Some kind of violent kaleidoscopic pop-art gore soaked nightmare. Compact revenge jam with the fiercest eyes, I’d kill to see this on a big screen.

NO SLEEP / NO REMORSE

(patriarchy degree zero :: a ruined right eye :: a hole that can never be filled

no escape until there is
no victory until it comes

a trail of ants over my feet
a fire that will not go out

((dracula cloak, night slip, kitchen knife, daylight, bared teeth, bared teeth // ACAB ACAB ACAB

Again, obviously, I watched this out of order. This is the original Scorpion movie, and while it lacks the magical realish element and keeps most of the flaws of the sequel, it has the same excellent direction the other film had. There are moments the camera positively dances, especially as Scorpion digs in the middle of the pit and the other prisoners are throwing dirt on her. It whirls and whirls, and you get a sense of oppression right there with her.

Really, it surprised me how well made these were. I guess I've just been in the exploitation/grindhouse gutter for a while, so finding decent films in these genres that don't waste their time on filler and bad editing and awkward camera angles is always a plus.

I was worried for awhile that Meiko Kaji would not wear her floppy hat. But then she did and she was able to exact her revenge. These things are not unrelated. It’s the floppy hat of vengeance.

pinky exploitation fever dream. rising red sun of a virgin's blood. "To be betrayed is a woman's curse."

I find it absolutely incredible how Japan managed to make their cheapo exploitation films from the 60s and 70s look as good and have as much artistry put behind them as the European arthouse stuff. And unlike the European arthouse stuff, they aren’t fucking boring.

Maybe the greatest Women-in-Prison film ever made and also one of the greatest exploitation revenge films ever made. Psychedelic feminist anger.

90

Electrifying from start-to-finish. Moves from revenge to WIP film to gothic horror to humid exploitation, and each and every mode coheres into a singular tapestry of style. That the initial betrayal isn't solely based on a physical violation (although it is still very much that), but a betrayal of love, and of trust and acceptance. Wow. It's the gut-punch to light the spark of this damp, dreary masterclass.

Watching on 1080p from what I’m assuming is a rip of the recent Arrow blu ray release and wow, I instantly fell in love when the colorful pop art stuff started to emerge. Probably one of the most substantive WiP movies ever? Or at least justifies the sadistic violence dealt upon its protagonist, the camera never leaving Meiko Kaji’s sight as its vengeful climax feels more cathartic than cheaply tacked on. But the highlight of this movie is clearly its sense of craft that the filmmakers take very seriously despite the pinky violence subgenre being more known for its more grosser sensibilities, the cinematography and daring style alone elevates this film above typical exploitation fare. Looking forward to watching the rest of this series. 

8.0

Cool mix of aesthetics- you've got 70s gritty urban grey and also Day-Glo 60s psychedelia- often simultaneously. On a side note, I much prefer candle-wax red blood to motor-oil black blood in movies.

"To be deceived is a woman's crime."

Definitely the real deal in terms of pure, uncut exploitation, seedy and scuzzy in the extreme. Also definitely has a lot of sexual violence and teeters on that knife's edge between empowerment and misogyny that exploitation often does. However, it's also completely gorgeous (Shunya Ito is one hell of a filmmaker) and Meiko Kaji is completely and utterly arresting every moment she's onscreen, much as she was in the LADY SNOWBLOOD films. Her piercing, intense gaze is disquieting in a way that few others are in film. If you can look past the gross stuff of the time, probably worth seeing for Kaji's performance and the style alone.

good for her

Way over the top exploitation movie. Well done in many ways and poorly in others.  The violence is at times comically inept, but the abuse can be rough.

Sexploitation as art. Art as sexploitation. My moral compass knocked it down a star.

My Lord, but Meiko Kaji is magnificent. Best stare in the motion picture business. After yesterday’s limp exploitation entry, along comes this masterpiece to show us that the genre can be elevated to art. Did not expect to love it as much as I did.

youtu.be/Kw8nI-qO0t8

Great, really great! This is Shunya Ito's first film and it's got super entertaining direction, a playground for stylistic indulgences (which is not a criticism, I love an indulgent director) that constantly surprise you, elevating the material to a gold level of fun. I love the chaos of the camera, shooting from any angle - often in handheld - ; one particularly fantastic moment has the handheld camera circle Meiko Kaji in a crater-like hole while fellow prisoners stand on the outskirt.

I do have a bit of a bug in regards to the action and that's that it sometimes feels lacking or weak due to how it's performed and directed. There will often be hits that obviously don't make contact, a character will be hit in the back of the head without their head falling forward and in one choke hold sequence it's painfully obvious that no pressure is being applied.

revenge thriller with a little lesbian pizzaz