TERRIFYING GIRL'S HIGH SCHOOL

An audacious Asian spin on the gloriously exploitative Women-in-Prison, exploitation, and horror films that outraged our mothers (and turned our fathers on) in double-bill drive-ins throughout the 70s, Terrifying Girl's High School is a tasteless, energetic gift from Hedonistic Heaven. Glorifying in excesses of subject and style, this opus packs in creative nods to at least half a dozen genres. A member of the 'Pinky Violence' phenomenon, director Norifumi Suzuki's hands on approach when dealing with filth, depravity, and slick female flesh strips away all but a minimum of moral sub-text for the dubious pleasures of carnality. In other words, this film is proud to be offensive, and happy to wallow in its uneven if glorious brutality. The second of the four films in the Terrifying Girl's High School series, this entry is more adventurous and exotic than many of the similarly themed if substantially different W-I-P films from which they grew. 'Pink films' offer the student an aesthetic course in changing cultural attitudes. Finding birth in the early 1970s, this bold blend of eroticism, violence, and gangster sensibilities focused on tough, erotic females -- bitches and rough saints, victims and abusers. Whereas these films initially sought to capture the spirit of women's subversive nature, filmmakers began to notice that the public wanted less dramatic elements and more 'pink' -- tit and ass, to you and me. Combining the 'fierce feminine' ideal with the action picture's than popular love affair and revenge stories, Pinky Violence films emerged. These films offered purveyors of perversion shocking violence, betrayals, filth, and nudity. These elements are well represented in Kazuhiko's "Delinquent Girl" pictures, including Worthless to Confess, and, most impressively, the flesh-filled visions of Norifumi, who came to this picture with three or more "Girl Boss" pictures under his belt.

The 'Hope Reform School for Girls,' referring to itself as "the Graveyard of Delinquents," is overseen by Chairmnan Sato Shigeru, a cruel gentleman who enjoys political power and prestige, and who cannot be touched by normal means when it is suspected he is running a den of rape, torture, and murder in his prison. On the other end of the spectrum we have Vice Principal Ishihara, courting the rich and powerful. Between this struggle for power, a prison is turned into a melting pot of tragedy and despair. The "Disciplinary Committee," especially brutal girls (appointed by Ishihara) enforce law and order -- any way they choose. Ruling the school with an iron fist, these girls spend their evenings working at Ishihara's night club as hostesses. Inject into this den of inequity Kazuma Noriko, a Shinjuku gang leader picked up after her recent parole from prison, and sent to Hope Reform School. In the midst of abuse, sexual harshness, and mental cruelty, anti-heroine Kazuma discovers that her former friend Michiyo was recently killed there. In true Charles Bronson fashion, Noriko swears revenge, and during a heated storm of shameful sexual abuse and violence learns that the sickening Disciplinary Committee has been given amnesty by Vice Principle Ishihara, making, it seems, the Committee impossible to harm. Legally. Soon it becomes apparent that Noriko is prepared to make them pay on her own, enlisting some of cellmates in a shirt-tearing, vibrator using, stripped down orgy of exploitation goodness!

Long a staple of European exploitation, both influenced by and in turn influencing similarly themed efforts across the seas, this film shows that Asians know how to have just as much fun as the Italians - albeit in an intentionally goofy, tongue-in-cheek manner. Referencing several Italian, Spanish, and American exploitation genres, with a nod to the infamous Nazi-camp films of the era, the creators of Terrifying Girl's High School are anything but subtle. Starring their luscious, seedy, "bad-girl" presences, this wild and wet homage to a most exploitative category of B-movie-making features a visual and thematic 'Best Of' package of torture, sexual abuse, and violence. While not a resume one would bring to an Elementary school, this is fine credentials indeed for a Pinky film! And whereas several of the genre's finest attempt to mask their shameless voyeurism by ducking into contexts of mock social commentary, these filmmakers are unashamed of their product. Not pretending to be a serious examination of anything, this is unrepentant exploitation fodder produced by fans for fans. High on flesh, fetish, and fights, a lack of story precision or believable dialogue is more than made up for in by sheer visual excess, power-house theatrics, slapstick violence, and gorgeous gals.

Just as in their other titles, the visual quality here is polished and respectful. Featured in 3.35:1 widescreen with anamorphic enhancement, the movie simply looks great! Colors spill into your lap with brightness and clarity, and flesh tones are convincing. No grain or distortions are evident. Audio is featured in Japanese, with optional English subtitles. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono track is clean, evenly distributing dialogue and score.

Extras for this attack against banality include a trailer, poster gallery (not much, containing a scant two images), a stills gallery, and biographies for Norifumi Suzuki, Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto, Yukie Kagawa, and Yuko Kano. Insightful production notes are also included. As in the last re-released Pink film, the Audio Commentary is the most substantial offering here, including one Chris D., who examines the cultural and aesthetic history of the film, covering the genre as a whole and this film in particular. His talk emphasizes the life and career of Norifumi Suzkuki, as Chris discusses the director's approach, style, themes, and technique. Informative and engaging, this talk is worth the price of admission.

Review by William P. Simmons