love’s twisting path

Film / Reviews Apr 10, 2019

'Love's Twisting Path': An old-school samurai swashbuckler

by Mark Schilling

Now a spry 84, Sadao Nakajima is one of the few directors from Japan's studio era who is still active. After joining Toei in 1959 and making his directorial debut in 1964, Nakajima shot yakuza actioners and samurai swashbucklers (chanbara eiga) for more than ...

Film Mar 27, 2019

Kengo Kora and the perfect period drama sword fight

by Matthew Hernon

'Game of Thrones" star Sean Bean is well-known for dying in almost everything he stars in. If you had to find a Japanese equivalent, though, it would certainly be Kengo Kora. Since his 2006 big-screen debut, the Kumamoto native has featured in around 50 films, ...