Risultati ricerca

Abstract/Sommario: The material for A Trip to the Moon is sourced from a restored color version that had been considered lost for several decades and is presented with an original soundtrack by the French band, AIR. In 2010, three experts in worldwide film restoration - a private collection; Lobster Films, and two non-profit entities, Groupama Gan Foundation for Cinema and Technicolor Foundation for Cinema Heritage - launched the most complex and ambitious restoration in the history of cinema, over 12 ye ...; [Leggi tutto...] The material for A Trip to the Moon is sourced from a restored color version that had been considered lost for several decades and is presented with an original soundtrack by the French band, AIR. In 2010, three experts in worldwide film restoration - a private collection; Lobster Films, and two non-profit entities, Groupama Gan Foundation for Cinema and Technicolor Foundation for Cinema Heritage - launched the most complex and ambitious restoration in the history of cinema, over 12 years, using advanced digital technologies to reassemble and restore the fragments of the 13,375 frames.

Abstract/Sommario: (The tale of Zatoichi) The epic saga of Zatoichi begins. As tensions mount between rival yakuza clans, one boss hires a formidable but ailing ronin as his clan’s muscle—while the other employs a humble, moral blind masseur named Ichi. With its lightning-fast swordplay, sleight-of-hand dice games, and codes of honor upheld and betrayed, this first chapter sets the stage for all the Zatoichi adventures to come. And Shintaro Katsu brings author Kan Shimozawa’s blind swordsman to vivid lif ...; [Leggi tutto...] (The tale of Zatoichi) The epic saga of Zatoichi begins. As tensions mount between rival yakuza clans, one boss hires a formidable but ailing ronin as his clan’s muscle—while the other employs a humble, moral blind masseur named Ichi. With its lightning-fast swordplay, sleight-of-hand dice games, and codes of honor upheld and betrayed, this first chapter sets the stage for all the Zatoichi adventures to come. And Shintaro Katsu brings author Kan Shimozawa’s blind swordsman to vivid life, making the character excitingly, indelibly his own.
(The tale of Zatoichi continues) The Tale of Zatoichi proved so popular that a follow-up went into production the same year. Here, Zatoichi is hired to give a massage to a powerful political official who, he discovers, is mentally ill—a secret that the nobleman’s retinue is determined to keep at any cost. This second Zatoichi film picks up the pace, featuring bigger action sequences, tighter plotting, and a mysterious one-armed swordsman played by star Shintaro Katsu’s brother Tomisaburo Wakayama (Lone Wolf and Cub).
(New tale of Zatoichi) Zatoichi is back—and in color! Hoping to leave violence behind, the blind masseur wanders to a village, where he meets an old friend fallen on hard times. With a corrupt clan leader squeezing citizens dry and the brother of a past nemesis out for payback, Zatoichi finds that he cannot abandon his true calling.

Abstract/Sommario: (Zatoichi's Revenge) Nearing the village of his sensei, Zatoichi decides to pay the teacher a visit, only to learn that he has been murdered and his daughter forced into prostitution. Ichi’s investigation into these injustices uncovers a corrupt alliance between government officials and criminals, putting the blind swordsman on a bloody path of retribution in one of the series’ darkest entries.
(Zatoichi and the Doomed Man) An elderly prisoner accused of murder begs Zatoichi to find e ...; [Leggi tutto...] (Zatoichi's Revenge) Nearing the village of his sensei, Zatoichi decides to pay the teacher a visit, only to learn that he has been murdered and his daughter forced into prostitution. Ichi’s investigation into these injustices uncovers a corrupt alliance between government officials and criminals, putting the blind swordsman on a bloody path of retribution in one of the series’ darkest entries.
(Zatoichi and the Doomed Man) An elderly prisoner accused of murder begs Zatoichi to find evidence of his innocence. The blind swordsman, for the first time, chooses not to help, but fate has other plans for him. Director Issei Mori, who played a significant role in getting Shintaro Katsu cast as Zatoichi in the first place, shows his filmmaking flair, delivering bloody battles and raucous humor while mischievously upending narrative expectations.
(Zatoichi and the Chess Expert) Kenji Misumi, who directed the first installment of the Zatoichi series, returns with this tale in which the blind swordsman once again finds himself the protector of a child: a little girl pursued by both devious family members and bloodthirsty ruffians. Further complicating his journey is a new acquaintance—a tremendously skilled chess player (the charismatic Mikio Narita) who has mysterious motivations and a dark past.

