Sex Machine in August
26 July 2007

If the title Sex Machine seems a little direct, then try the full English title:The Strange Saga of Hiroshi the Freeloading Sex Machine, a bit of an extension of the original Japanese, Himo no Hiroshi, but a tad closer to the alternative Japanese title, Sex machine - Hiwai na kisetsu. The Hiroshi of the alternative title is a slacker who lives with and lives off his single mother girlfriend Haruka. His hobby is cricket fighting (the insect, not the battle for the ashes), something of a rage in the particular town, and when Haruka's ex-husband turns up to challenge his honour, there's only one way to settle it - an insect fight to the death.

It may not seem it from the above synopsis, but Sex Machine is true to its title in that it's an example of recent Japanese Pink Cinema, a boundary-busting sex comedy with a special effects finale that is, to say the least, eye-opening. It's directed by Yûji Tajiri, who caused a stir in pink filmmaking circles with his surprisingly mature 1999 emotional drama Rustling in Bed (although there's no subtlety in the alternative title, Office Lady’s Love Juice).

Sex Machine is to receive its UK DVD premiere on the 20th August 2007 when it's released by Redemption Films. Extra features are listed as:

• Short film Bird of Prey (1997) by Tim Conrad;
• Redemptions trailers;
• Stills gallery.

RRP is set at £9.99.