A Tale of Two SM Films

I came across a couple of additional photos while researching the film referenced in the previous post, History of Japanese Torture Punishment. I wasn't a hundred percent sure these photos were from that film (and I'm still not), but they look like good candidates so I thought I'd go ahead and run them here for your consideration.

Komori Kiyoshi and the First SM Film

The name of director Komori Kiyoshi has popped up here before. Recently, I was reminded of Komori, and the fact that he had been the director of what is considered to be Japan's first full-fledged SM film, as I was reading a forum that contained a discussion about said film, History of Japanese Torture Punishment.

One of the commenters on the forum had been doing some research into the status of this nearly 50-year-old film (it was released in 1964) and reported that at least one copy of the film does still exist!

Interesting TV Show from the Early '80s

I've been sitting on these photos for a long time because I had no clue where they'd come from.

Now I know.

Retro All the Way

Following up on a previous post, I've now shot some test footage on the Super 8 camera. I had it transferred to high def video. Transferring film footage to digital doesn't change the look of film. For me, digital is useful for distribution and archival. It just seems like a bad idea to acquire one's content digitally.

That means no digital stills cameras and no digital motion picture cameras. Analog all the way. 

Before Pink There Was Naughty B&W

The first pink film may not have come along until 1962, but before that they were making sexy fare, some of it depicting bondage, as early as 1959. Such is the case with a film called Bloody Sword of the 99th Virgin (or just The 99th Virgin for short -- 九十九本目の生娘). 

Mag Review: S&M Frontier

The Showa period began on Christmas day in 1926 and lasted until January 8, 1989 when the new (and current) emperor ushered in the Heisei period.

It doesn't seem likely to me that many SM fans will wax nostalgic about the Heisei period a few decades from now -- but the Showa period? That's a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

Hana Mai in SM Secret Novel Magazine

Remember this lady? Hana Mai, the tattooed temptress who suspended herself upside down in the 1983 Dan Oniroku/Nikkatsu film Hebi no Ana (Snake Pit).

Hana Mai in Hebi no Ana

I stumbled on some photos of her which had appeared in the magazine SM Secret Novel, also in 1983.

Hana Mai in SM Secret Novel, 1983

Five or six years after moving to Tokyo, she was appearing in print and on the big screen.

Hana Mai in the table of contents of SM Secret Novel

According to SMpedia, SM Secret Novel was first published by Sanwa in 1982 but then shifted to a new publisher, My Way, in 1999.

SM Secret Novel

Sanwa also began publishing SM Mania in 1982 and it appears this magazine continued publishing under My Way in 1999 as well.

SM Mania

I don't know if either of these magazines is still being published in physical form but the website is here.

I do know that Hana Mai is still going strong. Here she is in 2012 (scroll down).

Relevant link(s):
Manbou