Door III

An ambitious insurance saleswoman is stalked by a mysterious client and haunted by otherworldly ghouls in this film by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. This is probably the earliest film in Kiyoshi's portfolio that powerfully exhibits his trademark style (especially the camera-work and sound effects) as well as a number of elements that would serve as the foundation for his subsequent films (e.g., the effects of the supernatural on the mind, ghosts, shadows, suicide, etc.). Fans of this director should get a real kick out of recognizing these elements and assigning them to specific sequences in his other works (he even breaks out the plastic sheeting at one point). Most of these elements were better implemented in his future outings, but they still have a certain effectiveness here.

"Door 3" does have its own personal foundation with its ubiquitous themes of seduction (and society-based expectations of women to sleep their way up the business ladder) as well as a science fiction component. The ending is weak, but the film as a whole is still pretty cool and far more entertaining than "Guard from the Underground" (1992), "Eyes of the Spider" (1998), or "Bright Future" (2003).

If you're a fan of this director and have tapped out all of his horror entries – including "Sweet Home" (1989) – then you should probably move on to this one. It's not a great film, but it's surely a treat.