Hatsujo Kateikyoshi: Sensei No Aijiru
Japan,
2004, 90 min
Shown in 2006
CREDITS
- dir
-
Mitsuru Meike
- prod
-
Nakahito Kinugawa, Kazuto Morita, Kyoichi Masuko
- scr
-
Takao Nakano
- cam
-
Hiroshi Ito
- mus
-
Taro Kishioka
- cast
-
Emi Kuroda, Takeshi Ito, Yukijiro Hotaru, Tetsuaki Matsue, Kyoko Hayami
- source
-
Media Space, Inc., 718 Broadway 2B, New York, NY 10003 FAX: 212-475-6947. EMAIL: hkuroiwa1900@aol.com.
OTHER
A riotous amalgam of political satire, apocalyptic comedy and steamy erotica, The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai is an insanely entertaining example of the Japanese pinku eiga (pink film) genre, a popular form of erotic softcore cinema. Titillation is, of course, a primary goal, but due to Japan’s censorship codes (no depiction of genitalia or penetration is allowed), creative storytelling is also important. When both factors are present, as in this memorably nutty offering, the result is particularly pleasurable. Sachiko Hanai (Emi Kuroda) is an escort who specializes in teacher-student scenarios (the film’s delightfully apposite original title is Horny Home Tutor: Teacher’s Love Juice). One day, after an energetic tutoring session, Sachiko adjourns to a nearby café. An argument between two men escalates, and she is shot between the eyes. Miraculously only dazed, she grabs a mysterious cylinder from the café floor, thus making off with a clone of George W. Bush’s finger. And then things get really weird. Sachiko discovers odd psychic abilities and begins imagining various theories of the universe and multivalent philosophical speculations, all to the throb of techno. While she pursues arcane poststructuralist knowledge—and has intellectual intercourse with a political philosopher—a consortium of bad guys chase her in the hopes of recovering the cylinder. Raunchy and hilarious in equal measures, with a dash of smart political commentary, Mitsuru Meike's memorable feature will undoubtedly tickle you pink.
—Rod Armstrong
FACTOID #176
Hordes of screaming teenagers were fascinated with the Rolling Stones, but so were influential imagemakers Jean-Luc Godard and Robert Frank. The SFIFF has screened three different films with the Rolling Stones as the main subject: Godard’s Sympathy for the Devil (SFIFF 1972), Frank’s Cocksucker Blues (SFIFF 1998) and the IMAX documentary At the Max (SFIFF 1991).
