Foo - The Magnificent Seven

Discuss...

Great movie. But still not as good as the original, The Seven Samurai.

great movie. But still not as good as the original, the seven samurai.
+1

Although I did have one major gripe about The Seven Samurai. It was in black and white and everybody wore white robes/clothes. They also had white subtitles. The subtitles were nearly impossible to read many times because of white text on white background. I'm sure that's more the fault of the DVD company that put it on DVD (or VHS, I forget which format I watched it on)....not the fault of the original film.

KT
I figured you would also reference the other meaning of the thread title with your love of music.
(I loved both movies, but the Seven Samurai was more difficult to watch)

I really enjoyed M7 and when 7S came on cable a year ago, I made sure to watch it. It probably would have been much more difficult to follow if I hadn't already known the outline of the story and the characters.

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers

great movie. But still not as good as the original, the seven samurai.

+1

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2498/3729118938_1de59dbc59.jpg?v=0

There have been several different subtitled editions of Seven Samurai. The one that was done back in the 80s or earlier left much to be desired.

I have the criterion DVD and it is much crisper overall, with different translations in spots as well, which clarify and enrich meaning of the script. I would love to see it with yellow subtitles, tho.

Seven Samurai is one film that I yearn to see in glorious color while loving it in B&W as well.....

KT
I figured you would also reference the other meaning of the thread title with your love of music.
(I loved both movies, but the Seven Samurai was more difficult to watch)

Hmmmm.....Nothing immediately coming to mind. Must be something I'm not "seeing" at the moment. Help a brotha out...whatyoutalkingboutwillis?

Hmmmm.....Nothing immediately coming to mind. Must be something I'm not "seeing" at the moment. Help a brotha out...whatyoutalkingboutwillis?

See post #8:thumb:

Why was 6 scared?

I prefer Three Amigos.

There have been several different subtitled editions of Seven Samurai. The one that was done back in the 80s or earlier left much to be desired.

I have the criterion DVD and it is much crisper overall, with different translations in spots as well, which clarify and enrich meaning of the script. I would love to see it with yellow subtitles, tho.

Seven Samurai is one film that I yearn to see in glorious color while loving it in B&W as well.....

*gasp* color!?!?!?!? colour!?!?!?!:eek:

See post #8:thumb:

LOL....not even familiar with it. :o

Other than the few big radio hits, I never really got into The Clash.

*gasp* color!?!?!?!? colour!?!?!?!:eek:

I know, i know...:o

not the whole film - but specifically the scenes after the samurai settle in, and Kambei is surveying the layout for their defense. Especially when he and Gorobei walk off and Katsushiro is laying in those flowers....looking up at the trees....I would love to morph that scene into color for just a moment. Ditto when Kyuzo is boinging a flower while waiting by the horses to kill the advance scouts....

^ strangely, when I watch it, I can see how it would look in my minds eye.

^ strangely, when I watch it, I can see how it would look in my minds eye.

yes. I guess I get greedy and want the whole shebang spoon fed to me sometimes.

This could be a whole 'nother thread but SS must be the movie I have most watched the most times. Never get tired of it.....

LOL....not even familiar with it. :o

Other than the few big radio hits, I never really got into The Clash.

GASP!!

I would encourage you to seek out some of their stuff now. Specifically, London Calling(the album) and Sandinista. Heck when Combat Rock came out in the mid '80s I thought they were selling out. Now I listen to it and realize how good the album is.

They liked to mix up their rhythms and were the first "white" band to embrace rap, calypso, and reggae. The Magnificent Seven (on Sandinista) was a "rap" song in 1980! When they came to NYC in 1981 (I think that was the year) they had Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five as their opening act!

Pgoat & all -

Have you watched any of Kurosawa's other work?

Kagemusha, Ran, Rashoman, The Hidden Fortress, or some others?

yep

GASP!!

I would encourage you to seek out some of their stuff now. Specifically, London Calling(the album) and Sandinista. Heck when Combat Rock came out in the mid '80s I thought they were selling out. Now I listen to it and realize how good the album is.

They liked to mix up their rhythms and were the first "white" band to embrace rap, calypso, and reggae. The Magnificent Seven (on Sandinista) was a "rap" song in 1980! When they came to NYC in 1981 (I think that was the year) they had Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five as their opening act!

there was a great appearance on Tom Snyder's show when sandinista came out. Interview, but also they did Mag Sven and Radio Clash....I am sure YT has them - go thee now and enjoy.:)

+1

Although I did have one major gripe about The Seven Samurai. It was in black and white and everybody wore white robes/clothes. They also had white subtitles. The subtitles were nearly impossible to read many times because of white text on white background. I'm sure that's more the fault of the DVD company that put it on DVD (or VHS, I forget which format I watched it on)....not the fault of the original film.

Odd, because the version I have has the subs in yellow and set in the bottom black bar of the letterbox format.

GASP!!

I would encourage you to seek out some of their stuff now. Specifically, London Calling(the album) and Sandinista. Heck when Combat Rock came out in the mid '80s I thought they were selling out. Now I listen to it and realize how good the album is.

They liked to mix up their rhythms and were the first "white" band to embrace rap, calypso, and reggae. The Magnificent Seven (on Sandinista) was a "rap" song in 1980! When they came to NYC in 1981 (I think that was the year) they had Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five as their opening act!

Wow....I did not know this. I'll have to look in to it. Thanks. :thumb:

Affirmative.

I saw the Magnificent Seven as a kid and thought it was one bad-@ss movie. I saw it recently on cable and was underwhelmed. Didn't even make it half way through.

