The Magnificent Seven Samaurai

Happy New Year!

Saw two great, related films recently. The Magnificent Seven (1965) and The Seven Samurai (1954). Yes, we are ever on top of the HOTTEST developments and trends in pop culture. I highly recommend both and seeing them back to back. Reason: The Magnificent Seven was based on the Seven Samurai. Both could be called Action films but they are much more than that. Marty, there are enough gun battles and bloody Samurai battles in both to qualify as worthy material. These are not chick flicks.

Neither of these films appear very often (or ever) on cable or Network. Great film will never sell well to the masses. Consequently, these are not available in the Supermarket machines, saw these through Netflix.

The Magnificent Seven (description from Netflix)
Fed20up with being brutalized and impoverished because of outlaw raids led by a merciless brigand (Eli Wallach), the besieged citizens of a small Mexican town hire seven American gunslingers to stave off the marauders once and for all. Badass Yul Brynner heads the band of mercenaries, which includes Hollywood luminaries Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn. Elmer Bernstein penned the film's unforgettable score.

In the special features there is great background how the major film's producers bought the US rights to a Japanese Film: The Seven Samurai. Yul Brynner was so moved by the Akira Kurosawa film, he wanted to make an English Language version and based it on the old West instead of 16th century Japan. Fans of Shogun will recognize Toshiro Mifune in an early role with Kurosawa.

The Seven Samurai (description from Netflix) NOTE: It is THREE AND A HALF HOURS LONG WITH SUBT ITLES
Akira Kurosawa's heroic tale of honor and duty begins with master samurai Kambei (Takashi Shimura) posing as a monk to save a kidnapped child. Impressed by his bravery, a group of farmers begs him to defend their village from encroaching bandits. Kambei agrees and assembles a group of six other samurai, and together they build a militia with the villagers while the bandits loom nearby. Soon the raids begin, culminating in a bloody battle.

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Speaking of Chick Flicks, revisited Chocolat over Christmas. Also superb and yes, it could be considered a chick flick. Only one major fire, Marty, avoid this one.

Chocolat (description from Netflix)
An iconoclastic single mother (Oscar-nominee Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter move to a village in France and open a chocolate shop -- that's open Sundays -- across the street from a church. At first, Binoche's rich, sensuous desserts scandalize the town, but soon the villagers welcome the newcomers with open arms. Judi Dench, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp co-star in this 2000 Best Picture nominee.