School of the Holy Beast

Japan 1974
Original title: Seijû gakuen

Director: Norifumi Suzuki
Starring: Yumi Takigawa, Emiko Yamauchi, Yayoi Watanabe
IMDB: 6.8

Nunsploitation. What the fuck, right? I mean, who thought up this genre? Who even thought it would be a good idea? And why?

Whatever the twisted motivation behind these kind of films, I have to admit that my curiosity was piqued based purely on the outrageous classification - Nunsploitation. It makes me laugh just to say it! Of course it sounded to me like utter and complete trash, and yet I had to at least give it a try.

And lucky that I did, because if this is trash, then its the most artistic and technically competent trash I could ever have imagined. While I was expecting a D-Grade nasty, in actual fact this must rank as one of the best looking films I've ever seen. It really is a testament to the unique qualities of the Japanese studio system that a film featuring lesbian sadomasochistic nuns could end up with production values and artistic merit that exceeds most Oscar winners.



School of the Holy Beast was my introduction to Nunsploitation flicks, so I cannot speak as an expert on the genre. However this is often mentioned as one of the genre's best examples, and its not hard to see why.

At almost 40 years old, the film's technical competence and visual artistry belies the period it was made. Shot in 35mm 'Toeiscope' with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, you can see from these screenshots that the cinematography is pure art.




If you're looking for the Rolls-Royce of exploitation films, then this surely must be it. Despite the gorgeous visuals, the story doesn't shirk the exploitation factor, and has all the gratuitous and lurid content you could hope for. All this is wrapped up in a coherent and valid story (no vapid plot devices here), with an excellent cast.




It goes without saying that those religiously inclined will be extremely offended by the blasphemous nature of the film. Horny priests and masturbating nuns are just some of the depravity on display here.

The director has really not held a thing back, and it interests me to speculate what his feelings were on the Catholic religion. Did he think it so ridiculous and false that it needed to be exposed as brutally as possible? Or was it just that the pure black and white of the nun's habit offered such aesthetically pleasing visual opportunities?

Of course the Japanese predominantly practice Shinto/Buddhism - and so the cultural baggage attached to Christian religions, and the blasphemy thereof, I'm guessing would be largely irrelevant. What's probably most likely though is that Suzuki simply lifted the concept from earlier Italian films with the same theme. Understanding why Italians might have a nun-fetish is certainly much easier to comprehend.




School of the Holy Beast was a real eye opener and is highly recommended to fans of twisted cinema, exploitation films, and top class cinematography. And if you're a Nunsploitation newbie like I was, I doubt you could start anywhere better than here. A true masterpiece of genre cinema.

Rating: 8/10

Sex & Fury

Japan, 1973
Original title: Furyô anego den: Inoshika Ochô

Director: Norifumi Suzuki
Starring: Reiko Ike, Tadashi Naruse, Christina Lindberg
IMDB: 7.1

From Japan's illustrious Toei Studios comes this early-70s pinku revenge flick based in Meiji era Tokyo (early 20th century). I've seen one other Norifumi Suzuki film so far, the very impressive School of the Holy Beast, and if I can generalise based on just two of his works, he has a penchant for nuns, whipping, rape, and naked women - combined with an eye for stunning visuals. This makes for a sleazy exploitation flick with style.

As a young girl, Ocho (Reiko Ike) witnesses her father's murder while they're visiting the Fushimi Inari Shrine. His last act is to pull 3 blood-splattered Hanafuda cards into his hand bearing the designs of boar, stag and butterfly - clues to those responsible for his murder.



Cut to 20 years later. Ocho is grown up and determined to get revenge for her father's death. The convoluted story follows her as she tracks down each of them one by one, her quest getting her involved with prostitution, gambling, and even a British ploy to start another opium war. This last plot point allowing the introduction of Euro exploitation star Christina Lindberg to the mix.



Despite its rather intricate plot, make no mistake - this is a pinky film after all, and as such there is rather too much exploitative material, which unfortunately hinders the flow of the film. There are a few forced sex scenes, a lesbian scene, and even a scene of Lindberg whipping our bound heroine in a church while nuns look on!

This film is about as misogynistic as it gets in all honesty. The women here are generally treated as little more than slaves or sex objects, although it does redeem itself in some sense by portraying the two female leads as rather powerful women who nonetheless manage to get their own way.



Personally, I found the western characters, especially Lindberg, to be wooden and uninteresting. It felt like Lindberg was there solely to provide the 'naked western chick' titillation factor for Japanese viewers, evidenced further by the fact that she had a Japanese lover, and at one point is seduced by a Japanese maid for her master's enjoyment. But fair is fair, this does counter-balance the 'naked Japanese chick' titillation factor that I have no problem with at all.

Her performance is eclipsed by the nuanced and expressive Reiko Ike, who almost single-handedly saves the film. One standout scene involves her taking on a group of enemies in the snow, armed with just a sword while completely naked. Tarantino has made no secret that this scene influenced his work on Kill Bill, and it informs my favourite scene of that movie, where the Bride kills Oren Ishii in a similarly snow covered garden.



Our heroine, often naked and covered in blood, provides much of the iconic imagery of the film. There's even some squirty arterial blood geysers, later to be used and amplified to great effect by Japanese directors such as Takashi Miike and Yoshihiro Nishimura, and of course the aforementioned Quentin Tarantino.

