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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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I'm getting so fed up with Weissers' bullshit. You can't trust anything they write in their book (Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films). It goes without saying that their film reviews are crap since they write, rate and analyze films without actually having seen them, but how do they make up completely false stories about cast members, awards etc? Some example below:

Assault: Jack the Ripper (1976)

Actress Katsura is extraordinary. Nominated as Best Actress by the Japanese Academy for this performance, she was the critical favorite but, apparently, her ferocious intensity alienated many of the more conservative voters.

Fact Check: Katsura did not "lose" because she was not even nominated. The whole bloody award didn't exist back then.

From the Back, From the Front (1980):

"Yoko Hatanaka enjoyed a series of pop hits throughout the early-to-mid ' 70s . Ushiro Kara Mae Kara was one of them, charting Top 10. Considered innocuously innocent upon it's 1974 release (similar to Western hits like Olivia Newton-John's Physical), but it is obviously intended to be "dirty" within the context of the pinku eiga arena. When the hits were no longer hot, Ms Hatanaka joined Nikkatsu as one of their roman porno starlets."

Fact Check: Hatanaka didn't do anything in the early 70s except study in elementary school. She debuted as a singer in 1978. An early duet version of the song was first released in 1978, then as a solo version in 1980.

Sex Hunter: Wet Target (1972):

"Yukihiro Sawada befriended a talented young Japan University film student, Toshihiro (Sogo) Ishii in the late '70s. Together they made the movie One Against 880,000 as Ishii's class project. It was released theatrically under the title High School Big Panic in 1978 . Both Sawada and Ishii were jointly credited as the director."

Fact Check: One Against 880,000 and High School Big Panic (=Panic in High School) are two completely different movies. Ishii's 8mm student film Panic in High School and the 35mm feature length Panic in High School remake are also two different movies. I'm also quite sure Ishii and Sawada were not friends and did not work together except on the Panic in High School remake (1978). According to MidnightEye's Nicholas Rucka, who also interviewed Ishii, Ishii was forced to work with Sawada by Nikkatsu, and Ishii remains bitter about the film to this day as he feels the movie was taken away from his control.

Angel Guts: Rouge, Angel Guts: Red Rope - "Until I Expire", Angel Guts: Night is Falling Again

"Tenshi No Harawata: Yoru Ga Mata Kuru, Tenshi No Harawata: Akai Nawa Hateru Made, Tenshi No Harawata : Rouge"

Fact Check: None of those films are part of the Angel Guts series. The funniest thing is the Weissers have somehow managed to come up with fake Japanese titles for them by adding "Tenshi No Harawata" before their real titles.

Erotic Liaisons (1978 / 1992)

"These films are broad adaptations of the sexy 18th century French book Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laelos, modernized and transformed into an erotic thriller.

Fact Check: These films have nothing to do with Dangerous Liaisons. Instead, they are based on a French detective novel Les Suicidés du printemps (1973) by Raymond Marlot (Jean-Pierre Angremy)

Wives' Rape Mansion (1985):

"Director Saito...rides helm on this mean-spirited rape flick. The plot - as thin as it is - tells the story of a rapist specializing in high-rise condo assaults."

Fact Check: The film is actually a marriage drama about a couple who have conflicting views on getting children. There is one rape in the film, during its last 5 minutes, when the husband takes his wife by force at their home. Why the Weissers saw a need to fabricate plot synopsis about some serial rapist is anyone's guess.

Rope Torture (1984):

"After an indiscretion with a younger man, her jealous husband disciplines poor Miki ."

Fact Check: Her husband has nothing to do with her torture, in fact he's having an affair with another woman and is blissfully unaware about everything that's going on back home (wife's affair, a third party forcing her to become a rope slave or they'll let the husband know about her affair)

Red Violation (1980):

"The main character is lead singer of a rock group. After a concert, Yuya (played by real-life rocker Yuya Uchida) beds a group ie, an innocent but mixed-up high school girl named Megumi (Megumi Saki). He soon learns that..."

Fact Check: The main character is not played by Uchida. Uchida appears in the film (as himself) in a 20 second cameo. Although this mistake is not so huge since he just mixed actors, it's still comparable to saying "Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the main character in The Expendibles" or "Tom Cruise stars in Austin Powers in Goldmember" considering Uchida was quite a super star back then.

I'm sure there are a trillion other errors, too. I didn't even bother posting everything I spotted (since last night). Sure, it was published in 1998 so I'd be willing to forgive mistakes to a certain extent but there's a limit to that too... The saddest thing is that their book is the primary source for English language wikipedia articles, which in turn are used as source for countless reviews and articles, with the same mistakes being repeated. Even I have fell victim to that in the past, I'm afraid...
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Took 1 month DMM subscription again. Roman Porno Treasure Hunt - Part 1.

Rope Hell (団鬼六「やくざ天使」より 縄地獄) (Japan, 1978) [VoD] - 2/5
Vengeful gangster joins the competing gang after being forced to cut off his finger for trying to rape yakuza sister Naomi Tani. A slightly more watchable SM tale than usual, thanks to it being a yakuza story (based on Dan Oniroku's novel Yakuza Angel). It's a little short on SM actually, and out of the two victims Tani's turn doesn't come until the film's final third. The best thing about the film is villain actor Hitoshi Takagi's enjoyably sleazy performance as a gang boss. He had an odd career that went from Nikkatsu's gangster films via Toho (e.g. Lady Snowblood) to Roman Porno and eventually My Neighbor Totoro. Side note: this is yet another film the Weissers gave an "in depth" analysis without actually having seen the movie - and got it all wrong. Their argument about the film's morale was based on a plot twist very typical to Dan films, but actually not found in this movie.

