Kwaidan (Criterion) DVD

• 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono (Japanese)
• Stunning new widescreen transfer, enhanced for 16x9 televisions
• Origianl theatrical trailer
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• Optimal image quality: RSDL dual layer edition

Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Michiyo Aratama, Yoichi Hayashi, Keiko Kishi, Rentaro Mikuni, Tatsuya Nakadai

A sensuous and arresting use of color, set design, an wide screen cinematography creates four heart-pounding ghost stories from Masaki Kobayashi (Harakiri, Samurai Rebellion), one of Japan’s most stylized filmmakers. Each lyrical vignette is intensely composed in the style of an ancient scroll painting, but it’s the tone emanating from the editing, eerie soundscape and the characters’ mystical nature that make Kwaidan a truly haunting experience. Winner of the International Jury Prize at Cannes in 1964, the film has since become a cult classic. If there were ever instructions assigned to watching a movie at home, Kwaidan’s would read ‘best when viewed alone, late at night, in the dark.’