Halloween Viewing List #1: Hausu

Here is the first segment of La Tercera Madre's recommending viewing list for this Samhain season. I've tried to pick some good unusual ones that perhaps you have not seen, mixed in with some old classics. I'll be posting the film suggestions one by one to countdown the days to Halloween, (21 days to go!) I hope you enjoy the list! Also, please forward your suggestions to me, I'm always on the look out for a new awesome horror flick.

#1: Hausu, 1977. 

This film is a must see, a surrealist dream, or nightmare from the mind of Nobuhiko Obayash. The original review reads "This satirical murder mystery pits a woman who is the epitome of glamour (played by Haruko Wanibuchi) against a clever murderer during a holiday stay at a strange ghostly mansion. Seven young women, who have chosen as nicknames the brand names of much-advertised consumer products, begin to disappear in a decidedly suspicious manner. Are they fashion victims? How else can one explain the eerie coordination between their pastel outfits and the pastels of the rooms in which they appear? It is up to the heroine -- whose every screen appearance is heralded by special lighting, gentle breezes, and a soft camera focus -- to find out what is going on."

Obayashi pulls out the stops with every imaginable mode of special effects ranging from superimposition to stop motion, this film is like nothing you've ever seen.  The film at times is full on campy slapstick to hilarious soundtrack, as well as scenes of deranged depravity and horrifying imagery (though this film retains its sense of humor throughout). Highlights include a girl being eaten alive by a piano; a fast forward slapstick kung fu battle; this film is a pajama party of delirious, experimental insanity and gory fun that will most likely leave you questioning your own sanity. Take my advice, this one is not to be missed. ^_^