Abstract/Sommario: (Zatoichi's Vengeance) Zatoichi encounters a dying man, who asks the itinerant masseur to deliver a bag of money to his young son; he agrees to fulfill the request, finding the boy in a village terrorized by criminals. This is the first entry to scrutinize the swordsman’s methods, as a blind monk confronts Zatoichi about his violent approach to problem solving and Zatoichi finds the child turning to the same bloodstained path.
(Zatoichi's Pilgrimage) Troubled by his violent past, Zato ...; [Leggi tutto...] (Zatoichi's Vengeance) Zatoichi encounters a dying man, who asks the itinerant masseur to deliver a bag of money to his young son; he agrees to fulfill the request, finding the boy in a village terrorized by criminals. This is the first entry to scrutinize the swordsman’s methods, as a blind monk confronts Zatoichi about his violent approach to problem solving and Zatoichi finds the child turning to the same bloodstained path.
(Zatoichi's Pilgrimage) Troubled by his violent past, Zatoichi begins a journey to a series of shrines for a dose of cleansing spirituality. But as always, trouble isn’t far behind, and the blind swordsman soon finds himself defending a widow from the self-interest of ruthless thugs and despicable townsfolk. Written by Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba), this fourteenth Zatoichi is a scathing attack on the upper classes and those who wield power, both in the criminal underworld and everyday society.
(Zatoichi's Cane Sword) Wearying of his wandering lifestyle, Zatoichi yearns to settle down; unfortunately, when he does so it’s in a town overrun by yakuza. He has an eye-opening encounter with the town’s blacksmith, who reveals himself to be the apprentice of the man who forged Zatoichi’s legendary cane sword, and informs Zatoichi that it’s a hairline crack away from snapping. The news prompts Zatoichi to hang up his sword, yet leaving the fighting life and his code of honor behind proves not to be so simple.

Abstract/Sommario: (Zatoichi the Outlaw) Zatoichi arrives in a town where a gambling house is kidnapping its poor, debt-ridden patrons. A rival establishment moves to pay those debts and free the peasants, but this second house’s seemingly altruistic boss is actually laying the groundwork for a ruthless money-grabbing scheme. The sixteenth Zatoichi film is the first effort from its star’s own Katsu Productions, and it is one of the series’ most daring, with its complex characters, subversive social theme ...; [Leggi tutto...] (Zatoichi the Outlaw) Zatoichi arrives in a town where a gambling house is kidnapping its poor, debt-ridden patrons. A rival establishment moves to pay those debts and free the peasants, but this second house’s seemingly altruistic boss is actually laying the groundwork for a ruthless money-grabbing scheme. The sixteenth Zatoichi film is the first effort from its star’s own Katsu Productions, and it is one of the series’ most daring, with its complex characters, subversive social themes, and moral outrage.
(Zatoichi Challenged) A dying woman begs Zatoichi to reunite her son with the father he has never met, but when the blind masseur searches for the man, he discovers that he has been forced by a local yakuza boss to pay off his gambling debts in an unusual way: by painting illegal erotica. Determined to bring father and son together, Zatoichi pits his skills against the gangsters and a ronin who is not entirely what he seems.
(Zatoichi and the Fugitives) The wandering swordsman finds himself in a small village that serves as hideout for a band of fugitives who control the town officials and enforce brutal slave labor in the local silk mill. This lean and mean entry is packed with coldhearted villainy and rough justice, but it finds its heart in the great Takashi Shimura (Ikiru), who plays a kindly country doctor caught up in a violent world.

