Femmes Fatales

September 30 2024

HAWSER DAY

For the most part, she's hanging in there.

At first we cropped this image of Japanese actress Miki Sugimoto frolicking on a mooring rope or hawser, but then we decided to upload it in the dimensions it appeared where we found it—in a 1972 issue of Heibon Punch. She made this to promote her role in the pinky violence actioner Sukeban, aka Girl Boss Revenge: Sukeban, in which she starred with fellow heroine Reiko Ike. It’s an iconic entry in Japanese pinku cinema, and this is an iconic shot. We have more from this aquatic session we’ll share later.

Japan, Sukeban, Girl Boss Revenge: Sukeban, Heibon Punch, Miki Sugimoto, Reiko Ike, pinku, pinky violence, nudity

Femmes Fatales

August 11 2024

HER INTERIOR LIFE

Let's see how it looks out there this morning. Nope, still no compelling reason to seize the day.

Every day we live the same moment Japanese actress Reiko Ike is living in this photo. In or out? Stay or go? Cue the Pulp Intl. girlfriends: “You mean there’s actually a decision-making process behind not leaving the house?” Indeed there is, but it’s not as if we don’t have fun indoors. We don’t know the date on this shot, as it came to us a single page with no information attached, but we’d guess it’s from around 1972. As we mentioned last time Reiko appeared here, we’re not likely to run out of rare images of her. We’ve had this one sitting around for twelve years, but today we finally found a moment to get it uploaded, and that wouldn’t have happened if we’d gone outside.

Japan, Reiko Ike, pinku, pinky violence, nudity

Femmes Fatales

March 30 2024

SHOT SPECIAL

All you need is one part Reiko and you'll be completely intoxicated.

Above is another look at Reiko Ike perched on a Kyoto bartop from a 1972 promo series that appeared in the Japanese magazine Heibon Punch. As we mentioned, the location was used in her action movie Sukeban gerira. We’ll try to get around to posting more shots from the series at some point. In the meantime, you can see the previous photo here.

Japan, Kyoto, Heibon Punch, Reiko Ike, pinku, pinky violence, nudity

Vintage Pulp

December 1 2023

TRIPLE TROUBLE

Three times the danger, three times the fun.

We talked about Reiko Ike’s 1974 pinky violence flick Kyôfu joshi kôkô: Animal dôkyôsei—known in English as Terrifying Girls High School: Animal Courage—a long while ago, but we wanted to highlight this rare promo in tateken format. You can see the original poster and learn a bit about the film here.

Japan, Toei Company, Kyôfu joshi kôkô: Animal dôkyôsei, Terrifying Girls High School: Animal Courage, Reiko Ike, Ryôko Ema, Natsuko Yashiro, pinku, pinky violence, poster art, cinema

Femmes Fatales

October 18 2023

BAR HOPPER

What's a girl have to do to get service in this joint?

In this photo from a 1972 issue of Heibon Punch we see cinema star Reiko Ike, who decided to hit the Kyoto nightlife scene, but after terribly slow service was forced to take matters into her own hands and hop across the bar in an effort to get a mai-tai. In the bartender’s defense, he didn’t ignore Reiko intentionally. He fainted when she came in the door. This is (or was) a real world Kyoto bar that appeared in the pinky violence flick Sukeban gerira, aka Girl Boss Guerrilla, which Reiko had a major role in. The photo isn’t an official promo from the film. At least, the magazine text doesn’t mention it. But we recognized the place. In any case, Reiko got her mai-tai. Until the bartender regains consciousness drinks are on the house, and she’s the toast of the town.

Japan, Kyoto, Heibon Punch, Sukeban gerira, Girl Boss Guerrilla, Reiko Ike, pinku, pinky violence, nudity

Vintage Pulp

August 12 2023

TOP GERIRA

Zero to crazy in under ninety minutes.

We first shared a poster for the pinky violence movie Sukeban gerira, aka Girl Boss Guerrilla, years ago and said at that time we’d get around to talking about the movie. We subsequently shared a tateken style poster, but still didn’t get around to the film itself. Well, it’s finally later. Eleven years later, to be exact. We refreshed our memory with a new screening last night, and to accompany today’s thoughts we’re sharing a rare bo-ekibari style poster of this classic pinky violence actioner from Toei Company.

Miki Sugimoto and three friends, who comprise the small but spirited Red Helmet Motorcycle Gang, take a trip from Tokyo to Kyoto to see if they can hustle up some yen by whatever means they can manage—grifts, graft, blackmail, whatever. They make some cash but quickly run afoul of Ryôko Ema of the Kyogoku Group, head boss of all Kyoto’s girl gangs, which leads to a Ryôko-Miki showdown for control of the city. Our advice: never fight in flip-flops. But then again, we’re not as tough as Miki. She loses her flip flops, but wins the fight.

There’s always a set of bad men in the background of a pinky violence movie, and it turns out that though Kyoto’s girl gangsters are now under Miki’s hard won control, all operate under the umbrella of the Tsutsui Gang, who are basically the Kyoto branch of the yakuza. Miki has to give regular tribute to the boys, obey the rules, or pay the price. She’s

willing to toe the line, but her situation is quickly complicated when she makes a new pal played by Reiko Ike, who’s disinclined to obey anybody, but particularly the local yakuza clan, one of whose higher ups is her big brother.

Along the way to settling this mess you get fights, captures, torture, and nudity. Comedy and romance are part of the equation too, as is a bit of social commentary (a Red Helmet girl picking up gonorrhea from a priest is particularly biting). In the end a final throwdown is inevitable but how it turns out is anyone’s guess. Nothing is guaranteed in a pinky violence movie—well, except violence.

Pinky violence movies can be fun, but the misses tend to be well wide of the mark, if not psychologically disturbing. Sukeban gerira is a nice example of the genre. It’s wild, but never quite to the extent that it makes you want to run from the room. An excellent moment comes just a few minutes in, when Sugimoto aggressively bares a tattooed breast at a set of macho assholes, causing them to physically recoil. That sums up the best pinky violence: a new brand of feminine power that overcame any opposition set against it. Sukeban gerira premiered today in 1972.

Japan, Toei Company, Sukeban gerira, Girl Boss Guerrilla, Miki Sugimoto, Reiko Ike, Ryôko Ema, Naomi Oka, pinku, pinky violence, poster art, cinema, movie review

Femmes Fatales

August 5 2023

A WINNING STREAK

Sometimes you have to do something to break up the monotony.

For those who don’t know, streaking was the fad of running naked in front of surprised witnesses, whether on a street or in a mall or at a football game, and it was reaching its zenith around the time the above photo was made. So imagine you’re sitting around your place bored as hell like the guy at bottom—who you didn’t even notice until we just mentioned him—and Reiko Ike streaks across the room. That’s the theme of this promo image from a 1972 issue of Heibon Punch, which had accompanying text telling readers Reiko suddenly ran free like an innocent child. We don’t know about the “child” or “innocent” parts, but we heartily endorse the rest. She’s streaked across our website more times than we can count, so feel free to search around for those images and find out a little more about one of the great action stars of her era.

Japan, Heibon Punch, Reiko Ike, pinku, pinky violence, nudity

Intl. Notebook

December 1 2022

BOOGIE NIGHTS

Hell yeah! My dance moves are tight, and this outfit will definitely make me the center of attention.

We’ve come to the last page in Reiko Ike’s 1972 Weekly Playboy calendar—this fun shot for December where she seems to be having a party of one at home. But we imagine her heading to the hottest club in town. Having been to several of the better discos in the western hemisphere, we think this outfit will get her past even the most jaded doormen. Of course, nobody can really trust our opinon. We’ve also been arbitrarily refused entry to some of the better discos in the western hemisphere—Pacha! Pacha! Excuse us. Little touch of cold coming on.

Anyway, it’s been a pretty nice year of Reiko images, and we’re happy to have uploaded them for all of you to enjoy. She’s outpaced her competitors to become the most featured vintage actress on Pulp Intl., ahead of Marilyn Monroe (if we don’t count tabloid appearances), Pam Grier, Christina Lindberg, and a few others. We’ll have even more shots of Japan’s greatest cinematic girl gangster at some point, so look for those down the line.

Japan, Weekly Playboy, Reiko Ike, pinku, pinky violence, nudity

Intl. Notebook

November 1 2022

NEVER TOO LATE

Age is just a number—a pointlessly restrictive one.

We’ve been sharing Reiko Ike images via her 1972 Weekly Playboy calendar, posting one shot each month, but a few times the magazine used a photo for two months at once, which leaves us to find imagery to fill in the gaps. October was one of those months, so above are a couple of replacement images for November. They’re also from Weekly Playboy, just not from her calendar. The text says Reiko-kun was due to turn twenty in May 1972, and she announces, with the wisdom of her advanced years, “It’s too late for me to be nude.” And of course she reversed course on that crazy notion pretty quick, as her many subsequent unclothed photos prove. Here’s the thing: It’s never too late to be nude. Not for her, not for us, not for anybody.

Japan, Weekly Playboy, Reiko Ike, pinku

Intl. Notebook

October 1 2022

FALL GIRL

Summer's over but the heat lingers.

The Reiko Ike Weekly Playboy calendar is in its last quarter—in its autumn you might even say. Above you see the magazine’s entry for October and November 1972, featuring Reiko in a groovy fringed vest—yet another look from that era we think needs to return. And under the vest she’s wearing, well, herself. Always her best look. Obviously, since this shot encompasses November we’ll need to dig up an image from elsewhere for the first of next month, but luckily, we have plenty. Stay tuned.

Japan, Weekly Playboy, Reiko Ike, pinku, nudity

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HISTORY REWIND

The headlines that mattered yesteryear.

October 6

1966—LSD Declared Illegal in U.S.

LSD, which was originally synthesized by a Swiss doctor and was later secretly used by the CIA on military personnel, prostitutes, the mentally ill, and members of the general public in a project code named MKULTRA, is designated a controlled substance in the United States.

October 5

1945—Hollywood Black Friday

A six month strike by Hollywood set decorators becomes a riot at the gates of Warner Brothers Studios when strikers and replacement workers clash. The event helps bring about the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which, among other things, prohibits unions from contributing to political campaigns and requires union leaders to affirm they are not supporters of the Communist Party.

October 4

1957—Sputnik Circles Earth

The Soviet Union launches the satellite Sputnik I, which becomes the first artificial object to orbit the Earth. It orbits for two months and provides valuable information about the density of the upper atmosphere. It also panics the United States into a space race that eventually culminates in the U.S. moon landing.

October 4

1970—Janis Joplin Overdoses

American blues singer Janis Joplin is found dead on the floor of her motel room in Los Angeles. The cause of death is determined to be an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol.

October 3

1908—Pravda Founded

The newspaper Pravda is founded by Leon Trotsky, Adolph Joffe, Matvey Skobelev and other Russian exiles living in Vienna. The name means “truth” and the paper serves as an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991.

October 3

1957—Ferlinghetti Wins Obscenity Case

An obscenity trial brought against Lawrence Ferlinghetti, owner of the counterculture City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, reaches its conclusion when Judge Clayton Horn rules that Allen Ginsberg’s poetry collection Howl is not obscene.

October 3

1995—Simpson Acquitted

After a long trial watched by millions of people worldwide, former football star O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Simpson subsequently loses a civil suit and is ordered to pay millions in damages.