House: Equal Parts Good And Bad In Its Spectacle (1977 Japanese Film)

House is one of the most eccentric, head-scratching works I have ever had to great fortune of experiencing. It is one of my favorite Japanese films and most undoubtedly among my favorite films of all time. That is entirely down to spectacle over its debated quality. It is a shining example of why “artistic perfection” is such an inherently boring idea to me. That the rough edges around something as esoteric of a work of art as House is are exactly what make it as captivating and genuinely entertaining as it is. Were its edges sanded down into something more palatable it would take every ounce of uniqueness away from it. But it takes an intelligent and unconfined creative mind and the resources given to them to make it not only possible, but turn out in a way that not only elevates its flaws into something endearing, of notable and idiosyncratic quality. This is less of a case of “so bad it’s good” and more “so good AND so bad."

Directed by the recently passed away Nobuhiko Obayashi, House is somewhat of an abstract painting of a film. Almost incomprehensible, but mesmerizing to the point where you don’t want to look away, trying to piece together what on earth it is trying to be. At times it’s a fever dream, very intentionally surreal and strange. With every passing minute making you question more and more what on earth it is you are viewing. While experiencing this for the first time I found myself to be constantly switching between laughing to the point where I had to pause the film to catch my breath and raising my eyebrows to an almost impossibly high degree on my head.

My attempt to give a plot synopsis without revealing all too much is as follows: A young high school girl, Gorgeous (yes that's her name), decides to visit her aunt who lives in a remote location away from most of civilization. Six of her friends (yes, they also have fantastically eccentric names) accompany her to the estate where supernatural events immediately begin to occur. It is decidedly a “grand guinol” sort of film. An artistic celebration of all things bizarrely gruesome. Grand-Guinol being a colloquialism named after a French theatre from 1897-1962 that specialized in graphic and amoral horror.

There is a distinct and palpable feeling of unreality from frame one, but especially after we arrive at the main setting for events to occur. It feels decidedly “tokusatsu” (Japanese live action television noted for having over the top special effects) in its bombastic and crooked camera angles, sound effects, and music cut ins pertaining to each character. And unlike most horror cinema it’s color palette is one of an inconsistent saturation and glow that does less to unsettle and more to perplex and disorient with a gentle playfulness that ultimately undercuts any degree of drama that might be derived from House. It has it’s moments and it also REALLY doesn’t. There isn’t really any kind of baseline set for silliness to the point where it is desensitizing and doesn’t have a chance to stand out as much as you would like being hit from left and right with it’s unabashed wackiness. It’s primitive and charmingly lo-fi special effects definitely add to it’s psychedelic and general off-kilter experience.

Its cinematography is, much like the rest of the film, uneven. It’s visuals go from smart usage of lighting, framing, and coloration to unwieldy fantasy. It is the sort of strangeness that straddles the line between “intentional” and “fortunate” as nothing is worse than moments of cinema where one feels they can’t see what’s going on, not out of intentional horror camera movement used to ratchet up tension/build atmosphere and more out of a legitimate inability to tell what’s going on. One COULD argue that is thematically consistent with the overall film, but when the most important mode of cinema that distinguishes itself from over mediums is authored sight, it feels more like a genuine misstep.

There are no characters. Well I mean there technically ARE characters but they are more “personalities” than something one could consider having actual discernible traits, motivations, etcetera. They serve more as vessels for the imagery, the scenarios, the scares, and the laughs that will undoubtedly be memorable over any strong character writing the film could have had. A pillar of artistic creation is compromise and this certainly is one of them that was taken and in my opinion the film is better for it that you’ll laugh at their names and what they do but not necessarily for who they are.

To boil all of the confusion down into an interpretation of this film is that it is about the kinds of ghost stories young, social outcast children would gather around a warm campfire to create, feeding off creative energy from each other’s imaginations. Narrative consistency, consistency of character be damned. Naturally they wouldn’t be very well developed or fleshed out as they are not created with that kind of attention to detail, but that does not mean they cannot be engaging in their own special, charming way. Doubly so in this case when they are created through the vision of an accomplished and experimental creative mind of which Nobuhiko Obayashi certainly is considering he took inspiration from his young daughter Chigumi! And in the way that it is penned and shot, as clunky and inconsistent as it can be, it is filmic proof that you can throw all of your crazy ideas into a blender, press start, and have it all turn out okay. But it is a credit to the team behind this project that it is somehow able to round itself into a solid, flawed, and beautiful anomaly.

If I had it my way this would be an absolute blanket recommendation. Everyone should WANT to see this film if they have not. Especially during the spooky season. Beautifully strange, defiantly brash, quirky, captivating and slightly unsettling in its own right. The people who prefer their art on the slightly unhinged and avant-garde side, if you haven't seen this yet please do everything you can to have the chance to see it. Highly advised to watch with friends if you are able to as it makes for an absolutely incredible social experience.