Radiance Films Blu-ray Synopsis: When a wealthy patriarch of the Inugami dynasty dies, he leaves his fortune to Tamayo (Yoko Shimida, Shogun), a young woman from outside the family. There is one condition: she must marry one of the grandsons. As the family gather in the stately mansion to discuss the situation, grisly murders occur. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi arrives to investigate the case and uncovers the secret history of the family's bloodline. Directed by Kon Ichikawa )Ten Women in Black, Fires on the Plain), this murder mystery was a massive hit in Japan that profoundly changed the Japanese film industry. Infused with gothic atmosphere and featuring several now-iconic scenes, The Inugami Family has rarely been seen outside its home country, making it one of Japanese cinema's best-kept secrets. (146 Mins)

 

Views: Based on The Inugami Curse, the popular mystery novel by Seishi Yokomizo, The Inugami Family is an engrossing adaptation from Kon Ichikawa and the first of his Kindaichi Series which focused on the fictional detective of that name. Here, the story follows the events of the Inugami family who are shocked to learn that their late father, a wealthy tycoon, has left his fortune to an outsider – but with one condition – she must marry one of the grandsons! Naturally, the family members are unhappy and soon start fighting with each other, leading to a chain of murders among the clan. Now, Detective Kandaichi must do what he can to solve the mystery and find out who is responsible for the murders! Directed by the much loved and praised film-maker Kon Ichikawa; the prolific director who went onto form the Yonki-no-kai Production company with Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi and Keisuke Kinoshita. After making some animated shorts for children, Kon made a splash in 1947 with his first full feature A Thousand and One Nights with Toho of which he would follow with a stream of hits including Passion Without End (1949), Koibito (1951), This Way, That Way (1952), The Burmese Harp (1956), The Crowded Streetcar (1957), and Fires on the Plain (1959) prior to this. Reaching almost 100 titles as a director, he went onto helm An Actors Revenge and Alone on the Pacific in 1963, Ten Women in Black (1961), The House of Hanging (1979), Princess from the Moon (1987), 47 Ronin (1994) and so much more, ending his film-making career with a modern remake of this 1976 classic with Murder of the Inugami Clan in 2006 at the age of 90; passing just two years after...

 

Riveting, slick, funny and engrossing, The Inugami Family has still got it even 50 years after it's release! Fans of Agatha Christie's murder mysteries, and films like Knives Out (2019) etc, will surely get a kick out of this classic piece of Japanese cinema. Wonderfully directed and acted, the film is also beautifully captured thanks to cinematographer Kiyoshi Hasigawa; the same eye behind the lens of classics like The Sun Above, Death Below (1968), To Love Again (1971), Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), Samurai Reincarnation (1981) and Kon's follow-up film Queen Bee (1978) that saw Kindaichi solving more murders. Of course, these visuals are highlighted even more so thanks to the gorgeous 4K restoration on offer. The experience is enhanced even further by the awesome (and often funky) soundtrack delivered by Yuji Ono, the recently deceased composer who was also behind many great anime soundtracks – namely the many Lupin III movies – The Most Dangerous Game (1978), The Killing Game (1978), The Execution Game (1979), and many more.

 

As expected, Ichikawa pulls together another great cast for his project with the great Koji Ishizaka leading the way as Detective Kindaichi – a role he played six times throughout his career under Kon Ichikawa, including his 2006 remake. As the elderly detective, Koji proves why he was the right person to star and does a great job in the role. Over the years, he would go onto star in films such as Kon's very own The Makioka Sisters (1983), The Burmese Harp (1985), Princess from the Moon (1987) and 47 Ronin (1994), as well as The Return of Godzilla (1984), Sinking of Japan (2006), Library Wars (2013) and others. Japanese actress Yoko Shimada, known widely in the West for her role in the popular mini-series Shogun (1981) where she won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress, delivers another fantastic role here as Tamayo Nonomiya joined by stars such as Teruhiko Aoi, actress and singer Meiko Takmine who would also return for Queen Bee (1978) along with co-stars Mitsuko Kusabue and Akiji Kobayashi – star of the original Ultraman and Kamen Rider shows from the 60s and 70s. They are joined by popular actor Takeo Chii who appeared in classics like Red Lion (1969), Stray Cat Rock: Wild Jumbo (1970), Street Mobster (1972), Lady Snowblood (1973), Proof of the Man (1977) and others, as well as Kyoko Kishida, Hideji Otaki, Eitaro Ozawa, Rentaro Mikuni, and Takeshi Kato as Detective Tachibana who all do a fantastic job.

 

As well as the stunning new 4K restoration on offer, the Radiance Films Blu-ray release gives us a host of bonus features to enjoy also. The first is a new 23 minute interview with film-scholar Aaron Gerow who discusses the impact the film had on the Japanese film industry. It makes for a good watch with Gerow delivering some interesting points. The Secrets of Kon Ichikawa's Visual Style is an archival 44 minute interview with the director that sees him discuss the way he shoots, but also his career and more. Made back in 2023, although presented in 4:3 television ratio, the interview was produced by his biographer Yuuki Mori and is a must for all fans of the film-maker. This is followed by Off Shots, an 8 minute piece that gives us a look behind the scenes of the lengthy interview combined with some out-takes. Again, presented in 4:3, it's an interesting watch and looked like everyone was having fun. Next is Verification: How The Inugami Family Was Made; a 30 minute retrospective Making-of-Documentary that was originally produced for the Japanese Blu-ray release in 2023. Throughout we see interviews with Kon Ichikawa, star Koji Ishizaka, and editor Chizuko Osada as well as others. Although made for the Blu-ray release, it's smaller ratio suggests otherwise but it does make for a fantastic watch and reveals quite a bit on how the film came about and was adapted. Following that is The Birth Of Kosuke Kindaichi, a 16 minute archival interview with star Koji Ishizaka on the detective he played numerously over the years. As with the rest, made in 2023, the ratio sits as 4:3 but it was an enjoyable addition – he genuinely seems like a great guy. We then get a 12 minute film on the 4K restoration process, which was done by the Kadokawa Corporation, that really lets us see just how much work goes into a project like this, as well as showing us just how many versions of the film are out there. And finally, we close with the restored Toho theatrical trailer that ran for just over 2 minutes and their original teaser, that ran just under 1 minute. All in all, a jam-packed release from Radiance Films and an incredible film well worth checking out!

 

Overall: Wonderfully made and highly entertaining, The Inugami Family makes for a memorable watch and is one of Kon Ichikawa's finest!

 

Radiance Films Blu-ray Extras: 4K Restoration, Interview with Aaron Gerow, Archival Interview with Kon Ichikawa, Out-takes from Archival Interview with Kon Ichikawa, Archival Making -f Documentary, Archival Interview with Koji Ishizaka, Archival Documentary of the 4K Restoration, Theatrical Trailer & Teasers