As the stunning new restoration of Jean-Pierre Melville’s LE SAMOURAÏ (May 10-15) hits our screen, we had no choice as film fans but to offer a double bill with Jim Jarmusch’s Zen-cool New York City homage, set to an legendary score/soundtrack by co-star RZA and sporting its own beautiful new 4K transfer. (Individual showtimes below; Friday and Monday double feature passes also available.)

Jim Jarmusch combined his love for the ice-cool crime dramas of Jean-Pierre Melville and Seijun Suzuki with the philosophical dimensions of samurai mythology for an eccentrically postmodern take on the hit-man thriller. In one of his defining roles, Forest Whitaker brings a commanding serenity to his portrayal of a Zen contract killer working for a bumbling mob outfit, a modern man who adheres steadfastly to the ideals of the Japanese warrior code even as chaos and violence spiral around him. Featuring moody cinematography by the great Robby Müller, a sublime score by the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, and a host of colorful character actors (including a memorably stone-faced Henry Silva), GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI plays like a pop-culture-sampling cinematic mixtape built around a one-of-a-kind tragic hero. (Criterion Collection)

“An impeccably shot and sensationally scored deadpan parody of two current popular modes — the hit-man glorification saga and the Cosa Nostra family drama.” – Village Voice

Showtimes