Tokyo housewife Yasuko Honda (Keiko Takahashi, the director’s wife) has a workaholic husband named Saturo (Shirô Shimomoto) who has been called away for out-of-town duty for a few days, so she is home alone with her elementary-school–age son Takuto (Takuto Yonezu). Already fed up with the frequent intrusions of door-to-door salesmen, because of whom she keeps her door locked and latched, she is highly frustrated when salesman Yamakawa (Daijirô Tsutsumi) slips his hand through her chained door to offer a brochure. She slams the door on his hand, instantly making an enemy of the man, who becomes bent on revenge.Read More »
Japan
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Banmei Takahashi – Doa AKA Door (1988)
Banmei Takahashi1981-1990HorrorJapanMystery -
Atsushi Shimizu – Umezu Kazuo: Kyôfu gekijô – Negai AKA Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater: The Wish (2005)
Atsushi Shimizu2001-2010HorrorJapanA lonely schoolboy finds block of wood in the shape of human head. He and the makeshift puppet-doll become friends and playmates. But it’s not long before things go from innocent to downright scary.Read More »
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Noboru Iguchi – Umezu Kazuo: Kyôfu gekijô – Madara no shôjo AKA Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater: Snake Girl (2005)
Noboru Iguchi2001-2010HorrorJapanYumiko has been invited by her cousin to spend their summer vacation in a rural village. But once they arrive, Yumiko is made to feel unwelcome by the locals who keep referring to her as “Snake Girl”.Read More »
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Tadafumi Itô – Umezu Kazuo: Kyôfu gekijô – Zesshoku AKA Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater: Ambrosia (2005)
2001-2010HorrorJapanTadafumi ItôAn overweight girl goes on an excessive diet to impress a guy who dumped her. She succeeds, but when she appears in front of her ex once again, the appetite she suppressed for so long springs back to life.Read More »
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Kiyoshi Kurosawa – Umezu Kazuo: Kyôfu gekijô – Mushi-tachi no ie AKA Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater: House of Bugs (2005)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa2001-2010HorrorJapanRenji, a young husband appears to be cheating on his wife. He thinks she is having an affair with her cousin. She retreats to a large upstairs room covered in cobwebs and is trying to will herself into becoming an insect, just like the character in Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
House of Bugs is an impressively constructed tale, flashing forwards and backwards in time as well as dodging between different characters’ viewpoints. It’s beautifully acted and slowly builds to a creepy dream-like climax.Read More »
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Kôji Fukada – Yokogao AKA A Girl Missing (2019)
Kôji Fukada2011-2020DramaJapanIchiko is a care-giver and a nurse. She provide home-care to the Oishos’ elderly woman and is almost considered part of the family as she visits and performs her tasks routinely. What is more, Ichiko is helping Oisho Motoko to also become a care-giver and potentially replace her one day. The two have become close, which is useful when Motoko’s sister Saki disappears. She is returned safely one week later, but the kidnapper is too close to homeRead More »
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Takashi Miike – Gokudô kuroshakai AKA Rainy Dog (1997)
1991-2000CrimeDramaJapanTakashi MiikeA Japanese assassin stranded in Taiwan must take work from a local crime boss to make ends meet when suddenly a woman from his past delivers a son to him.Read More »
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Tomoyasu Murata – Indigo Road (2006)
2001-2010AnimationJapanShort FilmTomoyasu MurataSynopsis
The My Road series—Scarlet Road (2002), White Road (2003), Indigo Road (2006), and the most recent instalment Lemon Road (2008)—can be read as meditations on loss and mourning. These poetic films tell their story through motif, character expression, music and montage and require repeated viewing for one to absorb the subtly evoked layers of meaning.(Source: Midnight Eye)Read More »
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Kunio Shimizu & Sôichirô Tahara – Arakajime ushinawareta koibitotchiyo AKA Lost Lovers (1971)
1971-1980ArthouseDramaJapanKunio ShimizuSôichirô TaharaTakeru (Renji Ishibashi), a young rebel, is travelling alone in the North of Honshu. He once used to practice pole vaulting but he gave up and became a robber. Along his trip he crosses the path of a young couple doing a performance for a super market. Fascinated by both of them but probably a bit attracted by the mysterious silent girl (Kaori Momoi), he decides to follow them. He starts to realize that they have no other means of communication than their hands and gestures. One night, some young laborers from the town kidnap the girl and rape her. The next morning, Takeru and his friend (Tenmei Kanō) head to the mine in order to find the girl and avenge her.Read More »