Abstract/Sommario: (Samaritan Zatoichi) Hired by a yakuza boss to eliminate an accused debtor, Zatoichi fulfills his task, only to witness the victim’s sister paying the owed amount minutes later. When the crime lord tries to possess the woman along with the cash, the blind swordsman wrestles with the injustice he has caused, and vows to protect the young lady at all costs.
(Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo) After a two-year absence from screens, the blind swordsman returns in one of his best adventures. Zatoichi ...; [Leggi tutto...] (Samaritan Zatoichi) Hired by a yakuza boss to eliminate an accused debtor, Zatoichi fulfills his task, only to witness the victim’s sister paying the owed amount minutes later. When the crime lord tries to possess the woman along with the cash, the blind swordsman wrestles with the injustice he has caused, and vows to protect the young lady at all costs.
(Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo) After a two-year absence from screens, the blind swordsman returns in one of his best adventures. Zatoichi treks to a village that has always been a favorite spot of his, only to discover that it’s become a living hell, plagued by feuding father and son yakuza as well as the younger crime boss’s bodyguard—Toshiro Mifune’s scruffy, smart-mouthed, cash-hungry Yojimbo of legend. This is the sole Zatoichi effort from celebrated director Kihachi Okamoto, who supplies satirical vision and stylistic panache worthy of the two iconic characters at the film’s center.
(Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival) Cowritten by star Shintaro Katsu, this adventure pits Zatoichi against one of his most diabolical foes: a blind yakuza boss whose reign of terror and exploitation has made him nearly mythic. Guest starring the legendary Tatsuya Nakadai as a ronin haunted by a traumatic past, and featuring an unforgettable nude swordfight in a bathhouse, this twenty-first entry in the series is a fan favorite.

Abstract/Sommario: This masterly adaptation of George Orwell’s chilling parable about totalitarian oppression gives harrowing cinematic expression to the book’s prophetic dystopia. In a rubble-strewn surveillance state where an endless overseas war props up the repressive regime of the all-seeing Big Brother, and all dissent is promptly squashed, a profoundly alienated citizen, Winston Smith (thrillingly played by John Hurt), risks everything for an illicit affair with the rebellious Julia (Suzanna Hamil ...; [Leggi tutto...] This masterly adaptation of George Orwell’s chilling parable about totalitarian oppression gives harrowing cinematic expression to the book’s prophetic dystopia. In a rubble-strewn surveillance state where an endless overseas war props up the repressive regime of the all-seeing Big Brother, and all dissent is promptly squashed, a profoundly alienated citizen, Winston Smith (thrillingly played by John Hurt), risks everything for an illicit affair with the rebellious Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), defiantly asserting his humanity in the face of soul-crushing conformity. Through vividly grim production design and expressionistically desaturated cinematography by Roger Deakins, Michael Radford’s 1984 conjures a bleak vision of postwar Britain as fascistic nightmare—a world all too recognizable as our own.

Abstract/Sommario: In a dystopian 1984, Winston Smith endures a squalid existence in the totalitarian superstate of Oceania under the constant surveillance of the Thought Police. The story takes place in London, the capital city of the territory of Airstrip One. Winston works in a small office cubicle at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history in accordance with the dictates of the Party and its supreme figurehead, Big Brother. A man haunted by painful memories and restless desires, Winston is an everym ...; [Leggi tutto...] In a dystopian 1984, Winston Smith endures a squalid existence in the totalitarian superstate of Oceania under the constant surveillance of the Thought Police. The story takes place in London, the capital city of the territory of Airstrip One. Winston works in a small office cubicle at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history in accordance with the dictates of the Party and its supreme figurehead, Big Brother. A man haunted by painful memories and restless desires, Winston is an everyman who keeps a secret diary of his private thoughts...

