‘Tokyo Psycho’? ‘Tokyo Rampage’?! Why Not ‘Porno Star’ by Toshiaki Toyoda?!

Not the kind of things that’s massively important in the whole scheme of things, you know, but we are a film site and this is the sort of thing which riles me and it’s an obvious place to talk about such an issue - rather than hide it in a forum where many fear to tread - so forgive the critical nature, we always try to remain fair and positive but some issues simply aren’t, and this is no more level of critical discussion and thought than I see elsewhere…

Remeber a while back I managed to spot Image Entertainment were to issue Toshiaki Toyoda’s long-awaited ’Porno Star‘ in the USA on DVD? The issue was this, that they were retitling it ’Tokyo Psycho‘ and were to release it during April 2006, and it wouldn’t have been that long after Panik House’s DVD (well, film) of the same name. Reasonably quickly the news trickled out that they were to change the name in order to avoid any potential confusion (which had already started to happen online) between the two entirely different films.

Fine, stick ’Porno Star‘ on the artwork then, hopefully maintain it on the data you use for the disc contents too; the titles on the opening of the film, for example. Nope? What’s that? ’Tokyo Rampage‘?! Blimey, what a mistake to make. Really, I am trying to think through the reasoning, can’t find a way around the possible logic of it all. Year after year people have discussed the film online as a prime example of a film that’s wanted an official release with English Subtitles, and now we get one it’s being fiddled with. I mean, if it’s a ‘Best Buy’ issue - that they might not stock a title with ‘Porno Star’ but will accept ‘Tokyo Psycho’ or ‘Tokyo Rampage’ and that cover - well you have to wonder if films just don’t occassionally get treated a little oddly (’Porno’ less acceptable than ‘Psycho’s? Death over sex? - any day), and this is one of those rare issues that goes hand-in-hand with more common ones of odd translations in subtitles, strange editing, lack of publicity and so on.

I hate to sound harsh, but this is another of those little niggling things that I know people want to disappear, and from the reactions I see in forums to the apparent trivialities I am far from alone and it actually makes for a strange impact on the market that goes way beyond the actual merits of the original issues. It just makes everything feel as though the money that’s plonked down for something that’s already expensive could not give as complete and perfect a representation of the film as could possibly be given, that things might be corrected at a later date rather now. Please, Image Entertainment, let us know why ’Tokyo Rampage‘ and not the very very familiar and recognisable ’Porno Star‘ that the core market is looking out for. I know the title isn’t representative of the content, and there’s a larger market than the core one, but it is the films title. Oh, and release date has shifted from April to August 29th 2006. What ever the title, in the end, I want the film, and that’s the important thing - just wish it was an unblemished release.

‘Porno Star‘ from Image Entertainment, under the title ’Tokyo Rampage‘ now. Not ’Tokyo Psycho‘.