was a Japanese film director best known in the West for his early films in the ''

Super Giant is a Japanese superhero featured in a successful series of serial-like tokusatsu short feature films produced between 1957 and 1959 by Shintoho (the non-union branch of Toho). He is also known in Japan as , is known in The United States as ...

'' series, and for his films in the '' ero guro'' ("erotic-grotesque") subgenre of ''

pinku eiga in its broadest sense includes almost any Japanese theatrical film that includes nudity (hence 'pink') or deals with sexual content. This encompasses everything from dramas to action thrillers and exploitation film features. The Western equiv ...

'' such as '' Shogun's Joy of Torture'' ( 1968). He also directed the 1965 film, ''

Abashiri Prison is a prison in Abashiri, Hokkaido Prefecture that opened in 1890. The northernmost prison in Japan, it is located near the Abashiri River and east of Mount Tento. It holds inmates with sentences of less than ten years. Older parts of the prison ...

'', which helped to make

Ken Takakura , born , was a Japanese actor and singer who appeared in over 200 films. Affectionately referred to as "Ken-san" by audiences, he was best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brought to his roles. He won the Japan Academy Prize ...

a major star in Japan. Referred to in Japan as "The King of Cult", Ishii had a much more prolific and eclectic career than was generally known in the West during his lifetime.

Early life

Born in Tokyo's

Asakusa is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the . History The ...

neighborhood in 1924, Ishii developed a love of cinema early. His parents would often take him to see foreign films, particularly French movies. Ishii worked at

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...

Studios as an assistant director beginning in 1942. His film career was interrupted when he was sent to

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...

during World War II to take

aerial photographs Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing aircra ...

for bombing runs.

Shintoho

In March, 1947 Ishii joined the newly founded

Shintoho was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big six film studios (which also included Daiei, Nikkatsu, Shochiku, Toei Company, and Toho) during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Toho company fol ...

studios. Ishii would later recall his time with Shintoho as, "without doubt the most joyful period of my professional life." While at Shintoho he worked as assistant director to Mikio Naruse, whom he considered his mentor for the rest of his career. He also worked for director Hiroshi Shimizu and studied script writing with

Shinichi Sekizawa was a Japanese screenwriter noted for his immense contributions to several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films. He also contributed material to the original ''Ultraman'' series and several Tōei Dōga films such as ' ...

, best known in the West for his entries in the ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...

'' series. Ishii's directorial debut was in

1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...

with the boxing film, ''King of the Ring: The World of Glory'' (''Ring no Oja: Eiko no Sekai''). He was next assigned to direct six installments in the children's science-fiction series, ''

''. This nine-episode series was later re-packaged into four films for U.S. syndicated television as ''Starman''. From

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

to 1961 Ishii directed four films in the '' film-noir'' ''Line'' (''Chitai'') series. For the last of these films, ''Sexy Line'' (''Sexy Chitai'') (1961), Ishii took his cameras to the streets of

and Ginza, in order to film real life on location. The film has been called, "sharp, witty and contagious", and "a lively portrait of the Tokyo underworld, populated by hookers, johns, crooks and cops and shot in cinéma-verité style."

Toei

Shintoho declared bankruptcy in 1961, forcing Ishii to seek employment at another studio. He moved to

Toei Company () (also styled TOEI) is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution and video game developer and publishing company. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan (all but two of them operated by ...

where he directed ''Flower and Storm and Gang'' (''Hana to Arashi to Gang'') (1961), starring

