House (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

Normally, I would NEVER even consider watching the bonus supplements or featurettes prior to watching the film itself, for the most obvious reasons - spoilers, hindsight recollections and justifications, and often the BS that those involved in production conjure up several decades after the film was made to make themselves appear more clever and grandiose than was probably the case. By the same token, if I don't enjoy a film, I usually can't be convinced by these features that I'm missing the boat - you either like something or don't, with few exceptions, IMHO. That said, sometimes, as infrequent as it is, when I'm still scratching my head when a flick is over, the bonuses will illuminate and enlighten to the point where I now have received the clarification necessary for me to fully comprehend and enjoy aspects of a film obscured to me for one reason or another. Such is the case with 'House', almost more so than any foreign flick I've ever seen. When a film is hyped up to be 'all that', my expectations lead me to be only one thing - let down. When you read the Amazon product details as well as the dvd cover description, the promise sounds far too brilliant to be realized, so I decided to do a little research. After reading several website reviews, I felt I was getting farther from the truth instead of closer, so I decided to watch the bonus features before I sat through the actual movie. This is one of the few times when doing so proved to be absolutely essential to my overall viewing experience and ultimate enjoyment of this minor yet remarkable movie. There aren't many spoilers, at least none that would detract from your gratification, and to hear the way the film evolved directly from the mouth of director Nobuhiko Obayashi added the necessary seasonings to appreciate the film for what it is, what it isn't and what the hype tells us it should be. "An episode of 'Scooby-Doo' as directed by Mario Bava"? Puh-leese... I've seen every Bava flick there is and there's no such similarity - maybe Seijun Suzuki is who they meant. (By way of Tim Burton, but now I'm adding to the hype...). By the time I actually sat through the film itself, I had a better understanding of what this film actually was, and could judge it on its own merits, budgetary and special effect restraints, constraints and sheer brilliance in execution and concept alone. As a result, I was able to thoroughly enjoy this anomaly in film from the 70's without reserve and would strongly suggest to anyone remotely interested in this film to do likewise - you won't be sorry you did. (PS- The bonus 1966 experimental film is another added treat of sorts, and viewing it in advance will also increase your appreciation of the main feature). A solid four star film I'm adding one star to for its sheer originality, and to make up for some of its unwarranted detractors here on Amazon. You want different? You got it!

Love this movie, and this is a fantastic edition!

House (1977) is a comedy horror film from Japan that at first sight looks and ultimately feels like an after-school special from U.S. television. With a mixture of upbeat music and soft (almost hypnotic) piano as its main theme, House had me laughing as well as feeling sentimental, especially toward the end of the film (I won’t include spoilers). In the beginning of the film, Gorgeous (the main character) is upset, but with a ‘wink’ of the eye lets us know that this film doesn’t take itself seriously. However, there’s an evolutionary aspect of the film. Just as you’re about to write it off as silly and over the top, it has a worthy plot and a prevailing message. The most interesting part of the film are its visuals and special effects. In comic book fashion, the effects really work, and anything outside of that realm wouldn’t have been as effective, in my opinion. House stays true to its comedy horror elements, so I certainly appreciate how the effects were handled. Weird things continue to happen, and there are so many neat and clever inventions that are both scary and amusing. I thought the flashback scenes and their use of color were done very well, and the sets (though artificial) kept things consistent with the intended look and feel. The Criterion Collection blu ray once again hits a home run, with excellent picture and sound quality, and some neat special features. If you’re looking for something very different for your horror movie collection, then House is for you.

*Great odd-ball classic of 60s 70s experimental filmmaking.* It is both very Japanese and also universal in that time period of experimental cinema, I'd compare it (very loosely) to Jodorowsky's stuff (El Topo etc), the Rocky Horror Picture Show, etc. Somehow it has been marketed as horror, maybe the "story" is somehow in the horror vein, but I can't imagine anyone older than 4 or 5 being at all scared by it. It is more of an odd somehow cutesy ghost story. It is charmingly childish and ineffably loveable. So many things- manner of filming, editing, story plot turns, are quirky and interesting. They almost all work, and it really comes across as an artistic vision, unfiltered by compromise, multiple creators, or producers/ studio demands. *You will like this if you like:* film of that period, experimental or avant-garde film, Japanese ghost stories, off-beat stories and storytelling, children's art. *This reproduction* is good, though a little dark, it is of that era. And in the case of this dvd, the extras are ALL worth watching, well produced, commentary and interviews, a real treasure for cinema aficionados/ japanophiles. Of especial interest were the memories of the director's daughter, who was like 5 (?) and present during a lot of production. Apparently it was partly made for her and also partly made by her. He would go to his daughter with certain ideas and ask her what she thought or what would happen next. This explains a lot of the charmingly odd plot twists. As Picasso said, every child is an artist.

