Featuring Nick Grossman!

Throughout our little series on Akira Kurosawa's most popular works, we keep setting up each movie as the progenitor of modern genre pieces (STRAY DOG for police procedurals, YOJIMBO for highfalutin' Westerns, etc.).

Even so, SEVEN SAMURAI is the genesis of most character-led ensemble movies – period – and has itself been remade countless times. It uses several samurai (born and adoptive) to criticize the institution of samurai, refocusing its message on the common people of Sengoku-era Japan. Remember what we said about THE HIDDEN FORTRESS? Like that, but better in many ways, including the literal number of samurai. Thanks.

Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters.