The Last Samurai Archives - The Playlist

Kitano Takeshi Sets Samurai Movie ‘Neck’ As Final Directorial Effort With Ken Watanabe

Christopher Marc — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 17:24:45 +0000

Variety is picking up on a story circulating in Japan that originated from local magazine Josei Jishin that says actor/director Kitano Takeshi will be making a samurai film, titled “Neck,” for his next filmmaking effort. The film is expected to be his final directorial effort and is based on his novel “Kubi” published in 2019.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021

“Neck” is said to be inspired by Akira Kurosawa‘s “Seven Samurai” and should be less in the arena of anime-inspired samurai features, something that has become trendy in Japanese cinema.

Continue reading Kitano Takeshi Sets Samurai Movie ‘Neck’ As Final Directorial Effort With Ken Watanabe at The Playlist.

‘Defiance’ Is ‘Flat’ And ‘Unexceptionally Told’?

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:41:00 +0000

“A potentially exceptional story is told in a flatly unexceptional manner,” writes Variety’s Todd McCarthy in his review of Edward Zwick’s upcoming WWII film, “Defiance.”

We just started reading the script and took an instant liking to it, but yeah, great stories can be easily messed up, as per McCarthy’s aforementioned opening line.

Daniel Craig, Live Schreiber and Jamie Bell play three brothers in this true WWII-set story about a group of Jews that fled into the woods of Nazi-occupied Poland in 1942, and recruited other exiles to build a village in a violent campaign of resistance.

Continue reading ‘Defiance’ Is ‘Flat’ And ‘Unexceptionally Told’? at The Playlist.

Ed Zwick’s ‘Defiance’ Takes A Deep Look A Merciless Revenge

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:35:00 +0000

Variety’s got the new trailer, and InContention’s got the poster for “Defiance,” the new Edward Zwick movie coming out in November starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. Here’s what we wrote about the film in our Playlist Fall Preview piece.

Continue reading Ed Zwick’s ‘Defiance’ Takes A Deep Look A Merciless Revenge at The Playlist.