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Skin of Roses (団鬼六 薔薇の肉体) (Japan, 1978) [VoD] - 2/5
Perhaps more notable than the film itself, is the fact that SM queen Naomi Tani got nominated for Best Actress at the Japanese Academy Awards for this film. It is a little puzzling what exactly got Tani nominated, though. One can only assume the jury had a soft spot for SM sleaze, and this, being perhaps the most restrained of all Oniroku Dan films, seemed like a safe pick. Anyway, the film is a tale of two young lovers and an older "sister" who do live sex shows with two sided mirror to pay off a debt, then later proceed to blackmailing with sensitive photos, which finally lands Tani the long overdue rope punishment as the victim was yakuza affiliated. Curiously enough, all the rope action is limited to the last 10 minutes of the film; possibly due to some sort of artistic ambition. Highlights include Tani as a dominatrix (a fun reversing of roles) and a lesbian scene between Tani and Ako, something I normally wouldn't mention but Ako happens to be one of my favourite actresses. It's a shame she doesn't have too much to do in the film despite her large role. Story wise the film is passable and probably had a few more pages in its scrip than usual.

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Female Teacher in Rope Hell (団鬼六 女教師縄地獄) (Japan, 1981) - 1.5/5
Nikkatsu's 2nd generation SM queen Junko Mabuki stars as a female teacher who is raped, locked in a dungeon and sexually tortured for the rest of the film. I don't often describe movies as misogynist (I feel the term, at least in its most negative sense, is often unwarranted when discussing exploitation films which provide visual entertainment for their selected audience demographics, usually without any deeper ideological "hate" towards any sex). However, this film's exceptionally iffy display of endless sexual torture of a single woman, almost entirely void of psychological or even stylistics merits, makes one wonder if the term was indeed in place here. The film's only saving graces are a handful of over-the-top moments, including a ridiculously stereotypical homeless rapist character, and a strange appreciation for the fact that sleaze like this once passed for "mainstream" theatrical entertainment.

Crimson Night Dream (紅夜夢) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 2.5/5
This film is director Shogoro Nishimura's own A Woman Called Abe Sada. The subject however is not Abe but Oden Takahashi, the last woman who was executed by beheading in Japan. Her tale has been adapted into numerous films by Shintoho and Toei, including Teruo Ishii's ero-guro episode in Love and Crime (1969) and Yuji Makiguchi's feature length film Decapiation of an Evil Woman (1977). This Nikkatsu version isn't as wild, but it really isn't too bad a film. Acting and directing are subdued, making things a bit unexciting at times but allowing the film to slowly build up for a rather powerful drama climax.

Tattoo (刺青 IREZUMI) (Japan, 1984) [VoD] - 1/5
Tiresome late Chusei Sone film is mainly "remarkable" for being the Roman Porno debut of 70s pop idol Sakiko Ito, whose film career started and ended with this movie. She plays a pop star abducted and tattooed by the yakuza. Relationship problems ensue. Sone's direction is uninspired, terribly pedestrian and merely seeks to transfer the script to celluloid. Speaking of the script, the film was based on the Jun'ichirô Tanizaki novel that Yasuzo Masumura filmed in 1966. The Roman Porno version was written by Machiko Nasu, Toei director Hiroyuki Nasu's wife. She originally entered Nikkatsu via a screenwriting competition with the excellent Girl's Pleasure: Man Hunting (1977). All that talent considered, Tattoo is a terribly disappointing film.

Rope Torture (団鬼六 縄責め) (Japan, 1984) [VoD] - 3/5
Here's something a bit unusual with Toei director Ikuo Sekimoto (Girl Boss: Diamond Showdown, 1974) gravitating to Nikkatsu for work. It was usually the other way around with successful directors climbing the studio ladder to Toei. He made two Oniroku Dan adaptation for Nikkatsu, both starring Miki Takakura whose Roman Porno career only lasted for five films until she quit. She was one of the several successors to Naomi Tani, none of whom were as successful as Tani. Despite some unfortunate genre trappings, this film is better than your usual Oniroku Dan junk thanks to brisk pacing, beautiful score, a decent visual touch, and the big breasted Takakura who is not only easy on the eye but also had a rather melancholic presence. The most delighting part, however, is the "feminist" twist at the end. It would be interesting to know if that ending originated from Dan's novel or if it was conceived by the filmmakers. Screenwriter Masahiro Shimura was a mainstream Toei veteran who wrote several yakuza and pinky violence films, and directed the last two Terrifying Girls' High School movies.

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Double Rope Torture (団鬼六 縄責め) (Japan, 1985) - 1.5/5
This was a sort of follow-up to Ikuo Sekimoto's earlier SM film Rope Torture (1984), also starring Miki Takakura. Curiously enough, it's yet another film about two sisters, a theme Sekimoto had tackled multiple times in his Toei films (The Story of a Nymphomaniac, Tenshi no yokubo). Takakura stars as the older sister, a kimono dressed Ginza woman sold to a rich scumbag for some sexual torture. Her little sister shows up one day and seems to be heading towards the same path, to which Takakura obviously has objections. Sekimoto was a better filmmaker than many of Nikkatsu's SM directors, and here he at least refrains from the more disgusting content that one often encounters in the genre. Unfortunately the storyline is uninspired and the film lacks style and memorable moments. It's not terrible, just terribly forgettable.

