House

A truly unique cinematic experience, Nobuhiko Obayashi's 1977 cult classic House is a playfully psychedelic horror oddity. Filmed in an era when realism ruled the screens, the director's debut, conceived largely by his 10-year-old daughter, is hyper-stylized and intentionally cartoon-like, drawing on romanticized TV ads and anime-inspired action to create a haunted-house tale involving a group of seven giddy schoolgirls. When a teen nicknamed Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) invites her friends, including Kung Fu (Miki Jinbo) and Fantasy (Kumiko Oba), to visit her long-lost aunt out in the countryside, their rural getaway doesn't go exactly as planned, and, before long, a disembodied head bounces around, futon mattresses get strikingly aggressive, and a piano slices and dices its player. What's most intriguing about House, besides Obayashi's ridiculously over-the-top visual tricks, is the air of youthful innocence that is apparent throughout the entire film, even in the few requisite nude shots and, curiously, the messy deaths of various girls. Although the movie is gory, it's not particularly scary, opting for a darkly fantastical Brothers Grimm approach rather than unsettling creepiness. With its many sight gags—a comically wind-blown supporting character, a sinister cat painting that spews blood—House presents an immensely entertaining story for those who are willing to follow its weird and wild flights of fancy.