Auntie (Yoko Minamida, right) needs the blood of virgins to give her eternal life in HOUSE, a very weird haunted house story by filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi.
Photo courtesy of NYAFF. © 1977 Toho Co., Ltd.

Source: Janus Films
Official Movie Site: janusfilms.com/house

HOUSE will get a limited theatrical run in North America starting in late
October. Photo courtesy of NYAFF. © 1977 Toho Co., Ltd.

On July 30, 1977, Toho Co. Ltd released HOUSE (Hausu), a bizarre horror film written and directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. Mixing scares, comedy, and psychedelic imagery— and based on an idea by the director’s 11 year-old daughter— HOUSE told the tale of seven high school girls who are trapped inside a haunted house with a bloodthirsty aunt, a demonic black cat, and killer pianos, mattresses, and chandeliers.

The movie won the award for “Best Visual Effects” at the 23rd Asian Film Festival and went on to become a cult favorite in Japan. In the North America, however, HOUSE has rarely been shown. Toho’s international division prepared a subtitled version which had a few US screenings in the late 1970s. More recently, distributor Janus Films acquired rights to the film. HOUSE premiered on the Independent Film Channel on November 22, 2008 and has had a handful of theatrical showings this year, including screenings at the New York Asian Film Festival 2009 in June, Montreal’s FanTasia Festival in July, and last month at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin.

Janus is now giving the film an actual— if small— theatrical run in North America starting October 28. Check out Janus’ HOUSE website for additional details and a list of playdates through the end of 2009.

Now word yet if HOUSE will be released on Region 1 DVD by Janus’ video distribution partner, the Criterion Collection.

Seven high school girls find themselves in serious
trouble. Photo courtesy of Janus Films. © 1977 Toho
Co., Ltd.

HOUSE (Hausu)
1977
87 minutes
Japanese Language with English Subtitles

Starring:
Kimiko Ikegami
Kumiko Oba
Ai Matsubara
Miki Jinbo
Yoko Minamida
Saho Sasazawa
Haruko Wanibuchi
Eriko Tanaka
Masayo Miyako
Mitsutoshi Ishigami

Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Writers: Chiho Katsura, Nobuhiko Obayashi
Cinematographer: Yoshitaka Sakamoto
Music: Asei Kobayashi, Micky Yoshino
Editor: Nobuo Ogawa
Special Effects Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Producers: Nobuhiko Obayashi, Yarihiko Yamada

For more information on HOUSE please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan:

• Godzilla and Toho Films at the Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles
• Toho Horror Film HOUSE on IFC
• New York Asian Film Festival 2009- Information and Schedule
• Japanese Cult Classics GOKE and HOUSE at the Egyptian Theatre