The fact Criterion Collection latched on to this says a lot by itself. But if that's not enough to convince you, sample a scene on youtube with the Drippy Bones remix of Modern Witch's "Ghosts of You" (if you don't mind a tiny bit of a spoiler, as the scene is pulled from toward the end of the film). That is how I stumbled across this masterpiece, and I believed until the day I got it that video had been altered in some way, but it had merely been slowed down. This entire film is beatifully scenic with its painted backdrops and bright colors comparable to Suspiria, ridiculously quirky and cute like an episode of Scooby Doo, and delivers a volume of bloodflow on par with modern Japanese gorefests but with some of the most interesting and original executions I've ever seen. As expected, Criterion Collection has pulled out all the stops in compiling an excellent, informative, and all around gorgeous collector's edition. I have watched 'House' four times since I received it and it will never get old, but on top of the incredible transfer comes an extensive biography of the film, including interviews with the director and a few others, as well as an experimental film by the director from 1966 called 'Emotion'. Out of all the horror collection I have, this is easily one of my most cherished posessions. There are very few items in my library I refuse to loan out, and this is one of them. I highly recommend this be acquired for the collection of any horror buff. This movie demonstrates exactly why I love this genre. It's artsy, it's cute, it's funny, and of course, it's on an unparalelled level of horror and gore that only the Japanese can execute.

House moves seamlessly from John Hughes-style teen comedy, to Sam Raimi-style horror come Theater of the Absurd. The film, originally released in 1977, but never in the US, is hard to define. The horror is too graphic for the film to be a comedy, yet too knowingly asinine to truly be horror. Because of it's uneven mixture of Easy Rider acid trip sequences and over-the-top humor House becomes more and more incomprehensible as it moves forward (which may be the precise recipe for a cult classic). Gorgeous and friends (all named with an odd seven dwarfs bent) retreat to her aunt's home for the summer. They make their arrival at the house with The John Hughes Cheese Factor off the charts. But it doesn't take long after their arrival for things to turn for the worse, as one disappears during dinner. Moments later her head is found inside of a well, just before it flies high in the air and swoops down, laughing, to bite her friend in the butt. Obayashi utilizes every effect and tool he can think of to make this as psychedelic as possible, further distancing this film from easy classification. If the trick was available in '77, he's trying it here. From there the film unravels into a non-sensical plot. The film is hilarious in ways that most films would never try to be. It's morbid, yes, but it's also slapstick. It is whatever kind of humor uses a jaunty tune to soundtrack a piano eating a girl and flinging her limbs in the air when it slams the lid shut. House unravels, yes, but it's satisfying. And maybe making sense, here, is unwarranted. Ultimately, the film just doesn't need to resolve, because it accomplishes its goals without tying up the loose ends.

Campy, surreal, silly, abstract, these words and their synonyms are what best describes this movie. You have probably never seen a movie like this, if you have it is probably not as well done. It is a low budget film, but the cheap special effects(compared to the present) are well done and contribute to the overall feeling of the movie. The characters have nicknames that have to do with their interests, and personalities to go with those interests. Not really a horror movie or gorefest, it turns those tropes on their heads. It is quite enjoyable and quite different. If you don't like the so-called 'art' films or anything different you won't like this film. If you are looking for something so different that it is indescribable this is a movie for you. I really loved this movie, and I was not prepared for the unusualness of it. This is one of those movies that most will either love or hate, but either way it is worth a watch. I would like to add that this movie is in a genre all by itself, and the the soundtrack has some great music.

A group of friends go on a summer vacation to one girl's aunt's house, only to find themselves the targets of a haunting. And somehow that description still doesn't do this film justice. The visuals are insane and surreal, like someone made a feature film with the bizarre visuals and logic of the craziest Japanese commercials you've ever seen. Words can't quite describe it, especially since I don't want to spoil anything. Just be aware that this is a cult classic for a reason, and enjoy the craziest trip you'll ever experience from just watching a movie.

This film has been slathered in praise when in fact it is merely low budget exploitation disguised as a horror romp. Barely a short films worth of material stretched to feature length, the film really plays like a student film where all contributing artists were allowed to run wild. A live action Saturday morning cartoon with corny violence and female nudity. Draw a straight line from this to films like Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police, but be careful, those films are definitely not for most.

La película llegó a tiempo y en buen estado. Una película diferente que hay que ver.

El día de hoy conseguí House del año 1977, parte de la afamada Colección de Criterion, esta película es única, tanto en efectos especiales como en surrealismo y locura, algo sumamente inolvidable. El DVD llegó en excelente estado y rápido. Incluye un hermoso folleto con información de la película, sinopsis y más. Únicamente cuenta con idioma Japonés y subtítulos en Inglés.

This movie has a definite Scooby-Doo vibe. Fun flick that is absolutely wild. Might not be everyone's favorite, but worth checking out.

I live in Australia and this movie is not available here. This product said that it worked in all regions, and was the reason I bought it and paid nearly double the price compared to other versions. When I got the disk it said it did not work as it was the wrong region. Very disappointed.