Female Prisoner Scorpion - The Complete Collection

I decided to get the Arrow Female Prisoner Scorpion The Complete Collection since it was loaded with extras. These include:brand new 2K restorations of all four films in the series presented on High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD, original mono audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-rays) for all films, optional English subtitles for all films, double-sided fold out poster of two original artworks, reversible sleeves for all films featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan, and a booklet featuring an extract from Unchained Melody: The Films of Meiko Kaji, an upcoming book on the star by critic and author Tom Mes, an archive interview with Meiko Kaji, and a brand new interview with Toru Shinohara, creator of the original Female Prisoner Scorpion manga. I had previously seen the first film, Female Prisoner 710: Scorpion, but I think I was distracted by the misogyny and violence and missed homage to Siejun Suzuki in the see through floor and other artistic elements that were pointed out in the extras which included:a newly filmed appreciation by filmmaker Gareth Evans (The Raid), an archive interview with director Shunya Ito, a new interview with assistant director Yutaka Kohira, and Theatrical Trailers for all films in the series.Perhaps, Shuyna Ito's second film in the Female Prisoner Scorpion series, Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972) is more impressive visually and more satisfying plot-wise than the first film. In this installment After spending a year in solitary confinement, Matsu (Meiko Kajji) escapes from prison with six other convicts. In turn they are hunted by the guards led by the vengeful warden who wants her dead at all costs. There are several kabuki or traditional Japanese cultural set pieces throughout the film such as the traditional singing of the old lady in the abandoned village that explain each of the escapee's crimes. The start of that scene has the house being pulled apart that is similar to a scene in the hijacked bus that becomes detached as well. This dismantling of the house calls to mind a similar scene from Shohei Imamura's documentary/drama A Man Vanishes. Kaji is all about her steely stare-very much like Leone's Man with NO Name played by Clint Eastwood-I think Kaji has only one line reading in the film. The Arrow version includes: newly filmed appreciation by critic Kier-La Janisse, commentary from Japanese cinema critic Jasper Sharp who looks over the career of Shunya Ito, a new interview with production designer Tadayuki Kuwana, and the Original Theatrical Trailer.Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973) is the last collaboration between director Shyuna Ito and his team in the series with Meiko Kaji but it is not the last chapter in the series-a fourth film was made. This one has some ghoulish elements and take place in the seedier areas of Tokyo as well as the sewers of the city as Scorpion wrecks revenge as an escaped convict. I liked the 70s cabaret scenes and seedy reality of Tokyo as it was shown in the film. Kaji shines again in a mostly voiceless performance of the avenging angel of sorts-who will go to great lengths to get her freedom and greater lengths to get revenge. The Arrow extras include:a newly filmed appreciation by critic Kat Ellinger, an archive interview with director Shunya Ito, a new visual essay on the career of star and icon Meiko Kaji by critic Tom Mes, and Original Theatrical Trailer.I have to say I'm a little sad that I've finished the Female Prisoner Scorpion series after seeing the last installment, Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701's Grudge Song (1973) directed by Yasaharu Hasebe this time. Even though they have created a special comic book universe-this one also gives glimpses of the seedier side of Tokyo in the 70s in which Matsu (Mieko Kaji) escapes into a strip club and is helped by a former student protester . He helps because he has also been tortured by the cops and hold's his own grudge. The cops track her down by getting her unfortunate new lover to confess on her location-she will have another score to settle once she has finished with the cops. This film doesn't has as much visual flair but enough to recreate Scorpion's word especially at the penultimate scene as well as in the strip club. I have enjoyed the informative extras a lot: newly filmed appreciation by filmmaker Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Kichiku: Banquet of the Beasts), archive interview with director Yasuharu Hasebe, Japanese cinema critic Jasper Sharp looks over the career of Yasuharu Hasebe, a visual essay on the Scorpion series by critic Tom Mes, and Original Theatrical Trailer.

