Teruo Ishii (1924–2005) was a Japanese film director best known in the West for his early films in the Super Giant series, and for his films in the Ero guro (“erotic-grotesque”) subgenre of pinku eiga (soft porn movies) such as Shogun’s Joys of Torture (1968). He also directed the 1965 film, Abashiri Prison. Read more…
Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight, directed by Japanese cult movie guru Teruo Ishii, is a deranged, over-the-top adaptation from the original manga about a privileged samurai gang in charge of recruiting women for prostitution in old Edo’s pleasure quarter. It’s a perfect match for unapologetically decadent, phantasmagorical, softcore sex and bloody, sword-swinging sadism. Fascinating, brilliant and amoral, a tour through an ancient subculture obsessed with cruel, violent death and cruel, violent sex. Tetsuro Tanba is a standout as the hardboiled mercenary swordsman caught in the middle between the sex slave business, the corrupt Shogunate and rival gangs. When he goes into action, blood sprays, and heads and limbs fly!
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Blind Woman’s Curse is a 1970 yakuza horror movie starring stunning cult siren Meiko Kaji in her first major role as a novice yakuza (Japanese mafia) boss in early 20th century Japan. She must defend her clan against a vengeful swordswoman (Hoki Tokuda)who was blinded in a battle between rival gangs, her bizarre hunchback servant (Tatsumi Hijikata), as well as villain Toru Abe’s gang of bloodthirsty killers. Read more…
Horrors of Malformed Men (aka Horror of a Deformed Man) is a controversial 1969 surrealistic horror movie, still banned in its native Japan. Based on the stories of Edogawa Rampo, Horrors of Malformed Men is directed by Teruo Ishii and stars Teruo Yoshida, Minoru Oki, Tatsumi Hijikata, Yukie Kagawa, and Asao Koike. Read more…