The Bad Sleep Well (悪い奴ほどよく眠る/Warui Yatsu Hodo Yoku Nemuru) – Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) (Director and co-writer), Ryuzo Kikushima (菊島隆三) (Co-writer), Hideo Oguni (小國英雄) (Co-writer), Eijiro Hisaita (久板栄二郎) (Co-writer), and Shinobu Hashimoto (橋本忍) (Co-writer)

"It's not easy hating evil. You have to stoke your own fury until you become evil yourself." - Koichi Nishi As many people know, Akira Kurosawa is a massive fan of the playwright William Shakespeare. And movies like Throne of Blood — inspired by Macbeth — are his way of honouring that revolutionary English playwright, …

I Live in Fear (生きものの記録/Ikimono no Kiroku) – Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) (Director and co-writer), Hideo Oguni (小國英雄) (Co-writer), and Shinobu Hashimoto (橋本忍) (Co-writer)

"Even worry has to be done in moderation." - Mr. Kuribayashi Amidst Akira Kurosawa's movies, I Live in Fear is one of his most socially-conscious productions. One of his most disturbing, frightening, and realistic. With an atmosphere and storyline that remain important; set in actuality. The culture of fear and its impact on our society. …

Ikiru (生きる/To Live) – Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) (Director and co-writer), Shinobu Hashimoto (橋本忍) (Co-writer), Hideo Oguni (小國英雄) (Co-writer), and Leon Tolstoy (original novella)

"I don't know what I've been doing with my life all these years." - Kanji Watanabe Among Akira Kurosawa's filmography, his motion picture Ikiru is considered one of his masterpieces. It stars Takashi Shimura, one of his frequent cast participants, performing the role of a business man who lives his last months the best way …

The Sword of Doom (大菩薩峠) – Kihachi Okamoto (岡本喜八), Shinobu Hashimoto (橋本忍) (Screenwriter), and Kaizan Nakazato (中里介山) (Original Novel)

An incredible movie. With an opressing ambience that will delight horror and suspense movie fans Alongside Samurai Stories For years, I had in my library a copy of Kihachi Okamoto’s The Sword of Doom. A Samurai movie staring Tatsuya Nakadai; alongside Toshiro Mifune who offers a couple of great scenes in this film. So during …

Seven Samurai (七人の侍) – Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) (director and co-writer), Shinobu Hashimoto (橋本忍) (co-writer), and Hideo Oguni (小国英雄) (co-writer)

"Danger always strikes when everything seems fine." - Kambei Shimada Anybody who claims to be a fan of Akira Kurosawa and his incredible movies needs to see Seven Samurai. Lasting over 3 hours, this movie remains a pinacle not only of his filmography, but also a masterpiece of Japanese Cinema. One of the best productions …

The Hidden Fortress (隠し砦の三悪人) – Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) (director and co-writer) Ryûzô Kikushima, (菊島 隆三) (co-writer), Hideo Oguni (小国 英雄) (co-writer), and Shinobu Hashimoto (橋本 忍) (co-writer)

"Hide a stone among stones and a man among men." - General Rokurota Makabe Among the many movies Akira Kurosawa did, The Hidden Fortress (隠し砦の三悪人) stands among his most important successes. Not only for its public reception, but also for its influence on pop culture. Especially on artists like George Lucas who referenced it in …

Sanjuro (椿三十郎) – Yojimbo Series – Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) (Director, Co-Producer, and Co-Writer) Ryūzō Kikushima (菊島 隆三) (Co-Producer and Co-Writer) and Hideo Oguni (小国英雄) (Co-Writer)

"Stupid friends are dangerous." - Sanjuro Tsubaki Due to the incredible success of Yojimbo, Akira Kurosawa was asked by Toho figures to make a sequel with the Samurai Sanjuro. Suggestion he agreed with as he decided to make his next movie a new adventure with that wandering figure. Titled Sanjuro, this film was originally set …

Yojimbo (用心棒) – Yojimbo Series – Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) (Director, Co-Producer, and Co-Writer) Ryūzō Kikushima (菊島 隆三) (Co-Producer and Co-Writer) and Hideo Oguni (小国英雄) (Co-Writer)

"A truce is merely the seed for an even bigger battle, nothing is worse!" - Sanjuro Kuwabatake Among Akira Kurosawa's films, Yojimbo stands among his most lucrative alongside The Seven Samurai. Influenced by the Western genre which the director is fond of as he is fan of John Ford's classics, it is also the movie …