No matter where in the world, sex and violence in the cinema have always gone hand-in-hand.Italian giallos; UK Hammer horror; the many films of Spain's Jess Franco; the trashy US gore flicks of H.G. Lewis: every country seems to have made its own contributions that combine the two elements.Violent 'pinku' movies are the Far East's offering, and many fans of extreme cinema agree that they rule the roost as far as sexual nastiness is concerned, since almost nothing seems to be 'too taboo' to be portrayed. Assault! Jack The Ripper (a misleading title, if ever there was one, since 'Saucy Jack' is nowhere to be seen!), from director Yasuharu Hasebe, is a classic example of the genre and clearly illustrates why no-one does sleaze quite like the Japanese! After a fatal mishap with a crazy hitch-hiker, a pathetic pastry chef and a chubby domineering waitress discover that, for them, killing is a mutual aphrodisiac. They set about abducting and carving up innocent women (more often than not, by stabbing them in the genitals!) in order to fuel their sex life, but, when the chef eventually decides to go solo on his murder sprees, their bizarre relationship begins to crumble.With umpteen steamy sex scenes, a couple of repulsive rapes, and loads of grisly deaths, Assault! is not a film for your 'casual' viewer. The killers are completely callous and, although the numerous crotch stabbings are not explicitly shown, the sheer offensiveness of the acts (coupled with some suitably yucky sound effects) is enough to upset most 'normal' people. Rabid fans of politically incorrect exploitation, however, will have a field day watching the killers as they indulge in all manner of wickedness, including a marvellously depraved finalé, in which an entire room-full of nurses are rapidly dispatched.And if all that excess wasn't enough, solid acting, good production values, and a great score all go to ensure that Assault! is an experience that you won't forget in a hurry.7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

"Assault! Jack the Ripper" centres around a cranky waitress who has a chip on her shoulder and a nerdy, submissive cake decorator who both work at the same restaurant. One night, their worlds collide when they have a run-in with an insane hitchhiker (whose bizarre performance rivals that of Edwin Neal in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as far as insane hitchhikers go). Our protagonists soon discover that they can only become aroused by stabbing pretty young women in the vagina.Their new found hobby becomes an obsession, that soon leads to an interesting role reversal. Primarily, the waitress being the driving force behind the murders, and her accomplice complying silently. Once the waitress realises her boyfriend has been having some "fun" without her, she becomes possessive and dependent on him. Events soon take a turn for the worst..."Assault!" is incredibly stylish and well made. I really liked the Jazz/slightly noir soundtrack, which seemed an unusual choice at first but soon felt appropriate. The acting is top notch, and the violence comes thick and fast. Recommended to those new to Pinku and fans of exploit.

ASSAULT! JACK THE RIPPER is one of those films that just ain't gonna be everyone's cup of tea. It's brutal in it's depiction of rape and murder and has pretty much no redeeming value in terms of "entertaining" cinema - and that's exactly why it is such a "classic" of the pinky genre. At a time when many other pinky films dealt with sleazy subject matter in a more "fun" and tongue-in-cheek manner, ASSAULT! went straight for the jugular, or more appropriately, crotch...Two restaurant co-workers realize their penchant for brutal rape and murder after a mishap with a whacked-out hitch-hiker. As the two find that murder is their only aphrodisiac - things get out of hand. They continue to "feed" off of each other and pick up random strangers to do their "business" with. Homeboy finds that he has a thing for stabbing the victims in the cooch - this appears to be his major "turn-on". Homegirl starts to get a little to clingy and jealous when she realizes that he's been doing some "moonlighting" on his own. This all results in the end of their relationship, among other things...There's nothing really comical or fun about ASSAULT! (except for the strange disco soundtrack...). It appears that the main goal of this film is to shock and disgust, which it does appropriately enough - especially for it's 1976 time-stamp. Although the crotch-gouging is not "graphically" shown, the sound FX and inference of what's going on is enough to be disturbing. This is a rare film as it predates a lot of more sadistic films that became notorious throughout the late 70's through today. Again, not a film for all tastes, but for those that are looking for something a little "rougher"...this may be the one. 9/10

Yasuharu Hasebe's BOKO KIRISAKI JACK (aka ASSAULT: JACK THE RIPPER) is as mean as they come and twice as effective.I have no moral objections to this material because it is what it is, and what it is is a tour de force of violent cinema with not a single cell of poltical correctness to muddy its intentions.A strong-willed woman coerces a weak man to rape and kill with her.The man's obsession leads to the downfall of the relationship.The sexual violence is on a level you haven't seen before if you haven't seen any Japanese Violent Pink films, the production values are high, the performances are amazing and the jazz score is exceptional.Director Hasebe also directed the excellent RAPE, the satire RAPING!, the solid RAPE 13TH HOUR and the more well known BLACK TIGHT KILLERS.BOKO KIRISAKI JACK is his crowning achievement, a film that is violent, erotic, funny, perceptive and always entertaining.The best Violent Pink film ever made.