Sukeban Flesh Slave (スケバン肉奴隷) (Japan, 1987) [VoD] - 2.5/5
Relatively speaking, this is a surprisingly "accomplished" ex-delinquent girl drama for a project that 9 times out of 10 would've been meritless junk. It's really a sex flick about a former sukeban girl trying to hide her past and lead straight life as an OL, and her ex-boyfriend who likewise left biker life behind to run a small bar. Lots of screwing takes place, and most of the Sukeban content is limited to brief flashbacks. But there's no denying the film actually manages to flesh out its characters with bits if solid drama, humanity, and stylish images. Director Yoshihiro Kawasaki seemed to possess this kind of ability, often bringing just a little bit of extra life and energy to films that could have been abysmal. It also helped that his eye for erotica was a notch above his colleagues, making the compulsory sex scenes more watchable than usual.

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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Roman Porno Treasure Hunt - Part 2.

Carousel Maki: Yoru wa watashi o nurasu (カルーセル麻紀 夜は私を濡らす) (Japan, 1974) [VoD] - 2/5
This is one of the oddest entries in the Roman Porno series for it stars Maki Carousel, a famous transsexual actress. He first got himself castrated at the age of 19, then later travelled to Morocco for a sex change operation that nearly killed him, after which she spent some time working in bars in Paris, which is something she also did in Japan before finding a career in movies. That she would be cast as the lead of a relatively high budgeted mainstream erotic film in the year 1974 in Japan is a bit surprising indeed. In any case, curiosity value aside this Shogoro Nishimura film is nothing special; just another standard tale of a singer/hostess and her troubled (thanks to a tattoo she has on her leg) love life. It is a bit curious though that there is an apparent disparity between the film's inner reality and the filmmakers' approach to filming it. The storyline treats Carousel's character as just an ordinary woman, but the camera hardly shies away from showing the actress's unusually masculine features, which can only be deemed intentional.

Maki
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Blazing Bondage Lady (団鬼六 縄炎夫人) (1980) [VoD] - 1.5/5
Revenge story and an atmospheric score make this Oniroku Dan film almost watchable. It's about a couple who accidentally run over a yakuza bondage master's wife, and pay the price when the tough guy abducts his wife and her sister. Unfortunately character depth is nil and Katsuhiko Fujii's directing is terribly TV film like, only with excessive sex and SM thrown in. Still, it could've been worse.

Love Beast: Hunt (愛獣 猟る!) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 2/5
The next most unusual thing in the Roman Porno catalogue after a film starring a transsexual actress (Carousel Maki: Yoru wa watashi o nurasu, 1974) was this tale of Japanese girls hitting on black US navy soldiers around the Yokosuka base. The tagline could as well have been "The most black men you'll ever see in a Japanese movie!" Consequently nearly all of the film's male characters are American and a large portion of the film's (frequently terrible) dialogue is spoken in English. Director Yasuaki Uegaki was known for tackling trendy topics (e.g. his Pink Curtain trilogy) and this film certainly fits the bill. He was also an over-rated filmmaker who sometimes used trendy topics to hide mediocre storylines and unremarkable filmmaking. This movie fits that bill as well. It's a curiosity with some stylish scenes, but ultimately a bit pedestrian.

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Zoom Up: Graduation Photos (ズームアップ 卒業写真) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 3/5
This one, at first, comes a bit out of left field. It's the zillionth entry in the Zoom Up / Zoom In series, which started out as violent pinks but then turned into standard smut, often with photography theme. This one begins with a girl auditioning as a photo model and learning that the job involves posing nude. From there on the film starts developing unexpected quality with bits humanity mixed with biting black humour, tender characterization, and of course sheer voyeurism. It even turns critical on its very own existence, which I cannot remember witnessing in any other Roman Porno, in a wonderful scene where a school girl raped by boys she accidentally caught touching themselves while reading a porn magazine, walks into the studio and starts yelling what the hell are they doing publishing smut like that? Unfortunately the film then begins to devolve to cruder paths, undoing some of its earlier accomplishments. Nevertheless, it remains an oddly pleasing piece of 80s Japan.

Beauty Rope Cosmetology (団鬼六 美女縄化粧) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 1.5/5
Standard SM junk with one point of interest; the professional abductor who kidnaps wealthy daughter Miki Takakura and begins to discipline her for a new buyer is played by Miike/Kitano regular Ren Osugi. Even at the age of 32 he looked old, and with a moustache made a suitably sleazy villain. The rest of the film is unremarkable and a bit boring unless you're a major SM fan, though it does feature the pretty Takakura and due to its somewhat restrained nature it's not as disgusting as most of director Katsuhiko Fujii's films.

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Ren Osugi (right)
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Osugi
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+ 1 spoilerific review

Beautiful Sisters: Seduced (美姉妹 犯す) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 1/5
Miserable loser of a man moves in with a family that comes with two beautiful sisters. He spends most of the movie raping the older one, then later the younger one too, eventually both at the same time, and then they fall in love with him. Meanwhile his friend rapes his nasty female boss. She falls in love with him also. Happy end! Dear God. Sorry for spoilers.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Roman Porno Treasure Hunt - Part 3.

Female Teacher: In Front of the Students (女教師 生徒の眼の前で) (Japan, 1982) [VoD] - 2/5
A female teacher is raped in school by a masked assailant. She decides to find out who was it. More sex and rapes ensue in a relatively standard narrative that gains some psychological interest towards the end. I must say I laughed a bit in the scene where a girl is having sex with a guy and eating banana at the same time. Other noteworthy points include a male teacher's cool moustache and a very warm looking sweater worn by a rapist. There was another film in the series later called Twice Raped. This one could've been called Raped Six Times.

