Synopsis:
I have removed 95% of the dialogue and hired voice actors to re-dub the lines. I cut the running time down as much as I had the heart to. I have replaced almost all music with the original Shogun Assassin score plus new music that felt appropriate to make it feel more like Shogun Assassin. I have added sound effects, and a voice-over narration was created for the young boy, Daigoro, to emulate the original film. The film's introduction emulates the iconic original as well.
Intentions:
The goal with this project has been to piece together, for the lack of a better word, a "true" sequel to the amazing Shogun Assassin, utilizing the same techniques and choices which made it, in my opinion, something special and greater than the sum of its parts. The film is a brutal mashup of the third and fourth Lone Wolf and Cub films, edited down to the bare essentials, with Mark Lindsay’s iconic score claiming its rightful place front and center once again (plus a few other additions when the moment called), and and the vocals re-worked and re-dubbed by some talented voice artists including the return of Daigoro’s iconic narration. Shogun Assassin Chapter 2: Flaming Swords of Carnage is many things: it’s a movie that I’ve wanted to personally see for years, it’s an homage to a lot of great artists of film and music that have inspired me throughout my life, it’s been a project to keep me alive after disease and misfortune took up residence in my life for a good portion of 2017-2018, but mainly I hope it’s a welcome gift to fans of the original Shogun Assassin (I know you’re all out there SOMEWHERE) and a tribute to the cast and crew of the amazing, original Japanese films and to the American team that transformed those amazing films into the greatest samurai film ever made: Shogun Assassin. This film is not being sold. I have not made this for profit. I just wanted to see this movie, and I've had a lot of time on my hands.
Change List:
The mission was to make a film that felt as much like a sequel to Shogun Assassin as possible. I did my best to cut the film down to the bone. Mostly killer/minimal filler. Both films combined involve three attempted rapes and two actual rapes (one of which is off-screen). That's just a lot of rape! I honestly did my best to make it as un-exploitative as possible, sometimes just leaving the inference and sometimes just cutting back on the pervy, leering nature of the originals. I cut out two entire attempted rape/successful murder scenes by utilizing Daigoro's narration as a helpful crutch. Also this movie has TWO boring, old men who talk forever, and I minimized their screen time.
Additional Notes:
Other Sources:
Music: Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi: Theme of Rome Morning Fog (Interlude) Her Hollow Ways (Interlude) Roman Blue The Gambling Priest The Matador Has Fallen Morning Fog Her Hollow Ways Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts II Juda Priest: Prelude Solitude The Twilight Singers: Toward The Waves B-52’s: Dance This Mess Around David Bowie: Lazarus All Saints Angelo Badalamenti: Harold’s Theme Ennio Morricone: L’Attentato CUTS: Bunsen Burner Magic Sword: In The Face of Evil I Am the Program: Mega Drive Survive: Hourglass Mike Simonetti: The Magician Cliff Martinez: Wrong Floor Mark Lindsay and The Wonderland Philharmonic (Shogun Assassin Original Motion Picture Soundtrack): The Legend Of Lone Wolf Daigoro's Theme Assassin With Son The Ninja Voyagers Crimson Sky Eyes Of A Demon Dune Lone Wolf's Theme Additional Footage- Various clips from "Shogun Assassin" used as well.
Special Thanks: