Wordiezett So much average

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Witchfinder General 666 In 1972 and 1973, Japanese Exploitation cinema brought us the four greatest "Women In Prison" themed films in the history of motion pictures with the "Joshuu Sasori" flicks starring the great Meiko Kaji (Especially the first three films, directed by Shunya Ito, rank high on my personal all-time favorite list). It is amazing that the follow-up on the list of the greatest WIP-flicks is also a Japanese film, that belongs in the great Pinky Violence sub-genre and was released in 1973. Well, technically it's not really a traditional WIP flick, but an absolutely awesome female gangster/revenge flick that starts out in a women's prison. "Zenka onna: koroshi-bushi" aka "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" of 1973 is a fantastic entry to the Pinky Violence sub-genre that no fellow exploitation buff should consider missing. Even though he never directed anything else, director Atsushi Mihori created an awesome gem of Japanese Exploitation cinema with this flick, brought to you by the great Toei Company. Starring the ravishing genre-goddesses Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto, "Criminal Woman" once again delivers style, a vast amount of sleaze and violence, and also, more than most other examples for the genre, a fantastic plot.The ravishing Reiko Ike stars as Maki, a girl who has to go to prison after trying to avenge her father, who was murdered by a local Yakuza clan. She befriends some other bad-girls in prison, the toughest being the heavily tattooed, and equally hot Massayo (played by the ravishing Miki Sugimoto), who is involved with the Yakuza. Throughout her prison term, Maki just has the sole goal to finish her revenge once she gets out...Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto are both ravishing and super-cool, and it is hard to say which one of the two deserves her status as a cult-siren more (in terms of pure beauty my personal choice would be Miki, but they're both very hot and very bad-ass). The two starred together in a bunch of films (such as "Girl Boss Guerilla", "Girl Boss Revenge" and "Terrifying Girls' Highshool: Lynch Law Classroom") and each of the ladies starred in a bunch of highlights alone (Miki Sugimoto's most memorably in "Zero Woman Red Handcuffs", Reiko Ike in "Sex And Fury" and "Female Yakuza Tale"). "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" is one of the highlights of either woman's career, an immensely stylish, supremely bad-ass and absolutely awesome gem that is a must-see for every lover of Exploitation and/or Japanese cinema. Also great are Yumiko Katayama, Chiyoko Kazama and Masami Sôda, who make a beautiful female supporting cast as their fellow inmates in Women's prison. The film is action-packed and stylish from the very beginning, with a funky score and a genre-typical beautiful theme song. All things considered "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" is an excellent Pinky-gem that no lover of Japanese Exploitation cinema could possibly afford to miss! Awesome!

Chung Mo They don't make them like this anymore. Shot in 1970's Japanese pulp action style but very well photographed for this type of, ahem, "trash". Could be a TV show from the era if it wasn't for the nudity and gore.The "heroine" is on a quest to revenge her "good-for-nothing" father, killed by a local yakuza. After a failed attempt she ends up in prison and meets her future gang of tough women. After she is released, the gang meets and starts their process of destroying the yakuza with strategy and tricks.Very much in the 1970's exploitation style, the film would feel at home on a double bill with a Pam Grier flick, a spaghetti western, a kung fu film or a Roger Corman women in prison movie. Unfortunately the story is just a little thread-bare with the yakuza too stupid and the coincidences too convenient. The film is quite enjoyable until the notorious chainsaw and nipple burning scene. That scene is actually not so bad since it was filmed in the 70's and psychopaths like Miike weren't making films yet. I shudder at what he would have done. The film just sort of looses it's moorings and gets silly. Fortunately the pacing stays brisk so it's still mostly fun to watch. One warning, there are some eye-searing 70's fashions. Yikes.

christopher-underwood Fine all action, sex and violence Japanese style with real style. Simple yet effective this is, for once, a fairly straight forward tale of revenge with the super women to the fore. Big cat fight at the start is matched by a rematch at the end and everything in between is just pure fun. Bits of nasty violence, the cigarette stub and threat of chainsaw were surprises but mainly fast moving with decent mix of s&v. Nice sequence to illustrate our heroine having to go on the game to earn the dosh to set up the action. Instead of any boring build up with sad undertones we get a quick montage of humps and payments from US soldiers uniform pockets.

rabbit541 OK, I'll admit that I'm not the biggest Japanese gangster movie fan for the same reason that I'm not the biggest mafia movie fan or the biggest skate video fan. There just aren't that many girls in it, and the one's that are tend to be arm candy or victims. Aside from seeing some cool fights and some dudes talking tough there just isn't much for the ladies in it.Then (and this makes me feel super ashamed and stupid girl like, but deal with it) my boyfriend brought home an advance of the Pinky Violence box set, of which this movie is included. I looked at it and thought: "What in the hell is this?"The packaging is like the trapper keeper you had in grade school. All soft and pink and folds out into about a million pieces (the final box set supposedly comes with four films, a booklet and a CD of Reiko Ike singing). It looks cool and has really well designed liner notes.But the movies. Right. The movies.These are supposed to be "exploitation" flicks, meaning a movie as an excuse to see some boobs and some pointless violence. Like what you see late night in the hotel room on Cinemax. But aside from having some boobs and tons of violence these movies didn't seem "exploitive" in the way that I normally think of exploitation. All the main characters are women, they're tough as hell, have cool tattoos and beat the crap (or just murder) most of the men around them. Because they're just as tough as any of the yakuza dudes they're kicking the crap out of.And they're way, way, way smarter.Of the four movies this one and Girl Boss Guerilla were my favorites. Both star Reiko Ike (who's on the cover of the box as well) who seems to have made a name for herself as a tough ass yakuza girl gangster movie star in the 70's.Basically this is a revenge movie. The Yakuza has killed Reiko's father and raped her. So she goes after the Yakuza boss to get some revenge. She fails and ends up in prison where she makes some friends and after her release hooks back up with them to take another shot at the Yakuza boss who ruined her life. This time she's trying to play it smart (as opposed to running into a bar with a knife and trying to stab everyone) and is going to start a gang war that will get everyone bad killed.The girls are super tough and super smart (and the dudes are suitably dumb and full of themselves). I was a little uncomfortable during a really long topless torture scene that has the threat of a chainsaw (but I'm kind of uncomfortable watching women get tied up and beaten in general) but the scene didn't seem forced. I mean, you know, they're the Yakuza. They're supposed to be evil and scary. So sometimes they have to wave chainsaw's around the put out cigarettes on people.