Throne of Blood: Criterion Collection

Using Shakespeare’s Macbeth as his jumping off point, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957) takes a fascinating look at the chaotic swirl of turmoil and treachery that was feudal Japan. The play dealt with notions of civil disorder and battles for... 

Rashomon: Criterion Collection

When Akira Kurosawa made Rashomon (1950), he had left Toho Studios and made movies for three other companies before returning. It was with one of these other studios that the director made this film, but it wasn’t easy. He had a hell of a time getting... 

Drunken Angel: Criterion Collection

Drunken Angel (1948) was Akira Kurosawa’s seventh film and was, according to his autobiography, a desire “to take a scalpel and dissect the Yakuza.” These Japanese gangsters were rampant in post-World War II Japan and with this film Kurosawa attempts... 

Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster

What more could any Godzilla fan ask for from a movie that features a prophetess from the planet Venus, supernatural intrigue, James Bond-esque thrills, and three monsters teaming up to battle a three-headed space dragon? Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster... 

Yojimbo/Sanjuro

Originally inspired by the American western and the crime fiction of Dashiell Hammett, Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1961) would go on to inspire countless other films, most notably the Sergio Leone spaghetti western A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Walter... 

Godzilla Raids Again

You just can’t keep a good monster down. After the success of Gojira (1954), Toho quickly put a sequel into production and Godzilla Raids Again (1955) pitted a newly resurrected Godzilla (hey, didn’t he die in the first film?) against another monster... 

Seven Samurai: Criterion Collection

Without a doubt, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) is the most famous samurai film ever made. It spawned countless imitators all over the world, including Hollywood (most famously remade as the also legendary western, The Magnificent Seven). More... 

Gojira: Deluxe Collector’s Edition

As Steve Ryfle’s excellent liner notes point out, Godzilla is more than just some guy in a cheesy rubber suit terrorizing badly dubbed Japanese actors and stomping miniatures, but the original film, made in 1954, is actually a tragedy of epic proportions,... 

The Bad Sleep Well

The Bad Sleep Well (1960) marked the debut of filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s independent production company. He had grown tired of making samurai films for the studio and wanted to do something different. The subject matter of his new movie – corporate... 

Godzilla: Criterion Collection

Godzilla is more than just some guy in a cheesy rubber suit terrorizing badly dubbed Japanese actors and stomping miniature cities. The original film, made in 1954, is actually a tragedy of epic proportions, a potent warning of an escalating nuclear arms... 

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