1 00:00:02,470 --> 00:00:05,550 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:13,050 --> 00:00:15,770 Speaker 2: Hey, welcome to Weird House Cinema. This is Rob Lamb. 3 00:00:16,090 --> 00:00:17,310 Speaker 3: And this is Joe McCormick. 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:19,700 Speaker 2: And we have a really fun film to talk about 5 00:00:19,730 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 2: here today. We're going to be chatting about 1974's Evil 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: of Dracula. This is a Japanese response to the popularity 7 00:00:26,860 --> 00:00:30,830 Speaker 2: of Hammer Horror Films. Hammer Horror Films, of course, originated 8 00:00:32,010 --> 00:00:35,090 Speaker 2: in England. They were extremely popular in the 50s, 60s, 9 00:00:35,130 --> 00:00:39,330 Speaker 2: and 70s, especially that's the heyday of Hammer Horror. And 10 00:00:39,350 --> 00:00:42,500 Speaker 2: of course, they were highly influential. They were very popular 11 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,419 Speaker 2: around the world, pretty vast international audience. And not only 12 00:00:47,460 --> 00:00:51,500 Speaker 2: were they consumed internationally, but they inspired new films to 13 00:00:51,540 --> 00:00:55,150 Speaker 2: pop up. Everybody loved Dracula and Frankenstein, and so you'd 14 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 2: get localized takes on these. And Japan was no exception 15 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 2: to this. And so today we're going to be talking 16 00:01:01,820 --> 00:01:07,740 Speaker 2: about one of three notable examples of, essentially, you could 17 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:13,030 Speaker 2: call it, I guess, J-Hammer. Japanese hammer-flavored horror. Lots of 18 00:01:13,150 --> 00:01:18,770 Speaker 2: gothic features, you know, very much inspired by the hammer productions, 19 00:01:18,930 --> 00:01:23,630 Speaker 2: but with Japanese settings, with Japanese cast, and with distinct 20 00:01:23,690 --> 00:01:24,509 Speaker 2: Japanese touches. 21 00:01:25,310 --> 00:01:28,370 Speaker 3: Yeah, I can see exactly why people make this comparison. 22 00:01:28,450 --> 00:01:31,430 Speaker 3: So I had never seen any of the trilogy of 23 00:01:31,490 --> 00:01:34,350 Speaker 3: movies this belongs to. I guess we'll talk about that 24 00:01:34,390 --> 00:01:37,490 Speaker 3: trilogy in a moment. But yeah, it's a trilogy of 25 00:01:37,550 --> 00:01:40,530 Speaker 3: movies that are sometimes referred to as a Japanese take 26 00:01:40,590 --> 00:01:44,789 Speaker 3: on the Hammer Horror aesthetic. And once you're like 10 27 00:01:44,790 --> 00:01:47,190 Speaker 3: minutes into the movie, you can absolutely see it. It 28 00:01:47,230 --> 00:01:52,500 Speaker 3: has a huge aesthetic overlap. There are sets in this film, 29 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 3: in Evil of Dracula... that feel like Peter Cushing and 30 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:00,990 Speaker 3: Christopher Lee are about to wander on screen. It has 31 00:02:01,050 --> 00:02:07,130 Speaker 3: that roaring fireplace, ancient tome, kind of dignified smoking jacket, 32 00:02:07,210 --> 00:02:10,710 Speaker 3: gothic horror feeling, except with, like you say, a lot 33 00:02:10,730 --> 00:02:14,690 Speaker 3: of these distinctive Japanese flourishes. And so I thought this 34 00:02:14,730 --> 00:02:16,470 Speaker 3: was a lot of fun. I'd never seen a movie 35 00:02:16,510 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 3: like this before, and it was really cool. Yeah, yeah. 36 00:02:20,540 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: I don't want people to get the wrong impression and 37 00:02:22,340 --> 00:02:24,130 Speaker 2: think that this is going to in some way be 38 00:02:24,169 --> 00:02:26,810 Speaker 2: just like a pure knockoff of Hammer. Like this is, 39 00:02:26,910 --> 00:02:28,190 Speaker 2: I think one of the things that makes this film 40 00:02:28,210 --> 00:02:31,770 Speaker 2: so fun is that it's really like taking all of 41 00:02:31,850 --> 00:02:36,290 Speaker 2: these aspects of a Hammer film and then breathing a 42 00:02:36,490 --> 00:02:38,929 Speaker 2: certain new life into them. So like I said, these 43 00:02:39,030 --> 00:02:43,330 Speaker 2: wonderful Japanese locations, like so, you know, very rural mountainous 44 00:02:43,470 --> 00:02:47,820 Speaker 2: or near the mountains anyway, some wonderful performances, just very 45 00:02:47,860 --> 00:02:51,540 Speaker 2: well done Toho production. Now, you mentioned the trilogy here. 46 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 2: This is, of course, the Bloodthirsty trilogy. We both watched 47 00:02:54,940 --> 00:02:57,980 Speaker 2: it on the Arrow Blu-ray. And that featured a nice 48 00:02:58,060 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 2: little featurette with Kim Newman, the film critic and vampire expert. 49 00:03:04,669 --> 00:03:08,250 Speaker 2: And he chats a little about where this film and 50 00:03:08,270 --> 00:03:13,210 Speaker 2: where this trilogy fits into Japanese vampire films. And he 51 00:03:13,250 --> 00:03:17,450 Speaker 2: points out that there'd been vampire-like beings more in line 52 00:03:17,470 --> 00:03:21,870 Speaker 2: with Japanese traditions of the supernatural. in Japanese cinema, of course. 53 00:03:21,950 --> 00:03:25,850 Speaker 2: And there had also been sci-fi concepts of vampire-like creatures, 54 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:30,820 Speaker 2: like 68's, what is it, Goki, Body Snatcher of Hell? 55 00:03:31,860 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 3: I haven't watched this yet, but this has been on 56 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,100 Speaker 3: the list to do for Weird House Cinema for a while. 57 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:39,820 Speaker 3: I feel like every time we're about to do it, 58 00:03:40,020 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 3: one of us is about to go on an airplane. 59 00:03:42,300 --> 00:03:45,060 Speaker 3: It's a movie where terrible things happen on an airplane, 60 00:03:45,100 --> 00:03:46,580 Speaker 3: so we'll have to find a time. 61 00:03:47,210 --> 00:03:50,110 Speaker 2: Yeah, we got to look at our schedules and figure 62 00:03:50,130 --> 00:03:51,650 Speaker 2: out the right time to go after it because it 63 00:03:51,970 --> 00:03:55,610 Speaker 2: is notable for being like a sci-fi vampire take. Newman 64 00:03:55,650 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 2: points out that there was a 1959 attempt at a 65 00:04:00,180 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 2: Japanese Hammer-style gothic horror film with 1959's The Lady Vampire. 66 00:04:06,300 --> 00:04:09,500 Speaker 2: And that apparently wasn't all that successful. But then we 67 00:04:09,530 --> 00:04:13,170 Speaker 2: get the Bloodthirsty trilogy from Toho consisting of 1970's The 68 00:04:13,210 --> 00:04:18,540 Speaker 2: Vampire Doll. Lake of Dracula in 71, and then today's film, 69 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 2: Evil of Dracula in 74. And these are standalone pictures. 70 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,370 Speaker 2: This is not like a narrative trilogy where you need 71 00:04:26,390 --> 00:04:29,350 Speaker 2: to watch them in order. If you're interested at all, 72 00:04:29,370 --> 00:04:32,930 Speaker 2: you can go straight to Evil of Dracula. That's essentially 73 00:04:32,970 --> 00:04:36,190 Speaker 2: what I did. So don't feel like you have to 74 00:04:36,250 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: watch these in order. And these were successful, but Still, 75 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,580 Speaker 2: these three films largely present their own sort of self-contained 76 00:04:44,660 --> 00:04:48,810 Speaker 2: 1970s Jay Hammer universe. So again, blending the gothic European 77 00:04:48,830 --> 00:04:53,630 Speaker 2: sensibilities of Hammer with a contemporary Japanese setting and at 78 00:04:53,670 --> 00:04:56,870 Speaker 2: times like subtler Japanese touches as well. And just overall, 79 00:04:56,890 --> 00:04:59,180 Speaker 2: I think some nice filmmaking excellence. 