Cannibal Porn

No, really. The following is a review of a novelty item for those with strong stomachs and a healthy appetite for the bizarre.

The Bedroom (Shisenjiyou no Aria) (1992) is an artsy, weird, japanese softcore starring Issei Sagawa as Mr. Takano. For those of you to whom this means nothing, Issei Sagawa is better known for having killed and eaten a woman in France in the early 80's, getting away with it and returning to Japan to become a minor celebrity who is asked to do things like write articles for gourmet cooking magazines and appear in pornos. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issei_Sagawa)

The movie itself is actually a little bit interesting on its own merit, although of course the main appeal is watching a known cannibal fondle porn stars, and in fact certain points of the plot are clearly references to Sagawa's crime. The movie is essentially about voyeurism and control, and the plot centers around a sex club where men have their way with women who have taken the sleeping drug Halcion. Many of the sex scenes involve unresponsive, drugged women, clearly meant to represent the experience of being sexual with a dead body. These encounters are video-taped and photographed, again introducing the theme of voyeurism. In one scene, Sagawa's character photographs himself licking a drugged woman's thigh, which is the first body part that he ate in his real life crime. Another reference to Sagawa's crime are frequent shots taken from inside a refrigerator, and a scene in which a corpse is shoved into a refrigerator. In real life, Sagawa stored various body parts in his refrigerator for several days while he slowly consumed the body.

In terms of style, this movie is very dated and utilizes a lot of cheesy blue and red filters and oddly angeled shots. One interesting element is the use of video artifact and TV snow in certain shots, which comes to represent voyeurism.

I know the above description sounds more appropriate for a horror film than a porno, but I guess that depends on what you're into. I recommend this as a viewing option for anyone who really feels the need to know what people are capable of even conceiving of doing.

available for purchase on amazon.com

and happy new year!