HOUSE (1977): Japan’s Surreal Horror Masterpiece | Cinema Shock Roulette

2023-11-08

How do you describe a film like HOUSE? Equal parts haunted house horror, surrealist art film, Looney Tunes cartoon, and experimental cinema, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s HOUSE (HAUSU) is one of the wildest, most unique cult movies ever made. But behind the madness is a fascinating story of how a commercial filmmaker and former ad man channeled the imagination of his 11-year-old daughter into one of the most visually inventive horror films of the 1970s. In this episode of Cinema Shock Roulette, we take a deep dive into the making of HOUSE, exploring how Obayashi defied Japan’s studio system, weaponized pop culture sur...

How do you describe a film like HOUSE?

Equal parts haunted house horror, surrealist art film, Looney Tunes cartoon, and experimental cinema, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s HOUSE (HAUSU) is one of the wildest, most unique cult movies ever made. But behind the madness is a fascinating story of how a commercial filmmaker and former ad man channeled the imagination of his 11-year-old daughter into one of the most visually inventive horror films of the 1970s.

In this episode of Cinema Shock Roulette, we take a deep dive into the making of HOUSE, exploring how Obayashi defied Japan’s studio system, weaponized pop culture surrealism, and accidentally created one of the most enduring Midnight Movies of all time.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

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