As we get closer to Halloween, you might be craving a more exotic spooky film to watch instead of the usual suspects that haunt Spirit Halloween. Why not go to Japan to see how haunted things can get? Last year Radiance Films presented Daiei Gothic boxset with three movies that were spooky. The legendary Japanese studio (and home of Gamera) knew how to create a sense of supernatural fear on scream. Daiei Gothic Vol 2: Japanese Ghost Stories contains another three stories that will have you fearing about what comes out of the shadows at night.
Demon of Mount Oe (1960 – 114 minutes) brings together samurai warriors, a demon and supernatural fighting. The movie opens with 4 heavenly kings, a fierce warrior and a general being told by Princess Nagisa no Mae that now is the time. They ambush a sleeping demon in her castle. During the battle, they made a mistake of decapitating the demon so his head flies around and attacks them. Things flash foward to Emperor Michinaga receiving gifts from his provinces. The princess visits him and begins a song that’s interrupted by a bull in the heavens. Luckily Sakata no Kintoki attacks the evil creature and sends it away. The princess admits that she’s cursed. This leads to a magical sword glowing as a cackle is heard. As if that’s not weird enough, local bandits pillage and burn the town with flaming arrows. She’s taken hostage by the bandit leader who sees her as a prize. He has no idea what her cursed nature involves until it’s too late. Demon of Mount Oe is a great blending of the Samauri world with the excitement of a Japanese monster movie. Director Tokuzo Tanaka helmed The Whale God and The Snow Woman that was featured in the first Daiei Gothic boxset.
The Haunted Castle (1969 – 83 minutes) is more than creepy real estate. There’s a ghost cat roaming the hallways. How does the ghost cat happen? Lord Tangonokami Nabeshime arrives at the castle owned by a blind monk. He wants more than hospitality as he demands the blind monk’s sister Sayo (Gambler’s Life: Unstoppable Bloodbath‘s Mitsuyo Kamei) become his concubine. When the monk can’t be persuaded by simple words, the Lord uses extreme persuasion. He informs the sister that her brother has gone off and signed an insane agreement that exiles her. But he has a solution for her horrible fate. Soya gets a vision of what happened to her brother and refuses to accept the Lord in her life. Before she ends her life, she casts herself and desire for vengeance inside a cat. But this cat doesn’t torment the Lord like your cat that enjoys knocking things off shelves. This cat can transform into others including a woman. Will the sister get her revenge through the fuzzy feline? The Haunted Castle was also directed by Tokuzo Tanaka. Perfect horror film to watch with your friend who has a few cats.
Ghost of Kasane Swamp (1970 – 83 minutes) is about a really messed family. A samurai has taken out a loan with a local guy that the family can’t cover. The wife offers to pay by sleeping with the guy. This seems an agreeable transaction until her husband come home finds them humping away. Instead of being pleased with his wife performing a debt servicing; he slices them up. In order to cover up things, he dumps their bodies in a nearby swamp. Things don’t go well for him as he’s also found dead. When the lender’s son and the orphaned daughter of the samurai search for the money, they find themselves cursed by their dead parents. How will they ever be free? Director Kimiyoshi Yasuda is a favorite here since he also made the original Daimajin, two of the Yokai Monsters flicks and numerous Zatoichi films. The Haunted Castle belongs with these great films.
Daiei Gothic Vol 2: Japanese Ghost Stories is a sophisticated way to enjoy spooky season. These are three movies really have chilling atmospheres with supernatural nightmares attacking people. Visually all three are stunning as they mix the horror with samurai life. There are only 4,000 copies of this limited release. The first volume appears to have sold out and is reselling at a scary high resale price. Daiei Gothic Vol 2: Japanese Ghost Stories is an all-night marathon for your international Halloween fun.
The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic for all three films. The 4K restored transfers bring out the color and the darkness in these tales. The Audio is Japanses LPCM 1.0 mono. The levels will allow you to hear swords clang and demon reactions. The movie is subtitled in English.
Limited edition 80-page perfect bound book features essays by Amber T, Jasper Sharp, Tom Mes and Daniel O’Neill. They also include the original Japanese ghost stories The Goblin of Oeyama and The Vampire Cat.
THE DEMON OF MOUNT OE
New interview with period film historian Taichi Kasuga (18:54) has him talk about The Demon of Mount Oe’s place in Japanese horror. He gets into the genre films made by the various Japanese studios. We learn about the holidays in Japan including “Golden Week.” This is when a studio put out their moneymaker.
Blade of the Demon Slayer: a visual essay by Tom Mes (4:04) gets into the character of the sword in the film. We see the real-life sword that’s referenced in the movie. It’s in a Tokyo museum.
Trailer (2:56) opens with the wildness of the big dance scene.
THE HAUNTED CASTLE
New interview with J-horror filmmaker Mari Asato (17:08) lets her get into the Bakeneko Ghost Cat. They don’t make them as much. She senses this needs to be brought back. She appreciates that director Tokuzo Tanaka made a ghost cat film. Daiei is her favorite studio because of their unique sense of beauty in the imagery on the frame.
The Strange Case of Ikuko Mori (5:45) has Tom Mes discuss the actress nicknamed “The Snake Actress.” This was her final film. She starred in White Snake Woman and brought along her own snake pets. This got her into films that featured snakes. I want a boxset of her snake films. Her career went bad when she stabbed a lover.
Trailer (2:10) opens up with a cat receiving a vengeful spirit.
GHOST OF KASANE SWAMP
New interview with J-horror filmmaker Norio Tsuruta (17:36) has him talk about his appreciation for the film. His grandfather was an executive at Daiei until 1971 when the studio went bankrupt. His father ran a theater that only showed Daiei movies. He has quite a bit of insider details of the studio. He talks about Daiei’s 1960 version that was also directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda. It was in black and white. He gets into how this movie was a joint production with another studio.
Select-scene audio commentary (24:24) by horror film scholar Lindsay Nelson has a breakdown of the opening credits. She also gives background on the various ways the story has been told and how it comes together in this film.
A Legacy of Ghosts (12:16) allows Zach Davisson to explain how this tales of the swamp has evolved from folk tales to the film. This started being told during the Edo period. This was based on the true story. There’s been enough film adaptations to make it a subgenre of Japanese horror. He questions if it was real. We get a sense of the different Kabuki versions.
Trailer (2:22) has mad laughter and blood flowing in the swampy water.
Radiance Films present Daiei Gothic Vol 2: Japanese Ghost Stories: Limited Edition. Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka & Kimiyoshi Yasuda. Starring Kazuo Hasegawa, Kojiro Hongo, Raizo Ichikawa, Shintaro Katsu & Ikuko Mori. Boxset Contents: 3 movies on 3 Blu-ray discs. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: October 14, 2025.
