Meiko Kaji movies
The movies I'm referring to weren't "made" bu Meiko Kaji, but she made them, no question. I'm recently getting into those gems from the 70's like Lady Snowblood and Female Convict Scorpion, and I've got to tell you - fuck Kill Bill. I've been postponing my viewing of this movies for different reasons, like them being from the 70's and all - what a fool I was. These guys were crazy, and I mean it. These directors are genius and use filmmaking techniques that blew me away. The angles, the colors, the psychadelic sequences - I'm talking about the real deal here, and not some poor imitations of it from people who simply (and I'm now convinced of it) don't know what the hell they're doing in the filmmaking business these days. Exploitation and quality aren't exactly words that are used in the same sentenced often, but the Lady Snowblood movies and the first 4 Scorpion movies are a movie buff's wet dream. Meiko Kaji herself, I think I've never seen someone so beautiful and hardass at the same time, and so convincingly. The anime sequence at the middle of Kill Bill? In Lady Snowblood you get actual manga page sequences (from the Kazuo Koike -Crying Freeman- manga that the movie was based on). Man, why bother with Kill Bill when you've got the real deal and a female lead that's actually hot and fucking scary at the same time? Watch them. Lady Snowblood 1 & 2 (especially 1) and the first 4 Female Convict Scorpion flicks. If you haven't already you're missing out. Even the pretentious Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is a ripoff of these...

I've been meaning to watch those movies you mention. I really regret not buying the Scorpion movies at Best Buy when they used to be there. Can't find them now, and Best Buy ain't gonna stock their shelves with "shit that don't sell." Pricks. Lady Snowblood is a must for me since I know of its undoubtably presence/influence in Kill Bill. And I will totally agree with you, the 70's was a fantastic time for movie making to really get serious. I just bought the "Ultimate" Evil Dead DVD, and I'm just so impressed by the style of that movie. Campy violence and SFX aside, the cinematography is fucking brilliant, and you can see other forms of this in other 70's movies. One of my favorites (and a clut classic to boot) is Vanishing Point. I freaking love that movie. The lead character's trip through that film is freaking genius. Plus the ending is still seen as controversial to this day. I wish I could make movies like that...or at least get better.

I won't hate on Tarrantino, because I prefer his films over most of the other BS that I see in Hollywood. (I thought Kill Bill was boring btw. Hell most of his movies sucked. save for Reservoir Dogs & Pulp Fiction.) A pretty cool set piece from one of the Scorpion films Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori (1972) - Matsu's revenge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni3U68iHpT8 It kinda seems a bit corny though, but that's only because most of the chumps she kills all look like pussies. (Than again that's the point. The Scorpion is the personified embodiment of revenge against misogynists.) I've noticed that whenever the Scorpion kills some one that the screen usually emits a blue eerie glow. I think Lady Snowblood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtfKPbGIbKU&feature=related is more my style. (Now Kill Bill straight up hacked this ish.) The Scorpion looks cooler, but Snowblood attracts me more, because it's more trashy. Friggin' samurai sword fights with guns. Here's a more typical exploitation flick. Zero Woman Red Handcuffs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON-hKctxE5g She dances like a White chick, lol. (She can't dance.) Now this is straight up trashy. She actually shot a guy in the nuts. It looks like she's trying hard to be every bit as scary as Meiko Kaji, but unfortunately the woman Red Handcuffs just looks attractive instead. Gun Crazy vol. 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf2EGdJMiTI This is the only gun crazy, imo that's worth seeing. Mainly because Ryoko Yonekura is in it. Too bad neither of them evoke the feeling of fear like Kaji does. (When she comes on the screen. You know you're gonna die.) I never actually saw a Meiko Kaji flick, but I am aware of her & her music. (Hell Japanese tv parodies her scorpion character all the time. I think the only characters who get parodied more than Scorpion are Lupin the 3rd, & Oscar De Jarjayes from Rose of Versailes.) It wasn't until I saw the Scorpion in Killer 7 that I finally decided to look more into the legacy of that character. I think Linda Vermilion is based off of the Vermilion Pleasure Night version of the Scorpion. Considering that the Scorpion in VPN actually is a hitman. (Whereas the Scorpion that Meiko Kaji http://killer7.3dactionplanet.gamespy.com/ladyscorpion1.jpg played as, never actually uses a sniper rifle at all. False advertising man. Considering that I always see Kaji posing with rifles & shit.) Convict Scorpion from Quick Girl (Vermilion Pleasure Night) I think the actress who parodied the Scorpion character in VPN actually looks more frightening than Kaji herself. If the Scorpion series were to be revived. I think that they should definitely cast that Mary chick for the role. She's the only Scorpion impersonator who I've seen who actually looks as intimidating (icy cold glare.) as Kaji. These directors are genius and use filmmaking techniques that blew me away. The angles, the colors, the psychadelic sequences - I'm talking about the real deal here, and not some poor imitations of it from people who simply (and I'm now convinced of it) don't know what the hell they're doing in the filmmaking business these days. If you loved the directing style of the Scorpion films than you definitely need to check out the Seijun Suzuki films. http://sweetbottom.tripod.com/ He was the Suda 51 of his day. One of his movies, I think it was "Branded to Kill" Looked exactly like the setting that you see in Killer 7's Alter Ego. If K7 were made into a movie I think it would greatly benefit using the same exact lighting techniques that Branded to Kill used. (I feel a live action animated look such as the one used in A scanner Darkly would only cheapen the look of the film.)

Yeah Seijun Suzuki makes some....different movies, let's just put it that way. Haha. And age is no reason to wait on a movie. There was a time in 06 that I was REALLY wanting to snatch a copy of the original Godzilla film from 1954 up (from Wal-Mart) before they got rid of it. Age doesn't mean anything to me. The quality of the film is important. In this case the ORIGINAL Gojira picture was actually a REALLY good movie. I'm glad I got it. Very nice packaging too by the way. I think people must've liked it because now at Best Buy they have a bunch of Gojira movies in somwhat similar packaging (although not as classy as the original film's).