Pleasure Island Review

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(More customer reviews)The graphics are nice on this, but the plot feels like it's part 2 in a trilogy. Like they skipped the part (a few hints) of how or why they got stranded on the island, and leave it open for sequels. They do however include plenty of adult scenes to make up where the plot leaves off, but even those look a bit mechanical with loops. Spoiler- there's a tentacle monster for those who are into that sort of thing.

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Item Name: Pleasure Island; Studio:Adult Source Media

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Attack Girls' Swim Team vs. the Undead Review

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(More customer reviews)Attack Girls Swim Team vs. the Undead (Koji Kawano, 2007)
Okay, let's start off by saying that if you're the kind of person who sees a title like Attack Girls Swim Team vs. the Undead and does not immediately think "THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER", you're probably in the wrong place. Because that's exactly what I thought when I saw the title of this movie, and, well, I'm the guy who's writing the review. If we're coming from entirely different mindsets... you know. And while the movie doesn't live up to the promise of the title, it's certainly good for a romp.
Aki (Sasa Handa) is the new girl at school. Keeps to herself, quiet, that sort of thing. One day, Sayaka (Yuria Hidaka), seeing her at the side of the pool and mistaking her for someone else, pushes her in as a prank. The two of them become fast friends after that, but this is no simple friendship drama. Because, after all, there must be an evil mastermind experimenting on the school (where else but in Japan?), administering a "vaccine" for a cold that's going around. But, yeah, vaccine? It makes zombies of everyone but Aki and the girls' swim team, who must find a cure.
No, it's not a great movie, and most of the time it's not even a good movie. But on the Joe Bob Briggs blood, breasts, and beasts scale, it gets top marks in all three categories (including one scene between Handa and Hidaka that wouldn't be out of place in an Emmanuelle flick), and it adds a continual element of just plan weird, in that style the Japanese do so well. The climax of the movie is just jaw-dropping. I mean, really, off-the-scale, [censored for Amazon consumption] nuts. And hysterically funny, if that kind of humor works for you.
So, yeah, not a good movie, but it's the kind of bad movie that transcends its badness and becomes something great. This is one you owe it to yourself to watch. ****


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Item Name: Attack Girls' Swin Team Versus the Undead; Studio:Adv Films

