Gendai poruno-den: senten-sei inpu (Japan, 1971) – 2/5
Can Norifumi Suzuki make a bad movie? Probably not. But a rather modest one, yes. Gendai poruno-den is one of the pink films he directed before the audience started demanding wild action and biker girls. As most erotic dramas, it’s not an overly exciting film. But it does benefit from the talent involved. Suzuki knows how to edit and use music, and of course he’s brought the whole Toei pink cast with him. Reiko Ike, Yoko Mihara, Asao Koike and Fumio Watanabe play the lead roles. The French import Sandra Julien makes a memorable 20 minute. Oh, and in the opening scene we have Reiko and Miki Sugimoto having lesbian sex.
- dvd / R2J
Girl Boss Blues: Queen Bee’s Counter Attack (Japan, 1971) – 4/5
Toei’s girl gang evolution continues. Norifumi Suzuki picks up from where Delinquent Girl Boss left off and takes the genre to the next, or should I say lower, level in Sukeban. The director’s usual mix is well presented; action, humour, sex, and lightweight drama. The latter brings some substance into the pic, but never gets in the way of more imortant things, such as Reiko Ike’s blue bikini top. Yukie Kagawa has a stong role as the former lead of the gang.
- dvd / R2J
Tokugawa sekkusu kinshi-rei: shikijô daimyô (Japan, 1972) – 2/5
Sandra Julien’s Japan holiday continues, with kimono (un)attached. This time she’s also in for some rougher treatement as director Suzuki has remembered to include some violence in the film. For the most part, however, the film is an easy going pink comedy with only a few more violent moments. These include the most absurd suicide scene you’ve ever seen. Suzuki’s camerawork and use of music is also guaranteed to deliver enjoyable moments of complete confusion. It’s still far from Suzuki wildest work, but entertaining enough to deserve a one time viewing.
- dvd / R2J
Girl Boss Blues: Queen Bee’s Challenge (Japan, 1972) – 3/5
Slightly less inventive but nevertheless enjoyable follow up to Queen Bee’s Counter Attack. This time miss Ike meets Chiyoko Kazama’s rivalry girl gang and fights the evil yakuzas lead by Asao Koike. The film is best remembered for its gruesome torture scenes. The cast features some brilliant visits, such as Tooru Yuri as a pervert priest (Suzuki’s usual mockery of religious authorities and male sex), and Furyo Bancho Tatsuo Umemiya himself in a small cameo.
- dvd / R2J
Dokaben (Japan, 1977) – 3/5
Norifumi Suzuki’s humour has never been very intelligent. But this… is a landmark in stupidity. Based on manga by Shinji Mizushima (who also has a cameo in the film) it’s a baseball – karate comedy with some â€