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Naked Seven
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Wikipedia article
'aka' 'Sengoku Rock: Female Warriors' 'and' 'Warring States Rock: Gale-Force Women' is a 1972 Japanese film in Nikkatsu's 'Roman porno' series, directed by Yasuharu Hasebe and starring Mari Tanaka.
Synopsis
In Japan's Sengoku period, a group of beautiful women warriors are on a mission to deliver a sacred scroll to a distant lord. On the way, they help a small village in its fight against bandits.
Cast
* Mari Tanaka: Wan
* Keiko Tsuzuki: Shino
* Yuri Yamashina: Nene
* Sh Munakata: Yayoi
* Setsuko yama: Sakura
* Sayori Shima: Suzume: Suzume
* Keiko Aikawa: Ume
* kenji kaji: Tar Tenma
* Hye Enoki: Jiz Rokkaku
* Genjir Arato: Nojir Nitta
* Hiroshi Goj: Sabur of Santo
* Machiyo Mako:
* Gensh Hanayagi: Mother of Yayoi
Background
The screenplay to 'Naked Seven' was written by the cult film director Atsushi Yamatoya, who had helped write the screenplay to Seijun Suzuki's cult classic 'Branded to Kill' (1967). Yamatoya is best known for his own noir crime-thriller-cum 'pink film' 'Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands' (1967). The plot of 'Naked Seven' is an obvious take-off on Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' (1954), which it satirizes. American arthouse audiences could appreciate the parody of Kurosawa, but to Japanese audiences the film also served as a reference to director Yasuharu Hasebe's own popular 'Alleycat Rock' series (197071) from the pre-Roman Porno era. This series featured actress Meiko Kaji in stories about a female motorcycle gang.Weisser, pp. 40-41, 284-285.
Having been a director at Nikkatsu since before the Roman Porno days, Hasebe was uncomfortable with the 'pink film' genre, and mixed his first two Roman Pornos with other genres to create interest. Besides the historical-adventure style of 'Naked Seven', he departed from standard 'pink' style with his next film, 'Sukeban Deka: Dirty Mary' (1974), a tribute to the 'Dirty Harry' films.Weisser, p. 422. 'Naked Seven' was successful at the time of its release, and, in their 'Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films' (1998), the Weissers give the film three points out of four.Weisser, pp. 284-285. Because 'Naked Seven' and 'Dirty Mary', Hasebe's first two films in the Roman Porno series, had both departed from standard 'pink' themes, Hasebe did not consider them to be Pink Films.Hasebe, Yasuharu. (1998). Interviewed by Thomas and Yuko Mihara Weisser in Tokyo, 1999, in 'Asian Cult Cinema', #25, 4th Quarter, 1999, p.39. After departing Nikkatsu for television, he returned to the studio to direct controversial rape-themed films in the "Violent Pink" genre. Hasebe considered the first of these films, 'Rape!' (1976), to be his first true sex film. Through the "violent pink" genre, Hasebe had the creative freedom from the strict sex formula, and created such controversial films as 'Assault! Jack the Ripper' (1976) and 'Rape! 13th Hour' (1977). Though Hasebe's films in this genre are generally considered his best work, they remain controversial.Weisser, pp. 327-328.
'Naked Seven' was a showcase for Nikkatsu's top starlets of the time. Mari Tanaka, as leader of the gang, had made news headlines through her association with the controversial and persecuted 'Love Hunter' (1972) and its sequel, and was an idol of the anti-establishment. Gensh Hanayagi was a classical ballerina who came to Nikkatsu's attention through appearance in a television commercial. Her major role in director Noboru Tanaka's later Nikkatsu 'Roman Porno' 'Secret Chronicles: She-Beast Market' (1974) created news in Japan.
Availability
'Naked Seven' was released theatrically in Japan on December 27, 1972, and played in U.S. arthouse theaters in the 1970s. It was released on DVD in Japan on December 21, 2007, as part of Geneon's tenth wave of Nikkatsu 'Roman porno' series.
Bibliography
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Notes
Category:1972 films
Category:Films directed by Yasuharu Hasebe
Category:1970s Japanese-language films
Category:Nikkatsu films
Category:Nikkatsu Roman Porno
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