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Siren Review

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(More customer reviews)Remember the legends in Greek mythology about seductive Sirens who seduce sailors and drive them mad with lust and greed? Well, Japanese director Satoshi Torao attempts to explore this myth in this Japanese pink horror film "SIREN" (a.k.a. Erotic Ghost Siren, 2004) with JAV-superstar Sora Aoi (aka. Sola Aoi) in the lead. The film is a low budget film that was just arguably made for Sora Aoi to show her stuff in her first non-AV role. I liked her in "Man, Woman and The Wall" and "Tsumugi", so I wanted to check out how she fares in a horror movie.
It was the perfect plan as 5 individuals stage the perfect bank robbery dressed as women. None knew of the other's real names and they have taken fake names like: Freddie, Jason, Jaws, Lector and Chucky (cast of Ikki Funaki, Junichi Kawamoto, HideakI Mizuki, Kazuyoshi Ozawa and Yuuken Yoshida). (Horror films anyone?) so that even if one was caught, no one can sell out the rest. After the heist that made them $ 1,520,000; they would go on separate ways after waiting a few days when the heat dies down. But after they stumble upon a beautiful woman named Yumi (Sora Aoi) who was supposed to deliver supplies, they decide to kidnap her after she saw them with the money. They take her to an abandoned goldmine so that they can hide out. The quintet make the decision to keep her around and take advantage of her sexually. But something begins to become amiss as they find one of their number dead and they slowly begin to turn against each other. Little do they know that they are ensnared in the web of a succubus-sea ogre who preys on the greed and lust of men...
"Siren" is a B-movie affair and the film has very low budget sensibilities. There are hardly any special effects and the movie is mostly shot in the woods. I was expecting another of those exploitive pink horror films and while it is, "Siren" isn't actually all that bad. The film serves as a cautionary tale for men who are after riches and the lust for women. I guess this is where director Torao incorporates the mythic tales of a woman who feeds on the lifeforce of greedy and lustful men. An incubus is the demonic counterpart of a succubus who preys on women if you're curious. The men are left quite dehydrated after they have intercourse with our lovely succubus. It does succeed a little, as the characters do have their potential and for a pink horror film, the sex scenes don't exactly take control of every plot device.
This is Sora Aoi's first non-AV role and while her acting is very uneven in this film, I've already seen her mature both in looks and acting ability in "Tsumugi". She is very 'cute' and sexy; I guess it helps that a woman with such girlish features can be a succubus; one look at her, and my male hormones went into overdrive that I wouldn't suspect her as an evil ogre. Sora Aoi gets naked quite often and her nude scenes in the film are the film's main draw. Of course, any pink horror film would have its share of gratuitous sex scenes and "Siren" doesn't disappoint. There are about three sex scenes with lovely Sora Aoi and they are all quite erotic and arousing with the famous trademarks of pink films such as `hand inside the panty shots`. Nope, there are no scenes of full frontal nudity unfortunately but the crotch areas don't' get "fogged" either.
I've mentioned that the film's devices doesn't revolve around the sex scenes and this is true. The film's script instead focuses on the bank robbers who slowly begin to distrust each other. They play poker to see who gets to sleep with Yumi first. They are all taken by their beautiful hostage but they should have found it odd that Yumi never once try to escape; she seemed to be enjoying her situation. The acting by the supporting cast is pretty wooden except for the actor who played Jason, he displayed the most talent out of the five.
Overall, "Siren" isn't really anything special and is very routine; thankfully it doesn`t fall on the usual softcore category played on late night cable. I sure wished that the film could've been more intense and suspenseful, but I guess I shouldn't complain, I knew what I was getting into with "Siren". The film's strengths lie on Sora Aoi as its eye candy and she is definitely a looker. "Siren" isn't a good movie but it is a fun `guilty pleasure' that makes you feel very naughty.
Rent It! But Recommended to fans of Japanese cinema [2 ½ Stars]
The dvd sports a decent letterboxed picture and 2.0 Dolby Digital track with excellent subs. Features are limited to trailers of Switchblade Sisters releases

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Hana & Alice (Widescreen) (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, this is another product review. I really do like the movie, and love it more each time I've watched it.
I would have given this release a 5/5 star count, if I hadn't had the pleasure of viewing this with subtitles that were better suited, in my opinion. I could point out a scene where it took me off the film, when Miyamoto said something that was translated as a "doppelganger" - now, it might be nitpicking, but I don't think normal 15-year-old teens speak with such words...
Now, onto the stuff on the DVD. Though the TV Spots on a DVD are always filler content... the best part of the extras in here was the Behind-the-Scenes Featurette, which gives you a +1hr. look into what went into the making of "Hana and Alice". It was not only interesting because you get to hear from Shunji Iwai where the idea of the film came from, and how it developed. We also get to see how some of the scenes were shot, and small tidbits of Anne Suzuki, Yu Aoi and Tomohiro Kaku on their characters... and there's also cute funny moments too.

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God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been avoiding this one for a while after I read some not-so-positive reviews. I looked it up again recently and noticed that not only was it directed by Shusuke Kaneko (a very entertaining filmmaker) but it was also based on a book written by Kazuo Umezu, which is always an advantage because a handful of imaginative and fun movies have been recently made from this man's works (see "Tamami: The Baby's Curse" and "Orochi" ASAP!). I decided to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did.
After her psychic brother falls into a coma, a girl attempts to use his clues to catch a serial killer. One bizarre aspect is that the antagonist (Tomorowo Taguchi in an over-the-top performance) murders hot schoolgirls and then draws their deaths in a picture book for his 7-year-old daughter to read! This is one of those fun horror films that's not to be taken too seriously. The death scenes are nicely bloody and there's a healthy dose of absurdities and cheesiness (be prepared to chuckle a lot). The ending of this movie is so ridiculous that it needs to be seen to be believed. Oh, and the use of little kids in bloody terror sequences is much appreciated by this horror fan.

