In the Realm of the Senses (1976) - ★½

Director: Nagisa Oshima
Writer: Nagisa Oshima
Stars: Tatsuya Fuji, Eiko Matsuda

Here comes the age old question, is it art or is it porn? In the Realm of the Senses is about 80% porn in my opinion. The acting is quite good, the music is nice, the costumes and cinematography is very well done. Unfortunately, the rest of the film consists of sex, masturbation and even kinkier sex. It's a labor of love from Nagisa Oshima, who shows us that sex is more than just 'touch' and how it feels. The smell, the taste, the sight and even the sound can maximize a person's desire and pleasure. In the end, it's basically a high-class Japanese porno.

Empire of Passion (1978) - ★★½

Director: Nagisa Oshima
Writers: Itoko Nakamura (Story), Nagisa Oshima
Stars: Tatsuya Fuji, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Takahiro Tamura

Empire of Passion is a majorly creepy movie. I'm not gonna lie, I felt the suspense all the way through it. That didn't stop the movie from being really boring though. All of the shouting and sex was overkill. Save for a few masterful scenes, Empire of Passion is a movie worth a watch, but not worth buying.