Japanese cult cinema thread

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 09 Feb 2012, 21:40

also sometime this year

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 03 Mar 2012, 12:44

HungFist wrote: GIRL'S JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL: BAD HABIT (女子学園　悪い遊び) (1970)
Director: Ezaki Mio
Cast: Junko Natsu, Rumi Goto.

GIRL'S JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL: TROUBLE AT GRADUATION (女子学園　ヤバい卒業) (1970)
Director: Yukihiro Sawada
Cast: Junko Natsu, Ruoko Ikedo

GIRL'S JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL: TOO YOUNG TO PLAY LIKE THIS (女子学園　おとなの遊び) (1971)
Director: Akira Kato
Cast: Junko Natsu, Rumi Goto

The DVD's come with
- 4 page booklet
- Trailer
- "Junko Natsu Special in View" (Japangrish) (夏純子スペシャルインビュー（音声とスチール写真）) (stills with audio)

Also available in a box set with
- 24 page photobook

Here's Nikkatsu's site for the Girl's Junior High School dvds:
http://www.nikkatsu.com/package/100clas ... oshigakuen

Marshall · Post by **Marshall** » 03 Mar 2012, 22:03

Thnaks for the link! It was great to see that little video promo for the GJHS series. Exactly what I was expecting. Can't wait.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 05 Mar 2012, 08:12

Toei July

暗黒街最後の日 (Ankoku-gai saigo no hi) (Hell's Kitchen) (1962)
Dir: Umetsugu Inoue
Cast: Ken Takakura, Tetsuro Tamba, Tatsuo Umemiya, Hideo Murota
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=829358
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055752/

暗黒街最大の決斗 (Ankokugai saidai no kettou) (1963)
Dir: Umetsugu Inoue
Cast: Koji Tsurata, Ken Takakura, Tatsuo Umemiya
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=829359
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0228017/

暗黒街大通り (Ankokugai odori) (1964)
Dir: Umetsugu Inoue
Cast: Ken Takakura, Tatsuo Umemiya
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=829360
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0228016/

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 05 Mar 2012, 09:39

Stuff that I missed before

One title added to May Toei releases

HungFist wrote: 男組　(Otoko gumi) (1975)
Director: Makoto Naito
Cast: Masato Hoshi, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Hideo Murota

Toei January
This month I originally skipped... so let me give you just a very brief summary. Tatsumi Kumashiro horror + three 80's and 90's drama films by other directors.

霧の子午線 (1996)
- http://www.toei-video.co.jp/data/hs/vca ... 03458.html

東雲楼　女の乱 (1994)
- http://www.toei-video.co.jp/data/hs/vca ... 03456.html

生きてるうちが花なのよ　死んだらそれまでよ党宣言 (1985)
- http://www.toei-video.co.jp/data/hs/vca ... 08045.html

地獄 (Jigoku) (The Inferno) (1979)
Dir: Tatsumi Kumashiro
Cast: Mieko Harada, Kunie Tanaka, Renji Ishibashi
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=86071
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202931/

Toei March

白昼の死角 (Hakuchyu no shikaku) (1979)
Dir: Tooru Murakawa
Cast: Isao Natsuyagi, Sonny Chiba, Tetsuro Tamba, Mikio Narita
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079262/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_c.php?num_c=146675

悪魔が来りて笛を吹く (Akuma ga kitarite fue o fuku) (1979)
Dir: Kosei Saito
Cast: Toshiyuki Nishida, Isao Natsuyagi, Tatsuo Umemiya
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0224596/
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=810931

Marshall · Post by **Marshall** » 31 Mar 2012, 18:44

HungFist wrote:

The DVD's come with
- 4 page booklet
- Trailer
- "Junko Natsu Special in View" (Japangrish) (夏純子スペシャルインビュー（音声とスチール写真）) (stills with audio)

Also available in a box set with
- 24 page photobook

Got a shipping notification!

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 04 Apr 2012, 12:04

Marshall wrote: Got a shipping notification!

Saw this in a shop today... and Torn Priestess... Gotta save money for now, though.

Marshall · Post by **Marshall** » 05 Apr 2012, 01:04

Wow, imagine a world where you could walk into a store and see this on the shelf. American retailers would never carry anything like this anymore.