. His 1965 '' Abashiri Bangaichi'' with Takakura would solidify that actor's stardom and give Ishii his biggest success of the 1960s. Ishii would go on to direct 10 of the 18 films in this series. In 1968, Ishii initiated two popular, long-running series for Toei. In the first entry in the ''Hot Springs Geisha'' series (1968–1972), Ishii successfully replaced his usual "darkly sardonic cinematic style in favor of this light and frivolous 'mainstream' comedy about geisha masseuses operating inside a hotsprings resort." Ishii left this series to other directors. The ''Joys of Torture'' series (1968–1973), however, suited Ishii's taste. Beginning with '' Shogun's Joy of Torture'' ( 1968), Ishii directed all eight entries in the series, which examined the history of torture in Japan. A fan of the work of horror and suspense author Edogawa Rampo since childhood, Ishii adapted many of his horror stories into his films of this period, including '' Horrors of Malformed Men''. The term '' ero-guro'' ("erotic-grotesque"), used to describe Rampo's writings, was also applied to Ishii's style in these films, and the term is still used to describe the most extreme of the S&M films in Japan. Of these, the Weissers comment, "The Ishii ''Torture'' movies are still the best-made, rivaled only by certain Kōji Wakamatsu productions (especially ''Torture Chronicles: 100 Years'' ( 1975)), a few from

Masaru Konuma is a Japanese film director known for his '' Roman Porno'' films for Nikkatsu during the 1970s. Life and career Early life Masaru Konuma was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, on December 30, 1937. Konuma retains no memories of his father who was a te ...

{i.e., '' Wife to be Sacrificed'' and '' Flower and Snake'' (both 1974)) and Go Ijuin's ''Captured For Sex 2'' ( 1986)." Ishii worked in several of Toei's popular genres during the 1970s, including a ''Pinky violent'' film with Reiko Ike, ''Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture'' (

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

), and one of

Sonny Chiba , known internationally as Sonny Chiba, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. Born in Fuku ...

's ''Street Fighter'' films in the mid-1970s, ''The Street Fighter's Last Revenge'' (''Gyakushu! Satsujin Ken''). Ishii made two contributions to the biker genre with ''Detonation! Violent Riders'' ( 1975) and ''Detonation! Violent Games'' (

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

). After

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...

Ishii stopped making theatrical films and worked mainly for television during the 1980s.

Later career

Ishii returned to Toei in 1991 with the

V-cinema Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

film ''The Hit Man: Blood Smells Like Roses''. In

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

he made a film of Yoshiharu Tsuge's manga, ''Master of the Gensenkan Inn'' (''Gensenkan Shujin''), and in

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

he filmed Tsuge's avant-garde manga, '' Wind-Up Type'' (''Nejishiki''). In 1999 he made Jigoku: Japanese Hell, using the trial of Aum sect leader

Shoko Asahara , born , was the founder and leader of the Japanese doomsday cult known as Aum Shinrikyo. He was convicted of masterminding the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, and was also involved in several other crimes. Asahara was sentenced ...

as the main inspiration for the plot. Ishii's last film, ''The Blind Beast Vs The Dwarf'' ( 2001) was another based on the work of Edogawa Rampo. Largely unknown outside Japan during much of his career, late in life, Ishii's work was discovered and gained admirers in the West. Ishii attended festivals devoted to his films given at the Far East Film Festival in Udine and at the Étrange Festival in France. In his later years, Ishii often spoke of a dream project, a gangster epic with Ken Takakura to be called ''Once Upon a Time in Japan''. Ishii died August 12, 2005 before that project ever became a reality. Directing in a wide range of genres throughout his career, including martial arts, science fiction, horror, erotica, and film noir, Ishii's 83 films are a microcosm of popular cinematic trends in Japan during the second half of the twentieth century.

Filmography

{, class="wikitable" ! Film titleFilmography from ; ''and'' ! Company ! Genre ! Release date , - , リングの王者栄光の世界
''Ring no Oja: Eiko no Sekai'' ,