Beauty in Rope Hell (団鬼六 美女縄地獄) (Japan, 1983) [VoD] - 3/5
This film epitomes the romantic approach to abducting beautiful women, as seen in Japanese films from time to time. Capture and discipline, but do it gently. Right. The film stars Miki Takakura as a rural beauty abducted by a wartime mailman who turns out to be a bit of a romantic dreamer who wishes to live happily ever after with her. Although an SM film, it more closely resembles the 90s and 2000s Perfect Education films which also had a dubious romantic undertones. They are all boyish fantasies, notably softer than the sleaze fests that usually resulted from Oniroku Dan stories, and as such, this film has proven less popular with certain audiences. As a film, however, it is better written, filmed and acted than most, and features the 23 year old Takakura at her most beautiful (I guess I must admit I've been having a slight crush on her). This and Ikuo Sekimoto's Rope Torture (1984) are her best films. This film's biggest flaw is a bunch of unnecessarily long SM scenes that take place in a brothel and feature neither one of the main characters.

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Bed-In (ベッド・イン) (Japan, 1986) [VoD] - 3/5
This is one of Masaru Konuma's underrated small films, a tender relationship drama about a Tokyo woman in love with a pretty nice guy who happens to have a wife and kid. I was quite reserved at first, figuring this would be another dull 80s human drama, and wondering why should I care, but little by little the characters and the actors won me over. There are also some small funny moments, such as the scene where the guy is standing in traffic lights with his family and suddenly notices his girlfriend, who was there by chance, standing next to him with a jealous look on her face, and even a romantic bit that skip over the sex scene. Speaking of which, lead Miki Yanagi is the only woman getting naked in the film; there is no "supporting character sex" at all in the film that is very much a one woman character study. I did not realize until the ending credits that the film was scripted by screenwriter extraordinaire Haruhiko Arai (Rape Ceremony, Rolling on the Road, Distant Thunder, Vibrator, Kabukicho Love Hotel). That explains something.

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Sex Dynamite: Madonna no shizuku (SEXダイナマイト マドンナのしずく) (Japan, 1988) [VoD] - 2/5
This was one of the last Roman Porno films as adult videos were killing the franchise. It is then perhaps not surprising that the borders had already blurred to some extent. Here we have a pink film director helming a second party production for Nikkatsu distribution, with popular baby faced big boob AV actress Eri Kikuchi as the lead. Co-star Yui Maisaka was an AV performer as well. Indeed, although Roman Porno was a soft-core series (except for some Roman-X releases in the mid 80s that may or may not have been hard core), the sex scenes in this film don't really differ from (censored) hard core. The film is basically a theatrical, story driven AV shot on 35mm. The good news is, Eri Kikuchi is cute as a button, and director Kin Ishikawa has some talent as a filmmaker as the movie is often funny, even adorable at times. It is just too bad the film ultimately doesn't do much with its characters other than engage them in sex scenes long enough to make even Roman Porno fans blush. One feels there was potential for more. The male lead, btw, is played by the highly successful modern pink director Kazuhiro Sano, and his colleague Yutaka Ikejima makes a brief appearance as well.

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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Roman Porno Treasure Hunt - Part 4 (last).

Blue Lagoon: A Summer Experience (ひと夏の体験 青い珊瑚礁) (Japan, 1981) [VoD] - 1.5/5
Director Toshiharu Ikeda famously said he was forced to direct this film as a penalty for Sex Hunter (1980), which the producers found too dark. He didn't object too much as he didn't mind a "free Okinawa vacation" as he described the filming experience. Anyway, the film is about a girl (Mayumi Terashima) who goes to Okinawa to lose her virginity and meets a couple of people who like sex. Not much interesting happens - even Ikeda called the script "stupid". Oddly enough, it was written by Haruhiko Arai. Perhaps he was being punished for something as well? In any case, the film is at least technically accomplished, with beautiful Okinawa landscapes expertly captured on film. I suppose this served as better travel advertisement than Toei's Okinawa Yakuza War.

Orgasm Mariko (オーガズム・真理子) (Japan, 1985) [VoD] - 2/5
This bloody revenge film has one of the most ridiculous premises in recent memory, courtesy of writer Chiho Katsura (Assault! Jack the Ripper, House, Zoom Up: Rate Site). A girl is proposed by her boyfriend by the highway while they're having sex, and seconds later he's already is dead thanks to a truck driver who threw a glass bottle out of the window as he passed. She turns into a vengeful Charles Bronson on her period (no kidding, there's menstruation blood in every sex scene) who seduces truckers and other sleazy men and stabs them to death during sex. Also, there an odd sex scene where she and her partner keep squeezing grapes throughout the sessions. It is a shame that ultimately the film isn't better despite pairing Katsura with the visually talented Fumihiko Kato. There are enough odd and bloody moments, plus potential for all kinds of interpretations about menstruation and female psyche, to keep you moderately entertained, but the film isn't especially well made or stylish. Director Kato is best remembered for two unusual SM films, the psychological neo-noir Girl and the Wooden Horse Torture (1982) and the occult horror influenced Exotic Mask in Hell (1988), both of which are better films than this. Still, Mariko is obviously of some interest to genre buffs.

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Subway Serial Rape: Office Lady Hunting (地下鉄連続レイプ OL狩り) (Japan, 1986) [VoD] - 1/5
The original Subway Serial Rape (1985) was a bit of an odd for an 80s Roman Porno because it was a hybrid between pink and action film. Director Shuji Kataoka seemed to have been influenced by Charles Bronson flicks. This sequel throws in even more gangster stuff but somehow completely misses the target. The film plays out like Z-grade gangster film with no style or no punch to speak of, and even the score is lame as mineral water (unlike the in the 1st film). The only fun bit is when a girl takes a shower with sunglasses on. The rest of the film is a bore. The title refers to a gangster's girlfriend who, of course, meets the promised fate. The series later continued with an equally dull third film before climaxing with the ballsy, media critical 4th film that was surprisingly the best in the series.

