March 31 - April 18 At the opposite end of the stereotype of docile Japanese women—heroic good mothers, chaste daughters and hardworking faithful wives—actresses Ayako Wakao, Mariko Okada and Meiko Kaji embodied the transgression of limits, breaking rules, flouting norms and generally upsetting everyone. This series explores the idea of unconventional beauty that these spellbinding actresses created through an unparalleled body of films. Both Wakao and Okada were muses and inspiration for two major film directors, Yasuzo Masumura and Kiju (Yoshishige) Yoshida, respectively, while Kaji navigated between filmmakers, a wild card of Japanese cinema at the time. Put together, their films delineate what one could call an aesthetic of “convulsive beauty” (André Breton). Featuring a line-up of 13 films of many different genre, from anti-melodrama to jidaigeki, girl gang movies to women in prison films, with entries from Kiju Yoshida, Yasuzo Masumura and Toshiya Fujita. Don't miss the DRESSED TO KILL party following the opening screening of "Tattoo," Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 7:30 PM. Visit http://www.japansociety.org/content.cfm/mad_bad__dangerous_to_know for full line-up and schedule. Buy Tickets Online or please call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. - Fri. 11 am - 6 pm, Weekends 11 am - 5 pm.