Latest news with #AkiraKurosawa
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
This Japanese philosophy teaches us that the slow and steady really does win the race
Have you ever noticed how some things just seem to unfold in a natural rhythm—whether it's a great story, a powerful speech, or even a simple conversation? In Japanese culture, this idea is captured by the principle of Jo-Ha-Kyu (序破急), a concept that describes how events should gradually build up momentum and end with impact. This timeless approach is used in traditional, martial arts, business, and modern entertainment. But more than that, it's a pattern we can apply to our lives. At its core, Jo-Ha-Kyu is about progression—starting slow, building up energy, and finishing strong. The phrase itself can be broken down into three stages: Jo (序): The introduction—things begin slowly, setting the stage and creating a foundation. Ha (破): The break—momentum picks up, changes occur, and tension builds. Kyu (急): The climax—everything comes together in a fast-paced, intense resolution. This pattern isn't just a theory—you can observe it in nature, music, storytelling, and even human interaction. It reflects the way things naturally evolve over time. 1. Traditional Japanese arts In classical Noh theater, performances follow this structure: a slow, atmospheric beginning (Jo), a rising conflict (Ha), and a dramatic finish (Kyu). Similarly, the tea ceremony follows a peaceful opening, a moment of engagement, and a satisfying conclusion. 2. Martial arts and movement If you watch a Kendo or Aikido match, you'll notice a similar pattern: fighters begin cautiously, waiting and observing (Jo). Then, the pace quickens as attacks and defenses flow (Ha), before reaching an explosive, decisive strike (Kyu). Even sumo wrestling follows this rhythm, with its elaborate pre-match rituals leading to a sudden burst of action. 3. Business and productivity Even in the corporate world, this principle applies. In Japanese business culture, projects are carefully planned (Jo), tested and adjusted (Ha), and finally launched or executed at full speed (Kyu). Companies like Toyota use this philosophy in their production processes, ensuring efficiency and smooth execution. 4. Storytelling, film, and entertainment Great movies, books, and even anime follow the Jo-Ha-Kyu structure. Think of a film like Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa—there's a slow buildup as the heroes gather (Jo), the tension rises as conflicts emerge (Ha), and everything culminates in a high-energy battle (Kyu). Even video games use this idea, with early levels being simple, the middle growing more challenging, and the final stage delivering an intense climax. Understanding Jo-Ha-Kyu isn't just valuable for art or business—it's something you can apply to your daily routine: Whether you're writing a book, preparing a presentation, or simply planning your day, embracing this flow can make your efforts more effective and engaging. Once you start noticing it, you'll see this pattern everywhere—from nature to entertainment, work to personal growth. If you apply it yourself, you might find that things start falling into place more naturally than ever before.
Business Standard
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Ghost of Yotei gameplay revealed, coming to PS5 on October 2: Watch it here
Sony has officially revealed Ghost of Yotei, a new samurai action-adventure game exclusive to the PlayStation 5. The game will launch worldwide on October 2, and is being developed by Sucker Punch Productions, the team behind the critically acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. This standalone sequel brings a new character, story, and setting, but retains the cinematic combat and open-world gameplay fans loved in the original. During a dedicated showcase event, Sony gave a first look at the upcoming title's gameplay, visuals, and story direction. What's the game about? Ghost of Yotei follows Atsu, a ronin (a samurai without a master) who sets out on a mission to hunt down six outlaws responsible for her family's death. The story draws inspiration from Japanese folklore, especially the legend of the onryo, a vengeful spirit — a role Atsu grows into as the plot unfolds. Set in Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido) during the year 1603, the game offers an open-world experience that encourages exploration at your own pace. Players will be able to focus on different gameplay aspects depending on what they enjoy most, whether that's stealth, combat, or story progression. Key features and visual styles Combat in Ghost of Yotei is designed to feel like a classic samurai film. The developers say the goal is to replicate the tension and precision of swordfighting, supported by rich visuals and atmospheric environments. This time, you'll also have a wolf companion that fights alongside you. The game includes multiple cinematic visual modes: Kurosawa Mode: Black-and-white filter inspired by legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Miike Mode: Intense, close-up, and bloody action, named after director Takashi Miike. Watanabe Mode: A laid-back, lo-fi look inspired by Shinichirō Watanabe, known for Samurai Champloo. There's also an expanded photo mode, giving players tools to capture and share the game's detailed environments and action sequences. Special edition PS5 and limited accessories Alongside the game, Sony will launch a limited-edition PS5 console and accessories themed around Ghost of Yotei. Details on pricing and availability are expected closer to the launch date. Ghost of Yotei: Gameplay
Geek Vibes Nation
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
Criterion Collection Announces September Titles Including Works From Akira Kurosawa, Rob Reiner & More
The Criterion Collection has announced six new titles to join the collection on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray in September: High and Low (1963), This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Born in Flames (1983), Flow (2024), Read My Lips (2001), and The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005). These represent Akira Kurosawa's highly influential police procedural, a legendary mock rockumentary, a DIY fantasia of female rebellion, an Academy Award–winning animated international sensation, and two tour-de-force thrillers from modern French master Jacques Audiard. These titles join the previously announced Wes Anderson 4K UHD Collection, along with the individual releases of Isle of Dogs and The French Dispatch. Details on these films can be found below: Street Date: September 9, 2025 Synopsis: Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in High and Low, the highly influential domestic drama and police procedural from director Akira Kurosawa. Adapting Ed McBain's detective novel King's Ransom, Kurosawa moves effortlessly from compelling race-against-time thriller to exacting social commentary, creating a diabolical treatise on class and contemporary Japanese society. 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, with 4.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features Audio commentary featuring Akira Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince Documentary on the making of High and Low, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create Interviews with actors Toshiro Mifune and Tsutomu Yamazaki Trailers and teaser PLUS: An essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien and an on-set account by Japanese-film scholar Donald Richie Street Date: September 16, 2025 Synopsis: Spinal Tap has come to be recognized as England's loudest and most punctual band. In the legendary rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, now beautifully restored, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) embark on their final American tour, with filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) capturing all the mishaps, creative tensions, dwindling crowds, and ill-fated drummers. This Is Spinal Tap takes DiBergi's brilliant vérité style and turns it up to eleven! DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Rob Reiner, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack Alternate 2.0 uncompressed stereo soundtrack One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film and special features Three audio commentaries: one with actors Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer; one with Reiner, producer Karen Murphy, and editors Robert Leighton and Kent Beyda; and one with band members Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls New conversation between Reiner and actor Patton Oswalt The Cutting Room Floor, featuring outtakes, alternate takes, and abandoned subplots Spinal Tap: The Final Tour (1982) Trailers, promotional spots, media appearances, music videos, and commercials English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: An essay by critic Alex Pappademas Street Date: September 16, 2025 Synopsis: A blistering rallying cry issued loud, clear, and unapologetically queer, Lizzie Borden's explosive postpunk provocation is a DIY fantasia of female rebellion set in America ten years after a revolution that supposedly transformed the country into a democratic socialist utopia. In reality, racism, sexism, and economic inequality are as virulent as ever, and a band of radicals—led by Black, lesbian, and working-class women—join forces to fight back. Told through a furiously fractured, kinetically edited flurry of television news broadcasts, pirate radio transmissions, agitprop, and protests shot guerrilla-style on the streets of New York City, Born in Flames is a shock wave of feminist futurism that's both an essential document of its time and radically ahead of it. DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES 2K digital restoration—preserved by Anthology Film Archives, with restoration funding from the Golden Globe Foundation and The Film Foundation, and supervised and approved by director Lizzie Borden—with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Introduction by Borden New audio commentary featuring Borden; cast members Adele Bertei, Hillary Hurst, Sheila McLaughlin, Pat Murphy, Marty Pottenger, and Jeanne Satterfield; and camerapeople DeeDee Halleck and Chris Hegedus Regrouping (1976), Borden's directorial debut, an experimental documentary about a New York City women's group English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: Essays by film scholar Yasmina Price and author So Mayer See also 'In The Lost Lands' Gets Digital Release Date After Box Office Struggles Street Date: September 23, 2025 Synopsis: A thrilling tale of friendship and survival that took indie animation to ecstatic new heights of ambition and imagination, this Academy Award–winning international sensation follows a courageous cat after its home is devastated by a great flood. As the cat teams up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, the crew must rely on trust, courage, and their wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet. Working with a small team using open-source software, visionary DIY animator Gints Zilbalodis conjures a sublime sensory odyssey and a profound meditation on the fragility of the environment and the spirit of community. DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES 4K digital transfer, with 7.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, approved by director Gints Zilbalodis 4K digital master of Away (2019), Zilbalodis's debut feature One 4K UHD disc of Flow and Away and two Blu-rays with Flow, Away, and the special features New audio commentary featuring Zilbalodis Full feature-length animatic New interviews with Zilbalodis and cowriter-coproducer Matīss Kaža Dream Cat (2025), a making-of documentary produced for Latvian Television Aqua (2012) and Priorities (2014), short films by Zilbalodis with new commentaries by the director Unused-shot reel, with new commentary by Zilbalodis Trailers, TV spots, and proof-of-concept teasers English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio PLUS: An essay by critic Nicolas Rapold and collectible stickers Street Date: September 23, 2025 Synopsis: Two outcasts are drawn together by crime and passion in this early tour de force from director Jacques Audiard. Carla (Emmanuelle Devos, who won a César Award for her performance) is an unappreciated, hard-of-hearing employee at a nondescript construction company. Her lonely life gets a jolt of excitement when she hires a new assistant: Paul (Vincent Cassel), an ex-con who soon enlists her (and her lip-reading ability) in a risky scheme. With visceral camera work and sound design, Audiard immerses viewers in the duo's increasingly turbulent world, blending noir conventions with complex character development for a thriller of unique depth and emotion. DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Jacques Audiard and director of photography Mathieu Vadepied, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features New afterword by Audiard Audio commentary with actors Vincent Cassel and Emmanuelle Devos Program about the making of the film featuring interviews with Audiard, Vadepied, and coscreenwriter Tonino Benacquista Interview with composer Alexandre Desplat Deleted scenes featuring commentary by Audiard Trailer New English subtitle translation PLUS: An essay by film scholar Ginette Vincendeau Street Date: September 23, 2025 Synopsis: A riveting character study in the guise of a gritty underworld thriller, Jacques Audiard's international breakthrough features an explosive performance from Romain Duris as a real-estate broker torn between the dirty dealings of his slumlord father (Niels Arestrup) and his recently rekindled love for classical piano. Can music offer salvation from a life of sin? Winner of eight César Awards, including Best Film, this bold reimagining of the New Hollywood cult classic Fingers showcases Audiard's gift for balancing breathtaking tension with galvanic human drama. DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I just saw one of my favorite movies in theaters for its 40th anniversary — but you can stream it for free right now
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. When looking at the top movies to stream for free on Tubi last month, I noticed that the free streaming service had added "Ran" to its library, and it immediately caught my attention. For those who aren't familiar with this movie, it's the final epic from Akira Kurosawa, who, among other things, is notable for being a significant inspiration behind George Lucas' "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope." But the late, great Japanese filmmaker is famous in his own right, having written and directed acclaimed films such as "Seven Samurai," "The Hidden Fortress" (that's the one that inspired "Star Wars") and "Yojimbo." Go through the Wikipedia article for any of those movies (and "Ran") and you'll see words like "significant influence" and "greatest and most influential films in cinema history." "Ran" remains my favorite Kurosawa film, though, even 40 years after its original theatrical release. I first watched it when I was a kid — it was probably the first foreign-language movie I ever