G.I. Samurai/Time Slip (1979)

[MaxRebo320]

In honor of Chiba-san's passing, I thought it'd be fitting to make a thread for this Kadokawa-produced, Toho-distributed action epic from 1979. The film concerns a platoon of present-day JSDF soldiers caught up in a "Time Slip", taking them back to Sengoku-era Japan where they befriend real-life warlord Uesugi Kenshin. Chiba's character comes up with the convoluted notion that altering history will basically force God to send them back to their time, though it winds up just being an excuse for him to indulge in some carnage his bloodthirsty mind desired. I've seen the film compared to The Final Countdown from the following year (A film I rather enjoy despite its flaws), but whereas that film only teases the concept of a modern navy taking on the Japanese airfleet, this film goes all out in depicting Sengoku-era warriors combatting a modern Japanese military, and goddamn is it awesome. The film is hardly perfect - there are scenes that drag on, there are way too many characters we're expected to care about despite them getting barely any development and the soundtrack sure isn't for everyone. But I can't help but kind of love the movie.



Since Arrow are starting to release Kadokawa's offerings, hopefully this one will be in the forseeable future, though you can find the OOP DVD releases from BCI dirt-cheap.

[LSD Jellyfish]

As always, thanks for the attention to another obscure/not well known movie. I'll look into it and try to watch it soon!

[Voyager]

This seems interesting. I’d love to see it.

[Desghidorah]

The concept is intriguing enough it did wind up getting remade, in some form or another, twice.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

Didn't Masaaki Tezuka work on this? I thought I remembered reading that somewhere.

Added in 1 minute 56 seconds:
Never mind he directed the remake.

[Desghidorah]

One thing it and the remake did pretty well was acknowledge how supplies and equipment would run out pretty fast with no way to get more or replenish what has been spent. I will say I find the remake hit or miss as to if it's better. The ending of the family finding aged dogtags at a temple was very poignant, but it also edges a bit into the exaggerations of how tactical and skilled samurai and ninja were, constantly outflanking the JSDF.

[Crazy Jim Films]

Been meaning to revisit this one for a minute or two now. A real fun concept and one of the more interesting entires in Chiba's filmography.

[H-Man]

I recently reviewed this for my website.

[mikelcho]

Sinister Cinema has this film in their catalog (see "Daiei Films and Sinister Cinema" pg. 1 on Monster Manor pg. 4).

And before anyone asks, yes, I know it's gray-market, but it's better than nothing...at least for now.

[H-Man]

Sinister Cinema has this film in their catalog (see "Daiei Films and Sinister Cinema" pg. 1 on Monster Manor pg. 4).

And before anyone asks, yes, I know it's gray-market, but it's better than nothing...at least for now.

Is this version legit?

[Terasawa]

Sinister Cinema has this film in their catalog (see "Daiei Films and Sinister Cinema" pg. 1 on Monster Manor pg. 4).

And before anyone asks, yes, I know it's gray-market, but it's better than nothing...at least for now.

Is this version legit?

Yes.

Also, Kadokawa will be releasing this film on UHD and Blu-ray in Japan on October 28. It doesn't look like there will be English subtitles, but at least the Blu-ray will have the English-dubbed audio. Japanese source.