MOVIE SUMMARY
In Tokugawa era Japan, Princess Kiyo (Miki Sugimoto), youngest
daughter of mighty Shogun Ienari Tokugawa, weds country lord
Tadateru Ogura. Unfortunately for Kiyo, her new husband is a “man’s
man” who has no interest in women. To help Tadateru discover his
sexual side, his courtiers bring in Sandra (Sandra Jullien, star of
Ravishing Dany and Shiver of the Vampires), a French courtesan who
arrives in a wooden box, like a porcelain doll. Her extraordinary
sexual technique awakens Tadateru to the fun he’s been missing all
these years.
Unfortunately, he enjoys it so much that he decides it’s
too good for commoners and so enforces a sex ban on the rest of his
subjects, decreeing that any of them having intercourse will be
executed. Soon the enraged populace are storming Tadateru’s castle
with a battering ram shaped like a giant phallus! One of the more
extraordinary films to come out of 1970’s Japan, this astonishing
mixture of historical epic, sexploitation, grand guignol gore and
political intrigue is a real one-off. Director Norifumi Suzuki also
helmed the “nunsploitation” classic, Convent of the Sacred Beast as
well as the notorious S&M themed Star of David: Beauty Hunting
(1979). This is a first time US release for Tokugawa Sex Ban and a
world Blu-ray premiere.
DISC FEATURES
- Brand new 2k transfer from film negative
- Digitally restored
- Interview with film critic Kōshi Ueno
- Audio commentary from Jasper Sharp
- Theatrical trailer
REVIEW QUOTES “The film has a terrific pace,
impeccable visuals and lively comic performances from a charismatic
cast.” Andrew Pragasam, The Spinning Image
“Incredible sex-comedy. Sandra Julien is astonishing.
Excellent Mondo Macabro blu-ray.” cerealnomilk, Letterboxd
“Frankly, words fail to describe this picture. You really
just need to see it.” Patrick Galloway
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