Retro Cinemas and Cult Films in Japan

[Guro Taku]

The 2024 retrospective includes five films from the 2013 line-up (including three that Laputa had produced prints for), as well as three new films. If you look at the list carefully and beyond, you'll find some vaguely familiar names. Misao Arai was Teruo Ishii's assistant director in his notorious late 60s shockers, and directed the 2nd film in the Hot Springs Geisha series. Tomomi Yoda likewise worked as assistant director in films like Horrors of Malfomed Men and Tokugawa Sex Ban. Victimized was written by Ikuo Sekimoto, while “Married Woman’s Sex Hell” was written by Masahiro Kakefuda and co-stars Takuzo Kawatani. Kawatani is also the star of The Fancy Man, which is the film I'm most looking forward to seeing.

I'd be curious about the Misao Arai film at the very least. In my opinion, his second Hot Springs Geisha film is the best entry in the whole series. And I say that as someone who worships at the altar of Suzuki's Soft-Shell Turtle Geisha film but even if that one is a close second it can't beat the ero-guro fireworks that Arai unleashes in the last third of his film. It feels illegal at times and depending on where in the world you watch the film, maybe it is. I don't think I ever managed to see any other film he directed, which is a damn shame.

I still find the 180 you did on Kawatani funny. The guy certainly has a... unique acting style. I've always liked him but that's because my introduction to him was Shogun's Sadism and not one of the many lowbrow comedy roles he did.

[HungFist]

I still find the 180 you did on Kawatani funny.

I know 10 years ago I called him a "miserable over-actor". Now I fly to Tokyo just to see him in a bargain budget porno

I even like his comedy act now

[HungFist]

A couple of corrections to my earlier post regarding Toei New Porno

(not yet on the homepage)

The website is up:
http://www.laputa-jp.com/laputa/program ... ewporno_r/

There's a recent twitter post about how Laputa tried to get "A College Girl's Affairs" into their 2013 Toei New Porno retrospective, but for "various reasons" (an annoying Japanese expression used when one doesn't want to state the reasons publicly) the film had to be dropped. "The Fancy Man" was also cancelled prior to the screening. However, the issues have now been cleared and new 35mm prints have been produced for the 2024 retrospective.

Correction: a new 35mm print has now been produced for "A College Girl's Affairs". "The Fancy Man" has an older print which couldn't be screened 10 years ago due to undisclosed reasons.

It should be noted though that the two Virgin Breaker Yuki films are NOT actually Toei New Porno but were included for being a close call (and likely because Laputa couldn't afford to produce more film prints, haha).

My mistake here. Decapitation of an Evil Woman, which was included in the 2012 retrospective, is not considered Toei New Porno. Two Virgin Breaker Yuki films ARE Toei New Porno. My memory was playing tricks on me and I didn't realize my mistake until a took another look at the 2012 program introduction text.

Also, I've added all the missing films to Letterboxd (four of the eight, well, actually five if you count one that I added 6 months ago already) so you can find them there if you search for them.

[HungFist]

MY GOD! PART II. Laputa's Main Program for August - September has been announced, and it is:

T G C戦うガールズコレクション2024

8.4（日）～6（火）
13:00　ずべ公番長 夢は夜ひらく(Delinquent Girl Boss - Blossoming Night Dreams) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1970)
15:00　めくらのお市物語 真赤な流れ鳥 (Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman) (Sadatsugu Matsuda, 1969)
17:00　東おんな極道 (Kanto Woman Scoundrel) (Kazuo Mori, 1969)
19:00　ずべ公番長 夢は夜ひらく (Delinquent Girl Boss: Blossoming Night Dreams) ( Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1970)

8.7（水）～10（土）
13:00　めくらのお市物語 真赤な流れ鳥 (Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman) (Sadatsugu Matsuda, 1969)
15:00　東おんな極道 (Kanto Woman Scoundrel) (Kazuo Mori, 1969)
17:00　妖艶毒婦伝 人斬りお勝 (Quick-Draw Okatsu) (Nobuo Nakagawa, 1969)
19:00　女番長ブルース 牝蜂の挑戦 (Girl Boss Blues: Queen Bee's Challenge) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1972)

8.11（日）～13（火）
13:00　妖艶毒婦伝 人斬りお勝 (Quick-Draw Okatsu) ( Nobuo Nakagawa, 1969)
15:00　女番長ブルース 牝蜂の挑戦 (Girl Boss Blues: Queen Bee's Challenge) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1972)
17:00　めくらのお市 地獄肌 (Trapped, the Crimson Bat) (Sadatsugu Matsuda, 1969)
19:00　ずべ公番長 東京流れ者 (Delinquent Girl Boss: Tokyo Drifters) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1970)

8.14（水）～17（土）
13:00　めくらのお市 地獄肌 (Trapped, the Crimson Bat) (Sadatsugu Matsuda, 1969)
15:00　ずべ公番長 東京流れ者 (Delinquent Girl Boss: Tokyo Drifters) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1970)
17:00　女左膳 濡れ燕片手斬り (Lady Sazen and the Drenched Swallow Sword) (Kimiyoshi Yasuda, 1969)
19:00　女番長 (Girl Boss: Revenge) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)

8.18（日）～8.20（火）
13:00　女左膳 濡れ燕片手斬り (Lady Sazen and the Drenched Swallow Sword) (Kimiyoshi Yasuda, 1969)
15:00　女番長 (Girl Boss: Revenge) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)
17:00　妖艶毒婦伝 お勝兇状旅 (Okatsu the Fugitive) (Nobuo Nakagawa, 1969)
19:00　昇り竜 鉄火肌 (Rising Dragon's Iron Flesh) (Teruo Ishii, 1969)

8.21（水）～24（土）
13:00　妖艶毒婦伝 お勝兇状旅 (Okatsu the Fugitive) (Nobuo Nakagawa, 1969)
15:00　昇り竜 鉄火肌 (Rising Dragon's Iron Flesh) (Teruo Ishii, 1969)
17:00　緋牡丹博徒 お命戴きます (Red Peony Gambler: Here to Kill You) (Tai Kato, 1971)
19:00　女番長 感化院脱走 (Girl Boss: Escape from Reform School) (Sadao Nakajima, 1973)

8.25（日）～27（火）
13:00　緋牡丹博徒 お命戴きます (Red Peony Gambler: Here to Kill You) (Tai Kato, 1971)
15:00　女番長 感化院脱走 (Girl Boss: Escape from Reform School) (Sadao Nakajima, 1973)
17:00　笹笛お紋 (Girl with Bamboo Leaves) (Tokuzo Tanaka, 1969)
19:00　昇り竜 やわ肌開帳 (Rising Dragon’s Soft Flesh Exposed) (Masami Kuzuo, 1969)

8.28（水）～31（土）
13:00　笹笛お紋 (Girl with Bamboo Leaves) (Tokuzo Tanaka, 1969)
15:00　昇り竜 やわ肌開帳 (Rising Dragon’s Soft Flesh Exposed) (Masami Kuzuo, 1969)
17:00　女番長 野良猫ロック (Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss) (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1970)
19:00　恐怖女子高校 暴行リンチ教室 (Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)

9.1（日）～3（火）
13:00　女番長 野良猫ロック (Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss) (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1970)
15:00　恐怖女子高校 暴行リンチ教室 (Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)
17:00　銀蝶渡り鳥 (Wandering Ginza Butterfly) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1972)
19:00　不良姐御伝 猪の鹿お蝶 (Sex & Fury) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)

9.4（水）～7（土）
13:00　銀蝶渡り鳥 (Wandering Ginza Butterfly) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1972)
15:00　不良姐御伝 猪の鹿お蝶 (Sex & Fury) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)
17:00　緋ぢりめん博徒 (The Red Silk Gambler) (Teruo Ishii, 1972)
19:00　恐怖女子高校 不良悶絶グループ (Terrifying Girls' High School: Delinquent Convulsion Group) (Seiko Shimura, 1973)

9.8（日）～10（火）
13:00　緋ぢりめん博徒 (The Red Silk Gambler) (Teruo Ishii, 1972)
15:00　恐怖女子高校 不良悶絶グループ (Terrifying Girls' High School: Delinquent Convulsion Group) (Seiko Shimura, 1973)
17:00　銀蝶流れ者 牝猫博奕 (Wandering Ginza Butterfly 2: She-Cat Gambler) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1972)
19:00　若い貴族たち 13階段のマキ (13 Steps of Maki) (Makoto Naito, 1975)