Bu-ra-i no onna (BU・RA・Iの女) (Japan, 1988) [VoD] - 4/5
There's that extremely rewarding feeling when, after countless by-the-numbers Roman Pornos, you sit down for one more and suddenly you're witnessing a young talent directing with a crazy inspiration, completely ignorant to low expectations, transcending the whole genre. Nowhere is this more evident than in the scene where two people who know they have no future meet in a hotel room, in what is the best love scene in the history of Roman Porno, and he is so hesitant that they end up spending most of the time just looking at each other. It's magical. The storyline is about a young yakuza chinpira (Hitoshi Ozawa) sent to his native Okinawa to carry out a hit ordered by his boss (Hideo Murota). Not up to killing another man, he ends up spending desperate hours lying alone in his hotel room and listening to live music in a bar. He also hooks up with two old pals who are considering getting married (though he also always had feelings for her). Meanwhile his superiors are starting to get impatient about the assassination. Though namely a Roman Porno production, it would be wrong to call this anything but an extraordinary gangster drama. Hitoshi Ozawa (you may not know the name, but you know the face; he's the most recognizable DTV actor after Takeuchi and Aikawa) wasn't necessarily the greatest actor but here he gives his everything to portray an interesting character.

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Hideo Murota scolding Ozawa
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Hitoshi Ozawa
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Local, completely spycho superiors
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This band provides the film's soundtrack which is quite cool despite dumb lyrics.
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I've watched the first 4 minutes (that's before they get to sex) of this scene half dozen times already. Magical scene.
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Ozawa trying to keep his cool
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Alright, treasure discovered, hunt completed. And subscription ran out too. I managed to watch 31 films in 31 days. The rest I can't be bothered to review.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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January 6th covers:

Female Teacher: In Front of the Students 女教師 生徒の眼の前で (dir. Yasurou Uegaki, 1982)

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Crazy/Crazed Fruit 狂った果実 (dir. Kichitaro Negishi, 1981)

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Slave Contract 奴隷契約書 (dir. Masaru Konuma, 1982)

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Dark Room 暗室 (dir. Kiriro Urayama, 1983)

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Uniform Girls: The Fruit Is Ripe 制服体験トリオ わたし熟れごろ (dir. Shogoro Nishimura, 1981)

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Hōru in rabu: kusamura no yokujō ホールインラブ 草むらの欲情 (dir. Isao Hayashi, 1979)

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Waisetsuna Onna: Kuroi Hada ni Naku ワイセツな女 黒い肌に泣く (dir. Seiji Izumi, 1985)

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Sex Rider: Wet Highway セックス・ライダー 濡れたハイウェイ (dir. Koretsugu Kurahara, 1971)

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Lady Kamakura: Cherry Boy Club 鎌倉夫人 童貞倶楽部 (dir. Isao Hayashi, 1975)

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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Guro Taku wrote:January 6th covers:
Slave Contract 奴隷契約書 (dir. Masaru Konuma, 1982)

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Nikkatsu announced a week ago that this release has been cancelled for "various reasons" (none of which are explained).
- http://www.nikkatsu-romanporno.com/topi ... hpxn33.php
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Another case of an actress deeply regretting her decision to appear in roman porno? That'd be my first guess. Anyway, let's be thankful it's a mediocre flick that got cancelled and not one we were really looking forward to getting a BD.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Guro Taku wrote:Anyway, let's be thankful it's a mediocre flick that got cancelled and not one we were really looking forward to getting a BD.
Makes me all the more grateful that we got Red Violation (even if the transfer left something to be desired). I didn't dare the celebrate until the day it was out as I feared some music copyright issues would surface...
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

Post by HungFist »

I had a dream a few nights ago. It was 1983 and I was at the Nikkatsu studios, possibly as an actor or advisor. They were filming a Finland themed Roman Porno. Jun Miho arrived the set, looking sick. She had caught cold. I told her that she should go home to rest. I said I'd tell Nikkatsu I'll be available for a few more weeks so there's no hurry and they should give her a few days off before we start filming.

Pretty cool! :lol:

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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

Post by Guro Taku »

Guro Taku wrote:The only thing more hilarious than some of those retitelings is the fact that they put that list in their 2017 catalogue. How many of these films will actually be released in 2017? Considering they still haven't released all of the 27 titles of the batch they announced in 2009 I'd say... probably none.
I don't enjoy being right in this case but of course I was totally right. Synapse released diddly squat in terms of Nikkatsu pink films in 2017. In fact, I got their BD steelbook release of SUSPIRIA today and in the included catalogue one can find the exact same list of Nikkatsu films listed as "coming soon" as in the catalogue that came with their release of PHENOMENA in 2016.

To make things even more interesting, I found this statement on their Facebook page:
Synapse Films wrote:As always, we do NOT apply release dates until everything is 100% finished, so consider all these titles "Coming Soon" and not "Coming in 2018"
So yeah, don't expect anthing to happen in 2018 either.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

Post by Guro Taku »

HungFist wrote:Orgasm Mariko (オーガズム・真理子) (Japan, 1985) [VoD] - 2/5
This bloody revenge film has one of the most ridiculous premises in recent memory, courtesy of writer Chiho Katsura (Assault! Jack the Ripper, House, Zoom Up: Rate Site). A girl is proposed by her boyfriend by the highway while they're having sex, and seconds later he's already is dead thanks to a truck driver who threw a glass bottle out of the window as he passed. She turns into a vengeful Charles Bronson on her period (no kidding, there's menstruation blood in every sex scene) who seduces truckers and other sleazy men and stabs them to death during sex. Also, there an odd sex scene where she and her partner keep squeezing grapes throughout the sessions. It is a shame that ultimately the film isn't better despite pairing Katsura with the visually talented Fumihiko Kato. There are enough odd and bloody moments, plus potential for all kinds of interpretations about menstruation and female psyche, to keep you moderately entertained, but the film isn't especially well made or stylish.
I like the film a lot more than you and vehemently disagree with that last statement. Kato's directing here is actually very stylish and reminded me a lot of Toshiharu Ikeda. He really leans hard into the horror aspects, up to and including the use of music. By the way, do you have any idea what the significance of the pills Mariko always pops before going on another menstruation murder spree is?