Phantom · Post by **Phantom** » 06 Apr 2012, 16:31

HungFist wrote:
HungFist wrote:This is gonna make someone seriously happy.

In February Toei will be releasing four films by Yuji Makiguchi

戦後猟奇犯罪史 (Sengo Ryôki Hanzaishi) (Bizarre Crimes of Post-War Japan) (1976)
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=807185

徳川女刑罰絵巻　牛裂きの刑 (Tokugawa onna keibatsu-emaki: Ushi-zaki no kei) (Shogun's Sadism) (1976)
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=807186

毒婦お伝と首切り浅 (Dokufu Oden to Hitokiri Asa) (Decapitation of an Evil Woman) (1977)
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=807187

女獄門帖　引き裂かれた尼僧 (Onna gokumon chou: hikisakareta nisou) (Torn Priestess) (1977)
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=807188

I enjoyed TORN PRIESTESS; Toei dvd is impressive. SADISM I like. But DECAPITATION and CRIMES both look good. Anyone seen these two yet?

Phantom · Post by **Phantom** » 06 Apr 2012, 17:08

HungFist wrote:If you're close to Tokyo, you have a chance to see 30 Teruo Ishii films theatrically. And if you're not close to Tokyo, then now is the time to start thinking how to change that.

Celebrating the release of the new documentary film Ishii Teruo: Eiga Tamashi, Cinema Vera will screen 30 of Ishii's movies June 31-September 3. The selection includes many of his early films (scifi, noir), seminal pinky violence works, and some 1990's movies.

A little bit disappointed with the selection to be honest (I was hoping for more unreleased 70's gems) but there's a lot of great stuff there. May drop by for a few days if I get a chance.

http://www.cinemavera.com/schedule.html

Hung Fist, did you see the Ishii doco? What did you think?

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 07 Apr 2012, 02:13

I didn't see the Ishii doc yet.

Shogun's Sadism I've seen a long time ago from the Japan Shock dvd... might revisit it on Toei dvd some day.

Bizarre Crimes of Post-War Japan is disappointing... it's much like Ishii's Love & Crime, a "true accounting" of various real life crimes but with less memorable execution, not all that much exploitation, and an irritating narration by the hysteric pop star Pinko Izumi. The most interesting part is to see Hideo Murota play the same character Ken Ogata played in Vengeance is Mine a few years later...

The other two I haven't seen, but I might rent them if I can find them... need to invest a bit more on viewing equipment first, though.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 10 Apr 2012, 13:53

Toei June Low Priced:
http://www.toei-video.co.jp/priceoff12th/index.html

All kinds of cool stuff (that you probably already own some of), like

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 10 Apr 2012, 14:44

Toei August is a Ken Takakura month

ごろつき無宿 (Gorotsuki mushuku) (1971)
Dir: Yasuo Furuhata
Cast: Ken Takakura
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=833459

International Gangs of Kobe (神戸国際ギャング) (1975)
Dir: Noboru Tanaka
Cast: Ken Takakura, Bunta Sugawara
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=833461

Nihon ninkyo-do: gekitotsu-hen (日本任侠道　激突篇) (1975)
Dir: Kousaku Yamashita
Cast: Ken Takakura
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=833460

Nihon ninkyo-do: gekitotsu-hen and International Gangs of Kobe posters

International Gangs of Kobe VHS

Toei September is a Yasuaki Kurata month

Which is Stronger: Karate or the Tiger (武闘拳　猛虎激殺！) (1976)

I've actually seen this mofo on 35mm! And no, this is not Dragon Princess although some websites make the mistake, but a Yasuaki Kurata karate film in which he fights a tiger! Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi (Sister Street Fighter) and of course co-starring Masashi Ishibashi in a villain role!

Also coming the same day is another Kurata movie: Bloodfight (ファイナル・ファイト　最後の一撃) (1989)

(+ a 2003 film called 黄龍イエロードラゴン in case someone is interested)

kemushi · Post by **kemushi** » 13 Apr 2012, 12:33

Phantom wrote:I enjoyed TORN PRIESTESS; Toei dvd is impressive.

