Abashiri Prison is a famous prison in Japan that had spawned numerous films, books and video games featuring the location. One of it's inmates was Hajime Ito whose novel Abashiri Bangaichi would form the basis of the feature reviewed here. With Eureka Entertainment bringing the first three of the lengthy series to blu ray it's time to look back at a launchpad for several prominent careers.
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
A young Yakuza (Ken Takakura) is sent to prison following an attack on a rival gangster. After an incident results in his solitary confinement, he resolves to be a model prisoner and serve his time. He ignores several efforts of other prisoners to get him to join their escape. Fellow inmate Honda (Koji Nanbara) refuses to let go and ultimately a combination of manipulation by Yoda (Toru Abe) and discovery of his mother's illness force his hand.
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
A young Yakuza (Ken Takakura) is sent to prison following an attack on a rival gangster. After an incident results in his solitary confinement, he resolves to be a model prisoner and serve his time. He ignores several efforts of other prisoners to get him to join their escape. Fellow inmate Honda (Koji Nanbara) refuses to let go and ultimately a combination of manipulation by Yoda (Toru Abe) and discovery of his mother's illness force his hand.
- 5/19/2024
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
Spooky season is not complete without a haunted house and its share of lonesome ghosts. Well, our Chicagoland readers are in luck because Bloody Disgusting and Halloweenies: A Horror Franchise Podcast invite you to see one of the greatest haunted house movies of all time on the big screen: Peter Medak’s 1980 classic The Changeling starring George C. Scott.
The one-night only event takes place on Monday, October 2nd at 8:00 p.m. at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre. In addition to this rare screening, the night will also include an exclusive live show recording of the Halloweenies, who will list out the top 10 greatest haunted house movies of all time. They’ll also be selling their new Fall merchandise!
Tickets are available here. This event is part of The Bride of Music Box of Horrors, an electrifying month of unholy horror programming at the theatre that’ll make your hair stand on end.
The one-night only event takes place on Monday, October 2nd at 8:00 p.m. at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre. In addition to this rare screening, the night will also include an exclusive live show recording of the Halloweenies, who will list out the top 10 greatest haunted house movies of all time. They’ll also be selling their new Fall merchandise!
Tickets are available here. This event is part of The Bride of Music Box of Horrors, an electrifying month of unholy horror programming at the theatre that’ll make your hair stand on end.
- 9/26/2023
- by Michael Roffman
- bloody-disgusting.com
Actor / Producer Kyosuke Mukai is making a name for himself in the horror genre and leaving a trail of blood behind him. We shine the spotlight on the works of Kyosuke Mukai and see where he’s been and where he’s going.
“I am active in both Japan and the United States. I am good at Samurai’s movements and actions, and I hope I can promote it in the United States by making use of it. I don’t speak English as fluently as an American actor, but instead I cherish acting with the spirit of a samurai. Rather than relying solely on lines, I would like to act while valuing the characters and their feelings. Of course, I am also practicing English. Originally, he appeared in Japanese TV series and one-shot dramas, but he had ambitions to one day challenge himself to American films. Then there is...
“I am active in both Japan and the United States. I am good at Samurai’s movements and actions, and I hope I can promote it in the United States by making use of it. I don’t speak English as fluently as an American actor, but instead I cherish acting with the spirit of a samurai. Rather than relying solely on lines, I would like to act while valuing the characters and their feelings. Of course, I am also practicing English. Originally, he appeared in Japanese TV series and one-shot dramas, but he had ambitions to one day challenge himself to American films. Then there is...
- 5/17/2023
- by Michael Joy
- Horror Asylum
The concept of action movies starring female protagonists was quite prevalent in East Asian cinema during the 70s and 80s but toned significantly down after that. However, lately, and as the epicenter of action movies moved towards Asean countries, it surfaced once more, as the fact that women can also can add an element of sex appeal to the action worked for a number of filmmakers. At the same time, the concept was not restricted to action movies, but also extended to art ones, as a couple of the movies in the following list will eloquently highlight.
Without further ado, here are 40 Asian movies where the action mostly derives from women, in chronological order.
1. Come Drink With Me
That also comes from the story storyline. Co-written by director Hu and Ting Shan-hsi, ‘Come Drink’ includes poignant drama into the mix as well as the action. Each of the characters has...
Without further ado, here are 40 Asian movies where the action mostly derives from women, in chronological order.
1. Come Drink With Me
That also comes from the story storyline. Co-written by director Hu and Ting Shan-hsi, ‘Come Drink’ includes poignant drama into the mix as well as the action. Each of the characters has...
- 5/10/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
1974: a great year for many filmmakers. This was the year Francis Ford Coppola released both “The Godfather: Part II” and “The Conversation”. Mel Brooks hit a prolific streak too with “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles”. Over in West Germany, Rainer Werner Fassbinder continued his hot streak by directing Four feature films, including his most beloved work, “Ali: Fear Eats the Soul”. However, it was perhaps Shinichi ‘Sonny' Chiba who had the most iconic and significant year out of that roster, with a career-defining bumper year that contained an impressive amount of diversity for an actor nominally known as a martial arts star. Surrounding himself with the posse from his expert team ‘Japan Action Club' and with the backing of the Toei Company, Ltd., Chiba completed a full trilogy, a two-part crime caper saga, a spin-off to the aforementioned trilogy And a powerful anti-war drama all in one year.
- 4/13/2023
- by Simon Ramshaw
- AsianMoviePulse
Like with most remotely successful productions in Japan at the time, the vast commercial triumph of Teruo Ishii’s “Hot Springs Geisha” also prompted its studio Toei to fast-track production on more in the series and just a few months later, “Hot Springs Pimp Geisha” was released, this time helmed by actress/director Misao Arai, although it couldn’t be more different than Ishii’s first one in terms of tone and treatment.
The setting yet again is an onsen (a hot spring) resort town, where the Ocean Observation Tower is one of the popular joints, providing all the services that such a place has to offer. The top girl there is Iku, who has been at the establishment for years and considers it home, but her love for local pickup guy Hide stops her from sleeping with other guests, despite plenty of attention. When her estranged sister Mimi returns...
The setting yet again is an onsen (a hot spring) resort town, where the Ocean Observation Tower is one of the popular joints, providing all the services that such a place has to offer. The top girl there is Iku, who has been at the establishment for years and considers it home, but her love for local pickup guy Hide stops her from sleeping with other guests, despite plenty of attention. When her estranged sister Mimi returns...
