Made in 2003, the low-budget Japanese sex comedy, The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai has been playing in a handful of theaters in the United States since last April. Appearing either at film festivals or at midnight screenings, this very strange film is now available more widely on DVD. I can understand why the film has become a cult favorite, although my own feeling is that this is a film that is funnier to describe than actually see.

Sachiko is a prostitute who, after going to the wrong late night restaurant, witnesses a North Korean spy shoot an Arab spy following a disagreement. The North Korean spy shoots Sachiko in the head, with the result being that our girl finds herself absorbing heavy tomes on physics and philosophy, as well as unexpected psychic ability. As a result of confusion in the restaurant, Sachiko also finds herself in possession of the cloned finger of George W. Bush., and capable of setting off the machinery for nuclear destruction.

I’m going to have to assume that if you’re a relatively bright, but relatively bored freshman or sophomore at a big city university, seeing a couple engaging in sex while discussing Herman Melville, Noam Chomsky and Susan Sontag might strike you as hilarious. The DVD includes the Japanese trailer for the film featuring director Mitsuru Meike trying to set up a screening of his film for the Japanese Premiere Koizumi. This is a film with a lot of ambition in trying to be a political satire, as well as a satirical look at aspects of Japanese culture. Star Emi Kuroda is engaging in what has been her only film role to date. Some may find The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai to be hilarious in both concept and execution. Others may find that as inventive as the filmmakers may be with their limited budget, what’s on the screen is outrageous to describe but ultimately puerile as entertainment.