September 2023. Finally! One of the absolute best!
Details
4K restoration / 1080p presentation
Japanese 2.0 mono
English subtitles
Extras:
Audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan
Sex + Violence = Pinky Violence: TokyoScope author Patrick Macias on Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs
Image Gallery
Full color booklet with brand new essay by Chris D., author of Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film - limited edition only
Limited slipcover with artwork by Justin Coffee - limited edition only
Reversible Blu-ray wrap with alternate artwork
Limited to 1500 copies
Region A
I forgot to share this before, but the rest of the Terrifying Girls' High School films have been licensed to the US:
"I asked about the other Terrifying Girls High School movies recently and they have all been licensed for the US. So coming from someone. Just not us, lol.
If all goes well, there will be another pinky violence film from NEV next year, and a sort of pinky violence-adjacent movie, plus the wildest of all 70s yakuza movies. "
With this bit of info, and Film Movement having Red Peony Gambler 2, it seems the licensing issue with Suzuki films (Jared mentioned before that Suzuki's Toei films were not available for licensing, which was also obvious from the fact that not a single Toei Suzuki film has been released on BD outside of Japan despite dozens of them having HD masters available) has been resolved!
I forgot to mention this earlier, but Female Yakuza Convict (女囚やくざ ) (1974) has finally been unearthed and is airing in HD on Toei Channel this week!
- https://www.toeich.jp/program/1TT000003569/202310
Excellent news and encouraging to see that Toei's not done digging into their vaults for films previously unavailable on home video. Gives me hope I'll get to watch 下苅り半次郎 (秘)観音を探せ eventually. Between this and Nikkatsu's Sex Rider sequel, October is turning into a great month for "missing" films.
Guro Taku wrote: 05 Oct 2023, 22:17
Excellent news and encouraging to see that Toei's not done digging into their vaults for films previously unavailable on home video. Gives me hope I'll get to watch 下苅り半次郎 (秘)観音を探せ eventually. Between this and Nikkatsu's Sex Rider sequel, October is turning into a great month for "missing" films.
An expensive month, haha. I had to subscribe to Eigeki for Sex Rider alone, and Star Channel for their Mari Atsumi films (airing since last month actually, but I'm a month late). https://www.star-ch.jp/channel/data.php ... =&search=1
Female Convict Yakuza (女囚やくざ) (Japan, 1974) [TV] – 3.5/5
Reiko Ike made her final delinquent girl appearance in this atmospheric crime drama released in the waning days of Pinky Violence (*). The general impression at the time was that Ike was getting a bit old for delinquent girl roles, which is probably why she’s taking a back seat role here to pass the torch. Yuko Horikoshi and Tsunehiko Watase play bank robbers who are thrown in jail (not actual prison) where they meet Ike. She plans their escape in hopes of getting her hands on the stolen money which is being held by additional members of the gang Teppei Nagahama and (cute & subtly spunky) Kyoko Naito who are in the hiding. The police, a jealous accomplice from the bank, and a small yakuza gang lead by Harumi Sone are also after the money. This film was intended as the first in a new series (as confirmed by the trailer) that never materialized beyond the opening picture, which is a bit of a shame. Though the film is low key, low budget and largely void of the adrenaline rush found in the best Pinky Violence films, it works quite well as an atmospheric crime drama following a group of social outcasts hiding from the police. The group dynamic comes through well and Ike in particular is surprisingly good in a role that mainly involves her hanging out bored in the background. Lead Horikoshi on the other hand is a bit of a flop with a bland presence that led to no further starring roles (holding on to her robes probably didn’t increase her market value either). Things didn’t work out any better for Masahide Shinozuka, a long time assistant director helming his first and last own picture here.
* The golden age of Pinky Violence came to a rapid end in early 1974 when karate movies replaced them as Toei’s most popular B-films in theatrical double bills. Premiering on March 1, 1974, one month after The Street Fighter had initiated the domestic karate film boom, Female Convict Yakuza perhaps never stood much of a chance at the box office.
Additional note: though the film’s kanji title is Joshu yakuza (Female Convict Yakuza), the furigana reads Suke yakuza (Girl Yakuza).
This movie has the power to change a person's life! I first saw it as a teenager when Panic House put it out on DVD. Mind blown! I've spent every year since then tracking down Pinky Violence films and trying to see every film Ike ever did. Took me till 2023 to complete that quest.
It's a gorgeously shot film with one of the most beautifully choreographed action scenes in the history of cinema. No kidding! Admittedly the plot can get a bit convoluted at times and they could have exploited the political aspects of the storyline more than they did.
Suzuki wrote in his book that one of his main motivations for doing the film was the opportunity to make Meiji Era story and utilize Toei's left-over assets from period films.
“Once Battles without Honour and Humanity turned into a series, in-period ninkyo films disappeared and all productions lines started putting out modern day films. The Kyoto studios however still had plenty of heritage from the [ninkyo] yakuza film era. There were Meiji era town sets, costumes, art and props, the Toei Tsurugikai [action] unit specializing in chambara sword fights, and an army of villain actors. It was a treasure trove of valuable assets.”
