Assistance in identifying a film--There Are Three of Them!

[Michael McCaskey]

Many thanks for the US buying information--I decided to get a copy myself from Tokyo, and already ordered it, but now I can also get a US version for easier class use. I hope Ms. Varner got your message in time--though the Japanese DVD is a fairly new release (July 2005), and may turn out to be enhanced, and/or have special features.

This seems to be the same film, but the ASIN numbers in Japan and the US are different:
Japanese DVD ASIN No.: B000093NPD
US DVD ASIN No.:  B0009IY9GY 


But now it turns out that it's actually one part part of a cycle of 3 late 1960s horrorfilms, one of which must be the one Ms. Varner is seeking. This process became so interesting that I ordered all three myself.

THE MONSTER TRILOGY

This is a Toei Yokai/Monster Trilogy, all 3 available on US-format DVD, which includes:

1) http://amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0164402/

Vol. 1: Yôkai daisensô/Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare  (1968) 
  Directed by
Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Writing credits 
Tetsuro Yoshida 

US ASIN: B00008OTTK 
Available second hand in US, for less than $10 at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008OTTK/qid=1149945338/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7941579-5519044?s=dvd&v=glance&n=130

2) http://amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0200301/

Vol. 2: Yôkai hyaku monogatari/Yokai Monsters - 100 Monsters  (1968) 
 Directed by
Kimiyoshi Yasuda

Writing credits 
Tetsuro Yoshida 
US ASIN: B000093NPD 

Available at Amazon for 17.99

and

3) http://amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0202627/

Vol. 3: Tôkaidô obake dôchû/Yokai Monsters 3: Along with Ghosts (1969) 
  Directed by
Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Kimiyoshi Yasuda

Writing credits 
Tetsuro Yoshida
US ASIN: B0000AINJX 

Available at Amazon for 17.99


I plan to use at least a few clips from one or more of these in class, as examples of late 1960s horror, to compare with Juon 2, etc. 

Yasuda was also involved in making many, if not all, of the original Zatoichi Series.

Thanks to Ms. Varner for initiating things, to Ms. Soddu for tracking the item down, and to Mr. Larson for finding where to get this Yokai Series in the US.

Michael McCaskey


----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Larson <peter_larson2000 at yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, June 9, 2006 9:37 pm
Subject: Re: Assistance in identifying a film

> Here it is on Amazon, in Japanese even:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000093NPD/qid=1149903354/sr=1-
> 2/ref=sr_1_2/104-9020589-2286347?s=dvd&v=glance&n=130
> 
> Pete
> 
> --- Mindy Varner <melinda.varner at colorado.edu> wrote:
> 
> >  
> > Hello all,
> > Since we're on the topic of J-horror, I'm seeking
> > assistance in identifing a
> > film that I was shown a number of years ago while in
> > Japan (around 1999).  I
> > thought it was titled Kaidan or Kwaidan, but it is
> > not the 1964 Masaki
> > Kobayashi of the same title. Like the Kobayashi
> > film, it may have been a
> > collection of short pieces (then again, maybe not--
> > some years have now
> > passed!) 
> > 
> > I vividly recall one scene where a man who has
> > killed his wife is confronted
> > by her spirit/corpse when a wagon he has pushed into
> > the river springs out
> > of the water, terrifying him. There is also an
> > appearance of a rokurokubi
> > (woman whose neck becomes serpentine with her head
> > extending out before her
> > body, terrifying two men).  Does this ring a bell
> > with anyone?  I would love
> > to know what this film actually is and obtain a
> > copy. From the style of the
> > production, I'd guess it was produced in the late
> > 1960s or early 1970s. It
> > was in color.
> > 
> > Any leads would be most appreciated!
> > 
> > Mindy Varner
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
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