13 Assassins

We love samurai movies.  We love them so much we'll say it again.  We love samurai movies.  Toshiro Mifune is like the Japanese Robert DeNiro (minus shite like Meet the Fockers), making such great Akira Kurosawa samurai classics as Yojimbo, Throne of Blood, Roshomon, and the epic Seven Samurai.  All great movies to be sure, but also all over 50 years old.  They just don't make great samurai movies anymore, so we were so happy to see this trailer today.  Cult director Takeshi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord, preventing him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into war.  The movie screened in Vancouver last year for the Vancouver Film Festival with great reviews and Rotten Tomatoes has the movie at an 89% approval rating.  It doesn't open until the 29th of April, but we can watch this a few more times to tie us over.  Looks like Cinemark Tinseltown will be playing it.  Pleased be warned, the above trailer is quite graphic, so viewer discretion is advised.