Japanese cult cinema thread

[HungFist]

Toei July is a pinky violence month

やさぐれ姐御伝　総括リンチ (Yasagure anego den: sōkatsu rinchi) (Female Yakuza Tale) (1973)
Director: Teruo Ishii
Cast: Reiko Ike, Meika Seri, Emi Jo, Ryohei Uchida, Tooru Abe

前科おんな　殺し節 (Zenka onna: koroshi-bushi) (Criminal Woman: Killing Melody) (1973)
Director: Atsushi Mihori
Cast: Reiko Ike, Miki Sugimoto, Yumiko Katayama, Shinzo Hotta, Takeo Chii

番格ロック (Bankaku rokku) (1973)
Director: Makoto Naito
Cast: Emiko Yamauchi, Naoya Makoto, Hideo Murota, Takashi Shikauchi and Yumiko Katayama



Below is a bit more of Bankaku rock

番格ロック (Bankaku rokku) (1973)

http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1973/cw002930.htm
http://www.walkerplus.com/movie/kinejun ... h&id=19979
http://blog.livedoor.jp/n_tko/archives/50829156.html
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/langberg/e/60e24c ... 93b92cf478

[Gaijin84]

Bankaku rokku looks very cool!

[HungFist]

Bankaku rokku looks very cool!

Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe9ga0BYyEQ

[HungFist]

Toho is releasing more 1970's action films on dvd

March 18th

Yaju gari (野獣狩り) (1973)
Director: Eizo Sugawa
Cast: Junzaburou Ban, Hiroshi Fujioka, Yumi Nagasama
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=144554
- http://fab4.at.webry.info/200804/article_2.html

Ogon no paatonaa (黄金のパートナー) (1979)
Director: Kiyoshi Nishimura
Cast: Tomokaz Miura, Tatsuya Fuji, Misako Konno
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=146689
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196809/



Toho's official sub-sites for the releases:
http://www.toho-a-park.com/newaction/ya ... index.html
http://www.toho-a-park.com/newaction/ougon/index.html



Yaju gari was previously featured on one of Hotwax's soundtrack collections, 野獣死すべし-復讐のメカニック、野獣狩り.



April 22nd

Gokiburi deka (ゴキブリ刑事)　(1973)
Director: Tsugunobu Kotani
Cast: Tetsuya Watari, Takeo Chii, Eiji Go, Mariko Kaga
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322432/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=144385
- http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~viva_42/gokiburi.html

Za gokiburi (ザ・ゴキブリ) (1973)
Director: Tsugunobu Kotani
Cast: Tetsuya Watari, Tetsuro Tanba, Michiko Honda
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0324645/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=144573



Toho's official sub-sites for these releases:
http://www.toho-a-park.com/newaction/deka/index.html
http://www.toho-a-park.com/newaction/go ... index.html



Toho's New Action DVD series subsite:
http://www.toho-a-park.com/newaction/index.html

[Gaijin84]

Bankaku rokku looks very cool!

Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe9ga0BYyEQ

Now it looks even cooler!

[Japanflix]

Thank you for all the great posters. A true feast for the eyes!

[HungFist]

Toei has announced their June Low Priced Batch

The first 6 Abashiri Prison films (all directed by Teruo Ishii)
Abashiri Prison (Abashiri bangaichi) (網走番外地) (1965)
Abashiri Prison 2 (Zoku Abashiri bangaichi) (続網走番外地) (1965)
Abashiri Prison 3 (Abashiri bangaichi: Boukyu hen) (網走番外地　望郷篇) (1965)
Abashiri Prison 4 (Abashiri bangaichi: Hokkai hen) 網走番外地　北海篇)
Abashiri Prison 5 (Abashiri bangaichi: Arano no taiketsu) (網走番外地　荒野の対決9 (1966)
Abashiri Prison 6 (Abashiri bangaichi:Nangoku no taiketsu) 網走番外地　南国の対決 (1966)

The Kyoudai jingi series (note: not in chronological order)
兄弟仁義 (1966) (Kosaku Yamashita)
兄弟仁義　関東三兄弟 (1966) (Kosaku Yamashita)
兄弟仁義　関東命知らず (1967) (Kosaku Yamashita)
兄弟仁義　続・関東三兄弟 (1967) (Kosaku Yamashita)
兄弟仁義　関東兄貴分 (1967) (Sadao Nakajima)
兄弟仁義　逆縁の盃 (1968) (Norifumi Suzuki)
新兄弟仁義 (Kiyoshi Saeki) (1970)
関東兄弟仁義　任侠 (1971) (Buichi Saito)

