In actuality Sex & Fury opens with a little less sex than it does fury. A young girl witnesses the murder of her father. Apparently a police detective who's gotten a little too nosy. He mutters something to the effect of "You're not going to murder a detective, are you?" - unfortunately the answer is yes. Years later, in the early 1900's and the young girl (Ocho Inoshika played by Reiko Ike) has more than grown up. She's a pickpocket, a gambler and she's hunting for her father's three killers.

Through a chance encounter, Ocho finds herself in the predicament of having a fellow gambler dying in her arms. His last wish is to get a bankbook to his sister, Yuki. Yuki is in danger of being sold into prostitution and this bankbook could possibly settle the debt that may set her free. Yuki's captor, Mr. Iwakura refuses the propsed settlement, instead setting up a card game between Ocho and his champion card player Christina (played by the lovely Christina Lindberg). In order to add more confusion to the mix, Christina also happens to be a spy. The card game will in turn determine Yuki's fate. Even if Ocho wins, Mr. Iwakura won't let Yuki loose so easily and Christina and Ocho acknowledge their gambler's bond.

Can you tell? Sex & Fury is far too complicated for its own good, especially for an exploitation flick at heart. And we've only just begun to scratch the surface here. However, that being said, let's focus on what's important here. Blood and boobies! C'mon, did you expect any less from me? Look, I'm going to level with you here. Sex & Fury is a beautifully shot film and was an obvious influence on Tarantino's Kill Bill for sure. The film is exceptionally gorgeous, and the crisp scope framing presented here only adds to the enjoyment factor. The film is a visual stunner, pure and simple. Intricate costumes, excellent use of locations, etc. You'd think that Sex & Fury was a class act all the way...that is if you didn't know any better.

I seriously doubt that anyone is really going to get caught up in the human aspect of Sex & Fury, especially during the scene in which Ocho is attacked while bathing. She jumps out of the tub naked as the day she was born and yields a sword like it's nobody's business. Yeah, a slow-mo, naked, bloody sword fight. This scene alone is worth the price of admission, but there's more, oh so much more in store. And while the beauty of the shots or costumes is an added bonus and is really quite nice, we all know you're not here for a Merchant Ivory production, we want the bloody, naked sword fights, right? Well, Sex & Fury delivers, in spades. Shallow? Maybe, but it's fitting. If ever there were a time to be shallow, it's now. I'd like to say that while it's somewhat nice to have your cake and eat it too, this film would be as effective with or without the elements that tend to class it up. It's the exploitation that drives this film, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's a classy exploitation film, and I love it. But it's still nice to have these beautiful cinematic elements along for the ride.

Although, Sex & Fury does tend to get bogged down in its own intricacies from time to time, it's still a lot of fun and it isn't long before we're hit with something like a fight scene in the snow to bring us right back up again. I'll be the first to admit that the fight scenes themselves aren't exceptionally shot, but when the female lead is butt ass neked yielding a sword and taking out about 7 samurai or so, you find yourself just slightly more forgiving. Both Ocho and Christina are given their moments to shine...and abused. Although Ocho seems to get the upper hand from time to time, poor Christina is left to be taught a lesson on how to be a good little spy. Quite a lesson, although she does wind up with her own moments of empowerment as well.

Interestingly enough, there's an odd mix of comedy thrown in the mix (as inappropriate as that may sound), although these periodic moments of comedic relief appear, just as quickly as they vanish. There are some funny bits, but by the time we've been given a chance to register what we've been given, we find that we've already begin to move on. In the end, Sex & Fury is a beautifully shot and executed exploitation film.

Beautiful ladies, luscious cinematography, sword fights, betrayals, double crosses and murder. Panik House has put together a really impressive package. The anamorphic image looks quite stunning. No evidence of print damage, solid colors...really a class act all around. The mono audio is clear with only a slight bit of hiss in the background when set to a higher volume. The subtitles are clear and readable, and I only noticed a few minor spelling errors throughout. Extras include a couple of brief stills galleries, a trailer, Bios and production notes and a choppy, yet informative feature length commentary from author/critic Chris D. Then there's the packaging, which is really unique. A clear keep case and sleeve. The insert is actually a sticker of Reiko Ike. The image here doesn't do the cleverness of this packaging any justice. You'll have to see it for yourself. It's very cool. Part of the new Panik House line Pinky Violence Collection, if this film is a sign of things to come, I'm definitely onboard for the long haul. Panik House has just proved themselves to be a true contender. Highly recommended.

Panik House for more info