I was surprised and pleased that even after years of lusting after an uncut version in the correct aspect ratio the film managed to top my expectations. I'm still reeling from the dance number. One expectation that wasn't met is that I still have no clue whatsoever how the nuns can have a zombie servant who takes out their "trash".

Phantom wrote:SADISM I like.

It remains one of the tougher films I have ever seen, despite (or maybe because) the second episode is partially played for laughs. The Toei DVD blows the Japan Shock PAL release out of the water. And I say that as someone who has constantly praised Shock Ent. for going with a genuine PAL transfer on their release as opposed to the horrid NTSC-PAL conversion jobs they used for all their Teruo Ishii films.

Phantom wrote:But DECAPITATION and CRIMES both look good. Anyone seen these two yet?

I enjoyed DECAPITATION a lot. It doesn't seem to be based on the same Oden Takahashi's life story as the segment in Teruo Ishii's LOVE AND CRIME and Shogoro Nishimura's KORAYAMU. Either that or Makiguchi just took the name and the ultimate fate of Oden and made up his own story from there. It's basically Oden and a growing group of fellow outlaws having fun and being on the run until the law catches up with them. There's tragedy at the end but most of the film plays as a comedy.

I agree with HungFist about BIZARRE CRIMES. It's a major disappointment from Makiguchi and Pinko Izumi is annoying enough to convert feminists to misogynists. Only Makiguchi film I disliked more was RASHAMEN, a melodrama about the heartaches of a woman who, due to the poverty of her family, ends up having to share the sleeping quarters with a bearded American. It's chock full of whining, crying and would get away with a PG rating if it were released in the US today. Not that I absolutely require bucketfuls of nudity and violence to enjoy a film but two hours worth of a weak and unlikeable character crying and complaining is definitely not my idea of entertainment.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 13 Apr 2012, 13:30

Just when I was trying to resist the temptation to spend any money on a monitor (aka live without home video entertainment) Kemushi praises Priestess to heaven

Oh well, I'm gonna be out of money anyway. There's a Masumi Tachibana retro in Tokyo, gonna book my flights and catch at least Ishii's Ijô seiai kiroku: Harenchi on 35mm... terribly tempted to see Inferno of Torture, too, but that's my only chance to see Donzumari benki in Eurospace...

Of course, I have both Ishii films on dvd, but 35mm would kick ass...

Decapitation has a pretty wild cover... remember that one from the pinky violence book, too. Misleading?

kemushi · Post by **kemushi** » 13 Apr 2012, 16:30

HungFist wrote:Decapitation has a pretty wild cover... remember that one from the pinky violence book, too. Misleading?

I'd say the poster/cover promises something that is more sleazy than the actual film turns out to be. Oden certainly doesn't have her breasts hanging out in the climactic scene. It's an entertaining film and I liked it but the poster is guilty of exaggerating.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Apr 2012, 11:13

From Animeigo

Release date: 2012-09-25

and from Eastern Star, the much awated original language Golgo 13 anime

Release date: 2012-07-24

Xenon · Post by **Xenon** » 14 Apr 2012, 14:18

Will there be a bluray release of Golgo 13?

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 27 Apr 2012, 13:07

Xenon, not as far as I know.

Marshall wrote:
HungFist wrote:

The DVD's come with
- 4 page booklet
- Trailer
- "Junko Natsu Special in View" (Japangrish) (夏純子スペシャルインビュー（音声とスチール写真）) (stills with audio)

Also available in a box set with
- 24 page photobook

Got a shipping notification!

How is the set? There sweeties are not available for rental (

) so purchase is my only option if I wish to see them... but the box set seems to be more expensive than the three stand alone releases

And the box set doesn't seem all that fancy... plastic cases inside, with that booklet as far as I can see.

How is the booklet? How about the other extras? Any point in paying extra for the box set?