Sex and Fury was produced as the B-film companion for The Viper Brothers: Jail-Living for 4 1/2 Years (まむしの兄弟 刑務所暮し四年半) which was the A-movie.
[Image: newspaper ad for Toei’s The Viper Brothers: Jail-Living for 4 1/2 Years & Sex and Fury double feature which opened Feb. 17, 1973]
The last time I viewed this was in 2018, from a 35mm print (a double feature with Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs). Can't wait to watch this again!
Guro Taku wrote: 09 Jan 2024, 19:10
Any idea how "brand new" that HD transfer really is? Surely this aired on the Toei Channel in HD years ago?
I was wondering about the same thing.
Sex and Fury has not been on Toei Channel for years, certainly not in the past three years when I've had Toei Channel in my house (before that I had it at my future wife's house, with her mom being in charge of the recordings lol). I thought they didn't have Sex and Fury in HD, but someone online apparently has an older Toei Channel HD recording, and I did manage confirm that the film aired in 2018 at least.
Speaking of "new", Eureka advertise their Sonny Chiba releases as having "new restorations", but some of those masters have been airing on Toei Channel since 2016, not to mention released on BD in the US by Shout. I guess "new" simply means "new to this market".
On a slightly related topic, I've updated my old Zero Woman comparison: viewtopic.php?t=6892
This came a bit out nowhere. Best Field will be releasing Makoto Naito's Neon Jellyfish (ネオンくらげ) (1973) and Kazuhiko Yamaguchi's Neon Jellyfish: Shinjuku Flower Streetcar (ネオンくらげ 新宿花電車) (1973) on Japanese DVD 2024/04/10
These two have been extremely hard to see as there are no earlier video releases, no recent TV broadcastings, and no internet streams. I actually travelled to Tokyo just last month to view Shinjuku Flower Streetcar in 35mm. Chris D has also seen that film, which means it probably has been on TV at some point.
HungFist wrote: 10 Jan 2024, 03:51I thought they didn't have Sex and Fury in HD, but someone online apparently has an older Toei Channel HD recording, and I did manage confirm that the film aired in 2018 at least.
Speaking of "new", Eureka advertise their Sonny Chiba releases as having "new restorations", but some of those masters have been airing on Toei Channel since 2016, not to mention released on BD in the US by Shout. I guess "new" simply means "new to this market".
That's what I figured and I must say I find it quite annoying. If it wasn't done in the last 12 months I don't think anyone has the right to claim it's a brand new transfer without it becoming false advertising. Some boutique labels have started to put the year when the transfer was done next to their claims of it being "brand new" and I appreciate that. Otherwise just say "HD transfer provided by Toei" or something that's actually true.
That having been said, I'm very happy that Toei's old HD transfer of this film is getting an official BD release. I'm sure it'll be an upgrade from my DVD copy.
HungFist wrote: 10 Jan 2024, 11:25
This came a bit out nowhere. Best Field will be releasing Makoto Naito's Neon Jellyfish (ネオンくらげ) (1973) and Kazuhiko Yamaguchi's Neon Jellyfish: Shinjuku Flower Streetcar (ネオンくらげ 新宿花電車) (1973) on Japanese DVD 2024/04/10
DVD art is up at Amazon. HD masters! Great! Hopefully on Toei Channel later this year!
Mondo Macabro will release Teruo Ishii's BOHACHI BUSHIDO: CODE OF THE FORGOTTEN EIGHT as a 4K UHD/BD combo in October. Supposedly they are working on new extras too.
Ishii's best film in my opinion. Should look spectacular.
More Toei from Mondo Macabro, available on their website August 29th:
Region A locked
Japanese language with optional English subtitles
New 2K restoration from film negative
Interview with film critic and historian Koshi Ueno
Audio commentary by Japanese film expert Jasper Sharp
Theatrical trailer
I forgot to post the news before, but Mondo Macabro's Bohachi Bushido UHD/BD combo LE is still available for pre-order (expected to ship in January) but probably not for long. A week ago it was 77% sold out.
The legendary actor Tetsuro Tanba stars as Shiro, a master swordsman who is weary of the world of samurai honor and samurai killing, and so attempts suicide rather than finishing a fight. He is saved by the Bohachi clan, a gang of pimps who have forsaken all honor and whose cynicism outruns even his own. But ultimately, he even tires of their nihilistic worldview, leading to a final showdown in the snow ...
Full of flying limbs, naked lady ninjas, drug-induced hallucinations, and cackling villains, BOHACHI BUSHIDO is one of director Ishii's most deranged and impressive spectacles. We are extremely excited to bring you the world HD disc debut of this incredible cult film in a brand new exclusive 4K restoration.