80 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:02,620 Speaker 3: Now, one thing we should mention near the top because 81 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,900 Speaker 3: we don't want to mislead people is that despite the 82 00:05:05,940 --> 00:05:09,500 Speaker 3: fact that this movie is called evil of Dracula in English, 83 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,900 Speaker 3: there's no Dracula and it's not about Dracula. Yeah. There 84 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 3: is not a vampire, but right. Right. 85 00:05:14,990 --> 00:05:18,550 Speaker 2: There is no character named Dracula in this. Uh, there 86 00:05:18,650 --> 00:05:22,830 Speaker 2: is a Dracula like character, so you won't be disappointed 87 00:05:22,890 --> 00:05:26,370 Speaker 2: in that regard. Uh, but, but his name's not Dracula. The, 88 00:05:26,450 --> 00:05:30,690 Speaker 2: and the film's actual title translates to the bloodthirsty Rose, uh, 89 00:05:31,580 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 2: And it's a good title, and that definitely matches up 90 00:05:34,060 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 2: with some of the visual elements that we see throughout 91 00:05:36,620 --> 00:05:40,219 Speaker 2: the picture. But again, no actual Dracula. I think that 92 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,690 Speaker 2: the evil of Dracula is kind of like a take 93 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:46,590 Speaker 2: on the actual Hammer title, Evil of Frankenstein from 1964. 94 00:05:46,589 --> 00:05:50,570 Speaker 3: Yeah. I can get the sense that producers may have 95 00:05:50,589 --> 00:05:53,650 Speaker 3: been worried that if you don't mention the word Dracula 96 00:05:53,710 --> 00:05:56,790 Speaker 3: or vampire in the title, audiences might not really know 97 00:05:56,830 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 3: what they were in for. And so even though it 98 00:05:59,339 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 3: is explicitly false to call this a Dracula movie that 99 00:06:03,339 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 3: that's more in the right direction that suggests to people 100 00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 3: the kind of thing they're getting. Yeah. 101 00:06:08,820 --> 00:06:11,190 Speaker 2: And so this, again, this is a, I thought a 102 00:06:11,210 --> 00:06:13,930 Speaker 2: very entertaining film. I think the pacing's great, love the 103 00:06:14,050 --> 00:06:17,590 Speaker 2: atmosphere and the, the, the actors are wonderful as well. 104 00:06:17,610 --> 00:06:21,810 Speaker 2: And it takes the story very, very seriously. Uh, there 105 00:06:21,850 --> 00:06:24,789 Speaker 2: may be some unintentional laughs at times, you know, sort 106 00:06:24,810 --> 00:06:28,660 Speaker 2: of by virtue of, uh, its place in cinema history 107 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,500 Speaker 2: and its 1970s setting. But on the whole, very serious 108 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,820 Speaker 2: film that sets out to tell its tale without any 109 00:06:35,930 --> 00:06:40,870 Speaker 2: unnecessary comedic flourishes. But so far, we've just been talking 110 00:06:40,890 --> 00:06:43,230 Speaker 2: about the general vibe. I guess we should give a 111 00:06:43,250 --> 00:06:45,539 Speaker 2: little idea what the story is about as well. 112 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 3: Sure. Well, so it's, of course, a vampire story, and 113 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,980 Speaker 3: it takes place at a school. So our hero is Shiraki, 114 00:06:54,260 --> 00:06:58,790 Speaker 3: a very handsome professor of psychology who has just been 115 00:06:58,850 --> 00:07:02,469 Speaker 3: hired to fill an open faculty position at a women's 116 00:07:02,550 --> 00:07:06,850 Speaker 3: junior college out in the country. But upon arriving, he 117 00:07:06,890 --> 00:07:10,670 Speaker 3: learns that some strange things are afoot at this school. 118 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 3: The principal's wife has just died right before he got there. 119 00:07:15,390 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 3: and her body is being kept, he learns, in a 120 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 3: coffin in the basement of the principal's house due to 121 00:07:22,220 --> 00:07:26,700 Speaker 3: a local custom. He also learns that a young woman 122 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:30,750 Speaker 3: has recently vanished from the dormitories, and another group of 123 00:07:30,810 --> 00:07:34,090 Speaker 3: students seems to be falling victim to a bizarre series 124 00:07:34,130 --> 00:07:38,830 Speaker 3: of illnesses. Vampire movie fans will recognize these tropes. So 125 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:43,710 Speaker 3: Shiraki and a friend named Dr. Shinomura investigate to solve 126 00:07:43,730 --> 00:07:47,330 Speaker 3: the mysteries and find the source of the evil of 127 00:07:48,010 --> 00:07:53,590 Speaker 3: the principal or not Dracula, but something, something Dracula ish. 128 00:07:54,130 --> 00:07:57,250 Speaker 2: My, um, and my elevator pitch for this or my, 129 00:07:57,310 --> 00:08:00,210 Speaker 2: my alternate title, if you will, is bloodthirsty three. Your 130 00:08:00,250 --> 00:08:03,630 Speaker 2: principal is a Dracula, which I think is, is, is 131 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:04,620 Speaker 2: more or less accurate here. 132 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 3: It's either your sister is a werewolf. Yes. Yes. 133 00:08:10,390 --> 00:08:14,150 Speaker 2: Now, again, Evil of Dracula has been available on that 134 00:08:14,300 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 2: Arrow Blu-ray of the Bloodthirsty trilogy, which you can still 135 00:08:18,660 --> 00:08:21,540 Speaker 2: order at places. That's what we did. But it's becoming 136 00:08:21,580 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 2: harder to find, I think. And I don't know if 137 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 2: there's a good streaming option at the moment either, at 138 00:08:26,860 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 2: least at the time of this recording. But if you're 139 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 2: interested in Hammer Horror and you're interested in Japanese horror, 140 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,300 Speaker 2: then you should definitely seek this out. Maybe a reprint 141 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 2: or a new edition is on the horizon. 142 00:08:36,860 --> 00:08:37,199 Speaker 3: We'll see. 143 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:37,860 Speaker 1: Hmm. 144 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:49,599 Speaker 2: Now, let's talk about the folks involved in this production. 145 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 2: This is, again, a Toho film of the 1970s, so 146 00:08:52,460 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 2: there are going to be a number of connections to 147 00:08:54,140 --> 00:08:57,710 Speaker 2: Godzilla and samurai movies. With this film, I guess being, 148 00:08:57,730 --> 00:08:59,849 Speaker 2: if you think about sort of the pecking order of 149 00:08:59,890 --> 00:09:04,770 Speaker 2: these different productions, it's somewhere below Kurosawa, but maybe above 150 00:09:05,290 --> 00:09:08,910 Speaker 2: some of the lesser kaiju movies. Hard to say, but 151 00:09:08,950 --> 00:09:11,510 Speaker 2: it's got some fine actors in it. And again, the 152 00:09:11,530 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 2: production values are excellent. So let's start at the top 153 00:09:14,580 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 2: with the director. It is Michio Yamamoto, who lived 1933 154 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:22,990 Speaker 2: through 2004. As an assistant director, he had been one 155 00:09:23,020 --> 00:09:27,469 Speaker 2: of several on Kurosawa's 1957 classic, Throne of Blood. His 156 00:09:27,530 --> 00:09:32,150 Speaker 2: first full directorial credit was the action drama Resurrection of 157 00:09:32,230 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 2: the Beast. And then the Bloodthirsty trilogy began with 1970's 158 00:09:35,900 --> 00:09:40,690 Speaker 2: The Vampire Doll. originally released in the U.S. as The 159 00:09:40,730 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 2: Night of the Vampire, which is a bit confusing because 160 00:09:43,100 --> 00:09:45,780 Speaker 2: I think a number of films have essentially had that title. 