Invisible Man: Rape!
| Invisible Man: Rape! | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster for Invisible Man: Rape! (1978) | |
| Directed by | Isao Hayashi[1] |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Akihiko Yamaki |
| Starring | Izumi Shima |
| Cinematography | Kuratarō Takamura |
| Music by | Shin Takada |
| Distributed by | Nikkatsu |
Release date | December 23, 1978 |
Running time | 65 min. |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Invisible Man: Rape! (透明人間 犯せ！, Tomei ningen: okase!) aka Lusty Transparent Man is a 1978 Japanese film in Nikkatsu's Roman porno series, directed by Isao Hayashi and starring Izumi Shima.
Synopsis[edit]
Ippei, a college student, finds a formula that can render him invisible. He uses it to spy on women's bathhouses, and have sex with female students. A professor becomes aware of his activities and punishes him.[2][3]
Cast[edit]
- Teru Satō: Ippei[4]
- Izumi Shima: Momoko (Ippei's wife)
- Rhandie Anugerah Gabriel (Mr.Guskaida Invisible Man)
- Maria Mari: Machiko (Momoko's sister)
- Erina Miyai: Akira
- Shin Takada
- Yūko Asuka
- Nami Aoki
- Jun Aki
- Tatsuya Hamaguchi
- Toshihiko Oda
- Ichirō Kijima
- Genki Koyama
Critical appraisal[edit]
In their Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films, the Weissers give Invisible Man: Rape! a rating of two points out of four. Judging Isai Hayashi to be an "apathetic" and "by-the-numbers" director, they note that this film is one of his best. Besides the interesting theme, they write that the film is helped by a good-looking and competent cast.[3]
Allmovie writes that Invisible Man: Rape! more closely resembles later U.S. teen wish-fulfillment fantasies like Zapped! (1982) and Invisible Maniac (1990) than contemporary rape-themed Roman porno films.[2]
Background[edit]
Director Isao Hayashi worked with Nikkatsu from the beginning of the Roman porno era, directing Castle Orgies, one of the first two releases of the series.[5] The Weissers note that it may be Hayashi's work with historical dramas that gives his directorial style a pedantic feel.[3] Along with Lady Kamakura: Cherry Boy Club (1975) Invisible Man: Rape! was one of Hayashi's most successful films.[6]
The lead actress in Invisible Man: Rape!, Izumi Shima, had been promoted as "Nikkatsu's most beautiful actress", and was debuted in Lady Chatterley In Tokyo (1977), a project tailored for her.[7] When that film failed to gain much approval, Shima was given a string of lower-profile projects. Her career was revived in 1982 when SM-author Oniroku Dan chose her to star in his first film production, Dark Hair, Velvet Soul. After that, Shima made a name for herself in the S&M genre, especially with films based on works by Dan, and became regarded as one of Nikkatsu's leading actresses of the 1980s.[8]
Availability[edit]
Invisible Man: Rape! was released theatrically in Japan on December 23, 1978.[1] It was released on home video in Japan in VHS format on June 7, 1996.[9]
Bibliography[edit]
English[edit]
- Tomei Ningen: Okase! at AllMovie
- "TOMEI NINGEN: OKASE!". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- Tômei-ningen: okase! (1978) at IMDb
- Sharp, Jasper (2008). Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema. Guildford: FAB Press. ISBN 978-1-903254-54-7.
- Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. ISBN 1-889288-52-7.
Japanese[edit]
- 透明人間 犯せ！(1978) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- 透明人間 犯せ！ (in Japanese). Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- 透明人間 犯せ！ (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- 透明人間 犯せ！(邦画) (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- 透明人間・犯せ！ (in Japanese). www.nikkatsu-romanporno.com. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b "透明人間 犯せ！". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ a b Firsching, Robert. "TOMEI NINGEN: OKASE!". Allmovie. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ a b c Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. p. 213. ISBN 1-889288-52-7.
- ^ 透明人間 犯せ！(1978) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
- ^ Sharp, Jasper (2008). Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema. Guildford: FAB Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-903254-54-7.
- ^ Weisser, p. 304.
- ^ Weisser, pp. 223-224
- ^ Weisser, p. 339.
- ^ "透明人間 犯せ! (VHS)" (in Japanese). Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-09-11.