There are few things that I would rather see than chicks kicking ass. It doesn't matter whose ass is being kicked, or why. I just want to see some women taking charge. It's my fetish - I admit it. Therefore, I was more than excited to get an opportunity to screen an advance copy of The Pinky Violence Collection, Panik House's first box set compiling four “Sukeban” films. To quote from my review of that release: “I applaud the publisher for this package, and easily rank it in my top 10 releases of 2005.” I still stand by that statement, even though the asking price for the package was a bit on the high side for the uninitiated viewer. Thankfully, almost a year later they have decided to release the four films separately. One of these films is Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom.

The story has a manga/comic book feel to it. Girls get sent to a reform school (and a super strict one at that). The corrupt school officials allow a select council of students free reign to administer discipline as needed. Sound like a forward thinking school? Not quite. There is quite a bit of debauchery going on in the hierarchy of the official staff, and the student council has a tendency to “expel” students they consider problematic. You might think that the police would get involved, but it appears that your tax dollars are going to the school's “shush-money” fund. The students strike back, though, using their womanly charms and penchant for physical violence. Even grudges between rival girls are put aside for the greater goal of vengeance against the corrupt institution.

The acting is surprisingly strong and we get screen time for the supporting girls of Toei cinema. Yukie Kagawa is present, probably best known for her appearances alongside Meiko Kaji in the Female Prisoner Scorpion series of films. We also get to see the stunningly beautiful Yuko Kano. Unfortunately, both girls are still very much supporting characters compared to Miki Sugimoto and Reiko Ike.

Like all Pinky Violence films, I didn't want it to end. Lynch Law Classroom, more than the others, is so unrelenting in its perversion, violence, and style it comes across as both cool and wicked. In a way, it is also the most horrific. The opening sequence is gleefully demented and reminded me of Mario Bava's Danger: Diabolik. I wouldn't be surprised if Bava was an influence on Suzuki. Reiko Ike doesn't even show up in the film until the second half, but her absence is hardly noticed because the supporting cast is such a joy to watch. There should be a law against films this awesome. It's my favorite Panik House release by far, and the most amazingly entertaining in its gratuitous sex and violence. If you are just getting in to Sukeban films, don't watch this one first. It is the dessert that will surely spoil your dinner.

The DVD Presentation
The presentation of Terrifying Girls' High School is perfect. The video is presented in its original “scope” aspect ratio, anamorphically enhanced. The picture is incredibly clear. I noticed no compression issues. For a genre film, this is incredible! The Japanese audio is only mono, but it sounds extremely good and clear. The English subtitles are easy to read. What more can you ask?

And the Extras Are?

Audio Commentary with Chris Desjardins -

Chris Desjardins is the author of the book Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film. Desjardins is an amazing wealth of information, but is rather droll to listen to. Fairly monotone and, without a partner to work off of, there isn't a lot of stuff that isn't trivial or a duplication of what is being shown. Desjardins should stick to writing.

Original Theatrical Trailer - (2:52)

Every single Japanese Sukeban trailer is certifiably awesome. Like others, this one doesn't hold back on the violence or nudity. Without giving any of the story away, it perfectly shows how perverse, sleazy and absurd the film is.

Poster and Still Galleries -

Three poster galleries are included on this DVD. These are entitled “Posters,” “Color Production Stills,” and finally, “B&W Production Stills.” None of the galleries are extremely comprehensive. There are 22 production stills altogether, but only two images are in the poster gallery, and some of the black and white stills are exactly the same images as in the color gallery. Some cool pictures, however.

Production Notes -

This text-based feature runs for three pages, and while it does have some decent production info, it also does more than its fair share of restating what happened in the film. You aren't likely to read this more than once.

Director and Star Bios -

Also included on this disc are bios for Director Norifumi Suzuki, as well as stars Reiko Ike, Miki Sugimoto, Yukie Kagawa and Yuko Kano. Each of these is fairly short, but gives good background on the subjects.

Sticker -

As an added bonus, Panik House has been generous enough to supply us with a large sticker. It's the same image as the cover art and exclusive to this release. Thanks!

Aside from the sticker, everything included here is a hold-over from the box set release. The DVD is exactly the same. People who don't already have the box set will eat this up with a spoon.

The Bottom Line

I'm sure that most die hard fans of Japanese cinema had already purchased Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom when it was included in The Pinky Violence Collection box set, but that set is now out of print and getting difficult to find. Thankfully, Panik House is releasing these titles individually and at reasonable prices. As a result, more and many more potential fans will be able to discover what others already have: Sukeban films are some of the most fun and entertaining films out there.