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Raw Summer (Sub) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this not knowing what to expect. I got a fairly decent story. This movie is better suited for rental and not one I'd recommend buying. The sex, what little there is, is muted to the point of almost being nonexistant. It primarily revolves around an otherwise ordinary guy who starts fantasizing over a particular girl. The fantasies become an obsession on which he acts. This movie is not pleasant to watch by any means, but still the director managed to film it in a rather bland manner, in which everything is muted. Charlie S.

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RAW SUMMER - DVD Movie

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Female Combatants Battle School/Demonic Heroine in Peril Review

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(More customer reviews)With the last sentai/tokusatsu release of of "Akiballion Battlemaids of Akihabara!", Switchblade Pictures continues with more sentai goodness with the latest double feature "Female Combatants Battle School/Demonic Heroine in Peril". With the majority of Zen Pictures focusing on the heroines, this time this double feature focuses on the women who fight on the side of evil and showing that sometimes, being on the other side is not all it's cracked up to be.
Female Combatants Battle School
"Female Combatants Battle School" is a 2009 film which manages to capture the sentai badgirls with tight black and red vinyl (and the usual enemy cooing) as these bad girls work for the Bad Mist organization. Their biggest rival in their way of doing crime is the masked heroine known as Asterea (played by Tsugumi).
Bad Mist is a group that recruits troubled young women and brainwashes and trains them to fight against good and to make sure they can literally kick butt in battle. The Under Cover Agency (UCA) knows that they need to bring this organization down, so they bring in their UCA agent Aoi Kono (played by Yuri Higashi) to infiltrate and pose as one of them. She gets in and is given the name of 841.
But 841 is quickly going to learn that to gain the trust of the other soldiers, she's going to have to start from the bottom and fight. On her first day of initiation, she's beaten and ridiculed by the other ladies. They beat on her, they step on her and how much will this agent be able to take. Can 841 manage to gain the trust of the women of the Black Mist? Or will her cover be blown? And what will she do when the masked heroine Asterea is captured by the Black Mist?
Demonic Heroine in Peril
For the second film "Demonic Heroine in Peril", the 2005 film is about a group of aging men who are Triongers (yes, think of Power Rangers). But these old, overweight men can secretly transform into their more athletic ranger counterpart with ease.
As Akira (Trio Blue) comes to visit his young friend named Shota. Shota dreams about becoming a Trionger when he grows up and while the two run and play near the playground, Shota accidentally runs into a woman in tight leather clothing. As she leaves, the other two Triongers come to visit but unbeknownst to them, an evil enemy lurks in the background with his minions waiting for a time to attack.
When Akira goes home, he is attacked by these minions and then suddenly turns into his ranger counterpart - Trio Blue. He eventually beats the bad guys but all of a sudden, the woman he met earlier in the day, the woman in black leather comes to fight. Donning her red, ninja like outfit...the woman turns out to be one of Go-ma's Four Kings a.k.a. "Outsider" (played by gravure model MISAKI).
She easily beats Trio Blue and the minions go to finish him off... but for some reason, she tells them to stop. But the evil antagonist comes and tells her that by orders, the rangers must die and thus he picks up Akira by his neck and squeezes it until he dies. He laughs but she feels disgusted but yet Go-ma gives "Outsider" the credit, angering the evil man who had killed Akira.
The following day, she feels compassion for what happened to Akira, knowing that he was good friends with the boy Shota. So, she goes to visit the boy Shota and learns that he wants to become a Trionger, not telling him that she works for the evil Go-Ma who is trying to kill them off. But Takumi (Trionger Red) and Trionger Yellow shows up and the both of them take on the Outsider and begin to fight. She easily beats them but lets them live. Unknown to her that the evil guy is watching her every move and now knows that she has betrayed them by not killing the Triongers.
Because of her actions, Outsider has been branded as a spy, the woman who was once the evil enemy of the Triongers must now fight alongside with them and try to prevent Go-ma from using a viral weapon that he plans to unleash on Japan.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"Female Combatants Battle School / Demonic Heroine in Peril" feature two different aspect ratios. The first, "Female Combatants Battle School" is featured in 16:9 and shot digitally. "Demonic Heroine in Peril" is shot in 4:3 and also shot digitally.
Audio is in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 and for the most part is front channel driven. If you have a home theater receiver capable of stereo on all channels, personally it was my preference for a more immersive soundtrack.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Female Combatants Battle School / Demonic Heroine in Peril" comes with no special features but trailers from Switchblade Pictures.
JUDGMENT CALL:
In Japan, Zen Pictures has found a pretty good sized niche with the fans who are into sentai and tokusatsu shows but instead of focusing on the guys, taking bikini/lingerie models and outfitting them in these kinky Power Ranger-esque outfits (or sometimes an outfit that is barely covering much). In the US, there are also a niche of fans who follow sentai and tokusatsu shows like they follow anime series and have been wanting these films here in the US. And fortunately, Switchblade Pictures is bringing these films to the US.
With "Female Combatants Battle School/Demonic Heroine in Peril", you're getting two films for the price of one. With "Female Combatants Battle School", this is more for those who want to see women fighting in very tight outfits, while "Demonic Heroine in Peril" features MISAKI barely wearing anything and in some way, very Mai Shiranui-like (for those familiar with the "King of Fighters" character and her slinky ninja outfit).
As for story, there is a story but it's important to note that people don't exactly watch these Zen Pictures films for the acting because frankly a lot of these women are known for their bodies and wearing hardly any clothing. Acting is not their forte. But for these two films and having seen several Zen Pictures films, these two are among the better ones that have been released in the US thus far. Also, these are low budget independent films and so, you'll see the occasional family far in the background watching the people fight.
My favorite film of the two would have to be "Demonic Heroine in Peril". It's a more Power Rangers-like driven series and quite humorous as the Rangers themselves are old men and when they get into costume, they are slimmer and still can fight. And the young boy in the film, is actually sporting a mask. It's hilarious in some way, whether or not it was intentional or not.
As for the rating of having nudity and violence, there is violence in the film as character are killed off. As for the nudity, there really isn't any. I suppose that because there are a lot of crotch shots (with the women wearing clothing) and in "Demonic Heroine in Peril", main actress/model MISAKI is barely wearing any clothes but by no means is she nude.
For those wanting to begin their Switchblade Pictures collection of Zen Pictures sentai/tokusatsu heroines/bad girls-style of films, "Female Combatants Battle School / Demonic Heroine in Peril" is a good place to start.

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Man, Woman, and the Wall Review

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(More customer reviews)Kawase Ryo is a young wrier for a small publisher's magazine for which he mainly writes about what is going on in Japan's underworld. Not quite yet raking in the money, Ryo is happy enough that he has made enough money to rent an apartment that possesses his dream object: a bathtub. However, there is one thing with the apartment that would prove to be a bother to most: the walls are paper thin. Yet, this proves to be a boon for Ryo because he soon becomes obsessed with his neighbor, a young woman whose every move he can hear. Be it when she goes to the restroom, drinks a beer after a hot bath, or makes love to her boyfriend Yuta, Ryo listens and often masturbates to the images of his neighbor that float through his mind.
After a bit of snooping, Ryo learns that his neighbor is named Sugiura Satsuki, played by the former adult film star Aoi Sora, whose beauty and impressive "talents" drive Ryo wild and he soon goes to greater lengths so that he can spy on Satsuki such as sending her boxes addressed to himself so that she will have to bring them to his door and having a friend set up a better system so that he can listen to her clearer. It is at this point that Ryo learns that Satsuki is being stalked by someone else whose intentions are far less noble than Ryo's.
Man, Woman, and the Wall is a Pink Film, pinku eiga, whose main point is to titillate its audience. There are several scenes within the short film of Aoi Sora bathing and dressing and also a few scenes of intercourse with her boyfriend Yuta which can be quite heavy at times without showing any naughty bits. It would be easy to toss this film into a pile of other Japanese softcore porn titles, but there are some instances that makes Man, Woman, and the Wall stand out and that is the subject of voyeurism.
Oftentimes within the film, Ryo imagines himself within Satsuki's room watching her bathe, brush her teeth, and eat. In these early scenes, before Ryo actually knows what Satsuki's room looks like, he pictures it as being ultra girly with tons of stuffed animals and bright colors. Therefore, he is a bit surprised to discover that her room is quite plain. Ryo falls in "love" with the image of Satsuki that he has created within his own mind. An image that is so strong, the real beautiful and busty Satsuki does not live up to his expectations. This aspect makes the film an interesting critique of reality versus fantasy is a softcore film format.

