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The Bad Sleep Well, a review by Antares

Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru





Year: 1960
Film Studio: Toho, Janus Films
Genre: Drama, Suspense/Thriller
Length: 151 Min.

Director
Akira Kurosawa (1910)

WritingProducer
Akira Kurosawa (1910)
Tomoyuki Tanaka (1910)

Cinematographer
Yuzuru Aizawa

MusicStarsReview
       This film, for me, is the greatest argument for having movies shown in the true aspect ratio in which they were created by the director. I first watched this film in the late nineties on VHS in the dreaded Pan and Scan rendition, and I did not like it. Years went by and I waited for its eventual release on DVD in its original aspect ratio of 2:35 to 1, so I could see if this was the antidote to my displeasure with the film so many years ago. And lo and behold, upon a second viewing of the film in a widescreen format, my first assessment turned out to be way off the mark. No longer did I view it as overly-long, stilted and uneven, but an engrossing and rich melodrama from one of the most celebrated and creative directors in cinema history, Akira Kurosawa. There has never been another director as adept at framing actors, scenery and narrative action across the broad area of the screen as Kurosawa. And thus, when portions of the film are excised to accommodate the resizing needed for viewing on conventional televisions, the film takes on the appearance of an abridged Cliffs notes version, devoid of substance.

       The Bad Sleep Well
       While I shy away from rating this film with five stars, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes taut suspenseful drama. If you are new to the films of Akira Kurosawa, this may be too dry and unapproachable to the novice Kurosawa fan. Try out some of his more accessible films such as Seven Samurai and Yojimbo first, and then give this one a chance. Once you are anointed to the genius of his filmmaking, this will be a treasure waiting to be discovered.



Ratings Criterion
- The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.
- Not quite an immortal film, yet a masterpiece in its own right.
- Historically important film, considered a classic.
- Borderline viewable.
- A gangrenous and festering pustule in the chronicles of celluloid.


(From Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (The Bad Sleep Well) (1960) on April 20th, 2010)

The Black Pirate, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Black Pirate
Year of Release: 1926
Directed By: Albert Parker
Starring: Douglas Fairbanks, Bille Dove, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse
Genre: Adventure, Action

Overview:
Riding the crest of popularity after his hit films The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Three Musketeers, the silent cinema's greatest adventure hero crowned his accomplishments with the spectacular Technicolor epic THE BLACK PIRATE.

The sole survivor of a ship pillaged by buccaneers, Michel (Fairbanks) poses as the mysterious Black Pirate and infiltrates a nest of bandits. He mounts an elaborate ploy to earn their trust, reclaim the ship and rescue a kidnapped princess (Billie Dove). Like a Robert Louis Stevenson adventure come to life, THE BLACK PIRATE ripples with customary intrigue and a rapid succession of brilliantly inventive stunts.

Mastered from a 35mm negative, this special Kino edition carefully recreates the authentic palette of two-strip Technicolor (comprised of varying blends of green and orange), so that modern viewers can savor the photography The New York Times praised as, "mindful of the paintings of the old masters."

My Thoughts:
This is a fun swashbuckling adventure. It has great action and stunts (mostly courtesy of Fairbanks), a dashing hero, a treacherous villain, and a fair maiden in distress. It's everything you want in a pirate movie - sword fights, treasure, robbery, murder, kidnapping, romance, a scene with our hero forced to walk the plank.  

Don't try to judge this against modern films.  You simply aren't going to have the kind of film you see now.  In its day, this was a lavish production with expensive, and experimental, two-color Technicolor film.  One of the earliest full-length color films!  It's a dynamic, entertaining yarn I'd recommend to anyone who likes a good pirate film or a good silent film.  Lots and lots of fun.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

(From Off Day Alphabet Marathon on August 9th, 2014)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

6. The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco
Original Air Date: 11/5/2003
Feeling disconnected from his real mission to be a hero for the people, Angel befriends an elderly mail clerk at the firm who was once a hero too and who feels the same way.

Guest Stars:
Danny Mora
Bruno Gioiello

My Thoughts:
This one never really impressed me that much. Found it to be a bit slow and uninteresting. Probably one of my least favorite of any I have watched so far.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on March 22nd, 2010)