Nostalgia Kinky

Following up their acclaimed Daiei Gothic – Japanese Ghost Stories Blu-ray box-set comes this exciting new 2nd volume from Radiance Films. Featuring two films from Tokuzo Tanaka as well as an additional title from Kimiyoshi Yasuda, Daiei Gothic Vol 2 – Japanese Ghost Stories is just as exciting and valuable as the initial set in the series. Here are some thoughts on the three individual films as well as the supplements gathered together for this gorgeous new box.

THE DEMON OF MOUNT OE (1960)

The earliest film found on Radiance’s new Daiei Gothic collection is the very colorful and entertaining Ōeyama Shuten Dōji (1960). Known as The Demon of Mount Oe to English-language audiences, this extraordinary historical drama is a wild watch. Directed with real verve by Tokuzō Tanaka, The Demon of Mount Oe is both a charming and thought provoking super-natural work based on one of Japan’s most noteworthy folk-tales.

Tanaka’s career with Daiei Film began at the dawn of the fifties as an assistant director, working with the likes of Kurosawa on some of his great masterpieces. Tanaka’s own journey as a director began just a couple of years before The Demon of Mount Oe’s release, when he helmed a few historical dramas. The Demon of Mount Oe was the most prestigious production Tanaka had worked on as a director so far though, as Daiei supplied him with a large budget and cast of stars for his first great solo work. Tanaka makes the most of the opportunity delivering a film that more than holds up as an action adventure and supernatural thriller all these many decades later.

The set-up for The Demon of Mount Oe is a fairly simple one. Four famed warriors are charged with destroying a notorious demon figure that’s been kidnapping young women across Kyoto. However as the film progresses its story become more complex and surprising, challenging any preconceived notions audiences might have had initially.

Viewed from a very different culture nearly seven decades after its release, The Demon of Mount Oe is a charming piece of cinema. With its wonderful handmade special effects, full-spectrum colorful lighting, stirring score and phenomenal cast The Demon of Mount Oe is a spectacularly entertaining film with its extended running time nearing two hours being the only real negative.

Highlights are found throughout The Demon of Mount Oe with special mention going to the very super special effects, which are so fun and the DIY quality mixed with real craftsmanship comes through splendidly. Especially endearing is the multi-color lighting filters that appear throughout the various demon sequences.

Radiance’s 4K restoration here looks lovely and the original mono soundtrack showcases the effects and the Ichirō Saitō score quite well. For English language viewers, like myself, unfamiliar with the Japanese lore at the heart of The Demon of Mount Oe, the supplements gathered by Radiance are especially welcome. This is especially true of the near 20 minute new interview with period film historian Taichi Kasuga, which enhances the feature’s viewing experience in every way. Kasuga details everything from the history of the studio to the original mythic tales that inspired the film. Particularly interesting is the break-down he gives of how these studios worked in the period and why, financially speaking, being an assistant was often better than being a director. This is a great interview.
A short video essay by Radiance’s Tom Mes about the real-life sword seen in the film is also on hand as is an additional printed essay Fangoria’s Amber T.

The Haunted Castle (1969)

Perhaps my personal favorite film on this new Radiance set, Tanaka’s 1969 super stylized Hiroku Kaibōden (The Haunted Castle) is an extraordinary work bursting with chilling creativity and style. Concerning a young concubine who curses the man who killed her brother with her ritualistic suicide, in which she transfers her vengeful spirit to her cat, The Haunted Castle is eerie, surreal and brilliant.

Since the release of The Demon of Mount Oe, Tanaka had been averaging a few films per year for Daiei. The prolific nature of his work produced an even more exciting filmmaker than the one who helmed the earlier film in this set. The Haunted Castle is the work of an extremely confident filmmaker at the top of his game and this is an accomplished piece of cinema.

Armed with a memorably and at times hypnotic score from Chumei Watanabe and gorgeous color cinematography by The Demon of Mount Oe collaborator Hiroshi Imai, The Haunted Castle is a real joy to watch. Running nearly half an hour shorter than The Demon of Mount Oe also benefits The Haunted Castle greatly. Not a moment is wasted and the film far from outstays its welcome.

I personally found The Haunted Castle a genuinely frightening film with uber-creepy atmospheric elements that are hard to shake. Tanaka’s film feel very much of its time but also transcends it with a daring transgressive nature and poetic violence. Tanaka’s film is wonderfully cinematic and it looks fantastic via this 4K scan. Crank that marvelous Yukio Kaihara sound design for maximum chills!

The Haunted Castle features less supplements than the other two films on Radiance’s new set but they are both very solid. J-horror filmmaker Mari Asato discusses the film, its history and influence via a lengthy new interview. Also, Mes delivers a brief but fantastic featurette about actress Ikuko Mori and the shocking true crime case that ended her career but helped The Haunted Castle significantly at the box-office. Just as essential is Jasper Sharp’s excellent and authoritative printed essay about the film and its origins. This is a fascinating and super informative read from Midnight Eye’s Sharp.

The Ghost of Kasane Swamp (1970)

The least compelling film in Radiance’s excellent 2nd volume of their Daiei Gothic collection, Kaidan Kasane-ga-fuchi (1970) is still a rewarding if more pulpy experience. Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda, The Ghost of Kasane Swamp is the most adult film in the set content wise but it didn’t capture my attention the way the imho superior earlier films in this box did.

With its often told tale of ghostly revenge, The Ghost of Kasane Swamp feels more familiar than the more extraordinary The Demon of Mount Oe and The Haunted Castle. It is still a film with many charms, chief amongst them being the cinematography by legendary Shogun Assassin (1980) DP Chikashi Makiura, ensuring that The Ghost of Kasane Swamp is a great looking film.

As the extensive extras for The Ghost of Kasane Swamp point out, this story has been told so many various times that it actually has its own complete sub-genre. This is also a film that clearly influenced any number of J-Horror titles from the 2000s and beyond. All of this helps makes The Ghost of Kasane Swamp just a little less interesting than the other two earlier films.

Despite taking advantage of the loosening censorship laws of the seventies, The Ghost of Kasane Swamp was actually directed by a filmmaker who’d been around a lot longer than Tanaka. And indeed, both The Demon of Mount Oe and The Haunted Castle feel like younger works than Kimiyoshi Yasuda’s film. The Ghost of Kasane Swamp almost closes out Yasuda’s decades old film career as he’d only deliver a couple of more films before his death in 1983.

Despite my reservations for the film, Radiance have done a splendid job bringing The Ghost of Kasane Swamp to Blu-ray. Featuring another fantastic 4K transfer, The Ghosts of Kasane comes armed with the extensive selection of extras. On hand is an excellent video essay by ghost story scholar Zack Davisson as well as chat with another J Horror filmmaker Norio Tsuruta talking the film’s undeniable influence. Another lengthy and incredibly well-researched essay is on hand, this one by Professor Daniel O’Neill. A very special added bonus is the collection’s sole commentary track, via a selected one from film scholar Lindsay Nelson. I found this track very warm and enlightening and only wish it had covered the whole film.

Daiei Gothic Vol. 2: Japanese Ghost Stories is another tremendous box-set from Radiance. Featuring brand new sparkling 4K transfers of 3 rare and deserving titles, Radiance have served up a collectable and rewarding set here complete with a hefty box, reversable covers and their standard OBI strip. Limited to just 4,000 units so act swiftly. You can order directly from Radiance as well as on sale at MVD.

-Jeremy Richey, November 2025-