SYNOPSIS

This eerie supernatural fantasy from Japan -- a poor man's Kwaidan -- is equal parts samurai adventure film and surreal ghost story. Tatsuya Nakadai stars as a desperate, unbalanced ex-samurai who turns to crime to make ends meet. Forced to commit murder during a robbery, he later kills several members of his wife's family after they discover his crimes. Seeking refuge from the law, he hides out in a Buddhist temple, where the ghosts of his murdered in-laws return to avenge themselves -- and the film shifts into horror mode. Though not as visually commanding as the classic which inspired it, this film still has its share of nightmarish imagery and cultural richness.