Abstract/Sommario: (Zatoichi Meets the One-armed Swordsman) It’s East meets East when one of Japan’s action idols crosses paths with an iconic kung-fu hero from Hong Kong. While traveling the countryside, Zatoichi comes across Wang Kang (Jimmy Wang Yu), a Chinese swordsman protecting a brutally orphaned young child. Despite the language barrier, the men forge a friendship, until nefarious enemies plant seeds of distrust to pit the two master martial artists against each other.
(Zatoichi at Large) Zatoic ...; [Leggi tutto...] (Zatoichi Meets the One-armed Swordsman) It’s East meets East when one of Japan’s action idols crosses paths with an iconic kung-fu hero from Hong Kong. While traveling the countryside, Zatoichi comes across Wang Kang (Jimmy Wang Yu), a Chinese swordsman protecting a brutally orphaned young child. Despite the language barrier, the men forge a friendship, until nefarious enemies plant seeds of distrust to pit the two master martial artists against each other.
(Zatoichi at Large) Zatoichi comes across a pregnant woman dying from sword wounds and helps deliver her baby. Her final request to him: take the boy to see his father. From here, the film evolves into one of the wilder rides in the Zatochi series, including such quirky touches as a mysterious child who follows Ichi and pelts him with rocks, monkey performances, and an unexpectedly hilarious take on the ronin challenger.
(Zatoichi in Desperation) Star Shintaro Katsu sits in the director’s chair for this psychedelic and unremittingly bleak entry in the Zatoichi series, which is unlike any other in its grind-house grimness. A tale of innocence corrupted by sadistic, sleazy criminality, the film is propelled by Easy Rider–esque editing and a trippy seventies funk score by Kunihiko Murai.

Abstract/Sommario: Il 25% della popolazione carceraria mondiale si trova negli USA. Un dato sorprendente che induce il maestro del documentario Eugene Jarecki a indagare sui risultati della lotta alla droga da Nixon in poi. Una ricerca che parte dall’esperienza personale del regista e porta a esplorare il punto di vista delle vittime, delle famiglie, delle autorità e degli spacciatori, con un occhio penetrante e senza pregiudizi. Con ritmo incalzante Jarecki esamina dati ed eventi, scavando a fondo nella ...; [Leggi tutto...] Il 25% della popolazione carceraria mondiale si trova negli USA. Un dato sorprendente che induce il maestro del documentario Eugene Jarecki a indagare sui risultati della lotta alla droga da Nixon in poi. Una ricerca che parte dall’esperienza personale del regista e porta a esplorare il punto di vista delle vittime, delle famiglie, delle autorità e degli spacciatori, con un occhio penetrante e senza pregiudizi. Con ritmo incalzante Jarecki esamina dati ed eventi, scavando a fondo nella psicologia dei personaggi di una storia che non ha lieto fine. Dimostra con i fatti – a volte duri, altre commoventi – quanto gli “effetti collaterali” delle politiche governative portate avanti da entrambi gli schieramenti, democratico e repubblicano, abbiano in realtà contribuito a rendere più pericolosi e più forti i criminali. E in un inquietante retroscena mostra quanto la netta discriminazione tra “droghe dei poveri” e “droghe dei ricchi” sia tutt’altro che casuale.

Abstract/Sommario: (Zatoichi's Conspiracy) Everything comes full circle when Zatoichi returns to his hometown. Unfortunately, he finds that a childhood friend has become a feared crime lord, keeping the locals in debt and bilking them of their rice. Capping off Zatoichi’s feature film era before he made the transition to television in 1974, this chapter is suffused with melancholy, closing the series on a note of seriousness and emotional heft that it has well earned.

Abstract/Sommario: 3-D Rarities, Volume II spans over 40 years of international 3-D film production, and is appropriately presented in three segments. The first is a superb collection of short 3-D oddities, including the long-lost A Day in the Country; 3-D master Raymond Spottiswoode’s The Black Swan; Stereoscopic Anthropologist Hillary Hess’s presentation of Mid-Century Memories in Kodachrome Stereo; the mysterious Polaroid-filmed Games in Depth; a prologue for Frankenstein's Bloody Terror, a West Germa ...; [Leggi tutto...] 3-D Rarities, Volume II spans over 40 years of international 3-D film production, and is appropriately presented in three segments. The first is a superb collection of short 3-D oddities, including the long-lost A Day in the Country; 3-D master Raymond Spottiswoode’s The Black Swan; Stereoscopic Anthropologist Hillary Hess’s presentation of Mid-Century Memories in Kodachrome Stereo; the mysterious Polaroid-filmed Games in Depth; a prologue for Frankenstein's Bloody Terror, a West German-Spanish coproduction originally filmed in Hi-Fi Stereo 70; and a trailer for the 1983 documentary The 3-D Movie, which serves as a brief historical showcase for a wide swath of classic 3-D films.

