Ghost Revenge

 

 (imdb)

EMPIRE OF PASSION-1978-In a village, a married woman (Kazuko Yoshiyuki) has an affair with a much younger man (Tatsuya Fuji). At the man's urging they kill her rickshaw driving husband and throw his body in a well. 3 years later, their passion has cooled except for brief periods and her lover has grown distant Then her husband's ghost shows up. A police officer investigates as her life crumbles against ghost sightings and gossip. 

This Japanese-French co-production is renown director Nagisa Oshima's only real foray into a ghost story but it's excellent. Too bad he didn't do another one. He also wrote the screenplay based on a novel. Oshima made the infamous IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES in 1976 (also with Fuji). His next movie was 1983's MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE.

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Nightmare

 

 (asiancult.com)

THE NIGHTMARE OF GIRL'S DORM-2009-A college student Ran stays behind in her dorm after everyone leaves at the end of the semester. Only one other student stays (plus the house mother and a guard). The mysterious Wu Xia gives Ran a bracelet. It's said that during the off time the dorm is haunted by a girl who hanged herself. Ran is also pregnant by one of her teachers. She starts to see and hear strange things. Later her roommate Tong returns and tries to help. Wu performs a ritual to contact the ghost. Later it seems the ghost is terrorizing Ran but there are a couple of twists in this strange but not original ghost/horror from China, directed by Fu Yicong.

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You Decide

 

 (imdb)

RORSCHACH-2015- Critics proclaim "Scariest movie on the internet!" but you can decide for yourself. This is a very low budget found footage investigation by two guys at the house of a woman and her young daughter. Mom believes her grandmother's ghost is haunting the place but there's also doll left by the previous owners. What's going on? Director C.A. Smith presents this in a way to resemble a real life event more than most found footage stuff but it's still kind of slow going. 

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Japan Ghost

EMPIRE OF PASSION-1978-In Feudal Japan circa 1895, Seiki (Kazuko Yoshiyuki) is a hard working unhappy wife married to Gisaburo (Takahiro Tamura), a rickshaw driver. She has an affair with Toyoji (Tatsuya Fuji). After several passionate encounters they decide to kill the husband. One snowy night they get him shit faced then strangle him and throw the body down an old well. Three years later Gisaburo's ghost returns to haunt Seiki who's still unhappy. 

Though a little long director Nagasi Oshima (IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES) uses some excellent photography and effects, eerie lighting and some surprising sex scenes. He won the best director award at Cannes. His next film would be MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. LAWRENCE IN 1983.

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Japanese Ghost

THE OIWA PHANTOM-(aka THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA)-1969-Great overlooked Japanese ghost story from Daiei. A master-less samurai named Iyemon (Kei Sato) schemes to make his life easier through marriage. He and his dubious friend Yomoshichi commit several murders but Iyemon winds up with a Oiwa, a wife he really doesn't want. Eventually he poisons her and she dies painfully (and it's quite sad to watch) but she wastes no time coming back to terrorize him. The special effects and direction are eerie and great.

Director Kazuo Mori also made THE RETURN OF DAIMAJIN and "Zatoichi" films.

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