Collecting Movie Reviews

This whole film is "Obscure". I bought this based on high marks given by others. I was looking for a romantic film to watch with my wife, instead I got a twisted look inside the minds of sex/relationship addicts. I was sorely disappointed after watching this bizarre film. I kept hoping that there would be some resolution at the end. Even having the whole thing be a 'dream sequence' would have been better than what it was. I was left with questions like - What the heck was all that about? Why did he keep changing actresses, what's the deal with the sack, the terrorists...I can only guess about the ending.
This film is like a lot of modern art, you can read into the meaning of things and make this whatever you want it to be. I would have liked the director to have given a more solid message. As far as I know there was none. I don't want to have to research a film's meaning the next morning... Purchasing this film left me feeling guilty and cheated. I actually apologized for showing it, and am donating my copy to the local library. Warning -- Rent this one first.

"Any man who thinks he can read the mind of a woman is a man who knows nothing." -- Robert Evans.
This could have been the tagline for Bunuel's final movie, in which Fernando Rey's Mathieu grapples with his lust for Conchita, who seems to be leading him on for sadistic thrills. In his final surrealistic touch, Bunuel casts two women in the part of Conchita, a choice that has been interpreted a hundred different ways, though Bunuel himself insisted it was a random whimsical idea that just stuck. One thing on which everyone should agree, though, is that it adds to the mystery and ambiguity that is at the heart of Mathieu's relationship with Conchita. Had Bunuel made Mathieu consciously aware of this fact, it would've reduced it to a gimmick. This way, it preserves the obscurity of the title. I rank this movie as his best because he only got stronger as a filmmaker with time, and, this being his last one, it's informed by everything that came before. It's also wildly hilarious and very disturbing. This being a Criterion DVD, you can count on the best picture and sound quality, and a score of extra junk which may or may not interest you.

The final film of Luis Brunel has an older rich French guy trying to buy his way into the heart of a young Spanish babe. It helps that she is somewhat destitute with no father and she needs to support her mother. But it doesn't play out as simply as it should.

The movie begins as Frenchie's train is pulling out of the station and the babe is running after him. He dumps water on her. When he gets to his seat the other passengers are intrigued as to why he would do that. The movie is his explanation of what happened.

The gist of the piece is that the girl won't give it up to Frenchie. She?ll suggest it, but still no hanky panky. She is nothing but excuses and we're not really sure what the real reason is. Sometimes she is afraid and promises him something special in the near future, other times she is mocking him as an old man. It goes through a period of him writing her off and then chasing her again. Maybe she is afraid that if she relents he will be through with her. Maybe she is worried that he doesn't love her. Maybe she is just stringing him along to get everything she can. Her behavior changes so much during the film that the train passengers feel really bad for Frenchie. We in the audience are sure she is just playing him for a fool. She even says so near the end of the film. But it's not as easy as this. Maybe she is just insecure. Just when you think the ending explains everything, it leaves you with more questions.

Growing up in a Trekkie household, I found Tylor to be the perfect yin to Star Trek's yang. Tylor, quite simply, is the anti-Kirk, and it works beautifully. This series is one of the most beautiful productions I have ever seen, and is the perfect blend of comedy and drama, with even the most minor of characters fleshed out. From what I understand, this series was a labor of love ... and it shows.

For the space opera genre, which often takes itself way too seriously, it's refreshing to see a takeoff on it that isn't overtly slapstick. Instead of going for sight gags and below-the-belt humor, the writers go for wry, witty dialogue, and allusions to many a classic science-fiction novel and movie. The situations, while unbelievable, are still plausible ... they really could happen in battle, and you never really figure out whether Tylor is along for the ride or really IS the great tactical genius in military history.

Again, though Tylor is the main character, and an incredibly good one at that, he doesn't steal the show. He has the perfect balance of supporting characters, ranging from Yuriko Star, the uptight, by-the-book lieutenant; Yamamoto, the even-more by-the-book traditionalist, who is prone to weeping spells and (ultimately useless) dramatic speeches, the marines Andressen and Cryburn, who could have been pulled out of Starship Troopers (mind you, the Heinlein novel, not the Hollywood travesty), and the obligatory cute teenage twins, Yumi and Emi, who turn out to be pretty darn good fighter pilots. Even Jason. Yes, THAT Jason, the star of so many slasher films, is a crew member on the Soyokaze. And a good team player to boot! (Who'd have thunk it?)

In short, Tylor is a smart spoof that stands up quite well on its own. With an engaging plot, wonderful characters, well-rendered world-building, and surprisingly sympathetic "bad guys", Tylor will still be as fresh years from now as it is today.

I'm not going to go into to much detail with my review. All I would like to say is that The Irresponsible Captain Tylor is a rare type of Anime. Its the kind where you laugh, but at the same time feel that you have come away from it having learned something. Its hard to explain. But what I will say is the world would be a better place if more people had Tylor's attitude.
The series is laugh out loud funny and rich with characters. Sometimes certain characters are left out of the loop and are underused or undercharacterized but its not enough to take away from this series.
The over all story is really enjoyable and the Final battle is very intense, and the victory OUTSTANDING!!!
This series also has one of the most satisfying endings I have ever encountered and left me wishing it never ended (there is the OVA series you can watch after this, a sequel of sorts, to the first series).
The extras on the DVD are wonderful, ships schematics (ALL of them, even ships seen for 2 seconds in the series), character synopsis, music videos, and more.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to watch a good anime series and to people who want to get a taste of what anime has to offer. I highly recommend this to everyone you will not be disapointed!!

This review is partially a direct review of the series and partially a response to other reviews read here.

If you don't like a series that goes over-the-top, you won't like ICT.

If you don't like blatant denial of probability and how things actually work, you won't like ICT.

If you don't like humerous character stereotypes taken to and beyond the extreme, you won't like ICT.

I love this show. I first purchased it used on VHS several years ago from a comic store I had some in-store credit with. Irresponsible Captain Tylor is purposefully and blatantly overboard with its wackiness and characters. I guess it is possible to find this annoying, as at least one reviewer on here did, but this characteristic is really the entire point of the series. Tylor's mind-numbingly constant good luck is not a crappy plot gap, it's a cornerstone of the series, as are the niches filled by the characters around him.

There's really nothing in this series you could change to improve it, not because it's the best anime ever (though it's one of my favorites) but because changing it would destroy everything it's trying to be.

Probably none of this matters or makes sense to you and you're all going to click the little "this reveiw did not help me at all" button underneath, but as far as I'm concerned, you can't find a better comedy anime than Irresponsible Captain Tylor.

Bing Crosby and Bob Hope are hilarious together in these films. The quality of the dvds is excellent in both picture sharpness and sound. And the bonus features, of which there are several (photos from the sets put to music, sing-alongs, tribute to Bob Hope etc), are delightful. It is wonderful collection of the Road films and you would not go wrong purchasing this particular collection.

Pre-"Call Me Bwana" Bob Hope!! Is there anything better? NO ONE was better with a one-liner or an ad lib than old Ski-Nose! And Bing playing against him, never ceasing to amaze with his OWN ability to toss off a few!

Of the movies in this collection, "Utopia" is the best, with the slyest one liners, some fourth-wall breaking and lots of "in" jokes. And ALL the movies, at least on the VHS version, were crisp as could be!

The one thing you'll notice about the "Road" movies, is that the humor in them seems WAAAYY ahead of its time....like something you'd see in the fifties or sixties rather than the forties. Hope and Crosby were to comedy films what "Citizen Kane" and "The Wizard of Oz" were to late thirties drama.... trendsetting and exceptional! You couldn't possibly go wrong getting this set...if only it had "Hong Kong" and "Bali" in it....!

Who is ever going to replace these two guys? George Clooney and Brad Pitt? Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey? I don't think so.

