The Perfume of the Lady in Black – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1974
Director: Francesco Barilli
Writers: Francesco Barilli, Massimo D’Avak
Cast: Mimsy Farmer, Maurizio Bonuglia, Mario Scaccia, Jho Jhenkins, Nike Arrighi, Lara Wendel, Aleka Paizi, Renata Zamengo

Release Date: September 29th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 104 Minutes 28 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"Silvia (Farmer) is tormented by hallucinations from her troubled childhood, including her mother applying perfume in a black dress. Her mental state unravels as she struggles to separate her surreal visions from a series of violent occurrences." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "The Perfume of the Lady in Black was scanned in 4K at Augustus Color in Rome using the original 35mm negative. 4K HDR color correction and restoration work was undertaken at Filmfinity, London, where Phoenix image-processing tools were used to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, as well as repair damaged frames. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way."

The Perfume of the Lady in Black comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 91.8 GB

Feature: 72.3 GB

The Perfume of the Lady in Black has not fared well on home media; fortunately, this new transfer corrects that, and the result is something that is vastly superior in every way to those aforementioned releases. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras: 

Extras for this release include an image gallery (21 images - stills/lobby cards/soundtrack images/home video art/advertisements/posters), the international theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), the Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a then-and-now locations featurette titled The Locations of the Lady in Black (5 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), an interview with DJ and soundtrack enthusiast Lovely. Jon titled Notes of Black (33 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author Stephen Thrower titled The Perfume Affair (34 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio interview with actress Lara Wendel titled The Memories of the Lady in White (11 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Francesco Barilli titled Portrait in Black (24 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Francesco Barilli titled The Death of Cinema (16 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Francesco Barilli titled Exploring Beauty (19 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film historians Eugenio Ercolani, Troy Howarth, and Nathaniel Thompson, and an 80-page book with cast & crew information, an essay titled Scents and Sensibility or a Nose for Trouble written by Paul Duane, an archival profile of actress Mimsy Farmer titled Mimsy Farmer Begins Comeback at Twenty, a career-spanning archival interview with director Francesco Barilli titled Cinema Between Brush Strokesa conducted by Roberto Curti, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

When one thinks of Italian thrillers, the image of black-gloved killers lurking in the shadows often springs to mind. While not all Italian thrillers adhere to the aforementioned genre staples, very few have deviated significantly from this established formula since Mario Bava's The Girl Who Knew Too Much.

Content-wise, the two most obvious influences on Francesco Barilli’s The Perfume of the Lady in Black are Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now and Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby. In fact, one could go so far as to say that Roman Polanski’s cinematic style had the most undeniable influence on Francesco Barilli while making The Perfume of the Lady in Black. Besides the aforementioned Rosemary’s Baby, there are also many similarities that can be found between The Perfume of the Lady in Black and Roman Polanski’s Repulsion.

Although the narrative structure can be challenging at times, the climatic payoff is oddly appropriate and makes everything that has unfolded become clear. Between the hypnotic visuals, pitch-perfect pacing, and Nicola Piovani’s (Flavia the Heretic) evocative score, the overall style reinforces the fractured state of mind of The Perfume of the Lady in Black’s protagonist. From a production standpoint, The Perfume of the Lady in Black excels in just about every imaginable way.

Also exceptional are the performances from its entire cast, especially Mimsy Farmer (Four Flies on Grey Velvet) in the role of Silvia Hacherman, the protagonist of this film. This is easily one of the strongest performances of her career. Another performance of note is Lara Wendel (My Dear Killer) in the role of the adolescent Silvia.

Italian cinema has never shied from cloning whatever cinema was in vogue at the time. While there are certainly many moments in which The Perfume of the Lady in Black flamboyantly flaunts its influences, the end result is a film that, more than any other Italian film of the era, transcends its initial inspiration.

The Perfume of the Lady in Black makes its way to 4K UHD via a definitive release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 5,000 individually numbered units (4,000 4K UHDs and 1,000 Blu-rays) for the UK.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Death Carries a Cane – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1973
Director: Maurizio Pradeaux
Writers: Arpad DeRiso, Alfonso Balcázar, Jorge Martín, Maurizio Pradeaux
Cast: Robert Hoffmann, Nieves Navarro, George Martin, Anuska Borova, Serafino Profumo, Simón Andreu, Luciano Rossi

Release Date: September 29th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 19 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"Tourist Kitty (Navarro) stumbles upon a murder whilst looking through coin-operated binoculars. When witnesses start being gruesomely bumped off, Kitty teams up with boyfriend Alberto (Hoffmann) to try and find the black-clad killer... if he doesn’t find her first!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Death Carries a Cane was scanned in 4K at Augustus Color in Rome using the original 35mm negative. 4K HDR color correction and restoration work was undertaken at Filmfinity, London, where Phoenix image-processing tools were used to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, as well as repair damaged frames. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way."

