Classic Japanese Exploitation (pinky violence & pink)

[HungFist]

Just got this!



Can't express how happy I am I finally managed to snatch this after a few years worth of lost auctions. It's a rare item and very much in demand.

Exceptionally, there were two copies for sale at the same time, the one closing first listed with a notably higher starting price. I figured I'd get this for a semi reasonable price by bidding on the more expensive one. That's because that would send other bidders to the cheaper one which, however, because it closes later and it is only human that in a bidding war people end up bidding more than they planned on the last minute, would end up going for a higher price in the end. That's exactly what happened! I got mine for 4600 yen (with shipping), the other copy went for 6300 (with shipping).

I've seen this poster going for 7000 - 8000 yen before... which was too much for my budget.

[HungFist]

The rest of my Roman Porno treasure hunt

White Whore (白い娼婦　花芯のたかまり) (Japan, 1974) [VoD] - 2.5/5
Dark and cold, if not very deep psychological drama by Masaru Konuma. It takes a bit of patience because there's a random filler sex scene right at the start, immediately sending the film off the rails. But there's better things to come. Well, "better". Yuri Yamashina is a hooker, always dressed in white (hence the delicate title), with a brother confined in a wheelchair. She keeps feeding him with young girls (some willing, others not) until one day she's raped (by a laundry delivery boy) in front of him, much to his delight. Things only get more twisted after this sexual awakening. This isn't one of Konuma's best pictures, but the storyline and arty approach work alright once you get over the poor start. His finest films remain the breezy love story Wandering Lovers: Dizziness (1978) and the atmospheric horror drama Woman In the Box 2 (1988).

Notice the billboard for Toei double feature Golgo 13 & Female Prisoner Scorpion: Grudge Song which came out Dec. 19, 1973)










Female Teacher: Boy Hunt (女教師　少年狩り) (Japan, 1975) [VoD] - 2/5
There's a slight promise of something unusual with a title like "Boy Hunt", an anomaly among the more comfortably chauvinist "Woman Hunt" titles. And indeed, an all boy's school set film with a predatory female protagonist seems to have been a bit much for the Roman Porno audiences whose faith in their manhood had to be restored by having dentist Akira Takahashi drilling the fore mentioned heroine, and a bunch of schoolboys target her in the name of vengeance (her ex-student committed a suicide)... All of which largely undo the promise, especially when her misconducts are, despite the title, largely limited to an ex-romance and shaving misbehaving boys' pubic hair as a punishment in one scene! A bit of an odd film, and not really that bad of a movie even if it's a bit pedestrian in execution.

Slave Wife (奴隷妻) (Japan, 1976) [VoD] - 3/5
Kimono wearing wife Naomi Tani is assaulted by hilariously over the top American G.I.s before being abducted by bitter former servant Akira Takahashi. Tolerable direction and focused storyline, effective cross cutting between present and past, unexpected ending, and Takahashi as the abductor make this film more watchable than most of its SM companions. Takahashi was an unsung hero of Roman Porno; a decent actor who spent two decades playing second fiddle to actresses when Nikkatsu went Roman Porno, usually portraying gangsters. Quite often he'd manage to breathe life - even a tiny bit - to characters that were intended as nothing more than plot tools. This film features one of his biggest roles, and he doesn't disappoint.

Gaijin yaro harassing Naomi Tani


Takahashi












Rape Shot: Momoe’s Lips (レイプ・ショット 百恵の唇) (Japan, 1979) [VoD] - 2.5/5
This fast paced, surprisingly watchable pop thriller emerges as junk director Katsuhiko Fujii's best film. It's about a sleazy asshole reporter (Noriaki Abe with an amazing 70s moustache and perm) trying to bust pop star Miki (Minako Mizushima) for drugs while she's also being targeted by kidnappers and protected by a Terminator like bodyguard (Toei actor Shinzo Hotta in a ridiculous role). While the film's title is Momoe Yamaguchi exploitation it seems the project itself was influenced by Koyu Ohara breezy pop films and Yasuharu Hasebe's crime films (Abe also starred in Hasebe's tonally similar Secret Honeymoon: Rape Train). It's still sloppy filmmaking with some dull sex scenes and zero depth (you'll notice your attention drops the second there isn't something cool on screen) but it remains more watchable than you'd expect, is finely shot and even has some cool music.

Live Act: Top Stripper ((本)噂のストリッパー)　(Japan, 1982) [VoD] - 3.5/5
A genuinely warm slice of life piece following the lives of a small strip theatre staff and dancers, and a very sympathetic young man (mainstream actor Ken Miyawaki) who falls in love with a dancer called Gloria (Kaori Okamoto). Meanwhile, a lonely and sweet girl named Yoshiko (Ayako Ota, looking like an 80s idol ala Hiroko Yakushimaru or Tomoyo Harada) befriends him and falls in love with him. There's a bit of crude sex as a genre burden and the characterization could benefit from a longer running time, but those are relatively minor flaws. This is one of those films people go in expecting a skin flick and come out having experienced something more profound: a good story with decent characters. It also functions as a decent, musically oriented zeitgeist to early 80s Japan. Writer / director Yoshimitsu Morita helmed his most celebrated film The Family Game the following year.





Kaori Okamoto


Ken Miyawaki




Ayako Ota






Elder Sister's Diary (Japan, 1984) (姉日記) [VoD] - 1.5/5
Hiroyuki Nasu (Bebop High School, 1985) was Nikkatsu's gun for hire for trendy, commercial entertainment in the mid 80s. He helmed pictures like Lesbians in Uniforms (1983) with the audio-visual touch of a music video director (and corresponding character depth). This film is a beach resort set Pink Curtain (1982) meets Sun Tribe lite with no other point than to milk the "brother in love with hot elder sister" concept. The Sun Tribe reference mainly epitomizes in the tremendous, cool as hell closing scene where the protagonist (Kaoru Oda) cuts her hair short and takes off her bikini top as she speeds to open sea in a motorboat operated by her brother who is left speechless by her coolness, all set to blazing pop music. Bravo!



