Yes, it’s time again to take a look at the latest Akira Kurosawa related news and links which haven’t warranted their own news posts! This week, we have videos, theatre news, a little more about the Akira Kurosawa School of Film, and of course the ever present Magnificent Seven remake news. Also, some Star Wars stuff.
To start with, there is a brand new video mashup of Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars called A Fisftul of Yojimbo.
Another video that has been making the rounds is George Lucas discussing Akira Kurosawa, either on its own or as part of Open Culture’s article How Star Wars Borrowed from Akira Kurosawa’s Great Samurai Films. Monday was May the 4th, which is the international Star Wars day.
In theatre news, there is talk about the Oregon, United States based Post5 Theatre Company staging Rashomon this summer, which I take to be the 1959 adaptation by Fay and Michael Kanin.
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Anaheim University’s Akira Kurosawa School of Film Online Digital Filmmaking MFA (now that’s a mouthful) was open for applications until August. If your curiosity was piqued, you may want to check out the university’s official press release and an older video sneak peak to get an even better idea of what they are doing.
In The Magnificent Seven remake news, the Brazilian actor Wagner Moura is the latest name to have been added to the cast. He probably won’t hold that title long though, for there are already rumours of Jason Momoa joining as well.
Speaking of The Magnificent Seven, there is a new 277-page book which has recently come out with the title The Making of the Magnificent Seven and which discusses the making of the original western by John Sturges. According to a Google book search, it contains a number of Kurosawa references.
And finally, Criterion has a lovely trailer for the new, restored Apu trilogy by Satyajit Ray. Go watch it, for not to have seen that trailer is like not having seen one of those moon or sun shaped night lights that some kids have in their rooms.
That’s all for today!
