Shozin Fukui - 964 Pinocchio (1991)

Za one koji su ga propustili - klasik japanskog filmskog cyber-punka.

[STORY]
PINOCCHIO 964 is the nightmare of a cybernetic sex android let loose into the world without a memory.
Wandering around Japan, Pinocchio finds Kyoko, another amnesiac with a horrible secret to her own memory loss. Together they try to piece their lives and live in a world where memory is no longer needed.
At the same time, Pinocchio's fiendish architect and master is desperately trying to find his lost prototype before the world finds him. As agents hunt down Pinocchio, the sex android begins to unravel in what can only be said is a hallucinogenic thrill ride that has to be seen to be believed.

[PRODUCTION NOTE]
At first moment, this film had difficulty to pass the ethical judgment because of its extreme and intense scenes. Finally it has received an R-rating to be able to show at the theather.
We brought huge speakers and PA system into the theater by ourselves to have a loud sound screening, the sound could even shake the house. This way of screening was never seen in anywhere in Japan at this time.  

- www.honekoubou.jp/en/pinocchio.html

Shozin Fukui is one of Japan's hidden cyberpunk talents. After a period of experimentation that resulted in three short films, he burst onto the scene with his first full-length feature film: 964 Pinocchio. It's not what you call a very accessible film, probably one of the most relentless films I know, but cyberpunk fans really owe it to themselves to check it out as it takes the whole punk atmosphere to a new level.
When people are talking about Japanese cyberpunk (not your everyday conversation topic, but still) the conversation inevitably centers around Shinya Tsukamto (Tetsuo, Vital, Tetsuo: Bullet Man, Nightmare Detective 2 and Sogo Ishii (Dead End Run, Kyoshin, Electric Dragon 80000V, August In The Water). Dig any deeper and you're likely to encounter Fukui's name as he firmly holds the third spot in this obscure niche. Not because his films are worse than Tsukamoto's or Ishii's, but because they require that much more patience to sit through.
You better be aware that Fukui isn't going to make it easy on you. 964 Pinocchio is meticulously tailored to weigh on its audience. Even though the film doesn't quite pass the 100 minutes mark, you're sure to be completely exhausted when the end credits finally grace the screen. Not so much because Fukui craves visual intensity and/or insanity (though there is that too), but because the constant presence of screaming, yelling, grunting and whining bears its own unique sense of torture.
Story-wise there isn't that much to tell really. 964 Pinocchio is a defunct sexbot model who's thrown on the street by a dissatisfied customer. He is picked up by a young homeless woman who takes him to her den and tries to educate him. In the meantime 964's creators are trying to locate their bot as their service is supposed to be shrouded in secrecy and they can't have one of their bots running around in the wild. Things go bad when 964 and the lady spend a wild night together, what happens afterwards is a slice of hard to explain cyberpunk insanity that is better left seen than explained.
Visually 964 Pinocchio isn't as polished as Tsukamoto's or Ishii's punk films. This is clearly low-budget territory and as a result the first half of the film (most scenes shot in the open air) can be quite ugly. Once inside Fukui has an easier time controlling the lighting. Add some smoke and suddenly it all becomes much easier to stomach. The finale is once again filmed outside, but by then Fukui is so caught up in his editing frenzy that you probably won't even notice the quality of the images anymore. It's definitely a good thing he is quite capable as an editor.
But it's the soundtrack that makes this film into one of the most uncompromising cyberpunk films I've ever seen. The final 45 minutes is one single fucked up mix of industrial-minded audio tracks blended with the continuous grunting and screaming coming from the actors. Rather than the manic visuals, it's the soundtrack that will wear you out and becomes hard to bear, especially when the film is nearing its end. Many people will hate the film for this, for me it's without the doubt 964 Pinocchio's biggest selling point.
The acting is ... expressive. There is no room for subtlety or smaller emotions. Everything is grand, from simple gestures to facial expressions. It fits the film and helps to increase the overall madness, then again if you can't get into the film it will only add to the overall frustration. There's also a certain manga-like quality to the characters (964's creator in particular) that might make it harder for Western audiences to get a grip on this film.
964 Pinocchio is somewhat of an endurance test. Many people don't seek that in a film and if you are one of them it's best to stay clear from this one altogether, because there won't be anything here to enjoy. On the other hand, it's one of the few films that manages to have a physical effect on its audiences, something I can truly appreciate. To endure is to overcome, and once the film is finished you do feel somehow reborn.
964 Pinocchio may have found its way out of the underground through the rather impressive feat that it holds the longest vomit scene ever recorder on film (yay for that!), but the film has a lot more to offer. Fact is that only a very small audience will appreciate the perks of this film. If you're not sure whether this film will appeal to you it's probably better to check out films like Tetsuo or Electric Dragon 80000V first, if you're a seasoned cyberpunk fan and you haven't seen this though it's a 100% recommendation. Just know what you're getting yourself into. - Niels Matthijs

Engineered to be a love toy for two rich and powerful women, Pinocchio is soon tossed out into the world with no memory of who he once was and is unable to function beyond being a sex slave. He happens to run into Himiko; a former nurse but also has no memory of who she once was, and the two immediately form a bond. Though the two have no idea of the psychotic journey they are about to embark upon while the company that created Pinocchio is desperate to find him. Our thoughts: While Shozin Fukui may not be a household name like Shinya Tsukamoto, his movies have managed to become staples in the cyberpunk subgenre and is also one of the few directors that have been able to make a title comparable to Tsukamoto. In my eyes at least. Though it shouldn't be surprising as he has worked with two of the most influential Japanese directors; Tsukamoto and Sogo Ishii. Though I find his later film, "Rubber's Lover", and prequel to "964 Pinocchio", to be the most comparable to "Tetsuo". But "964 Pinocchio" manages to be one of the most raw and utterly insane punk films from Japan. Now if you were to look at "964 Pinocchio" from a traditional film stand point, you'd find a not so great movie. The acting is over-the-top and down right horrible, a loose story, a headache inducing jumbled pace, less than impressive effects, and a very notably amateur effort and execution. Though for some strange reason as an experimental-punk film, it somehow makes it work in the movie's favor and creates an intense experience in surreal movies. "964 Pinocchio" deviates from the norm of traditional filmmaking to the point that it's hard to even see it as a movie at times. Going back to what I said earlier, the acting is over-the-top and ridiculously absurd at times but the movie relies on the characters so much that it almost feels like your watching a piece of performance art rather than a movie. I believe that's what Shozin was going for as well, which is why you have so many scenes of the characters interacting with an unsuspecting public that ends up only adding to the bizarre nature of the movie and its mind numbing insanity. The characters and how they behave are an important key factor into understanding what the movie is all about since there is no sense of traditional story telling and the story itself is very open to interpretation. The basic story structure though is about a person (Pinocchio) being unleashed into the world and acts like a new born baby: cannot speak and learns how to function during the progress of the movie. He is guided through the world by Himiko, a mother figure who also represents the love interest and soulmate for Pinocchio. We have no choice but to watch the surreal horrors of the transformation of these two characters, both internally and externally as they transcend through different levels of existence. There are the big bad corporate goons that try to retrieve Pinocchio, but they really don't hold much relevance to the story of Pinocchio and Himiko and act as nothing more than antagonists that push them along in their transformations. While "964 Pinocchio" is my least favorite Shozin Fukui movie, it embodies the punk filmmaking attitude and the experimental cyberpunk surrealism almost perfectly. Its nature is absolutely chaotic and with a great attention given to the lighting, becomes a colorful and unique parade of bizarre imagery. The fact that the movie is shot in color helps provide a nice break from the typical black and white stock. Even though its amateurish nature is noticeable at times, it still has rightfully earned its place as being a staple in its respected subgenres.

Positive things: - Great lighting. - Extremely chaotic. The way it’s supposed to be. - Unique visuals.

Negative things: - Features a great amount of yelling. Not a good movie to watch if you have a headache or are nursing a hangover. - The movie is so quick and hyper at times it can be hard to follow.

Reviewed by:

Preston www.filmbizarro.com/view_review.php?review=964pinocchio.php

’964 Pinocchio’ (1992.)

Marko · 01. Ožujak 2005.

Carlo Collodi? Ne! Gemini Cricket? Ne! Cyber-punk? Da! Tetsuo? Daaaa! Lynch? O, da! Noam Chomsky? Da!Da! Max Ernst? Da!

Film je to o djevojci koja radi na mapi kako bi pomogla čovječanstvu i čim je završi, ode na pražnjenje mozga i kreće ispočetka i odbačenom, zbagiranom kiborgu-jebaču iz serije Pinocchio, rednog broja 964 kojeg traži proizvođač ne bi li ga preprogramirao i ponovno plasirao na tržište. Njih dvoje se kako međusobno tako i individualno spoznaju i postepeno zbližavaju, ali kroz shizofrena mentalna eksplodiranja i sve više udaljavaju.

Najbolji opis 964 Pinocchia je svršavanje u facu gledatelju, Erekciju do ejakulacije balansira čitav niz šokantnih propitkivanja egzistencijalizma, bitka, seksa, ljubavi, nasilja i biznisa. Od petominutnog povraćanja hodnicima metroa i umivanja povraćenim sadržajem, metamorfiranja u ogromnu smjesu za mješanu pizzu sa segmentima koji podsjećaju na Mermaid in a manhole do jezivog maratona s ogromnim lancima i svezanim betonskim blokom.

Redatelj Shozin Fukui je zašvasao (cyber)punk sa seksom, cirkus sa sadomazohizmom, neinteres za osjećajnim sa eksplicitnim gore-hororom, jeftino sa ekstremno kvalitetnim i nadrealno s dokumentarnim. Vizualno čudesan film vidljivo skromnije produkcije u kojem se maksimum ideja koristi kao apsolutna prednost pred tehničko-financijskim minusom. Ne znam jesam li spomenuo kako je ovo izuzetno bolestan film. - zuti-titl.com/arhiva/964-pinocchio-1992/

Ostali filmovi Shozina Fukuija:
www.honekoubou.jp/en/fukuishozin.html

(2009/DV/B&W/29min30sec.)

[STORY]
2010. Humanity has been lost by ”S-94” virus and only two women have survived.
MIU has strong wish to live, but ICE has no wish to stay alive.
Though, they live together, keeping the balance somehow at the shelter.
One day, They find another survivor SHUMA through the radio transmission.
Two women start to fight over one man.

[STATEMENT OF THE DIRECTOR]
Mankind has undergone the baptism of blood by their own creation, “S-94” virus. It had massive destructive force to kill 100% of victims.
Only two women have survived the catastrophe of pandemic. There is no future for the continued existence of mankind.
How are people going to survive under the hopeless situation?
Blood and noise blow up in the monochrome world.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DqDmybfsns

interview:
www.midnighteye.com/interviews/shozin-fukui/