Thriller

Director: Shunya Ito
Writer: Hirô Matsuda based on a manga by Tooru Shinohara
Release year: 1973
Japanese title: Joshuu sasori: Kemono-beya

Bird of Prey, Bird of Retaliation

Nami Matsushima (aka Sasori aka Scorpion) is loose in the city streets, continuing her frantic quest for freedom. Driven by her instinct for survival and desire to lead a normal life. Having fled from prison once again, she will now enter an urban world of crime & prostitution, while being hunted down by a one-armed cop out for revenge.

(more…)

Director: Shunya Ito
Writer: Shunya Ito, Fumio Konami and Hirô Matsuda, based on a manga by Tooru Shinohara
Release year: 1972
Japanese title: Joshuu sasori: Dai-41 zakkyo-bô

Surreal Female Convicts’ Road trip!

A year has passed since Nami’s last imprisonment. A year she spent in complete solitude, deep down between the walls of an isolated dungeon. A year of torture, rape & humilation. But her spirit is not broken yet. When a prominent figure arrives to inspect the prison facility, Nami sees another opportunity to attempt another break-out. And this time, she’s not alone…

(more…)

Director: Shunya Ito
Writer: Fumio Konami, Hirô Matsuda based on a manga by Tooru Shinohara
Release year: 1972
Japanese title: Joshuu 701-gô: Sasori

W.I.P without dull clichés and stereotypes

In love with a corrupt police detective, Nami (Meiko Kaji) foolishly agrees to infiltrate the Yakuza. Things go very wrong. Betrayed, battered and bruised, she ends up in a violent prison environment with only one thing left on her mind… Revenge.

(more…)

Director: Dominik Moll
Writer: Dominik Moll and Gilles Marchand (poem “Un poignard en peau de nuit” by Francis Villain)
Release year: 2000

Never trust a helping hand

This film had been on my to-see list ever since it came out. I can gladly say that it perfectly fulfilled my expectations. The only advice I can give, is to not expect to be overwhelmed by the time the film ends. Though things get pretty demented at times, the ways of this film are strangely subtle & sinisterly humorous. If you’ve enjoyed Michael Haneke‘s Funny Games (1997), then you should not hesitate to see this French film too.

(more…)

Director: Paul Leder
Writer: Paul Leder
Release Year: 1994
Benelux title: ‘A Killing Obsession’

A Fabulously Shitty Film!

Albert (John Savage) once killed the mother of a little teenage girl he was in love with. He spent half of his life behind the walls of a mental health institute because of this. Due to lack of funding, Albert is now pronounced cured and ready to enter society again. But of course Albert is still utterly insane, and very much ready to go on a killing spree to get to his beloved little Annie Smith (Kimberly Chase), with only the intelligible Dr. Sachs (John Saxon) determined to stop him.

(more…)