After a much needed break, I’m back! I have been DYING to do a few podcast episodes on underrated Japanese master Teruo Ishii and Chris Haskell (from the They Live By Film and Punk Vacation podcasts) was kind enough to agree to my insane demand that we cover all the films in Ishii’s Joys of Torture series. Ishii directed seven films in 1968 and 1969 for Toei that explore torture, sexual obsession, sadism, toxic relationships, crime, and debauchery in a series of movies that are only thematically connected (plus one loose “sequel” made by Yuji Makiguchi in 1976). Some of these are anthology films, others are standalone tales; most are period set, while a few are contemporary. I decided to split this in two parts because we had so much to say, so this first episode is an introduction to the series and Ishii, and covers Tokugawa: Women’s Genealogy (1968), Shogun’s Joy of Torture (1968), and Orgies of Edo (1969). If you want to watch along but are struggling with where to locate some of these, email me at samm.deighan@gmail.com and I can help you out.
Thanks as always to Cinepunx and please rate, review, follow, and share! And stay tuned for part 2 of this Ishii episode in just a few days.