Zenka onna: Koroshi-bushi (1973) User Reviews

Classic revenge tale, and a classic of 'pink' cinema

[Falconeer · 8/10 · 3 December 2006]

'Criminal Woman: Killing Melody' is a strong entry in the 'Pinky Violence' box set, mostly due to the presence of both Reiko Ike, and the amazing Miki Sugimoto, as rivals/comrades. This film is a more straight forward revenge tale, and it moves at a good pace. Reiko Ike stars as Maki, a woman out for revenge against a Yakuza gang responsible for her fathers death. The original Zero Woman, Miki Sugimoto exudes a strange elegant quality in this one, as the wife of the Yakuza boss. The two wildcats meet for the first time in prison, and than again on the outside, when Maki's revenge plan begins to to take form. Reiko Ike is tough & uncompromising in this one, bent on wiping out the gangsters, while Massayo (Sugimoto) must retain a cool exterior; she doesn't really want any harm to come to her former cell mate, as she can respect the other woman's strength. At the same time, she feels some loyalty to her husband, or so we think. Miki Sugimoto remains my favorite 'Pink Heroine'. There is such strength in her voice, and in this one, much of her body is tattooed! Before i watched this I was afraid that it would be marred with silly comedic overtones, something which in my opinion ruined 'Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless To Confess'. But there is none of that silliness here, just a straight forward approach, with fine melodramatic overtones, as well as some great sleaze. Not nearly as sadistic as 'Terrifying Girls Highschool', which is my personal favorite in the collection. But there are those moments that are expected from this genre, in particular a scene where Miki Sugimoto burns Reiko Ike's breasts with a lit cigarette. 'Criminal Woman: Killing Melody' is a classic 'pink' film.

the cigarette stub and threat of chainsaw were surprises but mainly fast moving with decent mix of s&v.

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 3 January 2006]

Fine all action, sex and violence Japanese style with real style. Simple yet effective this is, for once, a fairly straight forward tale of revenge with the super women to the fore. Big cat fight at the start is matched by a rematch at the end and everything in between is just pure fun. Bits of nasty violence, the cigarette stub and threat of chainsaw were surprises but mainly fast moving with decent mix of s&v. Nice sequence to illustrate our heroine having to go on the game to earn the dosh to set up the action. Instead of any boring build up with sad undertones we get a quick montage of humps and payments from US soldiers uniform pockets.

Pretty Straight-Forward (And Good...) Entry In The PINKY VIOLENCE COLLECTION...

[EVOL666 · 8/10 · 11 April 2006]

CRIMINAL WOMAN: KILLING MELODY isn't my favorite of the PINKY VIOLENCE box-set...but it's still a great film. I honestly haven't seen a pinky film yet that wasn't entertaining and full of what I like to see, namely - tits-and-ass, violence, and a decent storyline. This entry is a lot more straight-forward than some of the others (which will be a plus to some - I personally dig the more "intricate" story lines...) and will definitely be of interest to any pinky fans out there.

Maki's dad was killed by the local Oba yakuza clan. Maki took revenge by trying to kill the leader but only ended up stabbing a henchman. She's sent to jail, and on her release still has plans for vengeance against the Oba leader. Hooking up with some of her old "girl-gang" pals, she hatches a plan to pit Oba's crew with another local yakuza clan for her own ends...

KILLING MELODY has all the requisite things that pinky fans crave. Tons of hot nekkid Asian women and a good bit of violence. Again, the storyline was a little to simple for my taste, but the film is still enjoyable as a whole. If you've dug the other entries in the box-set or are a pinky fan in general, you'll wanna peep this one too...7.5/10

Fast paced exploitation with a touch of torture

[fertilecelluloid · 6/10 · 10 July 2006]

This Cormanesque exploitation flick from Atsushi Mihori is fast paced, stylishly directed, and never dull. Reiko Ike plays a woman who recruits her ex-cell mates to to take revenge on the yakuza thug, Oba (Ryoji Hayama), who killed her father. The women, a feisty, sexy bunch, go to great lengths to destabilize Hayama's organization before annihilating each member one by one. As was common in Toei programmers of the time, there is some torture and graphic nastiness, although this pic doesn't come close to the glorious excesses of "Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs". The gorgeous Miki Sugimoto, who plays the yakuza boss's main squeeze, acts in an unofficial capacity here to assist the angry women. A scene in which she pretends to torture Ike by stubbing cigarettes out on her breasts is a stand-out. Although disjointed in parts and contrived, it is a solid piece of female-centric entertainment.

