. Over the airwaves he cries for Japan, desiring a democratic rebirth where all people have a say and stake in the country. Akako figures out how to market the hermit Urashima Goro’s huge beard and iconic yell in order for her to have stories to write. The Japan Happiness Party also sees Urashima as a money maker and puppet for their party. Though they bill themselves as democratic they are just another configuration of the old system run by the zaibatsu-powerful financial conglomerates.
ADoUT starred Fujita Susumu as Urashima, an actor I was introduced to through Kurosawa Akira films like Sanshiro Sugata (1943) and kaiju flicks like Dogora (1964), but due to his large unkempt beard and the blurriness of the film I couldn’t recognize him. Takamine Hideko was the intrepid reporter who created and then had to destroy Urashima. Again, the blurriness of the film obscured her beautiful face, but her distinctive voice rang true. Reliable character actress, Sugimura Haruko, played Akako’s savvy boss.
The film was needlessly repetitive and if I never hear that Tarzan falling off a cliff yell again it will be too soon. I’m all for democracy but the rhetoric was laid on thick and often. There was a legitimate call for people to take part in the political process and to be aware of fake parties attempting to lead them back to the past. Urashima desired for Japan to be reborn. “Hope should be as big as the sun.” The performances were fine for the film but this wasn’t exactly a showcase for the actors’ abilities. The only hint I saw of Naruse was that women played prominent roles in the film both as creators and destroyers. Worth a view for a look into that moment in Japanese history and if you are a Naruse completionist.
18 September 2026
Title note: aka The Descendants of Taro Urashima. I went with the singular Descendant title as it at least had the name in the correct order.
*Urashima Taro-Urashima Goro mentioned that he made up the bit about being a descendant as the original Urashima had no offspring. Urashima Taro was a fisherman who rescued a sea turtle being tortured by children and was rewarded with a trip to the underwater Dragon Palace where he met the princess he’d saved. After a few days he asked to go home. The princess gifted him a box that would protect him but he must never open it. When he returned to his village, 300 years had gone by. In despair he opened the box and instantly became an old man, as the box had contained his old age.
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"A wanderer meets a wanderer"
The Illegal Immigrant was Mabel Cheung’s directorial debut, in fact, it was her graduate project at New York University Graduate Institute of Film and Television. Comprised of fellow students and borrowed equipment, with a little assist from Mona Fong, Mabel put together a solid bit of filmmaking on a small budget.Cheung Kwan Chow swam to Hong Kong from the Mainland and then paid a smuggler for a boat ride to the United States. He’s sharing an apartment with Fatty Yuen in New York City. After being picked up by Immigration, Cheung has to find a way to get his green card and he’s running out of options. He ends up paying a young friend’s older sister, Cindy Li, to marry him on the condition they divorce in two years and keep their marriage secret. Like true love, the course of fake marriages doesn’t run smoothly.
The acting in this film was serviceable especially considering they were mostly friends of Mabel Cheung and Alex Law at school. The dubbing was fairly atrocious though with several characters. You could see Mabel trying out different filming techniques and while her efforts were commendable, they also looked cobbled together at times. Much of the action took place in Chinatown off of Canal Street with rundown apartments and buildings covered in graffiti. The music ran from quite well done to awkwardly obvious.
This was an interesting ground view of being an illegal immigrant in NYC during the 1980s. Smugglers demanding money. Immigration Officers dropping in and burdening immigrants with high fines and bureaucratic paperwork in an unfamiliar language. Black market green cards and scam marriages being tossed about. I would like to have known more about Cheung. He was said to be well educated and had performed in numerous kung fu films. He had no legal status in Hong Kong, but his mom lived there. What drove him to the US? Despite the presence of gangs, financial and legal difficulties, Mabel Cheung kept the mood light for the most part. The romance developed rather quickly yet not unexpectedly.
