Laundy (Japan, 2002) – 2/5
This debut by director Junichi Mori could be a moderately entertaining dorama feature if the screenplay didn’t have some fatal flaws. The story of a mentally challenged young man (Yosuke Kubozuka) and an older girl (Koyuki) who’s trying to get over her shoplifter past is kinda sweet in a very superficial way, but every 25 minutes the characters do the stupidest thing imaginable… which even more frustrating because every time you could see it coming a mile away. The film is also over-long; 126 minutes. I watched it in three parts over three days, and every time I found myself somewhat entertained till the inevitable stupid twist came. So, it works in pieces if you can forgive those bad scenes and enjoy this kind of naive drama, but I’m not sure I could survive it at one sitting.
- dvd / HK
The Kid With the Golden Arm (Hong Kong, 1979) – 3/5
Routine Chang Cheh / Venoms film. Loads of entertaining although not mindblowing fights throughout, plus a very good finale. The storyline and character relationship are a bit messy especially in the beginning. Acting is stiff, so unless you’re not a hard core Venoms fan this could actually work better with a good english dub. One female character has also found her way into the film. The usual studio sets looked nice once again, although maybe that was because it’s been quite long since I last watched a Shaw Bros. film.
- dvd / HK
Secret Chronicle: Prostitute Torture Hell (Japan, 1973) – 2/5
There’s no denying Noboru Tanaka was one of the better Japanese directors of the 70’s. From a technical point of view he’d be almost sure to deliver quality film each time. But he also had a tendency for these distant, dialogue loaded dramas that always seem to score with the critics (A Woman Called Abe Sada being another example). Some visual sequences are impressive, though. The film is also known as The Hell Fated Courtesan.
- dvd / R2J
Showa Woman: Naked Rashomon (Japan, 1972) - 3/5
Despite the title, this Chusei Sone film bears little in common with Kurosawa’s classic Rashomon. The movie begins as a rather dry pink drama, but gets very interesting after the first third when the director introduces surreal imagery and complicated twists. Naked Rashomon is a notably more challenging film than your average Nikkatsu offering. This may be because both the director and screenwriter have a history among Seijun Suzuki films. One of their cleaver ideas in Naked Rashomon is that both main couples - the parents and their children - are played by the same actors.
- dvd / R2J
Secretary Rope Discipline (Japan, 1981) – 1,5/5
Nikkatsu’s SM line suffers from some serious lack of originality. Secretary Rope Disciplineis no exception. However, if I actually digged the genre I might like Secretary Rope Discipline, too. It’s got a decent soundtrack and I can’t deny the evil company boss’ little cousin being a pretty hot lady. There’s a half-mute tattoo maniac, too, but he’s not as much fun as you’d expect. The lead role is played by the 2nd generation queen Junko Mabuki, whose career in the genre only lasted a couple of years as her health gave up under the ropes.
- dvd / R2J
Rape! 13th Hour (Japan, 1977) – 3,5/5
Serial rapist takes a student while being chased by a homosexual gang whose leader had become a victim of his. Yasuharu Hasebe continues to explore his favourite theme, which is a sudden change (to worse) in a ordinary person. Rape! 13th Hour is hardly happy go lucky entertainment, in fact even the studio themself thought they had gone too far this time. It is however a thought provoking and extremely slick thriller. Hasebe’s usual classical soundtrack works up to the perfection at times. The finale is rather surprising and unexpected… and ultraviolent. Metaphors for the state of the 1970’s movie industry (and society in general) are not hard to find, even if the director himself denies them.
- dvd / R2J
Zoo (Japan, 2005) – 2/5
One movie, five episodes, none of them very good. In fact most of them are unintentionally silly. The first one is the best. Identical twins receive opposite treatement from their single mother; one is beaten daily while the other is a little princess. Hardly convincing movie making on any level, but not boring at all. The follow up is a horror story; seven women find themselves locked in small rooms by a maniac killer. No originality (especially in the Korean style classical soundtrack) but watchable at least. The third story stars Ryunosuke Kamiki as a kid whose parents get into a car accident. Later that night he sees his father and mother return home, but they can no longer see each other. Cleaver attempt, less cleaver outcome. The fouth episode is an animation without anything too special about it. A scientist who lives in the countryside creates a cyborg girl to do him a favours. The film ends with Hiroshi Ando’s intentionally weird and unrewarding ’Zoo’, which has been graced with ultra thick grain layer.
- dvd / Thai