You haven’t seen this movie?!! You’re crazy man, you’re crazy.

I’m starting a new segment here on IHOG where I will briefly talk about a movie you might not have seen.  And because of that you’re crazy man, you’re crazy.

Hopefully for future installments the other editors here will share some of the gems they think you have missed as well.

So lets start with

If you haven’t seen Yojimbo you’re crazy man, you’re crazy (Yes I will beat that line to death).

For four reasons.

1) Akira Kurosawa shits out diamonds

Seriously.  Even bad Kurosawa films are great compared to everything else.  If you have never watched a Kurosawa film I recommend starting with Rashomon.

Whether or not you are aware of it, Akira Kurosawa has had a large impact on the movies you watch today.

2) It spawned the Man with No Name trilogy and if it’s good enough for Clint Eastwood then it is good enough for you!

In reality, A Fistful of Dollars was a shot-for-shot remake of Yojimbo.  Without Akira Kurosawa’s permission and only two years after Yojimbo was released (We always steal good foreign movies in America).  So Akira Kurosawa sued and won, famously saying “It is a very fine film, but it is my film.”  Kurosawa ended up making more money off the royalties from A Fistful of Dollars than from the original!!  Crazy.  But the remake gave us one of America’s most iconic badass  cowboy’s  around.  Clint Eastwood then took that character and made two more movies with him and gave us The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

3) Toshiro Mifune knows how to create a character that is simultaneously wise, serious, comical, and one hell of a warrior.

Acting in at least fifteen of Kurosawa’s films, Mifune and Kurosawa built a relationship where they each played off of the others strengths and were able to create films that had a more convincing character and a true cinematographers eye.   Rolling into a town where two warring gangs have turned the once thriving village into a ghost town, Mifune slyly plays both sides of the war against each other and gets the rival gangs to kill each other off.  But when shit hits the fan and it’s time to fight, he wields his blade with the will of a samurai (considering his character is a ronin, this makes sense).  There’s a certain quality to his character that comes off as comical, but never so much that one can’t take the movie seriously.  Lightening the mood when necessary Toshiro Mifune can flip his “badass switch” whenever he needs it.

4)  It’s just a really good movie.

I can’t stress enough that even without knowing the previous three numbers this movie stands the test of time and is a true classic.  It would be easier for us all if you just watched it.  It is available on Netflix Instant or you could go rent it anywhere I’d bet.

Dont’ get me wrong.  I love modern movies and seeing shots like this…

But come on.  Seriously.

Anyways, that’s it for now.  If you have seen Yojimbo let me know what you thought!  Or if you hated it, let me know so I never go to the movies with you.