Quick—what 1977 slapstick-horror movie features floating severed heads, a man transformed into a pile of fruit, a girl-eating piano, and the occasional stop-motion tangent? If you can’t answer now, you’ll be able to soon, because Nobuhiko Obayashi’s House is coming to town, and once you see it you won’t forget it. Never before released in the United States, this ever-growing cult phenomenon is finally seeing the light of a projector thanks to Janus Films, whose new print of the film begins at New York’s IFC Center this Friday, January 15, and then travels to cities across the country (click here for dates). On the eve of the official North American unveiling of this delightfully evil and more than a little goofy ghost story, we spoke with Janus Films’ Brian Belovarac about the rediscovery of a must-see mind-boggler, which Seattle Weekly has called “an effects-saturated dreamscape . . . It’s like Douglas Sirk on acid.”
How did Janus Films begin the process of bringing House to U.S. theaters for the first time?
House was originally brought into the Janus library as a possible Eclipse title, when Eclipse was conceived of as a possible subsidiary label for cult films. That changed, of course, and the film remained in limbo until we began to get a few screening requests from genre-savvy venues. It can be tough to convince theaters to book a repertory title that doesn’t have an established critical reputation, so we hadn’t originally thought of House as a theatrical release. It has developed a fair-size reputation on the gray market, where it’s been a staple for some time, but it’s such a blast to see with an audience that we did a small digital microtour in order to spread word of mouth. These screenings were successful beyond our expectations; we had two raucous, sold-out shows at the New York Asian Film Festival, and the film seems to have developed a cult-within-a-cult in every city it’s played.
Many viewers here—even cinephiles—will not have heard of director Nobuhiko Obayashi. Is he well-known in Japan?
Obayashi was already famous in Japan as a director of commercials before House, and its trailer even uses this as a selling point. And check out this Mandom ad—one of his nuttiest. He’s since directed almost forty films in many different genres, and is also a well-known television personality.
House is basically indescribable. But if you had to, how would you describe it?
An exhilarating grab bag of visual tricks, a disturbing satire that turns the giddy sheen of pop culture against itself, and an oddly moving coming-of-age allegory. I think it’s easy to praise the film as surreal, weird, etc., and leave it at that, but it’s a very carefully crafted work, and reveals a new layer with each viewing.
Categories: Video
22 Comments
Wed 13 Jan at 04:17 PM
Serdar
Please tell us this will be due for home video at some point! I’ve shown this trailer to friends who know zip about Japanese horror generally, and they’re already saving their pennies.
Wed 13 Jan at 06:59 PM
Aric
I assume that you guys will also be releasing this on DVD and Blu-ray, right?
Wed 13 Jan at 07:20 PM
Jack
Dying to buy this on Blu-Ray when it gets released. No theatrical showings near me at all. Day one Blu-Ray purchase.
Thu 14 Jan at 03:45 AM
DAVI AUSSIE
This will never screen theatrically here in Australia, but a Criterion Blu Ray would be nice if they can do it Region B. Methink MOC will do the Blu Ray for the rest of the world.
Thu 14 Jan at 10:01 AM
Tyler
I hadn’t heard of this movie until recently and think it will make a wonderful addition to the Collection. Seems to be equal parts Equinox and K(w)aidan. :) Would LOVE to see this out on Blu-Ray in 2010 if the proper elements are available. Thanks Criterion for bringing us great films so different as 8 1/2 and Hausu.
Thu 14 Jan at 12:07 PM
GP
there is also the Eureka release… in which aspects are they different?
Thu 14 Jan at 03:27 PM
Miguel
That trailer was enough to have me buying this one right away if it ever deserves the spine number.
Thu 14 Jan at 04:46 PM
JPxxx
I am deliriously happy at this news – House is one of the greatest cinematic eyefucks ever and the living definition of No, Really, You Haven’t Seen This Before. Thank you so much!
Thu 14 Jan at 10:49 PM
CHRIS KOENIG
So after when “House” is given a much-deserved DVD release, are we gonna get those four Shochiku titles “The X From Outer Space” (1967), “Goke, the Body Snatcher From Hell” (1968), “Genocide” (1968) and “Living Skelleton” (1968) soon after? My bootleg’s can only last as much as they can! And don’t forget about those Nobuo Nakagawa titles as well! Seriously, take a break from the art-house stuff and deliver these soon before the interest start to wear thin!
Thu 14 Jan at 11:11 PM
Haruka
Just curious… will the subtitle be the newly improved version or the same one which was created from German dub…? For the theatrical showing… I worked on the subs for Home Vision which was never released in DVD. I rewrote the entire movie becasue the existing subs were terrible.
Thu 21 Jan at 05:14 PM
Jonah
Haruka, Janus’s subtitles are new and very much improved over Bergutze’s German-to-English subs. I myself have the Japanese DVD with subtitles from the IFC broadcast timed to it (by Lord Retsudo), which is watchable but has many errors and omissions (for example, it alternates between calling Gorgeous “Gorgeous” and “Oshare”, which is Japanese for "Gorgeous"). The subtitles based on the IFC broadcast that I have are considered superior to the German-to-English subs, and the new subtitles Janus has made blow them both out of the water. They’ll increase your comprehension of the film. I have seen them once on the “old” digital projection, and last night on the new (and spectacular) 35mm print.
The Masters of Cinema DVD comes out this week, but I plan on waiting for the Criterion as it will probably feature all of the content and I’m not made of money. I would really like to confirm or disprove my suspicion that Janus’s cut of the film differs from, and is superior to, the cut of the film from the Japanese DVD. I suspect the new Janus restoration may have several additional shots.
Mon 01 Feb at 03:46 AM
SJ
Definitely the most enjoyable viewing experience I’ve had in years. Looking forward to getting the blu-ray, and would also love having a copy of the soundtrack.
Wed 10 Feb at 02:56 PM
Sugar Johnson
Why has no one discussed the psychedelic element of this film? This is the only motion picture that has been proven to initiate acid flashbacks in open-minded film viewers. Also, when will the amazing musical score be released?
Wed 17 Feb at 01:39 PM
Frank B
When will Criterion release this?
Wed 17 Feb at 05:00 PM
Steve Whealton
I have a friend who will lover this — ’bout half as much as her friend, me.
Wed 17 Feb at 05:02 PM
Stephen Allen Whealton
oops!
Make that “will love this” — and sorry for the paltry pun.
Wed 17 Feb at 06:43 PM
Jon Hillman
Why do good things like this never come to Mississippi? I hate the south so much.
Wed 17 Feb at 09:30 PM
Catherine Bui
could someone please tell me the date and times for the showings that are in LA please? I cant find it anywhere :(
Thu 18 Feb at 12:19 AM
Tim Damon
March 12 – March 16
Los Angeles, CA – New Beverly Cinema
Thu 18 Feb at 03:58 PM
jefferson
How many people have to ask before there is word on a possible release?
Tue 23 Feb at 04:54 PM
Zach
For everyone who keeps asking about the DVD release:
http://twitter.com/janusfilms/status/4534418889
Tue 02 Mar at 12:52 PM
Alexander Lattanzi
This looks unbelievable. I can’t wait, its coming to a theater here in Wilmington Delaware in a couple weeks.
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