Bold Blend of Frights and Fantasy

Read Time:4 Minute, 56 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Nasty in Pink (Pinku Halloween Bundle)
Darkroom Fantasies (High Noon Ripper) (Mahiru no kirisakima)
The Dollhouse (Kannô no yakata: hitzuma shôten)
Twilight Dinner (Chô-inran: Shimai donburi)
(Adult Content)

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Erotica
Year Released: 1984 / 2004 / 1998, 2024 Redemption TV
Runtime: 60m / 1h 1m / 1h 2m
Director(s): Yôjirô Takita / Takaaki Hashiguchi / Yutaka Ikejima
Writer(s): Shirô Yumeno / Takaaki Hashiguchi / Kyôko Godai
Cast: Kaoru Orimoto, Usagi Asō, Yûko Aoki, Yutaka Ikejima / Azusa Sakai, Hotaru Hazuki, Ayu Mizuno, Kyôko Kazama / Kanae Mizuhara, Yumi Yoshiyuki, Reina Azuma, Kyôsuke Sasaki
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Where To Watch: available on www.redemptiontv.net

RAVING REVIEW: The Pinku Halloween Bundle, NASTY IN PINK, offers an audacious mix of horror and eroticism that truly encapsulates Pinku's experimental nature. With its bold approach, each film in this collection—DARKROOM FANTASIES, THE DOLLHOUSE, and TWILIGHT DINNER—takes viewers into the unsettling, the strange, and sometimes the outright bizarre. These films showcase an intriguing, though inconsistent, exploration of how sexuality and horror can intertwine in ways that push boundaries.

Starting with DARKROOM FANTASIES, the film presents a setup of murder and mystery. Directed by Yojiro Takita, it follows Noriko, a determined journalist, and her strained partnership with Kajii, a photographer. Together, they investigate a series of gruesome murders. It seems like a classic crime story, but the film quickly pivots toward Pinku cinema’s staple erotic scenes, which tend to add a unique shock value to the main plot rather than enhance it. The dynamic tension between the characters promises suspense, especially as they attempt to track down a mysterious serial killer. At its best, the film uses sharp, stylish camerawork—particularly evident in a gripping, violent shower scene—that almost manages to steer it back into the thriller realm.

Unfortunately, the film often overshadows its darker, more intriguing elements. The presence of a young, voyeuristic photographer who seems more interested in spying on his neighbors than assisting with the investigation epitomizes the film’s lean toward exploitation. The film could have been a standout murder mystery, but its lack of narrative focus leaves viewers mixed. A clever twist in the end gives the film a redeeming value that I wasn’t expecting.

Moving to THE DOLLHOUSE, the film ventures into supernatural horror. The story follows Yoko and Arthur, a couple whose new home is plagued by otherworldly disturbances—chief among them is a cursed doll. The haunted house premise immediately evokes a familiar atmosphere for fans of J-horror, yet this film is a little all over in terms of tension.

There are moments when the film's visual style shines, particularly in its use of haunting imagery, like a bathtub overflowing with ominous strands of hair. The short runtime of the Pinku films seems to work against themselves at times, with barely enough time for character development or for the story to flesh out its deeper themes.

Finally, TWILIGHT DINNER rounds out the bundle with its unconventional take on vampire lore and the most enticing of the three films. It mixes the macabre with an unexpected twist—an exploration of bloodlust that spills into sexual desire. The protagonist, Kazuhiko, becomes entangled with two mysterious sisters, leading him into a web of seduction and transformation. The story plays out through a series of flashbacks, all told from the perspective of Kazuhiko, who finds himself questioned by the authorities after a particularly gruesome murder. The narrative’s reliance on flashbacks provides a unique structure. The film’s bizarre elements, such as a bisexual vampire virus, lend it a chaotic energy, making it much more enjoyable.

The film’s concept is audacious and will likely appeal to fans of offbeat horror; the performances, particularly by the two actresses playing the sisters, help carry the film through its stranger moments, adding a layer of mystery that keeps the audience engaged.

Taken as a whole, NASTY IN PINK is a mixed bag of horror and eroticism, with each film trying to balance these two aspects in varying degrees of success. DARKROOM FANTASIES offers a glimpse of a crime thriller but needs to be more focused on its pink roots. THE DOLLHOUSE flirts with supernatural horror but fails to commit fully, leaving viewers wanting more. TWILIGHT DINNER, meanwhile, revels in its strange mix of vampire mythology and eroticism, pushing the boundaries of pink cinema in a way that’s both entertaining and bewildering.

While not without its flaws, this bundle is an exciting dive into the experimental side of Pinku. For those curious about the intersection of horror and erotica, there’s enough here to spark intrigue, even if the execution doesn’t always hit the mark.

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[photo courtesy of REDEMPTION TV, SALVATION FILMS]

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