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Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook

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Patrick Galloway is no film scholar, and "Stray Dogs and Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook" is no didactic, insightful critique of a unique and subtle genre. Instead, he is an unabashed fan who has written a gushing fan book full of excitement and energy, as befits the nature of the subject. This is not to put any doubt on his knowledge. Super-fan that he is, one would be hard pressed to find a more knowledgeable expert on the Samurai genre. From the most ludicrous splatterfest to the most powerful and moving drama, Galloway treats each film with respect and notes the quality of its merits on its own terms.

Taking this films decade by decade, Galloway highlights the best that each period has to offer. He kicks things off right with "Roshomon" and "Seven Samurai" in the 1950's, moves through the Golden Age of the 60's with such films as "Yojimbo," "The Tale of Zatoichi," "Hara Kiri" and "Samurai Rebellion," into the 70's with "Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx" and the "Kill Bill" inspiration "Lady Snowblood: Blizzard from the Netherworld," the 80's and beyond with "Kagemusha," "Roningai" Kitano Takeshi's "Zatoichi" and the magnificent "Twilight Samurai." He plucks the absolute best from each era, and leaves you hungry to watch every magnificent offering.

Each review is packed with information on story, actors and historical setting. Ever a fan instead of a scholar, Galloway refuses to give away endings or crucial plot points, so that the films can still be fully enjoyed by eager viewers. The availability of each film is also rated, and Galloway specifically tries to review accessible films, rather than long out-of-print obscurities.

Along with his great reviews, he has side galleries such as the "Character Actor Hall of Fame," with bios of all those guys you see hanging around the various Samurai flicks, but never quite put a name too, and tidbits from "Takuan the Know-It-All Priest," which offers insight into Japanese Samurai culture, dress and relationships. He also includes four prefacing essays, "The World of the Samurai," "The Samurai Film Genre," "The Artists," and "Seeing the Films" which help set the stage for the film reviews to follow.

While always a fan of Samurai flicks, "Stray Dogs and Lone Wolves" has set me on the path to becoming a full-fledged fanatic. It has become my checklist to take shopping for DVDs or to the local rental shop, and so far it has never let me down. The more I see, the more I want to see, and I am constantly referencing back to this book, appreciating it even more as I see the films.

Dissatisfied with the academic reference books on this popular Japanese film genre of samurai films, the longtime student of Asian and Japanese culture Galloway wrote this jaunty, learned reference providing "historical background, cultural insights, production anecdotes, actor and director bios, and detailed plot synopses" for more than 50 of the films from the 1960s into the '90s. Besides the classics "Seven Samurai" and "Rashomon," others of the numerous films included are "Three Outlaw Samurai," "Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance," "Heaven and Earth," and "Band of Assassins," as well as "Samurai Reincarnation" and "The Razor: Sword of Justice" and others in the series these two are a part of. Galloway's outstanding guide treats the films as part of the global popular culture rather than "foreign" films calling for explanation in terms of some film theory or film critic's abstruse, involved ideas.

Do you like a certain actor? Look him up. Like a cetain director? Look him up. Want films from a certain decade or wish to know some of the plot before buying it? Look it up! This book is FAR from the complex list of Samurai films, but it hits on the major ones and the people who brought them about. I had a few films I truly enjoyed, such as RoninGai, The Hidden Fortress and Yojimbo to name a few. But with this book I was able to expand my library to include such titles as Lone Wolf and Cub and Zatoichi. A must for ANY library on film or Japanese culture.

As a long time collector of the samurai genre I really appreciated this book. Although I have read scholarly books and articles about the genre, I too always felt there was something missing to bridge the gap between the fan and the higher levels of learning.

The book is written more as an introduction to the genre, so it is more for the average person than for someone who has seen most of the movies in the book. I like the way it is simple, but not simplistic. Mr. Galloway gives some basic background history, actor/director bios, and can talk about the movie without giving away crucial parts or endings to spoil the story.

Part of the problem I have seen on the internet in discussing the genre is a tendency to violate all of the above. I've seen Japanese history seriously mangled, and people clueless about basic background issues a Japanese person might know going into a movie. So, what you may read on the net is a lot of opinion, but have nothing to do with what the director intended. Just because one sees a Japanese movie does not make one an expert in Japanese history, culture, or religious/ethical issues a movie may bring up. That factual basis is lacking, and this is where I think Galloway's book is a good foundation in understanding the basics of all of this.

The one minor area I think was weak in the book is the "availability" of movie issue in the book. This is really a "relative" issue of how well you know how to use a search engine these days. Almost all of these movies in the book I found in the past pretty easy to find. These days if you know how to use amazon, or google you can get your movies in a few clicks. Almost anything English subtitled you can find on a search engine. There are a few tricks to this though so it is good to check up on who is selling you movies. It is the stuff that is not subtitled and not on Japanese websites you have to know a few things and few people to get, but I suspect most people reading this will not care too much about those movies since they lack subtitles.

So, it is a good book to have, or if you know someone that wants to get into these movies then this would be a good place to start.

