Podcast Macabre ‘26
3/52

Charming in the most unhinged way imaginable, House has the energy of a strange, manic fever dream similar to a child recounting a nightmare. It was both a surprise and delight to discover that director Nobuhiko Obayashi approached his daughter for creative inspiration and used her suggestions to guide the scares in his film. Asking a child what scares them and finding ways to incorporate that is immensely clever due to so many of those visceral, often irrational fears innate to childhood frequently fading with age. This approach, interwoven with Obayashi’s own horrific experience of losing childhood friends to the atomic bomb, makes for a distinctive horror narrative and wholly unique sensory viewing experience.

The avante-garde film techniques present throughout House make it completely unlike any other film I’ve seen. I was initially extremely taken aback and caught off-guard by the editing style, followed by being wildly perplexed, and eventually leaning into it and enjoying the insane ride that is this film.

Viewing notes:
• This seems both intended to be watched on drugs and a terrible film to watch on drugs
• That cat portrait is freaky and is absolutely going on my cat’s gallery wall
• I am fascinated by what is clearly extremely intentional, strange editing. One thing's for sure: someone had an absolute field day assembling this film
• Wow I loved the sequence in front of vanity mirror with the shattering of Gorgeous and her silhouette catching fire. Insanely cool stuff!
• I am fucking with this chaotic cat
• That piano sequence was so cool are you kidding me??? I am OBSESSED with how experimental and weird that was!
• It made me laugh that Melody losing her fingers to the piano wasn’t worth screaming about but losing her hand was
• I have never seen someone fight a ghost/spirit via kung fu, but I live!!
• The house literally gobbled those girls up! Which is fair considering they just rolled up after Gorgeous basically invited herself and her friends with no notice. Can’t even blame Auntie’s spirit, I’d be pressed over that much unexpected company too
• This is a truly funky film (complimentary)

House is brimming with trippy, psychedelic visuals and bonkers editing. I honestly loved this and expect my score will increase on an eventual rewatch!

#27: 1970s