J-sploitation: Takaaki Hashiguchi's KUCHISAKE (KANNÔ BYÔTÔ: NURETA AKAI KUCHIBIRU)

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In view of the fact that Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc. has released Masanori Inoue's Virgin Nightmares (Shion - hibi) on DVD in the U.S., under its new neon-g label, I would like to urge it to acquire U.S. DVD distribution rights for Takaaki Hashiguchi's Kuchisake (Kannô byôtô: nureta akai kuchibiru), and release that movie under the neon-g label as well.

Shin-Tôhô Eiga K.K. and Kokuei K.K. released Kuchisake in the pink cinema circuit in Japan on January 28, 2005, under the title "Kannô byôtô: nureta akai kuchibiru". Inter Film Y.K. (Y.K. Intâ Firumu) released it at the Uplink X in Tokyo on September 7, 2005, and on sale DVD (IFD-045; NTSC, region 2, no subtitles) in Japan on March 3rd of last year; both of those releases were under the title "Kuchisake".

The screenplay for Kuchisake was written by Hashiguchi. As was previously reported here and there on ScreenAnarchy, the movie starred Mayu Asada, Minami Aoyama, Lemon Hanazawa (Hanazawa Remon; she was also in Daisuke Yamanouchi‘s Joshiryô no kôshoku oyaji: yaneura no nozoki-ana), Kyôko Kazama, Hotaru Hazuki (Haduki Hotaru; she was also in Daisuke Yamanouchi‘s Benriya kaseifu: kagi no ana kara), Azusa Sakai, Kikujirô Honda, Mikiya Sanada, Taishi Takemoto, Mikio Satô, Takeshi Itô, and Shûji Ôtsuki. Takashi Oda was responsible for the movie's special make-up effects.

Oda's other credits - primarily as a special make-up effects artist - apparently include Takeshi Kitano‘s Sonatine (Sonachine), Shûsuke Kaneko‘s Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe (Gamera: daikaijû kûchû kessen), Kaneko's Gakkô no kaidan 3, Naoyuki Tomomatsu‘s Stacy, Gen Takahashi‘s Lady Plastic, Kiyoshi Kurosawa‘s Doppelganger (Dopperugengâ), and all of Shin'ya Tsukamoto‘s features from Hiruko the Goblin (Yôkai hantâ: Hiruko) to Nightmare Detective (Akumu Tantei).

Hashiguchi's other directing credits include Woman Prisoner Torture (Zoku joshû gômon seme) and Iwakutsuki: Doll House (Kannô no yakata: hitozuma shôten).

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Kuchisake still #01 (28 KB JPEG)
Kuchisake still #02 (20 KB JPEG)
Kuchisake still #03 (20 KB JPEG)
Kuchisake still #04 (28 KB JPEG)

Kuchisake still #05 (16 KB JPEG)
Kuchisake DVD case art - front (see above left - 376 KB JPEG version)
Spotted Productions: Kuchisake
Uplink X: Kuchisake
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Woman Prisoner Torture VHS box art (228 KB JPEG)
Iwakutsuki: Doll House DVD case art (172 KB JPEG)
Midnight Eye: Iwakutsuki: Doll House capsule review