"Magnificent Seven" & "Seven Samurai" Movies Page at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

"How'd you like to kill thirty bandits?" — Gorobei character in "Seven Samurai"

Japanese auteur director Akira Kurosawa [1910-98] co-wrote and directed the black-and-white "Seven Samurai", which was released in Japan in April 1954, with U.S. release in November 1956. The film was for a time the highest-grossing Japanese film, and raised the standards for production of Japanese cinema. The original Japanese version ran 207 minutes, while the U.K. release ran 150 minutes and the U.S. release ran 141 minutes; re-release prints in the 1990s had several scenes restored, and recent DVDs run as long as 204 minutes.

Director John Sturges developed a Western script based closely on the plot of "Seven Samurai"; filming took place on location in Mexico, using widescreen Cinemascope cameras and color film. The U.S. release of "The Magnificent Seven" was in October 1960; the film reached Japan in May 1961. The musical score by Elmer Bernstein was nominated for an Oscar. The film was a huge hit, giving a boost to the careers of several of the main actors, and was followed by three sequels – "Return of The Seven" [1966], "Guns of The Magnificent Seven" [1969], and "The Magnificent Seven Ride" [1972] – and a two-season TV series in 1998-2000. (The 1984 Italian 'swords & sandals' remake "The Seven Magnificent Gladiators" starring Lou Ferrigno is best forgotten.)

Hollywood's need to remake classic films and box-office hits continues: In mid-2011, The Weinstein Company announced plans for a "Seven Samurai" remake set in modern Thailand, still 'in development' in late 2015. The remake of "The Magnificent Seven" has finished filming in Lousiana and New Mexico, for planned release in September 2016.

"The Seven Samurai"
aka 'Shichinin no samurai'
[Toho Japan April 1954; US release Nov 1956]

"Battle Beyond The Stars" [New World Pictures Sept 1980]

Battle Beyond The Stars movie from Roger Corman

A rather faithful adaptation of "Seven Samurai", except it is on the distant planet Akir. This typical low-budget Corman feature is notable mostly for the 'watershed' nature of the film: John Sayles (script), James Cameron (SFX), James Horner (music), Gale Anne Hurd (asst. P.M.), and actor Richard Thomas all went on to bigger projects. Produced by Roger Corman; directed by Jimmy T. Murakami; script by John Sayles & Anne Dyer; starring Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, John Saxon, George Peppard, Darlanne Fluegel, Sybil Danning, Sam Jaffe, Jeff Corey & Morgan Woodward
New Concorde color DVD [2/2001] for $19.35
New Concorde color VHS [2/2001] for $22.79
full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia

"Seven Samurai" remake [Weinstein Company - in development]

Announced May 2011: British director Scott Mann will direct the $60 million project developed by
writer John Fusco; the setting is the mountains of modern Thailand • latest info at IMDb

"Return of The Seven" [Mirisch/United Artists Oct 1966]

Return of The Magnificent Seven movie directed by Burt Kennedy

Filmed in and near Madrid, Spain (because Mexican authorities were still mad from the first movie crew.) When a Mexican bandit leader captures the men of three villages, including Chico, for labor to build a church, Chico's wife seeks out Chris & Vin, who recruit four others to rescue their former pard.
Directed by Burt Kennedy; written by Larry Cohen; music by Elmer Bernstein; starring Yul Brynner, Emilio Fernández, Robert Fuller, Julián Mateos, Warren Oates, Claude Akins, Elisa Montés, Warren Oates, Claude Akins, Jordan Christopher & Fernando Rey; Oscar nomination for Best Music Score
M.G.M. widescreen color DVD [4/2002] for $13.49
M.G.M. color VHS [9/98] out of prodn/many used
Rykodisc soundtrack CD [2/98] 16 tracks - out of prodn/used
full credits from IMDb • film entry at Wikipedia

"The Magnificent Seven Ride" [Mirisch/United Artists Aug 1972]

The Magnificent Seven Ride movie starring Lee Van Cleef

Filmed in the California desert. Chris, now a marshal and married, declines to help a friend trying to stop a gang of Mexican outlaws; when the gang robs the bank and kidnaps Chris's wife and kills his friend, he takes up the cause, getting help from convicts at the Territorial Prison. Directed by George McCowan; written by Arthur Rowe; starring Lee Van Cleef, Stephanie Powers, Michael Callan, Luke Askew, Gary Busey, Ralph Waite, Mariette Hartley, James Sikking, Ed Lauter, Pedro Armendariz Jr. & William Lucking
M.G.M. widescreen color DVD [5/2004] out of prodn/used
full credits from IMDb • film entry at Wikipedia

"Guns For Hire: The Making of The Magnificent Seven" documentary [Channel 4 TV May 2000]
60-minute documentary directed by Louis Heaton; featuring John A. Alonzo, Elmer Bernstein, Horst Buchholz, John Carpenter, James Coburn, Brad Dexter,
Walter Mirisch, Robert E. Relyea, Robert Vaughn & Eli Wallach, with archive footage of Yul Brynner, Akira Kurosawa & Steve McQueen
available as part of the 4-disk box set (above); credits from IMDb

"The Magnificent Seven" remake [M.G.M./Sony Sept 2016?]
Announced 6/2012: Tom Cruise & Matt Damon on board, with Morgan Freeman said to be in contention for the role of the film’s villain Calvera (portrayed by Eli Wallach in the 1960 original). Filming began in New Mexico 8/2015 (after filming in Baton Rouge, Louisiana): directed by Antoine Fuqua; screenplay by John Lee Hancock & Nic Pizzolatto, based on prior screenplays; music by James Horner [1953-2015]; starring Denzel Washington (first Western), Chris Pratt (first Western), Cam Gigandet, Matt Bomer, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee (first Western) as The Seven, with Peter Sarsgaard as the villain; also starring William Lee Scott, Kevin Wayne, Dylan Kenin, Griff Furst, Jonathan Joss, Clint James, Ritchie Montgomery, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Mike Gassaway, Alix Angelis, Thomas Blake Jr., David Kallaway, Billy Slaughter, David Manzanares, Jackson Beals, Frank Powers, Cedric D. Jones, Emil Beheshti, Jody Mullins, Vinnie Jones, Dylan Langlois & Heath Lemme
latest info at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia
watch 4/2016 official trailer [2:23] online at YouTube

blue poster for showing of "Seven Samurai" at Academy Cinema Two in Britain 11"x17" poster no longer available from Amazon	"Magnificent Seven" [1960] riders b&w art print poster 24"x32" art poster from Amazon	"Magnificent Seven" [1960] riders color art print poster 24"x39" poster from Amazon

"Guns of The Magnificent Seven" [1969] half-sheet poster 22"x28" half-sheet poster no longer available from Amazon	"Magnificent Seven" [1960] riders color poster retail source not found	'Magnificent Seven' [1960] sunset poster 30"x40" poster from Amazon another 30"x40" poster from Amazon

	"Seven Samurai" screenplay [1970] by Akira Kurosawa S&S pb [1970] out of print/used "Seven Samurai" The Ultimate Film Guide" [2001] 'Noted by' Roy Stafford York Press 8¼x6½ pb [11/2001] out of print/used
	"Seven Samurai" [2008] critical text by Joan Mellen British Film Institute 7¼x5¼ pb [1/2008] for $11.21

Magic Lantern Video & Book Store"Seven Samurai" Movie& "Magnificent Seven" Movies

Magic Lantern Video & Book Store
"Seven Samurai" Movie
& "Magnificent Seven" Movies