Source: The Criterion Collection, Image Entertainment Official Site: criterion.com/kuroneko Special Thanks to Jonathan Saba The Criterion Collection has issued the rarely-seen Japanese horror classic KURONEKO (?????? Yabu no Naka no Kuroneko, 1968) on DVD and Blu-ray. From director Kaneto Shindo (NAKED ISLAND, ONIBABA), KURONEKO (aka "Black Cat") is a spectacularly eerie twilight tale with a shocking feminist angle, evoked through ghostly special effects and exquisite cinematography.
In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. KURONEKO was co-produced by Kindai Eiga Kyokai and Nippon Eiga Shinsa, and released theatrically in Japan by Toho. The film was given a limited release in the United States by Toho International and won awards for Best Actress (Nobuko Otowa) and Best Cinematography at the 1969 Mainichi Film Concours. Despite the acclaim it received at home, KURONEKO did receive the same level international attention as other Japanese horror films such as KWAIDAN and JIGOKU. But its reputation has grown over the decades and it is now seen has a key influence on modern J-Horror titles including THE RING and JU-ON/THE GRUDGE franchises. In 2010, KURONEKO returned to American cinemas via Janus Films, followed by the just-released Blu-ray and DVD editions from The Criterion Collection. Janus Films’ Sarah Finklea noted that, “This film hasn`t been available theatrically for a very long time, and it hasn’t been on home video in the U.S. at all.”
KURONEKO
Director: Kaneto Shindo Cast: Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kiwako Taichi, Kei Sato, Taiji Tonoyama 1968 • 99 minutes • Black & White • PCM Monaural • In Japanese with English subtitles • 2.35:1 aspect ratio (16x9 enhanced) Genres: Horror, Feudal Japan, Supernatural/Paranormal Rating: Not Rated Number of Disc: 1 SPECIAL FEATURES • New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack • Video interview with director Kaneto Shindo from the Directors Guild of Japan • New video interview with critic Tadao Sato • Theatrical trailer • New and improved English subtitle translation • Booklet featuring an essay by film critic Maitland McDonagh and more BLU-RAY EDITION Catalog #: CC2066BD UPC: 715515087810 MSRP: $39.95 Release Date: 10/18/2011 DVD EDITION Catalog #: CC2067DDVD UPC: 715515087919 MSRP: $29.95 Release Date: 10/18/2011 SPINE #584
About The Criterion Collection
Since 1984, the Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, has been dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. Each film is presented uncut, in its original aspect ratio, as its maker intended it to be seen. Criterion tracks down the best available film elements in the world, uses state-of-the-art telecine equipment and a select few colorists capable of meeting our rigorous standards, then takes time during the film-to-video digital transfer to create the most pristine possible image and sound. Supplements enable viewers to appreciate Criterion films in context, through audio commentaries by filmmakers and scholars, restored director’s cuts, deleted scenes, documentaries, shooting scripts, early shorts, and storyboards. To date, more than 150 filmmakers have made Criterion`s library of Director Approved DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and laserdiscs the most significant archive of contemporary filmmaking available to the home viewer.