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 29 Apr 2012, 02:27

Artworks

HungFist wrote:Toei July

暗黒街最後の日 (Ankoku-gai saigo no hi) (Hell's Kitchen) (1962)
Dir: Umetsugu Inoue
Cast: Ken Takakura, Tetsuro Tamba, Tatsuo Umemiya, Hideo Murota
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=829358
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055752/

暗黒街最大の決斗 (Ankokugai saidai no kettou) (1963)
Dir: Umetsugu Inoue
Cast: Koji Tsurata, Ken Takakura, Tatsuo Umemiya
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=829359
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0228017/

暗黒街大通り (Ankokugai odori) (1964)
Dir: Umetsugu Inoue
Cast: Ken Takakura, Tatsuo Umemiya
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=829360
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0228016/

HungFist wrote:Toei August is a Ken Takakura month

ごろつき無宿 (Gorotsuki mushuku) (1971)
Dir: Yasuo Furuhata
Cast: Ken Takakura
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=833459

International Gangs of Kobe (神戸国際ギャング) (1975)
Dir: Noboru Tanaka
Cast: Ken Takakura, Bunta Sugawara
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=833461

Nihon ninkyo-do: gekitotsu-hen (日本任侠道　激突篇) (1975)
Dir: Kousaku Yamashita
Cast: Ken Takakura
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=833460

Marshall · Post by **Marshall** » 29 Apr 2012, 08:27

HungFist wrote: How is the set? There sweeties are not available for rental ( ) so purchase is my only option if I wish to see them... but the box set seems to be more expensive than the three stand alone releases And the box set doesn't seem all that fancy... plastic cases inside, with that booklet as far as I can see.

How is the booklet? How about the other extras? Any point in paying extra for the box set?

Thank you for asking. For me, it was well worth the purchase. I didn't notice the box being particularly more expensive than buying all three individual discs, but regardless, I wasn't going to miss out on the booklet. I went back just now and took another look at it. 24 pages of black and white publicity photos, with a current color pic of Miss Natsu in the back. Not indispensable, but I'm glad I have it. (You also get a few pieces of loose Nikkatsu flyer garbage--not sure if they stick those in the single discs.)

I really enjoyed the first movie. It was very similar in tone to THREE PRETTY DEVILS. This is one of those movies about girlies being girlies. Despite not speaking a word of Japanese, I had no problem watching it straight through. Junko's main rival is quite a cutie pie, too. They seem to be competing for the attentions of a teacher that they like--there appears to be a bet involved, not unlike LITTLE DARLINGS. Also a pregnancy scare from one of the girls in the group. Lots of hyper-cute mugging. Junko Natsu has such an unusual look, to the point where I have been tempted to start a thread called "Junko Natsu: Eurasian or eyejob?" Inquiring minds want to know. Same thing with Mie Hama, although in her case I am more inclined to guess cosmetic surgery.

The films kind of follow the same trajectory as the RIKA trilogy. The second film is kind of dull and shot in cold weather. I have pretty bad seasonal depression, so when I run into a series installment that is clearly shot in winter (like the fourth SUKEBAN film, for instance) where the girls are all wearing fur-lined jackets and the sun is always on the horizon and it looks like dusk and I can see everyone's breath, it kind or turns me off. To extend the RIKA comparison, the third film is a bit of a return to form, and unless I am grossly mistaken, the much-missed rival from the first film (Rumi Goto?) is back with a slightly different look. Ultimately neither of the sequels held my uncomprehending attention like the first one did, but for me, this was a highly worthwhile purchase, and I look forward to checking these films out again many times in the future. Junko Natsu never really clicked with me before--she's okay, but I was not expecting her to be so energetic and carry a series as well as she did.

Oh, and there is an awful lot of volleyball in these movies. Please let me know if you have any additional, perhaps more specific questions.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 29 Apr 2012, 12:33

Thanks. Great answer. Gotta consider these after I rob a bank.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 10 May 2012, 02:37

Kenji Misumi's The Last Samurai on R1:
http://www.cityonfire.com/the-last-samu ... une-media/

Terrible artwork, though.

FR and R2J releases are also available.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 25 May 2012, 15:32

Nikkatsu HD remasters 2012/09/04

Marshall · Post by **Marshall** » 25 May 2012, 21:16

Someone will have to let me know how MELODY OF REBELLION is. Maybe a trailer will turn up? Nice to see BLIND WOMAN'S CURSE getting remastered--it needs it.

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