Ghost stories
Kaidan Oiwa No Borei (怪談 お岩の亡霊) (1961) (Tai Kato)
Snake Woman's Curse (Kaidan hebi onna) 怪談 蛇女 (1968) (Nobuo Nakagawa)
Kaibyo noroi no numa (怪猫 呪いの沼) (1968) (Yoshihiro Ishikawa)
Inugami no tatari (犬神の悪霊) (1977) (Shunya Ito)

Teruo Ishii pinky violence & female punishment flicks
History of the Shogun's Harem (Tokugawa onna keizu) (徳川女系図) (1968)
Joy of Torture, The (Tokugawa onna keibatsu-shi) (徳川女刑罰史) (1968)
Inferno of Torture (Tokugawa irezumi-shi: Seme jigoku) (徳川いれずみ師　責め地獄) (1969)
Love & Crime (Menji, taisho, showa ryoki onna hanzaishi) (明治・大正・昭和　猟奇女犯罪史) (1969)
Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (Porno Jidaigeki – Bohachi Bushido (ポルノ時代劇　忘八武士道) (1973)

Other pink and pinky violence films
Lustful Shogun and His 21 Mistresses (Ero shogun to 21 nin no aishin) (エロ将軍と二十一人の愛妾) (1972) (Norifumi Suzuki)
Tokugawa Sex Ban: Lustful Lord (Tokugawa sekkusu kinshi-rei: shikijô daimyô) (徳川セックス禁止令　色情大名) (1972) (Norifumi Suzuki)
Sex & Fury (Furyo anego den: Inoshika Ocho) (不良姐御伝　猪の鹿お蝶) (1973) (Norifumi Suzuki)
Story of a Nymphomaniac (Kôshoku: Genroku (maruhi) monogatari) (好色元禄（秘）物語) (1975) (Ikuo Sekimoto)
The General and His Decadent Society (Ooku ukiyoburo) (大奥浮世風呂) (1977) (Ikuo Sekimoto)
Dolls of the Shogun's Harem (Ooku jyuhakkei) (大奥十八景) (1986) (Norifumi Suzuki)

The Delinquent Girl Boss series (all directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi)
Delinquent Girl Boss: Blossoming Night Dreams (Zubeko bancho: yume wa yoru hiraku) (ずべ公番長　夢は夜ひらく) (1970)
Delinquent Girl Boss: Tokyo Drifters (Zubekô banchô: Tôkyô nagaremono) (ずべ公番長　東京流れ者) (1970)
Delinquent Girl Boss: Ballad of Yokohama Hoods (Zubekô banchô: Hamagure kazoe uta) (ずべ公番長　はまぐれ数え唄) (1971)
Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless to Confess (Zubeko bancho: zange no neuchi mo nai) (ずべ公番長　ざんげの値打ちもない) (1971)

GMen '75 Collections
ＧＭＥＮ’７５　BEST SELECT　Vol.1
ＧＭＥＮ’７５　BEST SELECT　Vol.2
ＧＭＥＮ’７５　BEST SELECT　Vol.3
ＧＭＥＮ’７５　BEST SELECT　Vol.4

+ a handful of 90's and 2000's titles that I didn't bother to list





I stole quite a few posters from this excellent site: http://www.videx.jp/

I'm glad Toei is low pricing only the first six Abashiri's this time. I have the first two, and will now try to pick up the next four. I couldn't possibly have afforded all of them at once. Also interested in Kyoudai jingi if I have any money left over. Thankfully I own a lot of the other titles already.

[Marshall]

Speaking of pinky horror, did anyone ever release Kazuhiko Yamaguchi's 1975 were-cat prostitute movie MYSTERIOUS CAT & TURKISH BATH? (I've seen the Japanese title listed as KAIBYO TURKO BURO, but I'm not sure that's even possible phonetically in Japanese.)