Meiko Kaji played a number of famous exploitation roles in 1970s Japanese cinema. There was the Stray Cat Rock series about a girl gang. Lady Snowblood a sword wielding woman out for revenge, and Matsu in the Scorpion series. This collection has all four of the movie in that series #701: Scorpion, Jailhouse 41, Beast Stable, and Grudge Song. She plays Matsu a prisoner in a woman’s prison who constantly rebels and attempts to escape. That’s because the prison is run by sadistic, abusive perverts, and most of the other prisoners resent her. The movies have a mix of action and sex. The problem was the series got drawn out too long and only the first two releases are really any good.Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion starts off by showing her bad streak with an escape at the start and how she ended up in prison being set up by a cop. There was some real production value put into it by director Shunya Ito. For instance, when Matsu remembers her time with the policeman it appears as a blue dream in the upper part of the screen. Then when she realizes her fate her hair is spread out with a lighted background that shines bright read to symbolize her anger. Unfortunately it has probably the weakest story of them all. Matsu is a rebel so the guards try to break her over and over again, and she’s resented by many of her fellow prisoners as well leading to plenty of conflicts. That means girl fights, beatings, torture, nudity, etc. The ending redeems a lot of the problems with the film and establishes Matsu as a real bad ass.Second in the series was Jailhouse 41 which focused upon an escape attempt by Matsu and some of her fellow prisoners. It has much of the same style as the original. In the opening for example the warden comes into Matsu’s cell where’s she’s chained on the floor to gloat at her situation. There’s a close up of Matsu’s face to show her utter contempt for the man with the man standing tall over her to symbolize the power he had over her. There’s also a supernatural element as the escaped prisoners run into a spirit which takes each woman through their crime. Also like the first movie Matsu doesn’t really get to show her stuff until the very end and puts in a great performance. This one moves beyond just pure exploitation like the first. The prisoners and their journey is the focus so it’s really a women’s story about them trying to deal with their past and hoping that will free them.In Beast Stable Matsu is finally out of prison but she’s a wanted woman.The movie has an amazing start as two policeman see her on the subway and try to arrest her but she stabs one and then cuts off the arm of the other after he tries to handcuff her. The opening credits have her running through the streets with a man’s severed arm shackled to her. Unfortunately that is the best part of the movie and it only lasts for about 10 minutes.The plot itself is bizarre. Matsu takes up with a woman named Yuki who is a prostitute, has an incestuous relationship with her brain damaged brother and his pregnant with his baby. This makes it decidedly different from the first two in the series that centered around prison life with sadistic and perverted guards and vicious prisoners. Who foe is this time turns out to be the local Yakuza (gangsters). In the process they throw in the usual perverted sex scenes since this is exploitation.The problem is nothing really happens. Things just meander along. That might make Beast Stable the worse in the series.Finally there’s 701’s Grudge Song. Again, the writers struggled with the plot like the previous movie Beast Stable. Taking the story outside of prison seemed to confuse the company as to what to do with the character. This time Matsu is on the run from the police and a man takes her in and helps her. That’s because he was tortured by the cops and hates them as much as Matsu.The problem is 60% of the movie is Matsu and the man sitting in rooms together looking at each other. It’s absolutely boring. Eventually, Matsu gets caught and is sent back to prison but it’s only marginally better.Overall, that means this collection is a very mixed bag. The first two films are great, the third is a dud, and the fourth is somewhere in the middle. Unless you’re a completist then buying this set isn’t necessary.C

Despite some justified criticism towards the quality of the transfers, it does appear that publisher Arrow Video did the best they could with the original prints provided by Toei, and it is my opinion that in the end this is the best presentation available for the Meiko Kaji Sasori movies.The initial trilogy directed by Shunya Ito ("Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion", "Jailhouse 41", "Beast Stable") is among the best pieces of entertainment that came out in the 1970's... worldwide. Surely, these are all exploitation movies, but filmed with unusually superior craftsmanship and inventiveness (we all have to thank Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies for bringing these Meiko Kaji works out of obscurity). The fourth entry directed by Yasuharu Hasebe ("Grudge Song") is vastly inferior to its predecessors, but I gladly accept its inclusion here for completeness' sake.Of the various extras, the best parts are archival interviews with directors Ito and Hasebe, and the packaging is also worthy of praise.Which leaves me with my only complaint about this release: the dreadful artwork that fails to capture the essence of these films and is, to put it bluntly, just ugly. Thankfully there are reversible covers with the original Japanese Posters for each individual Blu-ray sleeve, but there is nothing that can be done with the outer box.

Awesome collection, the last one isn't that good but you get all on the pack, the transfer looks descent, not as good as the Stray Cat Rock collection (my fav arrow collection at the moment) , grainy sometimes, but sharp and smooth the rest of the presentation, but I loved it so 5 stars! Meiko Kaji is gorgeous as ever

The greatest WIP Revenge films ever filmed in the history of film.

The best remastererd version EVER made. Full of bonus, and the movies are amazing.

Great box set for any fan of "Japanese New (and later) Wave" films