Abstract/Sommario: (Zatoichi the Fugitive) Zatoichi triumphs at a village wrestling match, much to the chagrin of his yakuza opponents. The defeated gang members pay a hotheaded ronin to take out the masseur; unbeknownst to them, the hired assassin is married to a former flame of Zatoichi’s, further complicating matters.
(Zatoichi on the Road) The itinerant Zatoichi comes across a dying man, who begs the masseur to escort a young woman back to her family in Edo. The honorable swordsman agrees, but in so ...; [Leggi tutto...] (Zatoichi the Fugitive) Zatoichi triumphs at a village wrestling match, much to the chagrin of his yakuza opponents. The defeated gang members pay a hotheaded ronin to take out the masseur; unbeknownst to them, the hired assassin is married to a former flame of Zatoichi’s, further complicating matters.
(Zatoichi on the Road) The itinerant Zatoichi comes across a dying man, who begs the masseur to escort a young woman back to her family in Edo. The honorable swordsman agrees, but in so doing, he catapults himself between two warring yakuza clans, each with its own interest in kidnapping the girl.
(Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold) After arriving in a small village, Zatoichi finds himself accused of stealing the citizens’ hefty tax payments. To clear his name, he must face off against a corrupt official, a succession of hired blades, and a bullwhip-wielding titan, played by star Shintaro Katsu’s brother Tomisaburo Wakayama. This sixth installment of the increasingly popular and prestigious Zatoichi series features ravishing visuals by Rashomon cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa.

Abstract/Sommario: (Zatoichi's Flashing Sword) The blind swordsman is shot and nursed back to health by kind strangers. He soon discovers that his saviors are caught between sparring crime lords; bound by honor, Zatoichi stays to ensure their safety. Along the way, we learn more about the origins of Zatoichi’s amazing abilities, and get to see them in action in a stunning underwater duel and a nighttime clash set against fireworks.
(Fight, Zatoichi, Fight) While on the road, Zatoichi befriends a young m ...; [Leggi tutto...] (Zatoichi's Flashing Sword) The blind swordsman is shot and nursed back to health by kind strangers. He soon discovers that his saviors are caught between sparring crime lords; bound by honor, Zatoichi stays to ensure their safety. Along the way, we learn more about the origins of Zatoichi’s amazing abilities, and get to see them in action in a stunning underwater duel and a nighttime clash set against fireworks.
(Fight, Zatoichi, Fight) While on the road, Zatoichi befriends a young mother right before she is savagely murdered. Promising her that he will hand over her baby to its father, the blind masseur embarks on an adventure both sentimental and beset by perilous action. This eighth Zatoichi feature is an excellent showcase for star Shintaro Katsu, who evinces an extraordinary physical and emotional range as the blind swordsman, here father, mother, husband, and reluctant killer all at once.
(Adventures of Zatoichi) The blind swordsman wanders into a town to celebrate the New Year. There, he befriends a young woman whose father has gone missing; as he tries to help her find him, he becomes entangled in a web of corruption and a series of tragic twists of fate. Returning director Kimiyoshi Yasuda and screenwriter Shozaburo Asai masterfully weave together a variety of narrative threads and tonal registers, all while playfully tweaking the conventions and motifs of the series.

Abstract/Sommario: Le vicende quotidiane della famiglia Wilson, trasferitasi di recente a Beverly Hills, California, dopo che il capofamiglia, Harrison, ha acccettato l'incarico come preside del West Beverly High.

Abstract/Sommario: Il protagonista, classico "duro" da hard-boiled americano, si trova in mezzo alla guerra tra due gang rivali; uno dei migliori yakuza-movie della produzione classica Nikkatsu.