New Female Prisoner Scorpion: # 701 (Japan, 1976) – 3,5/5
Starting the legendary series from the beginning without the participation of Kaji or Ito may not sound like the greatest idea, but the outcome is surprisinly satisfactory. Yumi Takigawa takes over the lead role, and Yutaka Kohira sits behind the camera. The middle part drags a bit, but the last 20 minutes is jaw dropping pinky violence perfection.
- dvd / Pathe
New Female Prisoner Scorpion: Tokushu-bo X (Japan, 1977) – 3/5
The last of the 70’s Sasori films stars Yoko Natsuki, who looks very cool in the right clothing but doesn’t manage to bring much life into the character. The supporting cast is thankfully excellent, including Masashi Ishibashi as the warden and Takeo Chii and Hiroshi Tachi as guards. Kohira’s direction is less solid than before, but the last 30 minutes offers plenty of high quality entertainment.
- dvd / Pathe
Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer (Japan, 1973) –3/5
Rika Aoki is back, but half of the kick is missing. The sequel features a weaker soundtrack and notably less wild storyline. Supporting cast is a bit dull, too. However, Rika still looks hot, wears some totally awesome costumes, and steps on stage a few times, even if her songs are not as good as before. The ending, as well as the closing credits sequence, are kick ass, and the film features one of the strongest ’wtf’ moments in recent memory. Good fun for genre fans, other may consider skipping.
- dvd / Exploitation Digital