What Asian Films Have You Been Watching Recently?

[Richardrli]

I agree about the latter. Pretty much any mid 90s CAT III classic (Ebola, Red to Kill, Run & Kill, Lamb etc.) is more extreme than this.

I don't think it's waste of time, though. I was a bit disappointed ultimately and I gave it a bit harsh rating, but my review is mostly positive(ish)...

Takuma, how would you rate the Hong Kong CAT III films against the many Japanese sexual exploitation films? In particular, what are the main similarities and differences and can you see the latter having an influence on the former or vice versa? I understand that your main interest is in Japanese cinema but I believe you have also seen your fair share of films from HK. I know my question is perhaps a bit too broad to be easily answerable but would greatly appreciate your input as I have seen a decent number of CAT III flicks but haven't touched on the even more numerous Japanese exploitation genre.

[Takuma]

Takuma, how would you rate the Hong Kong CAT III films against the many Japanese sexual exploitation films? In particular, what are the main similarities and differences and can you see the latter having an influence on the former or vice versa? I understand that your main interest is in Japanese cinema but I believe you have also seen your fair share of films from HK. I know my question is perhaps a bit too broad to be easily answerable but would greatly appreciate your input as I have seen a decent number of CAT III flicks but haven't touched on the even more numerous Japanese exploitation genre.

Well, that is a hard question. I’m not a specialist on HK cinema, but I’ve seen most of the seminal CAT III classics, except for the Untold Story, and a bunch of the 70s/80s Shaw Horrors. I’m less familiar with HK sex films. As far as exploitation in general goes, I don’t think HK and JP really influenced each other that much, although I believe Nikkatsu Roman Porno films played in HK cinemas back in the day.

I never compared JP and HK before, but here’s just a few quick thoughts concerning 70s-90s JP and HK exploitation.

The distinction between mainstream and exploitation tends to be more evident in HK Cinema (although not always). In Japanese cinema, especially in the 70s, exploitation and mainstream blended. For example Kinji Fukasaku’s yakuza classics such as Cops vs. Thugs or Graveyard of Honor were mainstream releases, but they feature not only extreme violence but also violent sex and pretty explicit rapes. The Lone Wolf & Cub series is another good example. It’s not always so clear what is exploitation and what is not.

Nowadays the situation has polarized also in Japan where you get crazy zero budget exploitation and safe mainstream cinema.

Many of the HK exploitation films also belong to the horror category, or at least feature elements of horror (e.g. Run and Kill, Red to Kill, Ebola Syndrome). In Japanese exploitation horror was never that popular. They’d give anything from samurai films to high school comedies to love stories an exploitation treatment. And then there were of course Roman Porno and Pink films, which were primarily sex films but features all kinds of sub-categories from crime to sci-fi.

There’s also a big difference when it comes to rape. Japanese films tend to romanticize rape and sexual violence to no end. It’s either a way to make a woman fall in love with you, a way to let her discover the joy of sex, or simply no big deal. Rape is often even committed by the main character. HK films tend have a much more brutal and “critical” (even if it’s played for exploitation) approach.

Another difference is of course full frontal. Due to Japanese censorship, you don’t get any in JP films.

I'm sure there are other noteworthy points that I just can't get into my mind right now.

[Jason C]

Good stuff, thanks Takuma.

As an American trying to get into HK and Japanese exploitation films, one thing I've run into is the stark difference in the quality of home video releases. Most of the HK films look like shit and have comically bad subtitles. There are countless Japanese releases that have quality presentations. Its certainly affected which films I choose to seek out.

[fatboyslim142]

Well, that is a hard question. I’m not a specialist on HK cinema, but I’ve seen most of the seminal CAT III classics, except for the Untold Story, and a bunch of the 70s/80s Shaw Horrors. I’m less familiar with HK sex films. As far as exploitation in general goes, I don’t think HK and JP really influenced each other that much, although I believe Nikkatsu Roman Porno films played in HK cinemas back in the day.

I never compared JP and HK before, but here’s just a few quick thoughts concerning 70s-90s JP and HK exploitation.

