34 - ONIBABA, or: A Hole in the Earth, Deep and Dark (ft. Scott Adlerberg)

We discuss 1964's Onibaba, directed by Kaneto Shindo. In 1400s-era war-torn Japan, two women murder stray samurai in a field of reeds and strip their bodies for armor and weapons. When a deserter shows up with eyes for the younger woman, her mother-in-law begins to dress up as a demon to keep the man away. But putting on that hanya mask has frightening consequences.

We talk about the look of the film, how horror has changed, the difference between Japanese and Western film, and movies you only watch once.

Scott Adlerberg is the author of Graveyard Love and Jack Waters, in addition to hosting the Reel Talks film discussion series in Bryant Park.