For this Sunday Kino Night, first up is the first two installments of the samurai-action-fantasy Lone Wolf & Cub series, and two of the most beloved Japanese action films ever: Sword of Vengeance (1972) and Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)! You wanted stuff about ninjas and guys stabbing people in the face, so here we go. Based on the manga of the same name, the series involves a ronin wandering the land with his small child as the shogun’s henchmen relentlessly hound them. The second film ups the ante by having our hero battle a clan of lady ninjas. He wracks up a ridiculously body count in all the films, generally by chopping the bad guys’ limbs off. Tarantino got the idea for the Kill Bill blood sprays from these movies. These are the best-known and arguably best-regarded films of director Kenji Misumi. After these two films, which are both short, we will finish up with the surreal French cartoon The Triplets of Belleville, (2003), set in a demented old-timey city and following a trio of sisters on a bizarre, dialogue-free adventure to find a kidnapped boy. It is currently the magnum opus of director Sylvain Chomet.

We’ll start early this evening, at 9PM EST on Hextube, right here:

https://live.hexbear.net/c/movies

Be there, comrades!

Letterboxd:

• Lone Wolf & Club: Sword of Vengeance: https://letterboxd.com/film/lone-wolf-and-cub-sword-of-vengeance/
• Lone Wolf & Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx: https://letterboxd.com/film/lone-wolf-and-cub-baby-cart-at-the-river-styx/
• The Triplets of Belleville: https://letterboxd.com/film/the-triplets-of-belleville/

Doesthedogdie.com links:

• Lone Wolf & Cub: Sword of Vengeance: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/85967
• Lone Wolf & Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068816/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg
• The Triplets of Belleville: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/12260

CWs for the Lone Wolf & Cub movies:

• Sexual assault. Oof. Despite the ridiculous, campy, over-the-top tone of these movies, the first film (Sword of Vengeance) has an unpleasant scene about 50 minutes in involving a woman being chased and assaulted by some bad guys. It lasts about one minute. I will announce exactly when this scene is coming.
• Nudity.
• Sex scene.
• Death of parent.
• Blood and gore.
• Dismemberment.
• Decapitation.
• Gun violence.
• Cutting of flesh.
• Profanity.
• A child is dropped down a well.
• Child abuse.
• Smoking.
• Alcohol.

CWs for The Triplets of Belleville:

• Torture.
• Spitting.
• Fat jokes.
• Burlesque dance scene with brief nudity.
• Car crash.

Links to movies:

Forthcoming. I have the files, and will upload shortly.