FEATURES
Brand new 4K restoration from the original negative
UHD/BD combo
Blu-ray disc is region A locked (UHD is natively region free)
UHD is HDR-enhanced
Audio commentary by Japanese film expert and author Tom Mes
Archive audio commentary from film makers J-Taro Sugisaku and Takao Nakano
Interview with Shinya Tsukamoto about the film and the career of Teruo Ishii
Archival interview with actress Yuriko Hishimi
Archival interview with J-Taro Sugisaku
Trailer
LIMITED EDITION FEATURES
2-disc UHD/BD combo; exclusive slipcover featuring new art by Justin Coffee; reversible inner sleeve with new art by Justin Coffee on the A side and original ad art on the B; booklet with new writing on the film by Japanese film expert Mark Schilling; 2000 numbered copies (NOTE: numbers will be sent out randomly)
88 Films announced Teruo Ishii's Love and Crime (1969)
Release date: 21st Jan, 2025
Japan's legendary "King of Cult" Teruo Ishii (Horrors of Malformed Men, Shogun's Joy of Torture) delivers four dramatized tales of real-life crimes of passion involving women across the ages in this grotesque anthology featuring the stories of the "Hotel Nihonkaku Murders", the notorious "poison wife" and last woman in Japan to be executed by beheading, Oden Takahashi, the brutal serial killer Yoshio Kodaira and the story of Sada Abe, the infamous castratice featured in Nagisa Oshima's In the Realm of the Senses. 88 Films is proud to present this unflinching look at female pathology drawn from Japan's criminal casebooks for the very first time outside Japan.
Bonus Materials
High definition blu-ray presentation in 2.35:1 aspect ratio
Original mono 2.0 audio with new English subtitles
Audio commentary by Jasper Sharp & Amber T.
Brand new filmed introduction by Mark Schilling
Stills gallery
Trailer
Original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady
Limited edition individually numbered obi strip
Limited edition booklet
Great news!
Though I wish they had conducted some new interviews with the cast. Teruo Yoshida and Yumiko Katayama are both alive and well, in fact, both are in Tokyo next week to talk about Ishii at Loft9 Shibuya, and both will also be attending Cinema Vera's Teruo Ishii retrospective this month as interview guests. I actually saw Katayama about 7 or 8 years ago in Vera's previous Ishii retrospective where she shared loads of wild stories about Inferno of Torture's production, how she has never actually dared to watch the film, how she got fooled into appearing in nude photos, and even how Tomisaburo Wakayama humiliated her as a punishment for appearing in these kind of movies...
HungFist wrote: 03 Nov 2024, 13:54Though I wish they had conducted some new interviews with the cast. Teruo Yoshida and Yumiko Katayama are both alive and well, in fact, both are in Tokyo next week to talk about Ishii at Loft9 Shibuya, and both will also be attending Cinema Vera's Teruo Ishii retrospective this month as interview guests. I actually saw Katayama about 7 or 8 years ago in Vera's previous Ishii retrospective where she shared loads of wild stories about Inferno of Torture's production, how she has never actually dared to watch the film, how she got fooled into appearing in nude photos, and even how Tomisaburo Wakayama humiliated her as a punishment for appearing in these kind of movies...
100% agreed! I understand that these releases cater to a niche market and having someone interview actual stars/staff in Japan is significantly more expensive (possibly prohibitively so) than an "expert" commentary or a video essay... But I hate that inevitably these stars and staff members will pass on and, in most cases, will take their priceless stories with them. Do you know if at least these interviews at those screenings are recorded for posterity?
HungFist wrote: 03 Nov 2024, 13:54Though I wish they had conducted some new interviews with the cast. Teruo Yoshida and Yumiko Katayama are both alive and well, in fact, both are in Tokyo next week to talk about Ishii at Loft9 Shibuya, and both will also be attending Cinema Vera's Teruo Ishii retrospective this month as interview guests. I actually saw Katayama about 7 or 8 years ago in Vera's previous Ishii retrospective where she shared loads of wild stories about Inferno of Torture's production, how she has never actually dared to watch the film, how she got fooled into appearing in nude photos, and even how Tomisaburo Wakayama humiliated her as a punishment for appearing in these kind of movies...
100% agreed! I understand that these releases cater to a niche market and having someone interview actual stars/staff in Japan is significantly more expensive (possibly prohibitively so) than an "expert" commentary or a video essay... But I hate that inevitably these stars and staff members will pass on and, in most cases, will take their priceless stories with them. Do you know if at least these interviews at those screenings are recorded for posterity?
As far as I can tell, they are not recorded. I could be mistaken, but I don't recall seeing any recording equipment when I've attended.
HungFist wrote: 02 Nov 2024, 16:29
I forgot to post the news before, but Mondo Macabro's Bohachi Bushido UHD/BD combo LE is still available for pre-order (expected to ship in January) but probably not for long. A week ago it was 77% sold out.
I will post more detailed comparison later, but... honestly, this is a crushing disappointment as far as image quality goes. It's overly bright, purple leaning, often nearly colourless, and highly artificial looking. Oddly enough, Toei’s own 2024 restoration, which premiered on Toei Channel last year, does not look anything like the Mondo disc.