Death Carries a Cane comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 72.4 GB

Feature: 64 GB

When compared to Vinegar Syndrome’s 2024 Blu-ray release, this new transfer improves upon it in every way. Vinegar Syndrome’s release has some minor debris; this new transfer is free of any debris. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, removable English SDH for the English language track, and removable English subtitles for Italian text when watching the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (52 images - stills/lobbycards/German pressbook/home video art/posters), a German theatrical trailer (2 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles), Tormentor VHS opening titles (3 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with Roberto Pregadio, the founder of Four Flies Records, who discusses Death Carries a Cane’s score and the work of its composer (16 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Eugenio Ercolani who provides an overview of director Maurizio Pradeaux’s career (15 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival career spanning interview with editor Eugenio Alabiso titled A Life in the Suite (21 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with film historians Eugenio Ercolani, Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, and an 80-page book with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Man for all Seasons written by Roberto Curti, an archival interview with actress Nieves Navarro conducted by José Luis Salvador Estébenez, an archival interview with actor George Martín conducted by José Luis Salvador Estébenez, an archival interview with actor Robert Hoffmann conducted by Michael Cholewa and Karsten Thuran, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Maurizio Pradeaux, whose limited filmography only includes one other giallo, Death Steps in the Dark.

The narrative revolves around a woman who is waiting for her boyfriend to show up, and she accidentally sees a murder as it happens.

The giallo genre had already begun to decline by the time Death Carries a Cane arrived. It is not surprising that the audience was starting to feel déjà vu. Content-wise, Death Carries a Cane bears several similarities to Luciano Ercoli’s Death Walks at Midnight. Both films feature a heroine who witnesses a murder, putting her life in grave danger. Most importantly, they both utilize the ever-exquisite Nieves Navarro (Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion) in the role of the witness, albeit in much different ways. And the similarities do not end there, as there are at least two more cast members from Death Walks at Midnight who appear in Death Carries a Cane: Simón Andreu (The Blood Splattered Bride) and Luciano Rossi (Forgotten Pistolero).

Narrative-wise, Death Carries a Cane has all the ingredients that one would want in a giallo. Unfortunately, the ways in which said assets of the genre are employed greatly affect the outcome of Death Carries a Cane. After an exemplary opening sequence in which a young woman’s murder sets everything in motion, the film goes slightly awry. As the narrative shifts its focus from the leading lady, who witnessed the crime, to her boyfriend, who takes over the investigation, the pacing slows considerably. As a result, the story fails to regain its momentum until the final act.

When it comes to the crucial kill sequences, there is much left to be desired. Sure, the killer has a disability that affects their mobility. And yet, despite this, the killer is able to outfox and subdue, in a timely fashion, his victims. Out of all of the kill scenes, only one leaves a strong impression, and it is a death scene that takes place in a moving car. Besides this scene, the bulk of the film and its kill scenes are rather bland, even by Giallo standards.

As mentioned before, Death Carries a Cane’s biggest misstep is its misuse of its leading lady, Nieves Navarro, who is all but relegated to the background for large sections of the film. The moments featuring her character, particularly the finale where she hides in a greenhouse from the killer, are among the most satisfying in Death Carries a Cane.

Without a doubt, death carries a cane. The weakest link is its leading man, Robert Hoffmann (Spasmo), in the role of Nieves Navarro’s boyfriend. He gives a wooden performance that makes him a hard protagonist to care for. There is one other performance of note, and that would be Luciano Rossi, who plays a minor role as one of this film’s many red herrings. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, Death Carries a Cane is a lot of fun. Nieves Navarro delivers a scene-stealing performance, and for most Giallo fans, it delivers when it comes to this genre's staples.

