Chances are, if youre the type of person who might go see Sword of the Stranger, youve not only already decided to go, but youve downloaded a fansub of this modern-day anime masterpiece and know every line . . . in Japanese.
For those who could care less that the film was created by Studio Bones, the same studio that brought us Cowboy Bebop: Knockin On Heavens Door and Rahxephon, consider the plot: Its the warring-states period in Japan, and the fate of one boy hangs in the balance between a nameless ex-samurai who has vowed never to take up his sword again and an assassin from the West just looking for a fight.
Check it out when the movie plays for one night only at at AMC Westgate 20, 9400 West Hanna Drive in Glendale, and five other Valley cinemas. The making-of featurette Sword of the Stranger Revealed: A Look Behind the Scenes, featuring the movies English voice actors, follows. For more info on additional screenings, see www.fathomevents.com.
Thu., Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m., 2009