Many Nikkatsu Roman Porno films tend to integrate sub-genres within their basic frame works of being soft core pornography. While their movies inject frames like crime thrillers, dramas, and romance comedies, every one of these installments garner some long and drawn out sex scene involving petting or molestation. The same can be said for Impulse Pictures’ “Nurse Diary: Beast Afternoon” which is from the Roman Porno library but is deep down a pinku version of a giallo film. Folks that are typically turned off by Nikkatsu films just may find this in their interest.
It clocks in at barely over an hour and is set on a premise involving a hypnotherapy research clinic that invents an odd machine involving a dream ring and past memories for their subjects. “Beast Aftenoon” is unmistakably a part of this genre, but is also a pretty vicious giallo film as well. There are also moments of sheer surrealism involving nightmares, and hallucinations in the psychosexual realm that involve this unusual experiment.
“Beast Afternoon” shockingly invokes the mood of the classic giallo film well, with some great lighting, and editing that proves the director and his crew are obvious fans. All in all “Beast Afternoon” works well as a great murder mystery that also uses the sexual themes as a metaphor for ideas like desire, and vengeance.
This is a pretty above par entry in to the library with a sharp influence from the horror genre and films from Fulci and Argento. The DVD from Impulse features the original theatrical trailer, and liner notes from Japanese Film Scholar, Jasper Sharp, who discusses the making of “Beast Afternoon” and its legacy in film. The folks at Cult Epics and Nico B. continue their love and fascination for Bettie Page and Bunny Yeager, both of whom continue to fascinate and titillate.
“100 Girls by Bunny Yeager” is a documentary narrated by the late Yeager, who began her life as a beautiful Florida Beauty Queen and learned to love photography. From the 50’s she used her modeling background to learn how to take great photos of nude models. The book is featured in a small chunk, but the short film allows a new perspective of Yeager, as it explores Yeager’s iconic work with Bettie Page.
This collaboration would draw controversy, ire, love, respect, and admiration that continue with modern photographers and models today. The documentary allows us a deeper look in to much of the unknown history of Yeager’s work, as well as her experience with the dreaded Kefauver Hearings, and a look at much of her photos.
The all HD special features are quite in depth and remarkable with 2k remastering of the original 16mm Films, as well as over 200 pin up photos, clips of unseen footage from Bunny Yeager’s Nude Camera and Nude Las Vegas.
There’s “Bettie Page Uncovered: The Unknown Photographs of Bunny Yeager with an introduction from Helmut Schuster, as well as an HD virtual photo exhibit of photos with Yeager and Bettie Page. Once again Cult Epics delivers a stellar look at the influence and career of Page and Bunny Yeager, offering porn and photography aficionados another fine entry in to what’s become a sub-genre of its own.