Foreign Objects travels the world of international cinema each week to look for films worth visiting. So renew your passport and get your shots, because this week we’re heading to…
Japan!
It’s hard to critique pinku films by the same standards used for more typical features for a few reasons. In addition to the implicit budgetary restrictions, pinku movies only have an average sixty-minute run-time. And by their very nature the main focus of the film has to be sex. But for every twenty generic flesh romps, there seems to be one or two releases that entertain more than just the libido. My favorite remains S&M Hunter for it’s completely over-the-top shenanigans and black humor, but a few others have entertained as well with strong doses of comedy to go along with the skin slapping. Pink Eiga’s two Groper Train releases are both very funny and perverted as is The Japanese Wife Next Door. The label has just released two more titles this month, and one of them is a keeper. Funny and sexy and highly recommended for fans of Asian erotica, science fiction, and non-explicit come shots.
This is normally where I’d give a synopsis of Deep Contact, but I doubt I’d do better than the one provided by the fine folks at Pink Eiga…
“The year is 1999, and a comet is on a collision course with Earth! Waturu is kidnapped and taken to a secret hospital where the chief scientist tells him that he has a unique sexual psycho-kinetic ability that can save humankind. Together with the sexy scientist, Ikuko, who also has sexual psycho-kinetic abilities, they screw to save the planet from Armageddon!”
The plot really is that simple… and awesome. The movie opens with Waturu on the run from some loan sharks and fearful of an impending comet strike. The oil riggers are apparently all busy trying to clean up BP’s spill so no one’s available to fly into space and detonate the hurtling rock. So the next best plan is to use this sexual psycho-kinetic business to physically alter the comet’s trajectory. Science fiction? Perhaps, but it shouldn’t be dismissed without further testing.
Lots of sex ensues, and I do mean a lot. Pinku’s standard of a sex scene every eight minutes or so is doubled here, and happily the sex is actually sexy. That’s something you can’t just assume with these films because many pinku movies are content to feature angry or painful sex meant to degrade the women.
Laughs and sex aside, the movie is actually pretty good in other unexpected areas as well. The acting is decent enough aside from the supporting actors playing it for obvious camp, and the character of Ikuko has a bit more depth than you’d usually find. There’s also more emotional weight than can typically be found in these films as the relationship between Waturu and Ikuru builds into something approaching believability. None of this will be mistaken for the drama of a more traditional film obviously, but it’s always nice to find the pinku films that accept their limitations and then run with them towards something original and interesting.
Pink Eiga’s new DVD includes a commentary, interview, artwork, and more. My favorite extra is the video commentary featuring the film’s director (Yukio Kitazawa), screenwriter (Akira Fukuhara), and two of it’s stars (Motoko Sasaki and Seiji Nakamitsu). The screen splits and the foursome sit together on the bottom half while the movie plays above. They reel off some fun anecdotes, tell stories about the film and others in the cast, crack jokes about budget issues and stunning CGI-less special effects, and share exchanges like this…
Hey, you guys missed the pubic hair shot.”
“Was it legal at the time?”
“Yes, barely.”
There are some silences with the group awkwardly watching sex scenes starring the actress who’s there for the commentary, but most of the time their faces are filled with smiles and an honest admiration for their work. Watching this is just as entertaining as the movie itself, and I hope it becomes a staple on future Pink Eiga releases. Besides, where else are you going to learn the definition of a “Pink Salon?” (And can someone get me a gift card for one?)
The Upside: One of the sexier Pink Eiga releases so far; first half is pretty funny; manages to include a sympathetic character
The Downside: Second half seems to lower the laugh quotient in exchange for more sex and a bit of emotion