9.11（水）～14（土）
13:00　銀蝶流れ者 牝猫博奕 (Wandering Ginza Butterfly 2: She-Cat Gambler) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1972)
15:00　若い貴族たち 13階段のマキ (13 Steps of Maki) (Makoto Naito, 1975)
17:00　混血児リカ ひとりゆくさすらい旅 (Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer) (Ko Nakahira, 1973)
19:00　前科おんな　殺し節 (Criminal Woman: Killing Melody) (Atsushi Mihori, 1973)

9.15（日）～17（火）
13:00　混血児リカ ひとりゆくさすらい旅 (Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer) (Ko Nakahira, 1973)
15:00　前科おんな　殺し節 (Criminal Woman: Killing Melody) (Atsushi Mihori, 1973)
17:00　修羅雪姫 (Lady Snowblood) (Toshiya Fujita, 1973)
19:00　必殺女拳士 (Dragon Princess) (Yutaka Kohira, 1976)

9.18（水）～9.21（土）
13:00　修羅雪姫 (Lady Snowblood) (Toshiya Fujita, 1973)
15:00　必殺女拳士 (Dragon Princess) (Yutaka Kohira, 1976)
17:00　やさぐれ姐御伝 総括リンチ (Female Yakuza Tale) (Teruo Ishii, 1973)
19:00　ビューティ・ペア 真赤な青春 (Red-Hot Youth) (Makoto Naito, 1977)

9.22（日）～24（火）
13:00　やさぐれ姐御伝 総括リンチ (Female Yakuza Tale) (Teruo Ishii, 1973)
15:00　ビューティ・ペア 真赤な青春 (Red-Hot Youth) (Makoto Naito, 1977)
17:00　修羅雪姫 怨み恋歌 (Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance) (Toshiya Fujita, 1974)
19:00　華麗なる追跡 (The Great Chase) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1975)

9.25（水）～9.28（土）
13:00　0課の女 赤い手錠 (Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs) (Yukio Noda, 1974)
15:00　修羅雪姫 怨み恋歌 (Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance) (Toshiya Fujita, 1974)
17:00　華麗なる追跡 (The Great Chase) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1975)
19:00　0課の女 赤い手錠 (Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs) (Yukio Noda, 1974)

- http://www.laputa-jp.com/laputa/program/tgc2024/

[HungFist]

Toei New Porno and More: The First Trip - Part 1/3

This is going to be a crazy summer. Laputa Asagaya is killing my bank account! They already did the massive Toei Oizumi retrospective earlier this year, now they’re doing Toei New Porno, and I haven’t mentioned it yet but a 30 movie Roman Porno retrospective with films like Yukihiro Sawada’s ultra rare revenge film Attack! (襲え) (1978) started last weekend. And there’s the Fighting Women screening series packed to the brim with Pinky Violence, karate and swordswoman classics coming in August-September. I might as well rent an apartment in Tokyo because that’s how many times I’ll be flying there. I must. I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t.

My latest trip was to catch the first two films in Laputa’s Toei New Porno retrospective. But let’s talk about that a little later since my program was more than just porno!

Day 0: Thursday

Déjà-vu! I was supposed to fly to Tokyo on Friday, but then Cinema Vera announced a 35mm screening of the legendary Japanese car chase film Hairpin Circus for Friday at noon. What do you do? You fly to Tokyo one day earlier, that’s what you do! And yes, this does sound awfully familiar, right? I had to do the exact same thing last March when Shin bungeiza suddenly announced Lone Wolf and Cub screenings for Friday morning.

I had my flight booked for Thursday night after work at 20:50. It takes about 4-5 hours from my couch to my destination in Tokyo, depending on the airport (Narita / Haneda), the type of train (cheap / expensive), and where you’re heading. I arrived at my capsule hotel in Ueno just after midnight. Time for a good night’s rest… or so I thought. Turns out the place is a fucking zoo! There’s a Godzilla snoring so loud in the next capsule that the whole damn building was shaking. And then there’s some sort Giant Pig giving him a run for his money on who can snore loudest. Thankfully I was so tired that I fell asleep regardless sometime around 2 a.m.

Day 1: Friday

I haven’t visited Cinema Vera too often in the recent years. 10 years ago their program was amazing! I met Sonny Chiba there, I listed to Yumiko Katayama tell tales about Teruo Ishii, I caught Chusei Sone and Noboru Tanaka films, celebrated the careers of Meiko Kaji and Norifumi Suzuki, just to mention a few. But recently their program has leaned more towards digital screenings of old American and European films. Also, several years ago something happened to their projection quality. The image is now brighter and more washed out, with weaker blacks and less vibrant colours. They’re still totally worth visiting, but the projections just don’t look quite as amazing as they did before.

Cinema Vera. The program poster art is from Pig and Goldfish (1962)


None of this mattered too much when Hairpin Circus (ヘアピン・サーカス) (1972), Kiyoshi Nishimura’s essential Toho New Action flick, screened from a gorgeous print. Often referred to as Japan’s Vanishing Point, the existential car chase film follows a traumatized former race driver, tempted back to speed thrills by a rebellious street racing gang lead by a young woman (terrific Yuko Enatsu in a gender role defying part) in a yellow Toyota GT-2000. Cool to the bone without being overly flashy, Nishimura’s is film is a dreamy classic is set to a fantastic jazz score and features the kind of driving that could never be filmed in modern Japan.

Hairpin Circus and Nuns That Bite (more about this one in a later post)


Hairpin Circus screened in a rather obscure program called “Legendary Movie Theater: The 6392 Days of Ooi Musashinokan”. This theatre closed down in 1999 after having enjoyed some popularity as a revival house bringing back to life forgotten gems, and is said to have contributed to the re-evaluation of directors such as Teruo Ishii, who had been largely forgotten by audiences back in the 80s / early 90s. I don’t know how the films were selected for this screening program, but it should be safe to assume they had all played at Ooi Musashinokan at some point.

Photos of Ooi Musashinokan


Up next, Michihiko Obimori’s 1970 Daiei film Way Out, Way In (高校生番長), which really ought to have a more literal English title (Kokosei bancho / High School Boss). I had seen this film years ago at the Film Archive and remembered it being a pretty tame and conservative take on the wild youth. Indeed, the film’s moralizing tone is light years behind the kind of stuff Toei and Nikkatsu were putting out. However, I was more amused by the film this time. It’s charmingly innocent, has an awesome psychedelic night club scene, and can’t stop laughing at the sub-plot where a guy gets traumatized for life after his first sexual experience (seduced by the film’s sole sukeban girl boss character). He then starts molesting women on the train and imagining his big sister naked (which we don’t really get to see, sadly). Kind of fun film. The faded 16mm print wasn’t too much to write home about, though.

After Way Out, Way In I had about 45 minutes to make it from Cinema Vera to Jinbocho Theater. I had a friend with me, but he ended up missing the next film as he couldn’t keep up with me. The film in question was Asu no hayome (あすの花嫁) (1962), a pretty nice romantic youth film starring one of Japanese cinema’s most beautiful and popular stars of all time, Sayuri Yoshinaga. The film was part of Jinbocho’s five week Yoshinaga retrospective celebrating the 65th anniversary of her legendary career. This film starts a little slow with Yoshinaga sent to a girls’ school, but once she heads for a holiday trip with girl friend and boyfriend candidate Mitsuo Hamada the film gets very funny and charming.

Jinbocho's Sayuri wall


Two posters for Asu no hanayome


For the rest of the night I originally had different plans, but since my friend wanted to see Furiosa we decided to head towards Marunouchi Piccadilly by foot to catch the movie on a huge Dolby Cinema screen. The movie looked nice and all, but I must say it doesn’t come close to matching a good 35mm screening at Laputa or Jinbocho.

After Furiosa it was time to head back to the capsule. I was really hoping the animal gang was gone as I had a relatively early wake up scheduled for next morning. No such luck. Not only were Godzilla and Giant Pig at it again, they were joined by Texas Chain Saw Snorer whose attempts at sleep sounded like a movie villain trying to start a chain saw. How do they not wake up themselves, or each other, is beyond me. Fuck!

[Guro Taku]

Still haven't tried sleeping at a capsule hotel and you don't exactly sell me on the experience.

[HungFist]

Still haven't tried sleeping at a capsule hotel and you don't exactly sell me on the experience.

Haha, this time was the worst! Usually it's peaceful, though you do get occasional snorers and noisy tourists (the latter is a recent phenomena. When I started using capsule hotels 15 years ago there were no tourists and you didn't even need a reservation as long as you checked in before midnight).

[HungFist]

Toei New Porno and More: The First Trip - Part 2/3

Day 2: Saturday

I had probably slept about 5½ hours before heading to the convenience store (onigiri and Red Bull) and taking a JR train from Okachimachi Station to Asagaya. Yes, tonight’s Toei New Porno film wouldn’t screen until 21:00, but I wasn’t going to take any chances. I was at Laputa by 10 a.m. and were awarded with ticket no. 1 (Laputa’s tickets are numbered, and you get called in in that order. Jimbocho Theater and Cinema Vera are the same).

Laputa's ticket counter


There was another reason for arriving early, which was Laputa’s Hisako Tsukuba retrospective in the 10:30 a.m. Morning Show. The day’s film was Seijun Suzuki’s 1959 noir Passport to Darkness (暗黒の旅券) (1959), which proved to be a competent and stylish tale of a man whose wife is found dead just after they get married. He must find the killer himself as the police are unable to accuse anyone except him of the murder. I am not the world’s biggest Suzuki fan actually, but this was a solid film that should please any viewer.

Hisako Tsukuba Retrospective




I had cleared my Saturday afternoon of movie program to enjoy Asakusa for a few hours, while also applying my best ninja skills to try and move only in the shadows (I forgot my sun lotion, and was too lazy to go buy a new one).

As the sun started to set, it was time to head back to Vera for a 35mm screening of Yuji Makiguchi’s legendary lesbian cannibal nun splatter Torn Priestess aka Nuns That Bite (女獄門帖　引き裂かれた尼僧) (1977). I had missed this film a few years ago when Shin bungeiza screened it in a Makiguchi memorial all nighter (he died in 2021), so I was delighted at the opportunity to finally see it in 35mm. The film is completely bonkers, admittedly a bit cheap and overdone when compared to better films by Norifumi Suzuki or Teruo Ishii, but a lot of fun nevertheless.

That being said, Torn Priestess might not quite live up to the legendary reputation it achieved back in the VHS days when only a heavily cut version missing 30 or 40 minutes of footage was available. It was later discovered that only drama scenes had been cut out! I might also state here that the optical censorship you may have seen on the DVD edition is also present on the print, and is surely how the film was always intended to be screened. Remove the fogging and you’d just find out they weren’t focking for real!

You might not believe it, but Torn Priestess turned out NOT to be the day’s most bizarre film. That honour goes to A Diary of a Woman Doctor (女医の愛欲日記) (1973), the first film in Laputa’s Toei New Porno series. Death by Hanging screenwriter Doten Fukao’s directorial debut is an increasingly surreal tale of a female doctor who leaves her home and husband (Fumio Watanabe in a 30 second role) behind to attend a seminar in Kyoto, but in reality she has reserved the weekend of fleshy pleasures. First comes the casual stuff like stabbing a gigolo with syringe during sex for kicks, then the goat… oh boy, I’m not going to spoil what happens to the goat, but I will say after the scene there’s an existential dialogue about the goat’s existence. And then she eats a bouquet of roses!

Supposedly inspired by real events (what the hell?), Fukao makes the most of his limited resources with tight framing, intoxicating use of the yellow color, an intriguing story that probably no one fully gets on first viewing, and a bizarrely big name cast featuring genre and art-house actors in one scene cameos, such as Etsuko Ichihara discussing the goat’s existence. And holy shit the ending shot left the entire theatre gasping, trying to figure out what the hell had they just witnessed. To quote Cinema Vera’s old introduction text for this film, it’s up to you to decide if this is a masterpiece among cult films, or a failure pretending to be avant-garde?



The screening was nothing short of a big deal. 11 years Laputa attempted to screen this film from their own self-produced print as part of their previous Toei New Porno retrospective, but Toei placed this and several other films under complete screening and distribution ban at the request of Fukao (whose name really is Doten Fukao. All English language databases have it wrong as Michinori Fukao). The ban wasn’t lifted until Fukao died late last year. I didn’t actually know about any of this prior to seeing the film, but I had begun suspecting something before the screening. As I was standing outside the theatre waiting for us to be admitted inside, I became increasingly glad I had bought my ticket in the morning. I was counting people as they were arriving at the theatre… 31…35... 38… Time to move in. 40…41. Oh shit, another gaijin! 4-5 women too. And this is in a theatre that only has 48 seats. As the movie was about to start, I confirmed the final headcount as 43 blessed souls who’d never forget this night. It was the film’s 8th and last screening for now.

After the film I headed back to my capsule, however, instead of riding the train all the way to Ueno I decided to get off at Akiba and walk to Ueno. On the way I got hungry and stopped at a random ramen restaurant in Okachimachi for this delicious bowl.

[HungFist]

Toei New Porno and More: The First Trip - Part 3/3

Day 3: Sunday

I had not rested well. The animal gang had been at it again. The Texas Chain Saw Snorer had kept up his terror, and Godzilla sounded like he’s dying from his own snoring. I think Giant Pig was gone, but replaced by T-Rex. Damn.

Up and to Laputa we go. Rice ball and Red Bull. Sunday was largely a repetition of Saturday with me once again arriving at Laputa by 10 a.m. for a porno ticket. This time I only got ticket no. 3. Perverts get up early, it seems. As you probably guessed, I wasn’t there just for that. I was there for Toei’s demented snowman flick Himalayan Wanderer (ヒマラヤ無宿 心臓破りの野郎ども) (1961), which screened in the Hisako Tsukuba retrospective. The audience was about 30 dudes, me probably the youngest one, and absolutely zero women. It figures, I guess.

The film is a loose sequel to The Big Gamblers of the Amazon (an absolute blast of a film that I caught in Laputa about 10 years ago). While not quite as good, beautiful or demented, it’s still tons of feel-good fun with Chiezo Kataoka capturing the Himalayan yeti and bringing him to Japan like a shrank King Kong. I had actually watched this movie at home and didn’t think so highly of it, but now it became obvious the digital TV airing just couldn’t re-produce the lush visuals and the cinema magic of the jaw-droppingly beautiful 35mm print. This makes Furiosa in Dolby Cinema look like someone’s home video. Damn!

I had originally planned on sandwiching three dramas / comedies / musicals between Toei’s morning mayhem and late show porno. But I decided to skip one (Daiei’s Eriko, 1962, at Vera) and instead head to Disney Shop. No, not for myself, but I though maybe I should bring something to my wife so that she'll let me go on my crazy movie trips in the future, too! That also gave me time to browse old movie posters in a random book store in Jinbocho before my 2nd Sayuri Yoshinaga film Watashi, chigatteiru kashira (私、違っているかしら) (1966), a rather annoying film about an irritating girl who can’t get a job because she’s a shmuck. Ok, enough about that film.

(speaking of Yoshinaga, I was a bit gutted that Koreyoshi Kurahara's absolutely devastating A Record of Love and Death screens between this and my next trip, just when I'm not in Tokyo. I'm sure that would have looked incredible in 35mm. I've watched it at home twice.)

Left: The Street with the Cupola / Right: Watashi, chigatteiru kashira


Much more enjoyable was my 4th and final film at Cinema Vera, the 1962 Toho comedy Pig and Goldfish (豚と金魚). I was partly drawn to this screening, despite knowing nothing about the film, due to my positive experience with the same era / same studio Kumo no ue dan gorō ichiza (1962) at Laputa last year. And indeed, this was a pleasant little comedy with a musical touch, following an ensemble of characters living around a pig farm, including a spirited grandma, evil ramen chef, a young painter rockabilly guy (Takashi Fujiki), and most importantly his gal Akiko Wakabayashi. She spends most of the film in revealing tops bowing, running, and riding bicycle on bumpy roads! Total fan service! I wasn't expecting this, particularly from a 1962 film, but hey I ain't complaining!

Other films screening in Cinema Vera






And then finally, it was time of some more Toei New Porno at Laputa. The night’s film was The High Cost of Virginity (処女かまきり) (1973). Teruo Ishii and Norifumi Suzuki's former assistant director Tomoomi Yoda's debut film is an anarchic sex comedy about a pair of sisters selling sex and virginity (restored by gynaecologist Hiroshi Nawa upon request). There isn't much to the film beyond shagging and gags, and it could certainly have done without the opening credits sequence composed of a woman's moaning and stills of horses having sex, but Yoda directs with mad energy and a fair bit of visual inventiveness, playing with colours and framing, throwing in silly gags, and even choreographing one sex scene in the rain using an umbrella as the only visible moving element. The main cast is composed of Toei eros regulars like Mitsuko Aoi, Mami Sakura and Miwako Onaya, but the real standouts are found in the supporting roles: award winning author occasional Toei junk guest star Tanaka Komimasa as a horny monk, and Toei's live action Donald Duck Takuzo Kawatani as horny young chap. Imagine Norifumi Suzuki doing a 52 minute series of goofy sex scenes, and you'll get the idea.

This was one of the films that were actually allowed to screen 11 years ago due to not having anything to do with Fukao, and perhaps that’s why audience attendance was only a bit more than half of the theatre capacity. The film screened from Laputa’s excellent self-produced print – I count that at least five, possibly more, of the eight prints in the retrospective were financed by the theatre (three of them 11 years ago, one even earlier, and one this year). That’s how rare these films are!

Also curious trivia from The High Cost of Virginity press sheet: the film is compared to West German pornography, which according to the text, enjoyed great popularity in Japan. Also, Takuzo Kawatani's name is not mentioned anywhere, not in the film introduction and not in the cast list, despite playing the 3rd biggest role in the film.

The High Cost of Virginity


Film prints ready to be shipped back to Toei warehouse.




Laputa at night


And that was it for this time. It’s 10 p.m., time to head back to the capsule for a way too short night sleep before an early morning flight to be at the office by 11 a.m. next day on other side of the country. Boy, were I sleepy. And yes, the animal gang was still at it, though something unexpected and a bit scary happened. The Texas Chainsaw Snorer (whom I identified as an old Japanese geezer sleeping in his capsule backwards, likely drunk) really started getting on someone’s nerves as that someone started banging the capsule wall like a madman. It somehow worked, somewhat. The geezer turned down the snore volume by at least 40%. Don’t ask me how that’s possible.

That’s all folks, for now. I’ve got my next three (!) Tokyo trips booked already, to catch the rest of the Toei New Porno that I haven’t seen yet.

Attachment: "Legendary Movie Theater: The 6392 Days of Ooi Musashinokan" (the art is from Pig and Goldfish) at Cinema Vera

[HungFist]

Toei New Porno and More: The Second Trip

This is starting to sound like a broken record. I wasn’t going to fly to Tokyo on this day. I was planning a trip two weeks later to catch A College Girl’s Affairs in its final screening, and The Fancy Man in its first. But then Laputa announced Attack! (1978) with only three screenings from Sunday to Tuesday. Yeah. Tuesday it is.

Tuesday

Nezumi Otoko has Landed in Humid Hell! The former is how my wife described me when she saw me dressed all in gray, and the latter is how my friend welcomed me to the summer Tokyo. I landed at 10:40 a.m. (Haneda) and rushed to Laputa as fast as I could. Attack! (襲え) (1978) would screen at 13:00. I read that Sunday’s screening sold out long before the movie started. Arriving 65 min in advance earned me ticket number 19. By time the film started, the theatre was packed. Even the same damn gaijin yaro whom I saw two weeks ago at A Woman Doctor’s Diary was there, in full pirate mode with beard and headscarf!



It was no surprise the screening was packed. The film remains a bit of a Holy Grail: the only Roman Porno picture by action rebel Yukihiro Sawada that remains near impossible to see. Even Nikkatsu doesn’t have a screening print of it, but National Film Archive does and that one was loaned for this screening. I was laughing at Laputa’s introduction text, which said the film is so rare even they haven’t seen it yet, but are looking forward to it.

The film itself was quite alright, but not as good as Sawada's previous two Roman Porno films, the Sam Peckinpah pastiche Assault! (1976) and the mistitled alienated youth drama Rape Frenzy: 5 Minutes Before Graduation (1977). Attack! feels like a mix of those two with a youth film combined with a revenge thriller, but isn't quite as effective. Erina Miyai gets a nice bad girl role as a mysterious woman who blackmails three no-good youngsters into helping her kidnap a businessman’s daughter. Some rough stuff follows, but this shouldn’t be really compared to the violent pink wave of the mid/late 70s too much, despite Nikkatsu’s best marketing efforts (the poster depicts a scene that isn’t in the film!) as Sawada was more a youth action director. It’s a solid film with a nice rock soundtrack and occasional humoristic touches, even if it lacks the vigour of 5 Minutes Before Graduation and the incredible bullet ballet ending of Assault!

The movie screened in Laputa’s Main Program, is a 30 movie Roman Porno Retrospective running from mid-June to early August. It’s quite an odd program created in collaboration with the movie zine (small film publication) "Orgasm", whose staff selected the films. The result is a program with four Katsuhiko Fujii movies and nothing from Tatsumi Kumashiro. Never thought I’d live to see a day like this! There are some interesting works included, however, such as my all time favourite Roman Porno, Toshiya Fujita’s Female Delinquent: A Docudrama (実録不良少女 姦) (1977), Yoichi Higashi’s Jealousy Game (ジェラシー・ゲーム) (1982) with Reiko Oshida, and Fumihiko Kato’s bizarre revenge horror film Orgasm Mariko (オーガズム真理子), which has been gaining cult reputation in the recent years, screening from a brand new print produced by Laputa.

Other films in the program


Lunch at Asagaya Kitchen after securing my film tickets.


After enjoying some free time in Tokyo, I returned to Laputa at 19:00 for a 16mm screening of Katsuhiko Fujii’s perplexing Lesbian no joô: Zoku Kiri Kaoru (レズビアンの女王　続・桐かおる) (1975), which is a sequel to Kaoru Kiri: The Best Lesbian In Japan, a Docu-Drama (1974). I’m not going to go into detail about this film – God knows I’m not a fan of Nikkatsu’s dirt gutter director Fujii – but this film does provide some amusement. Centred around the famed real world stripper / sex show performer / lesbian icon Kaoru Kiri, the movie nevertheless spends most of its time following a straight guy who bangs anything that moves, including several lesbians, but not his own wife. Kaoru Kiri becomes a supporting character in her own movie, and amusingly she’s depicted as a total jerk. The audience was visibly confused, some of them cheerfully so, as they left the screening.



As the day turned into night, it was time for the 2nd highlight of the day, and perhaps the entire summer, with Misao Arai’s formerly banned true account A College Girl's Affairs (女子大生失踪事件 熟れた匂い) (1974) in Laputa’s Toei New Porno retrospective. The film screened from Laputa Asagaya’s brand new 35mm print. This movie was actually meant to screen 11 years ago in Laputa’s first Toei New Porno retrospective, but became the first of four movies placed under complete distribution ban that lasted until screenwriter Doten Fukao’s death late last year (FULL STORY COMING SOON). Considering even Toei did not even have a screening print, it’s safe to assume this is the first time anyone has seen the movie in decades, perhaps since the 70s.

This film is based on the 1973 disappearance/murder of a Rikkyo University student case. The prime suspect was her professor at the university, who committed suicide with his wife and two daughters a month later. The girl’s body wasn’t found until six months later buried in the outskirts of Tokyo. Adding to the notoriety, the university staff were aware of the tragedy after the suspect’s somewhat cryptic confessions to several colleagues, but refrained from informing the police in fear of a scandal. I’m sharing all this background because it is essential to know the details in order to fully appreciate the film (see the end of the post for a detailed summary).

A College Girl's Affairs provides a near ingenious interpretation of what MIGHT have happened. The film positions itself somewhere between reality and fiction, being either a fictionalized take on a true account, or a fictional tale that constantly references a true account. The film starts with an authentic premise, then takes facts, twists them around, and comes a full circle in wonderfully unexpected ways! Doten Fukao’s script mixes human existentialism with a non-linear who-did-it plot (here all of her lovers are suspects, gathering together to discuss what has happened, and they’re all university professors!), brought to screen in wicked fashion by Teruo Ishii’s former AD Misao Arai, who said he wanted to make a film where everyone was crazy. The film does have its porno trappings and less inspired patches, not to mention being a questionable production from the start, but it’s a fascinating piece of filmmaking with strong acting performances. And holy fucking shit what a soundtrack courtesy of psychedelic Kyoto rock band Datetenryu! The film’s ending scene will never be forgotten!



That was it for the movies this time. I headed to my capsule for a very badly slept night (if Tokyo was a sauna, then my capsule was a furnace) before the usual early morning flight back to Hokkaido and straight to work. I had probably gotten about 3 hours of night sleep, and another 45 min during the fight but only after sacrificing my neck to the God of Sleep! Was it all worth it? Totally!

Postscriptum: Rikkyo Female Student Disappearance / Murder Case timeline

Here’s an abbreviated timeline of the real life case. I compiled this in a hurry, so it may not be 100% accurate. If you ever get a chance to watch the film, I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the case first in order to understand and appreciate the film:

1973/7/19
A female Rikkyo University student disappears.