Edit: I guess it is.

http://movie.douban.com/subject/4123865

[HungFist]

Just taking a quick look, I don't think it's ever been released in home video format. Not on dvd for sure, but I don't think it ever came out on VHS either. It's a Toei film, so if it does come out on dvd some day, I won't miss it.

[HungFist]

Red Army/PFLP: Declaration of World War (Sekigun-P.F.L.P: Sekai sensô sengen) (1971)

“This is a news film for the construction of the world Red Army.”

Koji Wakamatsu and Masao Adachi were among the most important political filmmakers in Japan in the 1960’s. The duo regularly “disguised” their works as pink cinema, but that didn’t keep the audiences from finding them, not to mention a whole generation of future filmmakers who were inspired by their film radicalism.

Wakamatsu (Go, Go, Second Time Virgin, 1969) was on his way back from the Cannes Film Festival when his screenwriter partner and director Masao Adachi (Gushing Prayer, 1971) suggested they would do something different. Wakamatsu, somewhat tired of working in the pink genre by then, agreed. The two men found themselves in Palestine, shooting a “news film” of PFLP (The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) for the Japanese extreme leftist group The Red Army. Wakamatsu himself was closely connected to some members, and also directed a film (United Red Army, 2007) of the movement almost three decades later.

Red Army/PFLP: Declaration of World War is not a documentary in the purest sense, but more of a propaganda film. Its message, directly encouraging the Japanese“comrades” to violence and taking up arms, would be quite disturbing if not seen from today’s point of view – that is, 40 years after the film was made. But then again, the world hasn’t changed all that much since then. The film got Wakamatsu on USA’s black list – up till today, he’s never been allowed to set his foot on American soil. While beyond ridiculous today, it was a very understandable decision at the time of the film’s release.

As a movie, Red Army/PFLP isn’t all that special. The majority of the film consists of propaganda speeches, typically accompanied by images of the Palestinian countryside. Wakamatsu and Adachi have, however, also captured interesting material of PFLP fighters. The value of this footage is not to be underestimated. The film was intended for native Japanese speakers, although subtitled versions were also created for foreign markets. In this case, however, dubbing would have been preferable. In subtitled form the heavy monologue floods easily distract from visual offering.

DVD

The R2J is out of print but can still be found for reasonable prices from second had stores. Barebones disc, but there is a thick booklet included. I'd take a photo but I forgot it home. I'll try to remember to edit a photo in here some day.

[thelostdragon]

Interesting to see a Japanese filmmakers' interest in the topic of this part of the world.

[HungFist]

Updated this year's Toei posts with cover arts. Here are bigger versions of some of the most beautiful.

[HungFist]

Toei has created a website for their low priced batch:
http://www.toei-video.co.jp/priceoff10th/index.html

Notice that the price has been lowered from 3150 (3000 without taxes) to 2940 (2800 without takes)

Toei August is a Shunya Ito month

Hana ichimonme (花いちもんめ) (1985)
Cast: Yukiyo Toake, Minoru Chiaki, Teruhiko Saigo
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202892/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=784398

Hanazono no meikyu (花園の迷宮) (1988)
Cast: Youki Kudoh, Yûya Uchida, Yoko Shimada
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154756/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=784399

Pride: Unmei no toki (プライド　運命の瞬間) (1998)
Cast: Masahiko Tsugawa, Scott Wilson, Eiji Okuda
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162563/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=784400



Toei September is a Sadao Nakajima month

Bakamasa horamasa toppamasa (バカ政ホラ政トッパ政) (1976)
Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Mitsuko Baisho, Casey Takamine
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=790336
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144092/

Saraba, wagatomo: Jitsuroku ô-mono shikeishûtachi (さらば、わが友　実録大物死刑囚たち) (1980)
Cast: Kinya Aikawa, Tsutomu Isobe, Hideo Murota
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=790337
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360955/

Seburi monogatari (瀬降り物語) (1985)
Cast: Ken'ichi Hagiwara, Yumiko Fujita, Hideo Murota
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=790338
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124113/

[HungFist]

For fans of late Teruo Ishii:


Release date: 2011/06/24

This is a documentary about Ishii and the making of his last film, Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf, which was made largely with the help of film students and devoted Ishii fans. The documentary was originally released in 2006.