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When Ryo, a young magazine reporter, moves into a new apartment he is greeted by the passionate sounds of his astonishingly beautiful neighbor Satsuki. Realizing the wall dividing their apartments is paper thin, the captivated journalist begins to eavesdrop on every detail of the girl next door s life: her conversations, her bubble baths... her breathless cries. While Ryo s fantasies escalate into something bordering on love and obsession, Satsuki becomes increasingly hysterical over the bizarre and dirty phone calls terrorizing her every night. When their lives finally converge, delusions and reality blur forcing the unthinkable to happen.

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Girl in Captivity: Hitwoman in Chains 2 (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)This isn`t a sub-standard entry in the genre, not by any means, it`s just more of the same, and after viewing as many of these films as I have in my lifetime, I`m always hoping for a new twist or something more, and therein lies my lackluster afterthoughts. With these flix, plot is immaterial, only the self-delusional claim to purchase them for any other reason, these are promoted as 'Cinema Erotique' so we`re evaluating it`s exploitative value, not its cinematic one. The lead actress is fairly plain but looks great in a latex S+M outfit and naked in chains, and the only other woman in the film, a femme fatale, is sexier and has that "love you long time" sleaziness about her, and I mean that as praise. The story is similiar to all of the 'Zero Woman' series, nothing unfamiliar again, but on the plus side, there is ample nudity and a perversity that elevates it somewhat. If I wasn`t so friggin' jaded, I`d give it 4 stars (and it probably deserves it as exploitation) but I personally think these flix were done better in the 70`s than they are today. There was more to them then, an indefinable something that makes folks continue to remake them incessantly, but with shoddier results...

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Stray Dog: The Criterion Collection (1949) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am not a Japanese film historian, so others can elaborate on that aspect. When it started, I wasn't sure I would take to this film, but it draws you in inexorably. Shot on location in Tokyo, remarkably just 3 or 4 years after the end of WWII, it most reminds me of a Japanese Naked City, with echoes and moments reminiscent of other American gangster films all the way back to Public Enemy and The Roaring Twenties of the 30's.
The location photography alone is fascinating in depicting the Japan of 1948 or 49. And the story progresses as a very young Toshiro Mifune wanders through various levels of that postwar society in search of the thief who stole his Colt. On hand also, is that wonderful actor in Kurosawa's repertory company that was the leader of the 7 Samurai, and here too, is the older & wiser mentor to Mifune.
Finally, the movie wins you over for its own reasons. Though early, Kurosawa's composition, framing, and directorial skill is evident. The performances are fine. The atmosphere and location photography ground the film in reality. And it is a more complex film and story than it first appears. And, like early Ford, there is poetry amid the restrictions of budget and resources. And like early Ford, it presages what was to come. Good stuff if you've a mind for it. 5 stars for those folks.

