New Trailer for 4K Restoration of ‘Kwaidan’ – Quartet of Ghost Stories

“Even if you cry out, there’s no one who can help you.” Janus Films has unveiled their official trailer for a new 4K restoration of the Japanese horror classic Kwaidan, originally released in theaters worldwide way back in 1965. It played at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival and was also released in the US by Continental that same year. Kwaidan is a Japanese horror anthology film featuring four supernatural segments all directed by Masaki Kobayashi. This consists of four separate stories adapted from Lafcadio Hearn’s collections of Japanese folktales, including two from his 1904 book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, the film’s namesake. Set mostly in feudal Japan, the stories feature vengeful spirits enforcing moral retribution, while portraying the supernatural realm as largely indifferent to human suffering. The film stars Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurō Tamba, Yoichi Hayashi, Katsuo Nakamura, Rentarō Mikuni, and Keiko Kishi; no actors appear in more than one segment. This new 4K re-release version is based on the original 3 hour cut, not the Cannes version that was a slightly shorter 161 minutes. This final version is 183 minutes in total. Reviews describe it as: “a rare, hermetic beauty, full of ethereal images and errant ideas that will haunt the mind.” One of the most incredible horror films ever! A must watch on the big screen if it’s playing near you. // Continue Reading ›