Bad Girls and Wild Women, Death Metal and Death Notes

Patrick Macias and TokyoScope return to the Viz Cinema on September 13 with an eye-popping program. In fact, it is being called "TokyoScope Talk Deluxe" - not just a talk but a happy hour and a feature length film screening.

Join host Patrick Macias (Editor, Otaku USA) for a unique look at sexy Stray Cats, Female Prisoners, Delinquent Bosses and other captivating and sexy bad girl roles from Japanese cinema. The evening will be complemented by a theatrical screening of the lurid prison film Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion.

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion is a 1972 women's prison exploitation/pinky violence film directed by Shunya Itō and starring Meiko Kaji.

If the poster is not enough get you to the Viz on September 13, then maybe the synopsis for Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion will do the trick.

Raped by a gang of yakuza, sacrificed and betrayed by the corrupt cop that she innocently gave her virginity to, Nami Matsushima (played by the stunning Meiko Kaji) finds herself in a women’s prison, watched over by monstrous guards determined to crush her indomitable, vengeful will. Matsu, nicknamed Scorpion by her fellow inmates, seeks not only revenge on the men responsible for her fall from grace, but justice for her tormentors within the prison walls.



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During the week Hole in the Head played at the Viz, they ran trailers for upcoming films at the Viz. The trailer that got the best audience response was Detroit Metal City. The film is playing at the Viz from September 18 to 27.

Based on the #1 death metal comedy manga series by Kiminori Wakasugi. Negishi (Kenichi Matsuyama) is a sweet and shy young man who dreams of becoming a trendy singer songwriter. But for some reason, he is forced into joining the devil worshiping death metal band “Detroit Metal City” (DMC). In full stage make-up and costume, he transforms into Johannes Krauser II (Sir Krauser) the vulgar-mouthed lead vocalist of the band. Against Negishi’s will, DMC rises to stardom. Now the legendary king of death metal Jack Il Dark (Gene Simmons) himself is challenging DMC to a duel. What is the fate of the innocent Negishi as he climbs to the top of the death metal world?.



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In 2008, the San Francisco Internation Asian American Film Festival screened Death Note. Asst. Festival Director Taro Goto wrote the summary that year.

Light Yagami is a brilliant law student who’s disillusioned with Japan’s justice system. One evening, he discovers a mysterious book—dropped by a God of Death—enabling him to kill anyone by writing a name into its pages. Incredulous at first, Light decides to use his newfound gift to execute criminals throughout the world and thereby strike fear into the hearts of evildoers. With crime rates dropping, the public anoints the invisible enforcer a messiah. Police efforts to find the serial killer prove futile, until they’re joined by a cryptic investigator, known only as “L,” who pits his cunning brain against Light’s in a spectacular cat-and-mouse game of one-upmanship.

Death Note is the first of a two-part feature, adapted from the wildly popular manga series of the same title that’s become a phenomenon in Japan and across Asia, even spawning an animated TV series as well as a spin-off movie featuring “L.” Director Shusuke Kaneko, a veteran of the Gamera series and other sci-fi action fare, abridges the byzantine plot of the original without sacrificing any of its mind-bending intricacies, and inserts enough unexpected twists to keep even the most avid fan on their toes. That the film avoids any profound discussion of the ethics of vigilantism is easy to forgive when you’re busy keeping up with a grip­ping battle of wits for the ages.

I recall enjoying the film. It was screened at the Castro to a crowded house. I assumed SFIAAFF would screen the second part in 2009. They did not. Nor did they screen it in 2010. For 2½ years, I've wondered how the story ends. The waiting can end on September 4 with the screening Death Note and Death Note II: The Last Name. In addition to the screening, New People is selling a 3 CD, Blue-ray package including both films plus 2 hours of behind-the-scenes footage and admission to screenings of Death Note and Death Note II: The Last Name. If you don't want the CDs, admission to the films is $10 each or $15 for both.

