Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare
| Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare | |
|---|---|
Cover of the 2003 ADV Films DVD release
|
|
| Directed by | Kuroda Yoshiyuki |
| Produced by | Yamato Yashiro |
| Screenplay by | Tetsurô Yoshida |
| Based on | Folk tales of Momotarō, and The Great Yokai War by Mizuki Shigeru |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Sei Ikeno (as Shigeru Ikeno) |
| Cinematography | Hiroshi Imai |
| Edited by | Toshio Taniguchi |
|
Production
companies |
|
| Distributed by | Daiei International Films |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
1 hr 19 min (79 min) |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (Japanese: 妖怪大戦争 Hepburn Yōkai Daisensō, lit. "The Great Yōkai War") is a 1968 Japanese horror/fantasy film directed by Kuroda Yoshiyuki. It is the second in a trilogy of films produced in the late 1960s, all of which focus around traditional Japanese monsters known as yokai.
There were originally three movies made:
The films were produced by Daiei Motion Picture Company, and make extensive use of tokusatsu special effects, with the majority of the creatures being represented by actors in costumes or puppets.
In 2005, director Takashi Miike released The Great Yokai War, a modern retelling of the story which borrows many elements from Spook Warfare.
The film opens in the ruins of the Babylonian city of Ur, with a narration detailing a local legend pertaining to a great monster known as Daimon, who lays dormant in the rubble of the city. Four thousand years later, the ruins are disturbed by treasure hunters, and the monster Daimon (Chikara Hashimoto) is roused and proceeds to kill the intruders by causing a landslide. Following his release, Daimon decides to fly directly to Japan. There, he encounters a Samurai known as Lord Hyogo Isobe (Takashi Kanda), whom he kills and whose blood he consumes. Following this vampiric act, Daimon assumes the form of Isobe and makes his way to the Lord's house. There he is met by Isobe's daughter, Lady Chie (Akane Kawasaki), and fellow Samurai Shinpachiro Mayama (Yoshihiko Aoyama). After killing the family dog for barking at him, Daimon proceeds to tear down all altars in the house and orders his servants to have them burned. In his frenzy, he throws out an ornament which falls into a pond outside, rousing a Kappa (Gen Kuroki). The Kappa decides to investigate the ruckus and happens to see Daimon (as Isobe) drinking the blood of Isobe's steward, Saheiji Kawano (Gen Kimura). When Saheiji also displays Daimon's mannerisms and orders the altars burned, the Kappa becomes suspicious and attacks Daimon fruitlessly. Defeated and hurt, the Kappa goes to the woods to seek out other Yōkai to help him fight back Daimon. The forest is home to the one-legged Kasa-obake, the frightening Futakuchi-onna (Keiko Yukitomo), the long-necked Rokurokubi (Ikuko Mori), the clay monster Nuppeppō, and the wise Abura-sumashi. The Yōkai don't believe the Kappa's story, as they insist such a monster has never been found in Japan. Meanwhile, Lady Chie and Shinpachiro find the maid Shinobu (Hiromi Inoue), who has fallen victim to Daimon's vampirism. Shinpachiro decides to consult his uncle, a priest, who informs him that Lord Isobe is in fact dead and that some demon is masquerading as him. The priest gives Shinpachiro three candles to be placed around the room in which the demon is sitting while the priest chants destruction prayers in order to destroy the demon. While Shinpachiro sets up the candles correctly, Daimon manages to kill the priest by reversing his destructive magic. Daimon announces to Saheiji that he thirsts for younger blood than is afforded him at the house and so goes out looking for children with his retainers. The entourage attack a local family but not before the parents manage to slip their children out the back door. The parents are killed and the retainers ordered to sweep the area to find the children. While the Samurai search, the children bump into Kappa and the other Yōkai, who have set up camp in a local "monster's shrine". Upon hearing of the attack, the Yōkai realise their error and agree to help the Kappa drive Daimon away.
...
Wikipedia