Illusion of Blood

  • Japan Yotsuya kaidan (more)
Japan, 1965, 190 min (Special edition: 105 min)

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This eerie supernatural fantasy from Japan -- a poor man's Kwaidan -- is equal parts samurai adventure film and surreal ghost story. Tatsuya Nakadai stars as a desperate, unbalanced ex-samurai who turns to crime to make ends meet. Forced to commit murder during a robbery, he later kills several members of his wife's family after they discover his crimes. Seeking refuge from the law, he hides out in a Buddhist temple, where the ghosts of his murdered in-laws return to avenge themselves -- and the film shifts into horror mode. Though not as visually commanding as the classic which inspired it, this film still has its share of nightmarish imagery and cultural richness (official distributor synopsis)

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