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September 05, 2013
The Nikkatsu Erotic Films Collection - 17 and 18
Story of White Coat: Indecent Acts / Hakui monogatari: Midasu!
Hidehiro Ito - 1984
Horny Diver: Tight Shellfish / Zetsurin ama: Shimari-gai
Atsushi Fujiura - 1985
Impulse Pictures Region 1 DVD
For those who have read Jasper Sharp's monumental book on "Pink Cinema", he even admits that many of the films were made simply to have product in the theaters. Neither of these new entries in Impulse Pictures presentation of this series of films have the kinds of ambitions that would mark something like Fairy in a Cage, which criticized Japan in World War II, or the politically subversive Sex Hunter: Wet Target. Of this new released pair, Story of White Coat may have been perfect for a salaryman's lunch hour diversion, with a running time of less than an hour. Horny Divers has a more developed narrative and has the kind of moments that evoke a critical response of, "What the fuck did I just see?". Arguably, the pairing of these films is appropriate in a manner of speaking, as sexual focus of Story of White Coat is outward, while Horny Divers looks inward.
Story of White Coat is priapic, with one of the main characters, a guy known as Junior, who is so well hung that in the beginning of the film, he is stuck inside one of his conquests. Brought to the hospital where his father makes major financial contributions, Junior chases after a nurse, a self-proclaimed 27 year old virgin. Another nurse throws herself on top of Junior, giving him crabs, and not the kind that the Horny Divers swim for underwater. Junior's chauffeur also has his heart set on the nurse. Junior and the chauffeur liken themselves to a one-hundred dollar bill versus a nickel, and the comparison also extends, as it were, to the size of their respective cocks. There are a couple of scenes involving the shaving of pubic hair, both male and female, with a straight razor. There's also a group of nurse in pink uniforms who are simply extras, but provide some goofy facial expressions, giving this film a few genuine chuckles. Overall, this is a disappointment considering how much more erotic and visually interesting Ito was with his film, Debauchery.
Horny Divers was undoubtedly inspired by the "Girl Divers" movies from the Fifties. In those films, simply having attractive young women in bikinis or having a flash of breasts was enough. There was also some underwater photography that took advantage of erotic possibilities for imagery that could not have been done otherwise. Of course, the secondary title, Tight Shellfish pretty much spells things out for the audience. There is a lot of diving here, if you know what I mean, and anybody reading this probably doesn't need my help. This reminds me that there was a grindhouse flick titled, Tale of the Bearded Clam.
Horny Divers is about a real estate developer swooping down to buy out a small fishing village. Sex is the bait for monetary favors. The fishing chief and the real estate mogul share the same temptress. There are also a couple of sub-plots involving family secrets and newly discovered relationships. Sure, there are topless and sometimes bottomless women on the beach, but the really action takes place in a bar, yes, I'll say it, a dive. One of the bar's featured performers is a young woman who inserts a straw and draws in liquids, several kinds in fact. Nothing goes to waste, as the mixed drinks are imbibed by some lucky (?) guys. Another bar girl takes a tiny octopus inside her, the kind of scene that could well have made Ian Fleming rethink having the title Octopussy. One of the bar patron's decides that the little critter needs company and inserts an electric eel. Add to this, the incongruous use of "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" on the soundtrack at the end of the film. If you're curious, see this movie with your best chum.
Posted by Peter Nellhaus at September 5, 2013 07:00 AM