Episodes
Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog helped create a whole new genre: the buddy cop film. It’s the sweatiest film of 1949. And of all time. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 10/16/20
The Quiet Duel from 1949 is another weird Akira Kurosawa film. It isn’t included in the Criterion Collection with all of his other movies from the time. This week we trade out tuberculosis for syphilis in a small-scale character drama helmed by a subdued Toshiro Mifune performance. Is this a little known film worth digging up? Or should we just have kept quiet about it? Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys This is another movie you can watch on YouTube here:...
Published 10/09/20
Ladies and gentlemen… Toshiro Mifune has arrived. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 10/02/20
1947’s One Wonderful Sunday marks the end of Akira Kurosawa’s pre-Mifune era. This movie shakes things up for the occasion, giving us a more neorealist tale of a poor couple trying to have a fun day in the city. You’d be surprised how easily you could make the same movie today - rent jokes have been around for years! Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 09/25/20
Sanshiro Sugata himself recast as a hot himbo leftist? Famed Ozu actress Setsuko Hara? An artist finally free to express himself in his medium? 1946’s No Regrets For Our Youth is all of these things and more. The boys have plenty of regrets for their youths, but watching this hidden gem in Akira Kurosawa’s filmography isn’t one of them! Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 09/18/20
You’d be amazed how hard it is to review a movie that may not even exist, but we’re gonna try! Those Who Make Tomorrow is Akira Kurosawa’s “lost” movie made with Kajiro Yamamoto and Hideo Sekigawa during his brief… Communist phase? While there may not be any story to talk about on screen, there certainly is a lot to talk about behind it. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 09/14/20
In the mood for an unusually short Kurosawa film? Well The Men Who Tread On The Tiger’s Tail clocks at a brisk 59 minutes. Made in the midst of Japan’s surrender during World War II, this film offers interesting glimpses into future Akira Kurosawa story elements, as well as his own Jar Jar Binks. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 09/11/20
We, his loyal disciples, have returned to the holy land to review one of Akira Kurosawa’s weirdest films - Sanshiro Sugata Part Two. How will Japan’s greatest himbo adapt to state-sanctioned propaganda requirements? Does it even have a plot? Don’t miss our review of the so-bad-it’s-good Kurosawa movie! Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 09/04/20
The boys take a quick intermission from the Himbo Chronicles to look at Akira Kurosawa’s first piece of government propaganda - The Most Beautiful. Will it be… the most beautiful film in his filmography? Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 08/28/20
Akira Kurosawa’s “official” debut film Sanshiro Sugata established him as a filmmaker to look out for and offers fascinating glimpses of the director to come. Susumu Fujita’s portrayal of the titular judo fighter quickly became our idol and exactly the kind of himbo we want to grow up to be. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/sanshirosboys
Published 08/21/20
Welcome to Sanshiro's Boys! On this podcast, Tim and Chris will take their unique perspectives on all of Akira Kurosawa's films. For our first episode, we outline our plan, provide some background on our own relationship with Japanese cinema, and talk a little bit about Kurosawa's "first" film Uma, which would have been a lot easier if the picture quality was good and if there were English subtitles. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and more. New episodes every Friday!...
Published 08/15/20