The distinction between mainstream and exploitation tends to be more evident in HK Cinema (although not always). In Japanese cinema, especially in the 70s, exploitation and mainstream blended. For example Kinji Fukasaku’s yakuza classics such as Cops vs. Thugs or Graveyard of Honor were mainstream releases, but they feature not only extreme violence but also violent sex and pretty explicit rapes. The Lone Wolf & Cub series is another good example. It’s not always so clear what is exploitation and what is not.

Nowadays the situation has polarized also in Japan where you get crazy zero budget exploitation and safe mainstream cinema.

Many of the HK exploitation films also belong to the horror category, or at least feature elements of horror (e.g. Run and Kill, Red to Kill, Ebola Syndrome). In Japanese exploitation horror was never that popular. They’d give anything from samurai films to high school comedies to love stories an exploitation treatment. And then there were of course Roman Porno and Pink films, which were primarily sex films but features all kinds of sub-categories from crime to sci-fi.

There’s also a big difference when it comes to rape. Japanese films tend to romanticize rape and sexual violence to no end. It’s either a way to make a woman fall in love with you, a way to let her discover the joy of sex, or simply no big deal. Rape is often even committed by the main character. HK films tend have a much more brutal and “critical” (even if it’s played for exploitation) approach.

Another difference is of course full frontal. Due to Japanese censorship, you don’t get any in JP films.

I'm sure there are other noteworthy points that I just can't get into my mind right now.

The ONLY UNCENSORED full frontal Japanese film I can think of is In the Real of the Senses

[sukebanboy]

The HK Cat 3 films also almost always contained moments of slapstick comedy even in the darkest movies...

[47lab]

The ONLY UNCENSORED full frontal Japanese film I can think of is In the Real of the Senses

Does that film even count because wasn't that a French production?

The HK Cat 3 films also almost always contained moments of slapstick comedy even in the darkest movies...

That's what I love about HK CATIII films and I enjoy the craptastic subtitles too. Makes that shit even funnier.

[47lab]

Played hooky from work today and decided to watch a quadruple bill of some RP. First up was Yoshihisa Nakagawa's YUMMY IN NEON TOWN: I AM READY TO BE EATEN (1979), what a fucking great title.





Next up was Yojiro Takita's MOLESTER'S SCHOOL INFIRMARY (1984).





I got a hold of a blu ray upgrade to Norifumi Suzuki's classic, STAR OF DAVID: BEAUTIFUL GIRL HUNTER.





Also recently upgraded to blu ray, Kumashiro's WET LUST: 21 STRIPPERS aka MOIST DESIRES as well.

[47lab]

Been wanting to see Toshiharu Ikeda's MERMAID LEGEND for awhile now but I always put it on the back burner since his RP and horror stuff took my attention away from this flick and BLUE LAGOON. Plus, I knew this was put out by ATG and I thought it would too arty farty with a lot of pretentious symbolism and shit but I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a straight forward revenge thriller in which the bloody mayhem finale wouldn't have been out of place as a CATIII movie. Some cool LW&C inspired arterial spray action too.

[47lab]

Still on a RP kick & this time it was Shinji Somai's only foray into the genre with a nice blu ray rip upgrade of LOVE HOTEL (screenplay by Takashi Ishii of ANGEL GUTS fame). I'm pretty much a fan of all of Somai's films and this is no exception -- a really beautifully shot (trademark long takes) tragic love story at its core.

[Takuma]

Been wanting to see Toshiharu Ikeda's MERMAID LEGEND for awhile now but I always put it on the back burner since his RP and horror stuff took my attention away from this flick and BLUE LAGOON. Plus, I knew this was put out by ATG and I thought it would too arty farty with a lot of pretentious symbolism and shit but I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a straight forward revenge thriller in which the bloody mayhem finale wouldn't have been out of place as a CATIII movie. Some cool LW&C inspired arterial spray action too.

I've never really been able to get into this film (seen it on DVD and 35mm). I feel as a serious drama it's ridiculously over the top, and as exploitation film... well, 85% of the time it isn't one. It does have cool stuff like beautiful score and cinematography, but overall it just doesn't work for me.

It was released by ATG but produced by Director's Company. Director's Company also did Love Hotel, Taifu Club, The Crazy Family and a bunch of other films. It was a small company established by a group of young filmmakers... Shinji Somai, Sogo Ishii, Kazuhiko Hasegawa, Kichitaro Negishi and a few others.