Why was 6 scared?

Because 7 8 9 (or Seven Ate Nine).

It works better verbally, not so hot in writing.

Odd, because the version I have has the subs in yellow and set in the bottom black bar of the letterbox format.

what version is it? i have not seen that one....

I saw the Magnificent Seven as a kid and thought it was one bad-@ss movie. I saw it recently on cable and was underwhelmed. Didn't even make it half way through.

It's okay. No comparison with the original, tho.....

Discuss...

Best collection of Hollywood man candy - ever.

It's okay. No comparison with the original, tho.....

What's fun is comparing the character introductions in M7 to the original. Jim Coburn the knife thrower v. Kyuozo the master swordsman: goaded into a duel.

yes - also how some of the characters have been combined into composites, or altered. Wikipedia has a nice blow by blow account.

I own it. Definitely a crap movie compared to the 7 samurai. And the 7 samurai had some exceptionally lousy film quality.

The 7 Samurai can be credited for its heavy influence on some great storytellers like Stephen King, Sam Peckinpah and John Milius, and I'm sure countless others. But when it comes down to sitting down and watching it, it leaves much to be desired I think.

the 7 samurai had some exceptionally lousy film quality.

when it comes down to sitting down and watching it, it leaves much to be desired I think.

we'll have to disagree there.

I can see enjoying watching it, that's a matter of opinion, as is judging the quality of any media item. But in regards to the film quality, it's not much compared to other things done in that era.

Example:

Black, white, and grainy:

http://www.moviewallpapers.net/images/wallpapers/1954/shichinin-no-samurai/shichinin-no-samurai-3-1024.jpg


Crystal clear:

http://www.siteoffline.com/images/the_bridge_over_the_river_kwai.jpg

Yul Brenner in tight pants? YEAH!

I've only seen Magnificent Seven dubbed in French. So Yul with tight pants and a french accent, Oh la la!!!!

what version is it? i have not seen that one....

My mistake, I have the Criterion Collection version and the subs are grey outlined in black... it's the damn TV's closed captioning that shows up in yellow.

I always found it amusing that the character played by Horst Bucholtz confessed to having grown up in a Mexican village just like the one the Seven were protecting. Must have been one of those Mexican villages populated by Germans.

I own it. Definitely a crap movie compared to the 7 samurai. And the 7 samurai had some exceptionally lousy film quality.

The 7 Samurai can be credited for its heavy influence on some great storytellers like Stephen King, Sam Peckinpah and John Milius, and I'm sure countless others. But when it comes down to sitting down and watching it, it leaves much to be desired I think.

Don't forget George Lucas. He said that Yoda's head-rubbing gesture was a direct homage to Kambei.

I always found it amusing that the character played by Horst Bucholtz confessed to having grown up in a Mexican village just like the one the Seven were protecting. Must have been one of those Mexican villages populated by Germans.

Hah.

I loved the fact that Charles Bronson's character was named Bernardo O'Reilly, being Irish-Mexican myself.

7 Samurai is a classic.

Remember the time it was filmed. EVERY action movie out pay homage to how 7S was shot.

I have the Criterion also and watch it regularly...

Pgoat & all -

Have you watched any of Kurosawa's other work?

Kagemusha, Ran, Rashoman, The Hidden Fortress, or some others?

Rashomon was the first movie ever to use a flashback. You can't even begin to try to explain how influential that movie is to someone ;) .

Stray Dog and Red Beard are my #2 and 3 Kurosawa films after Seven Samurai. Most the rest are great. I never really got into Ikiru or Throne of Blood though.

Yeah, I have to be in the right frame of mind for Ikiru.

If I remember right, Throne of Blood was a rework of one of Shakespeare's plays, but can't remember which one.

One of my favorites is Hidden Fortress. George Lucas called this one of his inspirations for the original Star Wars movie (vol IV). Supposedly Kurosawa would write the characters into a new desperate situation every other day, and tell the rest of the writing team to get them out of it. And then do it all over again as soon as they did.

Yeah, I have to be in the right frame of mind for Ikiru.

If I remember right, Throne of Blood was a rework of one of Shakespeare's plays, but can't remember which one.

One of my favorites is Hidden Fortress. George Lucas called this one of his inspirations for the original Star Wars movie (vol IV). Supposedly Kurosawa would write the characters into a new desperate situation every other day, and tell the rest of the writing team to get them out of it. And then do it all over again as soon as they did.

Throne of blood was based on Macbeth, and, oddly enough, Yojimbo was based on Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest.

Throne of blood was based on Macbeth, and, oddly enough, Yojimbo was based on Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest.

Kurosawa doing Shakespeare is win.

The depiction of Yama-uba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama-uba)in Throne of Blood is horrifying and beautiful in the way Butoh is horrifying and beautiful.

Heck when Combat Rock came out in the mid '80s I thought they were selling out. Now I listen to it and realize how good the album is.

Combat Rock is a total sleeper, 25 yrs removed from the early MTV daze it's embarassing to realize how good it was...

Westway to the World is a great movie. Lot of footage around that 1981 NYC thing.

Hah.

I loved the fact that Charles Bronson's character was named Bernardo O'Reilly, being Irish-Mexican myself.

Are you related to Soledad O'Brian?

Are you related to Soledad O'Brian?

Nope. According to her Wiki page, her mom is Cuban and her dad Irish-Australian.

Just finished watching Sanjuro, damn good flick, but I still prefer Yojimbo.