1973/7/20
As is discovered later, she was murdered by her lover, a married university professor name Hiroyoshi Oba, at a villa in Hachioji on July 20. He buried her body near the villa. Later the same day Oba tells an old friend in somewhat cryptic terms that it's all over now, and that he needs an alibi for that afternoon. The friend suspects suicide, or even murder.

1973/7/21
Concerned about the girl, the friend consults colleagues at the university. A few days later Oba confesses having murdered her, but says giving himself in wouldn’t bring her back to life. The colleagues keep the information to themselves, partly out of consideration for Oba's wife who has a history of suicidal tendencies.

1973/7/29
Oba digs up the body and re-buries it in a more hidden place.

1973/8/18
The girl’s mom visits the university. Aware of the relationship, she suspects Oba has something to do with her disappearance. The university denies any knowledge and calls it a personal matter. Meanwhile Oba is covering up for the crime by pretending to be searching for her.

1973/8/28-30
University conducts their own investigation on the matter. Oba’s colleagues comes forward and reveal the truth. Oba is called in for questioning but refuses to give direct answers. University management does not inform the police in fear of a scandal.

1973/8/31
A colleague convinces Oba to turn himself in. Oba resigns from the university and plans on turning himself in in about a week.

1973/9/2
Oba, his wife, and his daughters aged 4 and 6 disappear.

1973/9/5
Oba’s colleagues finally inform the police about his disappearance and the suspected murder of the female student.

1973/9/6
Fishermen find the bodies of Oba and his entire family. They had committed suicide two days earlier by throwing themselves off of a 20 metre cliff.

1973/9/19
The police have learned about the villa and conduct a search. They find a muddy shovel and items belonging to the victim. Over 300 policemen search for the body, but find nothing. Without a body, the crime cannot be proven.

1974/2/28
More than five months later smelly mud is reported at a development site near the villa. A body is found and identified as the missing student. Cause of death: strangulation. It is 224 days since her disappearance.

1974/3/23
Fukao submits the film’s completed screenplay.

1974/3/26
The case is closed with Oba officially announced as the killer (I’m unaware how much of the case and Oba was reported in the media before this day).

1974/7/17
A College Girl's Affairs, based a revised script, is released to Toei theatres as part of a triple feature for a brief 8 day run between the playing-until-then jitsuroku/karate double feature (Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode & Wicked Kempo) and the upcoming "Toei Manga Festival".

[HungFist]

Toei New Porno and the Biggest Film Screening Ban in Laputa Asagaya’s History

This year’s most exciting film retrospective, The Deep World of Toei New Porno Returns, is currently in progress at Laputa Asagaya. As many of you may know, Laputa held their first Toei New Porno retrospective, Resurrection! The Deep World of Toei New Porno, back in 2013. While I was aware that the retrospective had encountered some problems, I only discovered recently what a nightmarish political thriller it all had been back in 2013. Four of the 10 films planned for the program had to be cancelled when Toei banned them! These four films remained under complete distribution ban until late 2023.

The following summary about what happened in 2013 is based on various magazine articles and letters posted at Laputa Asagaya this year to accompany the current retrospective, which includes most of the formerly banned films.

March, 2013

The idea for a Toei New Porno retrospective came after a couple of films had been shown in a different context. Ginza Cine Pathos had screened The Fancy Man in a Takuzo Kawatani retrospective, Cinema Vera had produced a new print for Amorous Tales of Genpei, and Laputa had produced a new 35mm print for A Diary of a Woman Doctor for their Kei Sato retrospective. The theatre agreed to produce two or three more new prints in addition to available ones.

10 films are planned to be screened in total. New 35mm prints will be produced for A College Girl’s Affairs, The High Cost of Virginity, and A Married Woman’s Sex Hell at Laputa’s own expense. The rest of the films selected for the program are A Diary of a Woman Doctor, The Fancy Man, Virgin Breaker Yuki, Virgin Breaker Yuki 2, Decapitation of an Evil Woman, Tattoos on Virgins, and Amorous Tales of Genpei. The last three films are not considered Toei New Porno, but they would be included as closely related works.

The retrospective is set to start in July.

April 2, 2013

Laputa’s manager / program director Yukari Ishii receives a call from Toei. The studio says they cannot make a print for the true account crime film A College Girl’s Affairs (Dir. Misao Arai, Scrip: Doten Fukao) due to undisclosed copyrights issues. No further explanation is given.

Laputa decides to replace the film with another true account crime film, Victimized, for which they will produce a new print.

April 23, 2013

Another call comes from Toei. A Diary of a Woman Doctor (Dir. Doten Fukao) and Amorous Tales of Genpei (Dir. Doten Fukao) are banned from screening. Director Fukao has requested that these two films are not to be shown under any circumstances. It does not matter that those two prints had already been produced a few years earlier by Laputa and Cinema Vera. Toei stores the prints and refuses to let them be screened.

The line-up for the retrospective is now reduced to only 8 films.

Doten Fukao (not Michinori Fukao btw. All EN language databases have his name wrong)


June 4, 2013

The program line-up is publicly announced and program leaflets are printed. Several guest talk events are also announced to accompany the films.

June 21, 2013

Two weeks before the retrospective starts, Ishii receives yet another call from Toei. The Fancy Man (Dir. Tomoomi Yoda, Scrip: Doten Fukao) is prohibited from being screened. After the earlier bans the theatre had feared the worst but hoped for the best. No luck here. Laputa is told to announce that “the film cannot be screened due to various reasons” (standard Japanese expression when details won't be disclosed publicly).

A talk even with an actor appearing in the film has to be cancelled. New program leaflets have to be printed to replace the originals. The program is now reduced to just seven films after four movies have been banned (one of them replaced with a new film).

It’s the worst screening ban that Laputa has even encountered.

June

Misao Arai, the director of A College Girl’s Affairs, has learned about the ban of his film and sends Toei a very angry letter. He demands the screening ban to be reversed, and Toei to ignore Fukao’s “nonsensical screenwriter’s rights” claims, which Arai says conflict with common sense and the film makers’ rights to have their works screened to the public. It is to no avail. In Toei’s “generic” reply they refer to the Article 28 of the Japanese copyright law and say that in order not to cause any distress the screening ban shall be enforced.

In a later Eiga Hiho interview Eizo Yamagiwa, a representative of the Directors Guild of Japan, states that Toei was misinterpreting the copyright law by accident or on purpose. The screenwriter’s rights extend to “versions” of their works (e.g. a translation of a screenplay or a modified screenplay), not to completed films which are considered new works of art by film makers.

August 31, 2013

Arai attends the screening of Tattoos on Virgins in Laputa. Participants are distributed a letter called “My Battle”, where Arai discusses his failed attempts to lift the screening ban. He confirms that all erotic works written or directed by Fukao are under a complete distribution ban, including his film A College Girl’s Affairs. Arai writes that he’s furious at Toei and their autocratic actions against theatres, and promises to continue his battle in hopes that common sense will prevail.

Misao Arai, I believe


Later 2013

Eiga Hiho calls Fukao to inquire on the matter. The interview ended short with Fukao hanging up after some minutes. Before that he claimed he had only agreed to have his works shows at the time they were made. He also said he wanted to use a pen name but wasn’t allowed.

Several other people are also interviewed. Some say that Fukao had been an ardent supporter of freedom of expression back in the 60s, and even defended film makers’ right to make violent and sexually explicit films, but developed a strong anti-pornography attitude sometime later. The general impression is that Fukao, a former Nagisa Oshima collaborator who wrote the first draft of Death by Hanging and an unused screenplay for In the Realm of the Senses, and later became a university lecturer, is ashamed of his past with Toei Porno and doesn’t want anyone to see those films. Some say he’s been giving a lot of trouble to various parties with unreasonable demands, and some may have agreed to his demands simply to get him off their backs.

September 2023

R.I.P. troubled soul, genius writer and bitter troublemaker Doten Fukao.

March 2024

Manager Ishii reports that the issues with the formerly banned films have been cleared, a new New Toei Porno retrospective is set to start in June 2024, and a new 35mm print for A College Girl’s Affairs, financed by Laputa, is being produced at Toei Laboratories.

June 1, 2024

The Deep World of Toei New Porno retrospective stars at Laputa Asagaya, featuring A Diary of a Woman Doctor, The High Cost of Virginity, A Married Woman’s Sex Hell, A College Girl’s Affairs, The Fancy Man, Victimized, Virgin Breaker Yuki, and Virgin Breaker Yuki 2.

