Sukeban gerira

Admittedly the Japanese exploitation cinema of 70's, and then particularly the so-called "Pinky Violence" movie trend, wasn't my personal biggest area of cinematic expertise but I've learned a lot in one week through watching a handful of classics. I even learned some Japanese, like I know that the term "Sukeban" means 'delinquent boss girl' and refers to a series of films revolving on untamed all-girl biker gangs and their fierce adventures. Less impressive than the contemporary WIP efforts (like the "Female Prisoner: Scorpion" series) and less virulent than the Yakuza flicks (like "Sex and Fury"), but definitely great entertainment and quintessential cult cinema!

"Girl Boss Guerrilla" introduces the bad-ass Red Helmet gang, led by the self-assured and insanely luscious Sachiko. The girls proudly expose their sexily tattooed left boobs and fill their days by making illegal money, like through blackmailing religious monks and stealing charity money meant for the victims of the Hiroshima bomb. See, it's little details like that what make films like "Girl Boss Guerrilla" so provocative, scandalous and shocking for the time & spirit in which they came out. The girls head from Tokyo to Kyoto, where Sachiko promptly takes over the leadership of a local girl biker gang. This is naturally settled through a cat-fight where shirts are torn to shreds and eyes are nearly scratched out. Halfway through the film, Sachiko falls in love with an amateur boxer and the gang runs continuously in conflict with the male Yakuza criminals until war and deadly vengeance become inevitable.

This is another terrific Pinky Violence "classic" that has it all. There's plenty of kinky sex and turbulent violence, but particularly the demented sub plots and bizarre flashes of (unintentional??) slapstick make "Girl Boss Guerrilla" such a fascinating and compelling experience. There's the priest with an STD, sentimental guitar singing by a long- haired Japanese hippie and the random kidnapping of a boxing instructor's daughter. Excellent acting performances from the stunning Miki Sugimoto, the even more stunning Reiko Ike – who strangely enough keeps her clothes on throughout the whole film – and a whole lot of other unscrupulous Japanese beauties.

These films never tend to disappoint me - and GIRL BOSS GUERILLA is yet another enjoyable entry. Filled with tits, ass, violence, and sleazy/funny situations - this is definitely one for the exploit fans out there...

A rival girl gang takes over after a mini-battle against the local girl gang. The girls get on the bad-side of the local Yakuza gang when they start pulling jobs and cons in the Yakuza territory. Of course the girls ain't going' out like no suckaz...and the war is on!!!

Plenty more going on it GIRL BOSS than the above - too much to really get into in a short review. Tons of nekkidness (though of course no full-frontal - this is a Japanese film after all...) but it doesn't matter cuz this one is just so much fun. Not as "splattery" as some of the latter pinky entries - but plenty of hot Asian female flesh to feast your eyes on - along with an interesting and entertaining storyline. Some real classic scenes in this one (clap-train, anyone???) and will DEFINITELY appeal to the pinky and sleaze fans out there. Don't miss this one. 8.5/10

This movie begins with four young women who belong to a gang known as "the Red Helmets" riding motorcycles from Tokyo to Kyoto with the idea of making a few bucks by pulling a few con jobs here and there. However, once they finally get to Kyoto they encounter an assembly of the female gang members living there who tell them to get out of town. This prompts the leader of the Red Helmets, "Sachiko Kiyami" (Miki Sugimoto) to challenge the leader of the Kyogoku Group named "Rika" (Ryoko Ema) to a fight--with the winner taking over everything. Although Sachiko wins the fight, she soon finds out that being a girl boss in Kyoto is much more difficult than than anything she expected. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this movie was pretty much a standard "Pinku Eiga" film made during this particular time in Japan but with the added benefit of having several attractive actresses like Emi Jo (as "Yuki"), Miwako Onaya ("Tatsumi"), Kyoko Tsukasa ("Kazuko") and the aforementioned Miki Sugimoto thrown in for good measure. In any case, all things considered I found it to be somewhat entertaining and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Well, it might not always make sense and it certainly does have far too much going on - but Girl Boss Guerilla is yet another excellent and extremely entertaining dose of Pinky Violence that is sure to delight anyone in love with this bizarre genre. The chief thing that makes this films so enjoyable is simply the fact that the focus is always on entertainment and while this is sometimes at the expense of coherency, that's really not too important. As usual, the film is peppered with various plot and sub-plots - some connected and some not - and writing out a complete plot summary for this film would take some time! The basic plot, however, focuses on an all-girl group of bikers that move into a new town and take on the local bike gang, eventually muscling in on their rackets and pinching their money. It's not long before the girls' actions catch the attention of the local (male) Yakuza and they're none too happy about having the biker girls in town! A war between the two is broken out, eventually leading to a bloody showdown.

The film is extremely violent as you would expect, but director Norifumi Suzuki clearly has a sense of humour also and some of the scenes in the film are delightfully funny. This does provide some entertainment, although it also means that the film can be a little hard to take seriously - for example, the lackadaisical nature of the Japanese Yakuza shown in this film doesn't exactly correspond with their reputation or actions. The film utilises the talents of two of the genres finest actresses in Miki Sugimoto and Reiko Ike. The two provide amicable and believable leads and do actually manage to cut imposing figures. One of the things I liked most about this film is the trademark of the girl biker gang - a tattoo over the left breast, which is just the sort of thing I'd like to come into fashion these days! The violence is all very comic book styled and way over the top, which is sure to please; although it's not actually quite as graphic as some of the other Pinky flicks. Overall, this is a great example of the genre - its fun and entertaining all the way through and never gets boring for a second - which is exactly what is needed from a film like this. HIGHLY recommended!

... because of the moments that are supposed to be funny, but just come off as juvenile instead. If those parts were taken out, this could be a great film. Stick with "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" instead.

The idea of a Japanese biker gang comprised of females is a good one, but they don't do enough "criminal" activity to be believable, though their attempts at blackmailing are pretty fun to watch. The soundtrack is good (except for that song by that awful hippie singer), and the fashions are top notch, but that humor kills it. I'd expect that in some bland Hollywood comedy, but not from this genre.

If you do like this, you'll love "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody." That's almost a guarantee.