That's Roman Porno: Smile of Goddesses (ザッツ・ロマンポルノ 女神たちの微笑み) (Japan, 1988) [VoD] - 1.5/5
A 95 minute collection of clips (not trailers, like sometimes claimed) from Roman Porno films, disguised as a "documentary" (which it is not, save for an occasional narrator voice or an screen text), released in commemoration of the series after the series came to its end in 1988. There are no great discoveries to be made for well educated Roman Porno aficionados as all the clips are from relatively well know films.

[Guro Taku]

Slave Wife (奴隷妻) (Japan, 1976) [VoD] - 3/5
Kimono wearing wife Naomi Tani is assaulted by hilariously over the top American G.I.s before being abducted by bitter former servant Akira Takahashi. Tolerable direction and focused storyline, effective cross cutting between present and past, unexpected ending, and Takahashi as the abductor make this film more watchable than most of its SM companions. Takahashi was an unsung hero of Roman Porno; a decent actor who spent two decades playing second fiddle to actresses when Nikkatsu went Roman Porno, usually portraying gangsters. Quite often he'd manage to breathe life - even a tiny bit - to characters that were intended as nothing more than plot tools. This film features one of his biggest roles, and he doesn't disappoint.

I watched this a long time ago on VHS and Tani getting harassed by those dirty Americans is one of the things I remember from it. I swear there is a paper to be written by someone, someday, about the portrayal of Americans in 70ies Japanese exploitation cinema. It's certainly a constant source of amusement for me. The other thing I recall vividly is Tani getting molested with a stuffed raven. Probably one of my favorite scenes in all of Nikkatsu roman porno because of how absolutely weird it is. It can be spotted on the VHS cover below. There was a DVD release of this film in 2012 by YK Pictures and I briefly checked it out but immediately turned it off in disgust after realizing my VHS looked a lot better. I will gladly revisit this film if Happinet ever put it out on a remastered DVD/BD in the future.

[HungFist]

Now that I have seen over 300 Roman Porno films, I've updated my Top 30 list and turned it into a Top 80!

These are all recommendable films, that is, movies I've rated at least 3/5.

1. Female Delinquent: A Docu-Drama (実録不良少女　姦) (Toshiya Fujita, 1977) (genre: violence / delinquent girl)
Ultra-realistic and ultra-violent bad girl drama. Imagine Kinji Fukasaku directing a Sukeban film with Toshiya Fujita ‘s usual youth film themes and social commentary. Fantastic performances, innovative cinematography and a stunning rock soundtrack.

2. Rape Ceremony (暴行儀式) (Kichitaro Negishi, 1980) (genre: youth drama / character study)
Despite the crude Nikkatsu title, this is a small masterpiece about two generations of violent young men. It follows a group of young men who is taking revenge against their former idols, who are biker gang members who disbanded under police pressure. A very Art Theatre Guild esque film with great characters, cast, music, and broken chronology.

3. Rolling on the Road (嗚呼！おんなたち　猥歌) (Tatsumi Kumashiro, 1981) (genre: rock sleaze)
Kumashiro’s jaw dropping sleaze fest and "true account" of the asshole rocker / movie star Yuya Uchida, played by Uchida himself! The most memorable scene: a sadomasochist nurse is strangling Uchida with a telephone cord during sex while his other girlfriend is crying at the other end of the line.

4. Love Hotel (ラブホテル) (Shinji Somai, 1985) (genre: character drama)
The only Roman Porno by Shinji Somai, who was arguably the best Japanese director of the 1980s. This film features one of the best storylines I have ever seen, and all of the usual Somai trademarks from breathtaking tracking shots to great soundtrack. Yokohama (Mainstream) Film Fest winner: best film, best director, best screenplay (Takashi Ishii), best cinematography, best lead actor and best female newcomer of the year.

5. Pink Hip Girl (桃尻娘　ピンク・ヒップ・ガール) (Koyu Ohara, 1977) (genre: youth / pop art)
This is one of the cutest, most adorable youth films, and the movie that earned Ohara his reputation as “pop-art director”. It’s a highly entertaining road movie with snowy landscapes, cute girls, great soundtrack, and real chemistry between the two leads. This was a hit among female audiences as well.

6. Delicate Skilful Fingers (白い指の戯れ) (Tooru Murakawa, 1972) (genre: contemporary drama)
This film was praised by critics as a movie that turned Roman Porno into respectable youth cinema that captured Nikkatsu's past glory days. Indeed, it's a terrific, stylish film of an innocent young woman who falls in love with a professional pickpocket and discovers a new decadent life. Co-stars cult actor / rock star Ichiro Araki. Screenplay by Tatsumi Kumashiro.

7. Retreat through the Wet Wasteland (濡れた荒野を走れ) (Yukihiro Sawada, 1973) (genre: cop thriller)
Ultra-nihilist police corruption film in which two beast-cops are hunting their former colleague who escaped from a mental institution and could reveal their crimes to the public. Produced as Roman Porno because no mainstream studio dared to touch it. Even Nikkatsu had second thoughts because they thought it was too political and tried to stop the production.

8. Angel Guts: Red Classroom (天使のはらわた　赤い教室) (Chusei Sone, 1979) (genre: psychological drama)
Most of the Angel Guts movies are great, but this haunting psychological drama is probably my favourite. Keizo Kanie stars as a photographer who sees an underground rape film and becomes obsessed finding the girl and finding out of the crime was real or staged. Beautiful score, good performances and fine cinematography. The ending is unforgettable. I've excluded the other entries from the list, but High School Co-ed, Nami and Red Vertigo all come highly recommended.

9. Red Violation (赤い暴行) (Chusei Sone, 1980) (genre: rock / slice of life drama)
A great slice of life drama following real life rock-band Devils, played by the real members, including the gaijin member James Hunt in a pretty big role. It's a film that could've been produced by ATG. There's a bit of sex, quite good characters, and tons of great music. It also captures the spirit of the time really nicely. The film ends with a terrific 10 minute scene where the band is composing their new song. One of the best band movies ever made.