Laputa Asagaya's programming director Yukari Ishii

[Guro Taku]

Fascinating (and frustrating) stuff! Thanks for putting in the work to share all that. Do you know if these distribution bans always end with the death of the offended person? What would happen if, say, one of the involved peoples' child or grandchild were to petition the distributor and ask for a distribution ban because they can't live with having their (grand)ma be naked on a theater screen somewhere?

[HungFist]

I'm afraid I have no insights to that. The impression I get is that studios do these bans on an entirely voluntary basis to avoid trouble and bad publicity, and simply to get troublemakers off their backs. It probably depends on a lot of things, including how persistent and loud the complainer is.

I don't know how many films are under such bans. At least Bankaku Rock (seems like Eikichi Yazawa, one of the Carol band members, feels he had been done misjustice in the film, and raised hell when Toei intended to release it on DVD) and the Machiko Ohtani films at Nikkatsu (the rumour is someone, either her or her family, doesn't want her porno work to be seen by anyone), but there are probably many others.

[HungFist]

MY GOD! PART II. Laputa's Main Program for August - September has been announced, and it is:

T G C戦うガールズコレクション2024

8.4（日）～6（火）
13:00　ずべ公番長 夢は夜ひらく(Delinquent Girl Boss - Blossoming Night Dreams) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1970)
15:00　めくらのお市物語 真赤な流れ鳥 (Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman) (Sadatsugu Matsuda, 1969)
17:00　東おんな極道 (Kanto Woman Scoundrel) (Kazuo Mori, 1969)
19:00　ずべ公番長 夢は夜ひらく (Delinquent Girl Boss: Blossoming Night Dreams) ( Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1970)

8.7（水）～10（土）
13:00　めくらのお市物語 真赤な流れ鳥 (Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman) (Sadatsugu Matsuda, 1969)
15:00　東おんな極道 (Kanto Woman Scoundrel) (Kazuo Mori, 1969)
17:00　妖艶毒婦伝 人斬りお勝 (Quick-Draw Okatsu) (Nobuo Nakagawa, 1969)
19:00　女番長ブルース 牝蜂の挑戦 (Girl Boss Blues: Queen Bee's Challenge) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1972)

8.11（日）～13（火）
13:00　妖艶毒婦伝 人斬りお勝 (Quick-Draw Okatsu) ( Nobuo Nakagawa, 1969)
15:00　女番長ブルース 牝蜂の挑戦 (Girl Boss Blues: Queen Bee's Challenge) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1972)
17:00　めくらのお市 地獄肌 (Trapped, the Crimson Bat) (Sadatsugu Matsuda, 1969)
19:00　ずべ公番長 東京流れ者 (Delinquent Girl Boss: Tokyo Drifters) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1970)

8.14（水）～17（土）
13:00　めくらのお市 地獄肌 (Trapped, the Crimson Bat) (Sadatsugu Matsuda, 1969)
15:00　ずべ公番長 東京流れ者 (Delinquent Girl Boss: Tokyo Drifters) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1970)
17:00　女左膳 濡れ燕片手斬り (Lady Sazen and the Drenched Swallow Sword) (Kimiyoshi Yasuda, 1969)
19:00　女番長 (Girl Boss: Revenge) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)

8.18（日）～8.20（火）
13:00　女左膳 濡れ燕片手斬り (Lady Sazen and the Drenched Swallow Sword) (Kimiyoshi Yasuda, 1969)
15:00　女番長 (Girl Boss: Revenge) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)
17:00　妖艶毒婦伝 お勝兇状旅 (Okatsu the Fugitive) (Nobuo Nakagawa, 1969)
19:00　昇り竜 鉄火肌 (Rising Dragon's Iron Flesh) (Teruo Ishii, 1969)

8.21（水）～24（土）
13:00　妖艶毒婦伝 お勝兇状旅 (Okatsu the Fugitive) (Nobuo Nakagawa, 1969)
15:00　昇り竜 鉄火肌 (Rising Dragon's Iron Flesh) (Teruo Ishii, 1969)
17:00　緋牡丹博徒 お命戴きます (Red Peony Gambler: Here to Kill You) (Tai Kato, 1971)
19:00　女番長 感化院脱走 (Girl Boss: Escape from Reform School) (Sadao Nakajima, 1973)

8.25（日）～27（火）
13:00　緋牡丹博徒 お命戴きます (Red Peony Gambler: Here to Kill You) (Tai Kato, 1971)
15:00　女番長 感化院脱走 (Girl Boss: Escape from Reform School) (Sadao Nakajima, 1973)
17:00　笹笛お紋 (Girl with Bamboo Leaves) (Tokuzo Tanaka, 1969)
19:00　昇り竜 やわ肌開帳 (Rising Dragon’s Soft Flesh Exposed) (Masami Kuzuo, 1969)

8.28（水）～31（土）
13:00　笹笛お紋 (Girl with Bamboo Leaves) (Tokuzo Tanaka, 1969)
15:00　昇り竜 やわ肌開帳 (Rising Dragon’s Soft Flesh Exposed) (Masami Kuzuo, 1969)
17:00　女番長 野良猫ロック (Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss) (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1970)
19:00　恐怖女子高校 暴行リンチ教室 (Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)

9.1（日）～3（火）
13:00　女番長 野良猫ロック (Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss) (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1970)
15:00　恐怖女子高校 暴行リンチ教室 (Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)
17:00　銀蝶渡り鳥 (Wandering Ginza Butterfly) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1972)
19:00　不良姐御伝 猪の鹿お蝶 (Sex & Fury) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)

9.4（水）～7（土）
13:00　銀蝶渡り鳥 (Wandering Ginza Butterfly) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1972)
15:00　不良姐御伝 猪の鹿お蝶 (Sex & Fury) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)
17:00　緋ぢりめん博徒 (The Red Silk Gambler) (Teruo Ishii, 1972)
19:00　恐怖女子高校 不良悶絶グループ (Terrifying Girls' High School: Delinquent Convulsion Group) (Seiko Shimura, 1973)

9.8（日）～10（火）
13:00　緋ぢりめん博徒 (The Red Silk Gambler) (Teruo Ishii, 1972)
15:00　恐怖女子高校 不良悶絶グループ (Terrifying Girls' High School: Delinquent Convulsion Group) (Seiko Shimura, 1973)
17:00　銀蝶流れ者 牝猫博奕 (Wandering Ginza Butterfly 2: She-Cat Gambler) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1972)
19:00　若い貴族たち 13階段のマキ (13 Steps of Maki) (Makoto Naito, 1975)

9.11（水）～14（土）
13:00　銀蝶流れ者 牝猫博奕 (Wandering Ginza Butterfly 2: She-Cat Gambler) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1972)
15:00　若い貴族たち 13階段のマキ (13 Steps of Maki) (Makoto Naito, 1975)
17:00　混血児リカ ひとりゆくさすらい旅 (Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer) (Ko Nakahira, 1973)
19:00　前科おんな　殺し節 (Criminal Woman: Killing Melody) (Atsushi Mihori, 1973)

9.15（日）～17（火）
13:00　混血児リカ ひとりゆくさすらい旅 (Rica 2: Lonely Wanderer) (Ko Nakahira, 1973)
15:00　前科おんな　殺し節 (Criminal Woman: Killing Melody) (Atsushi Mihori, 1973)
17:00　修羅雪姫 (Lady Snowblood) (Toshiya Fujita, 1973)
19:00　必殺女拳士 (Dragon Princess) (Yutaka Kohira, 1976)

9.18（水）～9.21（土）
13:00　修羅雪姫 (Lady Snowblood) (Toshiya Fujita, 1973)
15:00　必殺女拳士 (Dragon Princess) (Yutaka Kohira, 1976)
17:00　やさぐれ姐御伝 総括リンチ (Female Yakuza Tale) (Teruo Ishii, 1973)
19:00　ビューティ・ペア 真赤な青春 (Red-Hot Youth) (Makoto Naito, 1977)

9.22（日）～24（火）
13:00　やさぐれ姐御伝 総括リンチ (Female Yakuza Tale) (Teruo Ishii, 1973)
15:00　ビューティ・ペア 真赤な青春 (Red-Hot Youth) (Makoto Naito, 1977)
17:00　修羅雪姫 怨み恋歌 (Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance) (Toshiya Fujita, 1974)
19:00　華麗なる追跡 (The Great Chase) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1975)

9.25（水）～9.28（土）
13:00　0課の女 赤い手錠 (Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs) (Yukio Noda, 1974)
15:00　修羅雪姫 怨み恋歌 (Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance) (Toshiya Fujita, 1974)
17:00　華麗なる追跡 (The Great Chase) (Norifumi Suzuki, 1975)
19:00　0課の女 赤い手錠 (Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs) (Yukio Noda, 1974)

- http://www.laputa-jp.com/laputa/program/tgc2024/

Ladies and gentlemen, chirashi for Laputa's upcoming Tatakau Girls Collection program

I'm actually visiting my parents and they only have a very small scanner, so I had to scan each page separately and then paste them together... with less than perfect results. I'll do a proper scan once I'm back in Japan. But until then, these should do:

[HungFist]

Toei New Porno and More: The Third Trip – Part 1/2

Back in the world’s biggest sauna! It’s 35 Celsius and the street of Tokyo are boiling.

