Many are reluctant to give this movie the credibility it deserves but this film truly belongs in the horror movie canon right along side Jaws, The Shining, and Evil Dead 2. There is no other movie like this one. On technical surface level one might assume this movie is incompetent or overly ambitious but it all plays in the films favor once the tone is established. The film elaborates on characters but it does so artificially. It establishes their artificial personality and then it kills with artificial looking special effects. It is a funny movie, and intentionally so, but when when you're finished laughing the absurdist nihilistic dread of artificiality is left over and it becomes all the more memorable. Absolutely essential viewing for fans of Horror and interesting aesthetics.

Sumptuous Japanese schoolgirl Gorgeous (stunning slender brunette Kimiko Ikegami) and her six best female friends travel to the countryside to spend summer vacation at a creaky rundown house owned by her ailing estranged aunt (a splendidly sinister portrayal by Yoko Minamida). The girls soon discover that said abode is overrun by evil demonic spirits that are intent on eating them.Director Nobuhiko Obayashi, working from a blithely berserk script by Chiho Katsura, brings a dazzling and wildly imaginative cinematic style and tremendously galvanizing go-for-it panache to the outrageous premise, maintains a breathless brisk pace throughout, pays affectionate homage to everything from cartoons to silent films, and tops everything off with a wickedly funny sense of kooky humor thanks to such jaw-dropping hysterical sights as a floating decapitated head biting a gal's butt, a lethal carnivorous piano, a bleeding clock, and a cat painting vomiting forth gallons of the red stuff. The terrifically tacky (not so) special effects, gaudy painted backdrops, obvious miniatures, goofy gore, and fake fruit punch blood all add immensely to this movie's considerable loopy pop-arty appeal. Moreover, the gals are all quite charming and fetching, with Miko Jinbo as the tough take-charge Kung-Fu, Ai Matsubara as the nerdy Prof, and Mieko Sato as the gluttonous Mac rating as the definite stand-outs. Yoshitaka Sakamoto's vibrant color cinematography provides a bright and splashy look. A totally bonkers blast.

WTF?No, seriously, WTF. How do I even talk about this one? I've heard people say it was bizarre, but I didn't expect this. I was left kinda speechless from this. I mean, calling this movie weird or strange seems like weak criticism. Like yeah, it's strange, no sh*t. But I can say this about "House", it's quite out there and manages to surpass your exceptions. But I wish I watched this sooner, because I kinda love this movie. It's both mad and quite beautiful at times. I would say it's more than one movie, it's actually all different tones. Now picture this: What if Halloween, drama, comedy, Kung fu and supernatural activity were all squash together in one movie, but all the genes try to out-act one another for an hour and half. That's this movie. And I thought this will be a good Halloween movie and it really is. There's dancing skeletons, blood pouring out of the walls, paranormal entity, and a piano that eats a girl. Yes, that happens. But what's interesting is that director Nobuhiko Obayashi asked his daughter of what she finds scary. So basically, this film was co- written by a 10 year old Japanese girl and it dose sure show, but I mean that in a good way, as this is a look into a child's mind. I also love the music in this and I like how the movie literally plays the main theme repeatedly, but with different instruments. My favorite one has to be "Sweet Dreams of Days Gone by". Now for issues I have for the movie are pretty slim, but if I had to pick something that I think could have been better is actually the title of the movie. "House" just doesn't catch your eye or sound interesting as a title. It's the reason why it took me long to watch this one, because before I use to see the poster for this movie when I'm looking through the Criterion list, but just didn't have any interest. For a movie this wacky, it sure lacks creativity in the title. Overall rating: "House" was pretty fantastic and never had a dull moment. Sadly, it's not for everyone, as I've seen different opinions on this that are both good and bad. But a movie like this I would imagine so.

I'm generally pretty patient. I've sat through some really awful movies (not a positive trait). I almost jettisoned this one because I could hardly stand to listen to the high pitched screech of those girls. They are about as obtuse and non-realistic as they can be. Their dialogue is strained and utterly vacuous. They have names that describe qualities (except for Kung Fu, who has her own talents). I began not caring what happened to them. If this film was not part of the Criterion Collection, I would have mowed the lawn. That said, I haven't had such a bizarre experience since seeing David Lynch's "Eraserhead." I swear that this is a transcripted nightmare. It isn't a new idea in horror films to have a house that breathes as a life form, but none of the others (as far as I know) used tongue in cheek encounters and sight gags like this one does. As each of the girls is disposed of in some unique way, the others seem to endure. It's my understanding that the director, Obayashi, did a number of commercials. This would have added to the use of short episodic bits, tied together by a non-existent plot. Watch at your own risk and keep an open mind.