And now for the question of the week: Why has it taken until now for “House,” a 1977 psychedelic Japanese thriller, to open in New York? (Please e-mail me if you know the answer.)
With so much junk making its way into theaters, it’s a cinematic crime that “House” has remained on the shelf for more than 30 years.
Imagine a Dario Argento horror film as filtered through the mind of retro master Guy Maddin, and you have an idea of “House,” directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi. Even though it’s decades old, it looks as up-to-date as if it had just been filmed.
When a schoolgirl named Gorgeous learns her widower dad is about to remarry, she decides to seek comfort with a visit to an aunt she hasn’t seen since she was 6.
She brings along six female friends, who have such names as Kung-Fu, Sweet, Mac and Melody. They arrive at a spooky house high on a hill in the middle of a forest to find Auntie in a wheelchair — although not for long.
From the way she says, “I’ve been lonely, but now I have many young girls in the house,” you know the visit is a bad idea.
“House” is a spooky fairy tale mixed with martial arts, slow motion, black-and-white flashbacks — even a little upskirt action. A demonic white cat and a people-eating piano add spice.
Movies as original as this one don’t come along very often, so grab it while you can.