161 00:09:47,059 --> 00:09:48,700 Speaker 3: And the title of a Rocky Erickson film. 162 00:09:48,980 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. And I can't remember which Night of the 163 00:09:52,380 --> 00:09:55,180 Speaker 2: Vampire movie he was directly inspired by for that one, 164 00:09:55,190 --> 00:09:58,670 Speaker 2: but it was one of them. Not this one. Or 165 00:09:58,710 --> 00:10:01,579 Speaker 2: not the, not the, not a, film in the Bloodthirsty trilogy. 166 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:06,220 Speaker 3: Is there any scene where it's raining, somebody's running, and 167 00:10:06,260 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 3: they slip in the mud? I don't think so. No, 168 00:10:08,140 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 3: not at all. This is actually not a very rainy movie. 169 00:10:10,460 --> 00:10:11,540 Speaker 3: It's rather dry. 170 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, it might happen in Vampire Doll. I started watching 171 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 2: part of Vampire Doll... And it, I mean, not to 172 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,260 Speaker 2: say it was bad or anything, but I just quickly 173 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,660 Speaker 2: realized like, this is not the one I'm going to select. 174 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 2: So I skipped from there to evil of Dracula. And 175 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,260 Speaker 2: that one quickly sucked me. And I was like, oh yeah, 176 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 2: this is it all the way. 177 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:29,140 Speaker 3: Cool. 178 00:10:29,590 --> 00:10:33,140 Speaker 2: So he followed vampire doll up with the 1970 mystery 179 00:10:33,179 --> 00:10:36,390 Speaker 2: thriller terror in the streets. Then back to the bloodthirsty 180 00:10:36,429 --> 00:10:40,150 Speaker 2: trilogy for 71s lake of Dracula, which also has no 181 00:10:40,270 --> 00:10:44,190 Speaker 2: actual Dracula character. Uh, but it does have a Dracula 182 00:10:44,270 --> 00:10:48,230 Speaker 2: light character. And then the actual title for that one 183 00:10:48,270 --> 00:10:53,620 Speaker 2: translates to something like Cursed Mansion, Bloodthirsty Eyes. Then a 184 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 2: couple of more action dramas before today's film, Evil of 185 00:10:56,460 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 2: Dracula in 74, concluding what would become known as the 186 00:11:00,260 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 2: Bloodthirsty Trilogy. And afterwards, due to changes in the film 187 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,970 Speaker 2: output of Toho and other major film studios at the time, 188 00:11:07,290 --> 00:11:10,630 Speaker 2: he ends up moving into television production and eventually retiring. 189 00:11:11,130 --> 00:11:14,350 Speaker 2: But these Jay Hammer movies, if you will, remain his 190 00:11:14,390 --> 00:11:18,650 Speaker 2: best remembered work. and are somewhat kind of three of 191 00:11:18,690 --> 00:11:20,070 Speaker 2: a kind, you know, not one of a kind, but 192 00:11:20,110 --> 00:11:21,709 Speaker 2: three of a kind. Like I say, they're kind of 193 00:11:21,730 --> 00:11:26,050 Speaker 2: their own little self-contained universe. All right, let's talk about 194 00:11:26,090 --> 00:11:31,370 Speaker 2: the writers here. We have Ai Ogawa, who lived 1930 195 00:11:31,370 --> 00:11:35,910 Speaker 2: through 1995, Toho screenwriter who worked on all three of 196 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:39,500 Speaker 2: the Bloodthirsty Trilogy films, and his other credits include 1970's 197 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 2: Space Amoeba and 82's Ninja Wars. 198 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,500 Speaker 3: I've optioned Space Amoeba for the show before. 199 00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:48,329 Speaker 2: It looks fun. I've never seen it, but I love 200 00:11:48,370 --> 00:11:48,730 Speaker 2: the cover. 201 00:11:49,330 --> 00:11:49,530 Speaker 3: Yeah. 202 00:11:50,770 --> 00:11:56,250 Speaker 2: And then we have Masaru Tatsu, who lived 1936 through 2015. 203 00:11:56,250 --> 00:11:59,580 Speaker 2: Also worked on the screenplay for Lake of Dracula in 204 00:11:59,620 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 2: addition to Evil of Dracula. His other credits include Udamaro's 205 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 2: World from 77. This is an historic biopic about the 206 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,850 Speaker 2: controversial and censored 18th century artist Udamaro. And that one 207 00:12:12,870 --> 00:12:16,190 Speaker 2: starred Shinkashita in the title role, an actor we're going 208 00:12:16,210 --> 00:12:17,470 Speaker 2: to be talking about here in a minute, who we've 209 00:12:17,510 --> 00:12:19,949 Speaker 2: talked about on the show before, who plays the Dracula-like 210 00:12:20,030 --> 00:12:21,190 Speaker 2: principal in this movie. 211 00:12:21,750 --> 00:12:22,030 Speaker 3: Nice. 212 00:12:22,910 --> 00:12:25,870 Speaker 2: All right, let's get into the cast then. We have 213 00:12:26,210 --> 00:12:32,510 Speaker 2: Toshio Kurosawa playing Professor Shiraki, born 1944. This is our 214 00:12:32,550 --> 00:12:35,910 Speaker 2: lead character. This is our protagonist. This is our man 215 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 2: from the outside who has been assigned to this strange 216 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 2: school in the north, where Sinister goings on or afoot. 217 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 3: I don't know if I have seen another movie with 218 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:49,500 Speaker 3: this guy in it, maybe, but he was very cool. 219 00:12:50,020 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 3: He's got great screen charisma, just super handsome, kind of 220 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 3: just swabs up every scene. Oh, yeah. 221 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,500 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's great. I think he does a good job. 222 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 2: You know, he's a solid, solid job here in the 223 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:08,420 Speaker 2: lead role. You know, he's suspicious, skeptical, You know, at 224 00:13:08,460 --> 00:13:11,300 Speaker 2: times a little befuddled by the weird things that are happening, 225 00:13:11,780 --> 00:13:14,620 Speaker 2: but good performance. Not surprising at all that he was 226 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:17,470 Speaker 2: also a singer. If you look him up on Discogs, 227 00:13:17,490 --> 00:13:24,790 Speaker 2: you'll see these various 1970s and late 60s album covers 228 00:13:24,850 --> 00:13:28,410 Speaker 2: where he's, again, just looking super cool. And then more recently, 229 00:13:28,429 --> 00:13:30,530 Speaker 2: I think he's still putting out music. There's something like, 230 00:13:31,100 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 2: I don't have the translation in front of me, but 231 00:13:32,780 --> 00:13:36,610 Speaker 2: it's like something like Fun Grandpa or Cool Grandpa. So 232 00:13:36,630 --> 00:13:40,150 Speaker 2: he's still out there. He's still creating music and still, 233 00:13:40,950 --> 00:13:43,570 Speaker 2: at least until very recently, was still doing some form 234 00:13:43,590 --> 00:13:47,150 Speaker 2: of acting. But yeah, Japanese actor and singer who had 235 00:13:47,170 --> 00:13:50,890 Speaker 2: a long stint with Toho Pictures. And his other credits 236 00:13:50,929 --> 00:13:53,670 Speaker 2: include 69's Too Young to Die and also 1973's Lady 237 00:13:53,690 --> 00:13:54,830 Speaker 2: Snowblood and also 1973's Horror of the Wolf. 238 00:14:00,020 --> 00:14:02,500 Speaker 3: This album cover on the left, you've got like a 239 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 3: sailboat mask in the background and he's wearing a captain's hat. 240 00:14:06,260 --> 00:14:07,719 Speaker 3: It looks like a Jimmy Buffett album. 