Friday, January 3, 2025

ONIBABA & KWAIDAN (1964): Celebrating Japan's CLASSIC Horror Cinema!!

ONIBABA (1964) d. Kaneto Shindo (Japan)
KWAIDAN (1964) d. Masaki Kobayashi (Japan)




Tonight, we discuss the 1964 Japanese horror classics Onibaba and Kwaidan, exploring their reflections of post-war Japanese society, folklore, and complex themes of fear and morality.

Set in feudal Japan, Onibaba sees two women surviving by killing samurai and selling their armor. Blending psychological terror, supernatural elements, and an ominous, demonic mask, writer/director Kaneto Shindo (Kuroneko) uses stark black-and-white cinematography to examine the horrifying consequences of betrayal, lust, and murder.


In Kwaidan, director Masaki Kobayashi (Hara-Kiri) presents four traditional ghost stories based on Lafcadio Hearn's writings. Using visually striking and atmospheric cinematography, this epic Japanese anthology horror film delivers eerie tales of the uncanny, featuring vengeful spirits, mythical creatures, and haunting folklore.


Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Christianne Benedict, Jon Kitley, John McDevitt, Jen Olson, Lee Price) as they analyze how these two films combine historical context and haunting imagery to create timeless works of horror that continue to resonate with audiences today.




























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