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Posted on 11.05.07 by David @ 11:44 am
AKA: Kaidan Hebi-onna Review By: David Austin  Those whose previous exposure to Japanese horror maestro Nobuo Nakagawa is limited to Jigoku will be in for a surprise with Snake Woman’s Curse. Jigoku is a surrealist masterpiece, whereas Snake Woman’s Curse is a far more conventional piece, very much based in traditional kaidan or ghost stories of the sort performed by repertory Kabuki companies every summer (an experience I heartily recommend). Snake Woman’s Curse starts off on a highly surreal note, with an opening montage of snakes and spirits, but never returns to its offbeat roots until the finale. Rather, the majority of the film is a steady drama setting up the eventual ghostly vengeance. Filed under: Movie Reviews and Movie Reviews: Japan and DVD Reviews and DVD Reviews: Japan and Contributors: David and DVD Companies: Panik House and DVD Companies: Synapse Films and Rating: Average ★★ and People: Nobuo Nakagawa and Studios: Toei and People: Tetsuro Tamba Comments: None |
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Posted on 09.17.07 by David @ 9:59 am
AKA: Edogawa ranpo taizen: Kyofu kikei ningen Review By: David Austin  Teruo Ishii’s Horrors of Malformed Men has a long history as a film more heard of than seen. Banned for years (and still unavailable in Japan), rumors of a cult film nonpareil have sprung up in the absence of the genuine article. Having finally seen it, I can say that, taboo-bursting freak-out that it is, films of more recent vintage have certainly surpassed it in terms of sheer offensiveness and grotesquerie. However, to say that is not to say that they have surpassed it in terms of artistry or creative vision. There, Horrors of Malformed Men has the advantage of being the child of three fathers, each ground-breaking in their own field: director Teruo Ishii, theatrical pioneer Tatsumi Hijikata, and author Edogawa Rampo. Filed under: General and Movie Reviews and Movie Reviews: Japan and DVD Reviews and DVD Reviews: Japan and DVD Companies: Panik House and DVD Companies: Synapse Films and People: Teruo Ishii Comments: 2 Comments |
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Posted on 06.17.07 by David @ 9:52 am
 Panik House and Synapse have finally given dates for the first of their long-awaited collaborations on classic Japanese genre films. Nobuo Nakagawa’s Snake Woman’s Curse and Teruo Ishii’s infamous Horrors of Malformed Men finally will hit shelves on August 28 as special editions with a host of extras, including commentaries and essays, restored anamorphic transfers, and a new documentary on Horror that includes interviews with Shinya Tsukamoto and Minoru Kawasaki (of Calamari Wrestler fame). Filed under: Movie News and DVD News and DVD News: Japan and DVD Companies: Panik House and DVD Companies: Synapse Films Comments: None |
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Posted on 03.05.07 by David @ 8:21 am
Fans enjoying the diverse output of niche companies like NoShame, Criterion, Panik House, Blue Underground and Mondo Macabro will definitely want to take a look at this article on the problems these companies are having competing with the big boys in the oversaturated DVD market. ::: For Obscure DVDs, a Precarious Future Thanks to Lang Thompson on Mobius for pointing this out. Filed under: Movie News and Movie News: USA and DVD News and DVD Companies: Criterion Collection and DVD Companies: NoShame Films and DVD Companies: Mondo Macabro and DVD Companies: Panik House and DVD Companies: Blue Underground and DVD Companies: Synapse Films and DVD Companies: Anchor Bay and DVD Companies: Palm Pictures Comments: 1 Comment |
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Posted on 09.07.06 by David @ 3:16 pm
For those who enjoyed the Pinky Violence box set (see review here), and the sleazy, violent girl gambler films of Reiko Ike (see here and here), the next year holds some wonderful treats. Panik House and Synapse, two companies that have each brought an incredibly high level of quality and care to their releases of some of the most outlandish genre films of all time, have teamed up to release seven classics of Japanese exploitation and genre cinema. Filed under: Movie News and DVD News and DVD News: Japan and DVD Companies: Panik House and DVD Companies: Synapse Films and People: Teruo Ishii Comments: None |
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