 | Chisato Moritaka – 17-sai (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review) |
May 25, 1999 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Chisato Moritaka’s 6th single is a cover of Saori Minami’s popular 1971 hit “17-sai”. In 1989, Moritaka did a cover of the song and it became a big part of her rise as one of Japan’s top idol pop stars. Definitely recommended!
ARTIST: Chisato Moritaka
CD SINGLE: 17-sai
LABEL: Warner-Pioneer Corporation
CATALOG #: 09L3-4084
DURATION: 9:40
RELEASE DATE: May 25, 1989
BUY THIS CD SINGLE from:
- 17才
- 20才
In 1987, musician and singer Chisato Moritaka made her official debut as a music artist. A former Pocari Sweat Image Girl (a contest she won a year before her debut), Chisato Moritaka would become Japan’s top female idol performer in the late ’80s leading up to the early ’90s.
One of the songs that Chisato Moritaka will always be known for is the song “17-sai” (17-years-old), a cover of the 1971 song originally sung by Saori Minami and Moritaka’s 6th CD single. Ten years ago, when this single was released, it was like a transfer of the torch to the new pop star in her second year and was just tearing up the music charts and popular on television for her stage presence.
“17-sai” is a popular, upbeat pop song that was very popular in 1989. From the synth pop that was very much part of the ’80s, it was a successful Chisato Moritaka cover song and it is a song that reminds fans of Moritaka’s rise as an idol pop star in Japan at the time.
The coupling track “20-sai” was Moritaka’s own personally written song (as she was 20-years-old at the time) and like “17-sai” was about being 17-years-old, Moritaka sings about the joys of life at age 21. A good pop song but not as catchy as “17-sai” but nevertheless, a song with a pretty fun chorus.
Overall, “17-sai” is a Moritaka classic and if you are a Chisato Moritaka fan, this is one single that you definitely want to have in your music collection!
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 | Seven Samurai – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #2: First Release (a J!-ENT DVD Review) |
May 15, 1999 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
TITLE: Seven Samurai – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #2
MOVIE COMPANY: TOHO
CAST: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Daisuke Kato, Isao Kimura, Minoru Chiaki, Seiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Kosugi, Bokuzen Hidari and Yoshio Inaba.
DIRECTED BY: Akira Kurosawa
PRODUCED BY: Sojiro Motoki
TYPE OF MOVIE: Drama, Action
DURATION: 207 minutes
A desperate village hires seven samurai to protect it from marauders in this crown jewel of Japanese cinema. No other film so seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action. Featuring Japan’s legendary star, the great Toshiro Mifune, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is an inspired epic, a triumph of art, and an unforgettable three-hour ride.
DVD EXTRAS:
• Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
• Black & White
• Commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck
• Original U.S. Theatrical Trailer
KNOWN DVD SECRET(S): None at this time
NOTE: This review is for the first “Seven Samurai” DVD release from THE CRITERION COLLECTION from 1999. The company released a superior version featuring better picture quality back in 2006.
Seldom do I give a DVD or a movie a perfect rating but I’ve never felt so intense for a movie that just really hooked my attention as “Seven Samurai” did for me.
The legendary director from Japan, Akira Kurosawa really created a milestone in film history with “Seven Samurai” and even though it was released in 1954, it’s definitely a great film to keep your eyes on.
If you can just open your mind to a foreign film, a classic film made in the 50′s, a film that is not Widescreen (Akira Kurosawa went towards widescreen in the later 1950′s), you will love this movie.
It has love, action, intrigue…so much in three wonderful hours that will keep you hooked.
The video is black and white and Criterion did their best to make this in optimal image quality. The audio is mono but the sound and picture has been restored. For special features, the DVD comes with it’s original theatrical trailer and an interesting audio commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck who seems to know a lot about the filming/lighting styles of Kurosawa.
This is one DVD that is a definite must buy in any movie watcher’s collection!
THE MOVIE: A+
THE DVD EXTRAS: A+
THE DVD OVERALL: A+
