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964 Pinocchio

964 Pinocchio (Japanese: ピノキオ√964 (ピノキオ [ルート] 964), literal transliteration: Pinokio√964 (Pinokio [Ruuto] (Rū-to) 964), literal translation: Pinocchio√964 (Pinocchio [Root] 964)), released in the United Kingdom as Screams of Blasphemy, is a 1991 Japanese cyberpunk-horror film directed by Shozin Fukui.

964 Pinocchio
Japanese theatrical release poster
Kanjiピノキオ√964
Directed byShozin Fukui
Screenplay by
  • Shozin Fukui
  • Makoto Hamaguchi
  • Naoshi Gôda
Story byShozin Fukui
Starring
CinematographyKazunori Hirasawa
Edited byShozin Fukui
Music byHiroyuki Nagashima
Release date
  • 14 September 1991 (1991-09-14) (Japan)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

It deals with the theme of brain-modified sex-slaves as well as mental breakdowns in a hallucinogenic thrill-ride.

Plot

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964 Pinocchio is a memory-wiped sex-slave cyborg who is disposed of by his owners for failure to maintain an erection. It is unclear in what ways he has been modified beyond having no memory and being unable to communicate.

He is discovered by Himiko, a homeless girl, while wandering aimlessly through the city. Himiko has also been memory-wiped, possibly by the same company that "produced" Pinocchio, but she is fully functional. Himiko spends her days drawing maps of the city, to aid other memory-wiped people.

Himiko takes Pinocchio home and tries to teach him to speak. After much effort, he has a breakthrough and finally becomes aware of his situation. Himiko and Pinocchio kiss and become physically intimate, triggering something in both of them. Pinocchio's body erupts in an inexplicable metamorphosis and it becomes clear that his modifications were much more involved and esoteric than simple memory loss. Lots of blood, pus, vomit ensues from both and Himiko's memories eventually return. Meanwhile, Pinocchio’s head director, companied with his female secretary who spits out cherries into a bowl which he eats from, plots to kill him.

Himiko pretends to help Pinocchio post-metamorphosis, but betrays Pinocchio after struggling to feed him noodles. Instead, she forcefeeds him trash before shackling him to a pyramidal concrete block where she tortures him back at her place, companied with a partner (who was tasked by the head director to find Pinocchio). Pinocchio’s memories eventually return and he escapes, running through the streets at high-speed as crowds of horrified onlookers watch on.

Meanwhile, Himiko teams up with Pinocchio's developers in attempt to put an end on his destructive reign. However, Pinocchio reaches to the factory outside, confronts his developers after the head director shouts at him to die, charging at the three at high speed before killing him by disembowelment and running off, leaving his horrified secretary and partner behind where she starts convulsing afterwards. Later, Pinocchio finds Himiko who she demands Pinocchio's death, commanding him to "tear off your face", but she tears off her face instead, revealing a large stone-ish head. In a blind rage, Pinocchio attacks her, ripping her head off from her shoulders and placing it over his own. The film concludes as Pinocchio is free from his prolonged agony and the two are hybridized into one.

Production

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964 Pinocchio was created on a low-budget using guerrilla-filmmaking techniques, with scenes in Tokyo utilizing real crowds of people rather than professional actors.[1] The team had to get permits for most of the scenes filmed on the streets.

The actress who played Himiko was initially just a crew member until she was cast a week before filming started. She is credited in the movie as Onn-chan, which was a pseudonym created for the film. 964 Pinocchio was the only movie she ever acted in.[2] Due to the limited budget, some improvisations had to be made during filming. Director Shozin Fukui stated in a 2007 interview which was included as a bonus feature in the DVD release of the film that they used an old wheelchair as a makeshift dolly. Both filming and editing took place over the span of 6 months each.[3]

Fukui cited Blade Runner as a big influence for his work.[2]

Release

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Unearthed Films released the film on DVD in the United States in 2007.[4]

The film was released in a single edition DVD and in the Cyberpunk Collection alongside Fukui's Rubber's Lover.[5]

964 Pinocchio was re-issued on Blu-Ray on February 7, 2023, and again for March 24, 2025 by 88 Films, including a booklet essay by Mark Player, Fukui's earlier short films, Gerorisuto and Caterpillar, along with both a filmed introduction from Stephen Thrower, a new interview with Fukui along with the 2007 interview with him.[6]

Reception

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A HorrorNews.net review states that "its hard to call it a good film. It better to call it a unique film and something different".[3]

A 2022 retrospective article by Collider described it as "an uncommon and unparalleled riff on the timeless fairy-tale".[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "'964 Pinocchio' Remains the Most Distinctive (and Disturbing) Adaptation of the Fairy-Tale Classic". Collider. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Midnight Eye interview: Shozin Fukui". www.midnighteye.com. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Film Review: 964 Pinocchio (1991)". HorrorNews.net. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. ^ "964 Pinocchio". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  5. ^ "Cyberpunk Collection (2 Pack)". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  6. ^ "Paranoid android on the loose! 88 Films announces cyberpunk-horror film '964 Pinocchio' on Blu-ray in March | cityonfire.com". 11 December 2024. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
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