For this episode you're going to need a lot of popcorn, movie fans, because this is an overstuffed show where we discuss a couple of very long movies. Combined, they're clocking in at over five hours and change.
First up is the 1954 film Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa. It's a favorite of both Sean and Claude, and pretty much anyone else who happens to be somebody. Seven Samurai's influence can be seen in many, many films, from the basic plot structure to the numerous character tropes that are seen.
Seven Samurai was so popular, in fact, that numerous people wanted to make an American version of it, and in 1960 The Magnificent Seven was made and released, with John Sturges at the helm. It's worth noting here (because we didn't mention it in the show) that The Magnificent Seven is one of those films that didn't do very well, either with the critics or the box office, but it grew in stature over the years because of its star power and the soundtrack, and ultimately people came to respect the scriptwriting as well.
These are two fantastic films that, despite their length, don't waste a single frame of film and are well worth your time investment.
COMING ATTRACTIONS: We close out this series with another Kurosawa film, Yojimbo, which became Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars.