More info (japanese): http://www.minipara.com/movies2006-3rd/ishi/
Review (english): http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ ... 818a3.html

[HungFist]

Random awesome news part MK:
"Kaji Meiko just released a new album where she sings the Truck Yaro theme! http://bit.ly/iZQ5OJ"
- http://twitter.com/#!/ryuganji

She's also in Toei News, as in in October they will release the two Wandering Ginza Butterly films, already out on DVD in the US by Synapse. I wonder if their sales are hurt by imports by now. I've actually seen Synapse's (Toei film) dvds on sale in HMV in Japan. Horrors of Malformed Men was there at least, something else too but can't remember what...

[HungFist]

番格ロック (Bankaku rokku) (1973)
Director: Makoto Naito
Cast: Emiko Yamauchi, Naoya Makoto, Hideo Murota, Takashi Shikauchi and Yumiko Katayama

Crap. It looks like Toei has cancelled this release. Maybe soundtrack copyright issues???

[Marshall]

That is a crushing disappointment. Hopefully it's not due to lack of decent elements.

[HungFist]

Toei November is a Dirty Nakajima month. The first two are listed as documentary films!

Nippon '69 sekkusu ryoki chitai (にっぽん'６９　セックス猟奇地帯) (1969)
Director: Sadao Nakajima

Sex Document: sei tousaku no seikai (セックスドキュメント　性倒錯の世界)
Director: Sadao Nakajima

Kyoi no dokumento: Nippon yokujo monogatari (Pilgrimage to Japanese Baths) (驚異のドキュメント　日本浴場物語) (1971)
Director: Sadao Nakajima
Cast: Ichiro Araki

[gerira]

Found a poster of
Sex Document: sei tousaku no seikai (セックスドキュメント　性倒錯の世界)

[HungFist]

Toei November is a Dirty Nakajima month. The first two are listed as documentary films!

Nippon '69 sekkusu ryoki chitai (にっぽん'６９　セックス猟奇地帯) (1969)
Director: Sadao Nakajima

Sex Document: sei tousaku no seikai (セックスドキュメント　性倒錯の世界)
Director: Sadao Nakajima

Kyoi no dokumento: Nippon yokujo monogatari (Pilgrimage to Japanese Baths) (驚異のドキュメント　日本浴場物語) (1971)
Director: Sadao Nakajima
Cast: Ichiro Araki

[kemushi]

I take it these are the Japanese answer to Germany's SCHULMÄCHEN REPORTs? Or would they be "real" documentaries more along the lines of the "Mondo" flicks?

[HungFist]

To celebrate Nikkatsu's 100th anniversary, there will be affordably priced (1,890 yen) HD Remastered editions of various Nikkatsu films. Some of them are re-releases, while other are making their DVD debut. Announced so far:

2011/10/04
Juvelile Jungle (狂った果実) (1956)
The Burmese Harp (ビルマの竪琴) (1956)
The Left Hand of Jiro (赤い波止場) (1958)
The Tokyo Night Guy (東京の暴れん坊) (1960)
Danger Paws (危いことなら銭になる) (1962)
Love Comes with Youth (伊豆の踊子) (1963)
Gazing at Love and Death (愛と死をみつめて) (1964)
Only on Mondays (月曜日のユカ) (1964)
The Black Gambler (黒い賭博師) (1965)
Branded to Kill (殺しの烙印) (1967)

2011/11/02
Season of the Sun (太陽の季節) (1956)
Suzaki Paradise Red Light (洲崎パラダイス　赤信号) (1956)
The Stormy Man (嵐を呼ぶ男) (1957)
The Rambling Guitarist (ギターを持った渡り鳥) (1959)
A Killer without a Grave (紅の拳銃) (1961)
I Hate but Love (憎いあンちくしょう) (1962)
Behind the Green Hills (青い山脈) (1963)
Youth of the Beast (野獣の青春) (1963)
Monument to the Girl's Corps (あゝひめゆりの塔) (1968)
Wet Sand in August (八月の濡れた砂) (1971)

[HungFist]

Toei 2011/11/01 Low Priced Batch. The prices will be 2,800 / 2,940. As usual, I've left out recent films (like Battle Royale).