- 3/29/2021
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
When discussing Meiko Kaji, it is difficult not to rely on the word ‘iconic’. After all, what better term is there to describe a performer whose work has influenced and inspired countless filmmakers and who was once the face of female empowerment in Japanese cinema? First gracing the screen billed under her birth name, Masako Ota, Kaji has over a hundred acting credits to date and has also enjoyed a successful music career. However, her golden period undoubtedly came during the height of the exploitation boom in Japan, a time when cheap films characterised by sex and violence were produced en masse in an attempt to pry audiences away from their television sets. It was during this era that the feisty young actor earned herself a lasting place in the history of cult cinema.
Kaji had already appeared in over thirty feature films for Nikkatsu when she starred in what...
Kaji had already appeared in over thirty feature films for Nikkatsu when she starred in what...
- 3/26/2021
- by Tom Wilmot
- AsianMoviePulse
A mere two months before the release of Teruo Ishii’s “Shogun’s Joys of Torture”, which would kickstart his “Joys of Torture” series and propel him into fame and notoriety, another one of his projects was released, titled “Hot Springs Geisha”. This project would go on to enjoy a large amount of commercial success and spawn five sequels, even if Ishii would not return to direct another feature in the series.
In a small seaside resort town live a group of geishas who court businessmen that come to the resort town for the weekend, on business tours or holidays. Required to provide massages and raunchy entertainment by the day and companionship by night, these ladies’ days are spent trying to gain patronage from their regular clients in hopes of a comfortable life away from the trade, bickering with rival geisha troupes and, in the case of Chiyo,...
In a small seaside resort town live a group of geishas who court businessmen that come to the resort town for the weekend, on business tours or holidays. Required to provide massages and raunchy entertainment by the day and companionship by night, these ladies’ days are spent trying to gain patronage from their regular clients in hopes of a comfortable life away from the trade, bickering with rival geisha troupes and, in the case of Chiyo,...
- 3/14/2021
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Kazuo Koike was one of Japan’s leading seinen (“youth”) manga writers and several of his works, like “Lady Snowblood” and “Lone Wolf and Cub”, have seen big-screen adaptations that’re much loved the world over. However, one of his best adaptations that still remains less discovered and even lesser discussed is “Bohachi Bushido”. The rights to the manga were secured by superstar Tetsuro Tamba, who then brought director Teruo Ishii to make what would end up being one wild ride.
One evening, when fighting a horde of enemies, weathered samurai Shino Ashita just about has enough of life in general and, out of weariness from the constant fighting that he has always seen, decides to end his life. However, it doesn’t go quite as planned, as he is rescued by people of the Bohachi clan. This clan is notorious for having forgone eight important morals...
One evening, when fighting a horde of enemies, weathered samurai Shino Ashita just about has enough of life in general and, out of weariness from the constant fighting that he has always seen, decides to end his life. However, it doesn’t go quite as planned, as he is rescued by people of the Bohachi clan. This clan is notorious for having forgone eight important morals...
- 3/9/2021
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
In an interview Teruo Ishii gave to Chris D. he mentioned about “The Blind Woman’s Curse”: As far as being coherent, I feel the movie was nonsensical. It is in this phrase that both the aesthetics and the narrative of the film are synopsized, in a title that combines yakuza, ghost story (Nikkatsu actually ordered Ishii to include ghost elements after he started shooting), ero-guro and exploitation elements. Furthermore, it was Meiko Kaji’s first starring role and also the first time she performed the title song, “Lullaby of Honour”.
Akemi Tachibana, the daughter of a now deceased yakuza leader that fosters a huge dragon tattoo in her back, is the leader of the Tachibana clan. As the movie begins, in a rather impressive gang sword fight, she and her henchmen attack a rival group. They emerge victorious, and Akemi kills the opponent boss, but in her effort,...
Akemi Tachibana, the daughter of a now deceased yakuza leader that fosters a huge dragon tattoo in her back, is the leader of the Tachibana clan. As the movie begins, in a rather impressive gang sword fight, she and her henchmen attack a rival group. They emerge victorious, and Akemi kills the opponent boss, but in her effort,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Teruo Ishii’s Shogun’S Joy Of Torture (1968) will be available on Blu-ray February 23rd from Arrow Video
From the outrageous imagination of cult director Teruo Ishii comes this infamous omnibus of three shocking tales of crime and punishment based on true-life documented cases set during the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate.
The first tale sees the beautiful Mitsu (Masumi Tachibana) going to horrifying lengths to tend to her older brother Shinz (Teruo Yoshida), a carpenter injured in a work accident, but the law catches up on them and metes out a terrifying retribution after they violate the ultimate taboo. In the second, unfettered passions in a Buddhist nunnery are not allowed to go unpunished after abbess Reih (Yukie Kagawa) and her attendant Rintoku (Naomi Shiraishi) encounter a virile young monk from a neighboring temple. In the closing segment, a sadistic torturer (Fumio Watanabe) attempts to show a tattoo artist (Asao Koike...
From the outrageous imagination of cult director Teruo Ishii comes this infamous omnibus of three shocking tales of crime and punishment based on true-life documented cases set during the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate.
The first tale sees the beautiful Mitsu (Masumi Tachibana) going to horrifying lengths to tend to her older brother Shinz (Teruo Yoshida), a carpenter injured in a work accident, but the law catches up on them and metes out a terrifying retribution after they violate the ultimate taboo. In the second, unfettered passions in a Buddhist nunnery are not allowed to go unpunished after abbess Reih (Yukie Kagawa) and her attendant Rintoku (Naomi Shiraishi) encounter a virile young monk from a neighboring temple. In the closing segment, a sadistic torturer (Fumio Watanabe) attempts to show a tattoo artist (Asao Koike...
- 2/22/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Arrow's December lineup has been announced, revealing an eclectic mix of classics and cult films that will keep any genre fan busy during the Holidays:
"London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the December lineup of their new subscription-based Arrow platform, available now in the US and Canada. Building on the success of the Arrow Video Channel and expanding its availability across multiple devices and countries, Arrow boasts a selection of cult classics, hidden gems and iconic horror films, all curated by the Arrow Video team. December will include a number of cult classics and new films to keep you warm by the fire this holiday season.
The lineup begins December 1st with the exclusive Arrow debut of The Bloodhound, a hauntingly atmospheric tale from first-time feature director Patrick Picard, starring Liam Aiken (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Joe Adler (The Maze Runner) and Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil...
"London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the December lineup of their new subscription-based Arrow platform, available now in the US and Canada. Building on the success of the Arrow Video Channel and expanding its availability across multiple devices and countries, Arrow boasts a selection of cult classics, hidden gems and iconic horror films, all curated by the Arrow Video team. December will include a number of cult classics and new films to keep you warm by the fire this holiday season.
