A recently widowed woman discovers that her former husband, who died in an insane asylum, owned a remote country mansion. She and a group of friends go to the villa and find a weird demonic statue in the hallway. They are joined by a hunchback caretaker who tells them of the numerous murders that have occurred there. Soon the guests begin to hear strange noises including disembodied laughter, and feel that they are being stalked by a disturbing presence that haunts the mansion.

 A rare Japanese film that was heavily influenced by US and European Gothic cinema of the 1960s, such as Mario Bava’s Mask of Satan and Robert Wise’s The Haunting. Filmed in luminous black and white widescreen the film is a classic of Gothic horror with many genuinely scary scenes. Packed with bizarre characters and strange occurrences the film builds to a surprising and horrifying climax. Director Hajime Satô is best known for his 1979 film Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell. This is the film’s first US release and a world premiere on Blu-ray.

DISC FEATURES

- Brand new 2k transfer from film negative, digitally restored; introduction to the film by Patrick Macias, author of TokyoScope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion; audio commentary from Tom Mes; Patrick Macias on Toei horror films; trailer; exclusive new cover art from Justin Coffee; optional subtitles; Mondo Macabro previews

REVIEWS

“Pure Gothic Fog strained through the brilliance of Japanese cinema. Yes Please!” Bob McCully, Letterboxd

“an atmosphere of pure gothic chill complete with oversize cobwebs, doors which open and close on their own, a crow infestation, and even a passing shinto priestess who just had to drop in because of the powerful emanations of evil echoing from the mansion” Windows on Worlds, Hayley Scanlon

“Give this creepy gem a look, because it deserves to be seen” HumanoidOfFlesh, IMDB