This new box set from Radiance Films is stunning at first glance and it has much to offer:
The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959)
Following her murder, a samurai’s wife comes back to haunt him. The story here takes a long while to get really started leaving the film feeling like a drama filled with gossip, cheating, etc. Until the murder and subsequent haunting, the film doesn’t feel all that spooky or gothic. Once these happen, the mood shifts, and the film becomes much more interesting and entertaining. The cast here does well and cinematography is quite pretty, both coming together to keep the viewers interested until the story really gets started. The last image here is absolutely beautiful and it leaves an impression.
The extras for The Ghost of Yotsuya are interesting with the high-definition digital transfer looking and sounding quite good on the Blu-Ray disc. The most interesting extra here is the new interview with Kiyoshi Kurosawa closely followed by visual essay on the story’s adaptations and history.
The Bride from Hades (aka Peony Lantern) (1968)
On Obon night, a man falls in love with a ghost which has dire consequences. The film here is lovely to watch with great cinematography and a visually interesting look. The ghosts here are interesting and entertaining to watch, their, for lack of a better word, mayhem is fun even. The film here is probably the best of this set but only passing The Snow Woman by about an inch.
The extras for this one are similar to the previous film with a solid new interview with Hiroshi Takahashi, a good commentary, and a great new 4K restoration.
The Snow Woman (1968)
While just a little behind The Brides from Hades in terms of quality, The Snow Woman is this viewer’s favorite of the three films here. The story here is reminiscent of Lover’s Vow, one of the stories from Tales from the Darkside, which granted came much later so the inspiration is likely The Snow Woman for Lover’s Vow. The similarities are numerous but with enough differences to see them as separate entities. The acting here is good, and the costumes are superb. The cinematography is on point, making the film look so pretty.
This last film in the set also boasts a great new 4K restoration and some good extras. The interview with Masayuki Ochial and the visual essay about Lafcadio Heam is interesting.
The set as a whole is a great addition to the collection of Japanese Gothic stories, those who like to see where certain story beats came from, and for those who love a good, yet almost quiet tale to chill the blood.