The lineup begins December 1st with the exclusive Arrow debut of The Bloodhound, a hauntingly atmospheric tale from first-time feature director Patrick Picard, starring Liam Aiken (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Joe Adler (The Maze Runner) and Annalise Basso (Ouija: Origin of Evil...
- 11/30/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
An unsung eccentric of Japanese cinema is Teruo Ishii, referred to in his native country as ‘the King of Cult,’ whose forays into Ere Guro (erotic grotesque) cinema play like the exploitational love child of the cinematic hits by Hiroshi Teshigahara and Yasuzo Masumura. Many of the titles from his prolific career remain largely unavailable in the West, but Arrow Video continues to recuperate his work with the re-release of 1969’s Inferno of Torture, which, as its title indicates, is a violent, torture-porn narrative chock full of memorable items hellbent on shock value.
Perhaps best known for his titles Blind Woman’s Curse (1970), which was headlined by Meiko Kaji (she of the Female Prisoner Scorpion fame), or his Island of Dr.…...
Perhaps best known for his titles Blind Woman’s Curse (1970), which was headlined by Meiko Kaji (she of the Female Prisoner Scorpion fame), or his Island of Dr.…...
- 7/14/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
After a few relatively quiet weeks to wrap up June’s home media releases, July comes roaring back with a slate of titles that genre fans will definitely want to add to their Blu-ray and DVD collections. Arrow Video has been staying extremely busy as of late, with three different releases coming out on Tuesday: Black Rainbow from Flash Gordon director Mike Hodges, Zombie for Sale, and Teruo Ishii’s Inferno of Torture. Criterion Collection is also celebrating an all-time sci-fi classic this Tuesday, The War of the Worlds, and if you haven’t had a chance to check it out on Shudder, Belzebuth is headed to both Blu-ray and DVD this week as well.
Leomark is showing some love to the Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis, with their Blu-ray presentation of Bloodmania, and Kino Lorber is resurrecting The Flesh and the Fiends for a Special Edition Blu this week,...
Leomark is showing some love to the Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis, with their Blu-ray presentation of Bloodmania, and Kino Lorber is resurrecting The Flesh and the Fiends for a Special Edition Blu this week,...
- 7/7/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Teruo Ishii’s Inferno Of Torture will be available on Blu-ray From Arrow Video July 7th
Exploitation legend Teruo Ishii delivers one of his most extreme visions of violent eroticism in this, the sixth in his abnormal love series. Tattoos and torture await women forced into servitude in Ishii’s Inferno of Torture.
Unable to repay a local lender, Yumi (Yumika Katayama) takes up an offer to serve as a geisha for two years with a promise of freedom once her debt is repaid. She quickly realizes that this is less a house of geishas than an extremely cruel brothel specializing in supplying western visitors with tattooed playthings. Taken under the wing of one of the leading tattoo artists vying for a coveted spot in the Shogun’s good graces through his work, Yumi’s body becomes a battleground as a rival artist becomes determined not to lose his spot at the top.
Exploitation legend Teruo Ishii delivers one of his most extreme visions of violent eroticism in this, the sixth in his abnormal love series. Tattoos and torture await women forced into servitude in Ishii’s Inferno of Torture.
Unable to repay a local lender, Yumi (Yumika Katayama) takes up an offer to serve as a geisha for two years with a promise of freedom once her debt is repaid. She quickly realizes that this is less a house of geishas than an extremely cruel brothel specializing in supplying western visitors with tattooed playthings. Taken under the wing of one of the leading tattoo artists vying for a coveted spot in the Shogun’s good graces through his work, Yumi’s body becomes a battleground as a rival artist becomes determined not to lose his spot at the top.
- 6/8/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Zombie for Sale“
Synopsis:
An infectiously funny slice of modern Korean cinema where Train to Busan, The Quiet Family and Warm Bodies collide to create a memorable rom-zom-com from first time director Lee Min-jae.
When the illegal human experiments of Korea’s biggest Pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of their “undead” test subjects escapes and ends up in a shabby gas station owned by the Park family – a band of misfits spanning three generations who hustle passers-by to make ends meet. When the Park family uncover their undead visitor, he bites the head of their household, who instead of transforming into an undead ghoul becomes revitalised and full of life! The family then hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth, allowing locals to pay to be bitten too, until things go wrong…
With a cabbage-munching zombie who prefers ketchup over blood, and a dysfunctional family that gives...
Synopsis:
An infectiously funny slice of modern Korean cinema where Train to Busan, The Quiet Family and Warm Bodies collide to create a memorable rom-zom-com from first time director Lee Min-jae.
When the illegal human experiments of Korea’s biggest Pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of their “undead” test subjects escapes and ends up in a shabby gas station owned by the Park family – a band of misfits spanning three generations who hustle passers-by to make ends meet. When the Park family uncover their undead visitor, he bites the head of their household, who instead of transforming into an undead ghoul becomes revitalised and full of life! The family then hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth, allowing locals to pay to be bitten too, until things go wrong…
With a cabbage-munching zombie who prefers ketchup over blood, and a dysfunctional family that gives...
- 4/26/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Mubi's retrospective Yuzo Kawashima's Post-War Japan runs January - April, 2020. Il Cinema Ritrovato will be staging a retrospective on the director in 2020.Kawashima Yūzō is one of Japan's most beloved directors, and, curiously enough, maybe also one of the most written-about. Books and special editions of magazines keep coming; only in December 2018, one of Japan's finest publishers of film books with a special interest in post-war stylists and genre masters, Wides Shuppan, celebrated the master's centennial by unleashing a brick of texts on his cinema that feels mighty definite—until something even more extensive will come up, of course. In the absence of any formalist tics or overt thematic obsessions, Kawashima, it seems, is as much an auteur to love and venerate as he's a character to wonder about—the quirky stuff of melancholic legends one obsessively tries to find in his films, like eg. seeing his ideal of...
- 2/21/2020
- MUBI
You were inspired by Kaidan Chibusa Enokizu to shoot Mimicry Freaks. Can you elaborate on this? What is the meaning of the title?
I saw this drawing painted by Seiu Ito couple of years ago. It was a drawing of a ghost holding a baby. I was so astonished by the strength of this painting. Later, I found out that it was very rare drawing of a male ghost and not a female. Mr. Ito drew this painting inspired by one episode of the Japanese tradition of comic storytelling known as Rakugo titled “Kaidan Chibusa Enokizu ”.
