All Xbox owners can play EA Sports FC 24 for free this weekend.
22.12.2023 - 19:57 / polygon.com / Zack Snyder / Pete Volk
There may not be a single movie more influential than Seven Samurai, and for good reason. Akira Kurosawa’s epic tale of a group of warriors hired by a village to protect them from bandits is so consequential in the history of global cinema that it’s impossible to fully track all the movies and shows that stem from it.
Often listed among the great action movies of all time, Seven Samurai transcends even that lofty honor through Kurosawa’s care for the people in the story as well as his great technical skill. Even with all the imitators that have followed, it is a singular film. If you have never seen it, run, don’t walk, to Max or the Criterion Channel before pressing on any further here — you owe it to yourself.
There are plenty of movies that have pretty directly followed Seven Samurai’s set-up of “a ragtag group of adventurers become the unlikely heroes for a small community.” But even more have taken pieces of that — especially the idea of seeing the formation of an unlikely team — and ran with it in all sorts of directions.
Zack Snyder’s latest movie, Rebel Moon: Part One — A Child of Fire, was originally going to be a Kurosawa-inspired Star Wars movie (the original Star Wars movies are also very Kurosawa-inspired, but we get what he means). Rebel Moon is very specifically another Seven Samurai-like, as a group of warriors from across the galaxy are recruited to protect a moon colony from an oppressive military.
Whether you’re planning on watching the PG-rated cut released on Netflix this weekend or waiting for the R-rated version due out in 2024, here are seven more “Seven Samurai” stories to follow up Rebel Moon with.
Where to watch: MGM Plus, free with a library card on Kanopy and Hoopla, free with ads on Tubi, The Roku Channel, and Pluto TV
The star-studded 2016 version is fun, too, but any self-respecting “Seven Samurai movies” list has to start with this direct Hollywood remake of Kurosawa’s film. Seven Samurai was deeply influenced by Hollywood Westerns, so it only makes sense that the relationship would be reciprocal with this remake (which Kurosawa loved so much, he gave director John Sturges a samurai sword). —Pete Volk
Where to watch: Free with ads on Tubi, Vudu, Crackle, and Plex
Let me get one thing out of the way: There are way more than seven swords in this movie. Tsui Hark’s wuxia spin on the Seven Samurai-like is adapted from a book, but the influence of Kurosawa’s masterpiece is clear. A balletic wuxia with graphic violence from one of Hong Kong’s great underrated directors, if you ever wished the seven samurai had magic swords (and don’t mind if the story is a bit hard to follow), this one is for you. —PV
Where to watch: Crunchyroll or for digital purchase
If you’ve ever
All Xbox owners can play EA Sports FC 24 for free this weekend.
AMD's last generation of desktop CPU socket, AM4, first appeared in September 2016 and most of us assumed that once the current AM5 hit the market, there would be no further CPUs released for the old socket. That's definitely not the case and in this year's CES event, AMD has announced four more AM4 processors: the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, Ryzen 7 5700, Ryzen 5 5600GT and 5500GT.
The big festivals in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful happen every so often as you play through the game. Unlike other farming simulators, such as Stardew Valley, these festivals do not have notable dates and times within the game. They don’t happen at specific times, but these are important events that you do not want to miss in the game.
In the picturesque Forgotten Valley in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful, love is in the air. While the player’s character is the only one who can get married, several potential couples in the game share a special bond.
Players will have secrets to unlock when upgrading their tools in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. Each tool obtained at the start of the game has unusual potential, if the correct steps are taken to unlock them.
While most farming sims require social presents, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life takes gift-giving to a whole new level. Players will find the usual need to offer potential love interests desired tokens, but this same attention is needed for every NPC in the game, otherwise they will miss out on important items and moments locked behind friendship levels.
Activision-Blizzard's transfer over to the growing empire of Microsoft has been a bit of a drama, to say the least—but it's all over now, its curtains called with the departure of the company's former CEO Bobby Kotick, exiting stage right.
The Story Of Park’s Marriage Contract episode 11 was scheduled to air on MBC on Friday, December 29, 2023. However, the network recently announced that the release date has been postponed.
The have been revealed for Zack Snyder’s space opera movie.
The first trailer for Rebel Moon: The Scargiver quietly dropped on Christmas Day, but even with 1 million views and counting, it’s unclear if Netflix got a prized gift in its stocking or lump of coal.
Escape from Tarkov's latest patch has arrived, and it's absolutely packed with new features, fixes, and even a new beginner-friendly map, making it one of the biggest updates the game has seen in its seven-year history.
Happy December, Polygon readers! It’s the last weekend before the Christmas holiday, and we’ve got a whole sack full of exciting new releases on streaming and VOD for you!