Bohachi: Code of the Forgotten Eight (1973)

Director: Teruo Ishii

Starring: Tetsuro Tamba

More Info: IMDB

Plot: Tetsuro Tanba plays a nihilistic ronin who faces down the "Clan of the Forgotten Eight", who got their name because they lost all their basic emotions like conscience, gratitude, loyalty, shame etc. With his sword Onibouchou (literally: Ogre's Kitchen Knife!) Tanba's character hacks into their ranks in ways that has limbs and severed heads fly everywhere and the blood flows in rivers! On his way, he only stops to take every woman he meets, forcefully if need be!

My Rating: 8/10

Would I watch it again? I love this kind of shit

There's a scene where our hero, Shino the Assassin, approaches a beautiful young woman. She opens a pair of shears, places them to her neck and tells Shino, "One step closer and I'll kill myself." Shino pulls out a large knife and says, "This one is more efficient."

Or how about this one. Shino, and his annoying-soon-to-die-a-grisly-death-sidekick, are attacked by an assassin who surrounds them with fire and flees. Shino, facing certain death, is rescued. How? Six heavily robed women put hoods over their faces, roll frantically back and forth over the flames, extinguishing them little by little until the fire is out and Shino is no longer trapped. They lie there motionless as one waves for Shino to come over and motions him to cut her out of her robes. He does and she's completely nude. Then she cuts the others free and they are equally nude!!!


Still not convinced you need to see this? It gets better.

After explaining to Shino that they were sent by a clan leader to protect him, they mosey off through the woods still nude. They are attacked by an assassin and the women get into defensive positions, They suddenly have knives (which must have been hidden in their vaginas because they didn't have them a second ago) and fight. One by one they are overcome by an assassin and now it's Shino's turn to save them.


This kind of shit goes on all through the picture. What an amazing film. It's so wild unpredictable that you can't wait to see what's in store next. There's fountains of blood from severed limbs, ears and heads that go flying through the air in slow motion. There's nudity galore from countless beautiful Japanese women. And it's got a great ending that's just screaming for a sequel that, to my knowledge and searching, doesn't exist. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Japanese cinema of the 60s and 70s. They delivered so many amazing images and sequences that you are not likely to see from any other country. THIS is entertainment.