The Bad Sleep Well 1960  N/R, 135 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama / Thriller
aka: The Rose in the Mud
The Worse You Are, the Better You Sleep
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Takeshi Kato, Takashi Shimura, Ko Nishimura, Tatsuya Mihashi, Kamatari Fujiwara, Kyoko Kagawa, Chishu Ryu, Seiji Miyaguchi, Koji Mitsui, Ken Mitsuda, Nobuo Nakamura, Susumu Fujita, Koji Nambara
This indictment of the Japanese approach to business emphasizes the corruption at high levels through the story of Kiochi Nishi (Toshiro Mifune) who marries his boss Iwabuchi's (Masayuki Mori) daughter, Kieko (Kyoko Kagawa), to avenge his father's suicide, which can be traced back to Iwabuchi. But, as Kiochi plots revenge against Iwabuchi, Kiochi falls in love with Kieko just as Iwabuchi realizes who Kiochi really is.
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Drunken Angel 1948  N/R, 98 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama / Thriller
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Reisaburo Yamamoto, Michiyo Kogure, Chieko Nakakita, Noriko Sengoku, Shizuko Kasagi, Eitaro Shindo, Masao Shimizu, Chouko Iida, Taiji Tonoyama, Yoshiko Kuga
Following World War II, Dr. Sanada (Takashi Shimura) operates a clinic in the slums of Tokyo. Sanada is an alcoholic, but when he treats young gangster Matsunaga (Toshiro Mifune) for tuberculosis, Sanada recognizes that in order to perform his duties successfully, he must get his life in order. The two men engage in a love-hate relationship as their needs cause each man to become dependent on the other.
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Frankenstein Conquers the World 1965  N/R, 87 min.
Genre: Foreign / Sci-Fi / Drama / Horror
Director: Ishiro Honda
Cast: Nick Adams, Tadao Takashima, Kumi Mizuno, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Koji Furuhata, Jun Tazaki, Takashi Shimura, Susumi Fujita, Nobuo Nakamura, Kenji Sahara, Yoshifumi Tajima, Kozo Nomura, Haruya Kato, Yoshio Kosugi, Ikio Sawamura
This Japanese entry into the Frankenstein genre features a gigantic monster that mutates from Dr. Frankenstein's heart and raises havoc. The monster grabs helicopters out of the air when they attack it and takes on the lizard monster Barugon, the guardian of Mount Fuji..
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Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster 1964  N/R, 85 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action / Sci-Fi
aka: Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster
Director: Ishiro Honda
Cast: Yosuke Natsuki, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Takashi Shimura, Emi Ito, Yumi Ito, Akiko Wakabayashi, Hisaya Ito, Susumu Kurobe, Akihiko Hirata, Minoru Takada, Somesho Matsumoto, Ikio Sawamura, Kenji Sahara
Popular director Ishiro Honda brings a real monster-fest to the screen in this film. A large meteorite crashes to Earth in the Japanese mountains, and scientists rush to examine it. But this is no regular rock–it holds a three-headed monster, Ghidrah, that gets loose and begins to wreak havoc throughout the land, breathing lightning bolts in all directions. Meanwhile, monsters Godzilla and Rodan are having a tumultuous fight, but they turn into good guys and join monster Mothra to rid the Earth of Ghidrah. Wow!
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Gigantis the Fire Monster 1955  N/R, 78 min.
Genre: Foreign / Sci-Fi / Drama / Horror / Romance
aka: Godzilla Raids Again
Director: Motoyoshi Oda
Cast: Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Haruo Nakajima, Takeo Oikawa, Masao Shimizu, Minoru Chiaki, Takashi Shimura, Masao Shimizu, Seijiro Onda, Sonosuke Sawamura, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Mayuri Mokusho, Minosuke Yamada, Yukio Kasama, Senkichi Omura
Tsukioka (Hiroshi Koizumi) and Kobayashi (Minoru Chiaki) are pilots working as spotters for a Japanese fishing fleet when Kobayashi's plane crash lands on a frozen island. Tsukioka lands on the island to rescue him. They discover two giant monsters and head back to Japan to warn the government. Dinosaur expert Dr. Tadokoro (Maso Shimizu) identifies the monsters as fire monsters Angurus and Gigantis. Panic sets in when the monsters arrive in Japan, and cities fall like children's toy blocks before Angurus is destroyed, and Gigantis is buried in a glacier of ice.