Director Cheung was the Hong Kong Film Awards winner for Best Director in 1986. I’m always pleased when women are given the chance to direct and succeed. And this film also showed women helping women as Shaw Brothers’ Mona Fong contributed $150,000 towards the film. Mabel would go on to direct An Autumn’s Tale in 1987 which I quite liked. The Illegal Immigrant was rough around the edges and had a typical 80s Hong Kong ending but it also felt authentic without preaching or being overly melodramatic. It was a nice show of restraint from a new filmmaker. I gave it a slight ratings bump for being pre-1990 and also being largely a school project.
2 August 2026
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"Go forward with a clear heart like the blue sky"
This Happy Life was a propaganda film that felt like it drew from the much later films Mary Poppins (1964) and Chocolat (2000). Naruse Mikio wove a magical tale of a family who moved into a small community and spread their creative brand of happiness.During WWII a small town’s citizens grumble about everyday annoyances. The barrel maker’s hammering gets on people’s nerves. The clock repairman’s clocks won't synchronize. Spouses argue and snipe at each other and nearly everyone is generally cranky. The Soma family moves in and the consensus is that the newcomers are weird. As Soma and his daughters spread their optimism, kindness, and lessons in frugality, a warm change begins to creep over the prickly residents.
This film was a lesson in I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. And reframing events to put a positive spin on them. Don’t throw those potato peels away—when fried they are a German delicacy. An egg was the embodiment of chicken breasts and filling. Water puddles became a scene of anthropomorphized dancing raindrops. Anything was possible if you put your mind to it. Even the annoying drumming of the barrel maker became the rhythm for an uplifting song.
Given that the film was released in 1944 the writing was on the wall for the Japanese military. This film encouraged people to keep their spirits up, let nothing go to waste, and do what they could to help their country and community. It wasn't overtly patriotic and militaristic, much of the film’s message would have been apropos to the Great Depression or any time of hardship. Except the part about having children to support the population dwindling due to the war.
I enjoy films where an outsider comes to town and gives the people a new perspective on life and helps to heal old wounds and attitudes. (See Chocolat above). While Naruse could be heavy handed at times the film succeeded in encouraging the townsfolk to find the joy around them using a large dose of imagination and gentle humor.
15 July 2026
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What we have here, is a failure to communicate*
Pushing Hands was director Ang Lee’s first full length film. It was also the first in what critics have affectionately termed the “Father Knows Best” trilogy. Lee’s first three films (unrelated) focused on conflicts between modern children and their traditional fathers, all three films starred Lung Sihung as a father in the middle of familial tension. While entertaining, I found this film to be the weakest of the three.The Chu family household has been set on edge ever since Alex’s seventy-year-old father moved into their home a month prior. Chu senior speaks no English and Alex’s wife, Martha, speaks no Mandarin. The young grandson, Jeremy, has been taking Chinese lessons after school and understands some of what his grandfather says. The wife and father-in-law are basically in a cold war. Mr Chu’s very presence disturbs Martha so much that she has developed writer’s block and has been unable to progress on her second book. One need not speak English to understand her irritated body language and hostile words. Alex ends up listening to both of their complaints at the dinner table, often at the same time, with English in one ear and Mandarin in the other. Mr. Chu is a tai chi master and teaches a class at the local continuing education facility while his grandson takes his Chinese class and Alex plays basketball. One evening, the Chinese cooking teacher, Mrs. Chen, purposefully moves her class into his large room in order to meet the older gentleman. Both discover that they are living in difficult family situations that are heading to a boil.
I struggled with the core conflict of this film with the open hostility Martha showed Mr. Chu. She mentioned that Alex barely spoke of his father for seven years and then “Boom! One month ago, this shows up on our doorstep.” Alex told his father it was his plan all along for him to come live with them. It sounds like he never brought that up with Martha. This is the type of conversation that needed to happen as the father’s arrival would have required some planning and cooperation. Martha’s work space could have been modified for more privacy and she could have taken evening classes with her son to better be able to speak with her FIL. Alex bringing his father over and hoping for the best left his father feeling alienated and his wife feeling resentful.
