Zoom In: Rape Apartments

Erina Miyai is raped during her bicycle trip by the mysterious man dressed entirely in black.The rapist uses some sort of a bodkin to frighten her.She recognizes her attacker when he comes to her apartment and has steamy sex with her.The series of brutal rapes and burnings takes place.Among the victims is Japanese schoolgirl,who gets her eye skewered during escape."Zoom In:Rape Apartments" fully exceeded my expectations.It's erotic,dirty and grim.The film is obviously inspired by Italian gialli:the rapist is dressed in black and wears black gloves.Some scenes are downright bizarre and unforgettable for example the pregnant women bursting into sea of flames or the gruesome act of cremation seen by mentally handicapped girl.10 out of 10.

This movie is about a lonely wife whose husband goes out of town. She is attacked and raped in a field, which for some reason causes her to get back together with her potentially violent ex-lover. But then a couple of high school girls are attacked and burnt to death (after the killer pours lighter fluid on them and ignites their pubic hair!). She begins to suspect her lover of being the notorious firebug/rapist (and he certainly gives her every reason to with his ominous words and bizarre behavior), but it could also be his other female lover. . .

This is a superb example of a Japanese "pink" film and, for that matter, a superb example of how to make a quality softcore sex film. First off, it is not just series of interminably long sex scenes that tend to motivate most viewers to just flick one off the wrist and then fall asleep long before the short running time has expired. It has a plot--a completely bizarre, off-the-wall plot with a series of giallo-esque rapes and burnings--but a plot nevertheless. Like an Italian giallo it is also very well filmed and the effective visual style more than compensates for the gaping plot holes. And there ARE some hot sex scenes, but they're hot because they're aren't so many of them and they don't go so long that they complete inure (and ultimately bore) the viewers. As for the appalling misogynistic violence, well, it's less disturbing than it sounds due to its stylized execution. It's certainly not erotic (even though the killer insists on completely stripping his nubile victims, never mind that clothes would be much more flammable than pubic hair), but it has the effect of kinda cleansing the palate in between the consensual sex scenes, kind of like a shot of seltzer water (or perhaps Everclear).

This movie is kind of like an Italian giallo or a Joe D'Amato "Black Emmanuelle" or a Brazilian pornochachada. It's not a serious film (and shouldn't be taken as such unless you want to get VERY offended), but it goes way beyond being a mere sex film and into the realm of sheer, unadulterated exploitation.

This is an exceedingly well made 'pink', if indeed it properly qualifies as one. It is at once, sexy and nasty, with some superbly shot sex scenes and some terrible violence (of the setting fire to naked women variety). Some reviewers have referenced, 'giallo' and there is certainly an element here, with the edgy violence, black leather gloves and the general air of dream/nightmare. A slight blurring of the real and unreal and done with such style and confidence we never loose track of the goings on, even if at times we might prefer to. Every frame looks good, even the building sites and the feeling of desolation, even the nastiness and the scenes of transgression, seemingly endured and enjoyed in equal part.

"Zoom In: Rape Apartments" plays like an unofficial sequel to Koyu Ohara's nasty and forgotten "Zoom Up: Rape Site". Its approach is more surrealistic, but not less sleazy and depraved. Sexy queen of violent pink Erina Miyai (fondly remembered from "Rape Site" and "Sex Hunter") plays a woman who was attacked by rapist few years ago. She recalls the man pretty well. Actually he lives in the same apartment building! When she witnesses him raping two sexy Japanese lads, she becomes sexually aroused by a brutal act of violation. The usual theme of woman's submission is taken to the extreme. The rape scenes will be tough to watch for unprepared viewers, but there is enough wall-to-wall sleaze to fill three separate exploitation movies. The film was released in Japan on DVD - great transfer, unfortunately no subs for English speaking audience. Pinku lovers, give it a look.

Just watched my second film in the Nikkatsu erotic films collection and again I must say that this little independent Japan studio knows how to make a good erotic and exotic picture! The title is so fitting "Zoom In: Sex Apartments" is a film filled with suspense and a dangerous game of erotic sex and strange torture. It involves Saeko a woman who is brutally raped by a mysterious man with a dark mask and gloves. After she survives soon one by one the gruesome and shocking attacks and murders start to take place at her dwelling and that's the Kibougahara Apartment building. In a brutal way each female victim is beaten, killed, and their privates are set on fire! This film will take a surprise ending in the end still it's an erotic and wild treat watch along the way as all of the lust and skin lead to a revealing climax of the crazy leather gloved face masked killer. Overall another good film to check out and watch it's early 80's Japan torture porn at it's best!