If you're not well-versed in Japanese horror, there's a good chance you might not have heard of Shozin Fukui's 964 Pinocchio. But, trust us, you're gonna want to see this one, post haste.
Thanks to brand new Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases from 88 Films and Media Blasters respectively, the 1991 hallucinogenic cyberpunk body horror is finally getting the physical media upgrade it deserves.
In 964 Pinocchio, a memory-wiped sex slave cyborg, disposed of by his owners for failure to maintain an erection, is taken in by a homeless girl and the pair wreak havoc across the city of Tokyo.
Interest piqued? Here's more about Media Blasters' 4K release:
Shozin Fukui’s live-action, underground cyberpunk masterpiece depicts the nightmarish journey of a discarded cybernetic sex android that is expelled from a brothel and left to fend for himself. Aimlessly wandering around the city, Pinocchio meets Kyoto, an amnesiac homeless girl with a horrible secret of her own. Together, they try to piece together their past lives and survive in a cruel, brutal hellscape.
At the same time, Pinocchio’s fiendish creators search desperately to find their lost prototype android before the public and authorities discover him! As agents pursue Pinocchio, his frantic escape morphs into a mind-warping hallucinogenic thrill ride! Be prepared! Shozin Fukui’s masterful direction provides the viewer with a totally unique experience along the lines of Tetsuo: The Iron Man. This subversive underground classic packed the theaters in Japan back in the day where it was hailed as an innovative masterpiece! Includes collectable O-ring slip cover.
For those in the UK, 88 Films' release of 964 Pinocchio contains special features such as an exclusive interview with Fukui, as well as two of his short films, Georisuto and Caterpillar. 88 Films' release comes on March 24.
Head over to 88 Films and Media Blasters to grab your region-suitably copy of 964 Pinocchio (or maybe both?) now.