10. Crazed Fruit (狂った果実) (Kichitaro Negishi, 1981) (genre: youth drama / character study)
Kichitaro Negishi was bar none one of the best directors who ever worked in Roman Porno. He basically re-invented the 1950s delinquent youth genre. This is a new and superior version of the 1950s classic Crazed Fruit. It's got all of Negishi's trademarks: complex characters, great performances, frequent use of exterior locations, and an energetic audio-visual style that mixes pop songs with hand-held cinematography.

11. Beauty’s Exotic Dance: Torture (発禁本「美人乱舞」より　責める！) (Noboru Tanaka, 1977) (genre: psychological drama)
A haunting psychological drama about the love affair between an artist and a woman who goes through endless physical tortures to make him happy. All set in beautiful snowy landscapes. Probably Tanaka’s best film.

12. Assault! Jack the Ripper (暴行切り裂きジャック) (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1976) (genre: violent pink / thriller)
The coming of age story of a serial killer. A shy young man finds a passion for slaughtering women, and his girlfriend gets sexual kicks from it. Rarely have sex and death been so close other than in David Cronenberg films.

13. Rape! 13th Hour (レイプ２５時　暴姦) (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1977) (genre: violent pink / thriller)
Hasebe’s most outrageous film even turns the violence against men when a serial rapist with a protégé is chased by a homosexual gang. It’s also his slickest thriller, and full of interesting social commentary, even if Hasebe denies such intentions for some reason. William Friedkin later made a film which has an identical ending!

14. Zoom Up: Rape Apartments (ズームイン　暴行団地) (Naosuke Kurosawa, 1980) (genre: pink giallo)
This is just about the last thing you'd expect to find in the Roman Porno genre: a pink-giallo. The cinematography and sound design are absolutely stunning and the film features one of the most WTF kills in movie history. Too bad about the excessive sex scenes that slow it down.

15. Woman of the Afternoon: Incite! (昼下りの女　挑発！！) (Nobuyuki Saito, 1979) (genre: genre cocktail)
This film is best watched without knowing anything about it. Director Nobuyuki Saito spent most of his career making mediocre and bad films. This one, however, is a fresh, breezy and energetic gem that will take you by a surprise.

16. Painful Bliss! Final Twist (悶絶!! どんでん返し) (Tatsumi Kumashiro, 1977) (genre: WTF / pop art)
An absolutely insane mix of yakuzas, transvestites and all kinds of pop-art. If Takashi Miike, Pedro Almodovar and Noboru Tanaka had sex, and somehow gave birth, and the child become a movie director, his movie would probably look much like this...

17. Girl's Pleasure: Man Hunting (横須賀男狩り　少女・悦楽) (Toshiya Fujita, 1977) (genre: drama, youth, thriller)
Skilfully written and unpredictable character drama about a raped wife, her husband, little sister, and the sister's friend who falls in love with an African American soldier. The shifting focus and the use of unlikely encounters echoes 1990s Tarantino, and the violent ending turns gender roles upside down. The script, by a 25 year old female writer, was discovered via Nikkatsu screenwriting competition.

18. Bu-ra-i no onna (ＢＵ・ＲＡ・Ｉの女) (Osamu Murakami, 1988) (genre: gangster drama)
A yakuza chinpira is sent to Okinawa to assassinate a gangster boss, but he doesn't have what it takes to kill a man. He up spending desperate hours lying alone in his hotel room, listening to live music in a bar, and hooking up with old pals. Extraordinary gangster drama is only namely a Roman Porno, but contains the best, most delicate love scene in its history.

19. Midnight Fairy (真夜中の妖精) (Noboru Tanaka, 1973) (genre: arthouse)
A desperate young man ditched by his girlfriend hooks up with a mentally challenged prostitute. This is a superb arthouse Roman Porno. It's poignant, visually stylish, and features lots of great 1970s footage filmed on location on streets and in small bars. The film also never feels pretentious: it's fun, playful and relatively fast paced.

20. Fujunna kankei (不純な関係) (Shogoro Nishimura, 1984) (genre: drama)
Roman Porno vending machine Shogoro Nishimura surprises with this well written, superbly directed and acted relationship drama set to a wonderful soundtrack. It's a movie where characters act against the Roman Porno clichés, which feels like a breath of fresh air

19. Wandering Lovers: Dizziness (さすらいの恋人　眩暈 めまい) (Masaru Konuma, 1978) (genre: youth drama)
An energetic youth film follows two youngsters on the run. The film features superb performances from its two leads who make an adorable couple that you really care about - a real rarity in the genre. It's also stylishly shot, with numerous outdoor scenes set in the early morning add a fresh feel to the film. One of director Konuma's best films.

20. Erotic Liaisons (エロチックな関係) (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1978) (genre: neo-noir)
Here's a very stylish neo-noir based on a novel by the French author Raymond Marlot and produced during the late 1970s when a small amount of Roman Porno films attempted to bridge the gap between mainstream and pink cinema. The storyline and atmosphere are so strikingly European that you constantly forgets the film is set in Tokyo and not Paris.

21. Woman in the Box 2 (箱の中の女２) (Masaru Konuma, 1986) (genre: horror/drama)
Generally speaking, I'm no fan of Masaru Konuma's SM films. He has, however, made some good films in other genres. This movie is a small gem: a beautiful, melancholic horror film set in a ski resort. It has a terrific score, too. It's such a unique film in the Roman Porno genre that you don't even realize the villain is actually a pretty standard SM psycho.

22. Assault (暴行！) (Yukihiro Sawada, 1976) (genre: violent pink / thriller)
Another crime film by the director of Retreat through the Wet Wasteland. This one is a remarkably dark and bleak tale of a husband and wife taken as prisoner by a group criminals on the run. The film was very obviously influenced by Straw Dogs. Although most of it fall short of great, the eight minute climax is a melancholic ballad of violence that rivals the best scenes by Sam Peckinpah and John Woo.

23. Secret Chronicle: Prostitution Market ((秘)女郎市場) (Chusei Sone, 1972) (genre: comedy)
A very funny, frequently cute, and politically incorrect by modern standards, film about a mentally challenged girl who is sold to a brothel. Her virginity proves surprisingly difficult to steal as she doesn't understand what sex is, and always manages to misunderstand the customers' intentions. The best sequence involves a sumo wrestler trying to catch her – and destroying half of the brothel in the process before knocking himself out.

24. Zoom Up: Rape Site (ズームアップ　暴行現場) (Koyu Ohara, 1979) (genre: violent pink / thriller)
A notorious piece of mean spirited violent pink may not be quite as wild as its reputation, but it's well made smut with a solid thriller structure, some gruesome kills and a pitch black view on humanity. Also, the film's view on women can be summarized with the line "be so kind, rape me again".

25. Secret Honeymoon: Rape Train (（秘）ハネムーン　暴行列車) (genre: romance / thriller)
An utterly ridiculous but highly entertaining love story about two robbers and their female hostage on the run. Add “stunts sequences” on the train top, a ridiculous Texas country music soundtrack, and a very cute female lead, and you’ve got a nonsensical, but fun crime film romance.

26. Woman's Trail: Wet Path (おんなの細道　濡れた海峡) (Kazunari Takeda, 1980) (genre: drama)
Beautifully melancholic film about realistic, likeable and often middle aged characters wandering aimlessly in snowy coastal towns after being abandoned by their loved ones. Director Takeda rarely produced quality, but this is a mature, atypical film that beautifully depicts the passing of time.

27. Secret Chronicle: She-Beast Market ((秘)色情めす市場) (Noboru Tanaka, 1974) (genre: realistic drama)
Tanaka's ultra realistic film about a prostitute (Meika Seri) is one of the most exceptional films in the Roman Porno genre, and not only for its striking black & white cinematography.

28. From Orion's Testimony: Formula for Murder (オリオンの殺意より　情事の方程式) (Kichitaro Negishi, 1978) (genre: drama/youth/thriller)
Negishi's first film is a youth drama about a young man who writes fictional plans how to murder his father - until the father's new lover wishes to put the plan into action. Negishi's films are always character driven, often breezy, and feature exceptional approaches to sex. In this film the protagonist makes friends with a strange hippie-like girl (Ako) into African music - and their relationship is almost sex free.

29. Girl and the Wooden Horse Torture (団鬼六　少女木馬責め) (Fumihiko Kato, 1982) (genre: noir / drama/ S&M)
There are not many S&M films that appeal to me, but this one is of interest. Director Kato helms a very good Takashi Ishii script about a high school girl who is obsessed with her teacher, who has been fired on false rape accusations. The highly visual and nightmarish film is both surprising and character driven. The final scenes may be hard to take for newcomers, but the film feels like an Angel Guts entry with an S&M theme.

30. Trap of Lust (愛欲の罠) (Atsushi Yamatoya, 1973) (genre: action / thriller / WTF)
Atsushi Yamatoya, one of the screenwriters on Branded to Kill, and a cult figure on his own, directs this bizarre professional killer / spy film satire that is sometimes considered a remake of Branded to Kill. Entertaining, although sometimes a bit too confident of its own odd appeal.

TOP 31-40:
Angel Guts: High School Co-ed (女高生　天使のはらわた) (Chusei Sone, 1978) *
Angel Guts: Red Vertigo (天使のはらわた　赤い眩暈) (Takashi Ishii, 1988) *
Captured Mother and Daughter (母娘監禁 牝) (Nobuyuki Saito, 1987)
Jealousy Game (ジェラシー・ゲーム) (Yoichi Higashi, 1982)
Lolita Vibrator Torture (ロリータバイブ責め) (Hisayasu Sato, 1987)
Modern Prostitution: Lust Under Uniform (現代娼婦考　制服の下のうずき) (Chusei Sone, 1974)
My Sex Report: Intensities (わたしのＳＥＸ白書　絶頂度) (Chusei Sone, 1976)
Rape and Death of a Housewife (人妻集団暴行致死事件) (Noboru Tanaka, 1978)
Shinjuku midare machi: ikumade matte (新宿乱れ街　いくまで待って) (Chusei Sone, 1977)
Star of David: Hunting Beautiful Girls (堕靡泥の星　美少女狩り) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1979)

TOP 41-50:
Angel Guts: Nami (天使のはらわた　名美) (Noboru Tanaka, 1979)
Sex Rider: Wet Highway (セックス・ライダー　濡れたハイウェイ) (Koretsugu Kurahara, 1971)
Live Act: Top Stripper ((本)噂のストリッパー) (Yoshimitsu Morita, 1982)
Embraced by the Dark (闇に抱かれて) (Kazunari Takeda, 1982)
Eros School: Feels So Good (エロス学園　感度ばつぐん) (Koretsugu Kurahara, 1977)
Exotic Mask in Hell (団鬼六　妖艶能面地獄) (Fumihiko Kato, 1988)
Hakuchu no onnagari (白昼の女狩り) (Chusei Sone, 1984)
Image of a Bound Girl (団鬼六　少女縛り絵図) (Masaru Konuma, 1980)
So Soft, So Cunning (もっとしなやかに　もっとしたたかに) (Toshiya Fujita, 1979)
Rouge (ルージュ) (Hiroyuki Nasu, 1984)

TOP 51-60
Wet Lust: 21 Strippers (濡れた欲情　特出し２１人) (Tatsumi Kumashiro, 1974)
A Woman Called Sada Abe (実録阿部定) (Noboru Tanaka, 1975)
Coed Report: Yuko's White Breasts (女子高生レポート　夕子の白い胸) (Yukihiko Kondo, 1971)
Getting Raped (犯される) (Masaru Konuma, 1976)
Oh! Takarazuka (ＯＨ！タカラズカ) (Koyu Ohara, 1984)
Rope Sisters: Strange Fruit (縄姉妹　奇妙な果実) (Shun Nakahara, 1984)
Rope Torture (団鬼六　縄責め) (Ikuo Sekimoto, 1984)
Subway Serial Rape: Lover Hunting (地下鉄連続レイプ　愛人狩り) (Shuji Kataoka, 1988)
Waiting Wet Woman (待ち濡れた女) (Yasuaki Uegaki, 1987)
White Rose Campus: Then Everybody Gets Raped (白薔薇学園　そして全員犯された) (Koyu Ohara, 1982)

TOP 61-70
Beads From a Petal (花弁のしずく) (Noboru Tanaka, 1972)
Afternoon Affair: Metamorphosis (昼下りの情事　変身) (Noboru Tanaka, 1973)
Wives' Rape Mansion (人妻暴行マンション) (Nobuyuki Saito, 1985)
Pink Hip Girl: Proposal Strategy (桃尻娘　プロポーズ大作戦) (Koyu Ohara, 1980)
Virgin nanka kowakunai (ヴァージンなんか怖くない) (Hiroyuki Nasu, 1984)
August: Scent of Eros (八月はエロスの匂い) (Toshiya Fujita, 1972)
Beauty in Rope Hell (団鬼六　美女縄地獄) (Genji Nakamura, 1983)
Bed-In (ベッド・イン) (Masaru Konuma, 1986)
Ecstasy Sisters (絶頂姉妹　堕ちる) (Naosuke Kurosawa, 1982)
Erotic Journey: Love Affair In Hong Kong (色情旅行　香港慕情) (Masaru Konuma, 1973)

TOP 71-80
Path of the Beast (少女娼婦　けものみち) (Tatsumi Kumashiro, 1980)
Young Lady Detectives: Heart Beat (お嬢さん探偵　ときめき連発) (Naosuke Kurosawa, 1987)
Watcher in the Attic (江戸川乱歩猟奇館　屋根裏の散歩者) (Noboru Tanaka, 1976)
Love Beast: Attack (愛獣　襲る！) (Naosuke Kurosawa, 1981)
Lolita tsuma: Binetsu (ロリータ妻　微熱) (Naosuke Kurosawa, 1984)
Slave Wife (奴隷妻) (Akira Kato, 1976)
Seifuku Yurizoku: Warui Asobi (制服白百合族　悪い遊び) (Koyu Ohara, 1985)
Sukeban kabushiki gaisha (スケバン株式会社　やっちゃえ！お嬢さん) (Koyu Ohara, 1984)
Zoom Up: Graduation Photos (ズームアップ　卒業写真) (Yoshihiro Kawasaki, 1983)
Lovers Are Wet (恋人たちは濡れた) (Tatsumi Kumashiro, 1973)

* Because I'm lazy, this is actually Top 30 + Top 31-80. In my original Top 30 list I restricted the number of Angel Guts films to one for the sake of variety, hence High School Co-ed and Red Vertigowere excluded. They are listed here as no. 31 and 32, but objectively they should be higher, somewhere around no. 20.

[Guro Taku]

1. Female Delinquent: A Docu-Drama (Toshiya Fujita, 1977) (genre: violence / delinquent girl)
Ultra-realistic and ultra-violent bad girl drama. Imagine Kinji Fukasaku directing a Sukeban film with Toshiya Fujita ‘s usual youth film themes and social commentary. Fantastic performances, innovative cinematography and a stunning rock soundtrack.

Did you by any chance read Mako Minato's memoir that the film is based on? Do you know who Minato (who is credited in the cast) plays in the film?

[HungFist]

No. I didn't even realize she was in the film. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

[HungFist]

I'm not a huge Wakamatsu fan, but I loved this film so much I gotta post a bit about it.

A Pool Without Water (水のないプール) (Japan, 1982)
An absolutely astonishing, almost hypnotic dive into the psyche of a man who becomes a morally corrupted but not downright evil rapist. Yuya Uchida, a rock star turned absolutely fearless actor, is excellent as bored, sexually frustrated family man who discovers he can take advantage of women during their sleep without getting caught using chloroform. Feeling quilt, he actually prepares breakfast and does the house cleaning for his regular victim. It is for its refusal to outright condemn its protagonist that the film is so unique, challenging and thought provoking, tied to Japanese society and its film history of sympathizing otaku, and frankly couldn't exist in almost any other country. It is also darkly humoristic, but strictly labelling it as black comedy would be an attempt to avoid facing the film as what it is. One of Koji Wakamatsu's best films, greatly aided by Katsuo Ono's stunning score and Uchida's amazing performance. He gave fantastic performances in films like Erotic Liaisons (1978), Rolling on the Road (1981) and No More Comics (1986), playing a fallen detective, asshole rock star, and paparazzi, not afraid to show himself in a negative light or sympathize low lives.

The recently released Japanese rental/retail dvd by Happinet looks good enough but the audio features a lot of hiss. I assume this is a re-issue of the old Pioneer DVD. I also don't know how the French dvd compares.

[HungFist]

Sadao Nakajima Toei Sex Doc x 3. All are available on Toei DVD.

Nippon '69 Sexual Curiosity Seeking Zone (にっぽん６９　セックス猟奇地帯) (1969)
Student demonstrations, plastic surgery, body painting, 8mm porn film shoot, strip joints, underground theatre groups and a man who wishes to be treated as a dog and wants to drink his mistress' pee (this may have been an inspiration to Teruo Ishii's Shameless: Abnormal and Abusive Love, 1969). A commercial shock documentary in the tradition of Italian mondo films, which had been remarkably popular in Japan based on the sheer amount of them that got released throughout the 60s in the land of the rising skirt. The disgusting plastic surgery footage aside this Sadao Nakajima film is quite tame, with sexual content limited to a fair few topless shots. It is a little more rewarding as late 60s time capsule featuring real underground figures and street footage, also the 60s student movement and street demonstrations prominently in presence.

















