The roman porno flick Tenshi no harawata: Nami is known in English—worrisomely—as Angel Guts: Nami. Angel guts, eh? Well, we went ahead and watched it, and what we got was Eri Kamuna as a photo-journalist of growing stature, working for a magazine called The Woman, whose editor wants sensational stories to increase circulation. To oblige, Kamuna drifts into unethical practices. Specifically, she’s publishing articles on rape victims and takes to pursuing them against their will, even ambushing one along with an assistant and a photographer. Later, she physically restrains the same woman and forces her to talk, giving her a line about making sure it never happens to another woman, telling her, “If they hear a cry directly from your heart people will come to understand these things better.”

Kanuma is pure ambition by this point, using the poor woman to climb the ladder of journalistic fame. All this jive works, but there’s a problem—while pursuing a rape victim Kanuma is spotted by the rapist, who’s still roaming free. He makes contact with her, and reveals that he’s also a journalist, working for the adult magazine Real Life. Kanuma becomes inordinately interested in this man, allowing herself to be drawn into a pas de deux of professional rivalry, flirtation and, finally, sexual involvement.

This is obviously twisted shit. Nikkatsu hit on these same themes over and over, and as with any film cycle there are better and worse iterations. Angel Guts: Nami is considered a classic, and it’s clear why. The acting is more than adequate, the story is laced with metaphor, and the entire movie is extremely well shot. For example, there’s a pretty intense scene set at a live sex show that’s all neon colors and dystopian vibes. This sort of cinematic eye candy pervades the film, elevating what is an undeniably perverted script. You may be wondering about the film’s odd title. Well, it takes a turn toward visceral horror when one of Kanuma’s interviewees tells a story that’s nearly too brutal to endure. Tenshi no harawata: Nami, on the whole, is one of crazier films you’ll come across, but it’s worth a (cautious) look. It premiered today in 1979.