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Godzilla, King of the Monsters 1956  N/R, 81 min.
Genre: Action / Horror / Sci-Fi
aka: Gojira
Director: Ishiro Honda, Terry O. Morse
Cast: Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata, Momoko Kochi, Sachio Sakai, Fuyuki Murakami, Frank Iwanaga, Toyoaki Suzuki, Toranosuke Ogawa, Takeo Oikawa, Kokuten Kodo, Mikel Conrad, Ren Yamamoto, Sammee Tong
This "Godzilla" movie pits the 400-foot monster against the citizens of Tokyo. American reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) is investigating shipping disasters off the coast of Japan when the monster Godzilla, brought back to life by underwater nuclear testing, goes on a rampage through Tokyo leaving death and destruction in its wake.
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The Hidden Fortress 1958  N/R, 139 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action / Comedy / Adventure
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Susumu Fujita, Takashi Shimura, Eiko Miyoshi, Kichijiro Ueda, Koji Mitsui, Toshiko Higuchi, Ikio Sawamura, Tadao Nakamaru, Rinsaku Ogata
The plot for this Japanese film effort influenced George Lucas in his "Star Wars" productions. Taking place in the 1500s, this is the story of two peasants caught up in an attempt by a general and a princess to flee the area in the midst of civil war.
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High and Low 1963 N/R, 143 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama / Thriller
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Kyoko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Yutaka Sada, Tatsuya Nakadai, Takashi Shimura, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Isao Kimura, Kenjiro Ishiyama, Takeshi Kato, Jun Tazaki, Nobuo Nakamura, Yunosuke Ito, Minoru Chiaki, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Wealthy businessman Kingo Gondo is ordered to pay a ransom to the kidnappers of his son (Kyoko Kagawa). He is ready to pay the ransom when he finds his son safe at home. In a case of mistaken identity, his chauffeur's (Yutaka Sada) son is the kidnap victim. The kidnapper calls Gondo, admits that he made a mistake, and still demands the ransom money. Now, Gondo must decide between another person's safety and his own financial security.
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I Live in Fear 1955 N/R, 105 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
aka: Record of a Living Being
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Eiko Miyoshi, Haruko Togo, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kyoko Aoyama, Noriko Sengoku, Akemi Negishi, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Kichijiro Ueda, Eijiro Tono, Yutaka Sada, Kamatari Fujiwara, Masao Shimizu, Ken Mitsuda
Kiichi Nakajima (Toshiro Mifune) fears a nuclear holocaust in Japan and wants his family to move with him to Brazil. When they refuse, Nakajima thinks he will put more pressure on them by burning down his foundry. His ploy fails, and he is sent to a mental asylum where he stares out the window at the sun believing that Earth has been engulfed in the nuclear holocaust that he had feared. A strong statement against nuclear weapons.
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The Idiot 1951 N/R, 166 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Masayuki Mori, Toshiro Mifune, Setsuko Hara, Takashi Shimura, Yoshiko Kuga, Chieko Higashiyama, Eijiro Yanagi, Minoru Chiaki, Chiyoko Fumiya, Eiko Miyoshi, Noriko Sengoku, Mitsuyo Akashi
Akira Kurosawa was a fan of Dostoyevsky and brought his version of the story to the screen. However, the transition from Russian culture to Japanese was not entirely successful. A man returning from a war is branded an idiot due to epilepsy. Love triangles ensue with tragic results.
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Ikiru 1952 N/R, 143 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
aka: Doomed
Living
To Live
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Takashi Shimura, Nobuo Kaneko, Kyoko Seki, Miki Odagiri, Kamatari Fujiwara, Makoto Kobori, Kumeko Urabe, Shinichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka, Minoru Chiaki, Bokuzen Hidari, Minosuke Yamada, Nobuo Nakamura, Atsushi Watanabe, Isao Kimura
After learning that he has terminal cancer, widower Mr. Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) determines to live the "good life" by spending most of his time in bars. Finally, he decides that he wants to accomplish something worthwhile before he dies. He promotes the building of a playground in a slum neighborhood and succeeds in his goal. At his funeral, co-workers discuss how Watanabe had redeemed himself and made the world a better place–and they are now inspired to follow his example.