The film focused on a variety of gaps-language, cultural, generational, and modern vs traditional values. Mr. Chu might have been home and with family but it did not feel like home. Alex had videotaped Taiwanese movies for his father to watch, most of which he was uninterested in. Only the Chinese Opera appealed to him which decidedly did nothing for Martha’s frayed nerves. Mrs. Chen gave Mr. Chu someone he could relate to which both exasperated children used to try and manipulate to their advantage. The older people felt useless and isolated, unwanted in their children’s homes. In a land of material wealth, there was no room for them. As with his other father films, Ang Lee managed to salvage relationships even if they were still damaged. Parents and children grudgingly learned to adapt and find a way to balance their expectations and bonds. And there were those who learned the hard way to not mess with a seventy-year-old tai chi master. Not one of Ang Lee’s strongest films but still quite watchable.
4 June 2026
*Headline note: Quote from Cool Hand Luke
Golden note: 1991 Golden Horse Best Actor Award for Lung Sihung and Best Actress Award for Lai Wang. The acting for these two was significantly stronger than much of the rest of the cast.
Paternal Note: The three Ang Lee “Father Knows Best” films: Pushing Hands, The Wedding Banquet, and Eat Drink Man Woman.
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The Men Scolded the Woman Who Bothered Me
3 people found this review helpful
Samsung Commercial
The title “The Men Scolded the Woman Who Bothered Me” is both a spoiler and complete summary of this short web film/Samsung commercial. I would say “men” and “woman” was stretching things as most behaved like high school students instead of employees at a major company.Ji Hie’s first day at work doesn’t go well when she returns a wallet to a stranger on the street. The stranger accuses her of stealing the 50,000 won that had been in the wallet. Joo Hyun tells her off and then goes to work and gossips with the other members of his team, including Joo Mi who used to bully Ji Hie mercilessly in high school. Sure enough, Ji Hie walks in and is introduced as the newest member of the team. Joo Mi thinks she can pick up where she left off torturing Ji Hie, but will everyone buy her victim performance?
The film contained a long product placement for Samsung in the middle of the short film. The end credits were also all about their Galaxy products. I’m not against companies making short films that feature their products, the Philippines’ Jollibee famously makes very touching short film commercials. This commercial, on the other hand, was completely graceless. The acting was below average and the bullying storyline was clumsily handled. At one point, in order to highlight a Galaxy product and resolve a conflict, they stepped into absurdity. Everyone was pretty to look at and Samsung was the focal point so it probably succeeded in its goals despite appearing very amateurish. However, I just found myself rolling my eyes at the denouement, completely uninspired to purchase their high-tech equipment. Better luck next time Samsung, maybe get Jollibee on the phone and see who they use to make their commercials.
28 May 2026
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"I'm still too young to give up"
Director Ichikawa Jun’s inaugural film Bu Su (1987), reminded me of Blue Spring (2001) only without the violence. Set around disillusioned high school students with no great prospects for the future it relied as much on mood as it did plot.Morishita Mugiko travels to Tokyo by train alone to start a new life as a maiko while also attending high school. Her aunt runs the house and renames her Suzume. At school, Mugiko silently slides into her class, observing instead of interacting. She walks through the new town filled with unusual people and places. She is demoted to running after the rickshaws when her aunt finds her inability to look up frustrating. During the planning for the school’s 100th anniversary talent show, Mugiko is manipulated into presenting a geisha dance by the class queen bee who has grown jealous of the handsome boy’s attention toward the new sullen girl.
To be called Bu Su was a derogatory name meaning physically or emotionally ugly. Tomita Yasuko was definitely not ugly so it could only be a description of Mugiko’s withdrawn personality. Head down, hair over her face, Mugiko rarely interacted with anyone until one day she stood up for another bu su. Ichikawa captured the isolation a teen could feel when thrust into a room of strangers, knowing teenagers were judgmental and cliquey. Like an alien with three heads and purple skin, Mugiko, attempted to blend into the background as much as possible. We’re told she’d had a rough time in her small hometown, but never learn the source of her difficulties with her mother, school, and father’s death. She slowly made friends with students who were considered odd. What she found was that others were also scared and lonely. She didn’t have a market on insecurity. Her new friends were also seeking meaning in their lives. Was this all there was to life? Despite the social advertising for them, the teens had seen that marriage and jobs weren’t necessarily the answers to happiness.
Ichikawa relied heavily on Tomita’s expressive eyes to sell Mugiko’s emotions. There were times his extreme closeups could be disorienting. Yet this first-time film director also had a flare for beautifully framing his compositions. Tokyo was explored, the parts that tourists see and the parts people avoid. If you like Japanese pop music you might enjoy the “modern” score for the time. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Okusu Michiyo as the geisha madame/aunt. She gave a lovely performance as the woman who offered Mugiko/Suzume a chance and also watched as her own daughter chose a life outside their world.
Mugiko chose to perform a scene from the kabuki about Yaoya Oshichi who started a fire (or sounded a false alarm for one) for a chance to see the boy she loved. To master the puppet dance Mugiko had to learn from and rely on others. And she had to learn to look up. Unlike a Hollywood picture, everything didn’t end in cheers and medals for Mugiko and her friends. But even in their failures they gained insight into themselves. Sometimes the past has to be burned down in order to smile at the future. Bu Su wasn’t a perfect film and my score was around a 7.75 which I rounded up to 8.0. I found it flawed and yet also entertaining.
22 May 2026
Explanatory note: Suzume was the FLs maiko name. Much of the film took place with her school friends so to keep things simple in this review I used the name they addressed her by which was Mugiko.
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Middle-aged Zhao is determined to marry. Since skinny women aren’t interested in him, he’s turned his sights on plump women in hopes that he will find someone to keep him warm and satisfied. “Big Mom” agrees to marry him though she wants a 50,000 yuan/$7400 wedding to which Zhao agrees. The problem being he is stone cold broke. Friends he has borrowed money from previously are sympathetic, even though this is his 18th attempt at marriage, but don’t have the cash to loan. Big Mom has a blind stepdaughter she treats as a servant and asks Zhao to put her to work at his Happy Times Hotel. The hotel is actually an abandoned bus he and a friend cleaned up in the park to rent out to couples needing privacy. When that financial venture goes awry, he’s forced to manufacture a job for Wu Ying to keep up the illusion he has money so that he can marry her stepmother.
The first thirty minutes were a bit of a slog for me, but picked up when Zhao and Wu Ying ended up forced together. I was afraid they’d go for an inappropriate geezer romance. Thankfully, the duo took on more of a wholesome father-daughter vibe. Though someone needed to buy that girl a robe. Zhao was a good man at heart who bent the truth often in order to try and get ahead. His friends who were also financially challenged and a little peculiar accepted him as he was. The group of lovable losers came to like Wu Ying and did what they could to help her knowing their scam setup would be short lived at best. Big Mama, an expert in consumption, and her overly entitled son, were the annoying villains in this farce. Her selfishness and greed only highlighted Zhao’s desperation for a companion.
This odd, offbeat comedy had its humorous moments and others that fell flat. What was revealed as the story progressed were people capable of genuine kindness and friendship. Zhao and Wu Ying desired the best for each other even if they knew that their lives would be filled with hardship. Happy Times came all too briefly and usually occurred in the presence of loving friends, the gift that requires no wealth. Not one of Zhang Yi Mou’s stronger films, but still enjoyable.
