TNL Movie: Ghost Dog

[Revoltor]

Week#2's pick is the Forest Whitaker contemporary classic, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

I hold this movie very close to my heart and shudder whenever I hear people pass judgement on it so quickly without even having seen it. Never has a movie satiated ones japanophilic and negrophilic urges so generously as Ghost Dog.

Here you will see a 270 pound black man with a lazy eyelid practice the katana atop an apartment building all the while reciting passages from the Hagakure. It is a sight to behold and an image that will stay with you forever.

I admit I'm being a bit tongue-in-cheek about the film but I'm serious when I say it's in my top 15. Once you get past the shock of a 270 pound black samurai, you're left with a man living in 2 different realities at the same time unaware at how absurd both are. What sells the movie for me is how it works for him as it would for anyone else who would live by the teachings of the Hagakure. Truly an unsung gem of a movie.

I hope everyone gets something from this movie and we get some good discussion going.

[g0zen]

I really enjoyed a lot of this movie, except for one scene the fucking ten minutes where he's just driving and it's playing that godawful rap song.

[Revoltor]

The Rza (part of the rap clique "Wu-Tang Clan" for the uninformed) produced the movie's music. It was inevitable.

[D_N_G]

pigeons and the ice cream man nigga

rza rules

[animegirl]

Oh goodie, something I haven't seen yet! I shall be going to Blockbuster tomorrow.

[Opaque]

I'm going to blockbuster tomorrow to rent 25th hours (totally late I might add) so I guess I'll just pick this up at the same time.

Saves me a trip I guess.

[Rumpy]

I was going to pick this movie as mine since I think a lot of people never saw it. I did, so I thought I'd pick something new for me.

I'll write my take after some time (short take- I liked it).

[arjue]

I saw this many years ago and thought it sucked balls, but I'll give it another viewing. Quite coincidentally, I was arguing with a friend of mine recently about it. Now I'm gonna try borrowing it off him.

[Giga Power]

I've seen this one too. A few years ago a friend and I were at Hollywood video and I saw it and made some kind of comment about how it looks awful, and my friend having already seen it, suggested that I rent it.

It's been a few years and I don't have it in my collection so I'm going to head out and pick it up. I really enjoyed it from what I can remember and I had forgot about it completely until now.

I also don't remember the music being that bad...didn't know Rza did it though....that also makes me want to see it again. I loved what he did for the soundtrack to Kill Bill Vol I.

[Nick]

I was just telling someone yesterday about how I've been wanting to rent this movie for years but no one else wanted to watch it. I'm not even sure why it came to mind. How odd that Revoltor posted this the same day.

My take on it is that it looks so ridiculously bad that it's probably good. Best news is that I finally netted someone into watching it with me and I'll be discussing it on here. This should be great.