The Non-Synapse Roman Porno Thread

[AngelGuts]

Takuma, I haven't seen WOMAN OF THE AFTERNOON: INCITE. Based on your thorough autopsy above, it sounds fascinating.

I'm particularly interested as it is a Chiho Katsura-scripted flick. He wrote many of my favorites, and always brings a curious point of view to each of his works.

A great shame that it has never been legitimately subbed in English. Would be a good candidate for Synapse/Impulse's Nikkatsu Collection line.

Another reason I must see this is Natsuko Yashiro. I love her. My favorite pink actress.

Interestingly, some shots in the trailer for this film -- of her driving -- parallel similar shots at the beginning of RAPING!

[Takuma]

I rewatched Woman of the Afternoon: Incite (1979) the other night and I gotta say this is a small gem! Fresh, breezy, colorful, fast paced... everything most Roman Porno films lack. It's just hard to write about it, because it's the kind of film that is absolutely best experienced without any expectations. It will take you by a surprise!

It's a shame it has never been subbed, officially or unofficially. The Japanese DVD by Geneon is excellent, though.

Now, if you're still not convinced, allow me to go into the spoiler territory. The rest of the text will be in grey font:

The first 25 minutes of the film is breezy road movie with Natsuko Yashiro running from her jerk husband, heading for a road trip, making friends with sympathetic young gay guy, and even getting herself into a car chase as she decides to set things right with the youngsters who ran into her car. It's all fun, stylish and even a bit romantic. Cool use of music as well, and good cinematography.

Then, without any warning, she arrives a God forsaken small town populated by redneck psycho rapist killers. They rape the guy, kill another man, capture a girl, and start chasing her with a fucking front loader. All of a sudden we are watching a violent pink movie probably influenced by Deliverance and Tobe Hooper. And then there is the pitch black humour. In one scene the rednecks are gang raping women and one of them cracks such as good joke that his friend has to take a break from raping. He even says "I'm laughing so hard I can't do it".

The film was directed by Nobuyuki Saito, but the real credit should probably go to screenwriter Chiho Katsura, who also wrote Assault! Jack the Ripper, Rape! 13th Hour, Secret Honeymoon: Rape Train, Zoom Up: Rape Site, Zoom In: Rape Apartments, House, Futari and other films. Director Saito struggled to ever come up with another good film again. The only other worthwhile effort by him was Captured Mother and Daughter (1987), which was scipted by the excellent Haruhiko Arai.









The rest of the captures are as links:
https://sketchesofcinema.files.wordp...015/09/wo5.jpg
https://sketchesofcinema.files.wordp...015/09/wo6.jpg
https://sketchesofcinema.files.wordp...015/09/wo7.jpg
https://sketchesofcinema.files.wordp...015/09/wo8.jpg

Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vj50kQbpwo

[AngelGuts]

Yes, a Shin Toho film, but very much a Roman-Porno in terms of how it meets all genre requirements. It's on DVD in Japan.

Bascially about a porno theater projectionist's extra-curricular activities. Very dark.

[Takuma]

My top 20. Some films on your list, Takuma, such as RAPE CEREMONY, I haven't seen.

Favorites (not necessarily in order):

1.Assault Jack The Ripper
2.Beautiful Girl Hunter
3.Secret Chronicle:She Beast Market
4.Retreat Through The Wet Wasteland
5.Rolling On The Road
6.Zoom Up:Rape Apartments
7.Sex Hunter (Ikeda version)
8.Rape 13th Hour
9.White Rose Campus: Then...
10.Female Delinquent
11.The Serial Rape-Murderer (Takita)
12.Raping!
13.Sex Hunter:Wet Target (Sawada)
14.Woman in the Box 2
15.Image of a Bound Girl
16.Rape and Death of a Housewife
17.Beauty's Exotic Dance
18.Angel Guts: Nami
19.Watcher in the Attic
20.Getting Raped

I can see we are on the same page! Those are excellent choises, exactly the kind of atypical movies in the genre that I enjoy. Usually I'm alone with my odd opinions

Isn't "The Serial Rape-Murderer (Takita)" a Shin Toho film, though? I haven't seen it myself. I'll add it to my watch list.

[AngelGuts]

My top 20. Some films on your list, Takuma, such as RAPE CEREMONY, I haven't seen.

Favorites (not necessarily in order):

1.Assault Jack The Ripper
2.Beautiful Girl Hunter
3.Secret Chronicle:She Beast Market
4.Retreat Through The Wet Wasteland
5.Rolling On The Road
6.Zoom Up:Rape Apartments
7.Sex Hunter (Ikeda version)
8.Rape 13th Hour
9.White Rose Campus: Then...
10.Female Delinquent
11.The Serial Rape-Murderer (Takita)
12.Raping!
13.Sex Hunter:Wet Target (Sawada)
14.Woman in the Box 2
15.Image of a Bound Girl
16.Rape and Death of a Housewife
17.Beauty's Exotic Dance
18.Angel Guts: Nami
19.Watcher in the Attic
20.Getting Raped

[Takuma]

Guys, I'd love to see your top 10/15/20/whatever lists. With comments or without. Preferrably with a brief "hate list" as well. Just to see what we like. My old list is on page 1, though it's a bit out of date now. I'll update it some day.

With Rape Site I reached my 200th Roman Porno. Kind of an odd achievement for someone who finds sex scenes in movies a bore

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.

The funny thing is, I think Pink Hip Girl (1978) is Ohara's best film. The mind boggles when you think that the same director went back and forth between the most adorable youth films, and the most brutal violent pink films. Pink Hip Girl is also probably the most "feminist" film in the Roman Porno catalogue... something you can't say about Rape Site or White Rose Campus

[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.

[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]

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

[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...

[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.

[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?

[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:

[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]

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.