Alicia I love this movie so much

Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Steineded How sad is this?

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

max-seitz-1990 Hausu is a movie that defies classification, lacking both a serious plot and capable actors. The director Obayashi presents his horror persiflage in an avantgarde and experimental fashion. At times, it can feel like a giant mixture of cinematic elements that were in vogue during that time - however, many sequences lack a common theme. Ultimately, these features lead to an interesting movie to analyze and explore, mostly for its artistic value.Overall 6/10 Full review on movie-discourse.blogspot.de

Woodyanders Sumptuous Japanese schoolgirl Gorgeous (stunning slender brunette Kimiko Ikegami) and her six best female friends travel to the countryside to spend summer vacation at a creaky rundown house owned by her ailing estranged aunt (a splendidly sinister portrayal by Yoko Minamida). The girls soon discover that said abode is overrun by evil demonic spirits that are intent on eating them.Director Nobuhiko Obayashi, working from a blithely berserk script by Chiho Katsura, brings a dazzling and wildly imaginative cinematic style and tremendously galvanizing go-for-it panache to the outrageous premise, maintains a breathless brisk pace throughout, pays affectionate homage to everything from cartoons to silent films, and tops everything off with a wickedly funny sense of kooky humor thanks to such jaw-dropping hysterical sights as a floating decapitated head biting a gal's butt, a lethal carnivorous piano, a bleeding clock, and a cat painting vomiting forth gallons of the red stuff. The terrifically tacky (not so) special effects, gaudy painted backdrops, obvious miniatures, goofy gore, and fake fruit punch blood all add immensely to this movie's considerable loopy pop-arty appeal. Moreover, the gals are all quite charming and fetching, with Miko Jinbo as the tough take-charge Kung-Fu, Ai Matsubara as the nerdy Prof, and Mieko Sato as the gluttonous Mac rating as the definite stand-outs. Yoshitaka Sakamoto's vibrant color cinematography provides a bright and splashy look. A totally bonkers blast.

WILLIAM FLANIGAN HOUSE (HAUSU). Viewed on Streaming. Restoration/preservation = ten (10) stars; cinematography = eight (8) stars; set design = five (5) stars; special effects = five (5) stars. Director Nobuhiko Obayashi (who is also credited as story writer, co-producer, and director of special effects) provides a high-spirited romp through the contemporary horror-film genre packed with creative and outrageous events. Obayashi has constructed a house haunted by a sweetly-appearing, senior-citizen apparition (formerly the aunt of a now visiting high school student accompanied by a half dozen of her classmates) who decidedly does not like sushi (or any other traditional Washoku). The place is filled with inorganic/organic objects who also have a taste (literally) for young, unmarried women including futons, a grand piano, light fixtures, a grandfather clock, and goldfish! And (as is often the case for ghost stories) there is a Neko (Koko No Shiro) mixed up in the proceedings (food preferences unknown). The film is mostly constructed of short takes (reminiscent of TV commercials) populated by miscast, under-experienced actresses (with the exception of Youko Minamida who portrays the spine-tingling ghost auntie) shown as having too much fun playing high school girls while group members are being devoured one by one! (Since the seven actresses are way beyond their high school days, perhaps they over dosed on silly, giggling, and mugging deliveries to help disguise things?) Restoration/preservation is outstanding. Cinematography (narrow screen, color) and lighting are very good. The use of the antiquated narrow-screen format seems to enhance the feeling of claustrophobia. Subtitles are close enough. Special effects are overly obvious, meant to be seen, and to be seen as cheesy (but imaginative)! They include models, glass shots, and jump cuts plus back and forth film reversals. There are always composite body parts floating around plus long shots of small, beautifully painted backdrops obviously erected roadside (next to nondescript fields) and apparently meant to be used for stationary vehicle medium shots. Clever and atypical nude scenes are inserted at the film's end. Set design includes (in the closing scenes) what is likely to be the longest sliding exterior door yet to appear in films. The score is particularly interesting with happy music always accompanying the most gruesome scenes! A great (and defining) cult film! WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Hitchcoc I'm generally pretty patient. I've sat through some really awful movies (not a positive trait). I almost jettisoned this one because I could hardly stand to listen to the high pitched screech of those girls. They are about as obtuse and non-realistic as they can be. Their dialogue is strained and utterly vacuous. They have names that describe qualities (except for Kung Fu, who has her own talents). I began not caring what happened to them. If this film was not part of the Criterion Collection, I would have mowed the lawn. That said, I haven't had such a bizarre experience since seeing David Lynch's "Eraserhead." I swear that this is a transcripted nightmare. It isn't a new idea in horror films to have a house that breathes as a life form, but none of the others (as far as I know) used tongue in cheek encounters and sight gags like this one does. As each of the girls is disposed of in some unique way, the others seem to endure. It's my understanding that the director, Obayashi, did a number of commercials. This would have added to the use of short episodic bits, tied together by a non-existent plot. Watch at your own risk and keep an open mind.