Pilgrimage to Japanese Baths (驚異のドュメント 日本浴場物語) (1971)
A strange, semi-authentic documentary exploration of Japanese public baths and hot springs. The entirely fictional frame story features a man burdened by a mother complex journeying around Japan in search of a great bath. The Eiren synopsis speaks of nostalgia and tradition tied to spiritualism and health, contrasted to the modern era and captured with hidden cameras. It is questionable how much of that actually comes through in this 18 rated (by 1970 standards) film where half of the time you know the scenes are staged. That being said, its R18 labelling seems extremely dated by today's standards (toplessness, c-section, Turkish bath footage with no explicit sex). It's one of those cinematic oddities that don't exist anymore in the internet era.

Twisted Sex (セックスドキュメント 性倒錯の世界) (1971)
"Modern Japan. Sex is everywhere. There we have a woman with a woman. Or is it a man after all? What is a man or a woman anyway?" The third and final in Sadao Nakajima's sex doc series covers transvestites, gay men, lesbians, tattoos and S&M. This one is actually interesting in parts, especially in its romantic portrayal of gay men, something which is greatly aided by Ichiro Araki's cool score that blesses the entire film. There's also some interesting footage with Nippon Irezumi Club needle masters creating sadistic full body tattoo art with the kind of visions of torture hell familiar to viewers from Teruo Ishii's ero guro films. The doc gets less interesting when it moves to S&M content (Oniroku Dan also appears here). Again, the film is perhaps more valuable as cinematic curiosity and time capsule than as informative doc. Oh and the words quoted in the beginning? The voice belongs to narrator Ko Nishimura, probably best known to foreign audiences as the priest in Lady Snowblood (1973).



Gay guys


Lesbian gals


Nippon Irezumi Club (Japan Tattoo Club)








Oniroku Dan on the left

[HungFist]

Hot Springs Geisha 2 (温泉ポン引女中) (1969)
The first Hot Springs Geisha (1968) film, a harmless sex comedy and one of Teruo Ishii's dullest efforts, only managed to sneak in one or two brief topless shots. This sequel does more in the opening credits scene alone. It's a skin flick in and out, but thankfully one with an enjoyably laidback swing, drenched in 60s aesthetics, and without too many boring bits. And just when you're about to get a bit tired of it, it throws in a bizarre nude party scene with Tatsumi Hijikata's Butoh dancers! And then there's a super violent shocker final reel that makes you wonder if the filmmakers decided they should've gone the Joy of Torture (1968) route instead. Though unjustified quality wise, you can't quite help but to see the Beneath the Valley of the Dolls (1970) parallels. This is as good if not better than the two Norifumi Suzuki directed instalments (parts 4 and 5).

The lovely Ishii muse Masumi Tachibana


Yumiko Katayama!


My idol Osman Yusuf






Tatsumi Hijikata's Butoh gang

[HungFist]

Holy fucking Shiiit! Toei Channel is broadcasting Tooru Murakawa`s Love and Death at Fuji Speedway aka Circuit of Sorrow (1972) in December.

https://www.toeich.jp/program/1T0000012486/201812



I wasn`t the one who requested it. But whoever it was, I wanna hug him to death!

[Guro Taku]

It's been a while since I did one of these posts, partially because I stopped buying the Happinet releases in bulk, partially because the last couple batches have included very few titles I had any interest in whatsoever and mainly because the Happinet covers are so consistently DOGSHIT that it hardly acts as a powerful motivator to grab and post them here! Anyway, here goes:

Cover art for the February 2nd 2019 releases:

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)

http://i65.tinypic.com/14wy6bt.jpg

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)



Somehow the BD covers are always even worse than the DVD ones, aren't they? Overall, the only one I can tolerate is the one for Rape Climax: Skinning クライマックスレイプ　剥ぐ！ (1979) and that's because it's pretty much the original poster minus some of the text:

[HungFist]

Thanks for posting those.

So, they are doing airbrushing now? Seriously, for fuck's sake. Those women without nipples are disturbing. How are you supposed to explain to a kid why they have breasts without nipples?

Wish they'd just slap some text or credits over the boobs (like Toei sometimes does) if they gotta hide them.

[Guro Taku]

And finally, bottom of the barrel, Hell in a Bottle (1986). The poster art is great, and indeed there is a girl in a bottle at the end, but otherwise this is just a series of cheap sex scenes, much more like an AV flick than a real Nikkatsu film.

I think you might have been too harsh on this one. I think it's actually a really interesting adaptation of Kyusaku Yumeno's short story HELL IN BOTTLES (1928), which coincidentally just so happens to be the only work of Yumeno's that has so far appeared in an English translation. In fact, you can read the whole story for free online:

https://as.vanderbilt.edu/nashvillerevi ... ives/14612

For the tldr crowd, the story consists of 3 messages, sent out in bottles by a brother and a sister after they become stranded on a deserted tropical island as young children. The first message begs for help and resuce, but the second and third message, sent a good while later, paint a different picture. Left to themselves and the forces of nature, these two eventually began to see each other not as siblings but as man and woman. No longer hoping for rescue, they now dread the arrival of help and vow to jump of the cliff to be devoured by sharks should such a moment come.

So, obviously that is a very short short story and, much to my own disbelief, I have to actually compliment Kazuo 'Gaira' Komizu for coming up with a brilliant way to expand upon it without changing the story itself. The messages from the bottles still exist in Yoshihiro Kawasaki's film. The oceanographer who receives them in the short story is here presented as the deceased father of siblings Hirokazu and Megumi in the movie. When they return to their childhood home, with Hirokazu's fianceé Ayako in tow, Megumi discovers the messages and her father's musings on them. Initially the incestuos siblings in the bottle messages are played by Jun Numaoka (Hirokazu) and Hitomi Kobayashi (Ayako) in a number of flashbacks that faithfully adapt the actual short story. As Megumi's own incestuous desires for her brother are awakened, the female role in the flashbacks also changes and the sister is played by Megumi's actress, Chiyoko Ogura. And so both narratives, the flashbacks to the past and the story of their effect on the protagonists in the present reach their conclusion. I think the film sits nicely alongside other adaptations of Yumeno's work like Masaru Konuma's GIRL HELL (1977), Toshio Matsumoto's DOGURA MAGURA (1988) and Sogo Ishii's LABYRINTH OF DREAMS.

