Kwaidan - Criterion Collection Rating: Release Date: 10 October, 2000 Retail Price: $29.95 OUR Price: $26.99 You SAVE: $2.96! Cast: Rentaro Mikuni Michiyo Aratama Takashi Shimura Tatsuya Nakadai Complete Cast (6 total)

Kwaidan - Criterion Collection Reviews

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Visually Stunning Ghost Stories
Fans of the supernatural, ghost stories and students of the intricacies of Japanese culture will find much to savor in these richly spooky tales. Romance, revenge and even tattoos all play roles in shocking fables which you won't soon forget.

Unlike most Criterion DVDs, there are no extras to speak of, save a thin booklet, but as usual the print quality is excellent and sound more than serviceable. The production values and complex sets must be seen to be believed and at times one feels as if they've entered into a large theatre where a stage show is being played out. However, don't think for a minute that this stage feel is ever confining. The compelling stories and complex execution allows the viewer to soar freely into chilling lands of wonderment and horror.

Expect the unexpected and treat yourself to one of the most original and memorable film thrillers ever created.

Criterion, please re-release this with worthy extras!

A HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE OF HORROR
This wonderful cinematic masterpiece is highly recommended. Kwaidan centers on four beautiful and hauntingly delightful stories of the supernatural. The visual effects of Kwaidan alone are remarkable, especially considering that the movie was released in 1964. I like all of the episodes in Kwaidan, however, my favorite is "Hoichi the Earless." It is the tale of a blind musician monk who sings ballads to ghosts. Unfortunately for the monk, each time he plays and recounts the epic battles before these ghosts he becomes weaker. The other monks try to rid the blind monk of these spirits, including a senior monk played by the great Takashi Shimura. The monks write a holy mantra over the blind monks body in order to protect him from the ghosts he plays for each night. This is done to make the blind monk invisible to the samurai monk who visits him each night and calls him forth to play for the other ghosts. However, the monks forget to write the mantra on his ears. When the ghost arrives, all he see's are the monks ears. I will leave the rest of the story for you viewers to watch. A truly great episode. Another great episode is the one titled, "In A Cup Of Tea." You viewers will be pleasantly surprised by these great stories brought to the screen by director Masaki Kobayashi. You will watch some of the most beautiful cinematography ever done in Japanese cinema. I saw this movie for the first time in 1968, and the movie has never lost its appeal for me.

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