241 00:14:07,740 --> 00:14:11,460 Speaker 2: Yeah, I didn't have a chance to look up his 242 00:14:11,540 --> 00:14:15,380 Speaker 2: music and listen to it. But I don't want to 243 00:14:15,420 --> 00:14:17,860 Speaker 2: spoil it. I would be disappointed if it didn't sound 244 00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 2: really cool. All right, so that's the good guy here. 245 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 2: And then we also have, again, the principal played by 246 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,020 Speaker 2: Shin Kishida, who lived 1939 through 1982. We previously talked 247 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:33,900 Speaker 2: about him because he played the shades-wearing Interpol agent Nabara 248 00:14:34,060 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 2: in 74's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. 249 00:14:37,980 --> 00:14:43,460 Speaker 3: Yeah, the Interpol agent. That movie posits that Interpol agents 250 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:48,020 Speaker 3: are like James Bond. They're running around doing assassinations and stuff. 251 00:14:48,660 --> 00:14:51,060 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I remember watching that film for the first time, 252 00:14:51,140 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 2: and I remember thinking, who is this really cool dude 253 00:14:54,100 --> 00:14:56,110 Speaker 2: in the shades? And early in the film, We don't 254 00:14:56,150 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 2: know who he is. We don't know that he's Interpol. 255 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 2: We think he might be an alien operative or something 256 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 2: or a gangster. We don't know. But just effortlessly cool. 257 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 2: And when I saw that he played at least a 258 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:11,750 Speaker 2: Dracula-like character in both Lake of Dracula and Evil of Dracula, 259 00:15:12,150 --> 00:15:13,710 Speaker 2: that's when I knew we had to get into the 260 00:15:13,750 --> 00:15:15,190 Speaker 2: Bloodthirsty Trilogy business. 261 00:15:15,850 --> 00:15:17,190 Speaker 3: A good choice, sir. Yes. 262 00:15:18,550 --> 00:15:22,580 Speaker 2: So he was a very well-regarded actor whose ultimately short career, 263 00:15:23,220 --> 00:15:26,310 Speaker 2: short life leaves us Wondering where else his work might 264 00:15:26,350 --> 00:15:29,230 Speaker 2: have taken him, but still had a pretty solid short 265 00:15:29,270 --> 00:15:32,270 Speaker 2: career here. Played one of the masters of death in 266 00:15:32,450 --> 00:15:35,830 Speaker 2: 1980's Shogun Assassin, the one with the iron fist weapons. 267 00:15:35,890 --> 00:15:38,510 Speaker 2: We talked about this movie on the show, this role 268 00:15:38,590 --> 00:15:41,670 Speaker 2: being from 72's Lone Wolf and Cub, Baby Cart at 269 00:15:41,690 --> 00:15:45,180 Speaker 2: the River Styx. Because, of course, that movie is an 270 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:47,260 Speaker 2: edit of a couple of Lone Wolf movies. 271 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 3: You mean Shogun Assassin is like an edit together of 272 00:15:51,060 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 3: multiple of the Lone Wolf and Cubs. Yeah, yeah, that's it. 273 00:15:54,310 --> 00:15:56,970 Speaker 2: Uh, so, uh, so yeah, he's in there. Uh, and 274 00:15:57,010 --> 00:16:01,550 Speaker 2: then he's, he's also in, let's see, uh, Lady Snowblood 2, 275 00:16:01,550 --> 00:16:05,340 Speaker 2: Love Song of Vengeance from 74. Um, and then, uh, 276 00:16:05,420 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 2: Zatoichi meets Yojimbo from 1970. And then I already mentioned 277 00:16:09,580 --> 00:16:12,980 Speaker 2: the biopic that he was in. So I think Kushida 278 00:16:13,020 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 2: rules in this. Uh, he's, he's kind of the Japanese 279 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:19,250 Speaker 2: Christopher Lee in, in all the best possible ways. And 280 00:16:19,690 --> 00:16:21,750 Speaker 2: a shame that he lived less than half as long 281 00:16:21,810 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 2: as Lee, because I like to imagine him continuing to 282 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:30,020 Speaker 2: play characters like of this stature, if not actual Dracula characters. Then, 283 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,979 Speaker 2: you know, having the sort of the longstanding villain. 284 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,470 Speaker 3: Career that Christopher Lee did. Totally. Yes. 285 00:16:36,090 --> 00:16:39,250 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, the principal's eyes contain such dark depths 286 00:16:39,310 --> 00:16:42,530 Speaker 2: when he strikes. You know, there's a there's this ferocity 287 00:16:42,590 --> 00:16:45,270 Speaker 2: to him. Um, and, and Kashida is one of those 288 00:16:45,370 --> 00:16:48,330 Speaker 2: actors who, uh, you know, I believe was not especially 289 00:16:48,370 --> 00:16:50,410 Speaker 2: tall in real life. I think it was just like five, seven, 290 00:16:50,750 --> 00:16:53,390 Speaker 2: but through a mix of staging and performance, he seems 291 00:16:53,430 --> 00:16:56,860 Speaker 2: to just tower over everyone in this film. Uh, similar 292 00:16:56,900 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 2: to how Karloff does like, uh, you know, we were 293 00:16:58,860 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 2: talking about the mummy earlier in the month. Karloff is only, 294 00:17:02,300 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 2: I think five was only five 11, but in the 295 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,820 Speaker 2: mummy appears to just tower over everyone. Uh, whilst on 296 00:17:09,859 --> 00:17:13,630 Speaker 2: the other hand, Christopher Lee was legitimately like six, five. during, 297 00:17:13,940 --> 00:17:18,659 Speaker 2: you know, at his tallest and certainly looks it on 298 00:17:18,700 --> 00:17:19,179 Speaker 2: the screen. 299 00:17:19,859 --> 00:17:23,700 Speaker 3: Well, certainly here, Shin Kishida is a huge presence. Yeah, 300 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 3: they photograph him in a way, but he also fills 301 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:31,790 Speaker 3: the screen with an evil, malignant charisma. And he, I 302 00:17:31,830 --> 00:17:35,389 Speaker 3: like his I like his Dracula face. He does a 303 00:17:35,430 --> 00:17:38,109 Speaker 3: hissing like a snake thing. I guess that he's not 304 00:17:38,150 --> 00:17:40,550 Speaker 3: the only Dracula performer to do that, or I guess 305 00:17:40,710 --> 00:17:43,550 Speaker 3: vampire performer to do that, but he does it quite well. 306 00:17:45,030 --> 00:17:49,750 Speaker 3: And he also does something kind of, I was trying 307 00:17:49,770 --> 00:17:52,610 Speaker 3: to put my finger on what this is. He does 308 00:17:52,650 --> 00:17:56,050 Speaker 3: a thing with his jaw. That's kind of weird. Like 309 00:17:56,310 --> 00:17:59,860 Speaker 3: even in scenes where he's not overtly vamping out, he's, 310 00:17:59,970 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 3: you know, where he's kind of appearing human, he kind of, 311 00:18:03,530 --> 00:18:06,430 Speaker 3: you know, works his jaw in a strange way that 312 00:18:06,510 --> 00:18:08,350 Speaker 3: makes you think it was like, what's going on in 313 00:18:08,390 --> 00:18:11,970 Speaker 3: his mouth. And it kind of reminded me of the character, uh, 314 00:18:12,350 --> 00:18:17,140 Speaker 3: jaws played by Richard Keel and the James Bond movies. Uh, yeah, 315 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,300 Speaker 3: that's just like, there's, there's something menacing happening inside his mouth, 316 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 3: even in the scenes where he's not showing his fangs. 