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A detective whose revolver is stolen goes undercover to locate the thief, sinking to such depths that even his colleagues don't recognize the difference between him and the thief.Genre: Foreign Film - JapaneseRating: UNRelease Date: 25-MAY-2004Media Type: DVD

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Akira Kurosawa: 4 Samurai Classics - The Criterion Collection (Seven Samurai / The Hidden Fortress / Yojimbo / Sanjuro) (1956) Review

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(More customer reviews)That's right, these ARE some of the greatest Japanese films ever made and are especially wonderful samurai movies!
By now you know abouth the movies that are included so let me make some technical reference to the DVDs.
In terms of picture quality, Seven Samurai has been restored to present the best presentation of the film to date. Yojimbo features a fine 2.35:1 non-anamorphic transfer of the film. Don't get me wrong, it is quite good, especially for a film of its age, but you won't be writing home about it. Sanjuro (my favorite of the bunch) is presented in a non-anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio and starts off poor. The film looks worn for the first few minutes and shapes up after that. Overall, a very good transfer. Hidden Fortress has the best picture of the bunch, having been mastered from a pristine interpositive to a high definition transfer!
Sound on the disc is as follows: Seven Samurai features a restored mono track and is a improvement over the old video tape I used to watch! Yojimbo's sound isn't quite as good. There's a hiss throughout the Japanese 2.0 Mono track. To sum it up, it is fair. Sanjuro, happily, doesn't have the hiss present in the Yojimbo track. It is a pleasant Japanese 1.0 mono track. Hidden Fortress gives the viewer the choice of a 1.0 mono track or a 3.0 Dolby Digital track.
Extras? Seven Samurai features audio commentary by Japanese film historian Michael Jeck which offers insights into Kurosawa's work, the film and Japanese culture which combine to make a highly engaging commentary. Also included is a theatrical trailer. Yojimbo is pretty much a bare bones disc, including only the trailer and liner notes. Sanjuro has the same features as Yojimbo. Theatrical trailer and liner notes. Hidden Fortress includes a theatrical trailer and an eight minute interview with George Lucas who discusses Kurosawa's influence on him as a filmmaker.
In conclusion, these are excellent films with presentations that I'm sure are the best we will ever see for them. Don't hesitate to add these to your film library!

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Dark Water (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have gotten to the point in watching horror films that when I watched the American production "Dead Birds" I was wondering if this was another adaptation of a Japanese horror film. Apparently the Japanese approach to the genre, which has become well established on this side of the Pacific because of the success of "The Ring" (nee "Ringu") and "The Grudge" (nee "Ju-on"). However, with "Dark Water" ("Honogurai mizu no soko kara") I found myself thinking how different this 2002 effort from director Hideo Nakata (who did the "Ringu" films) from contemporary American efforts in a different way. Too many American horror films go the route of "Jeepers Creepers," where there is a pretty good set up and then the film goes down hill and the payoff is disappointing in the extreme. But with "Dark Water" I was not overly captivated by the set up, but found that the payoff really hit home.
At this point let me warn you that when you start watching "Dark Water" on DVD it goes right into the dubbed English track, at which point I start having flashes back to all of the badly dubbed Japanese movies I grew up on (which inevitably leads to thoughts of Woody Allen's "What's Up Tiger Lily?"). My strong recommendation is to stop the film and make sure you have the original Japenese language track and the English captions. Fans of the horror genre should be at the point where they can appreciate the natural language and rhythm of Japanese cast. Most of the key sequences here do not require you to do a lot of reading so it is not a great sacrifice and the nuances of the culture are totally lost in the dubbed version.
Yoshimi Matsubara (Hitomi Kuroki) has divorced her husband and is in a custody battle for her six year old daughter, Ikuko (Rio Kanno). In an attempt to make a new start, mother and daughter move into an apartment, where strange things start happening. The weirdest are the huge water stains that appear on the ceiling and start dripping away and the red children's bag that start popping up every place Yoshimi goes. Then the dead child to whom the bag belongs starts showing up as well. So we have what we would now be thinking of as your basic Japanese ghost story. But there is a bit more going on here as well.
You see, Yoshimi has some trouble being a working mom. She needs a job to survive, and too often Ikuko gets lost in the shuffle, which sometimes means the kids is left standing outside her kindergarten waiting for her mother when all of the other kids have left. As you would anticipate, there is an attendant irony in this as well. But the pressure is getting to Yoshimi who thinks that she is slowly going insane, which works well given all of the above. Characters in these sorts of movies often get so scared that they might go insane, complete with wild eyes and mad cackling, but you do not have them questioning their sanity as often.
"Dark Water" is a less complicated and more subtle horror story than "The Ringu," which is the obvious point of comparison since Nakata and his co-screenwriter Takashige Ichise did both films (the story here is from a novel by Kôji Suzuki. So it is inevitable that this film seems a lesser effort, but that does not really take away from its effectiveness. When we got to the conclusion I found that I liked what happened, and when the inevitable epilogue reinforced the fact, I liked it even more. I do not think this is a great horror film, but I think it is a solid one and I certainly liked it more than the original "Ju-on."

