Nikkatsu Roman Porno Trailer Collection (2010, DVD Review) Impulse Pictures
Impulse Pictures / NTSC Region 1 / Unrated / 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen / Dolby 2.0 mono / Language: Japanese with removable English subs / 91 minutes / BUY FROM HKFLIX!
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The Nikkatsu Corporation (or Nippon Katsudo Shashin, translated literally as “Japan Cinematograph Company”) is Japan’s oldest film company. It was established in 1912 after the merging of four smaller film companies, Yoshizawa Shoten, Yokota Shokai, Fukuhodo and M. Pathe in 1909. In 1971 they released Hayashi Isao’s Irogoyomi ooku hiwa (aka Castle Orgies) and Danchizuma hirusagari no joji (aka Apartment Wife: Affair In the Afternoon, the first of a 21 film “Apartment” series) by Shogoro Nishimura and changed Japanese film forever. Not since they pioneered silent films from historical Japanese directors like father and son, Shozo and Masahiro Makino, had such an impact been made. Pink film, or pinku eiga had gotten an upgrade from low budget fare to big studio features.
Synapse Films imprint Impulse Pictures will be releasing 25 of those amazing titles in the near future, beginning with (I believe) Hidehiro Ito’s Debauchery (1983) and Female Teacher: Dirty Afternoon from Kichitaro Negishi (1981). But to kick off their pink venture, Impulse has put together one of the wildest, raunchiest and just plain fuck-nuttiest trailer compilations of 38 titles from the historical film company. Ranging from sex comedies to mind-bending thrillers, this collection covers a whole lot of sleazy ground. You just know from reading the titles of the movies (see the complete list HERE) that you are in for something special. Rape Me, Female Gymnastics Instructor: Jump and Straddle and my personal favorite Nurses’ Dormitory: Assy Fingers are just some of the insane trailers you will see here. Please god, let Assy Fingers be one of the titles Impulse releases! (UPDATE: According to Synapse president Don May, it is indeed on their list to release!!)
The disk’s picture quality is really fucking good. You can tell that some real money was put into making these promotional trailers. Impulse did a great job of compiling them as well. The only bitch I would have is having the damn Nikkatsu logo at the beginning of every one of the 38 trailers. It got a little annoying but really, that’s just nit-picky. Aside from the fantastic assemblage of high quality movie trailers on the disk we are also treated to a 30 minute bonus film called Ryoko’s Lesbian Flight (entitled Ryoko Watanabe’s Lesbian Flight in the movie credits) that plays like a Japanese pink version of Single White Female mixed with Three’s Company shot on a hand-held camera. And to top off the package, the release includes one of my favorite things; liner notes. This time the notes are from “Behind the Pink Curtain” author Jasper Sharp.
This disk is a great primer for what is to come from Impulse in the next couple of years. After seeing the madness that is in store, I can’t fucking wait!