So the title of this drawing is actually the title of this Rakugo episode. And to tell you the meaning of this title, I have to explain the story of this Rakugo episode.
Kaidan Chibusa Enokizu is about a man who became a ghost by stealing his wife and getting killed for. That drives...
I saw this drawing painted by Seiu Ito couple of years ago. It was a drawing of a ghost holding a baby. I was so astonished by the strength of this painting. Later, I found out that it was very rare drawing of a male ghost and not a female. Mr. Ito drew this painting inspired by one episode of the Japanese tradition of comic storytelling known as Rakugo titled “Kaidan Chibusa Enokizu ”.
So the title of this drawing is actually the title of this Rakugo episode. And to tell you the meaning of this title, I have to explain the story of this Rakugo episode.
Kaidan Chibusa Enokizu is about a man who became a ghost by stealing his wife and getting killed for. That drives...
- 5/18/2019
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
There are two genres that Teruo Ishii definitely knows well: Yakuza and exploitation. Evidently, combining the two into one film (even if it is an omnibus) was definitely a good idea, particularly because Toei’s backing guaranteed the quality of the production values and a rather famous cast. Let us take a look at the result, though.
The script deals with three stories revolving around Yakuza and its rules, but in essence with the punishment received by those who break them. The first one takes place during the Edo period, and tells the story of a gang whose members end up having an area under their complete control, when they win against an opposing gang. Their cruel, sadistic and completely mistrustful boss shares a number of responsibilities to his men, but soon decides that everyone is against him, and sends his younger men to kill those who...
The script deals with three stories revolving around Yakuza and its rules, but in essence with the punishment received by those who break them. The first one takes place during the Edo period, and tells the story of a gang whose members end up having an area under their complete control, when they win against an opposing gang. Their cruel, sadistic and completely mistrustful boss shares a number of responsibilities to his men, but soon decides that everyone is against him, and sends his younger men to kill those who...
- 4/27/2019
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Teruo Ishii’s action classic Yakuza Law (1969) will be available on Blu-ray May 14th From Arrow Video
Director Teruo Ishii, the Godfather of J-sploitation, presents Yakuza Law (Aka Yakuza s Law: Lynching) a gruelling anthology of torture, spanning three district periods of Japanese history and bringing to the screen some of the most brutal methods of torment ever devised.
In this deep dive into the world of the Yakuza, meet the violent men who rule the Japanese underworld and the cruel punishments inflicted on those who transgress them. The carnage begins in the Edo Period with a violent tale of samurai vengeance starring Bunta Sugawara (Battles Without Honor and Humanity), before shifting to the Meiji Period as the exiled Ogata returns to face punishment for his past transgressions… and, ultimately, to take his revenge. Finally, the action is brought right up to date with a tale of gang warfare set...
Director Teruo Ishii, the Godfather of J-sploitation, presents Yakuza Law (Aka Yakuza s Law: Lynching) a gruelling anthology of torture, spanning three district periods of Japanese history and bringing to the screen some of the most brutal methods of torment ever devised.
In this deep dive into the world of the Yakuza, meet the violent men who rule the Japanese underworld and the cruel punishments inflicted on those who transgress them. The carnage begins in the Edo Period with a violent tale of samurai vengeance starring Bunta Sugawara (Battles Without Honor and Humanity), before shifting to the Meiji Period as the exiled Ogata returns to face punishment for his past transgressions… and, ultimately, to take his revenge. Finally, the action is brought right up to date with a tale of gang warfare set...
- 4/22/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Teruo Ishii's Blind Woman's Curse (1970), starring Meiko Kaji, is showing on Mubi March 24 – April 22, 2019 in the United States.Blind Woman's CurseMeiko Kaji is a great physical actor, a difficult thing to be under the best of circumstances. Since the sound era began there has been a consistent bias against the use of a truly expressive, diverse physicality in acting. Action is meant for action films; prat-falls are meant for comedies. The finer grades of expression and emotion—love, irony, longing, wit, fury, diffidence, meanness—are meant to be expressed with words, or with those kinds of subtle gestures that often serve as the extension of words. Jean-Claude Van Damme does not star in romances (he should), Jackie Chan has never played the lead in a gritty, downbeat film about the great Pennsylvania coal strike of 1902 (he should). This is not to say that Kaji herself was primarily an action star.
- 3/21/2019
- MUBI
From compelling and thoughtful documentaries to classic yakuza thrillers, the best of Japanese filmmaking dominates Mubi’s March program
New York, NY — February 14, 2019 — Leading curated streaming platform Mubi announced today its March release slate of films and curated series from both emerging talent and acclaimed directors from across the globe. Next month, Mubi offers a selection of the best works from the latest luminaries in Japan’s long and rich history of filmmaking – from a retrospective of Kazuhiro Soda’s rich and engaging documentaries to contrasting studies of love, life and death with two moving Cannes premieres: Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Journey to the Shore and Naomi Kawase’s Still the Water.
Additional highlights include Mubi’s ongoing examination of what makes an auteur, with film pairings from Christian Petzold, Abel Ferrara, Catherine Breillat and Carlos Reygadas, plus a look at Hollywood’s flirtations with communism during its golden age, and...
New York, NY — February 14, 2019 — Leading curated streaming platform Mubi announced today its March release slate of films and curated series from both emerging talent and acclaimed directors from across the globe. Next month, Mubi offers a selection of the best works from the latest luminaries in Japan’s long and rich history of filmmaking – from a retrospective of Kazuhiro Soda’s rich and engaging documentaries to contrasting studies of love, life and death with two moving Cannes premieres: Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Journey to the Shore and Naomi Kawase’s Still the Water.
Additional highlights include Mubi’s ongoing examination of what makes an auteur, with film pairings from Christian Petzold, Abel Ferrara, Catherine Breillat and Carlos Reygadas, plus a look at Hollywood’s flirtations with communism during its golden age, and...
- 3/2/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Director Teruo Ishii, the Godfather of J-sploitation, presents Yakuza Law (Aka Yakuza’s Law: Lynching) – a gruelling anthology of torture, spanning three district periods of Japanese history and bringing to the screen some of the most brutal methods of torment ever devised.
In this deep dive into the world of the Yakuza, meet the violent men who rule the Japanese underworld and the cruel punishments inflicted on those who transgress them. The carnage begins in the Edo Period with a violent tale of samurai vengeance starring Bunta Sugawara (Battles Without Honour and Humanity), before shifting to the Meiji Period as the exiled Ogata returns to face punishment for his past transgressions… and, ultimately, to take his revenge. Finally, the action is brought right up to date with a tale of gang warfare set in then-present-day 60s Japan and headlined by Teruo Yoshida (Ishii’s Orgies of Edo...