Awesome Pinky Flick With Reiko & Miki

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 9/10 · 4 July 2008]

In 1972 and 1973, Japanese Exploitation cinema brought us the four greatest "Women In Prison" themed films in the history of motion pictures with the "Joshuu Sasori" flicks starring the great Meiko Kaji (Especially the first three films, directed by Shunya Ito, rank high on my personal all-time favorite list). It is amazing that the follow-up on the list of the greatest WIP-flicks is also a Japanese film, that belongs in the great Pinky Violence sub-genre and was released in 1973. Well, technically it's not really a traditional WIP flick, but an absolutely awesome female gangster/revenge flick that starts out in a women's prison. "Zenka onna: koroshi-bushi" aka "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" of 1973 is a fantastic entry to the Pinky Violence sub-genre that no fellow exploitation buff should consider missing. Even though he never directed anything else, director Atsushi Mihori created an awesome gem of Japanese Exploitation cinema with this flick, brought to you by the great Toei Company. Starring the ravishing genre-goddesses Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto, "Criminal Woman" once again delivers style, a vast amount of sleaze and violence, and also, more than most other examples for the genre, a fantastic plot.

The ravishing Reiko Ike stars as Maki, a girl who has to go to prison after trying to avenge her father, who was murdered by a local Yakuza clan. She befriends some other bad-girls in prison, the toughest being the heavily tattooed, and equally hot Massayo (played by the ravishing Miki Sugimoto), who is involved with the Yakuza. Throughout her prison term, Maki just has the sole goal to finish her revenge once she gets out...

Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto are both ravishing and super-cool, and it is hard to say which one of the two deserves her status as a cult-siren more (in terms of pure beauty my personal choice would be Miki, but they're both very hot and very bad-ass). The two starred together in a bunch of films (such as "Girl Boss Guerilla", "Girl Boss Revenge" and "Terrifying Girls' Highshool: Lynch Law Classroom") and each of the ladies starred in a bunch of highlights alone (Miki Sugimoto's most memorably in "Zero Woman Red Handcuffs", Reiko Ike in "Sex And Fury" and "Female Yakuza Tale"). "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" is one of the highlights of either woman's career, an immensely stylish, supremely bad-ass and absolutely awesome gem that is a must-see for every lover of Exploitation and/or Japanese cinema. Also great are Yumiko Katayama, Chiyoko Kazama and Masami Sôda, who make a beautiful female supporting cast as their fellow inmates in Women's prison. The film is action-packed and stylish from the very beginning, with a funky score and a genre-typical beautiful theme song. All things considered "Criminal Woman: Killing Melody" is an excellent Pinky-gem that no lover of Japanese Exploitation cinema could possibly afford to miss! Awesome!

not just another dude movie

[rabbit541 · 9/10 · 7 December 2005]

OK, I'll admit that I'm not the biggest Japanese gangster movie fan for the same reason that I'm not the biggest mafia movie fan or the biggest skate video fan. There just aren't that many girls in it, and the one's that are tend to be arm candy or victims. Aside from seeing some cool fights and some dudes talking tough there just isn't much for the ladies in it.

Then (and this makes me feel super ashamed and stupid girl like, but deal with it) my boyfriend brought home an advance of the Pinky Violence box set, of which this movie is included. I looked at it and thought: "What in the hell is this?"

The packaging is like the trapper keeper you had in grade school. All soft and pink and folds out into about a million pieces (the final box set supposedly comes with four films, a booklet and a CD of Reiko Ike singing). It looks cool and has really well designed liner notes.

But the movies. Right. The movies.

These are supposed to be "exploitation" flicks, meaning a movie as an excuse to see some boobs and some pointless violence. Like what you see late night in the hotel room on Cinemax. But aside from having some boobs and tons of violence these movies didn't seem "exploitive" in the way that I normally think of exploitation. All the main characters are women, they're tough as hell, have cool tattoos and beat the crap (or just murder) most of the men around them. Because they're just as tough as any of the yakuza dudes they're kicking the crap out of.

