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Synopsis

How to describe Nobuhiko Obayashi’s indescribable 1977 movie House (Hausu)? As a psychedelic ghost tale? A stream-of-consciousness bedtime story? An episode of Scooby-Doo as directed by Mario Bava? Any of the above will do for this hallucinatory head trip about a schoolgirl who travels with six classmates to her ailing aunt’s creaky country home and comes face-to-face with evil spirits, a demonic house cat, a bloodthirsty piano, and other ghoulish visions, all realized by Obayashi via mattes, animation, and collage effects. Equally absurd and nightmarish, House might have been beamed to Earth from some other planet. Never before available on home video in the United States, it’s one of the most exciting cult discoveries in years. –The Criterion Collection

Director

Original

Nobuhiko Obayashi

Nobuhiko Obayashi (大林 宣彦 Ōbayashi Nobuhiko?, born 9 January 1938) is a Japanese director, screenwriter and editor of films and television advertisements who is well known for his surreal visual style. He began his career as a pioneering figure in Japanese experimental film during the 1960s before transitioning to directing more mainstream works such as television and feature films. Though he remains mostly unknown outside of Japan he has made a prolific number of films in his 50 years of working with the medium.

Obayashi was born on the 9th of January 1938 in the city of Onomichi, Japan. He was the eldest son of a father who was one in a long paternal line of medical doctors. As his father was called to the battlefront during World War II, he was raised in his early infancy by his maternal grandparents. Through his childhood and adolescence Obayashi followed many artistic pursuits including drawing, writing, playing the piano, and a growing interest in animation and film. read more

Wall

Displaying 4 of 145 wall posts.
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AKFilmFan

16May13

As an absurdist horror comedy this film works but I still don't quite love it yet. Though there hasn't been a film as zany as this one....

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Electrus Amadeus Magnus

10May13

Great music and lots of fun.

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Matheus Cassano

3May13

Some beautiful scenes.

Picture of Coheed 2.5

Coheed 2.5

3May13

Link to a review here - http://mubi.com/lists/cinema-of-the-abstract

Related Films

Fans

Displaying 5 of 1058 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

Movie Poster of the Week: "House"

By Adrian Curry on November 5, 2009

I wasn't intending to feature a third horror movie poster in a row for this column, but then I saw House, and, more importantly, I saw this

read article

NYAFF 09 Review: HOUSE

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
[Our thanks to Renzo Adler for the following review.] While the setting of House may seem like cliché heaped upon cliché, if Nobuhiko Obayashi’s 1977 movie is anything, it is unexpected. A Japanese horror
read on Twitchfilm.com

Blu-Ray Review: HOUSE

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Janus Films’ aggressive booking and marketing of Nobuhiko Obayashi’s psychedelic art-horror film House (Hausu) has quickly turned a heavily-bootlegged Japanese obscurity into a North American pop culture
read on Twitchfilm.com

HOUSE in your house

By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Nobuhiko Obayashi’s bizarre, cult-crazy-fest House is coming to your home on Blu-Ray and DVD October 26, 2010 from Criterion!From Criterion:How to describe Nobuhiko Obayashi’s indescribable 1977 movie House 
read on Twitchfilm.com

Lists

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Reviews

Displaying 2 of 2

Influential Cult Classic

By Gary Wood on October 28, 2010

Like any good horror film, the violence and bloodshed escalates with every set piece, each more elaborate (and entertaining) than the last; lighthearted cannibalism, slightly disturbing sexual innuendo…  read review

A True Horror/Comedy Pioneer

By Alvaro on February 3, 2010

As of late, horror-comedy films have been reduced to the a series of the likes of I know what you did last Summer or I still know what you did last Summer, both of which are equally ridiculous (in…  read review

Forum

Displaying 8 discussion topics.

SIMULTANEOUS WATCHING & ANALYSIS - HAUSU (OBAYASHI)

10 posts by 7 people over 1 year ago

Did anybody else cry when Kung-Fu died?

6 posts by 6 people over 2 years ago

House - What is the song in the end credits?

5 posts by 3 people over 2 years ago

What Are You Watching On Halloween?

103 posts by 56 people over 2 years ago

Preorders

8 posts by 7 people over 2 years ago

HOW CAN ANYONE NOT LIKE THIS FILM...?

6 posts by 5 people almost 3 years ago

House?

14 posts by 11 people about 3 years ago

House

14 posts by 10 people over 3 years ago