| Femmes Fatales | Jul 31 2021 |
Yuriko gets fresh in her bestselling photo book.
We could have gone several directions in posting a photo of Japanese actress Yuriko Hishimi, who appeared in such films as Kôshoku: Genroku (maruhi) monogatari, aka Diary of a Nymphomaniac, and Chikyû kogeki meirei: Gojira tai Gaigan, aka Godzilla vs. Gigan. We have shots of her in swimsuits, in flannels, in motorcycle leathers, in auto racing gear, in a nurse's outfit, and more. But underneath all those, there's this. Even then there are many choices because she has entire books of nudes. Well, one third of one book, and all of two others. One of her solo efforts, a big seller, was called Yuriko 1967-73, and this is one of the images from inside.
Japanese actresses posed nude often, which is why we have so many of the shots on our website. They were made, on average, fifty years ago. Today, in our current era, photos of nudes cause debate. Are they artful, or are they exploitation? If they differ from a nude Rodin or Modigliani, is it because of their realism? Is it because of their easy replicability? Or their existence outside a museum setting? Then what of a shocking museum Mapplethorpe or Schiele with the subject's exposed genitals? Perhaps nudes are exploitative only when distributed for profit. But if profit condemns a nude, then what of the profits of galleries and museums? Are nudes exploitative because of their tendency to arouse? Then what of Rodin's famed “Le Baiser”? Since our species owes its very existence to the drive for sex, if nudes arouse, isn't that a celebration of our ultimate purpose on this planet?
These are questions that interest us, which we attempt to ask with each nude image. Opinions differ, but for our part we don't believe there's anything inherently exploitative about the nude form, though clearly the production of such images can lead to that. But we don't live in an all-things-are-equal world, which is to say, for some it's easier to categorize and condemn all of something than try to understand which things might actually be in one category and which might be in another. We believe some nudes are exploitative (such as revenge porn), but not all. The photo above is a Rodin with a knowing look. It's erotic, playful, and a little shy. It's pure art. Which is why we have a similar bonus shot below, and more from Hishimi here.
JapanKôshoku: Genroku (maruhi) monogatariDiary of a NymphomaniacChikyû kogeki meirei: Gojira tai GaiganGodzilla vs. GiganYuriko Hishimiひし美ゆり子Keiko TakahashiTerumi Azumapinkunudity
| Vintage Pulp | Nov 13 2018 |
Japan's favorite radioactive monster has a Gigan-tic problem.
Above, a set of cool promo photos from the Japanese sci-fi kaiju flick Chikyû kogeki meirei: Gojira tai Gaigan, known in the English speaking world as Godzilla vs. Gigan. It was the twelfth film in the hit Godzilla franchise and appeared in 1972. Gigan was probably one of Godzilla's deadliest foes. He had a buzzsaw in his abdomen and hooks for hands. Major weakness? He had hooks for hands. We have plenty more Godzilla art. Just click his (or its) keyword below.
| Vintage Pulp | Dec 9 2009 |
Weapons of mass destruction.
German language 8mm box covers for five Japanese monster films, circa 1969 thru 1973. The Germans got stuck with rather obtuse titles for some of these, whereas in English the films are simply, top to bottom, Atragon, Godzilla vs. Hedora, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Gigan, and Destroy All Monsters.
