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Stars: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Ayuko Fujishiro, Atsushi Watanabe, Sentarô Fushimi, Jûshirô Konoe, Yumiko Mihara, Kikugorô Onoe, Hiroko Sakuramachi, Tosshô Sawamura | Directed by Tai Kato

Japanese horror films are some of the most disturbing and nerve-rattling pieces of cinema in history. There is one thing for sure: Japanese filmmakers know how to make horror films that will stick with you for years.

Radiance Film have been releasing Japanese cinema on Blu-ray for a while now. And I must say they never cease to amaze me with the quality of the Blu-rays. Now it is time for a 60s Japanese horror film to receive the same treatment – The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost from 1961.

When the daughter of an elite family takes a shine to poor samurai Iemon, he sees an opportunity to climb the social ladder. He just needs to rid himself of his only obstacle: his loving wife Oiwa. He poisons...

Just before WW2, the militarized Japanese state imposed movies that dealt with the Tokugawa period to the industry. As a reaction to this tactic, a number of filmmakers turned towards the Meiji era, with Mizoguchi being one of the first to do so, with “The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums”, which many consider his greatest pre-war achievement. The script is based on the autobiography of Kabuki actor Kikunosuke Onoue, and is essentially a melodrama that stands apart due to the rather thorough look at the world of Kabuki, including both tradition and interpersonal relations.

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The story unfolds in 1885 Tokyo, where Kikugoro Onoe, a famous kabuki actor, has adopted Kikunosuke, who appears on the stage in female parts, trying to continue the great career of his father. The rest of the troupe’s members praise Kiku’s performances,...