Ten Dark Women

Outside his home market, only a fraction of Ichikawa's movies are known. It comes as a surprise to find that some of them are so inept.

This one can be compared with MISTER PU, another attempt at an off beat comedy which doesn't play. TV Producer Funakoshi is in the habit of seducing any suitable woman he happens to run into. Ten of them get together and decide it's time he paid for loose morals with his life.

The director has some of the collaborators on his major works along and a team of regularly employed Japanese performers and their efforts are not totally wasted. The ghostly apparitions of the printer register, particularly before we know what causes them. However despite atmosphere generated by the contrasty black and white images, the whole thing is presented mechanically.

Most interesting element is a jokey vision of 1950s TV production.