, , 1957-04-10 , - , '' The Steelman from Outer Space, Super Giant 1''
鋼鉄の巨人 , Shintoho , , 1957-07-30 , - , ''Super Giant 2''
続鋼鉄の巨人 , Shintoho , , 1957-08-13 , - , ''Invaders From the Planets, Super Giant 3''
鋼鉄の巨人怪星人の魔城
''Super Giants Kaiseijin no Majo'' , Shintoho , , 1957-10-01 , - , ''The Earth in Danger, Super Giant 4''
鋼鉄の巨人地球滅亡寸前
''Super Giants Chikyu Metsubo Sunzen'' , Shintoho , , 1957-10-08 , - , '' Nude Actress Murder Case: Five Criminals''
肉体女優殺し五人の犯罪者
''Nikutai joyū koroshi: Go-nin no hanzaisha'' , Shintoho , , 1957-11-10 , - , ''Spaceship of Human Destruction, Super Giant 5''
スーパー・ジャイアンツ人工衛星と人類の破滅
''Super Giants Jinko Eisen to Jinrui no Hametsu'' , Shintoho , , 1957-12-28 , - , ''Destruction of the Space Fleet, Super Giants 6''
スーパー・ジャイアンツ宇宙艇と人工衛星の激突
''Super Giants Uchutei to Jinko Eisen no Kekitotsu'' , Shintoho , , 1958-01-03 , - , 天城心中天国に結ぶ恋
''Amagi Shinju Tengoku ni Musubu Koi'' , Shintoho , , 1958-01-26 , - , ''Fresh Pier''
女体棧橋
''Jotai Senbashi'' , Shintoho , , 1958-04-12 , - , ''White Line''
白線秘密地帯
''Shirosen Himitsu Chitai'' , Shintoho , , 1958-09-21 , - , ''Return of the Queen Bee''
女王蜂の怒り
''Jobachi no Ikari'' , Shintoho , , 1958-12-28 , - , ''Broken Blossoms''
戦場のなでしこ
''Senjo no Nadeshiko'' , Shintoho , , 1959-02-25 , - , 猛吹雪の死闘
''Mofubuki no Shito'' , Shintoho , , 1959-04-29 , - , 日本ロマンス旅行
''Nippon Romance Ryoko: Sapporo Han'' , Shintoho , , 1959-04-29 , - , ''Black Line''
黒線地帯
''Kurosen Chitai'' , Shintoho , , 1960-01-13 , - , ''Girls without Return Tickets''
女体渦巻島
''Nyotai Uzumaki Shima'' , Shintoho , , 1960-02-27 , - , ''Yellow Line''
黄線地帯イエローライン
''Osen Chitai'' , Shintoho , , 1960-04-29 , - , ''Queen Bee and the Dragons''
女王蜂と大学の龍
''Jobachi to Daigaku no Ryū'' , Shintoho , , 1960-09-01 , - , ''Sexy Line''
セクシー地帯
''Sexy Chitai'' , Shintoho , , 1961-01-09 , - , 恋愛ズバリ講座第三話
''Ren'ai Zubari Koza'' , Shintoho , , 1961-01-21 , - , ''Flower and Storm and Gang, Gang 1''
花と嵐とギャング
''Hana to Arashi to Gang'' , Toei , , 1961-06-23 , - , 霧と影
''Kiri to Kage'' , Toei , , 1961-08-26 , - , 黄色い風土
''Kiiroi Fudo'' , Toei , , 1961-09-23 , - , ''Gang 2''
恋と太陽とギャング
''Koi to Taiyo to Gang'' , Toei , , 1962-03-21 , - , ''The G-men of the Pacific''
太平洋のGメン
''Taiheiyo no G-men'' , Toei , , 1962-04-22 , - , ''Boss of the Underworld: Gang of 11, Gang 5''
暗黒街の顔役十一人のギャング
''Ankokugai no Kaoyaku: Juichinin no Gang'' , Toei , , 1963-01-15 , - , ''Gang 6''
ギャング対Gメン集団金庫破り
''Gang tai G-men: Shudan Kinko Yaburi'' , Toei , , 1963-02-23 , - , ''Kill the Boss''
親分を倒せ
''Oyabun wo Taose'' , Toei , , 1963-06-22 , - , 昭和侠客伝
''Showa Kyokakuden'' , Toei , , 1963-10-05 , - , ''Gang 9, Tokyo Gang versus Hong Kong Gang''
東京ギャング対香港ギャング
''Tokyo Gang tai Hong Kong Gang'' , Toei , , 1964-01-01 , - , ならず者
''Narazu-mono'' , Toei , , 1964-04-05 , - , 御金蔵破り
''Gokinzo yaburi'' , Toei , , 1964-08-13 , - , いれずみ突撃隊
''Irezumi Totsugekitai'' , Toei , , 1964-10-21 , - , 顔役
''Kaoyaku'' , Toei , , 1965-01-03 , - , ''

