The Non-Synapse Roman Porno Thread

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Probably of interest to Takuma only...

DMM has recently added some (around 10 I think) more Roman Pornos on their site (and still have 13 coming soon unless they are already there as I haven't checked today). What is interesting is that two of them (from the ones already on the site) are also available in HD. Love Hunter (ラブ・ハンター 恋の狩人, 1972) and Rape Climax: Skinning (クライマックス・レイプ 剥ぐ！, 1979). Love Hunter has been available on DVD in Japan but the other one doesn't even have a VHS release or I simply can't find it (didn't search long)?

They are probably new scans and would look good on a Blu-Ray but the VODs are of course full of compression artifacts and have ghosting issues that I wouldn't expect from HD. Don't know if this is all because of WMV being a shitty format or if DMM people simply aren't good a their work (or both probably). Bitrate is also only at 3000kbs while their actual pornos in HD have 6000.

http://www.romanporno.com/screenshot...ng-hd-vod1.jpg
http://www.romanporno.com/screenshot...ng-hd-vod2.jpg (oh god the compression and ghosting)
http://www.romanporno.com/screenshot...ng-hd-vod3.jpg
http://www.romanporno.com/screenshot...ng-hd-vod4.jpg

Oh and Microsoft ended their support of Windows Server 2003 in July 14th so that is probably the main reason why DMM stopped supporting Windows Media Player and everything has to be played on their own player.

Yeah, I noticed those. I was getting excited about Skinning until I saw the director's name... Katsuhiko Fujii. Well, I'll watch it some day anyway.

How do you know 13 more are coming?

edit: 4 more were added today.

[Sundance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sundance]

They have added 4 today but actually there are now still 24 more coming and... one of them is Zoom Up: Rape Site. :cuckoo:

I didn't count the days it took those last ones to show up so I don't know how fast these will come... maybe a month or two.

And I know because they put the covers (posters mostly) for new movies up several weeks before they are actually shown at the site. And DMM uses the same naming system for all their movies so the last movie currently up for purchase is 559... and if you take filename of the cover and simply put a higher number up there (you have to actually change the number at two places in the filename/url) you can currently go up to 583 which is Zoom Up: Rape Site.

EDIT: I won't link to the covers so they don't stop doing this. ;)

EDIT2: Well I put them on my own site so these are the ones still supposed to be coming soon. I think almost all of them are on DVD.

[Sundance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sundance]

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Clever

I was guessing Rape Site would come. It was added to a certain Japanese television VoD service a few months ago. I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want it to end up on a torrent site, and suggested Synapse to hurry up with their release. Well, I hope it doesn't end up on torrent sites now. It's kinda unfair because Synapse are the ones who had that transfer made, and now it's released in Japan before them. I really hope fans will support Synapse with this because they went an extra mile and spared no expenses to make this film available for the first time ever...

And this... my girlfriend's friend looks exactly like that girl... to the extent she said I'm not allowed to look at this poster



(edit: I wrote some nonsense about Modern Prostitution: Lust Under Uniform before I bothered reading the title and realized it was Delinquent Girl: Alleycat In Heat. Never mind)

[Sundance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sundance]

Oh, well, sorry I ruined everything.

So now I wonder... have you viewed it yet yourself?


I don't follow any actual Japanese piracy sites so don't know how much stuff they actually have available there but the only English language torrent site full of Asian movies that I know of is missing probably several hundreds of the roman pornos that are at DMM even though it used to be (until couple of days ago) very easy and fast (like couple of minutes) to make 1:1 (except DRM removed) copies of wmv videos. (Of course it requires quite a lot of work to buy anything from DMM if you don't live in Japan) I think you can still make copies of the streams if you stream them into TV and have some certain equipment in between or something. Or you can just record it from the screen with a screen capture program but quality would suffer. So the chances are probably low of it ending up there before Synapse... but then again because of what it is who knows what will happen...

But I wonder though how many Japanese persons might be (or had been) interested in buying the Synapse disc... Some times their discs are available at Japanese Yahoo for eaxmple. So maybe they might lose a few sales that way since I assume some would be prepared to buy even foreign releases if the film is something which never even had a VHS release.

As for torrents and Synapse's releases, unfortunately they all end up on those torrent sites basically right after the release date. Even scans of the booklets are included. Which fucking sucks but what can you do...

And this... my girlfriend's friend looks exactly like that girl... to the extent she said I'm not allowed to look at this poster

So I assume she would not be ready to watch the movie with you (and your gf)...

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

So now I wonder... have you viewed it yet yourself?

No. You need to have a specific kind of television which supports the VoD system. And I don't even own TV.

(I have an HD screen connected to PS3 and laptop for film viewing... which is kinda enough when your room is the size of an American wardrobe )

(actually, it's kinda perfect size when 60% of what you watch is VHS sourced VoD versions )

So I assume she would not be ready to watch the movie with you (and your gf)...

She probably doesn't even know about it. We should tell her.

I believe I've seen the movie long time ago but I'm not sure. I just remember I saw 3 ama movies and two sucked but one was ok.

edit: oh, yeah, that's the one which was ok. Lusty Ama: Stirred-Up Pot (色情海女　乱れ壺) (Shikijō ama: midare tsubo)

And now I realize the girl in the poster is Natsuko Yashiro. She was lovely in Secret Honeymoon: Rape Train. I wish someone would release that on DVD.

[Sundance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sundance]

Situation in Japan is now so bad that even posters for softcore movies on a porn site have to be censored. ;)



All the latest dozens of posters look like that.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Yeah, it's disgusting. Mutant porn! Girls without nipples.

Toei does something similar with their DVD covers. They sometimes cover the boobs with blood. You know, cut someone's head off, fine, just don't show the nipples for God's sake!!!

On a different topic, I made a pleasant suprise discovery and managed to write a bit about it!

Wandering Lovers: Dizziness (1978)

This is probably Masaru Konuma's best film together with Woman in the Box II, a breezy love story about two youngsters on the run from the world. The two meet on a chilly winter day as she is walking on a frozen fountain and he tries to help her after she's fallen through the ice - only to find them both in a need of dry clothes a moment later. It's a good opening, and the film only gets better after that.

The best thing about the film is the two leads. Toshiyuki Kitami and Megumi Ogawa seem to have genuine chemistry between them. He's a little reckless but ultimately kind of a good guy; while she's a little temperate but innocent and energetic like a little girl. Even the potentially sleazy storyline - they run into an older guy who suggest they should earn money by having sex in front of paying elite audiences - feels oddly innocent in this context. You find yourself really caring for the two, which is a rare thing in the Roman Porno genre.

Konuma keeps the tale moving fast enough despite a few slow patches and makes a terrific use of the song "Wakare uta" by Miyuki Nakajima. There are many scenes shot in the early morning and you can almost feel the fresh, chilly air coming through the screen. There's a bit of gangster-style storyline as well with the guy owing money to people who are after him. Noboru Tanaka's famous words about using the Roman Porno genre to tell good stories spring to mind. Though not unforgettable, this is one of those good stories and it quite resembles some of the best early Roman Porno youth dramas, like Delicate Skilful Fingers (1972).

Kind of lovely shot








She's totally adorable


Like, totally!


Actually, they are adorable




And this is just cute






This is another one of those films the Weissers brutally and unfairly bash without even having see the film, and get half of the facts wrong in the process. They for example describe an ending that is completely different from the film (and this isn't the first time they do that). I know from experience that interpreting Japanese sources can be very difficult due to their ambiguous use of language, but they really should have refrained from cruel bashing when they haven't even seen the bloody film.


Masaru Konuma Films I Like
1. Woman in the Box II (1988)
2. Wandering Lovers: Dizziness (1978)
3. Image of a Bound Girl (1980)
4. Getting Raped (1976)
5. Erotic Journey: Love Affair In Hong Kong (1973)

Masaru Konuma Films I Don't Care For
1. Afternoon Affair: Kyoto Holy Tapestry (1973)
2. Mr. Dilemma Man: Lunatic For Lust (1979)
3. Wife's Sexual Fantasy: Before Husband's Eyes (1980)

Masaru Konuma Films I Hate
1. Woman in the Box (1985)
2. Rope and Breasts (1983)
3. Wife to Be Sacrificed (1974)
4. Fallen Angel Gang (1981)
5. Noble Lady: Bound Vase (1977)
6. Wet Vase (1976)
7. Flower & Snake (1974)

[Sundance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sundance]

So... this one is now up at DMM:


Well, Weisser didn't lie about the light bulb.

I need to sleep now (it's 5am). :cuckoo:

[AngelGuts Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AngelGuts]

Encouraging that the famous light bulb scene is present.

How does the film compare to others such as ASSAULT-JACK THE RIPPER or ZOOM UP-RAPE APARTMENTS?

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

Update: I wrote a bit longer review. The original version can be found at the end of the post:

Zoom Up: Rape Site (1979)

Koyu Ohara legendary violent pink film has been missing in action for decades. A lot has been written about it, with some reviews calling it the most brutal and misogynist film ever made, and others guessing it's a lost film. Of course, none of those critics had ever seen the film as it was buried in Nikkatsu's vaults all this time.

Truth be told, in terms of graphic detail and amount of violence it may not be quite the most repulsive film ever made. In fact, Nikkatsu had already made a couple more violent movies before, such as Rape! 13th Hour (1977). However, that's not saying it isn't a mean little film. Not only are there some classic, disturbing kills, the film also offers pitch black view on humanity.

The storyline kicks off with a serial killer lurking on women in the night. The opening scene sees the killer brutalize a woman, stick a light bulb between her legs, and finish the job with a strong kick. The killer then dumps the body in an elevator shaft full of rotting corpses in an abandoned building.

The film then shifts focus to a housewife (Erina Miyai) who is being hit on by her stepdaughter's home teacher (Takeshi Shimizu). The couple end up seeking private space from the same abandoned building where the killer's corpse stash is. A moment later another couple arrive. The man accidentally strangles his partner to death during sex, and ends up dumping the body in the fore mentioned elevator shaft. The housewife and home teacher, who saw it all from behind the window, are convinced he must be the killer the media is reporting about, but she's hesitant to go to the police because that would reveal her affair to everyome.

Rape Site is well made exploitation smut, with a solid thriller structure, some pretty decent cinematography, and an entirely misfit, laidback 70s score which in some ways makes the film less shocking and less "horror", but at the same time all the more "wrong" in a good sense. Also, the film sports a view on women that can be summarized with one classy line uttered by the main character:

"Be so kind, rape me again!"

Director Ohara keeps the film moving at pretty decent pace despite plentiful (also consensual) sex; indeed, this is easily one of his better movies, and also one of the better violent pink movies in general. What's most interesting about the film, however, is how all other characters seem to lose their mind because of the fear and paranoia caused by the serial killer, and end up committing almost as many crimes and murders as the actual killer. The ending is also very effective.

Screenwriter Chiho Katsura should be given special attention. He specialized in violent pink films in the late 70s and early 80s, and wrote most of Yasuharu Hasebe's films, as well as the film's sequel, Rape Apartments (1980). He also write films like House (1977) and Futari (1991). Katsura was clearly above your standard genre writer, constantly opting for different approaches which ranged from satirical to psychological and from romantic to plain brutal and bleak. Rape Site may not stand out as his most intelligent film - in fact there seems to be quite a few lapses in logic - but it's another fine addition to his body or work.

Overall, Rape Site is pretty lovely smut, and quite interesting from a historical perspective as well, but obviously not for all viewers. Look forward to Synapse / Impulse's upcoming DVD (and maybe BD?), which will hopefully be announced soon. Violent pink fans should love it.



















Speaking of Hasebe, does anyone remember how many times Natsuko Yashiro gets raped in Raping (1978)? That's the road movie type of film where she's mistreated by just about every male she encounters.

The Original Post

I think it's a pretty good film and certainly recommended for violent pink fans. Strictly in terms of graphic detail and amount of violence it may not be the most repulsive film ever made. In fact, I'd say Rape! 13th Hour and Assault! Jack the Ripper are a bit bloodier. But it's a mean film for sure. The kills are pretty repulsive, and what's more, the film offers a pitch black view on humanity. What's interesting is how the film's other characters begin to behave because of the paranoia. They end up committing almost as many crimes and murders as the actual killer.

And then there's the film's approach to women. The rape victims don't really seem to mind at all, until they realize they're about to die. Let me just summarize it all with one classy line uttered by the main character:

"Be so kind, rape me again!"

The film's also got some consensual sex and a rather misfit, laidback 70s score which in some ways makes the film less shocking and less "horror", but at the same time it makes it all the more "wrong" in a good sense. The whole film is well made, but not too well made to distract you from what it really is. It's pretty lovely junk overall when you think about it. I would also consider it better than most of Yasuharu Hasebe's films, except for Assault and 13th Hour, which have the edge. I'm looking forward to Synapse / Impulse's DVD (and maybe BD?) release and I hope others will pick it up as well.

[Sundance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sundance]

Well...uh... I agree with Takuma. That is pretty much all I have to say because he already said it all. ;)

Though I guess I want to mention what we discussed with Takuma privately which is that based on what actually happens in the film compared to the (English) reviews out there, none of the people who have reviewed the film (Weisser, Firsching or the guy who just basically copied Firsching's review to IMDB) seem to have actually seen it. They are right about the light bulb but...

[AngelGuts Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AngelGuts]

In RAPING, she gets raped a half dozen times (from memory), and also witnesses the rape by the bikers.

[AngelGuts Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AngelGuts]

Takuma, thanks so much for this pretty thorough appraisal of the film's merits.

If it sits anywhere between 13TH HOUR and ASSAULT JACK THE RIPPER, that's good enough for me.

And considering the fact that Ohara's pedigree includes WHITE ROSE CAMPUS and FAIRY, hopes were/are justifiably high.

Now I'm more excited than ever (if that's possible) to see the Synapse Blu.

[AngelGuts Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AngelGuts]

I finally had time to edit my mini-reviews of the films I saw at Shimbashi Bunka in August. Photos from the theater are in the other thread

Secret Chronicle: Prostitution Market (Japan, 1972) [35mm] - 3.5/5
A mentally challenged girl who has no idea what “sex” is is sold to a brothel. Hilarity ensues. Despite the politically incorrect premise that would give feminists a heart attack, this is a harmless and frequently cute male fantasy. Yuko Katagiri is super-cute as an innocent girl whose virginity proves difficult to steal. She always manages to misunderstand the intentions of the customers, which results in hilarious slapstick. The best sequence involves a sumo wrestler trying to catch her - and destroying half of the brothel in the process before knocking himself out.

Secret Chronicle: She Beast Market (Japan, 1974) [35mm] - 3.5/5
The final entry in the series, which was only linked by the prostitution theme, is an arthouse affair bound to bore typical pink audiences to death. The realistic slice of life film follows a prostitute who is proving services to her customers as well as her mentally challenged brother. The casting is excellent, the film is packed with interesting social context and the black and white cinematography truly striking. This was probably the only Roman Porno film ever to be filmed in black and white (as an artistic decision by director Noboru Tanaka).

I also have this one on Japanese dvd, so here's a few screencaps for your viewing pleasure









Secret Honeymoon: Rape Train (Japan, 1977) [35mm] - 3.5/5
After causing a small scandal with Rape! 13th Hour Nikkatsu ordered director Yasuharu Hasebe to come up with something more romantic. Hasebe delivered this ridiculous but highly entertaining love story. It follows two robbers who take a newlywed woman as hostage and hide in a moving train. Luckily, the two man turn out very friendly fellows. One of them stops by in a shop and even pays for the stuff - and only returns to rape the cash register lady after the bitch tried to call the police. Add “stunts sequences” on the train top, utterly ridiculous Texas country music soundtrack, and very cute female lead, and you've got an utterly nonsensical, but fun romance with a crime film edge.

Rape and Death of a Housewife (Japan, 1979) [35mm] - 3.5/5
This adaptation of a true story was popular among mainstream critics despite being a Roman Porno production. In fact, it even got director Noboru Tanaka nominated for the best director at the Japanese Academy Awards. In a way, that shows how open minded critics could be at that time, and how much leeway Nikkatsu could give to their best directors. Indeed, the amount of sex is minimal for a Roman Porno production. The film is a pretty strong drama about three no-good youngsters who end up raping and accidentally killing the wife of a middle aged man who was trying to keep them out of trouble. It's a solid film all around with an effective use of semi-documentary style. Hideo Murota is excellent as a man who mistakenly thinks he can lead the youngsters to a better life.

Oddly enough, this was the second time I saw this film on 35mm. It was also a part of a Roman Porno retro that played nationwide in 2012.

Rape Ceremony (Japan, 1980) [35mm] - 4.5/5
Here's a superb film about two generations of violent young men, hidden under a crude Nikkatsu title. The film follows a group of men driving around in a black Volkswagen and attacking selected targets. It turns out the victims are former members of a biker gang that disbanded under police pressure. The unemployed young men are now taking revenge against their former idols who betrayed their hopes and sold out their freedom. The way the film moves back and forth between present and past is brilliant. There's a very strong Art Theatre Guild flavour to it as well. Unsurprisingly, director Kichitaro Negishi joined Art Theatre Guild the following year with Distant Thunder (1981).

And here's a few VoD screencaps.













This films needs a DVD so much! One of the best Roman Pornos ever made! I've seen it twice and it only got better on second viewing.

I consider SECRET CHRONICLE:SHE BEAST MARKET a masterpiece.

In a strange way, it reminds me of Italian neorealist films of the 60's.

The central performance is amazing.

RAPE CEREMONY I need to see asap.