watched — and when I saw it was on Tubi for free, I got ready to hit play again. But then I got an email telling me that "Ran" was being restored in 4K for its 40th anniversary. Even better, it was coming to my local independent theater. So, of course, I bought a ticket. "Ran" is a visual masterpiece, expertly creating vivid battle scenes of epic proportions, loaded with color. I wasn't going to miss a chance to see it in theaters — and having now seen the 4K restoration for myself, you shouldn't either. "Ran" is loosely an adaptation of William Shakespeare's "King Lear." In that play, the elderly King Lear divides his country between his three daughters, a decision that leads to him disowning one daughter before being outcast by his remaining daughters and wandering the country as a madman as his daughters fight over his lands. Kurosawa's adaptation holds pretty true to that general plotline. But he chooses to set it in a fictional version of Japan, based on 16th-century Sengoku period Japan. If that sounds familiar to you, that's also when "Shogun" is set, and you can feel shades of FX's hit period drama when watching "Ran." I'd be shocked if the show didn't draw some inspiration from this movie, even though it's directly based on an existing miniseries that predates "Ran" by five years. The historical drama epic stars Tatsuya Nakadai as the aged warlord Hidetora Ichimonji, who, like Lear, divides his lands between his three sons: Taro (Akira Terao), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu). Like in the Shakespeare play, the third child refuses to accept this gift with the appropriate level of flattery, and Hidetora disowns him. Based on what I've already told you about "King Lear," you can guess how it goes from there. Now, I don't want to spoil much beyond that, because I want you to go see the original version on Tubi or the 4K restoration in theaters once you're done reading this article. But I will mention that, while the story is compelling enough to hold you're attention, it's the visuals of this movie that make it one of the greatest films ever made. Specifically, there are a few battle sequences sprinkled throughout the movie that are spectacular in every sense of the word. The first such battle sequence takes place at one of Hidetora's many castles, and has two of the brothers' armies assembled outside trying to breach it. At the beginning of the film, when we meet Hidetora and his sons, the sons are each wearing a primary color for their outfit: yellow (Taro), red (Jiro) and blue (Saburo). When they fight, their armies also follow this color scheme, and so in this first battle, we get a sea of yellow and a sea of red meeting in front of this imposing castle. The castle, surrounding lands and even skies are all dreary hues, and it makes the soldiers and their armor pop visually in a truly stunning way. Especially in the 4K restoration. The good news is that this visual experience still comes through in the original version of the film on Tubi. The only thing that doesn't quite hit in the same way is the sound of the film, which is immense at times in the theater. You'd want a decent sound setup to get a similar experience at home. I use a Sonos Arc Ultra, which is our top-rated pick for the best soundbars you can buy right now, and it's plenty satisfying. But the Sonos Beam (Gen 1) I use in my office is also plenty good. So, whether you see it in all its glory on the big screen or opt to watch it at home on Tubi, make sure to check out "Ran" now for its 40th anniversary. There's never been a better time to experience one of the greatest movies ever made. Stream the original version of 'Ran' free on Tubi now or check out the 4K restoration at your local theater Tom Hardy's 'MobLand' just wrapped up with a stunning finale — and I can't wait for a season 2 'Hacks' shocking season 4 finale has me hopeful season 5 could be the show's best yet — here's why 'The Last of Us' season 2 finale live — reactions, who survived, recap and more
Irish Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Movie Quiz: Which streamer was the first to distribute a best picture Oscar winner?
In what film might you hear about 'my huckleberry friend'? Which are the odd awards out? Baftas Aactas Edgars Césars Which is the right succession? Marnie, Married to the Mob, Madame Web Marnie, Something Wild, Madame Web Vertigo, Something Wild, Madame Web Marnie, Something Wild, Anyone But You How many directors have had more than one film top the all-time highest-grossing list? 0 1 2 3 Which was the first streaming service to distribute a winner of best picture Oscar? Who doesn't belong? Mendes Rocknroll Urban Threapleton Who has yet to direct Johnny Depp in a title role? Tim Burton Mike Newell Lasse Hallström Michael Mann Spot the odd one out. Lena Horne Billie Burke Mela Kunis Ariana Grande Which literary giant was never adapted by Akira Kurosawa? Dostoevsky Shakespeare Gorky Tolstoy Who was on the same bill as George Pal, Michael Rennie, Leo J Carroll, Anne Francis and Dana Andrews? Fay Wray Elsa Lanchester Mae Clark Helen Chandler