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Japan's Longest Day 1967 N/R, 157 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
aka: The Emperor and a General
Director: Kihachi Okamoto
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, So Yamamura, Chishu Ryu, Seiji Miyaguchi, Takashi Shimura, Toshio Kurosawa, Shogo Shimada, Susumu Fujita, Yunosuke Ito, Daisuke Kato, Etsushi Takahashi, Jun Tazaki, Nobuo Nakamura, Koshiro Matsumoto
This is the true story of failed efforts by the Japanese War Minister Anami (Toshiro Mifune) to continue the war and includes plots for a coup to overthrow the Emperor. But, the problem was resolved when Emperor Hirohito (Koshiro Matsumoto) broadcast to his nation on August 15, 1945, that Japan would agree to the Allies' demand for unconditional surrender.
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The Lost World of Sinbad 1963 N/R, 94 min.
Genre: Adventure
aka: Samurai Pirate
Director: Senkichi Taniguchi
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Makoto Sato, Jun Funato, Ichiro Arishima, Mie Hama, Akiko Wakabayashi, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Nakamura, Jun Tazaki, Takashi Shimura
From the people who brought us "Godzilla," this is the story of a man (Toshiro Mifune) who is out to save the country from an evil premier who is trying to take over the kingdom. The English-dubbed version calls the hero Sinbad to help sell the film in the U.S.
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Mothra 1961 N/R, 91 min.
Genre: Family / Sci-Fi / Action / Adventure / Fantasy
aka: Mosura
Director: Ishiro Honda
Cast: Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyoko Kagawa, Emi Ito, Yumi Ito, Jerry Ito, Akihiro Tayama, Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Kenji Sahara, Tetsu Nakamura, Obel Wyatt, Seizaburo Kawazu, Yoshifumi Tajima, Ken Uehara
Tiny (one-foot tall) twins (Emi Ito and Yumi Ito), who have supernatural powers, are abducted from their island by Clark Nelson (Jerry Ito) and taken to Tokyo where they are exploited in a vaudeville show. But, their singing reaches far away to a giant caterpillar, Mothra, that comes to their rescue–destroying Tokyo in the process.
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The Mysterians 1957 N/R, 85 min.
Genre: Foreign / Sci-Fi
aka: Earth Defense Force
Director: Ishiro Honda
Cast: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Momoko Kochi, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura, Susumu Fujita, Hisaya Ito, Fuyuki Murakami, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Tetsu Nakamura, Yutaka Sada, Takeo Oikawa
After the nuclear destruction of their planet, aliens arrive to take over the Earth and its women in order to start a new civilization. And the nonstop special effects battles begin.
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Rashomon 1950 N/R, 88 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Machiko Kyo, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijiro Ueda, Fumiko Honma, Daisuke Kato
This great philosophical story is built around a murder. Told in flashbacks, the key is the constructive memories of those who were part of the incident. At the end, it is impossible to tell who told the true story because each person saw it from only one point of view. The film was presented an Honorary Academy Award (for 1951) as Best Foreign Film.
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Samurai 3 1956 N/R, 102 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action
aka: Duel on Ganryu Island
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Koji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa, Mariko Okada, Michiko Saga, Takashi Shimura, Eijiro Tono, Akihiko Hirata, Daisuke Kato, Kuroemon Onoe
This final episode in the "Samurai" trilogy is yet another fine adventure as our hero Musashi (Toshiro Mifune) decides to live the simple life in a village. The villagers must deal with bandits, and Musashi teaches them to defend themselves. Meanwhile, his nemesis has challenged him to a duel, and his two girlfriends show up. He finally commits to one woman, and the other is killed by the bandits; now he must leave for his final battle.
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Sanjuro 1962 N/R, 96 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Takashi Shimura, Keiju Kobayashi, Yuzo Kayama, Reiko Dan, Akihiko Hirata, Kamatari Fujiwara, Takako Irie, Yunosuke Ito
This follow-on to 1961's "Yojimbo" is more lighthearted than that film but still has plenty of action. Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune), the clever samurai drifter, takes on the task of educating a group of naive young men in the ways of the samurai while fending off attacks. Another good film from Akira Kurosawa.
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Scandal 1950 N/R, 104 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Shirley Yamaguchi, Yoko Katsuragi, Noriko Sengoku, Eitaro Ozawa, Takashi Shimura, Shinichi Himori, Masao Shimizu, Ichiro Shimizu, Fumiko Okamura, Tanie Kitabayashi, Sugisaku Aoyama
A young painter (Toshiro Mifune), who had met a popular singer (Shirley Yamaguchi) at a resort, sues a tabloid for printing a story linking him with the singer. His case takes a hit when his lawyer (Takashi Shimura) accepts a bribe from the magazine in order to get money to treat his ill daughter.
