Angel Guts
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Angel Guts (天使のはらわた Tenshi no Harawata?) is a nine-film series of pink films made mostly by the Nikkatsu Corporation between 1978 and 1994. Like all pink films the major theme is sex, but there is plenty of violence involved as well. The films were based on the manga series by Takashi Ishii. When asked to comment on the Angel Guts series, director Noboru Tanaka pointed out the variety of directorial styles exhibited in the films. "...all five versions are different," he commented, "Mine is very energetic and it looks like you could burn yourself if you touch it, whilst the others are calmer and gentler. I think the audience shouldn't be bored by this series of films."[1]
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[edit] The films
- Angel Guts: High School Co-Ed (女高生 天使のはらわた Jokousei Tenshi no Harawata?) (1978, director: Chusei Sone): Kawashima, Kajima, and Sadakuni spend their days riding motorcycles and terrorizing/raping young girls. Kawashima is an overly protective brother to his little sister, Megu, who does not know about her brother's terrible activities. While out with Megu, Kawashima comes upon Kajima and Sadakuni, who are going to rape a school girl named Nami. Not wanting his sister to see what is happening, Kawashima stops them and tells Nami to head back home. This causes a rift among the friends and Kajima tells Kawashima that to make up for his transgression he must rape Nami. Kawashima soon finds himself in a difficult position as his friends further distant themselves and his sister is drawn into a bad situation.
- Angel Guts: Red Classroom (天使のはらわた 赤い教室 Tenshi no Harawata: Akai Kyoshitsu?) (1979, director: Chusei Sone): When Teruro, writer for a porn magazine, watches a "rape" porn that is set in a school he becomes obsessed with the lead actress and tries to find her. By chance as he arrives at a hotel for a shoot he meets the girl, working behind the reception desk. Her name is Nami, and reluctantly she agrees to discuss the possibility of working with him. When Nami takes Teruro to her room, she puts the moves on him, thinking he only wants her for sex. She confesses that she was actually raped in that film, and he tells her that he wants to help her.
- Angel Guts: Nami (天使のはらわた 名美 Tenshi no Harawata: Nami?) (1979, director: Noboru Tanaka): Nami is a reporter for a ladies' magazine. She has been writing articles about rape victims and how they have dealt with it. She goes to interview a stripper and views a strange sex show and leaves before the end, despite a weird mans insistence she stay. The next day, Nami visits another rape victim and takes pictures until she meets the man from the sex club. He claims to work for a porno publisher. He cautions Nami on her growing obsession with rape stories. Nami continues to dig deeper in her research and soon starts having fantasies of rape as she comes closer to a fate that could be worse than death.
- Angel Guts: Red Porno (天使のはらわた 赤い淫画 Tenshi no Harawata: Akai Inga?) (1981, director: Toshiharu Ikeda)
- Angel Guts: Rouge (ルージュ Tenshi no Harawata: Rouge?) (1984, director: Hiroyuki Nasu)
- Angel Guts: Red Rope - "Until I Expire" (赤い縄 ～果てるまで～ Akai Nawa Hateru Made?) (1987, director: Junichi Suzuki)
- Angel Guts: Red Vertigo (天使のはらわた 赤い眩暈 Tenshi no Harawata: Akai Memai?) (1988, director: Takashi Ishii)
- Angel Guts: Red Lightning (天使のはらわた 赤い閃光 Tenshi no Harawata: Akai Senko?) (1994, director: Takashi Ishii)
- Angel Guts: Night is Falling Again (夜がまた来る Yoru Ga Mata Kuru?) (1994, director: Takashi Ishii)
[edit] Availability
In 2005, the ArtsMagic company released a Region 1 five-DVD box containing the first four films in the series and the seventh (Red Vertigo). The films were presented in anamorphic widescreen in Japanese with removable subtitles. Among the extras contained in the set were commentaries on all films, original trailers, director interviews, and director and cast biographies.[2]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Sharp, Jasper (interviewer); Sharon Hayashi (interpreter). (2005). Noboru Tanaka Interview (included with Angel Guts - The Nikkatsu Series - 5 Disc Collector's Edition; Disc Three: Angel Guts: Nami) [Motion Picture/DVD]. Nikkatsu / artsmagicdvd.com ATU 017. Event occurs at Chapter 7; 39:00.
- ^ Gilvear, Kevin. Angel Guts: The Nikkatsu Series (DVD box review) (English). www.dvdtimes. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
[edit] References
- Angel Guts Collection 5 DVD boxset (ArtsMagic, 2005)
- Gilvear, Kevin. Angel Guts: The Nikkatsu Series (DVD box review) (English). www.dvdtimes. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- Manning, Shaun. The 'Angel Guts' Series (2004) (English). Filmmonthly.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications, p.42-46. ISBN 1-88928-852-7.
- Thompson, Nathaniel (2006). DVD Delirium 3: The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful Films on DVD. U.K.: FAB Press, p.26-29. ISBN 1-90325-440-X.