317 00:18:23,740 --> 00:18:24,220 Speaker 2: Yeah. 318 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 3: Yeah. 319 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,619 Speaker 2: So I, I, I loved whatever he was on screen. 320 00:18:27,710 --> 00:18:28,510 Speaker 3: It's tremendous here. 321 00:18:28,550 --> 00:18:30,190 Speaker 2: And at some point I'm going to sit down and 322 00:18:30,250 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 2: watch Lake of Dracula as well. which again is a 323 00:18:33,220 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 2: different character, but played with like similar style. 324 00:18:37,250 --> 00:18:38,810 Speaker 3: Oh, and I just did want to make a note 325 00:18:38,850 --> 00:18:41,610 Speaker 3: here about this character because I was getting confused about 326 00:18:41,630 --> 00:18:45,150 Speaker 3: this in looking at different sources online. I think some 327 00:18:45,230 --> 00:18:48,590 Speaker 3: sources call this character like the Dean of the school 328 00:18:48,690 --> 00:18:51,490 Speaker 3: or the president or something, but my subtitles on the 329 00:18:51,530 --> 00:18:54,030 Speaker 3: disc said principal. So that's just what I'm going with. 330 00:18:54,090 --> 00:18:56,530 Speaker 3: But I think it principal sounds a little weird because 331 00:18:56,550 --> 00:18:58,770 Speaker 3: that makes it sound like a lower level school. And 332 00:18:58,810 --> 00:19:00,150 Speaker 3: I think this is supposed to be like a two 333 00:19:00,170 --> 00:19:01,270 Speaker 3: year college, but. 334 00:19:01,980 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 2: Plus, Principal has pal in it, and this guy is 335 00:19:04,540 --> 00:19:05,219 Speaker 2: not your pal. 336 00:19:05,500 --> 00:19:06,700 Speaker 3: No, he's not your pal. 337 00:19:07,460 --> 00:19:12,100 Speaker 2: But if he's a dean, he's a bad dean. All right. Well, 338 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,300 Speaker 2: that's our Dracula character, our Dracula-like character for the film. 339 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 2: Let's get into the supporting cast. We have Kuni Tanaka, 340 00:19:19,300 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 2: who lived 1932 through 2021, playing Dr. Shimomura. We mentioned 341 00:19:23,660 --> 00:19:27,050 Speaker 2: this character already. This is a guy who already works 342 00:19:27,090 --> 00:19:31,629 Speaker 2: at the school, who's going to help in these vampiric investigations. 343 00:19:32,109 --> 00:19:35,380 Speaker 2: Acclaimed Japanese actor who was nominated for several Japanese Academy 344 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 2: Awards for Best Supporting Actor. And he won the award 345 00:19:39,220 --> 00:19:43,510 Speaker 2: in 1994 for 93's A Class to Remember. He played 346 00:19:43,530 --> 00:19:48,990 Speaker 2: a villain in what's apparently a 17-film comedy series They 347 00:19:49,030 --> 00:19:55,390 Speaker 2: ran 61 through 81 of the Wakadesho films. I don't 348 00:19:55,410 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 2: know much about these. I don't know if these have 349 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,080 Speaker 2: really circulated outside of Japan, but apparently it was a 350 00:20:00,100 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 2: big hit and kind of helped establish him. And his 351 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:06,700 Speaker 2: other credits include, let's see, the Psychedelic Horror Anthology, Quiden 352 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:12,669 Speaker 2: from 64, And then there's also Kenji Fukasako's Battles Without 353 00:20:12,730 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 2: Honor and Humanity, a series of these from 73 through 74. 354 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,919 Speaker 2: And then just a very long and respected career in 355 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,459 Speaker 2: Japanese television and film. His other horror credits include 77's 356 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 2: Village of Eight Gravestones, 79's Murder in the Dollhouse, 79's 357 00:20:30,500 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 2: The Inferno, and then another one from the director Yamamoto, uh, 358 00:20:34,850 --> 00:20:39,670 Speaker 2: the horror comedy ghost festival in Zinjin village in 79. 359 00:20:39,670 --> 00:20:43,060 Speaker 3: Well, I don't really understand the idea of a 17 360 00:20:43,060 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 3: film series, but, uh, but putting that aside, uh, Kunia 361 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 3: Tanaka is great in this. I really love him. Powerful, 362 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:56,419 Speaker 3: positive energy. And he almost has a, a holy or 363 00:20:56,500 --> 00:21:02,030 Speaker 3: vampire repelling, uh, character within his very body. Ultimately, it 364 00:21:02,070 --> 00:21:04,510 Speaker 3: doesn't work because he gets got by a vampire. But 365 00:21:05,190 --> 00:21:07,750 Speaker 3: as I was telling you off mic, I feel like 366 00:21:07,790 --> 00:21:10,630 Speaker 3: his sideburns are more powerful than any crucifix. 367 00:21:10,869 --> 00:21:13,220 Speaker 2: Yeah, we lose this character too soon in the film, 368 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 2: but he gets a lot of great screen time before 369 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 2: that happens. So yeah, he's wonderful. The sort of well-rounded 370 00:21:19,140 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 2: character performance that you need, I think, in a movie 371 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,820 Speaker 2: like this. You could very loosely think of him as 372 00:21:25,859 --> 00:21:28,310 Speaker 2: the film's Van Helsing character. I mean, he's not quite 373 00:21:28,619 --> 00:21:31,450 Speaker 2: to that level, but he is an expert who knows 374 00:21:31,910 --> 00:21:36,189 Speaker 2: something about local history, knows something about supernatural lore, and 375 00:21:36,250 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 2: is able to help our protagonist in understanding and ultimately 376 00:21:41,140 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 2: solving the vampire curse. 377 00:21:43,380 --> 00:21:45,939 Speaker 3: Yeah, he is the Van Helsing character in that he 378 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,740 Speaker 3: is both a medical doctor and an expert in the 379 00:21:49,780 --> 00:21:53,930 Speaker 3: supernatural and the occult. But he's not the Van Helsing 380 00:21:53,970 --> 00:21:56,189 Speaker 3: in that he kind of takes over the story and 381 00:21:56,250 --> 00:22:00,510 Speaker 3: commands the battle against the vampire. Really, I would say 382 00:22:00,570 --> 00:22:04,930 Speaker 3: that Shiraki ultimately remains in kind of the leadership role 383 00:22:04,970 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 3: of the good guys. Absolutely, yeah. 384 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 2: But Tanaka, again, is wonderful here. And beyond delivering on 385 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,699 Speaker 2: all of this, he just brings a nuanced believability to 386 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,330 Speaker 2: his performance. And in doing so, you know, helps ground 387 00:22:17,420 --> 00:22:19,630 Speaker 2: the rest of the narrative in reality, I think. 388 00:22:20,109 --> 00:22:20,270 Speaker 3: Yeah. 389 00:22:21,350 --> 00:22:25,990 Speaker 2: All right. We have some other professors, though. There's Professor Yoshi, 390 00:22:26,350 --> 00:22:32,330 Speaker 2: played by Katsuhiko Sasuke, born 1944. And everybody hates Yoshi. 391 00:22:32,930 --> 00:22:33,970 Speaker 3: The campus creep. 392 00:22:34,150 --> 00:22:38,070 Speaker 2: The campus creep. The faculty doesn't seem to like him. 393 00:22:39,109 --> 00:22:41,670 Speaker 2: And the students think he's a creepy dude that just 394 00:22:41,710 --> 00:22:47,250 Speaker 2: stares at all the students. Yeah. So Soski's credits include 395 00:22:47,310 --> 00:22:52,450 Speaker 2: Godzilla vs. Megalon from 73, Carer of Mechagodzilla from 75. 