Movie review: "Sukiyaki Western Django" (2007)

The gist: Japanese director Takashi Miike's take on the Italian take on the Yank western. Don't stop me, even though you've heard this plot before... A Wild West town has become the battlefield for two gangs, then an ace gunslinger arrives and refuses to pick a side.

Selling points: Sheer strangeness as cowboy cliches and samurai tradition collide in a vibrant bloodbath. Having the entire Japanese cast speak in English adds to the "What the...?" factor and almost feels like dubbing. Film geeks will be abuzz about Tarantino's role – but if his performance was a sandwich, the filling would be ham'n'cheese.

It's kinda like: Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo", Sergio Corbucci's "Django" and various westerns, both spaghetti and Hollywood. That said, it's uniquely bizarre – in one scene, the background looks like a Hokusai print of Mt Fuji; in another, the hero's quoting John Wayne.

Final word: The Wilder East.

[Australian DVD release date: October 16]