The first thing that one notices when opening this book is that the author is really very passionate about these films. Samurai Films are an art form and here, they are treated as such. It is apparent that a main goal of this book was get more people interested in samurai films and to turn them on to the very best of the genre. Plenty of background of the samurai film genre is given to the reader including a description of samurai and a description of the time period in which samurai exist. You also learn about the major studios in Japan that created samurai films and well as bios of the great directors and actors that contributed to the genre. The film write ups themselves are grouped into the major decades in which they were made and are sprinkled with a bit of humor. The author even lets the reader know how difficult it is to find every individual film and what company (if any) has released it on DVD or home video. The book is also filled with sid-sections that expand upon the reviews and provide additional and interesting information such as the "Character Actor Hall of Fame" sections - which I loved seeing. All in all, it is a great book for the price and whether you have a collection of hundreds of samurai films are have only seen a few on television, I would recommend that you get this book.

This book is an absolute must for chambara fans, both newbies and fans seeking new films to explore. This is a handbook - a "practical reference" book, as Galloway states right at the beginning [7]. The first three chapters provide a nice overview for the "detailed plot synopses that follow" (although, as Galloway also states, he never gives away an ending) [47].
In fact, Galloway is explicit about the purpose of this reference book. It "provides historical background, cultural insights, production anecdotes, actor and director bios" [47] and the aforementioned plot synopses. Those looking for a more Leonard Maltin-like review guide should probably look elsewhere.
Unlike another reader, however, I was not disappointed by a lack of reviews - it is quite clear that Galloway picked his films carefully and that he's an enthusiastic booster for each film in the book.
As for misinformation, film budgets and the financial equations used to calculate them are always arguable. What is not arguable, however, is the depth of research Galloway undertook with regard to the information about directors, actors, scripts, and Japanese language and history. I would be amazed if Tatsuya Nakadai would allow his name to be attached to a book that misrepresented the genre or the creative people who produced these films (Nakadai is a well-known Japanese actor who appears in several of the films described in the book and provides a "thumbs up" review blurb on the book's back cover).
I think it is evident that the films chosen for inclusion are the result of Galloway's belief that these particular films are important for aesthetic as well as historic reasons and, well, because he enjoys them and wants to share his enthusiasm for these films with other viewers.
Similar to a list of last year's "best movies," one can always argue for the inclusion or exclusion of a particular film. However, Galloway is explicit about his desire to whet appetites for Japanese film (and not just chambara or jidai-geki, either) by providing an entertaining and highly readable guide to a selection of films he considers representative of the best in the genre. This is not meant to be an exhaustive or encyclopedic survey of every chambara produced.
This is a handbook for those movie fans who want more background on an already-loved genre and, more importantly, this is a must-have book for those who are beginning to explore the wonderful world of Japanese samurai films. Buy the book and begin expanding your cinematic world!

Patrick Galloway's Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook provides a critical guide to over 50 top samurai films, from well-known masterpieces to new hits and underground samurai cult works. Chapters also provide overviews of the Japanese film industry, biographies of key actors and directors, and provide plenty of critical insights by a lifelong student of Asian film, culture and philosophy with special insider insights.

While not an exhaustive reference or a scholarly-style examination of the subject, this covers the basic eras, the essential films, and most famous artists of samurai cinema. It is a helpful "users manual" for those looking to get into this genre, as it provides a commentary on each film and gives a rating of how available they are on Region 1 DVD.

When I picked up this book I expected to learn just a little more about the samurai films I had already seen (not very many) but instead I found myself entering a whole new world of action heros, drama, and spectacle, as well as the Japanese version of the Hollywood studio system, with its moguls, its stars, its adoring fans, and its own mythology.

Samurai films are like American cowboy movies in many ways, with their endless retelling of tales from a certain historical period in which the modern Japanese identity was forged. They're rollicking tales of adventure and intrigue, with plenty of outrageous swordplay (instead of gunplay, as in Westerns).

I've read the book from cover to cover for the sheer entertainment value. I know I'll see more samurai films (and now I know which ones, and what to watch for), but even if I never intended to this book is really worth it for the tales it tells, and the lively glimpse into the world of Japanese film it offers an outsider.

It's well-written, never dull, but never superficial. It's a great balance and I hope to see more from this author.

I've always been drawn to Samurai Films, or Chambara,(sword films) as they're referred to. This book is a great primer for those getting initiated in this rare cinema appreciation club. I started watching many of Kurosawa films and to my amazement I found other directors had made samurai films. A lot of samurai films! I began watching as many as I could netflix, and after being a bit confused about different actors/directors/characters, I decided that I need a book to get properly educated in this genre. And that's how I found Stray Dog's and Lone Wolves! Patrick Galloway does a great job making things accessible to everyone while dropping in some really fun facts for those who already think they know a lot.

This is probably the best Samurai film companion in that it treats every film in its own context. It reviews a wide variety of different films and doesn't hold them all up to Seven Samurai's petigree.

Save yourself from waiting for the UPS truck and order his sequel book: Warring Clans and Flashing Blades. It's more of the great reviews, insights and fun anecdotes that will leave you wanting a 3rd book!