NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: 88 Films Blu-ray (March 2025): 88 Films have transferred Yasuharu Hasebe's Assault! Jack the Ripper to Blu-ray. It is cited as being in the 2.35: 1 aspect ratio but it's actually 2.5:1 in this clean 1080P transfer. Shot on 35mm by cinematographer Masaru Mori (The Naked Seven, Female Doctor: Flesh Slave, Female Ninja Magic: 100 Trampled Flowers,) the film has a vivid, textured color palette - think muted urban tones punched up with stark reds (blood, lipstick) and shadowy blues. It’s not glossy but it’s got that mid-70s Japanese low-budget sheen - slightly grainy, a touch raw, but appearing authentic to its roots in this HD presentation.

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, 88 Films use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. Assault! Jack the Ripper has plenty of aggression but it's portrayed with few screams if still horrifyingly graphic. A slicing cake-knife is the weapon of choice. The score was by Hajime Kaburagi (Eighteen Years in Prison, By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him, The Executioner, Horrors of Malformed Men, The Sleeping Beast With, Retaliation, Blind Woman's Curse, Fairy in a Cage, Tokyo Drifter.) It’s minimalist, popping up in bursts to punctuate key moments rather than smothering the film. Kaburagi leans on a cool, jazzy palette: think slinky bass-lines, muted trumpets, and brushed drums, with a touch of funk that feels both seductive and off-kilter. It kicks in early when the waitress (Tamaki Katsura) and pastry chef (Yutaka Hayashi) accidentally kill the hitchhiker, setting a sultry, almost whimsical tone as their dark thrill ignites. 88 Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

The 88 Films Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Amber T. (not 'Amber' Takako as I suspected) and Jasper Sharp (Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema, The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film.) Jasper’s got encyclopedic knowledge of pinku eiga and Nikkatsu's output. Amber T., less documented but possibly a podcaster or scholar (writer for Fangoria, Arrow and other niche film circles), often complements Sharp’s academic heft with a more fan-driven energy, which was appreciated. Described is Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno shift to “Violent Pink” post-1975, how its sex-and-death cocktail feels today, unpack Nikkatsu’s assembly-line ethos etc.. Sharp lays out the historical meat: how director Yasuharu Hasebe, fresh off Stray Cat Rock, pivoted to this darker, kinkier subgenre after Nikkatsu's softcore mandate. It's an excellent expert commentary with a pairing that play-off each other well. Also included a brand new dozen-minute introduction by Kei Chiba (Introduction to Nikkatsu Roman Porn,) a stills gallery and a trailer. 

Yasuharu Hasebe's Assault! Jack the Ripper isn’t about the historical Jack the Ripper - don’t expect foggy London streets or Sherlock Holmes. Instead, it’s a twisted tale from Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno series, specifically the “Violent Pink” subgenre, which mixes softcore erotica with extreme violence. It stars Tamaki Katsura (Vengeance Is Mine, Too Wet Pussycat) in her breakout role with Assault! Jack the Ripper (Bōkō Kirisaki Jakku) She's a fascinating figure in Japanese cinema, particularly within the Nikkatsu Roman Porno sphere. An actress best recognized for her work in the mid-1970s pinku eiga-ish genres. Raw and commanding - her afro-permed, tough-girl look (a choice pushed by director Yasuharu Hasebe - Black Tight Killers, Retaliation, Massacre Gun) and her shift from surly detachment to unhinged passion earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Japan Academy Prize in 1977. Critics loved her nerve, but the film’s extreme nature; she’s front-and-center in its violent, erotic chaos - likely cost her the win, as some voters balked at its intensity. Assault! Jack the Ripper is not for the faint-hearted - described somewhere as Bonnie and Clyde meets The Honeymoon Killers, but kinkier and nastier. Fans should be happy with the 88 Films Blu-ray - it looks and sounds pleasing and has an expert commentary and introduction. Recommended to its guilty-pleasure niche.

Gary Tooze