Movie Review: Female Teacher Hunting (1982, Nikkatsu/Impulse Pictures)

 ...despite having ventured overseas, visiting several of the more exotic Asian cities...Thailand, Singapore, The Philipines, Japan, and what-not...and as such, had a chance to e-e-e-eagerly partake of...to put it mildly, some pretty 'wild, edgy, unbridled and over-the-top' cinema and live-stage erotica, promiscuously accented with a most decisively Asian flavor (...i.e., you haven't seen anything, until you've been to Phuket and Pataya Beach, in Thailand), this seasoned viewer must admit to a bit of a 'what the...?' feeling, when afforded the opportunity to check out one of the classic steamy Nikkatsu pieces, offered by distributor Impulse Pictures (...an offshoot of Synapse Films)...some of who's tantalizing offerings have been reviewed previously, in this venue. After all, Impulse's opening logo montage of archival Nikkatsu productions...flashing quick shots of sexual savagery, rape and fetish-tool accented debauchery...as is the supposed 'norm' for this genre...viewed in the comfort's of one's safe, domestic abode...especially as far as one who favors an age of erotica, more keyed to the domestic classic '70's...well, might tend to unnerve one, and make one wonder, '...man, what the heck have I gotten myself into?' However, in engaging one of the latest Impulse Pictures releases...namely the 1982 Nikkatsu-produced 'arouser', "Female Teacher Hunting"...it seems that with my very first foray into this genre, I was let off easy, with a relatively contrived and emulative, though a bit putting off, 'pink' excursion (...whew!! That was close...!!)...

Movie Review: She Cat (1983, DVD)

Review By: Rob Sibley

She Cat aka Meneko is my second fore into the world of Nikkatsu roman pornos. The first was Fairy In ACage, which I wasn't the biggest fan of. Sure that film was heavy on the political subtext but just featured way too much BDSM for my tastes. So I went into She Cat with a bit of worry. Was I in for the same experience, just packaged differently? Luckily not, I wouldn't even call this a Roman Porno. Sure it features a helluva lot of nudity, showers scenes, rape scenes and everything else you'd expect from an 80's Japanese exploitation picture.

But luckily this film is more plot based then I expected. It's also more then anything else a sleazy Yakuza film.Now anyone who knows me, knows that Yakuza films are my favorite genre of films from Japan. Everything from early Fukasaku to the bat-shit crazy Dead Or Alive films from Miike (before he went Mainstream) to all the J-video films starring the likes of Riki Takeuichi, Sho Aikiwa and my personal favorites the Seijun Suzuki/Jô Shishido classics like Youth Of The Beast & Branded To Kill. Or Suzuki's Yakuza art house classic Tokyo Drifter. My point is, if a film deals with the Japanese mafia I will more likely then not watch it. No, I didn't forget all the wonderful Kitano Yakuza pictures but this is a review of “She Cat” not a 12 page essay on my obsession with Japanese gangster culture. So lets move on... shall we?

Movie Review: Fairy in a Cage (DVD, 1977)

Review By: Rob Sibley

 During World War II, the tyrannical Judge Murayama uses his military power to imprison and torture innocent people. Suspected of helping an anti-government movement, the lovely Namiji Kikushima (Naomi Tani) is captured, along with a local kabuki actor. Helpless and unable to escape, the two are subjected to a grueling series of tortures including rope bondage and psysical assault. As the Judge an his evil assistant Kayo revel in their perverse fetishes, a new military recruit they've hired named Taoka may be the key to the prisoners freedom. He loves Namiji and will do what he can to help her, even if it means betrayal to organize an escape!

Well leave it to Impulse pictures (Synapse's dirty little cousin) to release one of the most controversial and most sought after Nikkatsu productions of all time. The film at times reminded me of Salo, mainly due to the fact it mixed in heavily political statements with it's rape and violence. I must admit this film was my first journey into Nikkatsu. I've seen countless Pink films but this film is a different breed. Unlike your common Pink flick it seems the Roman Porno's focused on violence and sexuality on equal levels. It's certainly not a film for everyone.

Movie Review: Strip Mahjong: Battle Royale (2012, DVD)

Review By: Rob Sibley

A handful of mysterious Japanese women take part in a deranged web show that makes them strip off their clothes when they lose a round of Mahjong. When there is nothing left to hide, the losers secrets are revealed and the nubile contestants must take their punishment. Can anyone survive, or keep their clothes on, in the dangerous game of "STRIP MAHJONG: BATTLE ROYALE?" Gleefully adding a risqué, wry twist to an ancient game of strategy, this erotic thriller delivers voyeuristic thrills with the friskiness of Seventies sexploitation flicks, providing titillating, strange and kinky gameplay at every turn!

You just have to love the Japanese, they really know what they are doing when it comes to exploitation films. This flick doesn't try to hide what it is in the least. Sure it's a highly misogynistic concept but that's all part of the exploitation game. Usually I'd balk at a flick like this because more often then most they have no redeeming value and are two steps away from a bad Asian porno. But “Strip Mahjong” has an ace up it's sleeve. It's the perverse, over the top sense of the humor the film contains. It's impossibly hard to take this film seriously and that's a good thing. I also found it refreshing that the film didn't take the easy out aka going for the gore. This isn't Red Room 1 or 2 or any other single location Japanese horror flick. Sure it's Japanese sleaze, but it's sleaze with a sense of satire.

Movie Review: The Japanese Wife Next Door

Who really needs Desperate Housewives when you have The Japanese Wife Next Door? Yes, that's the title of Yutaka "Mr. Pink" Ikejima's deliriously entertaining Pink film starring voluptuous minx, Reiko Yamaguchi. To call this film an absolutely manic sexually-charged erotic love story would be an understatement. Sit down, grab your super absorbent growl towel and get ready for some Reiko!

Buy The Japanese Wife Next Door on DVD

Movie Review: Anarchy In (Ja)Panty (1999, Pink Eiga)

Reviewed by Travis G.

Don’t know what happened but for some reason this little film was released by PINK EIGA under the radar,or atleast mine. I was over at my friend Robin Bougie’s (of CINEMA SEWER fame) checking out the recent acquisitions on his DVD shelf of filth and saw some PINK EIGA titles that included ANARCHY IN J(JA)PANTY.

Buy Anarchy in (Ja)Panty on DVD

On his way to being an award -winning director, Takahisa Zeze has brought us ANARCHY IN (JA)PANTY. A young woman named Mizuku discovers she is infertile and therefore unable to have kids. However one day her luck changes when she comes upon an unattended kid abandoned by his parents while they’re screwing, and decides to kidnap the kid an raise it as her own. Now all Mizuki needs in her life is a man. Low and behold Tatsutoshi enters her life and and her happy new family is complete..or is it?

Movie Review: @Home Idol: Moe Takahashi (2012)

Starring Moe Takahashi

We have Happy Chicken Studio to thank for bringing all of us here in The West this little slice of Asian comfort food known as the “Pink Film.” And what is a Pink Film, you might ask.....well a Pink Film is basically PG-Rated porn with no nudity. It's based on the premise that there is nothing hotter then watching an 18 year old girl in panties and a tank top cavort around the house fondling kitchen appliances and various other housewares. (Personally, I really can't argue with the logic behind this.)

Interview: Studio Happy Chicken Pink Owner Charlie Maib

When did you form Studio Happy Chicken Pink? I must say the name is very interesting.

Find Studio Happy Chicken Pink on Amazon.com

Studio Happy Chicken's official birthday is April 4, 2009. That's the day we shot our first release, Sundae Girl. The name and the chicken logo existed before that, though. A long time ago I fancied myself a manga artist (this was before anime was cool in the US… Back when the only way to see new releases was through mail-order fansubs that were translated on Tandy computers) and I did a comic that involved penguin suits. I attempted to draw a penguin, but it ended up looking like a chicken. I thought that the chicken looked especially happy, so I drew three lines over it's head to show that it was REALLY happy. I was never any good at drawing boys so I represented myself in the comics by drawing me as this happy chicken. Later, I launched a magazine called Service Service and we needed a name for the company, so I called it Studio Happy Chicken. That's where the chicken in a circle design comes from. We folded after a few issues because of the investment vacuum created by 9/11. Fast forward 8 years and I adopted the chicken logo again for the gravure studio; and because of the sexy nature of the films, I made the chicken pink… Thus Studio Happy Chicken Pink. A long answer to a short question… Probably more than you wanted to know.