Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf

Director - Kurando Mitsutake (Gun Woman)
Starring - Kurando Mitsutake, Jeffrey James Lippold (General Hospital), and Domiziano Arcangeli (Alien Babes in Heat)
Release Date - 2009
Genre - Action/Horror/Western
Tagline - "No honor. No mercy. Revenge is Blind!"
Format - BluRay (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I was raised on westerns and the SyFy channel back with it was just the Sci-Fi channel.  My dad fucking loved westerns regardless of when they were made or the language they spoke.  If it was a western or was loosely labeled a western then my dad watched it.  He was also a Chuck Norris fan and sometimes he dabbled in the old martial arts/kung-fu flicks of the late 60s and 70s.  I grew up appreciating this type of kung-fu flicks that crossed boundaries with films like Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires and Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave.  Sometime ago I was sent a press release for the film Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf.  This was the first time I had heard of the film but I assumed it was some long lost martial arts flick that was just now finding a proper release.  I requested a review copy from Synapse and they were kind enough to send me one.  When it was time for me to review it I was very, and I mean very surprised.
     The film follows samurai Blind Wolf (director Kurando Mitsutake) as he makes his way across a desert land.  Blind Wolf was once a family man with a beautiful wife and adorable daughter.  One day they head out to a secluded area for a little family picnic when they are visited by the evil gangster Nathan Flesher (Arcangeli) and his goons.  He rapes and then kills his wife forcing him and his daughter to watch and then strikes up a deal for his daughter's life.  He promises not to kill her if he pokes out both his eyes with a stick.  The loving father does so and as he pops out the second eye, Flesher kills his daughter and then shoots Blind Wolf.  He survives and trains in the way of the samurai.  When he is ready he sets out to kill Flesher and the perfect times presents itself.  Flesher was arrested and is about to be released from jail so Blind Wolf makes his way to the jail he was kept in.  However, his journey is not an easy one.  He has 7 assassins sent to kill him and he must face everyone one of them in order to seek revenge for his family.
     Like I said earlier, when I first learned of this film I was under the impression it was an older title finally getting a release.  I had no idea it was created in 2009 and it would be this fucking awesome.  The film honestly knocked me on my ass and I had to follow the first viewing up with two more just to watch it again.  The acting in this one is great.  Some of the roles are serious while others are dated and cliched.  All of which is done on purpose.  The roles of Blind Wolf and Nathan Flesher are serious in tone.  Blind Wolf has pain in his heart and Kurando Mitsutake does a great job at showing that.  He also does a great job performing all the fight scenes. Some are better than others but they are still fun to watch.  Flesher, portrayed by Arcangeli, does a great job portraying the cliched villain.  His character was pulled straight out of a 90s action flick.  This was awesome to see in a samurai western.  The remainder of the characters are cheesy and plucked straight out of the 70s kung-fu flicks.  They are campy and overact each situation and I fucking love it.  The story for this one is all over the place and leaves no room for a dull moment.  A man that was wrong seeks revenge.  This is not something new to film.  However, the film tosses so much more into the story that it becomes something that has to be seen to believed.  We have tits that mesmerize men, a pregnant necromancer, zombie samurais, old men who can jump around like a monkey with ADHD, and a lot of boobs all wrapped inside of a grindhouse inspired western.  Also, the film has tons, and I mean tons, of amazing on screen kills that rival any Japanese splatter flick.  The kills are brutal and bloody but they are nothing new.  With that being said, they fit the film perfectly and definitely heighten the experience.  Finally, the film has several great special features including commentary with Kurando Mitsutake, Chiaki Yanagimoto, and John Migdal, sword fight choreography, behind-the-scenes featurette, blooper real, and trailer.  The film looks great in 1080p and the audio is crystal clear.  This release really is beautiful.  Overall, the Synapse release of Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf is a must have for any fan of grindhouse flicks.  Rodriguez and Tarantino would be proud of this film and I am proud to own a copy.  This is essential for any collector so check it out!