THE AFFAIR is one of the highlights of Japan Society film series (© Shochiku Co., Ltd.)
THREE UNTAMED BEAUTIES OF JAPANESE CINEMA
Japan Society
333 East 47th St. at First Ave.
March 31 – April 18, $11
212-715-1258
www.japansociety.org
The Japan Society’s latest Globus Film Series celebrates the work of three fearless actresses who turned Japanese cinema upside down and inside out during the 1960s and ’70s. The festival comprises thirteen genre-bending films divided into three sections: “Ayako Wakao: Passion Made Flesh,” “Meiko Kaji: A Mad, Bad Unholy Easter Weekend,” and “Mariko Okada: The Discreet Charm of the Adulteress.” Combining beauty and brains with physical strength and a burning sexuality, Wakao, Kaji, and Okada redefined the role of women in a changing society.
Men are devoured by Ayako Wakao’s spider tattoo in Masumura film (© Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.)
TATTOO (THE SPIDER TATTOO) (IREZUMI) (Yasuzo Masumura, 1966)
Wednesday, March 31, $15, 7:30
www.japansociety.org
Adapted from a short story by Junichirô Tanizaki, IREZUMI, the opening-night selection of the Japan Society’s “Mad, Bad . . . & Dangerous to Know” series, was one of the first Japanese exploitation films shot in color. Ayako Wakao stars as Otsuya, a pawnbroker’s daughter who aches to get away from her boring life. She convinces her father’s apprentice, the meek Shinsuke (Akio Hasegawa), to steal the shop’s money and run away with her, but the plan goes awry when she is sold into sexual slavery to Tokubei (Asao Uchida). Enraptured by her skin, Seikichi (Gaku Yamamoto) marks her for Tokubei by tattooing a huge spider across her back, promising it will bring her special power over men. Soon Otsuya is exacting bloody revenge with the help of the poor, misguided Shinsuke. Directed by Yasuzo Masumura, who also worked with Wakao on such films as MANJI and RED ANGEL (which screens April 1), IREZUMI is a dark, compelling tale that is not afraid to break out of genre conventions. The screening will be followed by the Dressed to Kill! party, where attendees are encouraged to come in costume as their favorite cinematic femme fatale.
Meiko Kaji isn’t about to let anyone get in the way of her revenge in Shunya Ito cult classic (© Toei Co., Ltd.)
FEMALE PRISONER #701: SCORPION (JOSHUU 701-GO: SASORI) (Shunya Ito, 1972)
Saturday, April 3, $11, 3:00
www.japansociety.org
A cult classic that spawned three sequels, Shunya Ito’s highly stylized SCORPION has everything a women-in-prison flick needs: sex, torture, rape, lesbianism, riots, sadistic male guards, shower scenes, gory violence, and lots and lots of unnecessary nudity. Set up by corrupt cop Sugimi (Isao Natsuyagi), to whom she gave her virginity, young and innocent Nami Matsushima (Meiko Kaji) is sent up the river, where she refuses to say anything about her case, leading to constant brutalization, including a harrowing hole-digging scene and some hog-tying. Afraid that she might eventually talk, Sugimi enlists another inmate, Katagiri (Rie Yokoyama), to kill her, but Matsu is not about to let anyone get in the way of her plan for revenge. Solid sexploitation all the way, SCORPION lays out much of the groundwork for Quentin Tartantino’s KILL BILL flicks; in fact, he even used the film’s theme song, “Urami-Bushi” (“Her Song of Vengeance”), which is sung by Kaji. Kaji went on to make several more FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION films with Ito and played Lady Snowblood in two movies directed by Toshiya Fujita, both of which are also part of the “Meiko Kaji: A Mad, Bad Unholy Easter Weekend” section of the Japan Society’s “Mad, Bad . . . & Dangerous to Know” film series.