Zero Budget Production: Mar 15, 2010

Onna Sazen - Nuretsubame Katate Giri aka Lady Sazen and the Drenched Shallow Sword - YASUDA Kimiyoshi - Japan - (1969)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0978680/

Plot from Kurotokagi: "Tange Sazen, the one-armed one-eyed swordsman, one of most beloved characters in Japanese literature, has gotten a make-over. Meet O'Kin the one-armed one-eyed swordswoman, aka Lady Sazen. As a child, she was disfigured by Lord Daizen-dayu, who was after her family's most treasured possession, the famed Drenched Swallow sword. As an adult, she has become a skilled swordswoman and lives a carefree life with her adopted family. One day, O'Kin saves a girl from a group of yakuza, and in doing so, gets involved in a grand conspiracy involving religious leaders, government officials, the yakuza and Lord Daizen-day, the man who killed her father and destroyed her body..."

Kimiyoshi Yasuda, director of a numerous Zatoichi movies (including one of my favorite, "Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman"), is doing a nice job here, in a classic swordsman (or swordswoman in that case) tale. The second movie in the Onna Sazen series, "Onna Sazen - Nuretsubame Katate Giri " delivers a cool entertainment and make the most out of a ultra classic figure: the crippled but lethal mistress of the sword. The mix between a political scandal, a samurai looking to fulfill his mission (even if it's a morally wrong one) , a strange beggar who appears at time and a long time revenge story about a greedy lord who collects Swords (and who is responsible of O'Kin mutilation) is getting the plot a bit confuse at time. As a female "Zatoichi", Michiyo Ookusu is doing a good job, despite a poor make-up. She appeared in some Zatoichi movies and some of the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series. She also had a small part in the last Zatoichi, from Takeshi Kitano. Almost no gore, very few erotic scenes, lots of fights and most of the plot revolving around corruption and politics make this one only interesting for the fans of the Chambara genre and the ones definitively hooked on popular Japanese cinema from the 70's. Like me.

Sorry, no trailer available.

Kaidan nobori ryu aka Blind Woman's Curse - T. Ishii - Japan - (1970)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065932/

Plot by Imdb: "Akemi and the man of her clan confront their opponents; Akemi delivers a sword thrust to kill the opponents' leader, and Aiko, his daughter, tries to interpose herself, suffering a glancing blow to her eyes, thus cutting her badly, and blinding her. Amid the ensuing fight, no one notices that a black cat laps the young woman's wound. Years later, revenge between the two clans continue, plus added dissension amongst Akemi's people, leading to more deaths. A new member comes to help them, but she is a strange woman - and blind. The curse of the blind woman is about to fell on the dragon-lady."

One fine Pinky violence movie, extremely well made and absolutely nonsensical. Several elements have nothing to do here, like the Gothic horrors sequences with the hunchback and the scenes at the Theater, or the black cat curse (and black cat flying attacks ! Hilarious !) but they add to the weirdness of this mildly bloody Yakuza clans war tale. As often, the main characters have some kind of iconic elements to them: a huge dragon head tattoo for Meiko kaji, blindness for Aiko. One of the Yakuza gang leaders is wearing a bowler hat and goes around without pants (!!), etc... The "bizarre" elements pile up until you let it all go and just enjoy the mix. Extremely well directed by a Teruo Ishii ("Inferno of Torture") in great shape, using his technical skills to create beautiful images. Some sequences are mesmerizing: the first fighting scene, during the opening credits is amazing and so iconic that it became an instant classic for me. The ultimate bloody fighting sequence is also nicely done.

Meiko Kaji ("Female Convict Scorpion, jailhouse 41", "Lady Snowblood" and many others) is stunning as always but strangely disappears during the middle of the picture, as the story concentrates on other supporting characters. Hopefully, she returns at the end for a grand finale: a saber duel with her enemy.

Half Chambara, half Pinky violence, half Yakuza Eiga, half Gothic Horror, this movie is not the best of Ishii but needs to be seen as another demonstration of the incredible vitality of exploitation Japanese cinema in the 70's.