Crazy Lips

Crazy Lips is a foul, disturbing, hyper offensive 90 minute experiment gone terribly right. I mean I can't say that I enjoy ritualistic rape but I do enjoy blonde Japanese women toting machine guns running through the forest singing our national anthem in broken English only to be scalped moments later. Did I say enjoy? Well something of the sort. I always have enjoyed the energy of these kinds of films (Miike, Rodriquez)enough to forgive even the trashiest of their kind. Crazy Lips is the trashiest of its kind. Sure there is a plot behind the vulgarity but it's almost besides the point because it's so silly. Despite the rather low production value, there is an incredibly well choreographed fight scene towards the end that's worth the wait. The director found the perfect balance of sex and violence to create a memorable ending to a movie most would prefer to forget. Needless to say only shock fans need apply.

In the Realm of the Senses

If you are related to me stop reading. If you are offended by explicit sexual content stop reading because In the realm of the Senses is one graphic sex scene after another. When I say graphic I mean its what prudes call porn and people like me call art. This is erotica people if you can look past and the fornicating you will discover a masterpiece of the dangers of desire. Directed by Nagisa Ôshima (Japanese Summer Double Suicide) the story is told though the sex life of a man and his mistress. Their sex directly reflects the state of their relationship as they spiral out of control. From giggly feisty love making to the dangerous and violent depths of sexual depravity. The cinematography is perfect and is what keeps this from being porn. It transforms screwing into love making and that's all the difference in the world. What really makes the movie though, what really makes this a masterpiece is not the bold content but the actors that deliver it. H-o-l-y s-h-i-t I can not even begin to imagine the kind of trust and bond Tatsuya Fuji and Eiko Matsuda had to have to do the things they did on screen. The complete dedication of the actors towards their craft is in my opinion is unrivaled. I have the most insane respect for them and that's why I blog, to make sure movies like this are watched and appreciated as they should be. If you can get over the graphic sexual content I promise you it will be one of the most important and unforgettable movie experiences of your life.

Love exposure

Irreverent, vulgar, silly, violent, confusing and hilariously bloody are just a few words to describe Love Exposure, a 4 hour long japsploitation romantic comedy, yeah that's right let that one sink in. Love Exposure is also one of the freaking best movies I have ever or probably will ever see. Its so brave and uncompromising but most of all its fun. I love asian shock, its one of the reasons I fell in love with film and this is the Citizen Cain of the genre. Now I don't want to conjure up images of an Attack Swim Girls Team vs The Unliving Dead kind of shock film, you can tell early on this was a labor of love. I think it also helps to have been exposed to some of Shion Sono's earlier films like Suicide Club and Noriko's Dinner Table. I loved both of those movies but they both felt like an experiment and in Suicide Clubs case like a half finished idea. Love Exposure though is complete from start to its 4 hour finish. I love that this flick was given enough time to play out otherwise you have the narrative mess of Nariko's Dinner Table. You really get to see the growth of the characters as they are thrust into one bizarre situation after another. I would not be doing my job if I did not mention there are more panty shots in this movie than any other in history. Its central to the plot and the way its handled is fantastic. This film tip toes all over the line of exploitation never going too far but probably a little intense for someone who has never experienced cinema from the far east (or been to 4chan). All in all I love movies that shatter the mold and do something never seen before and Love Exposure does so with undeniable style. The 4 hours flew by and I cant wait for this thing to hit American shelves because it has cult status tattooed all over it.
11/10

Tierische Liebe

My first thought when i picked up this movie was,
"Jesus Christ why is there bestiality porn on the library shelf?" Well the back of the DVD was pretty vague and said it only ran for about 70 minutes. Like the unsuspecting family wandering into rabid bear infested wood I sat down to watch what can only be described as art. Not oh wow that's so pretty art or oh man this person is so talented art. I was blasted with the strangest scariest depressing Europeans ever seen on film. Oh yes its called animal love but its true focus is the bizarre relationships that form around these very lonely pet owners. Remember when I said this thing clocked in at 70 minutes? That was a blatant lie it dragged and I mean dragged on for a little over 2 hours. I swear to god towards the end you are staring into flashing lights while some Austrian woman and her dog stare back at you. A total mind fuck pushing the limits of film and sanity I have to recommend this for the singularly unique spiral into dementia. This was my first Ulrich Seidl film and I look forward to the next.

Shock film fan: 8/10
Everyone else: ?