396 00:22:52,450 --> 00:22:55,010 Speaker 2: I haven't gotten to that one yet, but that I 397 00:22:55,030 --> 00:22:57,170 Speaker 2: think is the next Godzilla film I'm going to watch, 398 00:22:57,210 --> 00:22:58,550 Speaker 2: at least on my own time. I don't know if 399 00:22:58,570 --> 00:23:01,430 Speaker 2: it'll be Weird House or not, but for my own purposes. 400 00:23:01,930 --> 00:23:05,670 Speaker 2: And then he also pops up in 89's Godzilla vs. Biollante. 401 00:23:06,230 --> 00:23:08,430 Speaker 2: And then as a voice actor, he also has a 402 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,120 Speaker 2: number of credits, including The Boy and the Beast from 2015. 403 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:14,390 Speaker 2: I've seen that one. It's quite good. And his other 404 00:23:14,430 --> 00:23:16,690 Speaker 2: horror credits include 78's Queen Bee. 405 00:23:17,869 --> 00:23:19,290 Speaker 3: Is that a bee monster movie? 406 00:23:19,550 --> 00:23:23,410 Speaker 2: I'm not sure. I just glanced at it. Just enough 407 00:23:23,430 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 2: to see that it's horror, it has bees in it, 408 00:23:25,500 --> 00:23:29,060 Speaker 2: and it might have bee women. I'm not sure. But 409 00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:31,739 Speaker 2: I'll have to come back to that one. All right, 410 00:23:31,780 --> 00:23:35,460 Speaker 2: we mentioned The Principal. The Principal's wife is also a 411 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:42,190 Speaker 2: character as well, played by Mika Katsuragi, born 1949. She 412 00:23:42,210 --> 00:23:45,270 Speaker 2: did 50 episodes of Return of Ultraman, and she was 413 00:23:45,290 --> 00:23:48,310 Speaker 2: also in 73's The Petrified Forest. This is a Japanese 414 00:23:48,350 --> 00:23:51,510 Speaker 2: drama unrelated to the 1936 film of the same title, 415 00:23:51,869 --> 00:23:54,210 Speaker 2: and she also had a small part in Lake of Dracula. 416 00:23:56,050 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 2: And then we have a trio of female students. We 417 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 2: have Kumi, we have Yukiko, and then we have Kyoko. 418 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 2: And let's run through them real quick. One of them 419 00:24:06,660 --> 00:24:08,780 Speaker 2: is going to survive, the other two not so much. 420 00:24:10,090 --> 00:24:13,450 Speaker 2: But all three seem to have been played by actresses 421 00:24:13,510 --> 00:24:17,490 Speaker 2: who just had like a brief period of activity, really. 422 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:24,340 Speaker 2: So we have, playing Kumi, we have Mariko Mochizuki. I 423 00:24:24,380 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 2: don't know when she was born, but she apparently died 424 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 2: in 2000. Her TV and film credits only cover the 425 00:24:29,660 --> 00:24:32,900 Speaker 2: years 74 through 76, this being one of only three 426 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:33,500 Speaker 2: film roles. 427 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,830 Speaker 3: So she's the main one of the student characters. 428 00:24:36,869 --> 00:24:40,250 Speaker 2: She's the main one, and Wink Wink might be the 429 00:24:40,330 --> 00:24:43,700 Speaker 2: most likely to survive the film. We'll see how it goes. 430 00:24:44,980 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 2: Then we also have, playing Yukiko, we have Mio Ota, 431 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:53,580 Speaker 2: who lived 1949 through 2019. And this is one of 432 00:24:53,619 --> 00:24:58,139 Speaker 2: only four credits from the period of 74 through 77. 433 00:24:58,140 --> 00:25:04,310 Speaker 2: And then we have Kiko Aramaki playing Kyoko. Dates, not 434 00:25:04,350 --> 00:25:08,650 Speaker 2: public record. So I don't know. She may still be around. Also, 435 00:25:08,710 --> 00:25:11,210 Speaker 2: just a very brief period of screen and TV activity, 436 00:25:11,210 --> 00:25:17,230 Speaker 2: 72 through 75, including credits for 73's Terrifying Girls High 437 00:25:17,270 --> 00:25:21,030 Speaker 2: School Animal Classmates. Don't know what that's about. Don't know 438 00:25:21,050 --> 00:25:23,410 Speaker 2: if that's an appropriate film or not, but the title 439 00:25:23,570 --> 00:25:26,510 Speaker 2: is pretty great. And then 1974's Demon Spies. 440 00:25:27,690 --> 00:25:28,649 Speaker 3: Demon Classmates? 441 00:25:29,970 --> 00:25:34,020 Speaker 2: I assume. Well, Demon Spies, I guess it's just spies 442 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 2: that are demons. I don't know about the Terrifying Girls 443 00:25:36,420 --> 00:25:40,100 Speaker 2: High School. There are animal classmates there. That's all I 444 00:25:40,140 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 2: know from the title. All right. And then getting into, 445 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,780 Speaker 2: there are plenty of other supporting characters, but I do 446 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:48,869 Speaker 2: want to point out there is a detective that shows 447 00:25:48,940 --> 00:25:53,909 Speaker 2: up pretty late in the picture. Detective Takakura. And he 448 00:25:54,190 --> 00:25:57,490 Speaker 2: is played by Yonosuke Ito, who lived 1919 through 1980. 449 00:25:57,470 --> 00:25:58,510 Speaker 2: It is the Shogun from 1980's Shogun Assassins. 450 00:26:03,900 --> 00:26:06,620 Speaker 3: The boss of the bad guys. 451 00:26:06,660 --> 00:26:10,990 Speaker 2: Yeah, this very, very stern character who does a lot 452 00:26:11,010 --> 00:26:15,010 Speaker 2: of staring directly into the camera and grinding his teeth 453 00:26:15,070 --> 00:26:18,869 Speaker 2: as he delivers ominous statements about what's going to happen 454 00:26:18,910 --> 00:26:23,169 Speaker 2: to our main character. And that main character, as we 455 00:26:23,210 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 2: pointed out in our episode on Shogun Assassin, is originally 456 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:30,020 Speaker 2: in 72's Lone Wolf and Cub's Sword of Vengeance a 457 00:26:30,140 --> 00:26:35,160 Speaker 2: non-Shogun character. The Shogun doesn't actually factor in to that 458 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 2: film all that much. His character is actually Yagyu Retsudo, 459 00:26:39,940 --> 00:26:43,439 Speaker 2: who is like the long-standing villain in the Wolf and 460 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:44,140 Speaker 2: Cub series. 461 00:26:45,300 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 3: But portrayed in Shogun Assassin as this boss of the 462 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:53,290 Speaker 3: bad guys who has just gone mad and consumed with revenge. 463 00:26:53,390 --> 00:26:59,090 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. Very serious and grim character. So basically, as 464 00:26:59,109 --> 00:27:01,530 Speaker 2: we discussed in our episode of Shogun Assassin, this is 465 00:27:01,570 --> 00:27:04,570 Speaker 2: an actor who had pretty wide range and could often 466 00:27:04,630 --> 00:27:08,669 Speaker 2: play hammy, I understand they're called radish roles in Japanese cinema, 467 00:27:10,570 --> 00:27:17,430 Speaker 2: as well as serious characters as well. Here, he's easily duped. 468 00:27:17,900 --> 00:27:22,820 Speaker 2: He's a detective who has good intentions, but is really 469 00:27:22,900 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 2: not on the ball enough to overcome an active vampire lord. 470 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:31,140 Speaker 3: Yeah, he is well-meaning, but proves useless to our heroes. Yeah. 471 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,880 Speaker 2: All right. And then, oh, special effects of note here. 472 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,609 Speaker 2: We have Teruyoshi Nakano, who lived 1935 through 2022. We 473 00:27:40,150 --> 00:27:44,330 Speaker 2: previously mentioned him on Weird House Cinema because he's the 474 00:27:44,369 --> 00:27:47,929 Speaker 2: guy who created the look of Mechagodzilla by taking a 475 00:27:47,990 --> 00:27:51,740 Speaker 2: Godzilla toy made out of tin, beating it with a hammer, 476 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,860 Speaker 2: to deform the surfaces and then using that as sort 477 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 2: of like the style guide for designing the look of Mechagodzilla. 