Bored Hatamoto: The Imposter

Around the Genroku era, there was a man named Saotome Shusui-no-Suke, nephew to the senior councilor Matsudaira Sakon Shogen. He was commonly known as the Bored Samurai of the Hatamoto rank. Just as he was engulfed in boredom, Tokugawa Jo-Kaibo, claiming to be the Shogun's illegitimate child, made a grand entrance into Edo. At the behest of Sakon Shogen, Shusui-no-Suke was tasked to investigate Jo-Kaibo's background and had his young page Kyoya disguise as a woman to infiltrate Jo-Kaibo's gun mansion.

Zatoichi on the Road

Zatoichi is sworn to protect the life of a young girl and without any real allies finds himself in the middle of a bloody turf war.

The Sword of Doom

Ryunosuke, a gifted swordsman plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, has no moral code and kills without remorse. It’s a way of life that leads to madness.

A Matter of Valour

Chushingura has been made into a movie several times before, but this time it will be presented in a widescreen version with all natural colors and a new look. Written by Masato Ide and directed by Tatsuo Osone. This is a magnificent scroll of images that depicts on a grand scale the triumph of the Genroku era that shook the citizens of Edo, the peaceful capital of Japan. The top stars of the film, shinpa, shingeki, and kabuki worlds at the time of production were lavishly cast, and a huge budget was invested to create a large set for this highly acclaimed and moving epic.

Sure Death 6

When an artist dies, the official cause of death is judged to be a stroke, but his daughter suspects foul play. She recruits the services of an assassin, who by chance encounters an old friend...

Zatoichi's Vengeance

Zatoichi comes upon a dying man who asks him to give a bag of money to "Taichi". Zatoichi has no idea who this is but when he comes upon a small town harassed by gangsters, he finds that "Taichi" was the man's young son. Along his travels he also met a blind monk who makes Zatoichi question his murderous lifestyle. In trying to help the town, Zatoichi kills some gangsters and becomes a hero to the boy. He must make a choice of whether to use non-violence and set a good example, or violence and set the boy on the wrong path in life.

Samurai Rebellion

The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.

Sleepy Eyes of Death 14: Fylfot Swordplay

Getting an opportunity to meet with another half-Caucasian swordsman, Kyoshiro finds himself involved in a series of dangerous encounters.

Daimajin

A giant stone statue comes to life to protect the residents of a small town against the depradations of an evil warlord.

Zōho kaitei Chūshingura

The legendary tale of the forty-seven samurai and their mission to avenge the death of their master.

Fighting Yasubei

Yasube Nakayama left the clan and lives in Edo. One day, Yasubei visits his uncle Rokuroemon Kanno to borrow money from a moneylender in the amount of 13 ryo in order to save Oteru, the daughter of a merchant. However, the next day, Rokuroemon was killed in a fight by the Murakami brothers. Yasubei rushed to the scene, took revenge and became the husband of Miya, the daughter of Horibe Yahei.

Last Days of the Samurai

Seppuku Day 17 Ako ronins, including Kuranosuke Oishi, who were entrusted to the Hosokawa family, and the events of the two days before are depicted as a tragic romance between one of the ronins, Jurozaemon Isogai, and Omino. An adaptation of Seika Mayama play "Genroku Chusingura, the Last Day of Oishi", which tells about the torments of life and death of samurai living in feudal times.

Bored Hatamoto: The Million-ryo Mystery

Bored Hatamoto film #16.

Records of loyal vassals

In the 15th year of the Genroku era (1688), the world praised the 47 ronin who avenged the death of their master Asano Takumi-no-kami. Shogun Tsunayoshi, who ruled at that time, experienced difficulties in what punishment to impose on the soldiers. As a result, it was decided to sentence them to seppuk (ritual suicide).

Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf

A blind man seeks revenge against the psychopath who took away his sight and slaughtered his wife and daughter. Eight years after the massacre, the man has returned to the desert town, now a highly trained samurai swordsman ready to seek justice. But he doesn't know there awaits seven assassins hired by his sworn enemy who want the bounty on his head. Set in nowhere, no time, this bloody modern day fable is a new age hybrid action film with a classic samurai essence and a spaghetti western spirit. This is, "Sushi Western!"

The Crucified Lovers

When the wife of a 17th century Kyoto scroll-maker is falsely accused of having an affair with his best employee, the pair flee the city and find themselves falling for one another.

Shogun's Samurai

Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga become bitter rivals for the shogunate, and the land is split into factions, eventually erupting into warfare. Iemitsu's mentor, his fencing instructor Yagyu, is fixated upon securing Iemitsu the shogunate and ends up betraying everyone, even his own family, in pursuit of the goal.

Oshidori kenkagasa

The Hidden Blade

Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his dearest friend.

The Ambitious

The story of Ryoma Sakamoto, considered to be the architect behind the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was considered an outlaw by his own clan, hunted by his government, and was despised by supporters of the Shogun as well as the Loyalists for desiring the opening of Japan to the West in order to learn its technology, in the hopes of one day defeating the West with a modern army and navy.

The Trail of Blood

Can a sinful man change and find peace? It's unlikely in gang-plagued Japan. Jokichi of Mikogami, a drifter (and hired sword), goes straight after protecting a woman in distress: they marry, have a son, and Jokichi pursues his father's craft. After three years, the gangs he embarrassed when he saved his wife find the family and leave Jokichi in grief, vowing revenge. To parry his terrible swift sword, rival gangs join forces, hiring a prostitute to pose as a woman needing help and breaking the code of honor to double cross the drifter. He finds unlikely allies: a thief who aids him for fun and a one-eyed swordsman who may be Jokichi's equal in skill and honor.

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

Biography of the legendary filmmaker directed by his son.

Canada Vignettes: Bill Miner

Bill Miner was a train robber in British Columbia at the turn of the century. This animated film depicts a disastrous episode in his career.

Abschied vom Garten

The early retired Gert spends the last summer in his garden, a place that has become a real home for him. The garden will be demolished to create a shopping center on its grounds. The only thing Gert can do is remember memories of happy times he spent with his family in the garden.

Emergency Landing

When the heart has been crushed, its the reaction that will determine the outcome navigate through the storm.

The Last Betrothal

After another cardiac arrest, Armand knows he doesn't have long left to live. But after more then 70 years in the same house, he doesn't want to die anywhere other than at home. His wife Rose has secretly decided she will die as she lived: with him.

Bigfoot or Bust

A team of celebrities head out on a quest to search for the Bigfoot, unaware another group of time traveling women from the future are also looking for the creature.

Mask

Charles Lewis founded TapouT in 1997, prompting a whirlwind life that intersected the birth of a sport. Selling TapouT apparel out of the trunk of his car during road trips throughout California, a hot bed of mixed martial arts in the late 1990s, Lewis took on the superhero persona of “Mask" as he donned war paint on his face and wore outlandish comic book outfits. Mask's vision quickly came to represent hardcore aspects of MMA fandom at a time when the sport floundered under political pressure. The history of MMA cannot be told without mentioning Charles “Mask” Lewis, or the era in which he emerged. On March 11, 2009, Lewis was killed by a drunk driver in Newport Beach, Calif. To honor his contributions, the sport's dominant promoter, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), posthumously inducted "Mask" as the first and only non-fighter into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Cinema, Sex, Politics: Bertolucci Makes ‘The Dreamers’

The making of The Dreamers, its background and relation to the May 1968 student riots in Paris.

A Survey of Open Space

A pair of urbanites embark on a 4000-mile bicycle ride in search of the last wild place in America; to their dismay they find it. Set in the wake of America's great western expansion, the film is a portrait of bike touring and a meditation on wilderness.

Crime Traveler: The Adventures of Dave Slade

Dave Slade (Nicholas M. Garofolo) faces a myriad of internal and external struggles in trying to figure out what is real or surreal. He encounters the threatening presence of Terranova (Dakota Wollmer), a woman who claims she is from the future. Then Slade has to navigate his way with a new friend or foe, Krasota, (Karoline Fischer). His Landlord, Mary Lee (Rosie Xu), is a positive presence but she disappears as a result of Krasota who states it is futurist villain Riccoine, (Brett Wise) and his finger weapon. Then futuristic vampires come to Coney Island to cause havoc for Dave Slade, including one attractive blonde, Alvara, (Arina Ozerova) with alternative motives. Slade must navigate through the dark night on Coney Island as the vampires come out to feed including Alvara and her unwanted controlling Silas (Warren Chao). Slade and his ex-CIA cohort, Old Man, (Dave Sweeney) must figure out the way out of these challenges to make things right for themselves and the world at hand.

Ala Moana Boys

Blamed for a crime they did not commit, five young men in 1930s Hawai’i must consider their futures and their families as they weigh the consequences of taking action.

Circle

This short film follows a man lost in the woods driven by his fear of the unknown.

So This Is College

Scheming coed Babs comes between college buddies Eddie and Biff.

The Man who Loves Hebrew

At the beginning of the 20th century, a language war raged in Palestine. The contenders: Yiddish, Russian, French, German, English, and Hebrew, a language barely spoken for 2000 years. This feature film tells the dramatic life story of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda who championed the cause of modern Hebrew.

Year as Long as Life

The film takes place in Europe in the 19th century. The film shows the popular uprisings that took place there, as well as the search for truth and the confrontation of Karl Marx and opponents of the revolution.

Flushed

Pidakkozhi Koovunna Noottandu

The story revolves around a paying guest home run by Chinthamani Ammal who is a determined man-hater due to a failed love affair. Only man-haters are allowed as paying guests. Ponnamma hates men because of her parents being partial to her twin brother Ponnappan. Another guest, Nancy, is a lawyer and is engaged on a post divorce custody battle for the child with Tony Varghese. Rudra and Bhagyarekha pretend to be man-haters to please Chinthamani Ammal. The story is about how each of the women finds true life partner.

Up! Up! To the sky

From an early age, Arnold believes he is an extraterrestrial. Day in, day out, he is busy trying to build a flying machine that will finally take him "home". Protected by his mother Ida and her long-time admirer, the country doctor Emil, he is regarded as a quirky but lovable outsider in his home village.