In this deep dive into the world of the Yakuza, meet the violent men who rule the Japanese underworld and the cruel punishments inflicted on those who transgress them. The carnage begins in the Edo Period with a violent tale of samurai vengeance starring Bunta Sugawara (Battles Without Honour and Humanity), before shifting to the Meiji Period as the exiled Ogata returns to face punishment for his past transgressions… and, ultimately, to take his revenge. Finally, the action is brought right up to date with a tale of gang warfare set in then-present-day 60s Japan and headlined by Teruo Yoshida (Ishii’s Orgies of Edo...
- 2/24/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Review by Roger Carpenter
Teruo Ishii made a career out of directing numerous installments for several popular Japanese film series. Starting in the late 50’s he directed no less than six of the nine films in the Super Giant series, a sci-fi series geared towards children (and better known to American television viewers as the syndicated Starman). He followed this up with a four-film stint for Shintoho Studio’s film noir line of movies. But perhaps he is most famous for directing no less than ten films in the 18-film Abashiri Prison series for Toei Studios. Thankfully for viewers of the outlandish and the macabre, Ishii wasn’t done with directing film series.
In 1968, Ishii, a lifelong fan of the Japanese author Edogawa Ranpo, initiated a series entitled The Joys of Torture. This eight-film series—each directed by Ishii–purported to examine Japan’s history of torture through fictional portmanteau-style films.
Teruo Ishii made a career out of directing numerous installments for several popular Japanese film series. Starting in the late 50’s he directed no less than six of the nine films in the Super Giant series, a sci-fi series geared towards children (and better known to American television viewers as the syndicated Starman). He followed this up with a four-film stint for Shintoho Studio’s film noir line of movies. But perhaps he is most famous for directing no less than ten films in the 18-film Abashiri Prison series for Toei Studios. Thankfully for viewers of the outlandish and the macabre, Ishii wasn’t done with directing film series.
In 1968, Ishii, a lifelong fan of the Japanese author Edogawa Ranpo, initiated a series entitled The Joys of Torture. This eight-film series—each directed by Ishii–purported to examine Japan’s history of torture through fictional portmanteau-style films.
- 12/18/2018
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Despite the fact that his filmography is quite diverse, Teruo Ishii is commonly known as the “King of Cult,” since he directed a number of movies in his quite prolific career, that definitely justify the title. “Horrors of Malformed Men” and “Shogun’s Joys of Torture” are among the most famous in this category of his works, but the omnibus “Orgies of Edo” also demands a place among his highlights.
Set in the Gentoku era (as all of the stories), the first story follows Oito, an innocent young woman who falls victim to the mechanics of a cunning and handsome Yakuza, who eventually leads her into prostitution. Despite the extreme hardships she experiences, though, she keeps being in love with him, even when disaster hits them both quite hard.
In the second story, the focus is on Ochise, the daughter of rich merchant whose need for perversion...
Set in the Gentoku era (as all of the stories), the first story follows Oito, an innocent young woman who falls victim to the mechanics of a cunning and handsome Yakuza, who eventually leads her into prostitution. Despite the extreme hardships she experiences, though, she keeps being in love with him, even when disaster hits them both quite hard.
In the second story, the focus is on Ochise, the daughter of rich merchant whose need for perversion...
- 11/8/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Legendary Toei director Teruo Ishii tells three stories of moral sickness set during Japan s prosperous Genroku era in this bloody follow-up to his sexploitation classic Shogun s Joy of Torture, and the fourth entry in Toei s abnormal love film series. Ishii s politically incorrect moral lessons paint a trio of tales of tragic heroines caught up in violence, sadomasochism, incest and torture.
Told in anthology style by an impassive physician (Teruo Yoshida), the first story follows Oito (Masumi Tachibana), an innocent young girl deceived by a handsome yakuza and sold into prostitution who finds herself in a doomed love affair with the man who brought her to ruin. The tale of Ochise (Mitsuko Aoi) is about the daughter of a rich merchant whose insatiable appetite for filth and perversion draws her deeper into violence, darkness and betrayal. Finally, the story of Omitsu (Miki Obana) follows a sadistic lord...
Told in anthology style by an impassive physician (Teruo Yoshida), the first story follows Oito (Masumi Tachibana), an innocent young girl deceived by a handsome yakuza and sold into prostitution who finds herself in a doomed love affair with the man who brought her to ruin. The tale of Ochise (Mitsuko Aoi) is about the daughter of a rich merchant whose insatiable appetite for filth and perversion draws her deeper into violence, darkness and betrayal. Finally, the story of Omitsu (Miki Obana) follows a sadistic lord...
- 11/5/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Review by Roger Carpenter
Just after the turn of the Twentieth Century, a new artistic movement began to sweep Japan. Steeped in traditional works of art like sculpture and painting, this new movement, ero-guro-nansensu, or erotic-grotesque-nonsense, found its way into many other mediums as well. So it should come as no surprise that this sensibility would eventually be captured on film as well.
Nowadays many Japanese filmmakers take this concept to the very edges of taste, filling the screen with nudity, sex, and outrageously bloody special effects, perhaps culminating with films such as Organ (1996) and Grotesque (2009). But before the ero-guro-nansensu ideals bled over into torture porn, the original concept had more to do with eroticism and sexual corruption combined with the very Japanese taboo of malformation or deformation of the body. Wrap all this up with a general fascination for the decadent and the bizarre, and a new movement was born.
Just after the turn of the Twentieth Century, a new artistic movement began to sweep Japan. Steeped in traditional works of art like sculpture and painting, this new movement, ero-guro-nansensu, or erotic-grotesque-nonsense, found its way into many other mediums as well. So it should come as no surprise that this sensibility would eventually be captured on film as well.
Nowadays many Japanese filmmakers take this concept to the very edges of taste, filling the screen with nudity, sex, and outrageously bloody special effects, perhaps culminating with films such as Organ (1996) and Grotesque (2009). But before the ero-guro-nansensu ideals bled over into torture porn, the original concept had more to do with eroticism and sexual corruption combined with the very Japanese taboo of malformation or deformation of the body. Wrap all this up with a general fascination for the decadent and the bizarre, and a new movement was born.
