Lacking Natural Simplicity

Recent Reading

• Werenight, by Harry Turtledove; Baen, 1994. Adequate fantasy; some elements of the setting were interesting, but not enough was made of them.

Recent Viewing

The Independent Film Channel has “Samurai Saturdays”, where they show one or more samurai movies. I recorded and watched a number of these over the last few months. Here are some of the ones that I've watched.

• Shichinin no samurai, 1954. (Also known as Seven Samurai.) Directed by Akira Kurosawa, and starring (among others) Toshirô Mifune.

• Tsubaki Sanjûrô, 1962. (Also known as Sanjûrô.) Directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshirô Mifune.

• Yojimbo, 1961. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshirô Mifune.

• Kakushi toride no san akunin, 1958. (Also known as The Hidden Fortress.) Directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshirô Mifune.

• Hiroshi Inagaki's Miyamoto Musashi trilogy.

  • Miyamoto Musashi, 1954. (Also known as Samurai I.) Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, starring Toshirô Mifune.

  • Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijôji no kettô, 1955. (Also known as Samurai II.) Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, starring Toshirô Mifune.

  • Miyamoto Musashi kanketsuhen: kettô Ganryûjima, 1956. (Also known as Samurai III.) Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, starring Toshirô Mifune.