Panik House

[Lemdog]

They just posted some new info on future titles.

I don't know how else to say this so I'm just going to come right out and say it: Panik House will be releasing the mother of all women-in-prison films: Chained Heat!

This is the first time this title has been released on DVD in the USA, but we have restored all the material that has ever been cut, making our version the global definitive edition. It's longer than any other version previously seen. It has extended nude scenes and crazy girl-on-girl action that nobody -and I mean NOBODY- has ever laid eyes on! Finally we can all throw away those parallel imports and low quality bootlegs, because this one is going to rock! We're also releasing a deluxe edition of the follow-up Red Heat, another WIP gem -also starring Linda Blair (this time with Emmanuelle's Sylvia Kristel). But wait! There's more! We've got yet another new-to-DVD title, Jungle Warriors; an escape-from-jungle-hell film with Sybil Danning, Woody Strode and a cast of naked, kidknapped models. The version we'll be releasing has a ton of nudity that I certainly don't remember seeing on the old big-box VHS from my salad days as a video store clerk in the 80s. All are brand new transfers. All will be 16x9. All will kick major ass!

[Lino]

Ok, fuck Criterion and every other label! Panik House is da shit! This new entry on their blog just made my YEAR!

September 07, 2006
The Big Announcement!

Exactly one month ago I promised to announce something huge. Well the wait is over!
Panik House is entering into a production partnership with Synapse Films to release seven more films from the Toei vaults. Five proto-Pinky Violence films and two films of a new genre: Pinky Horror!

With the CasaNegra line in full swing and the Chained Heat films on the way, I needed to call in marines, so to speak, to handle the film transfers and over-all production on this latest crop of Pinky Violence titles, which have never before been released on DVD anywhere. And who better than Don May Jr. and Jerry Chandler from Synapse? I've been looking for an excuse to work with Don on a project for about a decade (going back even before my days at Blue Underground!) and these films have provided me with the perfect opportunity.

Which films you ask?

Let's start with the Pinky Horror titles first:

Edogawa Ranpo Zenshu: Kyofu Kikei Ningen; aka Horror Of The Malformed Men. This is the most notorious film in the history of Japanese cinema. It has been banned since it's release in 1969, and is the film that really cemented Teruo Ishii's reputation as a master in the art of transgressive filmmaking. All rhetoric aside, this is one of the true classics of the era.

Kaidan Hebi-onna; aka Snake Woman's Curse This was the first of the Pinky Horror films released by Toei. It was helmed by master director Nobuo Nakagawa, who has been called the Japanese Hitchcock, and Akemi Negishi (Sex & Fury, Lady Snowblood) stars.

This brings us to the two series that served as the protypes of the Pinky Violence films and were the direct inspiration for Sex & Fury and just about every female protagonist film to follow. There's the three film Okatsu series, starring Junko Miyazuno, and the two Silver Butterfly films that launched icon of icons Meiko Kaji. Here's a title list:

Yoen Dokufu Den : Hannya no Ohyaku; aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Female Demon Ohyaku

Yoen Dokufu Den : Hitokiri Okatsu; aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Quickdraw Okatsu

Yoen Dokufu Den : Okatsu Kyojo Tabi; aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Okatsu's Epic Journey

Gincho Wataridori; aka Wandering Ginza Butterfly

Gincho Nagaremono Mesuneko Bakuchi; aka Wandering Ginza She-Cat Gambler

These films are beyond legendary, and have never been released on DVD. Some English titles may change by release date, but make no mistake that these films will be presented uncut in their original form -remastered for optimal viewing and listening enjoyment. This particular crop of films has allowed me to present two entire series (like we did with the two Inoshika Ocho films starring Reiko Ike), which was key in my decision to license them. I had chosen not to release the entire series of Girl Boss films because I felt that not all entries were as strong as Girl Boss Guerilla, but the two Butterfly films and the three Okatsu films are all really incredible movies, so it's not a case of licensing them just to release a whole series; these films rock! Additionally, these will not be issued as box sets, but instead as individual discs (possibly at the same time) –affording the option of buying all at once or one at a time as your budget dictates.

In the meantime, you can whet your Pinky whistle by picking up the recently re-issued Sex & Fury, or pre-ordering the stand alone editions of Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom and Girl Boss Guerilla. I understand that there are still a few transparent editions of Teruo Ishii's Female Yakuza Tale available, so snatch those up along with the recent releases of Screwed and Blind Beast Vs. Killer Dwarf.

Stay tuned for updates, and have a Pink day!

Panik House -- YOU RULE!

[Lemdog]

Oh Hell Yea.

[Lino]

A little update on those upcoming titles, courtesy of the Synapse label blog:

Just wanted to give you all a VERY long over-due update on what's happening in the world of Synapse Films.

Right now, I'm in Los Angeles working every single day on the transfers for the seven Toei films we are doing in conjunction with Panik House Entertainment. Here's the list of films (I'll get to the status on other releases toward the end):

Edogawa Ranpo Zenshu: Kyofu Kikei Ningen
[aka Horror Of The Malformed Men]

Kaidan Hebi-onna
[aka Snake Woman's Curse]

Yoen Dokufu Den : Hannya no Ohyaku
[aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Female Demon Ohyaku]

Yoen Dokufu Den : Hitokiri Okatsu
[aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Quickdraw Okatsu]

Yoen Dokufu Den : Okatsu Kyojo Tabi
[aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Okatsu's Epic Journey]

Gincho Wataridori
[aka Wandering Ginza Butterfly]

Gincho Nagaremono Mesuneko Bakuchi
[aka Wandering Ginza She-Cat Gambler]

Currently, just as I write this, I'm in the studio on Reel 4 of Malformed Men. We've finished the video transfers of Female Demon Ohysku, Ginza Butterfly and Ginza She-Cat Gambler. You'll be happy to know these transfers FAR exceed our expectations. Because of the age of the films (going on almost 40 years old for some of these), I expected them to be, well, somewhat of a mess... they aren't. Actually, the transfers have, so far, been quite stunning. The colors and detail in the elements are just jaw-dropping! Sure, they will need a bit of work (I'm just that way... I'm too much of a perfectionist to let some things go), but I assure you that these transfers of the titles I've done so far are some of the best work we've done. And, yes, we are transferring them in high-definition!

No date set yet for these and Matt, from Panik House, and I still have to chat about any extras, but these will be released sometime in 2007

[mogwai]

Here you go, Lino. I know you've been waiting for this.

From Fangoria:

May 17: DVDetails: Asian shockers MALFORMED & CURSE

Synapse Films passed Fango the cover art and specs for its pair of extreme horror films from Japan's Toei Studios, HORRORS OF MALFORMED MEN and SNAKE WOMEN'S CURSE, which it's releasing in conjunction with Panik House Entertainment August 28. Both movies will be presented in fully restored anamorphic 2.35:1 transfers, in Japanese with new removable subtitles, and will sport reversible covers with the original Japanese poster artwork. The ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU-esque MALFORMED, directed by Teruo (BLIND BEAST VS. DWARF) Ishii, will include the following extras:

• Audio commentary by film critic and 2003 Ishii retrospective programmer Mark Schilling
• New documentary featurette including interviews with cult directors and Ishii fans Shinya (TETSUO) Tsukamoto and Minoru (THE CALAMARI WRESTLER) Kawasaki
• Ishii's video introduction from the 2003 Far East Film Festival
• Original Japanese theatrical trailer
• Ishii and author Edogawa Rampo biographies
• Poster galleries and trailers from other Ishii and Rampo films

CURSE, from pioneering Japanese horror director Nobuo (JIGOKU) Nakagawa, centers on a rich landlord who causes a farmer's death and enslaves his wife and daughter, only to fall victim to serpentine vengeance from beyond the grave. This disc features:

• Audio commentary by Japanese film scholar Jonathan Hall
• Original Japanese theatrical trailer
• Nakagawa biography
• Poster gallery and trailers for other Nakagawa films

More extras are to be announced; each disc retails for $24.95. —Michael Gingold

Follow the link for cover art.

[Lino]

Thanks! I just spotted this too over at Twitch. Brilliant news!

Meanwhile, Panik House seems to have partially imploded itself. Heard some news regarding the leaving of Head of label, Matt Kennedy and some upcoming titles have not yet surfaced. In fact, their last blog entry was in October, I think. A shame because they were turning into a great little label. Guess they shouldn't have tried to reach for the stars like they did with some of their titles, huh?

[mogwai]

I heard the same. Even though Panik House is still associated with these upcoming releases, it seems as though Synapse is doing all the leg work.

[Lino]

Meanwhile, I just stumbled into this Pinky Violence site. It seems to be affiliated with Panik House but other than that, I really don't know what its purpose is. But the page on the Films is nothing short of mouth-watering!

[otis]

Thanks, Lino. Terrifying Girls' High School: Delinquent Convulsion Group is now at the top of my "to see" list.

[manicsounds]

[solaris72]

It was mentioned in the CasaNegra thread that that company is no more, and I've likewise heard that its sister company Panik House is also going out of business. Horrors of Malformed Men and Snake Woman's Curse are still coming out this month, since they're being released through Synapse, but Panik House's other forthcoming releases are not going to happen.

A real shame. The Pinky Violence Collection was incredibly well put together, and introduced me to the glorious world of Japanese exploitation.

[bruce holecheck]

It's especially a bitch for me, since I did a pair of great interview featurettes with Sybil Danning for the WIP flicks that I have yet to get paid for!