In the ghostly pastoral horror of Shikoku, a young woman returns after many years to her rural birthplace, only to find her best friend from childhood has died by drowning when just sixteen. The dead girl's mother, the local Shintoist priestess, has embarked on the region's famous pilgrimage - but why is she walking backwards? The aftermath of the devasting Kobe Earthquake of 1995 creates fissures in the already fractured mind of a high-school girl in Isola: Multiple Personality Girl, allowing an unwelcome intruder to set up home in her head and leaving a volunteer worker with psychic powers to determine which of her personas is the fake one. In Inugami, a teacher finds himself drawn to a local papermaker, only to find himself the subject of some hostility from her extended family, who are rumored to be the descendants of the guardians of ancient evil canine spirits.
Megumi Okina (Ju-On: The Grudge) plays the art designer for a horror-themed videogame in the innovative St. John's Wort, who is forced to confront her childhood traumas when her colleagues ask her to gather visual materials from the creepy gothic mansion she has inherited from her estranged artist father. Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman features the titular predatory murderess drawn from urban legend, where it turns out home isn't the safest place for her potential child victims in this disturbing supernatural horror. A new craze for wearing ceramic masks sweeps the students of a high school, unleashing a wave of anonymous juvenile delinquency amongst the literal fashion-victims of Persona. Last but not least, the chilling Noroi: The Curse adopts a pseudo-documentary format as an investigative reporter into paranormal phenomena is forced to confront horrors beyond his wildest imagination after learning about an ancient folkloric demon.
J-Horror Rising (7 Film 4-Disc) Blu-Ray Box Set
FEATURES:
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all seven films
Original lossless 5.1 and lossless stereo sound options for Shikoku, Isola: Multiple Personality Girl, Inugami, St. John’s Wort, Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman and Noroi: The Curse, and original lossless stereo audio for Persona
Optional English subtitles for each film
Reversible sleeves and slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Dare CreativeDISC ONE — SHIKOKU / ISOLA: MULTIPLE PERSONALITY GIRL
Audio commentary on Shikoku by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes
Audio commentary on Isola: Multiple Personality Girl by critics and Japanese cinema experts Jasper Sharp and Amber T.
The Aftermath, Tom Mes discusses J-Horror at the turn of the millennium
Something in the Water, an interview with Shikoku director Shunichi Nagasaki
Archive interviews with director Shunichi Nagasaki and actors Chiaki Kuriyama and Yui Natsukawa on Shikoku
Archive interview with actors Yoshino Kimura and Yu Kurosawa on Isola: Multiple Personality Girl
On-set footage of the filming of Shikoku
Original trailers and TV spots for both films
Image galleriesDISC TWO — INUGAMI / ST. JOHN’S WORT
Audio commentary on Inugami by Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements
Audio commentary on St. John’s Wort by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.
Dog Days, a video interview with Inugami director Masato Harada
The Making of St. John’s Wort, archival featurette
Archive interviews with St. John’s Wort actors Megumi Okina, Koichiro Saito, Reiko Matsuo and Koji Okura
On-set behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of St. John’s Wort
Original trailers and TV spots for St. John’s Wort
Image galleries for both filmsDISC THREE — CARVED: THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN / PERSONA
Audio commentary on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese folklore expert Zack Davisson
Why So Serious?, an interview with Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman director Koji Shiraishi
Weapon of Choice, a video essay on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay Nelson
Confessions of a Mask, an interview with Persona director Takashi Komatsu
Image galleries for both filmsDISC FOUR — NOROI: THE CURSE
Audio commentary by film critic Julian Singleton
Director’s POV, a video interview with Noroi: The Curse director Koji Shiraishi
The Man in the Shadows, an interview with Noroi: The Curse producer Takashige Ichise
Changing Perspective, a video essay on Noroi: The Curse by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay Nelson
Ectoplasmic Worms, a video essay on Noroi: The Curse and Japanese cosmic horror by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.
How to Protect Yourself Against Curses
Urgent report! Pursuing the Truth about Kagutaba!! TV Special
Over half an hour of deleted scenes
Trailers and TV spots
Image gallery