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All I could find online is that Dipron is a sulfonamide antibiotic and used for the treatment of of vaginitis, i.e. an inflammation of the vagina. No idea how that is supposed to relate to menstruation, though.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Guro Taku wrote:very stylish and reminded me a lot of Toshiharu Ikeda.
That might explain. Other than Evil Dead Trap, which I love, I've been disappointed by every Ikeda film I've seen. His entry in the Angel Guts series is by far my least favourite (I'm always shocked when people - like Sion Sono - say it's their favourite), and I could never understand the popularity of Mermaid Legend (has pretty shots, but turns completely ridiculous towards the end imo) and Sukeban Mafia (again, some cool moments, but I was mainly bored by it).
Guro Taku wrote: He really leans hard into the horror aspects, up to and including the use of music. By the way, do you have any idea what the significance of the pills Mariko always pops before going on another menstruation murder spree is?
No idea. I didn't even remember about that.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

Post by Guro Taku »

Determind to prove me wrong, Synapse is actually releasing one of their new licenses this year:

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Summary: The lovely Shinobu Himeno is arrested and thrown into Asahi Female Prison for being an unwilling accomplice in a jewelry store robbery. She’s to serve her sentence in the infamous Cell Block 21, a dismal area full of tough, sex-starved women. Himeno is bullied and abused by inmates and guards and, after being framed for starting a fight, is taken away and tied up by the prison’s infamous Mr. Kiya. Through flashbacks, we discover why many of the women have been locked up here and soon, in one great act of defiance, they rise up to overtake the prison in a bloody, violent riot! Can the shy Himeno ever escape this living hell?

Loaded with gratuitous nudity, sex, and violence, WOMEN IN HEAT BEHIND BARS is one of the best of the “Women in Prison” genre of Nikkatsu’s vast exploitation catalog.


Comes out April 10th.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

Post by Silence »

How are these Happinet Blurays/DVDs from a technical standpoint? I'm also a sucker for extras like audio-commentaries and interviews, looks like most of these releases are lacking them?

And hello to all, first post!
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Welcome!

The old Happinet releases are fine. The more recent ones (the last 18 months or so) are a bit of a mixed bag. Some look better than the others. Many of the transfers look boosted in terms of color and contrast. It's probably Nikkatsu's doing, not Happinet.

I'm mostly referring to screencaps I've seen. Red Violation DVD (very unnatural look) and Rolling on the Road BD (a bit boosted, but not bad) are the only ones I've bought so far. I need to pick up Crazed Fruit at some point.

Some ofthe discs have audio commentaries. Most have just trailer and photo gallery.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Silence wrote:How are these Happinet Blurays/DVDs from a technical standpoint?
It's worth noting that almost half of these BDs are interlaced (1080i) instead of properly progressive (1080p). And it goes without saying they don't come with English subtitles.
HungFist wrote:Some ofthe discs have audio commentaries. Most have just trailer and photo gallery.
I think Wife's Sexual Fantasy 妻たちの性体験 夫の眼の前で、今・・・ (1980) is the only one that has an audio commentary.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Fantastic news! Happiness will be releasing more Roman Porno films!

Coming 2018/06/02

DVD
Afternoon Affair: Metamorphosis 昼下りの情事 変身 (1973)
Enka jōshikō: kizudarake no kaben (怨歌情死考 傷だらけの花弁) (1973)
The Rose and the Whip 薔薇と鞭 (1975)
Girl's Pleasure: Man Hunting (横須賀男狩り 少女・悦楽) (1977)
Last Cabaret ラスト・キャバレー (1988)

Blu-ray
Rope Hell 原作・団鬼六「やくざ天使」より 縄地獄 (1978)
Ai no hakuchumu 愛の白昼夢 (1980)
Pink Hip Girl: Proposal Strategy 桃尻娘 プロポーズ大作戦 (1980)

I've seen most of these. Girl's Pleasure: Man Hunting is a small gem, an unpredictable, skillfully written female revenge drama that turns gender gender roles upside down and in some ways pre-dated Tarantino by 15 years. Pink Hip Girl: Proposal Strategy is pretty enjoyable youth film, not as good as the 1st but much better than the 2nd, and filmed very near to where I live! Last Cabaret and Ai no hakuchumu are passable dramas, nothing special though. Rope Hell is one of the more watchable SM films though I don't think it's anything too special.

Lets hope more will be on its way later this year, and that we'll finally get some of the real masterpieces like Female Delinquent: A Docu-Drama or Rape Ceremony, or some of the rares that I've never been able to see like Circuit of Sorrow (aka Love and Death at Fuji Speedway).

