Criterion Year Week 26: Throne of Blood

The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 26:

Throne of Blood

Spine Number: 190

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Genre: Samurai Shakespeare Adaptation

You know what? I am well aware that "Samurai Shakespeare Adaptation," is not, strictly speaking, a genre. You know what else? I don't care, because it damned well should be.

I am rarely happier than when we get to watch a Kurosawa movie. The absolute mastery he displays is genuinely humbling. Clarkson commented while watching this that being a filmmaker while Kurosawa was working must have been miserable. No matter what you did, no matter how expertly you crafted a scene, how perfectly lit it was, how delicately staged, no matter how mind blowing it was to you, you knew that whatever Akira was doing at that moment was better.

Side note, did you know that Akira Kurosawa has as many Oscar Nominations as Melissa McCarthy? No disrespect to Melissa, but evidently shitting in a sink gets you as much respect as being possibly the greatest film maker of all time. So... the Oscars can screw off.

But I digress...

Throne of Blood, first of... the most metal name for a movie ever. How can you possibly top that title, you ask? Simple. Make the movie you give that name to Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of Macbeth.

Let me repeat that.

This movie is Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of GOD DAMNED MACBETH!!!

How good is it? Not to oversell, but it's better than everything else that has ever or will ever exist. It's Toshiro Mifune playing Macbeth directed by Kurosawa. I cannot stress this enough,
IT'S KUROSAWA DOING MACBETH!!! Why are you reading this when you could be watching Kurosawa's MACBETH?

We also discuss all the bullshit that our political process has devolved into, and talk about the men's rights dildos and why they are so angry all the time.

Next Week:

Spine number 216: The Rules of The Game

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Thanks for listening, and until next week...

Jim out.