BLIND FURY

She may look angelic, but trust us, she’s lethal.

Above is a nice poster for Mekura no oichi monogatari: Makkana nagaradori, aka Crimson Bat: The Blind Swordswoman, starring Yôko Matsuyama, Chizuko Arai, and Jun Tatara. The first in a series of four Crimson Bat movies, this was in the same vein as the long running Zataochi series, and was a precursor to other movies featuring angry blind swordswomen like Black Cat’s Revenge, which we took a look at a few months back. Basically, in Japanese movies if you meet up with a sword-wielding blind woman—even one that looks as innocent as Yôko Matsuyama—either run screaming or make out your last will and testament on the spot. Plenty of reviews of this one online, so you don’t need our input. We’ll just tell you that it has all the elements—betrayal, revenge, arterial bloodspray, all that good stuff. You can check out a fight scene here. Mekura no oichi monogatari: Makkana nagaradori premiered in Tokyo today in 1969.

Japan, Mekura no oichi monogatari: Makkana nagaradori, Crimson Bat: The Blind Swordswoman, Yôko Matsuyama, Chizuko Arai, Jun Tatara, poster art, cinema

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HISTORY REWIND

The headlines that mattered yesteryear.

October 5

1945—Hollywood Black Friday

A six month strike by Hollywood set decorators becomes a riot at the gates of Warner Brothers Studios when strikers and replacement workers clash. The event helps bring about the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which, among other things, prohibits unions from contributing to political campaigns and requires union leaders to affirm they are not supporters of the Communist Party.

October 4

1957—Sputnik Circles Earth

The Soviet Union launches the satellite Sputnik I, which becomes the first artificial object to orbit the Earth. It orbits for two months and provides valuable information about the density of the upper atmosphere. It also panics the United States into a space race that eventually culminates in the U.S. moon landing.

October 4

1970—Janis Joplin Overdoses

American blues singer Janis Joplin is found dead on the floor of her motel room in Los Angeles. The cause of death is determined to be an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol.

October 3

1908—Pravda Founded

The newspaper Pravda is founded by Leon Trotsky, Adolph Joffe, Matvey Skobelev and other Russian exiles living in Vienna. The name means “truth” and the paper serves as an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991.

October 3

1957—Ferlinghetti Wins Obscenity Case

An obscenity trial brought against Lawrence Ferlinghetti, owner of the counterculture City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, reaches its conclusion when Judge Clayton Horn rules that Allen Ginsberg’s poetry collection Howl is not obscene.

October 3

1995—Simpson Acquitted

After a long trial watched by millions of people worldwide, former football star O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Simpson subsequently loses a civil suit and is ordered to pay millions in damages.

October 2

1919—Wilson Suffers Stroke

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson suffers a massive stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed. He is confined to bed for weeks, but eventually resumes his duties, though his participation is little more than perfunctory. Wilson remains disabled throughout the remainder of his term in office, and the rest of his life.