9 May 2026
Housekeeping Note: My 1400th film
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"Meeting someone is never a coincidence"
Dead End Run was a bizarre art house film. Disturbing, with dizzying shaky camera work, and yet also intriguing. Three different protagonists in three different stories, running for their lives, find themselves in curious dead ends.Last Song
This was the strangest and my least favorite as it lapsed into a “zombie” song and dance. Surreal. 6.5
Shadows
Two hit men find themselves at a dead end and what appeared to be an existential crisis for both. Unhinged bordering on comical. 7.0
Fly
A criminal is cornered on a rooftop holding a silent girl hostage. Both are at different kinds of dead ends. 8.0
I was not a fan of the nausea inducing shaky cam, especially when it was sped up and combined with other special effects. I could appreciate it, but did not enjoy it. The music also sounded like it came straight out of the 1970s. Much like the camera work, you’ll either love it or hate it.
The moon and mist played a strong role in the first two fantastical stories while the sun made an appearance in the third one. Pay attention to the jewelry shown in the initial hallucinogenic run with psychedelic effects and colors flowing like a kaleidoscope on a bad mushroom trip. They show up later. Honestly, much of the film had the look of someone who had partaken of something that led to a distortion of time and space. The runners were in amazing shape. One ran through the night, day, and night again. I’m sure it had some higher meaning my literal brain could not discern. All three couples ended up in similar positions for different reasons.
Dead End Run is one those films where the beauty/meaning is in the eye of the beholder. It’s not a film I could say I truly liked, but I did find it interesting and worth a watch just to once again experience director Ishii Gakuryu’s creativity and imagination.
6 May 2026
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Officer Chan Chi Kit has gone undercover and become hooked on drugs in the process. When a kidnapping he’s supposed to be conducting goes awry, he ends up being the kidnapped party. Held in a Thai prison, Kit is at the mercy of the crooked warden, Ko Chun. His uncle, Detective Chan Kwok Wah, will stop at nothing to rescue his nephew, even defying the police department to do so. Working at the Thai prison as a guard is Chai. Paid to look the other way at some of the unsavory dealings, he stays there to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment as he searches for a bone marrow donor for her. The Big Bad, Hung Mun Gong, also has health concerns. He is in desperate need of a heart transplant with the only donor available to him…his brother. What to do? What to do?
The story for the film was straightforward yet the director/writers decided to make it a nausea inducing tilt-o-whirl of flashbacks with no warning. The past events weren’t that complex that they needed parsing out to make the film more suspenseful. Nor were the events over a significant span of time. Aside from the flashbacks they added coincidence upon coincidence upon coincidence. Given the human organ trafficking, there was a vague, brief conversation over which lives were more valued. Chai had to decide the line of sacrifice he could not cross for his daughter. Chan had to weigh his boss’ orders against the life of his nephew. And Hung was far less conflicted over his brother’s heart.
The acting was sufficient for the story line. Simon Yam and Wu Jing were both resurrected from SPL 1, though not the actual characters. Zhang Jin was largely called upon to look menacing with his cheekbones sharp enough to cut diamonds. Tony Jaa is usually a stronger fighter than actor, but he managed to pull off the concerned and conflicted father role. At nearly 60 years of age, old-time kung fu fighter Ken Lo, was a nice partner for Tony to work with.
Now for the fights, the main reason to watch this film. The first fight between Wu and Jaa was disappointing as the two threw numerous windmill punches. As the film progressed, the fights improved. When the final battle took place, the long-awaited fast fists, flying kicks and knees, of Wu, Zhang, and Jaa arrived full force. Though Tony’s normally bone crunching elbows and knees felt a little subdued. In his films he usually hits his opponents to incapacitate them, where here, they often bounced back up. Wu Jing is delightfully fast, yet it wasn’t until much later in the film when Kit finally got his bitch on and remembered he could fight. The concluding scene was absolutely ridiculous, hilariously so, but also weirdly fun in a sadistic way. If you are a fan of any or all three martial artists, SPL 2 is worth giving a try.
28 April 2026
Trigger warnings: There were a few slicey scenes with body parts cut off.
