As the constant bombardment of ads for the sure to be execrable Will “The Fresh Prince For Life” Smith vehicle I Am Legend, a film that Hollywood producers sadistically refuse to make correctly, continue to drive me into a deep morass of depression and malaise it is comforting to know that the Japanese are ready, willing, and able to step up and fill the artistic void.

In this case it’s The Machine Girl, a film whose purpose isn’t so much to fill said void but, rather, to fist it with a chain gun. The plot is simple: a girl is raped, her family slaughtered and, in order to facilitate her violent, bloody vengeance, she outfits herself with a death vomiting machine gun-arm which she uses to dissever those responsible in a hail of righteous gunfire. Featuring yakuza, ninjas, yakuza ninjas, and drill bras The Machine Girl looks to be a tour de force of impenetrable, kinetic, Far East nonsense genius.

May be unsafe for the workplace. I’m not positive, mind you, but maybe.

Japanese Horror Film ‘The Machine Girl’ Bloody and Disgusting! [Bloody-Disgusting]

Back in the ToM days, we posted about Shoko Tendo, the gorgeous daughter of a Yakuza gangster who was pulled into a life of crime, addiction, sexual abuse, prostitution and sexual abuse. I really need to get my act together and read her book, Yakuza Moon.

Reuters has posted a great little article on her insights about the sudden growth of violent yakuza crime in Japan, but I was mostly struck by the lovely candid shot of her to the above left… hugging her knees up under her chin in girlish repose, her legs swimming in magenta, metallic green and fire. What a beautiful woman.

Gangster daughter sheds light on Japan underworld [Reuters] : Thanks, Joel!