There is also a manga adaptation of the short story by Suehiro Maruo that - like DOGURA MAGURA, it should be added - exists in a French translation:



Some screenshots taken from the Japanese Laserdisc release:

Ayako discovering Megumi's bottle collection:


The bottled messages, preserved in the father's notebook:


Megumi spying on her brother having sex:


A flashback scene:


Same scene, different actress, later in the film:


Hirokazu trying to resist his sister's charms:


Yeah, that didn't work:


They go there:


In summary, at least a 4/5. Give it another go.

[HungFist]

In summary, at least a 4/5. Give it another go.

My dad used to say something like "I guess I'd rather do that than get beaten up"

Thanks for the background info, though. I never knew nor bothered to find out about that.

[HungFist]

Well, this is unexpected. Synapse is releasing Lolita Vibrator Torture under the original title.

https://synapse-films.com/dvds/lolita-vibrator-torture/

This is one time I actually wish they had used a reversible cover or something with a different title. I mean, how are you gonna explain that film title to the gentlemen at the customs office? The Brits are all gonna be in jail.

[Ivan Drago]

Heck, turns out the second Sister Street Fighter film is now illegal to import into the uk!

[HungFist]

Nikkatsu just released their Top 20 best selling Roman Porno films of 2018 list. There are no films by Tanaka, Hasebe, Kumashiro etc. there. Instead there are films like "Kikuchi Eri Big Breast Torture".

01：Rope Torture (団鬼六　縄責め) (1984)
02：Best of S&M (団鬼六監修　ＳＭ大全集) (1984)
03：Lusty Discipline in Uniform (セーラー服色情飼育) (1982)
04：Beautiful Teacher in Torture Hell (団鬼六　美教師地獄責め) (1985)
05：Beautiful Sisters: Seduced (美姉妹　犯す) (1982)
06：Love Letter (ラブレター) (1981)
07：Pink Curtain (ピンクのカーテン) (1982)
08：Irozange (色ざんげ) (1983)
09：Za shussan (ザ・出産) (1986)
10：She Cat (女猫) (1983)
11：Double Bed (ダブルベッド) (1983)
12：Dark Room (暗室) (1983)
13：Lady Karuizawa (軽井沢夫人) (1982)
14：Za honban: Moderu oodishon hen (ザ・本番　モデルオーディション篇) (1986)
15：Female Teacher In Rope Hell (団鬼六　女教師縄地獄) (1981)
16：Hoteru hime (火照る姫) (1983)
17：Za Yobai (ザ・夜這い) (1985)
18：Kikuchi Eri kyonyū seme (菊池エリ　巨乳責め) (1988)
19：Namadori kaikin tsua: Mushirareta bikini (生撮り解禁ツアー　むしられたビキニ)
20：Za honban: Joyu oodishon hen (ザ・本番　女優オーディション篇)

- https://www.nikkatsu-romanporno.com/top ... best20.php

Tells something about the core Roman Porno fans, and how much they differ from "us" cinema / cult film fans.

[Guro Taku]

Best selling how? Some of these titles, like 色ざんげ for example, are only available on VHS or as VOD. Others have recent BD releases. A depressing list no matter how you look at it or how it was compiled.

[HungFist]

Best selling how? Some of these titles, like 色ざんげ for example, are only available on VHS or as VOD. Others have recent BD releases. A depressing list no matter how you look at it or how it was compiled.

It doesn't say exactly how it was compiled, but I assume it's some sort of combination of VoD and disc sales. I could imagine DMM's streaming site being the main platform, though.

[HungFist]

One failed recording, one accidentally-destroyed-by-the-gf recording, and a two month wait for a re-broadcast later...

Circuit of Sorrow (哀愁のサーキット) (1972)
Extremely interesting, if slightly ham-fisted 2nd follow-up to Tôru Murakawa's landmark Roman Porno Delicate Skillful Fingers (1972). Based on real life Toyota race driver and fashion model Sachio Furusawa (Tôru Minegishi) who tragically died on track in 1969 and pop singer Tomoko Ogawa (Kei Kiyama), the film depicts their brief romance in the shadow of media pressure. Like Delicate Skillful Fingers, the film is essentially a Nikkatsu youth film conceived under the Roman Porno reign. There are fast cars, a bunch of Sun Tribe youngsters who challenge the protagonist to a bike race, and absolutely shitloads of catchy pop music (enough that they released an LP). But the title oversells the film: there's little sorrow on the circuit as the protagonist is only behind the racing car wheel in the opening and closing scenes. There's potential for great melancholic poetry which comes thru occasionally (their departure from a seaside motel on a rainy day is soaked with movie magic), but the protagonist is superficially written and portrayed. Murakawa's touch likewise isn't as sharp and dynamic as in Skillful Fingers, even if he claims to have had the actors have real sex in front of the camera. The film nevertheless remains highly entertaining, extremely stylish and thematically fascinating, and is yet another example of Nikkatsu Roman Porno’s incredible versatility.

Tôru Minegishi as Sachio Furusawa


Kei Kiyama as Tomoko Ogawa. The singer in the background is Seri Ishikawa who performs the actual songs sung by Kiyama's character.


The acting by the sun tribe youngsters is one of the weak links...


And the Razzie worthly lines spoken by Kiyama... "The sea is made of women's tears? What? Explain to me!" That's what you get when you script the film by yourself without Kumashiro (Delicate Fingers) I guess






One of my favourite moments in the film. Small scene, yet so beautiful.






