COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - ZERO WOMAN: RED HANDCUFFS (NEON EAGLE BLU-RAY)
Have you heard of the term Pinky Violence before? Chances are, unless you’re up on your Asian cinema history you’re likely to have never heard of these films before. Much like the American Grindhouse scene in the 70s, Japan also saw an explosion of sexually charged and ultra-violent films coming out of the swinging 60s into the groovy 70s. Having more in common with the later works of Andy Sidaris than that of the drive-in schlock, Pinky Violence films walked a thin-line between pornography and crime thrillers, oftentimes having excessive amounts of one, the other, or both. These films focused on “Bad Girls” taking out their vengeance against the men and women who have wronged them, abused them, and exploited them. They are challenging films to watch given how laissez-faire they treat taboo topics such as rape and sex work, but to call them nothing more than “smut” would be a true disservice. This is a first for the crypt as we take a look at Neon Eagle’s Blu-Ray release of Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs, one of the most infamous of the Pinky Violence films. Is the challenging content worth the discomfort, or is it something better left in the annals of time?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
When renegade cop Rie goes too far in bringing justice to untouchable bigwigs, only a dangerous mission to rescue a politician's daughter will keep her out of jail for good. She readily takes on the task, only to find it more complicated and deadly than she suspected. After a relentless pursuit and run-ins with despicable yakuza thugs, Rei finds herself a target of a wider criminal conspiracy the outcome of which will leave almost no one alive.
HOW IS IT?
One of the best parts about working the collector’s crypt is the exposure to films that otherwise would’ve been glossed over. Let’s face it, there just isn’t enough time to watch everything we want to watch which means that our efforts to explore the unknown are thwarted as nothing more than a pipe dream. “Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs” (ZW: RH for brevity) is exactly the kind of movie we’re referring to here. Something you’d likely pass over unless someone had explicitly told you what it was about, and even then, you still may not be sold on it. Tonally, ZW: RH is so all over the place it might give you whiplash, but if you can stick with it you’re guaranteed to experience one of the most audaciously entertaining exploitation films ever. It’s not always an easy watch, but you’d be hard-pressed to find something as outlandish as ZW: RH.
It's important to mention here that ZW: RH is a rough watch in parts. Much of that has to do with the genre of film it falls under (Pinky Violence) and the kinds of tropes associated with it namely sexual assault. Much of the narrative relies on sexual assault and ZW: RH has more of it than most rape-revenge films and for longer durations. Trigger warnings aside, the opening of ZW: RH is easily a “make or break” moment for the film. It teases almost everything the film has to offer in the first 10 minutes, and if you aren’t okay with the sexual treachery and audacious levels of cartoonish violence that kick things off it is safe to say you will hate ZW: RH. For those who aren’t turned off by the inaugural moments, the rest of ZW: RH is just as bonkers as the introduction promises. The plot is a classically overstuffed action and espionage story that trades in a lumbering masculine hero for a deadly, seductive, and psychopathic feminine one in disgraced cop Zero. The story borrows heavily from familiar Westerns and Samurai films like Yojimbo and adds a level of grittiness that is uniquely 70s grindhouse. Fans of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill will almost immediately recognize how the modern filmmaker adopted ideas from this film into his own, which makes this more than just a passive viewing experience for genre fans. Littered with absurd amounts of violence and a gang of bad guys so sloppy you can’t wait to see how Zero will dispatch them. From torture scenes involving blowtorches and decapitations from a pair of oversized handcuffs, there is no shortage of lunacy in ZW: RH.
While it would be easy to bestow continuous praise on how over-the-top and exploitative ZW: RH is, that would also be doing a huge disservice to the artistry on the filmmaking level. In almost complete contrast to the material on-screen, the cinematography and lighting design are stylish and elegant. They elicit the same vibes as the works of Italian masters like Sergio Leone and Dario Argento with the use of long, drawn-out takes and neon-pastel color schemes. One scene, in particular, is uniquely breathtaking as we are looking down upon a courtyard from the top corner of a building, only to see a gang member's face slowly peer into the frame like a hawk observing prey. As the neon signs in the background glow it is easy to forget that you’re not watching a film by Nicolas Winding Refn but rather something that came before his time. The visuals work in tandem with the sexy, swinging score to transport you to an entirely different place and time. The soulful and saxophone-heavy soundtrack is a perfect complement to the hard-boiled and gritty crime story being told, especially one so indulgent in sex and violence. The only critiques that can be made about ZW: RH speak to what the genre is known for like sexual assault and misogyny, and to their minor credit they aren’t emphasizing realism so they are a bit easier to compartmentalize. Nevertheless, ZW: RH is the kind of movie you’ll likely never forget and one you won’t see get made again any time soon.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
ZW: RH is one of the handful of releases of upstart label Neon Eagle, a joint venture between the folks at Cauldron Films and Mondo Macabro. If you aren’t familiar with either of those names, well, you should be. While Cauldron is a relatively new label, Mondo Macabro has been putting out hidden exploitation and cult gems for decades. ZW: RH is a perfect representation of the partnership between these two labels, and that is no more evident than with the transfer. ZW: RH is given a brand new 4K restoration that maintains the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. ZW: RH looks as pristine as a film from the 70s possible could while still maintaining some of the natural grain, the colors are vibrant without being overdone and washed out, and the detail on many of the poorly lit scenes comes through extremely clear. Given we have no basis for previous release comparison, it is safe to say this is the best looking version of the film available in North America. Images from this disc are used throughout this review and seen below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Audio options are rather limited here, but that’s not necessarily a knock against this release since most films from this time period don’t benefit much from the surround sound treatment. The 2.0 mono audio track is in Japanese with English subtitles, and for all intnents and purposes it sounds great. The dialogue comes through clearly without cracking and the balance between soundtrack and diegetic sound never gives priority to one over the other.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
When it comes to more obscure cinema, finding people and sources for special features can be especially difficult. Add to the fact that many of the filmmakers involved in some of these older films are either retired or deceased, so the fact that Neon Eagle was ableto find at least some features to add in here is a testament to their desire to give collector’s and fans the penultimate release of almost forgotten films. The one special feature we took in for this review was Sex + Violence = Pinky Violence: TokyoScope Author Patrick Macias on Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs. This 18-minute interview provides context around the Pinky Violence phenomoena in Japan, as well as explaining the origin of ZW: RH. Originally starting as a Manga, as many of these Japanese Exploitation films do, Macias talks about the star of the film Miki Sugimoto and how she got involved with Pinky Violence films. The passion for these films and the history surrounding them is obvious and infectious as Macias speaks in detail about other cast members and how their lives diverged after their work in film. A full list of special features are listed below.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan
Sex + Violence = Pinky Violence: TokyoScope author Patrick Macias on Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs
Image Gallery
Reversible Blu-ray wrap with alternate artwork
LAST RITES
“Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs” is a that fans of Asian Cinema should absolutely add to their collection. Packed with eccentric ideas, exploitative tropes, and some intensely vivid cinematography ZW: RH is going to challenge some viewers while indulging others to step outof their cinematic comfort zones.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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