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Sengoku Gunto Den Dai Nibu: Akatsuki no Zenshin
3 people found this review helpful
"A thief is still a thief"
Saga of the Vagabonds, Part 2: Forward at Dawn took place one year after the virtuous Taro was betrayed by his family and being hunted by the magistrate. He joined Rokuro’s bandits as their leader, changing all of their lives.Taro’s leadership of the bandits has changed their entire operating procedure. They now only rob from the rich and give to the poor. There’s no raping or murdering of the peasants. Most of the bandits are strangely okay with this. Everyone, that is, except for Bonten and Jibu who have their eyes on the farm girl who had saved Taro in the first film. Their betrayal devastates the gang. Betrayals also hit close to Taro’s home when the evil retainer Hyoe’s plans are revealed.
Taro and Rokuro guided the band of merry thieves and fought side by side. I was shocked at how easily the bandits accepted Taro as their leader and was then reminded of a line from Ragnarok by Loki, "Well, it seems that you are in desperate need of leadership". Korg, “Well, thank you.” These bandits were not very bright and were also in desperate need of leadership.
This time the body count rose as Taro dealt with the fallout of Hyoe’s deadly actions. Part 2 was shortened in the version I watched and I wondered if they cut out the romance between Taro and the farm girl Tazu and any extended scenes between Taro and his love Koyuki. There seemed to be implied scenes that weren’t shown.
Whereas Part 1 was lighter and livelier, Part 2 was much darker as the deep betrayals burned away any ties that Taro had with his past. Not quite as engaging as Part 1, Part 2 was still enjoyable. The screen always sizzled more when Rokuro was engaged. Taro, bless his heart, could be a bit stiff. The message in the films was that the powerful and wealthy abused those beneath them in both social and economic status in order to prosper themselves. And when in doubt as the body count rose---the butler did it.
20 March 2026
Housekeeping note: In the version I watched, Parts 1 & 2 were combined. Part 1 was missing around 14 minutes and Part 2 over 20. If anyone finds the two in their entirety, please let me know.
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Sengoku Gunto Den Dai Ichibu: Toraokami
3 people found this review helpful
"Promise to not get angry"
Legend of the Vagabonds, Part 1: Tiger and Wolf began in a rather lighthearted manner. But as so often happens, as the story went on, the shadows descended.Toki Taro Tarao chastises his young brother Jiro when Jiro’s men devastated the suffering peasants in order to gather a larger tribute to the Hojo clan. Taro accompanies the small fortune only to be besieged by bandits. Taro is injured and saved by a small farm family. Kahi Rokuro, a new member of the band of thieves, made off with the money, much to the chagrin of his gang. Rokuro becomes distressed when wanted posters for Taro appear as he knows Taro to be the best of men and not deserving of such derision.
The most compelling character in this film was not the upright and uptight Taro, it was the flamboyant and strangely ethical Rokuro. Once Rokuro realized who he had stolen from, he did whatever he could to make things right for his old childhood friend, Taro. Taro, on the other hand, had to learn the hard way that his family and villainous retainer were willing to sacrifice him for their own evil ambition.
Part One ends with Taro making a fateful decision that will change his life and the lives of the bandits. This was an entertaining film with several limited fights. Nakamura Kanemon III’s rousing performance as Rokuro lifted the story when rigid Taro’s presence often let it down. The vile Hyoe and immoral Jiro may have caused problems for the virtuous Taro in this film but they had more in store in Part 2.
20 March 2026
Housekeeping note: The only available version of this film I could find had Parts 1 and 2 combined. It appeared that Part 1 was shortened by 14 minutes and Part 2 was shortened by over 20 minutes which would have included credits as well.
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"Meowonderful!"