Death Carries a Cane makes its way to 4K UHD via a definitive release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 5,000 individually numbered units (4,000 4K UHDs and 1,000 Blu-rays) for the UK.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Best Christmas Movies Ever!: Special Extended Edition – MVD Rewind Collection (Blu-ray)

Release Date: USA, 2024
Director: Mark A. Altman

Release Date: September 30th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 98 Minutes 1 Second
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Interlaced / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Get ready to relive the greatest holiday movie moments of all time in Best Christmas Movies Ever!--a festive and fun-filled documentary that takes you on a nostalgic journey through the most beloved Christmas classics. Featuring exclusive interviews with stars, filmmakers, and critics, this special presentation features an extended cut of the film and explores the heartwarming stories, behind-the-scenes secrets, and lasting impact of iconic films like Home Alone, Elf, The Santa Clause, Miracle on 34th Street, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, It's a Wonderful Life, and more—including the ultimate debate: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering these holiday treasures for the first time, Best Christmas Movies Ever! is the perfect companion to your favorite holiday movies. Cozy up with your loved ones, grab some hot cocoa, and celebrate the spirit of the season with this must-watch Christmas documentary!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video:

Best Christmas Movies Ever! comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.2 GB

Feature: 23 GB

This documentary uses film clips, on-set footage, and other archival materials, and the quality varies. That said, the newly filmed interviews look the best.

Audio:

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a DTS-HD stereo mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a trailer (1 minute 26 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), deleted and extended scenes (28 minutes 47 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), 'Best Christmas Movies Ever': Live At GalaxyCon featuring director Mark A. Altman (40 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Mark A. Altman and producer Scott Mantz, a collectible mini poster (limited to first pressing), and a slipcover (limited to first pressing).

Summary:

Christmas is one of the most cherished times of year; it is a holiday that transcends its religious origins. Best Christmas Movies Ever! is a documentary that discusses cinema’s most celebrated Christmas films. Though the focal point is the films, this documentary also explores traditions, toys, and what makes a Christmas movie. Despite all of the films being Christmas-related, this documentary breaks them down into specific subcategories and explains the reason for each category. Talking heads provide thoughts and background information, and the documentary includes an ample amount of clips from films being discussed. That said, Best Christmas Movies Ever! is a well-made documentary that ultimately connects with one's nostalgia.

MVD Rewind Collection gives Best Christmas Movies Ever! a solid release, highly recommended. 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Daiei Gothic Vol 2: Japanese Ghost Stories: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1960 (The Demon of Mount Oe), Japan, 1969 (The Haunted Castle), Japan, 1970 (The Ghost of Kasane Swamp)
Directors: Tokuzô Tanaka (The Demon of Mount Oe, The Haunted Castle), Kimiyoshi Yasuda (The Ghost of Kasane Swamp)
Cast: Kazuo Hasegawa, Raizô Ichikawa, Shintarô Katsu, Kôjirô Hongô, Ganjirô Nakamura, Yutaka Nakamura (The Demon of Mount Oe), Kôjirô Hongô, Kobayashi, Mitsuyo Kamei, Ikuko Môri, Shôsaku Sugiyama, Yûsaku Terashima, Rokkô Toura, Kôichi Uenoyama (The Haunted Castle), Saburô Date, Kenjirô Ishiyama, Ritsu Ishiyama, Reiko Kasahara, Maya Kitajima (The Ghost of Kasane Swamp)

Release Date: October 13th, 2025 (UK), October 14th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 113 minutes 51 Seconds (The Demon of Mount Oe), 82 minutes 31 Seconds (The Haunted Castle), 82 minutes 34 Seconds (The Ghost of Kasane Swamp)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £37.49 (UK), $79.95 (USA)

"In The Demon of Mount Oe, a group of mighty warriors is sent to eliminate a demon who steals women from the imperial capital of Kyoto. On the way, they face a satanic bull, a giant spider and a diabolical witch, but the closer they come to their goal, the more they realize that the demon they've been ordered to kill is far more human than they were led to believe.

In The Haunted Castle, a blind monk is killed in a cowardly manner by a samurai lord. When the monk's sister is ordered to become the lord's concubine, she commits suicide and transfers her grudge to their black cat, who assumes the human form of one of the lord's ladies-in-waiting and begins to wreak havoc around the castle court. The lord's Machiavellian right-hand man (Rokko Toura, Kuroneko) and a young swordsman (Kojiro Hongo, The Bride from Hades) combine forces to solve the mystery and stop the supernatural menace.