''
網走番外地
''Abashiri Bangaichi'' , Toei , , 1965-04-18 , - , 続網走番外地
''Zoku Abashiri Bangaichi'' , Toei , , 1965-07-10 , - , 網走番外地望郷篇
''Abashiri Bangaichi: Bokyohen'' , Toei , , 1965-10-31 , - , 網走番外地北海篇
''Abashiri Bangaichi: Hokkai-hen'' , Toei , , 1965-12-31 , - , 日本ゼロ地帯夜を狙え
''Nippon Zero Chitai: Yoru wo Nerae'' ,

Shochiku () is a Japanese film and kabuki production and distribution company. It also produces and distributes anime films, in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks (which has a long-time partnership—the company released most, if not ...

, , 1966-03-05 , - , ''Abashiri Prison: Duel in the Wind''
網走番外地荒野の対決
''Abashiri Bangaichi: Koya no Taiketsu'' , Toei , , 1966-04-23 , - , ''Big Villain Plan''
大悪党作戦
''Daiakuto Sakusen'' , Shochiku , , 1966-07-09 , - , 網走番外地南国の対決
''Abashiri Bangaichi: Nangoku no Taiketsu'' , Toei , , 1966-08-13 , - , 神火101 殺しの用心棒
''Shinka 101: Koroshi no Yojimbo'' , Shochiku , , 1966-12-23 , - , 網走番外地大雪原の対決
''Abashiri Bangaichi: Dai-setsugen no Taiketsu'' , Toei , , 1966-12-30 , - , 網走番外地決斗零下30度
''Abashiri Bangaichi: Ketto Reika 30-do'' , Toei , , 1967-04-20 , - , 決着
''Otoshimae'' , Toei , , 1967-05-20 , - , ''Abashiri Prison: Challenge for Glory''
網走番外地悪への挑戦
''Abashiri Bangaichi: Aku Eno Chosen'' , Toei , , 1967-08-12 , - , ''Abashiri Prison: Duel in the Snow Storm''
網走番外地吹雪の斗争
''Abashiri Bangaichi: Fubuki no Toso'' , Toei , , 1967-12-23 , - , 続決着
''Zoku Otoshimae'' , Toei , , 1968-03-30 , - , 徳川女系図
''Tokugawa Onna Keizu'' , Toei , , 1968-05-01 , - , 温泉あんま芸者
''Onsen Anma Geisha'' , Toei , , 1968-06-28 , - , '' Shogun's Joy of Torture''
徳川女刑罰史
''Tokugawa Onna Keibatsushi'' , Toei , , 1968-09-28 , - , '' Orgies of Edo''
残酷異常虐待物語元禄女系図
''Zankoku Ijo Gyakutai Monogatari Genroku Jokeizu'' , Toei , , 1969-01-09 , - , ''Shameless: Abnormal and Abusive Love''
異常性愛記録ハレンチ
''Ijo Seai Kiroku Harenchi'' , Toei , , 1969-02-21 , - , ''The Friendly Killer''
昇り竜鉄火肌
''Noboriryu Tekkahada'' ,

Nikkatsu is a Japanese entertainment company known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio, founded in 1912 during the silent film era. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally ...