We'll miss you, Bob, Bing, Orson, Audrey, Cary, Frank, Sammy, Lucy, Desi....

Somewhere in heaven, someone is being entertained royally....

"Bake A Cake as Fast As You Can...."...because you will not want to miss one second of the first four entries in The Road Series flicks with Bob,Bing and Dorothy!

This attractively boxed "Tribute Collection" is a must have for fans of these guys. The films, all from the early fourties,all Black and White, are beautifully restored and transfered on Dual layer discs. Although each has the special feature "Bob Hope and the Road to Success", the rest of the bonus material is different on each one. There are fun "Sing-Alongs","Entertaining the Troops", "Command Performances", photo galleries, DVD ROM and more.

The films themselves, are classic laugh out loud stuff, as in each story we follow our guys on their misadventures around the world. They never get old, each "road" brings new laughs and new plots.Always on the run from the bad guys, always some new money making scheme, and of course there's always the girl..the beautiful Dorothy Lamour. Will their "patty-cake" routine help them get away, will they become rich..will Bob EVER get the girl??? It's a pleasure watching on these DVDs.

Adding to all the laughs, are the wonderful song and dance routines, the exquiste costume design and the fabulous scenery. There are also always some terrific guest stars. Keep a look-out for these famous faces..Jerry Colonna, Una Merkel, Charles Coburn, Yvonne DeCarlo and the great Anthony Quinn.

So travel The Roads to Singapore,Zanzibar,Morocco and Utopia,with this famous trio. You'll be glad you did!

One note on "The Road to Utopia"..for some reason my DVD player was sensitive to this one, and would not load it, but I tried it on another player and it played perfectly...go figure!

Go for it while the price is right!(It has already gone up a little since my purchase) Enjoy!...And...Thanks Universal for bringing us this classic piece of Hollywood in this great set!.........Laurie

...but pretty darned good!

Really, I do think this is quite entertaining, but a couple things are bothersome about this series.

First on the list is the cheesy dramatizations. They talk about thousands of men in a bloody battle; what you see (a lot of!) is about 30 guys shouting and falling in slow motion.

Another oddity is the different qualities of the footage. Now it's video, now it's stock footage, now it's film, now it's video. It may be artistic, but it sometimes looks random; there are lots of shots which really don't look like they were done for this production.

Finally, in a huge sweeping project like this, of course there's going to be some picking and choosing. But why spend 40 minutes talking about Thomas Beckett when there was so much more going on at the time?

Having said all this, it's still worthwhile - I'm just nitpicking. Seems, though, that with such a monumental project they could have gone all the way and done it right.

About the program:
I understand that there is, of course, no archival film footage of medieval England, so the visual aspect of these programs had to be created from nothing, but some of the choices are questionable. Yes, we get a lots of landscape pictures (sped up Koyaanisqatsi-style so we can see all the clouds go zooming by, over and over again), but we also get closeups of hawks flying, wolves fighting, etc--images that just don't fit with the content we hear.

About the DVD:
There are neither captions nor subtitles. This is unacceptable, especially for educational material.

There are no extras. The box has to list chapter selection and interactive menus to cover up its lack of bonus materials. The only actual extra is some biographical text screens on historical figures. This sounds better than it is. The first disc, containing the first three episodes, sports but one biography--hardly enough when many important figures are featured in the first three installments.

I might find this lack of extras forgivable (the series itself is quite well-done afterall, despite my annoyance with the visuals), except that the British version of this title has a whole 'nother disc filled with bonus material. I wish I had gotten that one, and, if you play region 2 DVDs and PAL, you might want to look at amazon.co.uk.

Who says there was nothing more to be said about the history of Britain? Simon Schama has proved them wrong to the nth degree. Coming from the perspective of a post-deconstructionist historian as well as that of a Jewish historian, Schama's history asks questions that had gone overlooked and offers answers to riddles that remain unsolved. The production values are first rate, and Schama's control of the project kept it from seeming "Burns-esque." This is one to be revisited with the regularity that befits a subject this worthy.