EDIT

Just noticed there's more coming
- http://www.happinet-p.com/jp3/releases/category/moviej

2018.10.02

DVD
Seduction 2: Embrace of the White Angel 白い天使の抱擁 (1972)
Seigōretsuden: shindemoraimasu 性豪列伝 死んで貰います (1972)
Love Affair Exposed 覗かれた情事 (1972)
Junko’s Bliss 順子わななく (1978)
Lesbians in Uniform 2 制服 百合族 2 (note: title change. Original is セーラー服 百合族2) (1983)

BD
Sayuri Ichijo: Following Desire 一条さゆり 濡れた欲情 (1972)
Jealousy Game ジェラシー・ゲーム (1982)
Lesbians in Uniform 制服 百合族 (note: title change. Original is セーラー服 百合族) (1983)

From these ones I haven't seen that many, but I'm interested in Seigōretsuden: shindemoraimasu just because shinde moraimasu is a yakuza expression, and Jealousy Game which is a pretty good motorbike road movie drama by Yoichi Higashi, starring former pinky violence bunny Reiko Oshida.

2019.02.02

DVD
Confessions of an Adolescent Wife: Shocking! おさな妻の告白 衝撃 ショック (1973)
Office Lady Journal: Poaching OL日記 密漁 あさる (1973)
New Apartment Wife: Prostitution In Building #113 新・団地妻 売春グループ13号館 (1975)
Rape Climax: Skinning クライマックスレイプ 剥ぐ! (1979)
Women In Heat Behind Bars 檻の中の欲しがる女たち (1987)

BD
Lady Moonflower 夕顔夫人 (1976)
Woman’s Trail: Wet Path おんなの細道 濡れた海峡 (1980)
Live Act: Top Stripper (本)噂のストリッパー (1982)

Woman’s Trail: Wet Path is a small gem, a very beautiful and melacholic drama with a truly beautiful score. If Wong Kar Wai had been a Roman Porno director, this is the film he would have made.

EDIT:
Nikkatsu now has a website for the upcoming releases:
https://www.nikkatsu-romanporno.com/bddvd2018/
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Guro Taku wrote:GIRL'S PLEASURE is available as a HD stream/download from DMM so I am quite optimistic it will at least get a DVD release soon.
Glad to have been right about GIRL'S PLEASURE even if I'd obviously have preferred a Blu-ray release. Other than that it is indeed nice that these releases continue. I heard a bunch of noise about Japanese publishers and distributors getting pressured by the government to "clean up their act" in preparation for the 2020 Olympics and assumed that'd mean no more pinku/pinky until at least 2021. Then again, other than GIRL'S PLEASURE I don't see anything that makes me grab for my wallet. I might check out WOMAN'S TRAIL per your recommendation even if it doesn't sound like my usual jam.

Something else worth noting is that Rope Hell 原作・団鬼六「やくざ天使」より 縄地獄 (1978) was previouisly available on DVD via one of those garbage quality print-on-demand YK Pictures DVDs. I think this marks the first time Happinet has done a title previously released this way? If so, that's good news because a few of the films I most want to see get proper releases in acceptable quality have been trapped in that hell. Hopefully their license to print crappy VHS masters to DVD has run out.
Lesbians in Uniform 制服 百合族 (note: title change. Original is セーラー服 百合族) (1983)
I assume that title change stems from the pedo connotations of "セーラー服/sailor uniform"? They did release セーラー服色情飼育 on BD just 2 years ago so maybe not.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Guro Taku wrote:I might check out WOMAN'S TRAIL per your recommendation even if it doesn't sound like my usual jam.
There's a small clip from the film at 2:05 (to give you an idea) in one of the RP videos I made a few years ago:
https://vimeo.com/186163704

That was one of the videos I made to show what I like about RP, as opposed to what most people think all RP is...
https://vimeo.com/186164045
https://vimeo.com/186389141

I should warn that there are spoilers in some of those clips.
Guro Taku wrote:Something else worth noting is that Rope Hell 原作・団鬼六「やくざ天使」より 縄地獄 (1978) was previouisly available on DVD via one of those garbage quality print-on-demand YK Pictures DVDs. I think this marks the first time Happinet has done a title previously released this way? If so, that's good news because a few of the films I most want to see get proper releases in acceptable quality have been trapped in that hell. Hopefully their license to print crappy VHS masters to DVD has run out.
I'd love to see Girl and the Wooden Horse Torture come out on proper dvd/bd (haven't seen the current dvd, but I assume it's VHS quality)
Guro Taku wrote: I assume that title change stems from the pedo connotations of "セーラー服/sailor uniform"? They did release セーラー服色情飼育 on BD just 2 years ago so maybe not.
Yes, that should be correct... on both accounts. Which is strange.

I believe it started in the 80s. If I'm not mistaken, the industry agreed not to exploit high school girls in the advertising anymore so "sailor suits" became "uniforms" and "high school girls" became "school girls" (one could argue that change didn't make it any better, and ironically the pronunciation is the exact same joshikosei / joshikosei 女子高生 / 女子校生) upon re-releases and new releases. Lolitas got banned at some point as well.

I was surprised that the dvd/bd releases from a few years ago used the original titles... I don't know what that was all about.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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HungFist wrote:I'd love to see Girl and the Wooden Horse Torture come out on proper dvd/bd (haven't seen the current dvd, but I assume it's VHS quality)
I assume the chances for that are pretty high. Isn't that the only Nikkatsu film with a Takashi Ishii script that they haven't released yet?

I'd add Exotic Mask in Hell 妖艶能面地獄, Female Ninjas: 100 Trampled Flowers くノ一淫法 百花卍がらみ, Slave Wife 奴隸妻 and Secret Chronicle: Cruel Prostitute Hell (秘)女郎残酷色地獄 as YK Pictures titles in dire need of a quality upgrade.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Synapse/Impulse Pictures is doubling down on the women-in-prison pinku with the May 27th release of Koyu Ohara's FEMALE PRISONER 101: SUCK 女囚101 しゃぶる (1977) starring Naomi Tani. I think this is actually the second film in the FEMALE PRISONER 101 series, as Isao Hayashi's 女囚101 性感地獄 dates from 1976.