Sunday

Something different for starters this time. The Tokyo Wind Orchestra was doing a John Williams concert (without John Williams) in Ueno on Sunday afternoon at 14:00. I’m not much of a concert going person, and only found out about it when Facebook algorithm brought it to my attention, but I figured this would probably be worth attending since I was in town anyway.

And yes, it was two hours rather well spent. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, JFK, Schindler’s List, and a whole lot of Star Wars was covered. Some epic moments, and as a fun little bonus they played the 20th Century Fox fanfare as well. It was nice, though somehow I expected even more, and wish they had included one of my favourite less celebrated Williams scores: Presumed Innocent.

A quick snapshot after the concert when photography was allowed




I‘d been certain I wouldn’t make it to Film Archive’s 16:20 screening of The H-Man (美女と液体人间) (1958). However, seeing the concert ended a bit sooner than expected (at around 15:50), I made a run to Ueno Station and miraculously managed to catch the 16:06 rapid train to Tokyo Station. I spent the four minute train ride purchasing my movie ticket online. Unfortunately I made an elementary tourist mistake at Tokyo Station and came out from the wrong side of the station. I hadn’t had have time to search for the right exit, and just took a gamble and lost. Penalty: 600 metres of running in the terrible heat. I was a minute late, but so was the movie. I seated my ass a few seconds before the film started and spent the first 10 minutes wiping sweat off my arms.

This was my first time at the archive for quite a few years. The archive has a huge collection of film prints, some real rarities as well, but sadly don’t screen them nearly as often as you’d wish. This time they were doing a “Japanese Cinema and Music: Composers in the 1950s and 1960s” retrospective with a total of 52 films included. The H-Man was a rather pleasant 86 minutes even though I’m not a big tokusatsu fan. The film starts out mainly as a crime/detective film before going fully into the sci-fi territory at the end. Good looking, slightly sunset tinted 35mm print. The theatre was about 75% full (of 310 seats). Attending the screening did not make a hole in my wallet either: tickets only cost 520 yen.



The H-Man (1st from left), Escaped Murderer from Hiroshima Prison (2nd from left)


For my evening’s final program I decided to defy the heat and walk all the way to Asakusa for some performing arts – that was a 6.3 km walk, but I had time to kill and managed to avoid heat stroke. And as usual, the night’s final stop would be my usual capsule hotel in Ueno where I switched to a lower floor / slightly more spacious capsule just to see if it would be more peaceful. And yes, no Giant Pig, no T-Rex, no Texas Chainsaw Snorer. Peaceful night.

[HungFist]

Toei New Porno and More: The Third Trip – Part 2/2

Monday

Recently I’ve been enjoying many long walks in Tokyo. Not so today: with the forecast predicting 39 Celsius for the afternoon I was happy I had scheduled no less than five films for Monday. I started my day with my second Ishiro Honda film in a row, the romantic melodrama Lovetide (恋化粧) (1955) in Jinbocho Theater’s Fubuki Koshiji program. To be honest I’m not very familiar with the actress, and wanted to see the film mainly because of leading man Ryo Ikebe. Like many fellow Toei fans, I was introduced to Ikebe was via his late career supporting roles in yakuza films, rather than his leading man roles in the 50s. It was nice seeing him as a romantic lead, and the film was pretty enjoyable, particularly towards the end when the drama and action pick up, even though mid-50s Japanese cinema in general is not my field.



The rest of the day would be spent in Laputa Asagaya, who were still doing their Roman Porno retrospective. Up first was Yoichi Higashi’s stylish road movie / psychological drama Jealousy Game (ジェラシー・ゲーム) (1982), in which a middle aged married couple travelling in Hokkaido by Harley Davidson get caught up in a younger couple’s relationship games. Starring a strictly mainstream cast of Yôsuke Natsuki & Reiko Ôshida and Hiroaki Murakami & Hitomi Takahashi, this was one of the occasional Eros Daisaku projects released as double features (as opposed to triple features) and aimed at more mainstream audiences than the standard Roman Porno. A mature, well acted film, slightly hurt by the ungrateful and perhaps sexist role Takahashi has to play. The film was written by Akiko Tanaka, one of the few female writers who ever got associated with Roman Porno (another notable one was Machiko Nasu). And yes, Toei’s delinquent girl Oshida loses her clothing in this film.

Jealousy Game screened from a good if slightly dark 35mm print. The theatre was nearly full, six or seven empty seats, and even Laputa’s pretty ticket seller had left her post and was enjoying the movie from the back row. Not bad for a Monday afternoon screening.



Up next was Naosuke Kurosawa’s bizarre but not particularly good sci-fi / horror Roman Porno Nurse Diary: Beast Afternoon (看護婦日記 獣じみた午後) (1982). Kurosawa is notable for his directorial debut, the absolutely fantastic and super stylish pink giallo Zoom In: Sex Apartments. This film however is seriously hampered by the lack of any coherence. It’s sex, dream devices, and low-budget surrealism without much in terms of script or attention to detail. I do admit Jun Miho, the cutest girl ever to star in Roman Porno, is a pleasure to the eye, as was the absolutely gorgeous 35mm print. I’d be surprised if the film ever looked this good at home.

My third Roman Porno for the day was uneven director Kazunari Takeda’s Nozoki (のぞき) (1982). Takeda’s Roman Porno career spanned from the early years to the mid 80s, during which he helmed both complete drivel and lyrical gems like Woman's Trail: Wet Path (which I compared to Wong Kar Wai the last time I saw it). I was so unsure about this film that I actually paid 300 yen to rent it on Amazon Prime and watch the first 5 or 6 minutes to see if it looked any good (with a Roman Porno that is usually enough). And yes, it did, and yes, it was. A breezy youth / family film combo about a busty daughter (Momoe Yamaguchi lookalike Mai Inoue) who moves back to her parents’ place for the summer, I was certain this was influenced by The Family Game (1983) until I realized they came out in reverse order. It’s absolutely nothing profound, but for silly jokes, pretty girls and general breeziness this was a fun enough watch.

Nozoki (left) and Hunting the Female Teacher (right)


The day’s fifth and final film was The Fancy Man (史上最大のヒモ 濡れた砂丘) (1974) in the Toei New Porno retrospective. This movie actually provided Takuzo Kawatani with his first starring role – who would’ve expected that to happen in a Toei New Porno film?

The film is yet another jitsuroku afffair, based on the Shiga Bank 900 Million Yen Embezzlement Case, which saw a middle aged female clerk steal loads of money over a 7 year period for her sweet-talking, gambling addicted lover. Nikkatsu released their own, more feminine and lyrical version (Office Lady Journal: Wet Bundle) earlier the same year, whereas this Toei version - somewhat fittingly for the studio – puts Takuzo Kawatani’s playboy thug in the spotlight. It's a fun, ugly film that depicts the polar opposite from the beautiful high culture Kyoto so often seen in films. The obvious highlight is of course madman Kawatani, who does well in his "Tatsuo Umemiya role", slightly toning down his crazy antics and showing his acting chops in a couple of tender moments that humanize the main character a bit. The same can be said about director Tomoomi Yoda who avoids the excess silliness of his earlier The High Cost of Virginity. That being said, the film isn’t particularly memorable, and even troublesome genius Doten Fukao’s script doesn't stand out much, though the theme is unmistakably his field (all four Toei New Porno’s he worked on were true account crime tales).

It was great finally getting to see this picture. Like the rest of the films scripted by Fukao, this movie could not be shown 11 years ago when its screening had to be cancelled at the last moment. The theatre was about half full, with no more than two or three women in the audience. Perhaps Kawatani + Porno wasn’t the most appealing combination for ordinary people after all?