I was in the mood for something soft and cuddly. Samurai Cat curled up on my lap and brought a warm smile to my face. Kitamura Kazuki has never been more handsome and masculine looking than when holding a white kitty in one hand and a katana in the other.Madarame Kyutaro was fired as the Kaga family’s sword instructor and now makes ends meet by creating umbrellas. He faithfully holds out hope for finding a samurai job yet can’t even land an interview. His wife and daughter wait dutifully back home for him. One day, members of the Yonezawa family ask him to murder their rival’s cat. The town has been split in two ever since an incident 30 years ago between the cat loving Aikawa clan and the dog loving Yonezawa clan. Down to his last coins, he accepts the job. When she turns her sparkling green eyes on him, Madara is unable to kill the beautiful white cat and takes her home instead. Before long, the situation explodes and the loner ends up not only playing referee, but giving refuge to a maid who cares for the cat and a young samurai bent on vengeance.
Samurai Cat the drama was one of my first Jdramas. I found it to be thoroughly charming. Though not as strong, once Madara gave in and picked up the kitty, it was hard to begrudge the film anything. This character is my favorite of Kitamura’s. I was pleased he still had his own theme song he sang. “Slash ‘em, slash ‘em, slash ‘em! My mother once told me I was born holding a sword. Invincible, never lose a battle. That’s the only road for Madara...”
The story started out slow and was simplistic and a little silly. I suppose having a cat clan vs a dog clan made as much sense as a lot of other reasons samurai hated each other and wanted to fight. An old wives’ tale stated that white cats brought money and people. This sweet kitty and a gruff ronin actually did combine to bring people together and peace to Edo. So, if you are needing a heartwarming film that can put a smile on your face, Neko Zamurai/Samurai Cat would be a good place to start.
“As a ring of a cat’s collar bell
Tells me that I’m not alone
Going on the trackless path
I am Neko Zamurai.”
ஐ
18 March 2026
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Uncle Chan and his sister own and perform in their stage show. The local gangster and patron, Duan Shiang Yuan offers them a dinner celebration on their last night. Tsuei Hung begs her brother to not drink too much which he of course ignores when his kung fu is called into question. A series of bad decisions later and Chan is accused of assaulting Duan’s wife. Tsuei Hung agrees to be Duan’s mistress in exchange for her brother’s life which Duan magnanimously agrees to…after he’s crippled Chan’s hands. Chan becomes a street performer and makes the acquaintance of a small-time thief. Both run afoul of the extortion gang with Chan eventually agreeing to teach “Little Monkey” Monkey style kung fu.
First my biggest complaint. Why does the woman have to pay for the man’s idiotic behavior? And why does everyone get over that sacrifice so easily? Okay, my other complaint, the movie was too darn long for a kung fu flick. There wasn’t enough story for 110 minutes, it dragged in places.
Now, for what did work. Lau Kar Leung is my favorite old school martial arts director and I loved that he was allowed to star in this film. He started out honing his craft in Kwan Tak Hing’s Wong Fei Hung films going back to 1953. At 41, he stayed up with the 19-year-old Hsiao Hou. His choreography for this film was exciting. Hsiao was extraordinarily acrobatic, limber, and fast making him the perfect Monkey style artist. Lo Lieh, as the villain, snarled and sneered his way through providing more than enough menace for two. A grand Shaw Brothers’ set for the extravagant brothel where most of the big fights took place gave plenty of stairs to fight up and down and balconies to fall off of. A teenage Kara Hui had the small, but important role, of Chan’s sister. Scriptwriter Ni Kuang did her wrong but at least she had a good fight against Lo to give her character a smidge of meaning and heroics, even if the student squandered her sacrifice much like his mentor.
If you enjoy Monkey style kung fu and not one, but two training montages, this is a film to check out. There was a great deal of acrobatic “no wires on me!” kung fu displaying a wide range of agility, strength, and quickness. I would have preferred several scenes to have been either cut or shortened, as the movie ran long for me. The final fights were entertaining, though sometimes with monkeys, they take the long way to get there. Rated on a curve.
