Synopsis

How to describe Nobuhiko Obayahshi’s 1977 movie Hausu? As a psychedelic ghost tale? A stream-of-consciousness bedtime story? An episode of Scooby Doo as directed by Dario Argento? Any of the above will do for this hallucinatory head trip about a schoolgirl who travels with six classmates to her ailing aunt’s creaky country home, only to come face to face with evil spirits, bloodthirsty pianos, and a demonic housecat.

Official Review

When a film is being worked on, whether it’s pre, post or during production, there are many vital things to be considered. But one of the absolutely essential thought processes that most people seem to ignore while taking in the latest big screen hoopla – and definitely one that I’ve become more apt to understand over the last two or three years – is recognizing the audience it was made for. Most studios are obviously concerned with the prestige and money involved with a project first and foremost, but knowing who it will actually appeal to is up there too. Sometimes, it’s a broad range of ages, classes and what have you; other times, it’s a very specific part of the populace (horror, for example). And every so often, there’s a film so strange and genre defying that it will probably appeal to like ten people. Hausu, the feature-length debut of Nobuhiko Obayashi, is such an experiment; one that defies any sort of classification and, in any many instances, logic. Luckily for me, I happen to be one of the ten people who will go on to cherish this bizarre curiosity for years to come. …Read More