Assault! Jack the Ripper – 88 Films (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1976
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe
Writers: Yasuharu Hasebe, Chiho Katsura
Cast: Tamaki Katsura, Yuri Yamashina, Natsuko Yashiro, Yutaka Hayashi, Midori Mori
Release Date: March 24th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 72 Minutes 1 Second
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)
"Ken (Yutaka Hayashi), a serious young man working as a cake decorator at an upmarket coffeeshop, finds himself led seriously astray by his feisty waitress coworker Yuri (the unforgettable Tamaki Katsura) after a chance encounter with a disturbed young woman (Yuri Yamashina) fuels their passion for murder and they embark on a vicious killing spree." - synopsis provided by the distributor
Video: 5/5
Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Blu-Ray (1080P) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio."
Assault! Jack the Ripper comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 24.2 GB
Feature: 19.8 GB
The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, black levels are strong, and image clarity and compression are solid.
Audio: 4.5/5
This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well represented.
Extras:
Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background (stills/poster), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Kei Chiba titled Body & Blood (11 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Amber T. and Jasper Sharp, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 12-page booklet with cast & crew information, and an essay titled Finding Power in Sex and Blood Assault! Jack the Ripper & Yasuharu Hasebe’s Sustaining Relevance in Artistic Expression written by Tori Potenza.
Included is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray.
Summary:
Yasuharu Hasebe was one of the prominent directors working in Nikkatsu romantic pornography films. His first two forays into this genre, The Naked Seven and Sukeban Deka: Dirty Mary, were both homages: Seven Samurai and Dirty Harry, respectively. He found his first success in this genre with Okasu!, a film that started the Violent Pink sub-genre. Other notable films he directed in this sub-genre include Assault! Jack the Ripper, Attack! 13th Hour, Attacked! And Yaru!.
A young man is unable to get aroused or please his woman without violently murdering women.
Assault! Jack the Ripper is Yasuharu Hasebe's most disturbing film. It is one of Nikkatsu’s most violent romantic pornography films. Assault! Jack the Ripper, like Yasuharu Hasebe's other romantic pornography films, falls into a subgenre known as violent pink. These films focus more on moments of carnage than eroticism. When it comes to Assault! Jack the Ripper’s murder set pieces, it is clear how the Giallo genre may have influenced them.
The film’s title is Assault! However, referring to it as Jack the Ripper is somewhat misleading, as the killings primarily occur in pairs, and it is not until later that the male lover ventures out on his own to commit murder. Though the killer has an accomplice, her role is mostly passive. That said, both of them become aroused by the sight of carnage.
Outside of the two leads, Yutaka Hayashi (Bullet Train), who portrays Ken aka Jack the Ripper, and Tamaki Katsura (Sins of Sister Lucia), who portrays Yuri, the rest of the cast are given little to work with and are mere props. Though Ken has a sadistic side, he is more a man of action than words, while Yuri likes to cause conflict. Both of them deliver flawless performances that are utterly terrifying and convincing.
Assault! Jack the Ripper relies heavily on its brutal and bloody murder set pieces, where women are carved up before being finished off with a knife to their private parts. The violence inflicted upon women is unflinching, and it escalates as the narrative progresses, culminating in an orgy of violence. Visually, Yasuharu Hasebe does not disappoint when it comes to carnage and mayhem.
From a production standpoint, Assault! Jack the Ripper is a film that far exceeds the sum of its parts. The narrative does a superb job introducing Ken and Yuri, and it is relentlessly paced once the killing starts. Another strength is Hajime Kaburagi's (Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter) score, which perfectly underscores the mood. Ultimately, Assault! Jack the Ripper is an orgy of bloodlust and carnage, making it a must-see for fans of violent pink cinema.
Assault! Jack the Ripper gets an exceptional release from 88 Films that comes with solid audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, highly recommended.
Written by Michael Den Boer