And they're way, way, way smarter.

Of the four movies this one and Girl Boss Guerilla were my favorites. Both star Reiko Ike (who's on the cover of the box as well) who seems to have made a name for herself as a tough ass yakuza girl gangster movie star in the 70's.

Basically this is a revenge movie. The Yakuza has killed Reiko's father and raped her. So she goes after the Yakuza boss to get some revenge. She fails and ends up in prison where she makes some friends and after her release hooks back up with them to take another shot at the Yakuza boss who ruined her life. This time she's trying to play it smart (as opposed to running into a bar with a knife and trying to stab everyone) and is going to start a gang war that will get everyone bad killed.

The girls are super tough and super smart (and the dudes are suitably dumb and full of themselves). I was a little uncomfortable during a really long topless torture scene that has the threat of a chainsaw (but I'm kind of uncomfortable watching women get tied up and beaten in general) but the scene didn't seem forced. I mean, you know, they're the Yakuza. They're supposed to be evil and scary. So sometimes they have to wave chainsaw's around the put out cigarettes on people.

Amazing, intricate yakuza vengeance tale

[division1656-1 · 9/10 · 7 December 2005]

I managed to see an advance of this film, as a part of Panik Houses' "Pinky Violence" box set, and of the four films included this is by far the best. Watching Reiko Ike and her crew ruthlessly pit Yakuza gangs against each other and the gangs' blindness to the idea that a crew of women could be behind their destruction is amazing.

The basic setup is that Reiko Ike is a vengeance seeking ex-con, who originally was sent up for trying to murder the Yakuza boss who drove her father to ruin and death, and had her gang-raped. While in prison she befriends a crew of three other women, put away for crimes ranging from prostitution to motorcycle theft, and upon her release gets back to the serious business of vendetta. This involves her whoring out to American soldiers and using her new "business" connections and money to buy a lot of guns and grenades. She and her crew then begin to align the two local Yakuza clans (Oba and the formerly dominate Hamayasu) against one another, trying to instigate a full-scale gang war in which the gangs kill each other off. Serving as arms dealers and instigators to both sides Reiko and her crew ratchet up the violence, preying on the gangs' arrogance and paranoia. There's a great turn from Takeo Chii as Tetsu "Mad Dog" Hamayasu, the son of the aging Hamayasu boss, who swigs from a full bottle of saki while playing pool, shooting people, and setting fire to carloads of gangsters.

Eventually a snag arises when the Oba boss's girlfriend (Miki Sugimoto) recognizes Reiko and her gang from back in prison and realizes what they're up to. She's torn between her loyalty to the gang and, inexplicably, a desire to help her former prison-mates. She tries to warn them off of their vendetta, but ultimately helps set up her lover and his crew.

The gang war itself is amazing, particularly the set piece at Hamayasu's offices, where Oba and his mob storm the building with machine guns, while old Boss Hamayasu himself, dressed in traditional robes, fights them with nothing but a Samurai sword. It's one of those old school Yakuza scenes that hearkens back to, well, pretty much every Samurai movie ever made. Boss Hamayasu is killed, naturally, but goes out with a lot of the Oba clan's foot soldiers cut to ribbons.

Naturally the whole film ends with a massive shootout where everyone that's not female dies.

One unexpected aspect to the film is it's circular path. It opens with a knife fight between Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto in jail and ends with a recreation of the same fight after the death of Miki's lover, Boss Oba. The circular nature of the tale is fairly subtle, but it's easy to see how it can be a meditation on the way that vengeance simple begets more vengeance.

Oh, and there's this bit where Reiko almost gets her breasts cut off with a chainsaw, but gets a cigarette put out on her nipple instead. That's gnarly. Which is probably what you want from a Sukeban exploitation film. You won't be disappointed.

Moderatly entertaining exploitation

[ChungMo · 5/10 · 16 April 2006]

They don't make them like this anymore. Shot in 1970's Japanese pulp action style but very well photographed for this type of, ahem, "trash". Could be a TV show from the era if it wasn't for the nudity and gore.

The "heroine" is on a quest to revenge her "good-for-nothing" father, killed by a local yakuza. After a failed attempt she ends up in prison and meets her future gang of tough women. After she is released, the gang meets and starts their process of destroying the yakuza with strategy and tricks.

Very much in the 1970's exploitation style, the film would feel at home on a double bill with a Pam Grier flick, a spaghetti western, a kung fu film or a Roger Corman women in prison movie. Unfortunately the story is just a little thread-bare with the yakuza too stupid and the coincidences too convenient. The film is quite enjoyable until the notorious chainsaw and nipple burning scene. That scene is actually not so bad since it was filmed in the 70's and psychopaths like Miike weren't making films yet. I shudder at what he would have done. The film just sort of looses it's moorings and gets silly. Fortunately the pacing stays brisk so it's still mostly fun to watch. One warning, there are some eye-searing 70's fashions. Yikes.

Criminal Woman:Killing Melody

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 6 April 2009]

This time Miki Sugimoto is the star and Reiko Ike takes the secondary lead female role. Sugimoto stars as Massayo, the daughter of a murdered alcholic/addict by powerful Yakuza boss, Obi(ôji Hayama), sent to prison when she attempts to kill him in a club. Ike is Maki, Obi's squeeze, in prison she meets Massayo and they become respected "adversaries." Massayo befriends other inmates and they partner up after serving their time, vowing to take down Obi's organization by causing a Yakuza war between him and another inferior gang, the Hamayasu clan who operate the docking port of the city. Massayo prostitutes herself to Americans exchanging sexual favors for artillery, concocting a weapons trade with old man boss Hamayasu's volatile son, Tetsu(Takeo Chii). Maki is back around Obi's arm and warns Massayo of clearing out of town, or else. The rest of the film shows how Massayo and her clever female clan rip apart the two Yakuza gangs by pitting them against each other, while also shedding some blood themselves in the process. And, you can better believe Maki and Massayo will have one more confrontational showdown when so much money and dope are at stake.

Fans of pinku revenge crime flicks get their moneys's worth with CRIMINAL WOMAN:KILLING MELODY. As expected nudity and ultra-violence are in abundance with lots of gunfire and Yakuza gangsters blown to smithereens. It's always entertaining seeing a motley group of gorgeous females waging war with the Yakuza, using their brains and looks to gain an advantage. You get a rather mild torture sequence this time around as Massayo is rescued from a rather grim fate by Maki. Chii's bonkers Tetsu(..always with a large bottle of liquor, downing it before shooting at somebody or raising hell against Obi)is hilarious as are the instances where animated Yakuza gangsters are either lifted in the air by dynamite/grenades or shot to pieces by bullet-fire. We get not one but TWO hand-to-hand combats between Sugimoto and Ike(..the first in prison, testing each other's endurance, is a dandy)which it in itself is added incentive for pinku fans to check this flick out. Plenty of bare flesh between Ike and Sugimoto as well. It was nice seeing Sugimoto this time getting to star as the lady of vengeance and when she stares you down with death in her eyes..LOOK OUT! Nothing more dangerous than Sugimoto scorned! Ike may not have the lucrative role here, but she's still looking mighty fine. As expected, the pace is excellent(..the editing and camera work are first-rate)and action set pieces thrilling. And, as you'd expect, nearly everyone is dead by the end of the film.

Typical but entertaining OTT pinku

[chaos-rampant · 3 January 2009]

A typical example of the early seventies action/crime exploitation subgenres that were booming simultaneously in America, Italy and Japan, Criminal Woman might be pinku by the numbers but the guarantees that involves are not to be scoffed at. Starting out as a WIP flick and slowly moving into revengesploitation territory as Reiko Ike fresh out of prison goes after the yakuza gang that murdered her father, the movie is fast-paced, entertaining and stylish as only pinkus know how to be. Memorable moments of violence include a torture scene, mild by today's standards but still a burnt nipple is a burnt nipple, and several highly energetic gunfights between rival yakuza gangs that recall the yakuza movies from the same time, red gun muzzles and all. Genre stalwarts Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto are both as good as we've come to expect, thankfully not refusing to shed their clothes when the opportunity arises, and duking it out catfight style twice before the end credits roll. Overall, this is a good enough pinku that genre fans will enjoy, if only because it fulfills the quotient of OTT violence and sleaze we expect from this kind of movie.