Seijû gakuen (1974)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Norifumi Suzuki

Writers:

Masahiro Kakefuda (writer)
Norifumi Suzuki (writer)

Release Date:

16 February 1974 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Lust | Lesbian | Tied Up | Thorn | Whip

Cast

Yumi Takigawa	...	Maya Takigawa
Emiko Yamauchi	...	Matsuko Ishida
Yayoi Watanabe	...	Hisako Kitano
Ryouko Ima	...	Natarii Guriin (Natalie Green)
Harumi Tajima	...	Tamao Oka
Yuuko Oribe	...	Kaoru Onotsuka
Marie Antoinette	...	Janetto (Janet)
Emi Shiro	...	Youko Watanabe
Rie Saotome	...	Emi Takanami
Sanae Ôhori	...	Mie Mitsuko
Kyouko Negishi	...	Michiko Shinohara
Yumi Kimura	...	Keiko Kitano
Yôko Mihara	...	Sadako Matsumara
Akiko Mori	...	Aya Ogasahara
Fumio Watanabe	...	Priest Kakinuma

Also Known As:

Convent of the Sacred Beast (USA) (DVD title)
School of the Holy Beast (USA)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Toei Tokyo

Movie Connections:

References Tony Arzenta (1973)

OTT Lesbian Japanese Nunsploitation Masterpiece

Just picked this film up yesterday and it's a keeper. Cult Epics has put out another fine DVD from a lovely print.

Gotta say that, like many Asian films, this Japanese exploitationer tries hard to be un-PC and does it very well. But it does it so lightly that you have to admit it's pretty damn fun. Some people will be put off by the blasphemy, but if you're like me, it's the movie's biggest turn on.

School of the Holy Beast is more exploitation than horror liberally peppered with an astonishing level of violence and bloodspray and the fact is that it plays out like a very sleazy giallo. I don't know too much about nunsploitation so let me make that known right off the bat. If they're all as good as this one, though, I'll have to check some more out.

So the story kicks off by having Maya, the main character, living it up and getting drilled by an anonymous man on the day before she enters a convent. Now, it's illustrated over and again that nuns are sexually-repressed deviants who are driven to self-flagellate (topless, before the other nuns) for having impure thoughts. And if they don't police themselves, no worries, cuz the other nuns have no problem punishing one of their own for any sin. Most of their sins, btw, are sexual. You can see where this film is going.

As soon as Maya shows up at the convent, many of the junior nuns keep getting ratted out and punished. And boy, they sure don't like that. Rebellious nun Ishida confronts and clashes with Maya on several occasions, but the rat-outs persist. The entire run time of this film is devoted to the perverted goings-on of the nuns, including the vice abbess, as well as revealing the hidden motives of Maya and some of the higher-ups in the convent. I don't want to spoil any of the goodness for you. I can only say, go get this bad boy. It's trash of the most exquisite variety. And I have to mention that every perverted set-piece this movie employs is better than the one before. I give this film my highest recommendation.