In The Ghost of Kasane Swamp a samurai's wife tries to repay her husband's debt with her body but is caught in bed with the money lender and they are both murdered by her husband who dumps their bodies in a nearby swamp. Shingoro and Oshiga, the money lender and samurai's children, find a curse has been passed to them as they each try to recover the money.” - Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (The Demon of Mount Oe), 4.5/5 (The Haunted Castle, The Ghost of Kasane Swamp)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "The Demon of Mount Oe, The Haunted Castle and The Ghost of Kasane Swamp were scanned in 4K resolution at Imagica laboratory in Toyko, Japan. The films were restored by Radiance Films at Heavenly Movie Corporation using the Phoenix system to remove dirt, debris, scratches and other damage to the image. Color grading was performed using DeVinci Resolve." 

The Demon of Mount Oe comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.9 GB

Feature: 31 GB

The Haunted Castle comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.2 GB

Feature: 22.4 GB

The Ghost of Kasane Swamp comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.3 GB

Feature: 22.6 GB

The sources for these three films are comparable. All of these presentations look excellent except for some imperfections in The Demon of Mount Oe’s opening credits. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and they all retain an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. All audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for In The Demon of Mount Oe include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 56 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Tom Mes titled Blade of the Demon Slayer (4 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Japanese film clips), and an interview with period film historian Taichi Kasuga (18 minutes 55 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles).

Extras for The Haunted Castle include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 10 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Tom Mes titled The Strange Case of Ikuko Mori (5 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Japanese film clips), and an interview with J-horror filmmaker Mari Asato (17 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles).

Extras for The Ghost of Kasane Swamp include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 22 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a video essay by ghost story scholar Zack Davisson titled A Legacy of Ghosts (12 minutes 16 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with J-horror filmmaker Norio Tsuruta (17 minutes 36 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), and a select-scene audio commentary by horror film scholar Lindsay Nelson (24 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include an 80-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Sympathy for the Oni written by Amber T, an essay titled Saga of the Ghost Cat written by Jasper Sharp, an essay titled Sins of the Fathers written by Tom Mes, the original ghost stories The Goblin of Oeyama and The Vampire Cat written by F. Hadland Davis, an archival writing titled Reading Encho Sanyutei’s Shinkei Kasane Ga Fuchi (The True View at the Kasane Marsh) written by Daniel O’Neill, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

The Demon of Mount Oe: A group of samurai receives the task of rescuing a trio of women whom a shapeshifting demon kidnapped.

Tokuzô Tanaka directed The Demon of Mount Oe. He’s known for Killer Whale, New Tale of Zatoichi, Zatoichi the Fugitive, Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade, Zatoichi's Vengeance, Sleepy Eyes of Death: Hell Is a Woman, Shinobi: Siege, The Snow Woman, The Betrayal, and eight films in the Bad Reputation series.

The Demon of Mount Oe blends the Chanbara film with the supernatural. Throughout there is a heavy emphasis on fantastical elements like a magical sword that glows, a satanic bull, and a giant spider. Although the supernatural and fantasy elements are pushed front and center, elements synonymous with Chanbara films are still effectively exploited and integrated into the story that unfolds.

The opening setup does an excellent job establishing characters and setting the tone. The narrative does a superb job building momentum to an exemplary ending rooted in honor instead of bloodshed. Another strength of the narrative is how effectively it employs flashbacks to further enhance its characters.

All of the performances are excellent. The standout performance is Sachiko Hidari's (A Fugitive from the Past) portrayal of Ibaragi-dôji, a shapeshifting demoness. Her character is given an outstanding introduction where she hides her true identity before unleashing her fury on a samurai. Notable cast members are Raizô Ichikawa (Shinobi: Band of Assassins) in the role of a general and Shintarô Katsu (The Tale of Zatoichi) in the role of a samurai. It is Shintarô Katsu’s character who cuts off Ibaragi-dôji’s arm in a confrontation, only to lose it to her when she deceives him later, pretending to be his aunt.

The Demon of Mount Oe, like so many Chanbara films, is rooted in revenge. Shuten-dôji is the man who leads a gang of bandits who live on Mount Oe; he wants to change this rotten world and wants revenge against those who betrayed him. To complete his quest, Shuten-dôji allies with Ibaragi-dôji, who has grudges of her own. Ultimately, The Demon of Mount Oe is a very satisfying blend of supernatural and action whose stylish visuals' use of bold colors greatly heightens the mood.

