Yokai Monsters-trilogy (Japan, 1968-69)

In the mid-60s a "yokai boom" swept across Japan following the successful release of the manga GeGeGe no Kitaro, centered around the spirits from Japanese folklore known as yokai. This prompted film studio Daiei to produce a trilogy of films about these bizarre creatures; Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968), Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (1968) and Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (1969).

It should be said that these films include a great deal of cheesy special effects but instead of feeling hopelessly outdated they're charming and campy in the right kind of way. The films make extensive use of practical special effects known as tokusatsu. They largely make use of actors in costumes and puppetry. In some scenes, there are even examples of traditional animation. 

If nothing else, these films should garner attention to the fascinating and vastly detailed world of yokai mythology which stretches far, far back in Japanese history. 

Genre: Action/Horror/Mystery.

The Snow Woman (Japan, 1968)

A master sculptor and his apprentice are trapped in a bad snow storm after finding a special tree for carving a statue for the local temple. Finding refuge in an abandoned hut they celebrate their luck in finding the tree but soon they are visited by the Snow Witch who freezes the sculptor to death but takes pity on the apprentice. He must promise to never speak of this or she'll return and kill him.

The story of the snow woman is well known within Japanese mythology, and there are numerous tales where Yuki-onna appears, but The Snow Woman specifically adapts Lafcadio Hearn's version from 1904. It's the same story that's included in Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan (1964), but a bit more fleshed out. 

Although some of the horror elements have faded throughout the years since its release, I thought the image of the yellow-eyed snow witch with her piercing stare was genuinely creepy. The film has a theatre stage quality to it, and that becomes one of its true strengths with how beautiful the set design is throughout.    

If you want a deeper dive into the story of the Yuki-onna (Snow Woman), look no further, the scenes of the film are literally pages from Japanese folklore coming to life.

Genre: Horror/Romance. 1h 20min.

Kuroneko (Japan, 1968)

A woman and her daughter-in-law are raped and murdered by samurais during the time of civil war. Afterwards, a series of samurai returning from the war through that area are found mysteriously dead with their throats torn out. The governor calls in a wild and fierce young hero, to quell what is evidently a ghost.

Some of the horror elements in Kuroneko has in my opinion been somewhat lost through the decades since its release, but it still got an immense amount of haunting imagery and the visuals, oh my God the visuals are unforgettable and beautiful. Director Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba) had an amazing ability to make his characters really feel like ethereal beings. Keep an eye out for the shot where one of the women leaps over a samurai, and her white kimono practically shines in contrast to the utterly pitch black background. A great classic that has a big place in Japans horror cinema history. 

Genre: Horror