Review #737: House.
Cast
Kimiko Ikegami (Gorgeous), Miki Jinbo (Kung Fu), Kumiko Oba (Fantasy), Ai Matubara (Prof), Mieko Sato (Mac), Eriko Tanaka (Melody), Masayo Miyako (Sweet), Yōko Minamida (Auntie), Kiyohiko Ozaki (Keisuke Tôgô), Saho Sasazawa (Father), and Ryoko Ema (Haruko Wanibuchi) Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi.
Review
I don't know what to say. This is...weird. But for me, it's the kind of weirdness that I embrace. This Japanese world cinema film (also known as Hausu) came from Toho, who wanted to get in on the popularity of Jaws, with Obayashi only directing because no other director wanted to do it. And yes, the story of the movie was done by Chigumi Obayashi, his daughter. Production notes aside, the movie itself is an experience to behold. This is not a horror movie in the conventional sense, nor is it a horror-comedy in that way either. Yes, people do killed in the movie. I never thought I'd be laughing after seeing a head fly out a well, laugh, and then bite someone before fluttering away. In terms of the acting, it resonates well with the manic pace, especially regarding Jinbo and her action scenes. There is no comparison because House is in a league of its own, especially with the effects, which fit the tone of the movie, being as intentionally weird and unrealistic. Here you get to see seven girls deal with a haunted horror house, all while enjoying yourself and trying to find the jigsaw pieces that make this puzzle. But the real fun is watching the jigsaw puzzle become more and more jumbled, eventually ending weirder than when the movie first began. This is the kind of movie you watch late at night, not so much for the horror, but just to enjoy the ride and embrace the weirdness.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
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