Lucky Seven Samurai

I finally got through The Seven Samurai tonight, thanks to Turner Classic Movies.

I know that a bunch of us guys got together years ago at my place to watch this movie, but somehow, I don't think we got more than 1/4 of the way through it. I remember making jokes about the fatalism of the villagers at the beginning of the movie.

Of course, this brings together a few observations about this movie that pretty much apply to any Japanese or Hong Kong movie involving swords:

• Any Asian girl who cuts her hair short will be universally mistaken for a boy.
• Asian firewood burns like it's been soaked in gasoline, even if it's raining.
• Houses in villages burn like they're made from aforementioned Asian firewood. Simply speaking the word "fire" around them is usually enough to set them ablaze.
• Wrapping armor around the shins is mandatory, but shoes are optional.
• Wearing short robes with sumo thongs underneath is apparently fashionable.
• Villagers and Samurai alike tend to be angry and yell a lot. I attribute this to the sumo thongs.