I loved this one. You know that Michelle and Amara are *hem hem* and It's really weird. But you feel their love when you see them, and their actions seem so right. In the begging, you'll definetly cry.

This is the third Sailor Moon series. It's about teenaged girls with magical powers who fight evil forces that threaten the world. In the S series, they fight humans who have been possessed by demons and forced to steal people's pure hearts in order to bring their master, Pharoah 90, into our universe. The Outer Senshi were introduced in this series: Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto (though she had appeared in a few episodes of the R series). They're awesome. The original Japanese version is the best (more mature), but the English dub is also provided. Apparently, Cloverway had dubbed all of the dialogue, so you'll be able to hear English lines on here that you hadn't heard on Cartoon Network. Still, the English dub is censored and dumbed down. It's also incredibly inconsistent. Attack names (and even some transformation phrases) constantly change. Names of important objects in the series change also. Amara (Haruka) and Michelle (Michiru) are turned into "cousins", and that "fact" is constantly shoved down our throats. Still, listening to the English audio track while watching the uncensored video will provide some (unintended) laughs. I recommend watching an episode in Japanese with English subtitles first and then watching it in English. It's like getting two different series - 12-14 episodes per disc instead of 6-7. I do have some complaints. First, they used only the final version of the opening theme for all of the episodes. In the original, the new characters were added to the theme over the course of the series as they were introduced. On these DVDs, characters that haven't appeared in episodes yet are in the opening theme. That is not the way it originally aired, and it ruins the surprises. Also, on my computer monitor, there's a fuzzy line at the top of the screen during the opening theme in every episode. That means that the theme was spliced in. Were they too lazy to put the English credits over each version of the opening theme? Why did they have to put English credits there at all, anyway? They could have put them in the closing credits. I don't like the new English voice actors for Moon, Mercury, and Venus, but at least the original Mars is back! I also like Rini's new voice actor. I still think that Rini's an annoying character, though. The next episode previews were not included. The only extras are profiles on some of the Senshi/Scouts and some of the earlier opening themes from the S series. The DVD covers are reversible, so you can pick your favorite characters to be displayed. All in all, these 38 (or 76) episodes form a great story and are worth buying.

Ok this DVD is great i mean you get 6uncut episodes on DVD. Its great Usagi is the coolest solider. If you want to yap about Sailor Moon, my aim sn is SailorVenus782... I love talking about sailor moon its my favorite show.

I love All That Heaven Allows.That movie taught me that gossip can be bad.I love Jane Wyman,Rock Hudson & Agnes Moorehead.They did a good job making this movie.My favorite charactars on this movie are Carrie Scott,Ron Kirby & Sara Warren.I think that All That Heaven Allows is a similar movie to The Magnicent Obsession.

"All That Heaven Allows" is a film you ought to see twice. The first time is to get a surface grasp of what is happening. The second time is to get the meat out of this movie. What "All That Heaven Allows" offers is some great insight into human nature. What humans have a tendency to do, just as it is shown in this movie, is to try and run other people's lives by judging them and warning them of all the dire consequences that will happen if a person goes through with some intended course of action. Once that person is talked out of doing that something, you would think there would be a sort of welcome back party, but what happens instead is that people will do the very things they warned against, as if the person did not come around. In the process that person has lost the opportunity to change one's life. The pearl of great price is tossed away so that other people can be happy. But once someone gives up that pearl, other people will jerk the rug out from underneath them anyway. The moral of the film is, "to thine ownself be true." If we go about spending all of our energies to please other people and do what they want, they won't respect us. If we try and take some independent road, they will call us a radical. If you live by other people's opinions of you, you will go crazy unable to please anyone.

From the opening shots of a small (presumably a New England setting, although I am not sure where this was actually filmed) town during fall, to the bright blue car that pulls up to Jane Wyamn's home, to Agnes Morehead's head turning shade of lipstick, you know that "All That Heaven Allows" is firmly rooted in the 1950s. It's nice to see Douglas Sirk getting the critical appreciation he deserves (most recently with the full length Sirk homage "Far from Heaven".) This film is gorgeously photographed (pay attention to the scene where Wyman and daughter confer in the light of the stained glass window) and well told. While this film can hardly be called a "hard hitting" look at 1950s society at first glance, the more you watch it, the more the subversiveness comes through. One of the most telling moments is the conversation between Jane Wyman and the wife of Rock Hudson's friend who talks about realizing how caught up she and her husband were in material trappings and how they opted out of that lifestyle. This conversation (and indeed this film) is just as resonant and important today where materialism is rampant and the longings underneath the surface are never explored.

Rock Hudson is fine as Jane Wyman's landscaper/love interest. He's an incredibly good-looking man and is the recipient of one the film's funniest lines when Wyman asks him "Would you prefer I was a man?" Of course, this line is only funny in hindsight now that we know what we do about Hudson's life. Agnes Morehead (pre-Endora) is also very good as Wyman's best friend.

As somebody who was only familiar with Jane Wyman from her work as the devious Angela Channing on "Falcon Crest" (a role she truly must have relished), it is nice to see her playing much more sympathetic characters in her heyday. The eeriest thing is that despite a few wrinkles as she got older, Wyman always looked the same. Wyman is very good in this film as she vascillates between the financial stability of the upper crust and the emotional satisfaction of life with Hudson. I highly recommend this film, and cant say enough good things about it. If you're not a fan of soap opera melodrama, you may want to stay away, but it's your loss as this is a gorgeous film that deserves the respect years of scrutiny have given it.

While I agree with the other reviewers that the culmination of Inagaki's Samurai trilogy is a wonderful film, I feel that this DVD can't truly be rated at five stars. The reason for this is that the transfer on the disc (and the other two in the series) simply doesn't do justice to the film's beautiful cinematography. The colors are muted in most scenes, often shift from scene to scene, and the film itself is frequently scratched or pitted.

However, it's doubtful that these fantastic films will receive a better transfer any time in the near future, so be sure to see them, but be warned that the transfer is sub-par (although it's certainly watchable).

The first thing that I noticed when I saw Musashi was how much he had matured since the last movie. He makes his main appearance when there is a tournament, but unlike the old Musashi, this Musashi rarely picks a fight. Remember that scene in Karate Kid that he says it takes great skill or something to catch a fly with chopsticks? Musashi when he is getting attacked calmly eats noodles with his chopsticks, and resolves the fight without doing anything, just by picking flies out of the air (and eating them). THis volume also emphasizes Musashi's relationship with Otsu and Akemi, and finally resolves the match with Akemi redeeming herself.

This film marks the glorious conclusion to the Samurai Trilogy and the ascent of Musashi Miyamoto to spiritual perfection, Musashi Kensei (The Sword-Saint). TOSHIRO MIFUNE, one of the world's greatest actors, delivers a memorable performance as the master at the peak of his enlightenment.

Several years have goneby and Musashi Miyamoto has emerged invincible in over SIXTY duels. Interestingly enough, one sees no pride or ambition in Musashi's manner. He turns down job offers from important lords, including the Shogun's martial arts teacher. In the meantime, Kojiro Sasaki (Koji Tsuruta) regrets the little recognition he has so far received, and seeks to duel Musashi and attain immortal fame.

Otsu (the beautiful Kaoru Yachigusa), the quintessence of loyalty, has fervently sought to see Musashi once again, having parted unwillingly in Part II. In like manner, Akemi (charming Mariko Okada) maintains hope of seeing Musashi, having through a tragic turn of events wound up as a courtesan in a geisha house. Yet both women defy their seeming fates and separately seek Musashi, a testament to the power of love. Musashi himself has not forgotten his love for Otsu, expressed in his Kwannon statuettes made in her likeness. In a poignant paradox, Musashi escapes fame and the follies of this world as a farmer, having once been in that position and dreaming of fame.
In the meantime, Kojiro's skill is finally recognized and he comes under the employ of the Shogun.

The romance between Musashi and the two women is tragically resolved, and a battle between Musashi and a group of bandits proves very costly. Yet Kensei maintains his poise and graciously accepts Kojiro's challenge to a DUEL AT GANTRYU ISLAND. The perfection of Musashi's technique evident in the fact that he carves an oar into a sword on the trip to the island, using wood against the steel of the deadly Swallow Cut. ONE OF THE MOST MOMENTOUS SCENES IN JAPANESE MOTION PICTURE HISTORY.

Hiroshi Inagaki once more deliviers a beautifully directed and cinematographed motion picture. The color is surely the finest in the trilogy, in particular the opening sequence with Kojiro amidst the waterfall and rainbow, and the duel at dawn with its stunning red and gold -Atsushi Yasumoto's photography is brilliant.Ikuma Dan's score is less triumphant and more peaceful and contemplative (though no less dramatic). The pacing is more deliberate, but the strong characters and riveting storyline more than compensate.

This duel establishes MUSASHI MIYAMOTO as the Greatest Swordsman in History. After this battle, he no longer uses real swords in combat, only wooden ones. He goes on to write A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS (a must-have), "A guide for men who want to learn strategy," required reading for kendo students and Japanese businessmen to this day. Musashi Miyamoto Kensei represents the ability in all of us to attain perfect understanding.

Pros -
1: Good animation, the graphics are decent compared to Fatal Fury or the Street Fighter series but still not AS great as Ninja Scroll.
2: Funny. It's a looney, crazy, out of this world (out of her clothes) action.
3: Eye candy, but nothing too adult if you are young.

Cons -
1: Not AS good animation as Ninja Scroll.
2: Only 3 episodes! I WANT MOREEEE!
3: If you want a hentai, this isn't it. It is pleasing animation but there is nothing explicit or adult about it.

Devil Hunter Yohko is great. I love all of the characters. Especially Yohko's grandmother. She's just great. My favorite sceen is when Yohko's mom and grandmother are battling it out over breakfast. That alone makes it worth the cost. It's just too funny. Anyways back to the review. Devil Hunter Yohko is a story about a young girl who is destinted to become a devil hunter. In this DVD set she comes into her powers, fights a demon queen, meets 2 totally hot guys, saves ones girlfriend, and gets an apprentice. I wish there were more than two DVD sets. This is one show that should have been continued.

yohko was your average 16 year old girl when at the pool a demon attacks her and ataveates her powers. Her grandmother explanes about how she is the 107th devil hunter and how her job is to banish demon's.Know she must face the Queen of demon's can she beat her or well she die trying? I recomend 14 and up for some sexual condent and some bref nude sceans.

Pros -
1: Good animation, the graphics are decent compared to Fatal Fury or the Street Fighter series but still not AS great as Ninja Scroll.
2: Funny. It's a looney, crazy, out of this world (out of her clothes) action.
3: Eye candy, but nothing too adult if you are young.

Cons -
1: Not AS good animation as Ninja Scroll.
2: Only 3 episodes! I WANT MOREEEE!
3: If you want a hentai, this isn't it. It is pleasing animation but there is nothing explicit or adult about it.

Devil Hunter Yohko is great. I love all of the characters. Especially Yohko's grandmother. She's just great. My favorite sceen is when Yohko's mom and grandmother are battling it out over breakfast. That alone makes it worth the cost. It's just too funny. Anyways back to the review. Devil Hunter Yohko is a story about a young girl who is destinted to become a devil hunter. In this DVD set she comes into her powers, fights a demon queen, meets 2 totally hot guys, saves ones girlfriend, and gets an apprentice. I wish there were more than two DVD sets. This is one show that should have been continued.

yohko was your average 16 year old girl when at the pool a demon attacks her and ataveates her powers. Her grandmother explanes about how she is the 107th devil hunter and how her job is to banish demon's.Know she must face the Queen of demon's can she beat her or well she die trying? I recomend 14 and up for some sexual condent and some bref nude sceans.

Here it is: BRANDED TO KILL is director, Seijun Suzuki's best movie. Japanese film lovers will tell you that Seijun is one of Japan's greatest filmmakers. Therefore this film should not be overlooked. If you like action, then prepare yourself for a real treat. You will not regret owning this film.
Forget that this film is Japanese, has subtitles, and was released in 1967. This film is a classic masterpiece. Heck, even the director got fired after its release. The film is fast paced and beautifully shot. The musical score is so smooth and keep in mind, we're talking no special effects. There is a scene where a man is literally on fire for over 20 seconds.
All in all, the story is straightforward. A Yakuza gangster is hired to kill 4 people. He learns that he is the Yakuza's third best killer. He does not know who the #1 killer is but he wants his spot. The women in this film are beautiful and the action is intense. Take a chance and see why this film has inspired so many over the years.

"Branded To Kill" takes every Japanese gangster-movie cliche within arm's reach, stands it on its head, and points and laughs.

No wonder no one got the joke back in 1967, especially not director Seijun Suzuki's bosses at Nikkatsu. They were a studio which prided itself on being the #1 purveyor of cinematic yakuza mayhem, and when they saw Suzuki's middle-finger salute to a genre he thought was getting tired and repetitive, they made sure he didn't work in that town again for at least a decade. But Suzuki had the last laugh: not only did he come back in triumph (and is now currently recognized as being one of the greats of Japanese cinema), he even got the chance to sort-of-remake "Branded" as "Pistol Opera" at the ripe young age of 81.

Watching "Branded to Kill" now, it's easy to see why it drove the Nikkatsu suits up the wall. The "hero", Goro (Jo Shishido, with his chipmunk-like facial implants), is the #3 hitman in Japan, gunning for the top slot after the mob turns against him. See, he was given this assignment, and after he screwed it up (a butterfly landed on his gunsight), the rest of the mob went gunning for him. He returned the favor, in between boff-sessions with his girlfriend. Goro is one weird egg, all right: he gets sexually aroused by the smell of cooking rice. But he's nothing compared to the #1 hitman, to whom he gets handcuffed to for most of the third act in a "Defiant Ones"-like plot twist.

But you know something? The plot is scarcely even the point. In fact, Suzuki makes his contempt for the by-the-numbers script by reducing all its most important elements to throwaways and focusing on the weird, mannered elements that make the story so pungent. That goes right up to, and including, the ending, which has to be the ultimate anti-yakuza-machismo cinematic statement of its kind, with Mr. #1 Killer getting his in an empty boxing ring.

It's easier to swallow "Branded" today, because the bizarre, surreal black humor and the whacked-out smell the whole thing exudes had absolutely no precedent then. Consider the recent "Ghost Dog," which contains several direct visual quotes from "Branded," but lacks that movie's stinging self-knowledge.

This film was actually the culmination of Suzuki's urge to explode genres from the inside with farce and comedy. He had already done so, to varying degrees, in previous movies, but the meddling of Nikkatsu's board of directors nixed most of those experiments: many of his best movies are in tatters and are uneasy compromises between the flat-out action Nikkatsu wanted and the more intelligent satirical work he wanted to do. "Branded" works not only as a tear-down of the posturing machismo of tough-guy movie genres, but of audiences' very expectations of the same.

My Television has become the talk of the town thanks to those nifty "Color Bars" on this heaven sent DVD...whenever I throw a party the first thing I do is pop this hot mama in the plaver and drop on those hot "bars" up on my screen and ...Boom! next thing I know...I've got my pick of any female in the house!!! OH YEAH!!! Shieat, my nezra! I'd gladly pay 1,000 bananas just for this sexy mamba-jamba of a DVD...you buy it too and see what happens to your sex life!! Oh! I gotta go! Looks like another fine honey done got her eyes transfixed on my "Bars"!!! BOI!!!!!