478 00:27:58,980 --> 00:28:00,040 Speaker 3: Very nice. Yeah. 479 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:02,900 Speaker 2: So he was a Japanese special effects director who helmed 480 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:06,190 Speaker 2: the special effects on the last six Showa era Godzilla films, 481 00:28:06,890 --> 00:28:10,250 Speaker 2: as well as 84's The Return of Godzilla. You know, 482 00:28:10,330 --> 00:28:13,169 Speaker 2: obviously those are big kaiju movies with kaiju special effects, 483 00:28:13,869 --> 00:28:16,010 Speaker 2: but he also worked on all three of the Bloodthirsty 484 00:28:16,050 --> 00:28:18,929 Speaker 2: trilogy films where special effects are, you know, going to 485 00:28:18,970 --> 00:28:21,460 Speaker 2: be on a different sort of level. You know, these 486 00:28:21,500 --> 00:28:25,619 Speaker 2: are largely, you know, vampire effects, vampire blood effects, as 487 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:30,450 Speaker 2: well as, you know, we also have some very interesting, uh, uh, 488 00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:33,910 Speaker 2: subtler effects in this film in particular, but, uh, I'm 489 00:28:33,950 --> 00:28:36,970 Speaker 2: thinking especially of the roses that we encounter and also 490 00:28:37,010 --> 00:28:40,100 Speaker 2: some of the, so there's some animated sequences as well 491 00:28:40,140 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 2: that are rather nice. Yeah. And then the music is, uh, 492 00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:50,180 Speaker 2: with Chiro Manabe who lived 1924 through 2015. Japanese film 493 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,209 Speaker 2: composer who worked on both of the other Bloodthirsty Trilogy 494 00:28:53,230 --> 00:28:56,010 Speaker 2: films as well. And his other credits include Horror of 495 00:28:56,050 --> 00:29:00,290 Speaker 2: the Wolf, 71's Godzilla vs. Hedera, which we covered on 496 00:29:00,330 --> 00:29:01,170 Speaker 2: Weird House Cinema. 497 00:29:01,510 --> 00:29:06,230 Speaker 3: That's some notable music. It has a psychedelic hippie club 498 00:29:06,330 --> 00:29:07,209 Speaker 3: freakout scene. 499 00:29:07,630 --> 00:29:10,170 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's kind of, you could think of Godzilla vs. 500 00:29:10,210 --> 00:29:14,450 Speaker 2: Hedera as kind of the counterculture Godzilla movie, as we discussed. 501 00:29:15,410 --> 00:29:17,330 Speaker 2: And it kind of has the score to back that up. 502 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 503 00:29:18,260 --> 00:29:20,950 Speaker 2: Yeah. And then he also did the score for 73's 504 00:29:21,210 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 2: Godzilla vs. Megalon. I loved the score for Evil of Dracula. 505 00:29:26,100 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 2: It's nice and brooding in a traditional manner in a 506 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,380 Speaker 2: number of stretches, capturing a sort of lonely beauty of 507 00:29:33,420 --> 00:29:36,950 Speaker 2: the countryside. But with just a certainly a splash of 508 00:29:36,990 --> 00:29:41,590 Speaker 2: that 70s night gallery jazz energy but without overdoing it. 509 00:29:42,780 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 3: I mean i i was really noticing some of the 510 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:47,700 Speaker 3: more uh i don't mean this in an insulting way 511 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 3: but the elevator music e types of things like in 512 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:52,820 Speaker 3: the scene where they're driving down the highway and they 513 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 3: see the car crash and it's playing that jazz it 514 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 3: sounds kind of like girl from empanema. 515 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,380 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah yeah Yeah. I dug it. I liked it. Uh, 516 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,360 Speaker 2: but then in the weirder moments, uh, it's like anytime 517 00:30:03,420 --> 00:30:06,459 Speaker 2: anyone opens a casket, we get something rather different. We 518 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,980 Speaker 2: get this kind of reverberating synth sound. Uh, other times 519 00:30:10,020 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 2: we get like the sinister minimalist percussion. So I thought 520 00:30:13,620 --> 00:30:14,700 Speaker 2: it was a really good score. 521 00:30:15,300 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 3: Yeah. A very, a variety of textures. 522 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:18,620 Speaker 1: Yeah. 523 00:30:18,660 --> 00:30:21,340 Speaker 2: Yeah. I don't know that it's ever been released on, 524 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 2: on vinyl or if anyone's ever done any kind of 525 00:30:23,530 --> 00:30:26,770 Speaker 2: proper release or if you can, you know, officially stream 526 00:30:26,810 --> 00:30:29,230 Speaker 2: it anywhere, but I did find some score selections for 527 00:30:29,270 --> 00:30:30,230 Speaker 2: this film on YouTube. 528 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:43,100 Speaker 3: Okay. Well, are you ready to talk about the plot? 529 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:43,740 Speaker 2: Let's do it. 530 00:30:44,420 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 3: So the opening shot is of a lonely rural train 531 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 3: station with mountains in the background, no one on the platform. 532 00:30:52,820 --> 00:30:55,540 Speaker 3: And slowly we see a train appear over the horizon 533 00:30:55,620 --> 00:30:59,250 Speaker 3: and decelerate into the station. The title flashes up in 534 00:30:59,370 --> 00:31:03,430 Speaker 3: blood red. And we get the translation, Evil of Dracula. 535 00:31:03,450 --> 00:31:05,330 Speaker 3: But I wonder if that's what the Japanese on the 536 00:31:05,370 --> 00:31:08,310 Speaker 3: screen actually says. You think maybe that on the screen 537 00:31:08,350 --> 00:31:09,670 Speaker 3: says Bloodthirsty Rose? 538 00:31:09,790 --> 00:31:12,650 Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe. I was tempted to get my camera phone 539 00:31:12,810 --> 00:31:14,700 Speaker 2: out and do the whole translation thing. But then I 540 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:16,170 Speaker 2: was like, I'm just going to sit back and watch it. 541 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 3: Whatever. Whatever. So only one passenger disembarks at this stop. 542 00:31:21,580 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 3: It is a guy who looks very cool, dressed in 543 00:31:24,420 --> 00:31:27,220 Speaker 3: a light gray suit with a burgundy tie, one of 544 00:31:27,260 --> 00:31:30,330 Speaker 3: those wide 70s ties with a big knot, you know, 545 00:31:30,370 --> 00:31:34,750 Speaker 3: that big boxy knot. Huge points on his shirt collar 546 00:31:34,910 --> 00:31:39,070 Speaker 3: under a tan trench coat. Again, excellent look. This is 547 00:31:39,130 --> 00:31:44,370 Speaker 3: Professor Shiraki. At the ticket office, Shiraki approaches the shifty, 548 00:31:44,450 --> 00:31:48,960 Speaker 3: rather odd-looking cashier. This guy is peeking out from behind 549 00:31:49,020 --> 00:31:51,900 Speaker 3: a curtain in his booth like he's spying on somebody 550 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,590 Speaker 3: and shiraki asks him how to get to the same 551 00:31:55,630 --> 00:31:59,930 Speaker 3: school and the cashier just brusquely tells him there are 552 00:31:59,970 --> 00:32:02,570 Speaker 3: no buses today and then he yanks the curtain shut 553 00:32:02,610 --> 00:32:05,970 Speaker 3: it was very there ain't no monorail and there never was. 554 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:08,100 Speaker 2: Yeah he's offering no solutions to the problem he's just 555 00:32:08,140 --> 00:32:10,100 Speaker 2: like no buses today yeah. 556 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 3: So Professor Shiraki steps out of the station house onto 557 00:32:15,100 --> 00:32:17,790 Speaker 3: the street and then a car arrives. It's a black 558 00:32:17,850 --> 00:32:21,210 Speaker 3: sedan driven by another kind of strange looking man. A 559 00:32:22,050 --> 00:32:26,770 Speaker 3: man with a boyish face, smooth skin and shaggy hair 560 00:32:26,850 --> 00:32:30,300 Speaker 3: wearing a black suit and another wide tie, black and 561 00:32:30,340 --> 00:32:33,340 Speaker 3: white tie. We will later find out that this is 562 00:32:33,380 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 3: another professor at the school named Professor Yoshi or Yoshii. 