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 The Seven Samurai 1954 N/R, 208 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action / Adventure / Drama
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, Isao Kimura, Yoshio Inaba, Kamatari Fujiwara, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki, Daisuke Kato, Kokuten Kodo, Bokuzen Hidari, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki, Yoshio Kosugi, Jiro Kumagai
This story takes place in 16th-century Japan where local citizens are suffering from the havoc raised by bandits. To the rescue comes a group of expert warriors–seven unemployed samurai. This classic film was remade in Hollywood as the "Magnificent Seven."
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Stray Dog 1949 N/R, 122 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Isao Kimura, Keiko Awaji, Reisaburo Yamamoto, Noriko Sengoku, Fumiko Honma, Reikichi Kawamura, Eiko Miyoshi, Eijiro Tono
Set in Tokyo during an oppressive heat wave, this story revolves around the search for rookie Detective Murakami's (Toshiro Mifune) stolen gun. It appears that his gun is being used to shoot down victims whose bodies are found around Tokyo.
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Throne of Blood 1957 N/R, 105 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama / Action / Fantasy / Thriller
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Minoru Chiaki, Takamaru Sasaki, Takashi Shimura, Akira Kubo, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Chieko Naniwa, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Isao Kimura, Kokuten Kodo, Kichijiro Ueda, Eiko Miyoshi, Nakajiro Tomita, Yu Fujiki
Shakespeare's "Macbeth" is transplanted into 16th-century Japan during a civil war in this excellent film from director Akira Kurosawa. The story begins when Washizu (Toshiro Mifune) and Miki (Minoru Chiaki) are lost in a forest where they encounter a ghostly woman who predicts that Washizu will rise in power. Later, Washizu listens to the goading of his wife, Asaji (Isuzu Yamada), and becomes involved in a plot to kill the ruler. The evil deed is done, but now Washizu must deal with his guilt and ultimate downfall.
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Under the Banner of Samurai 1969 N/R, 166 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
aka: Samurai Banners
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Yoshiko Sakuma, Yujiro Ishihara, Katsuo Nakamura, Kankuro Nakamura, Kanemon Nakamura, Masakazu Tamura, Ken Ogata, Mayumi Ozora, Takashi Shimura
In the 1500s, a samurai convinces his warlord to kill a rival warlord, and then the samurai and his warlord fall in love with the slain warlord's daughter. Years of fighting ensue.
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 Yojimbo 1961 N/R, 110 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action
aka: The Bodyguard
Yojimbo the Bodyguard
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Eijiro Tono, Seizaburo Kawazu, Isuzu Yamada, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Kyu Sazanka, Takashi Shimura, Daisuke Kato, Ikio Sawamura, Kamatari Fujiwara
This classic Akira Kurosawa film was influenced by U.S. Westerns and stars the great Toshiro Mifune in another excellent performance as a samurai drifter who enters a small town in mid-1800s' Japan and is caught between two warring gangs. Rousing battle scenes.
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| 1. The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
aka: The Rose in the Mud
aka: The Worse You Are, the Better You Sleep
2. Drunken Angel (1948)
3. Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
4. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
aka: Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster
5. Gigantis the Fire Monster (1955)
aka: Godzilla Raids Again
6. Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956)
aka: Gojira
7. The Hidden Fortress (1958)
8. High and Low (1963)
9. I Live in Fear (1955)
aka: Record of a Living Being
10. The Idiot (1951)
11. Ikiru (1952)
aka: Doomed
aka: Living
aka: To Live
12. Japan's Longest Day (1967)
aka: The Emperor and a General
13. The Lost World of Sinbad (1963)
aka: Samurai Pirate
14. Mothra (1961)
aka: Mosura
15. The Mysterians (1957)
aka: Earth Defense Force
16. Rashomon (1950)
17. Samurai 3 (1956)
aka: Duel on Ganryu Island
18. Sanjuro (1962)
19. Scandal (1950)
20. The Seven Samurai (1954)
21. Stray Dog (1949)
22. Throne of Blood (1957)
23. Under the Banner of Samurai (1969)
aka: Samurai Banners
24. Yojimbo (1961)
aka: The Bodyguard
aka: Yojimbo the Bodyguard
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