Tuesday

Back to Laputa for Samurai Vagabonds (殿さま弥次㐂多) (1960) in their Kinnosuke Nakamura & Katsuo Nakamura’s Tonosama – Yajikita Morning Show. This is the third and final movie in the samurai comedy series – I missed the first two – with the two lords played by Nakamura and Nakamura escaping from their palaces to go adventuring in the real world as common folks. Though the film is no great shakes really, it’s always nice seeing these nostalgic and lavish early 60s color productions from gorgeous film prints. A lot of them, both the films and the 35mm prints, are breathtakingly beautiful to look at. It’s ironic that these old prints of 65 year old movies look better than any digital trash modern multiplexes play.



My next two films would be at the Film Archive, but before that I had an empty stomach to fill. I was planning to try out a highly praised ramen restaurant called Kojitsu in Higashi Nakano, but all I found was a “closed today” sign. I found an alternative in a near-by and similarly highly rated place called Mendokoro Kinari. It was a very decent bowl of soy ramen, though I didn’t really find it that exceptional other than the low price which I think was less than 900 yen.



And finally, back to Film Archive for Kinji Fukasaku’s hyper-stylized 60s pulp action thriller Gang vs. G-Men (ギャング対Gメン) (1962) and Sadao Nakajima’s gritty prison escape / jitsuroku film Escaped Murderer from Hiroshima Prison (脱獄・広島殺人囚) (1975). I’ve written about both films in the past, so a quick recommendation should suffice here. Both are fine films, and both pack a fantastic cast of Toei regulars. In Gang vs. G-Men the biggest standout is young Sonny Chiba as the “seventh samurai” (as aptly described by Mark Schilling), the naïve and overly-eager-to-help little brother to ex-gangster Koji Tsuruta, who is lured back into the underworld as government undercover operative. Good, though slightly faded and scratched print from the archive’s own collection.

Gang vs. G-Men (right)


Escaped Murderer from Hiroshima Prison likewise stars almost every Toei tough guy from the mid 70s, from lead Hiroki Matsukata to supporting stars Tomisaburo Wakayama, Tatsuo Umemiya, Tsunehiko Watase, Goro Ibuki, and of course the usual piranhas like Hideo Murota and Takuzo Kawatani. Groovy, gritty film with some great bits of low-key humour. Oh and no, I don’t know why this film screened in the 50s & 60s Composers program. Maybe they didn’t have enough prints from this composer?

I wasn’t complaining, though. It was great to finally get to see this film in 35mm – I’ve missed it several times over the years – though this is the area where the experience was left a little lacking. I’d be willing to bet this print was struck within the past 15 years because it had that slight teal to it that never appears on old prints and that I’ve only come across on prints that were advertised as “new” or clearly looked like recently struck. Okinawa Yakuza War’s “new print” (which replaced a heavily damaged older print about 10 years ago - I’ve attended screenings of both in Tokyo) has the same issue, and you can see a bit of this blue / green push also in some of the Toei New Porno prints like A College Girl’s Affairs, whose print was produced this year.

I’d be very curious to see this film from a different print, and I will probably get an opportunity to do sooner or later. The film has screened in Laputa Asagaya at least half dozen times over the past 25 years (it’s one Laputa’s programming director Yukari Ishii’s favourite films) and it should be a different print since the old program leaflets don’t credit the print to NFAJ.

Other films screening in the program

[HungFist]

Toei New Porno and More: The Final Trip

Sometimes things just fall in place. I was really on my way to Finland for my summer vacation, but it just happened that the last of the five Toei New Porno films that I hadn’t seen before was playing at that time. And of course I had been fore-wise enough to schedule a two night Tokyo stop on my way to the polar bear land. It was really thanks to my wife’s mom, who picked the dates, that I was able to complete my porno quest. No, she didn’t join for the films, they were coming a few days later.

Day 0: Sunday

The usual deal. Work till 7 p.m., fly to Tokyo, and sleep in a capsule. I’m not really a fan of paying for a night’s accommodation when that’s all you’ll have time to do on the first day, but it’s the only way to make it to the morning screenings the next day. And it’s not like the capsule hotel is going to bankrupt you with their 4500 yen per night rates (sometimes less, sometimes more, though it used to be only half of that in the pre-corona days).

Day 1: Monday

It was a national holiday in Japan, which expectedly the boosted audience attendance rates. It was a near full house at Laputa Asagaya, who were screening Silence Has No Wings (とべない沈黙) (1966) in their Kazuo Kuroki Morning Show. An ATG production reluctantly released by Toho (the legend is the Toho execs declared the art house fare "a lunatic film"), I was a bit unsure if this movie would be my cup of green tea, but I’m happy I saw it. A beautifully filmed and scored allegorical tale of a butterfly’s journey from Kyoto to Hokkaido, the film should be captivating viewing even if its political contents were lost to the viewer. For those who are the in the film’s target audience, this may very well prove a hidden masterpiece. Laputa screened the film from a very scratched, but otherwise sharp and clear print in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio.



Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd17qgPbpqE

I was in a hurry as I left the screening room at 12:10, with my next film scheduled for 12:50 in Meguro. The movie in question was Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (鮫肌男と桃尻女) (1998), oddly enough my first Katsuhiko Ishii film. A cult favourite among some viewers, I was never drawn to Ishii or his movies as they seemed like overly flashy hipster cinema to me. But, seeing this movie was playing in Meguro Cinema from a 35mm print I thought I’d give it a go. Ultimately, the film was pretty much what I expected it to be: a Japanese b-grade Tarantino exercise with robber Tadanabu Asano and hotel clerk Sie Kohinata chased by a miscellaneous bunch of ironically written gangsters and assassins. Asano and Kohinata are genuinely cool, though. To quote someone’s Letterboxd review, these characters deserved a better movie.





I could have headed back to Laputa already for some Roman Porno, but seeing they were playing Female Beautician Rope Discipline (1981), which I expected to be one star junk, and Gemini Woman (1984), which I’ve confirmed as one star junk, I thought I’d be better off heading to Asakusa (hello Haruka-chan, hello Shizuku-chan). Though curiously enough, I later found out Gemini Woman actually screened from an English subtitled print. I have no explanation for that, for the origin of the print, but it happens sometimes. I know a handful of Film Archive’s prints have English subtitles, such as Fukasaku’s Wolves, Pigs and Men, and some Kurosawa and probably Ozu as well.

Gemini Woman


Upcoming program, including the menstruation horror splatter Orgasm Mariko


Anyway, the night was to end in Laputa anyhow, with Victimized (女高生飼育) in their Toei New Porno retrospective. This was the only remaining film in the retrospective that I had not seen yet. A had already made three Tokyo trips to catch A Diary of a Woman Doctor, The High Cost of Virginity, A College Girl’s Affairs, and The Fancy Man, and this fourth trip was to add Victimized to the list. I could afford to miss A Married Woman’s Sex Hell, which screened between Virginity and College, because I had already seen it last year in Laputa’s 25th Anniversary program. The last two films in the retrospective, Virgin Breaker Yuki and Virgin Breaker Yuki 2, I’ve also seen before (they are the only two film from the program that have ever been released on home video – the rest you won’t find even in the dark caves of internet).

Victimized is technically speaking another jitsuroku crime film, though more of an erotic drama. The film is loosely based on the same schoolgirl kidnapping case as The Perfect Education (1999), with Eimei Esumi as a middle aged English teacher who kidnaps 17 year old schoolgirl Yoko Asakura. Initially reluctant to be his sex slave, she soon develops a Stockholm syndrome and romance follows (*).

Yes, it’s a little difficult to defend this film as entertainment of any sort, and it could even be interpreted as call for sympathy for criminal incels. Yet, typical to mid 70s Toei exploitation, it comes off strangely watchable and certainly has its jitsuroku vibes with time stamps and all. There’s even a bizarre, out of the blue “underground gore party club” scene, not to mention a slight S&M vibe. The latter is probably the influence of Naomi Tani films at Nikkatsu, and most certainly creditable to screenwriter Ikuo Sekimoto, who would later helm a pair of actual S&M fares for Nikkatsu (Rope Torture, 1984, and Double Rope Torture, 1985). Director Tatsuo Honda helms the picture with professionalism – at least if we ignore a couple of unintentionally comical drama bits – the tech credits are fine, and the film looks better than the minimal budget might have you expect. It was the end of the directorial run for Honda, though: he was re-assigned to producer’s duties for the rest of his career after this movie.

* There is no proof that this ever happened in the real life case.



That was it for the porno summer. Thank you Laputa, for the most exciting film retrospective of the year, and for getting me five films closer to having seen every movie made by Toei in the 70s (I’m at 93% on this list, though it’s missing a couple of dozen titles, mostly super-obscure Toei Porno).

The Deep World of Toei New Porno Returns program chirashi