Plot: What’s it about?
This six disc collections brings together six movies that star Japan’s cult movie queen, the beautiful Kei Mizutani. As you’d expect, these movies all contain elements of eroticism, but are also simply enjoyable pictures. Most of them are also light comedies, with some elements of madcap mayhem thrown in, while a couple are more serious, such as Terminatrix and Tokyo Decameron. In other words, this collection offers a nice overview of the types of movies Mizutani is known for, a sampler platter of her work, if you will. All of the films contain images of naked bodies and sexual situations however, so if those offend you, this collection isn’t for you. But come on, Mizutani is so hot and in these movies, she smolders and her presence alone makes this release more than worth a some solid consideration. These might be kind of out there for those more used to mainstream stuff, but I think Mizutani is tons of fun to watch and these six movies are a solid selection from her resume. So if you’re interested in getting to know Mizutani, there’s no better chance than this terrific collection of six of her pictures. I’ve given a brief synopsis of each film below, so you can get an idea of what expect here.
1. Weather Woman- The world of television can be brutal, so when you’re given a chance, you have to do whatever it takes to score some ratings. As ratings drive the business, its that bottom line that matters to the bosses and not much else. So when Keiko (Kei Mizutani) gets to host the weather report, she decides to make a lasting impression and flashes her panties to the camera, sparking a tidal wave of attention and by turn, massive ratings. But when the audience tunes in next time, how will Keiko make sure they continue to be loyal viewers?
2. Tokyo Decameron- This movie is an anthology of sexual escapades, in which all sorts of secret desires are thrown into the light. In Two Women Naked Mariko, a woman serves as another’s ultimate slave, doing all that is demanded of her. But why does she choose to do so and is there a dark secret somewhere in the past of these women? In Lesbian Dream, a summer of exploration for five women turns sinister when a corpse turns up. And in The Man in the Pillory, a woman tracks down the man who tortured, then murdered her own sister.
3. The Ladies’ Phone Club- As the most popular worker in the phone sex club, Lulu knows all the ins & outs of the business. She has fun with her work and loves to please her clients, but she always has to remember the main rule of her profession. She is never allow herself to be seduced by a caller and worse yet, she isn’t to meet these clients outside of the work atmosphere, which she is able to follow without much trouble. But then she encounters a client, a female one no less, who simply sweeps her right off her feet. Can Lulu prove she is still the best in the business, or has her reign at the top come to an end?
4. Undressed for Success- This isn’t a normal feature film, instead it is a look inside the life of Japan’s cult movie queen, Kei Mizutani. The piece runs about forty minutes and follows Mizutani through photo shoots, location work, and in more intimate moments, of course. This is for those folks who can’t get enough of Mizutani’s gorgeous figure, as it just shows her model various outfits and includes ample footage of our favorite Mizutani outfit, her birthday suit. I wouldn’t recommend this on its own, but as part of this collection, its a nice inclusion and if you ever just want to soak in Mizutani’s looks, this is your chance.
5. Sumo Vixens- The sport of sumo wrestling is a sensation in Japan, but because of the nature of the contests, its limited to a small fraction of competitors. But a group of sexy young women has decided to make a new kind of sumo, with hot ladies instead of overweight, massive men, as the sport is now. Of course, to spice up the battles and ensure a large crowd, the girls dispose of their tops before the matches and get very physical with each other. As the battles continue, which of the lovelies has what it takes to become the champion?
6. Terminatrix- The future has turned very dark, as lethal sex-droids dominate the world and crush those who oppose them. The beautiful women have been forced into slavery and if they refuse, they’re eliminated without hesitation. Just when all hope seems lost, a female robot surfaces and begins an assault on the droids, using her body as the ultimate weapon. The droids are strong however and if she is to succeed in this most dangerous mission, it will take some luck and help from outsiders. But with the fate of beautiful women hanging in the balance, the Terminatrix is determined to do whatever it takes to save them.
Video: How does it look?
Weather Woman is presented in a 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen transfer, while the other movies are shown in full frame. As these movies were shot for the home video market, the full frame transfers represent the intended visual presentations. The images here look like lower budget video productions, which means some flaws do surface, but all in all, I found the transfers to be solid and acceptable. The colors are bold and rich, with no signs of error, while contrast provides stable, well balanced black levels throughout. I did see some light edge enhancement and some shimmering, but even so, these movies look fine in these releases.
Audio: How does it sound?
Aside from Undressed For Success, the discs contain both Japanese and English language soundtracks. Because the Japanese option represents the original audio, I recommend choosing those tracks, but in case you need a laugh or can’t stand subtitles, the English dub tracks have been made available. The audio is rather basic, but the essentials seem well covered and I couldn’t find much to complain about. You won’t be too dazzled by these soundtracks, but they’re serviceable and with these flicks, that’s good enough. As not everyone speaks Japanese, you can choose to turn on English subtitles, though they’re optional, not forced.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The discs each sport some basic extras like trailers, bonus previews, talent files, and short background information, while additional elements such as interviews and photo galleries can be found by using the disc in a DVD-ROM drive.