- 10/22/2018
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Horrors of Malformed Men
Blu ray – Region Code: B
Arrow Films
1969/ 2.35:1 / 99 Min. / Street Date September 17, 2018
Starring Teruo Yoshida, Yukie Kagawa
Cinematography by Shigeru Akatsuka
Directed by Teruo Ishii
The Toei Company made their mark in the 50s with a series of atmospheric horror films like Kinnosuke Fukada‘s Ghost Cat of Karakuri Tenjo and Tai Katô‘s The Ghost Story of Oiwa’s Spirit – esoteric shockers rooted in folklore and Kabuki theater that were rarely seen beyond Japanese cinemas. American audiences wouldn’t become familiar with the peculiar pleasures of Toei product until matinee-friendly fare like the animated charmer Alakazam the Great and the rubber-monster freak-out of The Green Slime invaded stateside theaters in the 60s.
Across town at Shintoho Studios – Toei’s closet competitors – director Teruo Ishii was busy shuttling between children’s fare (1957’s Super Giant) and tawdry exposes like 1961’s Sexy Chitai until the studio went...
Blu ray – Region Code: B
Arrow Films
1969/ 2.35:1 / 99 Min. / Street Date September 17, 2018
Starring Teruo Yoshida, Yukie Kagawa
Cinematography by Shigeru Akatsuka
Directed by Teruo Ishii
The Toei Company made their mark in the 50s with a series of atmospheric horror films like Kinnosuke Fukada‘s Ghost Cat of Karakuri Tenjo and Tai Katô‘s The Ghost Story of Oiwa’s Spirit – esoteric shockers rooted in folklore and Kabuki theater that were rarely seen beyond Japanese cinemas. American audiences wouldn’t become familiar with the peculiar pleasures of Toei product until matinee-friendly fare like the animated charmer Alakazam the Great and the rubber-monster freak-out of The Green Slime invaded stateside theaters in the 60s.
Across town at Shintoho Studios – Toei’s closet competitors – director Teruo Ishii was busy shuttling between children’s fare (1957’s Super Giant) and tawdry exposes like 1961’s Sexy Chitai until the studio went...
- 10/9/2018
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
September 18th is definitely a phan-tastic day to be a genre lover, as we’re finally getting individual Blu-ray releases for both Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and Phantasm IV: Oblivion this week, courtesy of Well Go USA. Scream Factory has given two classic horrors an HD overhaul—Scream for Help and The Evil—that cult film enthusiasts should definitely check out, and there is a pair of Special Edition Blu-rays arriving on Tuesday from Arrow Video to boot: Horrors of Malformed Men and The Pyjama Girl Case.
Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for September 18th include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The X-Files: Season 11, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, Impulse, and 666: Seance Hour.
The Evil
A psychologist (Richard Crenna) and his wife (Joanna Pettet) buy a dilapidated historical mansion with a dark past in this terrifying chiller. Hoping to restore the estate and turn it into a drug rehabilitation clinic,...
Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for September 18th include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The X-Files: Season 11, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, Impulse, and 666: Seance Hour.
The Evil
A psychologist (Richard Crenna) and his wife (Joanna Pettet) buy a dilapidated historical mansion with a dark past in this terrifying chiller. Hoping to restore the estate and turn it into a drug rehabilitation clinic,...
- 9/17/2018
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Bertrand Mandico's The Wild Boys (2017), which is receiving an exclusive global online premiere on Mubi, is showing September 14 – October 14, 2018 as a Special Discovery.French director Bertrand Mandico shared with us the films he thought about before, during, and after making his feature debut, The Wild Boys:ISLANDSThe Saga of AnatahanMatango: Attack of the Mushroom People: The island and its fauna and flora, the mushroom-men, the sinking. A sublime film.Lord Jim: The tempest sequence in the opening and the cowardice of Lord Jim—an amazing film.A High Wind in Jamaica: For the confusion of the captain played by Antony Quinn, the phlegm of James Coburn and the beauty of his young crew.The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (Lewis John Carlino, 1976): For the erotic figure of the Captain (Kris Kristofferson) and its clique of violent boys.Remorques: A romantic and captivating film with sequences...
- 9/13/2018
- MUBI
“The dance of darkness must spout blood into the air, in the name of the experience of evil” Tatsumi Hijikata
Made in 1969 and to this day still banned in Japan, “Horrors of Malformed Men” is a classic “ero guro nansensu” (erotic grotesque nonsense) film, based on few stories by Edogawa Rampo, whose work includes other novels-turned-films like “Blind Beast” and “Gemini”. The main inspiration of director Teruo Ishii was “The Strange Tale of Panorama Island” but he and co-scriptwriters Masahiro Kakefuda ended up adding parts of other Rampo’s novels, making “Horrors of Malformed Men” a screenwriting pastiche that doesn’t do the film any favors in terms of continuity and coherence, but infuses it with originality, fun and a unique surreal flavor.
The ban in native Japan was not due to violence or gore – the film is in fact rather tame for a cult horror – but...
Made in 1969 and to this day still banned in Japan, “Horrors of Malformed Men” is a classic “ero guro nansensu” (erotic grotesque nonsense) film, based on few stories by Edogawa Rampo, whose work includes other novels-turned-films like “Blind Beast” and “Gemini”. The main inspiration of director Teruo Ishii was “The Strange Tale of Panorama Island” but he and co-scriptwriters Masahiro Kakefuda ended up adding parts of other Rampo’s novels, making “Horrors of Malformed Men” a screenwriting pastiche that doesn’t do the film any favors in terms of continuity and coherence, but infuses it with originality, fun and a unique surreal flavor.
The ban in native Japan was not due to violence or gore – the film is in fact rather tame for a cult horror – but...
- 9/10/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Cult director Teruo Ishii presents a nightmarish, hallucinogenic tale drawn from the fevered imagination of Japan’s celebrated pioneer ofero-guro (“erotic grotesque”) literature, Edogawa Rampo.
Medical student Hirosuke Hitomi slips out of the asylum in which he has been wrongfully confined and stealthily assumes the identity of a recently deceased nobleman with whom he bears an uncanny resemblance. Hirosuke eases his way into the nobleman’s household and his dead double’s marital bed. But as long-repressed memories begin to bubble to the surface, he soon finds himself drawn to a remote isle where he is confronted by a mad scientist and his malformed men, and discovers the key that will unlock some long-suppressed mysteries of his own.
A dark labyrinth of the monstrous and perverse that fuses mystery and horror while incorporating motifs from a myriad of Rampo’s tales, Horrors of Malformed Men boasts astonishing...
