What do you get when you cross the bat shit crazy side of Japanese folk lore and the feel of a hammer horror movie? Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters is that film. From director Kimihoshi Yasuda (Ghost Story: Depth of Kansane, Sleepy Eyes of Death) Yokai Monsaters: 100 Monsters is a cautionary tale of greed and corruption which drags you into a world of visually crazy looking monsters as a small town is on the brink of take over by corrupt officials. When the officials and their men fail to heed the warnings to perform a cleansing ritual a series of demonic beings arrive to take revenge.
The story here is a simple one and this isn't a bad thing. This is a story of a mans greed and willingness to crush anyone who gets in his way. We are also treated to Japanese story telling traditions in that camp fire kind of way we are used to in US cinema. What I love about 100 Monsters though is the creature designs. I am always a sucker for practical effects and to create such a bat shit crazy collection of folk lore monsters is no small feat. Yes I am the first to admit some of the creatures looked utterly ridiculous, like a very sexual umbrella demon, but others are down right creepy. From the long necked woman to the beings with no faces there is so much here that would bring you nightmares in the late 60's when these films were released.
This films is a bizarre watch but if you enjoy the films of the Hammer Horror days you will fit in well with the flow and overall feel here. The costume desgin is great, the stories told during the story telling segment is nightmare inducing and personally I am excited to see how the series goes from here.
Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters is now available in the Yokai Monsters Collection boxset from Arrow Films.
The story here is a simple one and this isn't a bad thing. This is a story of a mans greed and willingness to crush anyone who gets in his way. We are also treated to Japanese story telling traditions in that camp fire kind of way we are used to in US cinema. What I love about 100 Monsters though is the creature designs. I am always a sucker for practical effects and to create such a bat shit crazy collection of folk lore monsters is no small feat. Yes I am the first to admit some of the creatures looked utterly ridiculous, like a very sexual umbrella demon, but others are down right creepy. From the long necked woman to the beings with no faces there is so much here that would bring you nightmares in the late 60's when these films were released.
This films is a bizarre watch but if you enjoy the films of the Hammer Horror days you will fit in well with the flow and overall feel here. The costume desgin is great, the stories told during the story telling segment is nightmare inducing and personally I am excited to see how the series goes from here.
Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters is now available in the Yokai Monsters Collection boxset from Arrow Films.