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No one loses their mind instantly –Sanity seeps away one drop at a time. Yoshimi simply wanted a better life – for both herself and her daughter Ikuko. Unfortunately, such wishes may sometimes be hard to come by. The custody battle has grown embittered and hurtful, her new job is less than desirable, and Ikuko's schoolwork has taken a turn for the worse. But, Yoshimi has something bigger to worry about. Something upstairs. Something cold and dank. Something that should have never been.

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The Naked Sword Review

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(More customer reviews)In the tradition of "Kasumi: Lady Ninja" and the "Ninja Vixens" franchise, comes a "pink" film by director Yoshikazu Kato, called "NINJAKEN: the NAKED SWORD". If you expect a film with a lot of action packed sequences then you will be disappointed. "Ninjaken..." is an exploitive, highly erotic tale of female ninjas who use the best weapon they have at their disposal--their womanly wiles and their curvaceous bodies. This film stars AV-star, super sexy Kaede Matsushima--so do I have your attention, my fellow men?
In a time of warring states, the female ninja Murasame (Kaede Matsushima) is assigned to assassinate the rogue clan lord Daizen Osakabe who has aligned himself with the Tokugawa to betray the Taiko. Despite the odds, Murasame nearly succeeds but in the end, is almost captured and badly wounded. She flees the Daimyo's resident ninja, Akatokage, and collapses, regaining her consciousness within the walls of a mysterious convent for women. However, this "Aitokuin" convent is headed by a woman-loving abbess named Jokyo is not all that it seemsto be, the convent is only a front for a woman-trafficking brothel. A sinister plot threatens to take control of Murasame's future. Now, Murasame must use all her skills, both as a female warrior and a woman to escape a deadly web of sexual slavery and deception.
When watching a low-budget exploitive flick, one has keep the expectations low. I was expecting an erotic film full of campy action and gore; and this film isn't action-packed at all, but relies heavily on the erotic elements to stay aloft. The plot is almost none-existent as the script revolves upon just how many sequences of graphic sex it could fit in 75 minutes. The fight sequences are laughable and the story is too hollow. Honestly, the only way to appreciate this film is by comparing it to other Japanese erotic films of this kind--just how does it measure up?
Well, if you're curious just how many exploitive scenes there are on this film, then the movie stacks up well and exceeds "Ninja Vixens". The sex scenes are very erotically charged and there are quite a good number of them. The scenes are also long and arousing--Kaede Matsushima is an AV idol and a nude model, so it is always fun to see her in an exploitive film. The supporting cast is mostly made up of beautiful Japanese women; Hiromi Suzuki, Kyoko Kazama and Mari Yamaguchi and none of them are shy to shed their clothes. There is no full frontal nudity but the only thing covering up Kaede Matsushima's (and the other women) sensitive female parts is a man's hand while he treats himself. Oh, there is no "blurring" in the crotch areas, so you get to see all the "action".
The film also has its share of silly "punch lines" but delivers them with a straight face. I cannot divulge any of them but let's just say that it expresses something about a weapon, pleasure, and a hole to hide a small dagger. There are a lot of girl-on-girl action and sexual torture that is a little disturbing but at the same time, exciting. Kaede Matsushima's "training" sequences may be the film's biggest draw. The scenes are very graphic and trumps on most softcore films. So why did I spend 75 minutes to watch this? I was curious as to how Matsushima can handle herself in a non-AV affair.. (right!)
Japanese feudal tales have often told of female assassins who use their sexuality as a weapon, they are dispatched to murder feudal lords; this film is just part of that premise. "Naked Sword" is low-budget affair, with a plot which is almost none-existent--and I still await a great film that would explore the world of a female assassin than one that focuses on eroticism and exploitive elements. Female ninjas played a huge part of the feudal wars, and deserves a better movie than one that borders on porn. I guess it may take longer for us to see a sexy, suspenseful female ninja film; this film doesn't deliver any action or thrills at all--but as an erotic, exploitive "pink" flick this film will not disappoint. If you want some pervy kicks, then this film may be for you, plus, it does have Kaede Matsushima.
RENTAL [2 ½ Stars]
Note: Switchblade Sisters have also released another film called "Twin Blades of the Ninja" starring ex-AV star Risa Koda.