The Haunted Castle: A woman seeking revenge turns to the world of the supernatural when a samurai lord murders her brother.

Tokuzô Tanaka directed The Haunted Castle. He’s known for Killer Whale, New Tale of Zatoichi, Zatoichi the Fugitive, Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade, Zatoichi's Vengeance, Sleepy Eyes of Death: Hell Is a Woman, Shinobi: Siege, The Snow Woman, The Betrayal, and eight films in the Bad Reputation series.

The Haunted Castle is a significant film; it was the first full-color widescreen Kaibyō film. Based in Japanese folklore, Kaibyō are supernatural cats who have the ability to shapeshift into human form. Some notable Kaibyō films are The Ghost-Cat Cursed Wall, Black Cat Mansion, Blind Woman's Curse, A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse, and Hausu.

The Haunted Castle is equal parts supernatural and Chanbara film. The opening setup does a phenomenal job setting the stage for what follows. When the warlord Tangonokami Nabeshime becomes infatuated with Sayo, the sister of a blind monk, whose family, which has fallen from power, still enjoys a life of luxury. Unable to convince the blind monk to relinquish his sister, Tangonokami Nabeshime, filled with rage, murders him. From there, Sayo makes the ultimate sacrifice, unleashing a vengeful spirit upon her death.

The standout performance is Ikuko Môri’s (The Great Yokai War) portrayal of Sawanoi, the malevolent spirit summoned by Sayo. For what would be her final performance, she delivers a menacing performance that dominates. That said, the rest of the performances work well within the story that unfolds.

The Haunted Castles' most enduring asset is its ability to deliver atmosphere and create foreboding moments filled with dread. The narrative is well-executed but truly stands out during the encounters with the malevolent spirit. Additionally, the visuals play a crucial role in enhancing the overall mood. The most striking moment visually is the scene where a cat drinks Sayo’s blood. Ultimately, The Haunted Castle is an exemplary example of Kaibyō film, making it a must-see for fans of Japanese supernatural horror.

The Ghost of Kasane Swamp: A samurai discovers a blind masseur in bed with his wife and kills him. From there a series of supernatural events unfold against those who profit from the blind masseur's death.

Kimiyoshi Yasuda directed The Ghost of Kasane Swamp. He’s known for Daimajin, Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters, Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts, Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Satan, Sleepy Eyes of Death: In the Spider's Lair, and six Zatoichi films.

Greed drives The Ghost of Kasane Swamp’s narrative, the killing and robbing of a blind masseur, leads to a series of unfortunate mishaps for those who try to obtain what was stolen. Adapted from Enchô San'yûtei’s Shinkei Kasane ga fuchi, this story has been adapted multiple times. Notable versions include The Passion of a Woman Teacher, The Depths, and Ghost Story: Depth of Kagami. The Ghost of Kasane Swamp was one of the last films Daiei Studios released before declaring bankruptcy in December of 1971.

While the supernatural elements are significant in the story, they primarily appear in the opening setup and the finale. The deceased return as vengeful spirits who torment those who killed them by driving them insane and causing their demise. That said, when faced with the opportunity to do what's right, characters do the opposite, sealing their fate.

All of the performances are excellent. The standout performance is Maya Kitajima’s (Island of Horrors) portrayal of Oshiga, the murdered blind masseur’s money-hungry daughter. Although she is driven by greed like most of the characters, there is a wickedness about her actions that sets her apart from the rest of them. Another performance of note is Ritsu Ishiyama (The Fort of Death) in the role of Shingoro Fukami, the son of the samurai who murdered his wife and the blind masseur. This character is also romantically involved with Oshiga.

Although there is a familiarity to the story that unfolds, the result is something that always holds your attention. The narrative does an excellent job drawing you in, and from there it does a superb job building momentum to an exemplary finale where characters receive their just dues. The visuals play a significant role; they are filled with atmosphere, and there are numerous arresting moments that heighten the mood. Ultimately, The Ghost of Kasane Swamp is a well-made supernatural horror film that fans of Japanese gothic horror cinema will thoroughly enjoy.

Daiei Gothic Vol 2: Japanese Ghost Stories is an exceptional release from Radiance Films; all three films have strong audio/video presentations and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer