I don’t think I was drunk enough when I watched this. This requires either a full 3 sheets of alcohol, the mary jane, shrooms or even, daresay, LSD (where legal, of course) to fully appreciate the craziness this movie presents. It’s part ghost story, part experimental film, part Monkees episode. What the fuck are the Monkees, some may ask? That’s a head-scratcher, I need to find a modern equivalent of the nonesense that was. Mid 60s kitschy pop music counter-culture sitcom. This? Haunted Japenese nonesense. With some wacky Japanese girls and all their silly names. And, more importantly, the crazy-ass visuals used to make you never ever want to get a fluffy white cat.
School year is coming to an end, Summer vacation is imminent. Student Gorgeous plans on going to an amazing place with her Dad who allegedly scores movies better than Ennio Morricone. Pfft! Send me a demo tape, I’ll be the judge of that! Most of her friends are going to camp, but when that falls through, as well as Gorgeous’s amazing place destination, they all go to visit Gorgeous’s aunt because, reasons. But the story here is pretty much secondary, it’s all about seven young Japanese girls with some odd erotic undertones (I may have read more into that than others, sue me), and her nice but increasingly creepy aunt. Cool place in the countryside. At least, during the day. At night? Things get a little...weird.
I guess the director Obayashi is known for his experimental nature when it comes to film. This one is one helluva piece. Interesting film/camera/editing/practical effects to present a pretty surreal tale of, what, unrequited love and the curse that it brings? I dunno, this movie makes me want to munch on some psilocybin and watch again to truly enjoy the it. Otherwise it’s just kind of a slow ghost story with some cool visuals that are both cheezy and kinda well done for the time. Can’t say I didn’t maybe see some precursors to some Evil Dead II kinda stuff, some of the effects are at least interesting. And in all seriousness, yeah, never get a fluffy white cat. Those things are evil, like rabid squirrels or Malort. This is Phantasmagoria at its hokiest.