Nihon senbotsu gakusei shuki, kike wadatsumi no koe: 日本戦歿学生の手記　きけ、わだつみの声 (1950)
Himeyuri no tou (ひめゆりの塔) (1953)
Chushingura: ouka no maki, kikka no maki (忠臣蔵　櫻花の巻･菊花の巻) (1959)
Mabuta no haha (瞼の母) (1962)
Jinsei gekijo: hisha kaku (人生劇場　飛車角) (1963)
Seki no yatappe (関の彌太ッペ) (1963)
Gobanchô yûgirirô (五番町夕霧楼) (1963)
13 Assassins (十三人の刺客)(1963)
Nihon kyokaku-den (日本侠客伝) (1964)
Echigo tsutsuishi oyashirazu (越後つついし親不知) (1964)

A Fugitive from the Past (飢餓海峡)(1965)
Ô-oku maruhi monogatari (大奥（秘）物語) (1967)
Delinquent Boss (Furyo bancho) (不良番長) (1968)
Jinsei-gekijô: Hishakaku to kiratsune　(人生劇場　飛車角と吉良常) (1968)
Big Time Gambling Boss (Bakuchi-uchi: socho tobaku) (博奕打ち　総長賭博) (1968)
Red Peony Gambler 6: Oryu Returns (緋牡丹博徒　お竜参上) (1970)
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 7 (Shôwa zankyô-den: Shinde moraimasu) (昭和残侠伝　死んで貰います) (1970)
Sukeban Blues: Queen Bee’s Counter Attack (女番長ブルース　牝蜂の逆襲) (1971)
Sukeban Blues: Queen Bee’s Challenge (女番長ブルース　牝蜂の挑戦) (1972)
Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion (女囚７０１号　さそり) (1972)

Outlaw Killers: Three Maddog Brother (人斬り与太　狂犬三兄弟) (1972)
Battles without Honor and Humanity (仁義なき戦い) (1973)
Battles without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Battle in Hiroshima (仁義なき戦い　広島死闘篇) (1973)
Battles without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War (仁義なき戦い　代理戦争) (1973)
Battles without Honor and Humanity: Police Tactics (仁義なき戦い　頂上作戦) (1974)
Battles without Honor and Humanity: Final Chapter (仁義なき戦い　完結篇) (1974)
Graveyard of Honor (仁義の墓場)(1975)
The Bullet Train (新幹線大爆破) (1975)
Truck Yarou: Otoko ippiki Momojiro (トラック野郎　男一匹桃次郎) (1977)
Shogun's Samurai (柳生一族の陰謀) (1978)

Fuyu no hana (冬の華) (1978)
The Most Dangerous Game (Mottomo kiken na yuugi) (最も危険な遊戯) (1978)
203 kochi (二百三高地) (1980)
Samurai Reincarnation (Makai tenshô) (魔界転生) (1981)
Roaring Fire (Hoero tekken) (吼えろ鉄拳) (1981)
Kamikaze Adventurers (Bôkensha kamikaze) (冒険者カミカゼ) (1981)
The Blazing Valiant (More yusha) (燃える勇者) (1981)
Dai Nippon teikoku (大日本帝国) (1982)
Onimasa / Kiryûin Hanako no shôgai (鬼龍院花子の生涯) (1982)
Manji (卍（まんじ）) (1983)

The Ballad of Narayama (楢山節考) (1983)
Nihonkai daikaisen: Umi yukaba (日本海大海戦　海ゆかば) (1983)
Hakujasho (白蛇抄) (1983)
Kûkai (空海) (1984)
Fireflies of the North (北の螢) (1984)
Keshin (化身) (1986)
Wakarenu riyû (別れぬ理由) (1987)
Yoshiwara enjou (吉原炎上) (1987)
Orugoru (オルゴール) (1989)
Shin gokudo no onnatachi (新・極道の妻（おんな）たち) (1991)

Shin gokudo no onnatachi: Kakugoshiiya 新・極道の妻（おんな）たち　覚悟しいや (1993)
Shin gokudo no onnatachi: Horetara jigoku (新・極道の妻（おんな）たち　惚れたら地獄 ) (1994)

[Mecha]

Do you know if 懲役十八年 (Chôeki Jû Hachi Nen - Sentenced to 18 Years) by Tai Kato with Noboru Ando is scheduled on dvd one of these days ?

[HungFist]

Welcome Mecha.

It's not coming out this year at least. I'm keeping an eye on Toei releases, so if they do release it some day, I'll post the news in this thread.