Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters

The first in Daiei Film's Yokai Monsters trilogy, 100 Monsters is a bizarre mix of samurai movie and the supernatural, its weird and wonderful monsters (or yokai) based on traditional illustrations from Japanese folklore.

The film sees a ruthless lord and a corrupt magistrate resorting to underhand methods, including murder, to get their hands on some valuable real estate currently occupied by a shrine and tenement buildings, their plan being to tear down the existing structures and build a brothel. Ronin Yasutaro (Jun Fujimaki) stands up to the bad guys, but more unusual help comes in the form of the yokai, ghostly monsters who appear on the scene after the land-hungry villains fail to conduct a curse eliminating ritual after a story-telling ceremony.

Using old-school techniques to bring the fantastical creatures to life (men in manky costumes, some puppetry, and crude animation), the film is unlikely to wow modern viewers with its special effects, but there's an undeniable charm to the lo-fi approach and the sheer silliness of the monster designs is endearing (a long-necked woman, a one-legged umbrella and faceless people). Sadly, there just isn't enough of the yokai throughout the film, the bulk of the movie focusing on Yasutaro's run-ins with the bad guys - routine samurai drama that fails to excite.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for the giant slit-mouthed floating head - now that was genuinely creepy!

Definitely a movie of quite noticeable ups and downs.

To start with the cons/get through the negatives first, it's a bit of a slog at times thanks to pacing issues, the story is unfocused, and there's not enough monster shenanigans.

The pros are that when the monsters do appear on screen, they're a lot of fun, and the effects are quite creative. It's also anti-landlord, which is always good to see, and there are a few very visually appealing and eerie shots here and there.

Plus, the final 15 minutes does admittedly go pretty hard. Just feels a little slow-going to get there at times.

This is one of the three great Japanese Yokai movies that ADV has released. All the monsters in it are based on Japanese folklore and traditional art. It isn't as silly as "Spook Warfare" (Yôkai daisensô), which was more of a kids comedy, but it is still a lot of fun and has some genuinely creepy moments. The plot is about a wicked developer who is brutally trying to drive people out of an apartment building and destroy a nearby shrine. Of course this makes the the Yokai monsters angry and they retaliate. Movies like this are almost as much about the monsters though as the plot. Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters has some funny monsters and great costumes for a 60's Japanese monster flick. I recommend it.

This is a bizarre type of movie that I have seen and is pretty unique. The story is basic with a greedy landowner who intends to tear down a local shrine to build a brothel until something bad happens. Things gets interesting when he does a ceremony of different tales of yokai and the evil spirits appear. I wish we could learn more about each yokai in the movie and their backstory to them. But it's bizarre and interesting to see each yokai that appears in the movie and the things they do throughout. The movie has a pretty good atmosphere to it with the music that plays throughout the movie and is built up pretty well throughout. Although the movie takes a while to get going. Also, I felt some yokai are underutilized since it only appeared in one or two scenes, and they don't do that much in the movie. But the climax itself is both crazy and pretty fun to watch with each of the yokai that appear in it. Since the movie is really short, the characters aren't really that fully developed or that interesting. Most of them are one-dimensional and have little to offer from them. He yokai are an interesting type of spirits that I have seen, and they have bizarre designs to them. I really think the effects hold up pretty well for the time it was made. They have a bizarre appearance to them and give off a spooky vibe to them. My favorite yokai is the umbrella one who is both weird and pretty memorable.

100 Monsters is a bizarre type of movie that I have seen that is recommended on the bizarre nature it has in it.

The first film in a series that inspired the recent Great Yokai War. Directed by a veteran of the Zatoichi series and the excellent samurai/horror/kaiju film, Daimajin, this film is ably done and moves along at a good pace. The plot isn't much as it's a rather typical samurai and upper classes oppress the poor story. It's the yokai element that gives the film something to watch.

The yokai are all clearly rubber marionette puppets or actors in suits so you have to watch with different expectations, sort of a stage show with puppets. It's the design and spooky atmosphere that makes this fun. The final dance of the yokai as they go off into the sunrise is a great scene and made the movie for me.

Not a great film but fun.