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Item Name: The Naked Sword; Studio:Adv Films

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Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)Akira Kurosawa's dreams are better than mine. If this is what he saw when he closed his eyes, then I can understand how from that mind sprang the Seven Samurai and the rest.
"Dreams" is maybe the most personal, most "Japanese" of Kurosawa's films, and along with that it is perhaps the most difficult one for Western audiences to appreciate. This is saying nothing against Western audiences, but many of the themes and myths on display may not be familiar, and the imagery and metaphors may be lost without the appropriate background. I definitely appreciated it more after living in Japan, and becoming familiar with the countries folklore and literary story-telling style. Hina Dolls, the Yuki Onna, the mountain villiges like islands of tradition amongst concrete modern Japan...
"Dreams" is beautiful, on a purely visual level. The cinematography is exquisite and the colors and light are displayed with the eye of a painter. It is appropriate that Van Gogh plays a role in one of the many dreams. Like Van Gogh, the stories in "Dreams" are expressionistic and vivid, yet with the subdued emotions that is the hallmark of Japanese literature. This is not the wild, raw statement of a younger Kurosawa.
Story-wise, the dreams play with the themes of death and loss, both human and of nature. The displacement of Japanese forests, the lack of safety standards at nuclear power plants, the loss of traditional Japan, the pointless loss of lives in war...melancholy themes at best. Yet at the end, hope is offered, in a small nook and cranny, like a flower blooming amongst concrete.
The DVD itself is a small disappointment, and I would rather have this belong to the Criterion Collection, but better to have it than not have it.

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One of the most visionary, deeply personal works in the 60-year career of the master behind Rashomon, The Seven Samurai and Ran. Featuring eight episodes rich in imagery and insight (and casting MARTIN SCORSESE as a feisty Vincent Van Gogh), it explores the costs of war, the perils of nuclear power and especially humankind's need to harmonize with nature. You will be enchanted ... and enthralled.

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Tokyo Decadence (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)A good movie overall. There's two storyline essentially: one is about this young educated girl lost in the world of S&M prostitution in the heart of Tokyo. The other story is derivative or symbolic: the time when the Tokyo Bubble burst and the economic slump affected most of Japan's working society and turned their world upside down. Both the heroine as well as the people of Japan wants to redeem themselves, but the mindset of the majority prevents this from happening. The performances was good. Photography was excellent. Ryuichi Sakamoto provided a tailored score for the film. Director Murakami was in his top form when he did this. The Cinema Epoch edition of this DVD is the best so far compared to previous editions like Image or Triboro which butchered (shortened) this film into 90 or so minutes. The Epoch edition is the uncut version which is 112 minutes. Forget about the mythical 135 minutes version as IMDB has touted, for that one doesn't really exist. The transfer was good although there was a slight saturation of colors: you'll notice this in the red lips of the heroine smeared on your monitor. The Special Features bundled into the DVD was entertaining and very informative for the cult fans of this film. The white subtitles were readable and the translations were correct. And by the way, don't stop the DVD on the closing credits 'cause after this we see a bonus of the heroine with all smiles doing a Can-can dance number.

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