Best known as the author of the novel Audition, which inspired the popular film of the same name, Ryû Murakami is a prolific novelist who has a large body of work that began with Almost Transparent Blue in 1976. From novels, short stories, non-fiction and even picture books, Ryû Murakami’s work is incredibly varied in

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The Best Japanese Pink Movies – A List of Pinku Eiga Recommendations

Following WW2, censorship laws were relaxed in Japan, and this along with an import of American culture led to an industry of sexually charged pulp magazines called “kasutori magazines” (kasutori was the name used for low-quality liquor, similar to moonshine, and became used to refer to all kinds of culture held in low regard). These

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Female Prisoner Scorpion list cover photo

It’s hard to remember when the “women’s prison” subgenre was iconoclastic, given its popularity these days. But, before we had series like Orange is the New Black, Vis a Vis, or Wentworth, we had the Japanese Prisoner Scorpion films. Though the genre first appeared during the silent era, it was often simply considered exploitation, with

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Sexual Drive Film Review

A film about the intersection of sexuality with food might initially feel like a pretty out-there pitch. However, anyone casually considering the topic will find that the concepts of hunger and desire are far more intertwined than we may readily want to admit. In Sexual Drive, writer/director Kota Yoshida explores this theme across three different

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Blind Beast Film Review

For a long period, I have found myself drawn to extreme cinema. The unapologetic approach to subject matters proscribed in mainstream media has always been more alluring to my cinematic tastes. From Japanese Pinku Eiga to French New Wave, I have tried to explore as much of the genre as possible and, moreover, have seen

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Pinku Eiga, the taboo territory for many enthusiasts of Japanese Cinema. What exactly is it? Are these pictures merely exploitation flicks? Where to begin with the genre? Let’s explore the intricacies of steamy tales straight from Japan together with Jasper Sharp, a film historian and the author of “Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History

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Assault Jack The Ripper

Discs save the day during this pandemic thing, but once it’s over, it’s back to the theatres, right? Cinemas are an integral part of our cultural identity. Nothing can beat the ritual of going to watch a film in a theatre, especially when you’re seeing something people are hesitantly or even reluctantly drawn to, like

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