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Nikkatsu Films sensation Naomi Tani (FLOWER AND SNAKE) stars as a troubled ex-prostitute turned barkeep enchanted by the love of a younger man named Kenichi. After trusting a violent junkie to help with her young lover’s singing career, she is sent to prison for murder. Now known only as Prisoner 101, she spends her days in the dirty prison system full of violent guards and sexually-aggressive inmates. As her boyfriend finally becomes a singing superstar, she longs to see him again someday.

After escaping with another inmate during a fight with guards, she unfortunately learns that staying inside the prison may have been the better option! FEMALE PRISONER 101: SUCK is another super sexy and exploitive entry in Nikkatsu’s “Women in Prison” series of films.
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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Guro Taku wrote: 10 Jun 2017, 13:09 White Skin Glimmering In the Darkness 闇に浮かぶ白い肌 (dir. Shogoro Nishimura, 1972)

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Wait... What the actual FUCK is happening on that cover?! Do I have to buy this DVD?! Somebody explain...
White Skin Glimmering In the Darkness (闇に浮かぶ白い肌) (Japan, 1972) [VoD] - 3/5
Young wife Kazuko Shirakawa goes missing during her honeymoon, only to return six months later with a memory loss. Husband Hironobu Takahashi, who lives in a big mansion (also utilized in Noboru Takana's Midnight Fairy) is happy, but his blind sister Yuri Yamashina smells something fishy. Relatively decent early Roman Porno with an Edgar Allan Poe style mystery / horror story and supernatural elements. Sex is kept in check and there's some nice ero-guro imagery towards the entertaining climax, although one shouldn't get hopes up too high. Director Shogoro Nishimura was the most prolific of all Roman Porno directors. He rarely reached the quality of his pre-Roman Porno mainstream pictures during the pink era (1984's Fujunna kankei is an exception), but this film was one of the better attempts.

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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Guro Taku wrote: 09 Mar 2018, 17:06
HungFist wrote:I'd love to see Girl and the Wooden Horse Torture come out on proper dvd/bd (haven't seen the current dvd, but I assume it's VHS quality)
I assume the chances for that are pretty high. Isn't that the only Nikkatsu film with a Takashi Ishii script that they haven't released yet?
Red Rope - Until I Expire (赤い縄 ~果てるまで~) (Junichi Suzuki, 1987) is another one that comes to mind. I'd love to see it. No release whatsoever available. It's also one of the film's Weisser mislabelled as an Angel Guts movie because he thinks every Takashi Ishii scrip from the 80s was an Angel Guts story...

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Re: Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

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Watched some more Shogoro Nishimura movies

Lusty Wife: Temptation of Flesh (色情妻 肉の誘惑) (Japan, 1976) [DVD] - 1.5/5
A sexually frustrated housewife runs into a creepy gypsy lady who tells her she's going to die unless she gets laid soon. Oddly enough, she doesn't go on a sex spree but instead gets scared. A rare specimen among Roman Porno, a sex film veering to occult horror. The plot is ridiculous and Shogoro Nishimura's direction utterly mediocre, but there are some bizarre moments especially towards the end that are worthy of some attention.

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Pleasure in the Mirror (鏡の中の悦楽) (Japan, 1982) [DVD] - 1/5
A college kid starts spying on his sister's sex sessions thru a magic mirror and of course soon wants to join in. One would assume this film was done after the success of Pink Curtain, Nikkatsu's other similarly themed and slightly classier picture, but "Pleasure" actually came first, by a 14 day margin. With this subject matter, with even more sex than usual packed into 65 minutes, it's guaranteed to leave its audience feeling dirty, even if it looks and sounds surprisingly good. There's a lot of interesting talent behind the camera; director Shogoro Nishimura, assistant director Naosuke Kurosawa (Zoom Up: Rape Apartments, 1980), writer Chiho Katsuura (House, 1977) and cinematographer Yoshiro Yamazaki (Outlaw: Heartless,1968), most of them slacking with the exception of Yamazaki. Actor Nobutaka Masutomi, one of the most recognizable male faces in Roman Porno, seems to have been dubbed by someone else than himself for some reason.

Ran no nikutai (蘭の肉体) (Japan, 1984) [VoD] - 1.5/5
Roman Porno vending machine Shogoro Nishimura must have been trying to entertain himself with this sex film disguised as a gangster flick. Two small time goons and debt collectors (a guy and a girl) accidentally cause a desperate man to jump to his death from a high roof. Other people living in the house retaliate, causing the guy to run and the girl to seek shelter in one of the apartments. Unfortunately what could've been "The Porno Raid" then turns into a standard sex drama with one girl and too many (outlaw) guys with the hots on her. The gangster stuff adds slight curiosity to it, but is ultimately little more than a minor backdrop. How disappointing.

Gate of Flesh (肉体の門) (Japan, 1977) [VoD] - 2.5/5
Nikkatsu's semi-lavish Roman Porno adaptation of the famous novel, produced with a larger than usual budget and released with an exceptional 97 minute running time. It's a good story and there are fine, even poignant moments depicting life in the post war slums. Director Shogoro Nishimura also inserts occasional effective moments of beauty and hope. Ultimately, though, one has to ask exactly how much point was there to the film other than money. Seijun Suzuki's 1964 adaptation was just as violent and erotic despite having less nudity, and twice as stylish. A more realistic touch to the drama is the only new contribution this version has to offer.

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