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The history of the Japanese pink industry is one of the most intriguing in the whole history of cinema, with the ways these rather cheap, barely passing censorship movies became one of the most integral parts of the declining local industry during the 70s, particularly in the way they allowed new voices to quickly ascend the hierarchy towards first directors, and for the money they earned, which supported a large number of companies and their employees. Kejiro Fujii records this path through history, through a narrative that is quite intriguing in its approach, apart from its context.

Quite fittingly, the movie begins with one of the most prestigious directors that began their careers from pinku films, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, with his experiences and path in the particular industry setting the tone for the rest of the documentary. The interviews continue with some of the pioneers of the genre, with Banmei Takahashi,...

Allow me to begin this review with a personal note. Among the plethora of books about (Asian) cinema I have read, this one is definitely one of the better ones, if not the best. The combination of research and context (just mentioning all the topics Jasper Sharp examines here would fill a small book), the quality of personal comments, the language, and the overall illustration of the Fab Press edition, which is filled with film stills, posters etc, including a rather impressive middle section as much as great front and back covers, are all top-notch, to the point that one would have to dig really deep to find any flaw in the book. Let us take things from the beginning though.

The book begins ideally, as Sharp starts his narration by dealing with the history of nudity on film, the differences between art and pornography, the differences between Western and Japanese pornography,...

• Merging bush with Dubbya Bush, on April 13th Palm Pictures will be presenting Mitsuru Meike’s Japanese pink (softcore) porn film to those who find politics sexy. The Philadelphia Film Festival described the film as "what 'Fahrenheit 9/11' might look like with semen facials and an a cappella Japanese rendition of our national anthem".The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai centers on a Japanese call girl who gets caught up in international intrigue. In the film, the title character gets shot in the head after a fight breaks out at her sexual role-playing club, allowing her to "understand foreign languages and solve complex mathematic formulas," according to the official plot line. She discovers a finger cut from the American president in her pocket and is soon using her newfound powers to stop evil forces from "pushing the button" to start worldwide nuclear war.Breakout the kleenex and enjoy the trailers provided below:Trailer:http://www.

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