ZATOICHI GOES TO THE FIRE FESTIVAL Screening at Schlafly Bottleworks February 1st

ZATOICHI GOES TO THE FIRE FESTIVAL screens Wednesday, February 1st at 8pm Schlafly Bottleworks Restaurant and Bar (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, MO 63143) as part of Webster University’s Award-Winning Strange Brew Film Series. Admission is $5

You never know what’s brewing at Webster University’s Strange Brew cult film series. It’s always the first Wednesday evening of every month, and they always come up with some cult classic to show while enjoying some good food and great suds. The fun happens at Schlafly Bottleworks Restaurant and Bar in Maplewood (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, MO 63143).

I’ve never seen this month’s Strange Brew pick, ZATOICHI GOES TO THE FIRE FESTIVAL. Zatoichi is a fictional character featured in one of Japan’s longest running series of films and a television series that are both set during the late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). The character, a blind masseur and blademaster, was created by novelist Kan Shimozawa.

This 1970 entry in the Zatoichi series, ZATOICHI GOES TO THE FIRE FESTIVAL, is considered one of the best. Cowritten by star Shintaro Katsu, this adventure pits Zatoichi against one of his most diabolical foes: a blind yakuza boss whose reign of terror and exploitation has made him nearly mythic. Guest starring the legendary Tatsuya Nakadai as a ronin haunted by a traumatic past, and featuring an unforgettable nude swordfight in a bathhouse, this twenty-first entry in the series is a fan favorite.

A Facebook invite for this event can be found HERE