No matter where in the world, sex and violence in the cinema have always gone hand-in-hand.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />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 cooch!) 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.