Toei’s ORGIES OF EDO Blu-ray from Arrow Video US in November
Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group press release
Special Thanks to Clint Weiler
Legendary Toei director Teruo Ishii tells three stories of moral sickness set during Japan’s prosperous Genroku era in ORGIES OF EDO (残酷異常虐待物語 元禄女系図, Zankoku Ijo Gyakutai Monogatari: Genroku Onna Keizu, 1969), a bloody follow-up to his sexploitation classic SHOGUN’S JOY OF TORTURE (徳川女刑罰史, Tokugawa Onna Keibatsu-shi, 1968), and the fourth entry in Toei’s ‘abnormal love’ film series.
Ishii’s politically incorrect moral lessons paint a trio of tales of tragic heroines caught up in violence, sadomasochism, incest and torture. Told in anthology style by an impassive physician (Teruo Yoshida), the first story follows Oito (Masumi Tachibana), an innocent young girl deceived by a handsome yakuza and sold into prostitution who finds herself in a doomed love affair with the man who brought her to ruin. The tale of Ochise (Mitsuko Aoi) is about the daughter of a rich merchant whose insatiable appetite for filth and perversion draws her deeper into violence, darkness and betrayal. Finally, the story of Omitsu (Miki Obana) follows a sadistic lord (Asao Koike) whose eye is caught one day by a beautiful member of his harem who shares his strange taste for pain and blood, but who holds a secret of her own that will destroy his entire household.
A stylistic about-face from the director’s prior work for Toei on the successful Abashiri Prison action series starring Ken Takakura, Ishii’s erotic films grew increasingly shocking, violent and strange, and ORGIES OF EDO finds him combining period film detail with carnivalesque grotesquerie to create his own particular vision of love and sex. This landmark ‘ero-guro’ film allowed Ishii to experiment with elements that would later show up in his masterpieces HORRORS OF MALFORMED MEN (江戸川乱歩全集 恐怖奇形人間, Edogawa Rampo Zenshuu: Kyoufu Kikei Ningen, 1969) and BLIND WOMAN’S CURSE (怪談昇り竜, Kaidan Nobori Ryu, 1970), including the participation of sideshow performers and butoh dancer Tatsumi Hijikata.
Product Details
Format: BLU-RAY
SKU: AV175
UPC: 760137188087
Street Date: 11/20/18
Label: Arrow Video
Genre: Cult
Run Time: 94 Minutes
Number of Discs: 1
Audio: STEREO
Year of Production: 1969
Director: Teruo Ishii
Actors: Teruo Yoshida, Toyozô Yamamoto, Masumi Tachibana
Territory: US
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
SRP: $39.95
Bonus Materials
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• The Orgies of Ishii — an exclusive, newly filmed interview with author Patrick Maccias
• Theatrical trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Tom Mes
About MVD Entertainment Group
MVD Entertainment Group is a full service music and movie distribution firm, exclusively representing thousands of audio and visual products for DVD, Bluray, CD, vinyl, and digital rights, worldwide. MVD also exclusively distributes a growing line of merchandise including limited edition collectibles, tee shirts, and more.
“Serving Artists and Audiences” is MVD’s purpose statement; it represents a commitment to the interests of the musicians, filmmakers, record labels, producers, managers, and every link in the supply chain. The customers are the Audience, from wholesalers, sub-distributors, major retail chains, online retailers, specialists, and independent mom and pop stores, all the way to the consumer.
MVD Entertainment Group was founded in 1986 by Tom Seaman, an industry veteran with prior experience with The Record Hunter, Sam Goody, CBS Retail, and JEM Distribution. Tom, along with his family Elinor, Eve and Ed, initially focused on music videotapes.
At the turn of the century, with the advent of DVD, MVD built a large catalog of exclusively distributed audiovisual content on DVD’s, with special strength in music concert films, horror movies, documentaries, comedy, cult classics, and much more.
