Movies by mail

I am into the third week of my Netflix subscription and I must say that I like the service. Previously, I rented all my movies through Blockbuster's Movie Freedom Pass program. It was a good deal, but my selections were limited to what my local store had on hand. With Netflix, the selection is as varied as my taste. The only drawback is having to wait a day or two for the movies to arrive. The program I signed up for allows three rentals at a time, so if you time it right, you will have a steady stream of entertainment.

I am a huge movie buff and have seen most of the popular US releases already. I have taken some time out to catch up on some lesser known fare. Last week I rented a couple of classics by famed Japanese director Akira Kurasawa, Rashômon and Yojimbo.

Rashômon (1950)
I had some trouble getting into Rashômon, but it has some very intense moments. The plot has an interesting narrative device that I have seen echoed in later films, most recently in Hero (Ying xiong), starring Jet Li. The acting was a bit over the top, but the cinematography was excellent. This movie stars Toshirô Mifune.

Yojimbo (1961)
I can wholeheartedly recommend this film also starring Toshirô Mifune. It could be described as an "Eastern" Western and was the basis for the Sergio Leone classic A Fistful of Dollars (Per un pugno di dollari). This movie is funny, entertaining, has unforgettable characters and, as always, great camerawork.

Next time I'll let you know about two documentaries I am renting, Control Room and Riding Giants.