Zatoichi is the original 60's anti-hero, a blind masseur who happens to be one hell of a swordsman. Over the course of 26 films and 100 TV episodes, all starring Shintaro Katsu, Zatoichi captured the hearts and minds of angry people all over the world, and while he's not quite as well-known as James Bond, he's much cooler.   To celebrate the release of Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi (2003) and the upcoming release of the Zatoichi back catalogue on DVD by Home Vision Entertainment, we're unleashing three of the classic Zatoichi films at the Anthology Film Archives during the NYAFF. (ALL SHOWS $5.00!).

ZATOICHI 3: NEW TALE OF ZATOICHI (Japan, 1963)
91 minutes, 35mm, in Japanese with English subtitles
Directed by: Tokuzo Tanaka
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Meiko Kondo, Mikiko Tsubouchi
Showtimes: SAT June 19 - 2:00pm; SAT June 26 - 4:30pm [BUY TICKETS]
Thomas Wolfe said it first, but Zatoichi says it with steel: "You can't go home again." Returning to his hometown (always a big mistake) Zatoichi finds that his former teacher has been renting out his swordplay skills to a gang of kidnappers. Bummer. Mass blood-letting ensues.

ZATOICHI 4: THE FUGITIVE (Japan, 1963)
86 minutes, 35mm, in Japanese with English subtitles
Directed by: Tokuzo Tanaka
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Miwa Takada, Toru Abe
Showtimes: SUN June 20 - 2:00pm; SAT June 26 - 6:30pm [BUY TICKETS]
What's worse than having a price put on your head? Not much. Under the baking summer sun, Zatoichi arrives in a village to find that the locals don't want relief from spinal tension, they want to cut off his head. They conspire against him in secret before unleashing a super ronin (masterless samurai) to perform the necessary hack work.

ZATOICHI 5: ON THE ROAD (Japan, 1963)
87 minutes, 35mm, in Japanese with English subtitles
Directed by: Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Reiko Fujiwara, Shiho Fujimura
Showtimes: SAT June 26 - 8:30pm; SUN June 27 - 4:30pm [BUY TICKETS]
Zatoichi saves a rape victim and agrees to help her return to her family ­ which means he suddenly has to face off with two rival gangs and the local lord. Oops. She falls for the sightless hero, but Zatoichi knows that loving him is too dangerous for any one woman. Then he kills a lot of people to prove his point.