Pinocchio 964 – 88 Films

Director: Shozin Fukui
Screenplay: Shozin Fukui, Makoto Hamaguchi and Naoshi Gôda
Starring: Haji Suzuki and Onn-chan
Country: Japan
Running Time: 97 min
Year: 1991

Usually, I like to start my reviews with a little bit of context behind the film or the filmmaker behind it, describing my experiences with the film prior to the review too. With Pinocchio 964, I’m almost not sure where to begin. My knowledge of the film prior to reviewing it for this site was a single still from the film of what seemed to be a man screaming in the middle of a crowd, which immediately caught my eye. As the years went by, it lingered on my watchlist until 88 Films announced that they were finally releasing the film on Blu-ray, making its home media debut over here. I knew that I had to finally check this one off my bucket list, and boy, was I in for an experience… 

Director Shozin Fukui is a fascinating individual, and outside of a handful of features, hasn’t made as many films as I expected. Initially starting off with two short films, Gerorisuto and Caterpillar (both of which are included on this disc), he introduced his unique, cyberpunk/DIY aesthetic to the world. I dive into my thoughts on those shorts in the bonus features section, but they’re quite the experiences. When it came to a feature film debut, Fukui unleashed Pinocchio 964 on the world, and I think I can say with no exaggeration, it’s one of the most insane motion pictures I’ve watched in my entire life. 

Pinocchio follows an unnamed man who finds himself lost in the middle of Tokyo, unaware of who he is and unable to speak. He ends up meeting Himiko, a homeless woman who takes him in and decides to help him find out who he is. Simple, so far, right? Well, as time goes on and we learn more about Pinocchio, the narrative of the film begins to matter less and more focus is put on what can only be described as Possession meets Eraserhead by the way of Tetsuo: The Iron Man. It’s non-stop madness for the entire 97 minutes and I utterly adored it. 

It’s shades of disturbing, comedic, messed up, revolting and mesmerizing all at the same time. The entire film feels punk as hell, caring extremely little about the viewer’s thoughts on the film and it’s a vibe that’s extremely rare amongst films, particularly independent films such as Pinocchio 964. There’s moments involving vomit that reminded me of the tunnel scene in Possession, ramped up to 11, while the erratic editing and pacing of the final act felt like something straight out of Nevaldine/Taylor’s magnum opus Crank: High Voltage (Pinocchio 964  must have been an influence on this one!). 

Can I say this film will be for everyone? Absolutely not. There’s moments that might come across as incomprehensible for most people, and that’s understandable. It’s a film that throws a compelling concept at you and goes wild with it as soon as you’re settled in. While I’ve compared the film to numerous horror and arthouse classics, that’s still underselling how unique, original and gonzo Fukui’s debut truly is. I’ve yet to see Fukui’s follow-up Rubber’s Lover, but if it’s anything even remotely as out there and original as this, I know I’m in for a real treat. 

If any of the madness I’ve described in this review sounds even remotely appealing to you, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. It’s one-of-a-kind, overwhelming in almost every way and something that’s unlike anything else you’ve ever seen. 

Film:

Pinocchio 964 released on March 24th via 88 Films on Blu-ray and DVD. The transfer is sourced from what seems to be a recent 4K restoration that’s also made its way Stateside by Media Blasters. It’s a solid transfer, although some source limitations are apparent during a viewing. Still, these slightly damaged elements almost enhance the overall experience of the film. It’s true to the original source and I have absolutely no complaints about it. An original Japanese LPCM 2.0 audio track is also included, with English subtitles and it sounds excellent too. On an A/V level, this is one of the more impressive releases from 88 Films and it gets top marks from me. The following extras are included: 

NUMBERED OBI SLIP

• BOOKLET ESSAY BY MARK PLAYER
• BLU-RAY™ (1080P) PRESENTATION IN 1.33:1 ASPECT RATIO
• ORIGINAL MONO 2.0 AUDIO WITH IMPROVED ENGLISH SUBTITLES
• ARCHIVE INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR SHOZIN FUKUI
• EXCLUSIVE BRAND NEW FILMED INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR SHOZIN FUKUI
• SHOZIN FUKUI’S SHORT FILMS GERORISUTO (1986) AND CATERPILLAR (1988)
• BRAND NEW FILMED INTRODUCTION BY STEPHEN THROWER
• TEASER TRAILER
• ORIGINAL AND NEWLY COMMISSIONED ARTWORK BY LUCAS PEVERILL

The introduction by Stephen Thrower runs for 15 minutes and it’s a solid watch. Those familiar with Thrower will know what to expect, a well-researched and enthusiastic overview of Fukui’s career and Pinocchio itself. A great watch.

Two interviews with director Shozin Fukui are included, an archival interview and alongside a newly filmed one, exclusively for this release. The first interview is an archival piece that runs for 33 minutes and features Fukui recounting how he became interested in the arts, his early work as a filmmaker and his love for music. He also details his experiences making Pinocchio 964 in this informative interview. The second interview, newly conducted for this release runs for 21 minutes and contains Fukui recounting his early short films that he made during his university days, the way he implements sound and music into his work and more. It’s another solid interview that offers a variety of new anecdotes and information from Fukui that’s absolutely fascinating. Both interviews are easily worth your time if you’re interested in the man behind the madness of Pinocchio 964.

Two short films by Fukui are included, Gerorisuto and Caterpillar. They’re equally as confusing as Pinocchio 964, but are both worth a watch. Gerorisuto is 11 minutes long and follows a woman having a breakdown of sorts. Note: there’s quite a bit of vomit in this one, which might be hard for some to stomach. Caterpillar is lengthier at 32 minutes and is mostly dialogue-free, but offers the same chaotic direction, editing and WTF energy that Pinocchio has. While I personally struggled to decipher either of these shorts, they feature concepts that’d be later adapted into Pinocchio 964. Both are absolutely worth a watch if you enjoyed the main feature.

A teaser trailer for the film is included.

I wasn’t provided with the booklet essay or the physical copy, unfortunately.

88 Films pulled out all of the stops with their release of Pinocchio 964. While there’s a UHD release in the States, I’d argue that the 88 Films Blu-ray is great enough for most people, thanks to the great transfer and bonus features. The film will divide viewers but if you’re into experimental cinema that’s a little nuts, you’ll probably love this! Highly recommended.

Disc/Packaging: