Category Archive

1905, The end of the Russo-Japanese war that has created a new self confidence in Japan, and underpinned the power of the militarists and right extremists. Yuki Kashima (Lady Snowblood) has been found guilty of multiple murders and sentenced to hang.  Set free by Kikui, the ruthless head of the secret police,  she is recruited into his service as a …

Revenge is sweet for Yuki (Meiko Kaji), the main character in Toshiya Fukita’s violent ballet. Yuki is the daughter of a woman who supported her by working as a prostitute after she was raped by the men who murdered her husband. When Yuki grows up, she decides those men aren’t worthy of living full and enriching lives, so she hunts …

Whoever landed Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion (Meiko Kaji) in jail will pay a mighty price once she gets out. But first, she must learn how to survive within prison walls, or else she’ll be destroyed. And when freedom finally arrives, the mysterious nemesis who sent her away will finally get his comeuppance.  Title Prisoner 701: Scorpion  Year 1972  Country Japan …

After a lover’s betrayal sends her to prison, Nami Matsushima (Meiko Kaji) — known by her fellow inmates as the Scorpion — escapes and seeks shelter with an old friend who works in the red-light district. But plotting her revenge inside a strip club has a way of making Nami wonder whether she can ever trust a man again. Yasuharu …

 In this third installment of famed Japanese director Shunya Ito’s Scorpion series, escaped prisoner Scorpion (Meiko Kaji) is hiding out in a brothel. But her refuge becomes a chamber of horrors when the madam discovers that Scorpion’s ex-boyfriend is the same police officer who killed the madam’s Yakuza lover. The vengeful bordello owner calls in underworld thugs, who torture Scorpion …

An absolute phenomenal surrealist-cum-exploitation picture, FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION: JAILHOUSE 41 is the second in a series of films about Matsu (known to her fellow inmates as “Scorpion”), a diminutive but volatile woman who is wrongly sent to prison by a betraying boyfriend. Incredibly satisfying and spectacularly photographed, these women’s prison pictures feature an anti-heroine who is beautiful, strong, principled and …

When a wealthy landlord causes the death of a poor farmer, enslaves the man’s wife and daughter, and then kills a snake the wife was protecting, he unleashes the serpent’s curse. Before long, the landlord finds himself being driven mad by deathly spirits as terrible misfortune rains down on his family — including his son, whose young bride starts growing …

The Kanto Gypsies, a tough girl gang, hide out from the law in the middle of a disputed gang territory, where they end up getting kidnapped by sinister underworld thugs. After breaking free, the girls set their sights on one thing: revenge. Miki Sugimoto stars as girl boss Komasa, the ruthless and sadistic leader of the Kanto Gypsies who possesses …

Stuffed with an arsenal of “bad girl” stereotypes, this fast-action chick flick is a shining example of Japanese exploitation cinema at its very best. It’s “girls gone wild” like you’ve never seen, complete with leather-clad biker babes, catfights, high fashion, groovy music and plenty of gang violence. And while the plot line may come up short, the sheer force of …

After a life in reform school, Rika (Reiko Oshida) tries her hand at becoming a decent, upstanding citizen. But try as she might, she just can’t get the hang of the straight life. She finds herself back in the big city where the hippie revolution has taken hold and psychedelics are the drugs of choice. Back on the streets, she …