Norio Matsui

Kagemusha (1980)

Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akira Kurosawa
CAST:  Tatsuya Nakadai  •  Tsutomu Yamazaki  •  Jinpachi Nezu  •  Takashi Shimura

Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akira Kurosawa
CAST:  Tatsuya Nakadai  •  Tsutomu Yamazaki  •  Jinpachi Nezu  •  Takashi Shimura

Madadayo (1993)

Based on the life of Hyakken Uchida, a Japanese author and academic. The film opens with Uchida resigning his job as a German professor at the onset of WWII. The story is told mostly in vignettes as he is cared for by former students in his old age.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akira Kurosawa
CAST:  Tatsuo Matsumura  •  Kyōko Kagawa  •  Hisashi Igawa  •  George Tokoro

Based on the life of Hyakken Uchida, a Japanese author and academic. The film opens with Uchida resigning his job as a German professor at the onset of WWII. The story is told mostly in vignettes as he is cared for by former students in his old age.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akira Kurosawa
CAST:  Tatsuo Matsumura  •  Kyōko Kagawa  •  Hisashi Igawa  •  George Tokoro

Ran (1985)

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With Ran, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reimagines Shakespeare's King Lear as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan. Majestic in scope, the film is Kurosawa's late-life masterpiece, a profound examination of the folly of war and the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akira Kurosawa
CAST:  Akira Terao  •  Jinpachi Nezu  •  Daisuke Ryū  •  Tatsuya Nakadai

With Ran, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reimagines Shakespeare's King Lear as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan. Majestic in scope, the film is Kurosawa's late-life masterpiece, a profound examination of the folly of war and the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akira Kurosawa
CAST:  Akira Terao  •  Jinpachi Nezu  •  Daisuke Ryū  •  Tatsuya Nakadai

Best Wishes for Tomorrow (2007)

A Japanese Class B war criminal sets out to take full responsibility for the execution of American Airmen.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takashi Koizumi
CAST:  Robert Lesser  •  Fred Spiker  •  Kenji Kodama  •  Sumiko Fuji

A Japanese Class B war criminal sets out to take full responsibility for the execution of American Airmen.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takashi Koizumi
CAST:  Robert Lesser  •  Fred Spiker  •  Kenji Kodama  •  Sumiko Fuji

The Demon (1978)

When Sokichi stops providing his long-time lover Kikuyo enough money to pay for the care of their three young children, Kikuyo leaves the children with Sokichi - and his very surprised and angry wife Oume - and disappears.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshitaro Nomura
CAST:  Shima Iwashita  •  Ken Ogata  •  Mayumi Ogawa  •  Hiroki Iwase

When Sokichi stops providing his long-time lover Kikuyo enough money to pay for the care of their three young children, Kikuyo leaves the children with Sokichi - and his very surprised and angry wife Oume - and disappears.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshitaro Nomura
CAST:  Shima Iwashita  •  Ken Ogata  •  Mayumi Ogawa  •  Hiroki Iwase

Lupin the Third: Alcatraz Connection (2001)

Secretly operating his cruiser as a casino at sea isn’t enough for mafia don Lukino Marcano. He’s also looking for the gold-laden boat wreckage worth the budget of a small country! Lupin sniffs out the plan to recover this long-lost treasure and brings along his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Hideki Tonokatsu
CAST:  Kiyoshi Kobayashi  •  Kanichi Kurita  •  Eiko Masuyama  •  Makio Inoue

Secretly operating his cruiser as a casino at sea isn’t enough for mafia don Lukino Marcano. He’s also looking for the gold-laden boat wreckage worth the budget of a small country! Lupin sniffs out the plan to recover this long-lost treasure and brings along his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Hideki Tonokatsu
CAST:  Kiyoshi Kobayashi  •  Kanichi Kurita  •  Eiko Masuyama  •  Makio Inoue