Ichi


The tale of the blind Swordsman has popped up in numerous Japanese Zatoichi movies, and in the Rutger Hauer film Blind Fury. On Saturday night I sat down to watch the latest take on the theme with a Blue Ray of Ichi.

This latest spin has a young girl in the lead role and all in all was excellent. It is implied, but never stated, that the sword wielding heroine, played by the gorgeous Haruka Ayase, is the daughter of Zatoichi. Carrying on the family traditions of tapping away with a cane and slice and dicing the bad guys.

From the beautifully choreographed fights to the wonderful cinematography this is a worthy addition to the canon. I was particularly impressed with the haunting soundtrack be Lisa Edwards. In fact I was so impressed with the soundtrack I just ordered it from Amazon.

A blind babe with a sword, gratuitous violence aplenty and a great score. What's not to like?

As samurai films go, Ichi is well up to scratch.

Comments

Löst Jimmy said…
I haven't seen Ichi yet, but have read much praise and your recommendation has me sold on getting around to watching the DVD soonest.
September 5, 2009 at 12:20 PM
George Ternent said…
The revelation for me was the films soundtrack. Australian musician Lisa Gerrard is excellent.

A little exploring later and I bought a couple of her solo albums and a few by her previous band Dead Can Dance. A wonderful mix of musical styles from far eastern mantras to celtic folk, ambient, haunting and memorable. Well worth a listen.
September 5, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Löst Jimmy said…
I ordered up Ichi on DVD this very evening; suitably sated with some beer it is the wrong time to be let loose with online Music/DVD shopping!

I should be ashamed!!
September 11, 2009 at 12:31 PM
George Ternent said…
Been there, done that, bought the tea shirt and the soundtrack and the plushies and whatever else my inebriated brain thinks is appropriate. I used to make the mistake of hitting Tower Records in London at 11:30 at night, fueled on various alcoholic beverages. Not a wise idea.

You will enjoy the movie though. Then drink some more beer and order the soundtrack. Followed by a couple of albums by Lisa Gerrards former band, Dead Can Dance. Cracking stuff!
September 11, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pop Quiz

What happens if you take a touch of Free, throw in a dash of Led Zeppelin and stir in some Guns and Roses for good measure? Has anyone got the answer?
Read more

Summer Love - The Narcotic Daffodils 🌞❤

Image
1.  Summer Love 2. Naturally High 3.  Guardians 4. Hypnotized 5. You can't get 6. Bruxelles 7.  Atomic 53 It's been three years since the band's last album, Cellex, was released, and there have been a number of personnel changes since then, with Luna taking up vocal duties, Arne the drums and Maria the Guitar. I remember hearing Maria playing with an all-girl band many years ago and they blew me away, so the prospect of her joining the Narcotic Daffodils  was exciting. As before, the bass is supplied by the inimitable Flupke with Simon providing Sitar and keyboard licks on the Hammond. 1. Summer Love Any fears that the new lineup have lost the spirit of the old are quickly dispelled by the opening and title track of the album, Summer Love. Gilly Smythe, Gong # style, whisper-voices draw you in before Flupke's bass kicks in with the Hammond, underpinning, proceedings. The song ends with a melange of Sitar and synth, underlining the fact that the ...
Read more

Daffodils & Crêpes

Image
I wandered lonely as a cloud, That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crepe eating crowd, A host, of narcotic daffodils. L'amuse Gueule crêperie, a strange venue for music, but in psychedelia strange is good. The last pancakes were munched, the diners departed and the strains of a sitar filled the air. Cue guitar, bass & drums and some hypnotic, pulsating music from The Narcotic Daffodils . At times reminiscent of Hawkwind in their prime, the band produced a wall of sound that had me in head banging heaven. They did however vary their sound quite a bit, with two covers thrown into the mix for good measure. Personally I'd like to hear them do more psychedelic material, but speaking to keyboardist and Sitar maestro Simon Rigot after the show, they want to keep their music varied. But hey, a heady cocktail of rock and mind expanding melodies is OK by me. I'd also like to hear more Sitar, but as Simon also plays keyboards that would be a tad ...
Read more