Plot: What’s it about?
Ocho (Reiko Ike) is consumed by vengeance, as she is dedicated to finding the men who killed her father and settling the score. Her father was a detective who found evidence of political corruption involving three yakuza members. He was soon killed by the trio in order to bury that evidence, leaving Ocho an orphan and a small child on her own. Although she only knows that the three men had distinctive tattoos, she is determined to track them down and exact her revenge. When she ventures to Tokyo to help a friend, she learns that two of the men have become powerful political figures, while still criminals. There she also meets a British agent and a local rebel, each of whom has their own agenda. Now that vengeance is within reach, can Ocho take down two of the men, or are the men too powerful?
This movie offers a wonderful experience in the realm of “pinky violence,” films driven by female characters that involve copious amounts of sex and violence. The premise here is simple enough, a revenge tale based in the world of underground crime, but simple is good. After all, we don’t need complicated plot points holding back the sex and violence, right? But what Sex & Fury lacks in the finer points of plot, it more than compensates for with style. The colors are bold and rich, while the cinematography is fun and quite artistic at times, especially in some wicked moments of slow motion. And of course, there are ample splashes of blood and naked female bodies on showcase. I found Sex & Fury to be a fun and offbeat motion picture, one I can easily recommend to fans of films of this kind. Panik House offers up another terrific disc here and if you like Sex & Fury, don’t miss their other superb Pinky Violence Collection releases.
Video: How does it look?
Sex & Fury is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The image here is a touch dated, but looks excellent and provides no reason for concern. The print is in immaculate condition, so you won’t see much debris or damage, nor is grain an issue. There is a little grain from time to time, but not enough to impact the visuals much at all. The visuals come off as rich and detailed, especially for material of this profile and age, so fans should be quite pleased. The vivid color scheme is intact also, so the hues have a vibrant presence, while black levels look spot on and consistent. I knew Panik House would give us a good looking transfer, but they have gone above and beyond all expectations here.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original Japanese soundtrack is preserved here, via a somewhat dated, but more than acceptable mono option. This is a much cleaner, clearer presentation than I had expected, as very few age related defects can be heard. I heard a few minor pops and moments of harshness, but given the age of the material, this is a superb effort. Even the smallest sounds can be heard with ease, so nothing is ever drowned out or lost in the shuffle. This is good news, as the film uses a lot of background effects to add to the atmosphere of scenes. No worries on the dialogue front either, as all the vocals are sharp and never muffled. This disc also includes optional English subtitles, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary from Chris D. starts us off and as usual, he provides good insight, but can be quite repetitive. He talks about the cast and crew, previous projects and such, which is interesting, but not really the kind of stuff I had hoped for. Chris also repeats information often, which makes stretches of the session hard to sit through. This disc also includes talent files on cast & crew members, still photos & artwork, and of course, the film’s theatrical trailer.