, , 1969-03-29 , - , ''Inferno of Torture'' / ''Hell's Tattooers''
徳川いれずみ師責め地獄
''Tokugawa　Irezumishi Seme Jigoku'' , Toei , , 1969-05-02 , - , '' Yakuza's Law: Yakuza Keibatsushi: Rinchi''
やくざ刑罰史私刑
''Yakuza Keibatsushi: Lynch!'' , Toei , , 1969-06-27 , - , ''Love and Crime''
明治大正昭和猟奇女犯罪史
''Meiji Taisho Showa Ryoki Onna Hanzaishi'' , Toei , , 1969-08-27 , - , '' Horrors of Malformed Men''
江戸川乱歩全集恐怖奇形人間
''Edogawa Rampo Zenshu Kyofu Kikei Ningen'' , Toei , , 1969-10-31 , - , 殺し屋人別帳
''Koroshiya ninbetsucho'' , Toei , , 1970-01-31 , - , 監獄人別帳
''Kangoku ninbetsucho'' , Toei , , 1970-04-10 , - , '' Blind Woman's Curse''
怪談昇り竜
''Kaidan Nobori Ryū'' , Nikkatsu , , 1970-06-20 , - , 緋ぢりめん博徒
''Hijirimen Bakuto'' , Toei , , 1972-11-21 , - , ポルノ時代劇忘八武士道
'' Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight'' , Toei , , 1973-02-03 , - , ''Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture''
やさぐれ姐御伝　総括リンチ
''Yasagure Anago Den: Sokatsu Lynch'' , Toei , , 1973-06-07 , - , 現代任侠史
''Gendai Ninkyo-shi'' , Toei , , 1973-10-27 , - , ''Direct Hit! Hell Fist, Executioner''
直撃! 地獄拳
''Chokugeki! Jigokuhen'' , Toei , , 1974-08-10 , - , The Karate Inferno
直撃地獄拳大逆転
''Chokugeki Jigokuhen: Dai Gyakuten'' , Toei , , 1974-12-28 , - , 大脱獄
''Daidatsugoku'' , Toei , , 1975-04-05 , - , 爆発! 暴走族
''Bakuhatsu! Bosozoku'' , Toei , , 1975-09-20 , - , 実録三億円事件時効成立
''Jitsuroku 3 Okuen Jiken: Jiko Seiritsu'' , Toei , , 1975-11-22 , - , 爆発! 暴走遊戯
''Bakuhatsu! Boso Yugi'' , Toei , , 1976-01-15 , - , キンキンのルンペン大将
''Kinkin no Lumpen Taisho'' , Toei , , 1976-04-24 , - , 暴走の季節
''Boso no Kisetsu'' , Toei , , 1976-07-01 , - , 惑星ロボダンガードA対昆虫ロボット軍団
''Wakusei Robot Dangard A tai Konchu Robot Gundan'' , Toei , , 1977-07-17 , - , 暴力戦士
''Boryoku Senshi'' , Toei , , 1979-10-06 , - , ''The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses''
ザ・ヒットマン血はバラの匂い
''The Hitman: Chi wa Bara no Nioi'' , Toei Video , , 1991-06-14 , - , ゲンセンカン主人
'' Tsuge Yoshiharu World: Gensenkan Shujin'' , Kinoshita Eiga , , 1993-07-24 , - , ''Vagabond Plain''
無頼平野
''Burai Heiya'' , Wides Publishing
M.M.I. , , 1995-05-29 , - , ''Screwed'' / ''Wind-Up Type''
ねじ式
''Nejishiki'' , Teruo Ishii Productions , , 1998-07-18 , - , ''Japanese Hell'' / ''Hell''
地獄
''Jigoku'' , Teruo Ishii Productions , , 1999-11-20 , - , ''

Blind Beast vs. Dwarf ''aka'' ''Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf'' is a 2001 Japanese horror film directed by Teruo Ishii in his final effort before his death, in 2005. Mieko Tanaka, elected to the Diet in the 2009 Japanese general election, appears in a role that inclu ...

'' / ''Blind Beast versus Issue Boshi''
盲獣vs一寸法師
''Môjû tai Issunbôshi'' , Teruo Ishii Productions , , 2001-06-24 , -

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * Tominaga, Shinichi. (2000). "Geishas, Motorcycle Gangs and Supergiants: The World of Teruo Ishii—A spirited discussion between Teruo Ishii and cult director

Takao Nakano is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor who has worked in pink film, adult videos (AV), and in mainstream comedy, horror and fantasy films. Film critic Jasper Sharp describes him as one of the few figures in the Japanese erotic film ...

." (Interview conducted in Tokyo, February 2000) in ''Asian Cult Cinema'', #28, July 2000, p. 48–62. * Monell Robert (2017) Bohachi Boshido https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/cinemadrome/viewtopic.php?p=1403#p1403 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ishii, Teruo 1924 births 2005 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in Japan Japanese film directors Yakuza film directors People from Tokyo