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13 Assassins represents a more commercial movie than Miike has done in the past in that it’s a remake of a popular 1960s project. It was also well received, earning a nomination for the Japanese equivalent of the Academy Awards. Here is what those of you who did not watch the film when it debuted on HDNet need to know about the movie. A dude named Lord Naritsugu winds up in power and he goes Nero on his people. He maims and kills without mercy as his honor-bound Samurai are forced to defend him as he pillages his country.

At this point, an elder Samurai agrees to form an assassin posse and attempt to take out Naritsugu. The fly in the ointment is that there are only 13 of them (natch) while the opposing force includes 200 (mostly) skilled opponents. This is where the Takashi Miike factor comes into play. As you’ve probably guessed, most of these people do not make it out of the movie alive, meaning that if you want to see roughly 200 different cinematic slaughters, this movie is a dream come true. I am of the opinion that a lot of its storyline doesn’t translate well for North American audiences. Still, this project is well acted and in fact a few of the main characters have been featured in Hollywood studio features. 13 Assassins is an eastern movie that could appeal to a certain segment of western audiences. If you like feudal Japan historical dramas and/or a lot of decapitations, this is right up your alley.

For people who worry that 13 Assassins may not be violent enough: Hobo with a Shotgun

Also an HDNet debut, Hobo with a Shotgun provides Rutger Hauer with the rare opportunity to kill everyone else in the movie. Like four people with speaking roles in the movie make it to the closing credits. My favorite victim is Gregory Smith, whose most notable role is as Ephram Brown on Everwood. Smith plays *ahem* a bit against type here as Slick, a homicidal, entitled heir to daddy’s throne as crime kingpin of Hope City. Suffice to say that Slick does bad things to a children’s bus only to find that the bus comes looking for him in the end. The entire two minute sequence is so strange that I actually made my wife watch it, thereby giving her a relatively accurate perspective on the entire production of Hobo with a Shotgun. This is a perfect follow-up to the Grindhouse philosophy of low budget shock cinema. You can tell by the title whether this is a movie you want to see. As an aside, two of the villains in this movie may or may not be a tribute to the greatest wrestling tag team of all time, The Road Warriors. I honestly couldn’t decide if this was an homage or not.

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