Medical student Hirosuke Hitomi slips out of the asylum in which he has been wrongfully confined and stealthily assumes the identity of a recently deceased nobleman with whom he bears an uncanny resemblance. Hirosuke eases his way into the nobleman’s household and his dead double’s marital bed. But as long-repressed memories begin to bubble to the surface, he soon finds himself drawn to a remote isle where he is confronted by a mad scientist and his malformed men, and discovers the key that will unlock some long-suppressed mysteries of his own.
A dark labyrinth of the monstrous and perverse that fuses mystery and horror while incorporating motifs from a myriad of Rampo’s tales, Horrors of Malformed Men boasts astonishing...
- 6/23/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
If you ask me, Hell is the ultimate horror setting. Sure, creepy castles and abandoned outposts are great and all, but a realm of eternal torment just strikes me as a tad more terrifying. And of the major cultural interpretations of Hell out there, none are quite as grisly as the hell of Japanese Buddhism: Jigoku. Sure, there’s a way out of it, but the torments inflicted upon the damned in Jigoku make the ones Dante wrote about seem fit for children’s birthday parties. Jigoku consists of sixteen separate hells (eight “hot” and eight “cold”), with eight great hells that consist of tortures ranging from being charred in massive frying pans to being eternally smashed into paste and revived by massive rocks. It’s a brutal, depressing place where hope is faint and mercy can wait billions of years away. Naturally, it makes for a great topic for a horror movie.
- 12/2/2017
- by Perry Ruhland
- DailyDead
Kenji Fujishima's preview of this year's New York Asian Film Festival is just one of several we've gathered so far: "Alongside the likes of its opening-night selection, Philip Yung’s Aaron Kwok-led, Christopher Doyle-lensed crime drama Port of Call, and Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii’s latest live-action film Nowhere Girl, are festival-circuit travelers like this year’s centerpiece pick, Sabu’s Chasuke’s Journey, and Sion Sono’s gangster rap musical Tokyo Tribe." But "the programmers at Subway Cinema have not forgotten the past in favor of highlighting the present, as evidenced by the inclusion in its lineup of films as recent as Tsui Hark’s 2014 3D martial-arts epic The Taking of Tiger Mountain and as vintage as Teruo Ishii’s 1965 prison drama Abashiri Prison and Kinji Fukasaku’s ultra-violent 1973 yakuza thriller Battles Without Honor and Humanity." » - David Hudson...
- 6/26/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
Kenji Fujishima's preview of this year's New York Asian Film Festival is just one of several we've gathered so far: "Alongside the likes of its opening-night selection, Philip Yung’s Aaron Kwok-led, Christopher Doyle-lensed crime drama Port of Call, and Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii’s latest live-action film Nowhere Girl, are festival-circuit travelers like this year’s centerpiece pick, Sabu’s Chasuke’s Journey, and Sion Sono’s gangster rap musical Tokyo Tribe." But "the programmers at Subway Cinema have not forgotten the past in favor of highlighting the present, as evidenced by the inclusion in its lineup of films as recent as Tsui Hark’s 2014 3D martial-arts epic The Taking of Tiger Mountain and as vintage as Teruo Ishii’s 1965 prison drama Abashiri Prison and Kinji Fukasaku’s ultra-violent 1973 yakuza thriller Battles Without Honor and Humanity." » - David Hudson...
- 6/26/2015
- Keyframe
Equal parts yakuza revenge picture, sexualized exploitation romp, bakeneko (or ghost cat horror flick), and absurd comedy, Teruo Ishii’s bizarro Blind Woman’s Curse refuses to settle into categorization. Following on the heels of his much talked about Joys of Torture series which ran 1968-69, Ishii made this in addition to three other features in 1970. Sporting an inexhaustible work ethic and a taste for both the violent and absurd, one might say he is the direct predecessor of modern ludicrous Japanese cinema, Takashi Miike. It’s telling then that Arrow Films, an upscale UK home release distro who specialize in genre films, are just now making their way to Us soil with releases (amongst others) of both Ishii’s ghost cat/yakuza mash-up film and Miike’s completely insane murder musical The Happiness of the Katakuris.
Before going on to silver screen immortality in Lady Snowblood and Female Convict Scorpion,...
Before going on to silver screen immortality in Lady Snowblood and Female Convict Scorpion,...
- 4/21/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
UK residents have been enjoying Arrow Video Blu-ray releases of cult films like Maniac Cop and The Funhouse for years, and soon horror hounds living stateside can enjoy the diligent distributor’s offerings now that Arrow Video is expanding to the Us. To commemorate their growth, Arrow Video has announced upcoming North American Blu-ray releases of Mark of the Devil, Blind Woman’s Curse, and more.
Making their Blu-ray debuts in the Us, 1970’s Mark of the Devil will come out on March 17th and 1971’s Blind Woman’s Curse (aka Black Cat’s Revenge on March 24th. Arrow Video will also release the Blu-ray of Blood and Black Lace on April 14th and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Miss Osbourne to Blu-ray on April 21st. All four releases will include a DVD copy, as well. We have the official press release with full details, as well as...
Making their Blu-ray debuts in the Us, 1970’s Mark of the Devil will come out on March 17th and 1971’s Blind Woman’s Curse (aka Black Cat’s Revenge on March 24th. Arrow Video will also release the Blu-ray of Blood and Black Lace on April 14th and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Miss Osbourne to Blu-ray on April 21st. All four releases will include a DVD copy, as well. We have the official press release with full details, as well as...
- 1/14/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
In November 2014 Japanese Cinema lost two of its greatest: Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara. Since both legendary actors have had a great impact on the world of Japanese film and have starred in countless classic productions, I felt the need to write a short article about the matter and salute these two great actors.
On the 10th of November 2014, Ken Takakura passed away at the age of 83. He was known as the “Japanese Clint Eastwood”. Starting his career in 1955, Takakura became mostly known for his portrayal of tough but disciplined gangsters in the 1960s and 1970s. Most famous of these films is his performance as gangster Shinichi Tachibana in the Abashiri Prison series (1965-1972). This lead to him eventually working together with Sydney Pollack for the film The Yakuza (1974), his first international production.
But it wasn’t until 1989 before Takakura became internationally known by playing alongside Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia...
On the 10th of November 2014, Ken Takakura passed away at the age of 83. He was known as the “Japanese Clint Eastwood”. Starting his career in 1955, Takakura became mostly known for his portrayal of tough but disciplined gangsters in the 1960s and 1970s. Most famous of these films is his performance as gangster Shinichi Tachibana in the Abashiri Prison series (1965-1972). This lead to him eventually working together with Sydney Pollack for the film The Yakuza (1974), his first international production.
But it wasn’t until 1989 before Takakura became internationally known by playing alongside Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia...
- 12/8/2014
- by Thor
- AsianMoviePulse
(The following review pertains to the UK release of the film on Region B/2 formats)
By Howard Hughes
The Girls with the Dragon Tattoo
Following on from its release of ‘Lady Snowblood’ and ‘Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance’ in 2012, UK company Arrow Films has released another Japanese cult classic in ‘Blind Woman’s Curse’, a film which mixes swordplay, horror and the supernatural into a bloody vengeance scenario.
Also known as ‘Kaidan nobori ryû’, ‘The Tattooed Swordswoman’ and ‘Black Cat’s Revenge’, this is unusual action fare from director Teruo Ishii. Meiko Kaji, who went on to star as Lady Snowblood, cuts her teeth – and several villains’ major arteries – as Akemi, the head of the Tachibana Clan. In the opening rain swept swordfight, she accidentally blind’s Aiko (Hoki Tokuda), the younger sister of Yakuza clan leader Boss Goda. After a three-year stretch in prison, Akemi returns to her role as Tachibana leader,...
By Howard Hughes
The Girls with the Dragon Tattoo
Following on from its release of ‘Lady Snowblood’ and ‘Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance’ in 2012, UK company Arrow Films has released another Japanese cult classic in ‘Blind Woman’s Curse’, a film which mixes swordplay, horror and the supernatural into a bloody vengeance scenario.
Also known as ‘Kaidan nobori ryû’, ‘The Tattooed Swordswoman’ and ‘Black Cat’s Revenge’, this is unusual action fare from director Teruo Ishii. Meiko Kaji, who went on to star as Lady Snowblood, cuts her teeth – and several villains’ major arteries – as Akemi, the head of the Tachibana Clan. In the opening rain swept swordfight, she accidentally blind’s Aiko (Hoki Tokuda), the younger sister of Yakuza clan leader Boss Goda. After a three-year stretch in prison, Akemi returns to her role as Tachibana leader,...
- 8/5/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Stars: Meiko Kaji, Hoki Tokuda, Makoto Satô, Hideo Sunazuka, Shirô Ôtsuji, Tôru Abe, Yoshi Katô, Yôko Takagi, Tatsumi Hijikata, Shirô Yanase | Written by Teruo Ishii, Chûsei Sone | Directed by Teruo Ishii
When you start to watch a film called Blind Woman’s Curse starring Meiko Kaji you would expect a tale of revenge, probably featuring samurai swords and plenty of action. I think in Arrow Video’s latest release it is fair to say that you do get action, but in a very surreal way. Often hard to keep up with Teruo Ishii’s visually stunning movie is a ride into a vulgar world of the weird and very strange.
Meiki Kaji stars as Akemi Tachibana the leader of a Yakuza Gang. At the start of the movie we see her and her men fighting for vengeance against their opponents. Fighting the leader, Akemi lunges her sword only to miss...
When you start to watch a film called Blind Woman’s Curse starring Meiko Kaji you would expect a tale of revenge, probably featuring samurai swords and plenty of action. I think in Arrow Video’s latest release it is fair to say that you do get action, but in a very surreal way. Often hard to keep up with Teruo Ishii’s visually stunning movie is a ride into a vulgar world of the weird and very strange.
Meiki Kaji stars as Akemi Tachibana the leader of a Yakuza Gang. At the start of the movie we see her and her men fighting for vengeance against their opponents. Fighting the leader, Akemi lunges her sword only to miss...
- 4/1/2014
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
To mark the release of Blind Woman’s Curse on 31st March, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on dual format Blu-ray and DVD.
From “The King of Cult” Teruo Ishii, Blind Woman’s Curse (also known as Black Cat’s Revenge) is a thrilling yakuza film featuring eye-popping visuals, sensational fight sequences and the gorgeous Meiko Kaji (Lady Snowblood, Stray Cat Rock) in her first major role.
Akemi (Kaji) is a dragon-tattooed leader of the Tachibana yakuza clan. In a duel with a rival gang Akemi slashes the eyes of an opponent and a black cat appears, to lap the blood from the gushing wound. The cat along with the eye-victim go on to pursue Akemi’s gang in revenge, leaving a trail of dead yakuza girls, their dragon-tattoos skinned from their bodies.
A bizarre blend of the female yakuza film and traditional Japanese ghost story, with...
From “The King of Cult” Teruo Ishii, Blind Woman’s Curse (also known as Black Cat’s Revenge) is a thrilling yakuza film featuring eye-popping visuals, sensational fight sequences and the gorgeous Meiko Kaji (Lady Snowblood, Stray Cat Rock) in her first major role.
Akemi (Kaji) is a dragon-tattooed leader of the Tachibana yakuza clan. In a duel with a rival gang Akemi slashes the eyes of an opponent and a black cat appears, to lap the blood from the gushing wound. The cat along with the eye-victim go on to pursue Akemi’s gang in revenge, leaving a trail of dead yakuza girls, their dragon-tattoos skinned from their bodies.
A bizarre blend of the female yakuza film and traditional Japanese ghost story, with...
- 3/24/2014
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Arrow Video is excited to announce the UK Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD release of Teruo Ishii’s 1970 Japanese cult classic, Blind Woman’s Curse, available to own in the UK from 31stMarch. This deluxe edition - the first time the film will be released on any home video format within the UK - features packaging that showcases stunning newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx and a new high-definition digital transfer of the film prepared by Nikkatsu Studios, the famed studio behind many pinky violence and genre classics, and home to filmmakers such as Seijun Suzuki (Branded to Kill). Starring cult actress Meiko Kaji, of Lady Snowblood fame (whose singing from that film was borrowed by Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill), seen here in her first major role. As her star rose she would move on to the classic girl gang series Stray Cat Rock, which will be released by Arrow Video later in 2014. Lady Snowblood,...
- 3/11/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
This week’s Must Read is a long one, a real long one, but very much worth it. Writing for Off Screen, Media Studies professor Paul W. Salmon discusses the intense feedback loop of mainstream and website film criticism that simply reinforces the Hollywood system. If I hadn’t conceived of my “underground film loop” project before, I would have after reading this. For the record, I have no problem with the Hollywood system and love Hollywood movies, but that there’s slim to none discussion of outside offerings is sad. Salmon really gets into the specifics here, so that’s what makes the piece so great. (P.S. Thanks to Professor Tryon for turning me onto the article.) Here we go again: A longtime Melbourne Underground Film Festival stalker has been trying to get people to listen to his insane rants against the fest and its founder Richard Wolstencroft.
- 9/12/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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