AKA- TENSHI NO HARAWATA: AKAI INGA
(1981/JAPAN)
REVIEWED BY-STEVE GENIER DIRECTED BY- TOSHIHARU IKEDA CAST- JUN IZUMI, MASAHIKO ABE, TOSHIYUKI KITAMI, YOKO KURITA, YUICHI MINATO and NOBORU MITANI.
Nami's life takea a drastic change for the worse after she is coned by her friend into doing a photo shoot, one that entails bondage and pseudo rape. The photos are published in a popular porno magazine called Red Porno and circulate in all the wrong places. Nami being to received perverted crank calls and is stalked by crazy strangers. That of course is not the worst these pictures generate, that would come at the hand so of her co-worker who Nami has being sleeping with. He receives a copy of Red Porno from a mysterious source and threatens to inform their boss of it’s existence. Of course the threat becomes a reality as she shows up for work and is complete disgraced by her boss after he finds out.
RED PORNO explores the voyeuristic and perverted side of roman porno. While the raping of women is toned down in this, it is picked up with it’s many scenes of masturbation and voyeurism. I shouldn’t say that the rape scenes are toned done per say, but more like less in quantity then the other films in the ANGEL GUTS series. This is also the shortest tale of the bunch only running a mere 60 odd minutes. I also found this to be the weakest example as well, the story isn’t as strong as some of the others as it strays far too much and deals with a busy array of imagery. A women masturbating putting an egg in a condom and then jabbing it with a pencil until it breaks inside her. While all is not lost in RED PORNO, there is one particular scene that highlights the entire film, when Nami is chased down by her crazed stalker in the middle of a playground.
Hiding in the middle of a squared set of monkey bars in the rain. Nami finally gives into him with telling him she will give him what he wants. She starts unbuttoning her top and then the stalker rushes in to her and starts to ravaging her. As she lays there, he thinks this is not how he envisioned having her and leaves. The camera angle is from a top with the rain coming straight down on Nami as she lays there. This scene is by far the pinnacle of the film in everyway. Another area in which director Ikeda deals with is loneliness of a big city, and the dangers it poses. This is best exampled in both Nami and her stalker, though they seem like two very different people. Both have been shunned to and outer circle to fend for themselves. He also explores heavy sexual content as well, with giving us several sex scenes including one hot and steamy scene in the shower/bath.
The disc contains a roughly 36 minute interview with director Toshiharu Ikeda who discusses the ins and outs of the entire film. Ikeda also served as second unit director on NAMI. You also have the trailers for all the five films in the set as well as another great commentary by Midnight Eye’s Jasper Sharpe.
STORY- 3 BITCH SLAPS