The caps above are from the Toei Channel broadcasting. No BD/DVD/VHS/VOD/ANYTHING available, which really needs to change. I watched the film twice already.

Murakawa's last remaining RP, the impossible to see Melancholy Flesh Business: Sensuous Zone (1972), just became my most wanted film!

[Guro Taku]

One failed recording, one accidentally-destroyed-by-the-gf recording, and a two month wait for a re-broadcast later...

Ha! I was wondering what's kept you from reviewing this one. I liked it as well but agree it's not quite as good as DSF. That it was hidden from a wider audience until now (while so much utter RP garbage is readily available) is a real shame.

[Guro Taku]

I can't find any mention of it on Nikkatsu's Roman Porno website yet but it looks like there'll be two more batches of BD/DVDs released through Happinet on August 2nd and November 2nd! Both batches will consist of 2 BDs and 6 DVDs plus a number of cheap re-releases of films previously available on Geneon DVDs.

http://www.happinet-p.com/jp3/releases/category/moviej

August 2nd:

BD:

Delicate Skillful Fingers (白い指の戯れ) (1972) dir. Toru Murakawa



This film was previously available on DVD from Happinet.

Uno Koichiro no nurete noru (宇能鴻一郎の濡れて騎る) (1982) dir. Junichi Suzuki



This film was previously available as a bargain bin crap-transfer DVD from YK Pictures.

DVD:

HPBN-144 Circuit of Sorrow (哀愁のサーキット) (1972) dir. Toru Murakawa



HPBN-145 Gendai shofu-ko: seifuku no shita no uzuki (現代娼婦考　制服の下のうずき) (1974) dir. Chusei Sone



HPBN-146 Jokosei torio seikan shiken (女高生トリオ 性感試験) (1977) dir. Nobuaki Shirai



HPBN-147 Secret Book: Sleeve and Sleeve (秘本 袖と袖) (1974) dir. Akira Kato



HPBN-148 Kairaku Shoten-buro (快楽昇天風呂) (1979) dir. Atsushi Fujiura



HPBN-149 Beautiful Sisters: Flesh Slaves (美姉妹肉奴隷) (1986) dir. Katsuhiko Fujii



November 2nd:

BD:

Mika Madoka: The Woman Who Wets Her Fingers (美加マドカ 指を濡らす女) (1984) dir. Tatsumi Kumashiro



This film was previously only available on VHS/VOD

Nun in Rope Hell (団鬼六 修道女縄地獄) (1984) dir. Katsuhiko Fujii



This film was previously available on DVD.

DVD:

HPBN-150 Wet and Crying: Based on Aiko Nakayama's School of Widows (中山あい子「未亡人学校」より 濡れて泣く) (1977) dir. Katsuhiko Fujii



HPBN-151 Sex-Crime Coast-Piranha School (肉体犯罪海岸　ピラニヤの群れ) (1973) dir. Shogoro Nishimura



HPBN-152 Hirusagari no joji: Susurinaki (昼下りの情事 すすり泣き) (1977) dir. Shinichi Shiratori



HPBN-153 Sex highway: onna no chushajo (SEXハイウェイ 女の駐車場) (1974) dir. Tadahiko Isomi



HPBN-154 Cinderella Ecstasy: Kuroi Hitomi no Yûwaku (シンデレラエクスタシー 黒い瞳の誘惑) (1988) dir. Yoshihiro Kawasaki



HPBN-155 Iro wa sera-fuku (情婦はセーラー服) (1981) dir. Shogoro Nishimura

[HungFist]

Some good stuff there! I'll happily upgrade Delicate Skillful Fingers to BD and Circuit of Sorrow to retail DVD. Curious about Sex-Crime Coast-Piranha School too. Gendai shofu-ko: seifuku no shita no uzuki (Modern Prostitution: Lust Under a Uniform) is one of Sone's better films - don't believe Weisser (he bashed it without having seen it).

I almost peed my pants when I saw Sex highway: onna no chushajo until I realized it's not the Sex Rider: Wet Highway sequel I thought it was.

But where the fuck are Rape Ceremony and Female Delinquent: A Docu-drama? The best two Roman Pornos ever made. Dammit.

[HungFist]

I watched one of the films Happinet is going to put out on DVD later this year and, well, save your money.

Sex-Crime Coast: School of Piranha (肉体犯罪海岸 ピラニヤの群れ) (Japan, 1973) [VoD] – 1.5/5
Male and female delinquents dubbed as “Piranhas” (no, not the Toei guys) have sex on beach, take captives in a house, then have sex the house. Hitomi Kozue is the main bad girl getting jealous when shag partner Ryuji Nakamura gets intimate with rich girl Masumi Jun. Dull home invasion Roman Porno with a Sun Tribe flavor and a bit of gang content. Director Shogoro Nishimura merely slaps the genre premises together and proceeds to do nothing with them. Last reel action aside, it's embarrassingly unambitious for an early Roman Porno.













This is the recently added DMM HD stream. As you can see, the colors are all fucked up. Most of their recent Roman Porno HD upgrades and new additions have this same shit look based on the trailers. I always wondered if it was just the previews, but Sex-Crime Coast proves it's the entire film!

Now, the good and odd news is that this seems to be something DMM are doing by themselves rather than the master being fucked up. Their Crazed Fruit HD stream trailer has the exact same look.





But take a look at the same same trailer on Amazon Video, also for a newly added HD stream.





I haven't watched Amazon's film stream, but I have faith that it looks the same as the trailer, more or less.

[Guro Taku]

Maybe FANZA/DMM is just dedicated to shit quality and trying to make their HD streams look equally bad as the VHS era stuff? Amazing dedication, if that's the case, but really unfortunate because it's much easier for me to purchase from them than from amazon.

As for Sex Crime Coast, I think it looks and sounds like I may like it more than you. There's not exactly a ton of titles I intend to buy from these new batches, so I may pick up the DVD in spite of your warning. Definitely going to wait for the DVD release though because there's no way I'm going to torture my eyeballs with that boosted-to-hell transfer.