World ia All Flesh

In the shady black markets and bombed-out hovels of post–World War II Tokyo, a tough band of prostitutes eke out a dog-eat-dog existence, maintaining tenuous friendships and a semblance of order in a world of chaos. But when a renegade ex-soldier stumbles into their midst, lusts and loyalties clash, with tragic results. With Gate of Flesh, visionary director Seijun Suzuki delivers a whirlwind of social critique and pulp drama, shot through with brilliant colors and raw emotions.

The movie, which was once routinely shown on TV, has all but vanished from sight in recent years. One of the first serious attempts to examine the implications of Armageddon in the nuclear age, the film was largely over-shadowed by Stanley Kramer's similarly-themed, all-star production of On the Beach. Harry Belafonte stars as Ralph Burton, a construction worker who is investigating a long-dormant underground tunnel when catastrophe strikes. He is trapped by a cave-in and when he manages to emerge from the death trap situation, he discovers the entire population of his town has fled in mass hysteria due to the outbreak of a world war. His research shows that biological weapons were used to kill seemingly everyone on earth. For the sake of dramatic license, the lethal aspects of the weapons are neutralized within a few days, thus making Burton immune from any lingering effects.

In the wrestling ring, Polakai is a colossus of muscle, sinew and sweat. At home with the tough-cookie ex-con he’s married and saved from the streets, he is a gentle giant. But his kindness is not enough to stop his wife from pursuing an illicit affair that topples Polakai into professional and personal ruin. Legendary director John Ford brings his clean, visually poetic style to Flesh, guiding Wallace Beery (in the year of his Best Actor Oscar win for The Champ) and Karen Morley (Scarface) to some of the finest work of their careers. As touching as it is uncompromising, Flesh takes its characters to the dark regions of their souls…and ends with a quiet, unforgettable scene that offers a hope for redemption.

Findlay's breakthrough film was The Touch of Her Flesh (1967). He directed and starred in this story of a sadistic, misogynist psycho-killer who stalks prostitutes and strippers. The killings are done with imaginative devices such as poison-tipped rose thorns, blowdarts, a crossbow, a scimitar, and a buzzsaw.
The movie became a surprise hit, calling for two sequels, The Curse of Her Flesh and The Kiss of Her Flesh (both 1968). The trilogy, filled with fetishistic scenes of bondage, whipping, torture, and grotesque violence, was unusual for its time and presaged the 1970s slasher horror films to come.

In the early 60's USA, it was hard to make nudie movies, with the obscenity laws of the time, which defined obscenity as having "no redeeming social value". To get around this, some clever filmmakers disguised their nudie flicks as documentaries, to educate the public about naked ladies, and thereby perform a valuable service to society. "Hollywood's World of Flesh" is one such socially redeeming documentary.

After World War II, some Tokyo prostitutes band together with a strict code: no pimps, attack any street walker who comes into our territory, defend the abandoned building we call home, and punish whomever gives away sex (who falls in love). Maya, a young woman whose family has died, joins the group. Into the mix comes Shin, a thief who's killed a G.I. The women allow him to hide while recovering from wounds, but then he won't leave. Maya is drawn to him, discovering as she falls in love that she can feel again; she's now more fully human, but at the same time, she's endangered herself and her livelihood. Can she and Shin make it out of Tokyo to establish life as a couple?

Space-faring hero and galactically-renowned stud Flesh Gordon is kidnapped by a group of space cheerleaders hoping to use him to save their planet. A being simply known as Evil Presence has been rendering the men of their world impotent, and the women are desperate for some form of relief. Flesh's girlfriend Ardor, meanwhile, is following behind to try to keep him out of trouble, but soon finds herself kidnapped by Evil Presence's henchman who has plans of his own. Can Flesh get the men of this planet standing tall once again?