13 March 2026
Housekeeping note: 400th entry in my Everybody's Kung Fu Fighting List!
https://kisskh.at/list/LOPBNbe3
Trigger warnings: While there was a lot of fighting there were only two deaths and they weren’t too gruesome. If smoking bothers you there was quite a bit of that and drinking.
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"We're family"
The title Swordswomen Three was false advertising as there were rarely 3 women on the screen at the same time. Director Shen Chiang preferred to focus on the male characters. Lo Lieh and Essie Lin Chia carried this film on their backs.Ambitious Chu Tien Hsing repeatedly challenges the master of the Xiude Martial Arts Academy to a duel. Chu is upset that the school is named #1 after winning a contest held every decade. The son, Hsu Chin Wu, finally agrees to fight Chu and then defeats him. Chu decides if he can’t win with his sword skills, he’ll steal the famous Mighty Steel Sword from his fiancée’s family.
First things first. If you are going to title a film, Swordswomen Three, then the swordswomen should be featured. Shen Yi as Ruo Lan was engaged to Chu and spent most of her time fretting what to do. Sister Hsiao Lien (Pan Ying Zi) had almost nothing to do. Neither was the sharpest knife in the drawer. Pan’s character was sidelined with an injury for much of the film which wasn’t a bad thing because she was a drip. Later, wishy washy Ruo Lan was injured and mostly off screen. The eldest sister, Ju Mei, was fierce and intelligent. Essie did a great job with the role she was given. Sadly, she was undercover wearing a hood for part of the film (or her stunt double). If the other heroes had listened to her the evil Chu would have been defeated earlier.
Shen Chiang’s direction and writing were sorely lacking, with too many scenes feeling redundant and also changing pertinent info about the sisters’ connection to the Xiude Academy midway. He also had the sisters make some of the dumbest and most illogical decisions to try and push the story along or gum it up.
Another dull knife was Chang Yi’s Hsu Chin Wu. Watching him play this dull good guy was like watching paint dry, grass grow, or any other tedious task you could think of. After Ju Mei survived all sorts of tortures with her wits and fighting skills, she actually asked Hsu to come up with a plan to defeat Chu. Seriously? She was the sharpest sword. I would have had qualms about asking Hsu for directions to the best restaurant nearby. Essie’s only equal in this film was Lo Lieh’s Chu. Chu acknowledged he wasn’t the best fighter, but with the Mighty Steel Sword he felt he would be invincible. One side could cut through anything. The other side was magnetic and could disarm opponents. Enticing and able to pour on the sexy charm when needed, I could see why Ruo Lan was conflicted. However, the villain shouldn’t be the most, if not only, captivating character on screen. Lo, like Essie had to do some heavy lifting to elevate their characters above the script. And the good guys shouldn’t be utterly inept, with the exclusion of Ju Mei. And mild spoiler alert, it was not Ju Mei or the three sisters who were given the final assault on Chu, it was of course, Hsu.
Most of the fight choreography was competent as it should have been with Tang Chia and my personal fave, Lau Kar Leung, as the martial arts directors. Although there was a hilarious moment in a scene where older actor Lee Wan Chung had an oopsie with the wire work. The final fight in a bamboo forest was bloody and violent as expected, yet disappointing without the SWORDSWOMEN THREE taking part in it. I would love to have had a movie with Lo Lieh and Essie Lin Chia locking swords together in a one of these old films. They both had a spark that came through the screen. Unfortunately, they were surrounded by wet blankets (have I used up all my boring idioms?) that dragged the film down. Not the worst film, but disappointing all the same. Rated on a curve.
6 March 2026
Trigger warning: One of the other interesting characters was Master Mei, the hooded thief and assassin. She blinded a maid with daggers upon seeing her face. Ick. Several impalements.
Musical Note: The James Bond riff was used several times.
Life Lesson Note: Beware of any boss who says, “We’re all family here.” They are the likeliest to overwork you and stab you in the back. In this film, that was literally.
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