As an early and influential progenitor of exploitation classics to come, Sex and Fury undoubtedly deserves its status as a cult classic of the genre. However as a film I found it a little dated and marred by some sub-standard acting.

On the plus side, there's some excellent early 70s rock music to beef up the score, and its interesting to see a few sights of Tokyo in the early 70's, especially of the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. Fans of Japanese exploitation should track this one down, if only to see an early example of the genre, and to enjoy Suzuki's iconic imagery. For anyone else, it would best be avoided.

Rating: 6/10

Trailer

To Be Twenty

Italy, 1978
Original title: Avere vent'anni

Director: Fernando Di Leo
Starring: Gloria Guida, Lilli Carati
IMDB: 6.2

To Be Twenty is an entertaining slice of '70s eurotrash from Italy - 95% hippie sex farce and 5% brutal horror - an interesting mix to say the least. The farce centers on two hot and horny young women and the unlikely scenario that they are having trouble getting laid.

Tina (Lilli Carati) and Lia (Miss Teen Italy, Gloria Guida) meet at the beach while hanging with a bunch of friends. There's no beating about the untrimmed bush here - full-frontal nudity within the first 24 seconds quickly sets the tone. Tina explains that she's young, hot and pissed off. Lia says she is too. They become instant friends.

They decide to hitch-hike together to Rome where Lia knows a commune they can join. Unfortunately they forgot their underwear, so no-one wants to risk picking them up.

Tina hits on the novel idea of waving her ass instead of her thumb, and soon they catch a ride from a friendly trucker. Because they're wearing no underwear he makes them ride in back, no doubt to preserve the upholstery.

Without further ado the girls arrive in Rome. They've got no money - but they're young, hot and pissed off - so they go shoplifting for food. There's no end to what these girls are capable of. With lunch taken care of, next on the agenda is cigarettes and they've hatched a cunning plan for that too ...

Tina: "A blowjob for a packet of marlboro's"
Store Owner: "Did you say 'Marlboro's?"
Tina: "I said 'Blowjob'"
Store owner: "No, thank you."

This guy must be gay.

With food, caffeine and nicotine requirements taken care of, all that's left to do is find the commune and get laid. Finding the commune is not hard as its well known to be full of queers, whores and druggies, at least according to the neighbourhood crone they ask for directions.

As soon as they arrive Tina notices a guy who's just her type, unfortunately he's in an acid stupor which explains why his t-shirt has his name and address printed on it. Forward-planning is essential for any psychedelic drug experience.

The commune owner, Nazariota is happy to let them stay except he's running low on funds so they'll have to pay rent. This is a real bummer for the ladies as they have no money, so he suggests they work for their lodging instead. There are many ways to help out at the commune, but the job best suited to them he thinks is 'communication', which is Italian for having sex with everyone. That's cool with Lia as long as the guys are clean, so the owner promises they'll wash their balls in the sink first. Wow, talk about going the extra mile.

With their accommodation sorted, Tina's mind returns to the itch between her legs and she changes into something more revealing. Wandering through the commune in search of sex she soon finds a room full of guys, and issues the ultimate rhetorical question, 'Does anyone want to screw me?". Seems the guys have been hitting the bong all day long however, and are too stoned to emerge from their torpor. Now that's some powerful anti-drug propaganda right there.




Tina wanders outside and tries her luck again with the stupefied tripping dude. Despite being in Disneyland, a kiss is not enough to wake this sleeping beauty, so she tries her hand at cardio-penile resuscitation instead. No response is forthcoming and she is frustrated yet again.

In the meantime, Nazariota has sold the women for sex to help pay the bills, which the girls eagerly agree to. Quickly they get naked and a group sex session ensues. The meditating mime dude that shares their room seems remarkably disinterested by proceedings. Unfortunately the guys are only after a quickie and are in and out before our poor girls are fulfilled. Not to worry, Lia suggests that they try each other instead. Genius.




After a few minutes of softcore caressing which stands as a visual metaphor for the hot lesbian sex we don't get to see, the girls are once again pressed into work mode. This time selling encyclopedias. Tina's sales technique includes visually demonstrating the encyclopedia's entry for 'self-gratification'.

Tina's made some good money on account of her inspired sales methods, but Lia is disillusioned with it all. Which ultimately doesn't matter, because that night the commune is raided by corrupt police and the girls are deported from the city for being potential terrorists.



At this point in the movie we've been having a sleazy good-time that's everything you'd expect from a 70's euro-trash sex comedy. Then suddenly the movie takes an abrupt turn for an unforgettable final scene which I won't spoil here, except to say its brutal, extreme and a complete departure from the rest of the film. Its totally over the top, and jaded lovers of exploitation cinema will lap it up. Needless to say, the non-jaded will likely be shocked, disgusted and sickened. You have been warned.

In summary, I can't say that the acting was anything great. The cinematography was nothing special and the soundtrack was some godawful disco-lounge shit. However, I did quite enjoy this movie. Why? Well for a start, the two lead actresses were smoking hot, and that always helps. But also because its the kind of movie that could only have come from a specific time and place, they sure don't make 'em like this any more.

Rating: 6.5/10

Video - opening sequence (Italian, no subs)

Where to buy

HKFlix