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[1] Cronin, Sarah (2009-04-01). Electric Sheep Magazine

Hot Tears of Shame and Japanese Superheroes

One Friday in June I went to Viz Cinema to see TokyoScope Talk Vol. 4: Hot Tears of Shame.

From naughty hot spring geisha, to S&M-addicted salarymen, to the latest bizarre innovations in adult video, this pulse-pounding presentation will shamelessly reveal the history of “gettin’ it on” in Japanese cinema. Join hosts Patrick Macias and Tomohiro Machiyama as they sift through the wreckage of Roman Porno, Pinky Violence, and AV in search of the most mind-blowing scenes ever to emerge from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Macias would show some photos and film clips from a laptop that was patched into the theater's projection system. Machiyama would add some Japanese perspective. Including a humorous if not potential tragic encounter during his first trip a pinku eiga theater.

A few of the highlights from the presentation. The talk focused Pink Films or Pinku Eiga; that is soft-core films that evolved into something akin to American grindhouse or exploitation. Most of the presentation dealt with post-WWII films and trends. SCAP (I knew that acronym without having to look it up) established the censorship laws during the occupation and although the laws have been repealed, the practices continue because they've become part of the genre. The most obvious restrictions are that the male genitalia, penetration and ejaculation cannot be shown on screen. This frequently results in a black bar or fuzzy dot that blocks the offensive act. As time wore on, some filmmakers became adept at using camera angles and "blocking" the action so that the post-editing would be needed. The opening title sequence of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me would be an American example of this kind of filmmaking technique.

The first adult films after the war to be considered pink were made in the late 1950s and early 1960s by independent directors. These were typically low budget affairs that served to push the boundaries. By the late 1960s, as pinku eiga found more success, major Japanese film studios began setting up pink subsidiaries to make those kinds of film. It was then that "pinky violence" begins to show up. In these films, a female protagonist will typically extract violent revenge for past indignities and injustices. "Roman porno" also originated in this period and is short for "Romance" or "Romantic." These film focused on the sex lives of the common woman - sexually frustrated housewife types.

In addition to the history of pinku eiga, Macias and Machiyama mentioned some films that are now on my "to see" list. The most interesting is Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs (1974) with Miki Sugimoto. Actually, Sugimot's whole filmography looks like a Pinky Violence All-Time list: Criminal Woman: Killing Melody, Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom, Girl Boss: Escape From Reform School and Girl Boss Guerilla .

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The TokyoScope talk I went to was well attended. In fact, it was the most well-attended event I've been to at Viz. The next TokyoScope talk is on July 9 and titled Vol. 5 Japanese Superheroes. The talk is at 7 PM at New People/Viz. July 9 is during the Another Hole in the Head film festival so I'm not sure if I'm going to go.

Ultraman! Kamen Rider! The Power Rangers! These and many other colorful crusaders of justice are now recognized the world over as essential icons of Japanese pop culture. But where did they come from? Who created them? And what is it really like battling rubber monsters and the forces of evil on a regular basis? Join hosts Patrick Macias (editor, Otaku USA magazine), August Ragone (author, Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters), and Tomohiro Machiyama (founding editor, Movie Treasures) as they explore the fascinating history and origins of Japanese superheroes using
magazine, rare film clips and images from numerous tokusatsu, sentai, and henshinhero productions including Ultra Seven, Kikaida, Space Sheriff Gavan, and many others.

When I was a boy, I lived in Hawaii. In the 1970s they would show Kikaida and Kamen Rider on television. By the way, I think the guy in the green shirt in the Vol. 4 poster and the motorcycle riding guitarist (Kikaida reference) in the Vol. 5 poster is Patrick Macias. Do you see a resemblance? Speaking of resemblances, do you think Macias looks like Javier Bardem from No Country for Old Men?

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As of July 3, I've seen 191 films in 2010 at an average cost of $7.27/film.