(Yabu no naka no Kuroneko, or, Black Cat, 1968) Two female spirits get time off from hell to right a wrong that led to their death. Janus Films goes hand-in-hand with Criterion for theatrical release of older films, and writer-director Kaneto Shindô’s Japanese period piece “Kuroneko” is more than a footnote, an engaging revenge tale chock full of kinetic and lurid bits of samurai thrillers and ghost stories. (Shindo also directed the 1964 horror chiller “Onibaba.”) The black-and-white CinemaScope cinematography is arty and suitably spectral as the feline spirits stalk the earth. A worthy follow-up to the recent release of the wonderfully weird “Hausu” (House). With Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kiwako Taichi, Kei Sato, Taiji Tonoyama. 99m. New 35mm widescreen print; “Kuroneko” has never been on U.S. home video. (Ray Pride)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s film critic and a contributing editor to Filmmaker magazine.
His multimedia history of Chicago “Ghost Signs” will be published soon. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram as Ghost Signs Chicago. More photography on Instagram.
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Uncanny Ally: A Review Of M3GAN "M3GAN" sells itself in its first handful of seconds in how it introduces the handiwork of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, "Get Out") and her present product, PurrPetual Petz from Funki.
Heart of Darkness: A Review of The Batman The three-hour film noir unfolds briskly, an intensive study in the pervasive interplay of power, money and corruption in what seems like perpetual rainy night.
(Yabu no naka no Kuroneko, or, Black Cat, 1968) Two female spirits get time off from hell to right a wrong that led to their death. Janus Films goes hand-in-hand with Criterion for theatrical release of older films, and writer-director Kaneto Shindô’s Japanese period piece “Kuroneko” is more than a footnote, an engaging revenge tale chock full of kinetic and lurid bits of samurai thrillers and ghost stories. (Shindo also directed the 1964 horror chiller “Onibaba.”) The black-and-white CinemaScope cinematography is arty and suitably spectral as the feline spirits stalk the earth. A worthy follow-up to the recent release of the wonderfully weird “Hausu” (House). With Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kiwako Taichi, Kei Sato, Taiji Tonoyama. 99m. New 35mm widescreen print; “Kuroneko” has never been on U.S. home video. (Ray Pride)