563 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:40,270 Speaker 3: And again, this guy we're going to learn is the 564 00:32:40,310 --> 00:32:43,910 Speaker 3: campus pervert. His favorite hobby is like leering at the 565 00:32:43,950 --> 00:32:48,410 Speaker 3: young women during tennis practice. But we don't know that yet. Yeah. 566 00:32:48,690 --> 00:32:50,970 Speaker 2: In my second viewing of the film, I really noticed 567 00:32:51,030 --> 00:32:55,010 Speaker 2: that Yoshi is set up to be like the suspect, really, 568 00:32:55,150 --> 00:32:57,490 Speaker 2: in many ways. But I don't know. I went into 569 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,100 Speaker 2: it knowing that it was going to be Kushida as 570 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,900 Speaker 2: the central vampire. So it didn't work on me. 571 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,660 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's very obvious the principal is going to be 572 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:10,870 Speaker 3: the vampire. Yoshi, I mean, well, I think we can 573 00:33:10,910 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 3: just tell from the beginning the way he is servile 574 00:33:13,390 --> 00:33:15,660 Speaker 3: toward the guy who's obviously the big bad that this 575 00:33:15,740 --> 00:33:17,860 Speaker 3: is going to be the Renfield character. Yeah. 576 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. But instead of eating flies, he's leering at students. 577 00:33:22,220 --> 00:33:25,480 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah. So on the way to school, they drive 578 00:33:25,510 --> 00:33:29,090 Speaker 3: down this long road through some desolate fields. And Shiraki 579 00:33:29,130 --> 00:33:32,090 Speaker 3: comments on how it's very quiet out here. We know 580 00:33:32,130 --> 00:33:34,290 Speaker 3: he's from the big city. He came from Tokyo. So 581 00:33:34,350 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 3: obviously this is a change for him. And suddenly they 582 00:33:37,780 --> 00:33:41,340 Speaker 3: pass the scene of a horrible car accident where there 583 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:43,620 Speaker 3: is one car still askew on the side of the 584 00:33:43,700 --> 00:33:48,330 Speaker 3: road with the windshield smashed through. And Yoshii explains that 585 00:33:48,590 --> 00:33:51,090 Speaker 3: the car was hit by a truck two days ago. 586 00:33:51,190 --> 00:33:54,870 Speaker 3: He says the driver was drunk. The driver was killed instantly. 587 00:33:54,950 --> 00:33:59,050 Speaker 3: And the passenger also died. And the passenger was the 588 00:33:59,070 --> 00:34:02,420 Speaker 3: school principal's wife. Whoa, that's intense news. 589 00:34:03,540 --> 00:34:05,610 Speaker 2: Yeah, the movie doesn't waste any time. We get a 590 00:34:05,630 --> 00:34:08,450 Speaker 2: lot of intrigue early on. Like, there's no bus, the 591 00:34:08,510 --> 00:34:11,130 Speaker 2: principal has a dead wife, there was a wreck, and 592 00:34:11,150 --> 00:34:12,770 Speaker 2: we haven't even gotten to the vampires yet. 593 00:34:13,290 --> 00:34:15,940 Speaker 3: And this all just happened like one or two days ago. 594 00:34:17,100 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 3: So Shiraki is driven through the campus as night begins 595 00:34:21,100 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 3: to fall and the atmosphere is very gloomy. The school 596 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,730 Speaker 3: buildings are surrounded by this eerie forest with mountains in 597 00:34:27,770 --> 00:34:31,730 Speaker 3: the distance. And eventually they arrive at the principal's residence, 598 00:34:31,810 --> 00:34:36,170 Speaker 3: which is an old mansion on campus. And inside, this 599 00:34:36,230 --> 00:34:38,189 Speaker 3: is one of these sets that looks like a place 600 00:34:38,230 --> 00:34:41,529 Speaker 3: Peter Cushing would live in a classic Hammer movie from 601 00:34:41,550 --> 00:34:46,049 Speaker 3: the 60s. So it's got old oil paintings, portraits of 602 00:34:46,250 --> 00:34:51,760 Speaker 3: ancestors in these ornate gold painted frames, dark satin finished 603 00:34:51,950 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 3: wood everywhere with elaborate carvings on everything from the chair 604 00:34:56,020 --> 00:35:00,890 Speaker 3: backs to the banisters. Persian rugs on the floor, furniture 605 00:35:01,010 --> 00:35:05,620 Speaker 3: upholstered with red velvet and brass rivets, stained glass windows 606 00:35:05,700 --> 00:35:07,580 Speaker 3: on the staircase. That's a cool thing to have in 607 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:11,180 Speaker 3: your house. And so it's just like a place to 608 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:18,450 Speaker 3: puff a pipe and examine an old tome by the fireplace. Eventually, so, well, 609 00:35:18,489 --> 00:35:21,370 Speaker 3: first of all, Professor Shiraki wanders in and looks around. 610 00:35:21,390 --> 00:35:23,870 Speaker 3: There's nobody to greet him, so he's just taking it 611 00:35:23,950 --> 00:35:26,870 Speaker 3: all in. And he calls out to announce his arrival 612 00:35:26,890 --> 00:35:31,529 Speaker 3: and He notices one of these decorative flourishes is a 613 00:35:31,610 --> 00:35:34,569 Speaker 3: painting of a young woman displayed on the wall. And 614 00:35:34,730 --> 00:35:37,570 Speaker 3: underneath it, there is a flower lying on the shelf. 615 00:35:37,730 --> 00:35:42,420 Speaker 3: It's a pale white rose. Eventually, the principal, this is 616 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 3: Shin Kishida, descends the stairs. He welcomes Professor Shiraki. The 617 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:51,000 Speaker 3: principal is wearing a black jacket with a white turtleneck underneath. 618 00:35:51,020 --> 00:35:53,839 Speaker 3: A lot of shaggy haircuts in this movie. And he's 619 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:56,859 Speaker 3: got another one more, you know, kind of longest shaggy hair. 620 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:00,440 Speaker 2: Twas the style in those days, I imagine. 621 00:36:00,660 --> 00:36:02,930 Speaker 3: Well, I think it's not just in this movie. Shin Kishida, 622 00:36:03,230 --> 00:36:05,610 Speaker 3: didn't he have the same hair in the Godzilla movie? 623 00:36:05,790 --> 00:36:07,710 Speaker 2: I believe he did. Yeah, pretty much the same haircut. 624 00:36:07,750 --> 00:36:10,730 Speaker 2: I think he has a shorter haircut in Lake of Dracula. 625 00:36:10,790 --> 00:36:12,430 Speaker 2: But again, I haven't watched it in full yet. 626 00:36:13,570 --> 00:36:17,459 Speaker 3: So Shiraki acknowledges that he just learned the principal's wife 627 00:36:17,500 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 3: had died two days before and he offers his condolences. 628 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 3: He asks if he can visit her grave to pay 629 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:27,430 Speaker 3: his respects. And the principal says, quote, I appreciate your sentiment, 630 00:36:27,550 --> 00:36:30,660 Speaker 3: but she is at rest in the cellar for now. 631 00:36:31,140 --> 00:36:33,540 Speaker 3: It's an old local custom. The corpse has to be 632 00:36:33,580 --> 00:36:36,540 Speaker 3: left in a coffin for seven days. We also offer 633 00:36:36,620 --> 00:36:42,660 Speaker 3: prayers for the body's revival. So Shiraki is trying to 634 00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:45,920 Speaker 3: be respectful, but obviously this strikes him as weird. He's 635 00:36:46,100 --> 00:36:49,610 Speaker 3: at a loss for words. After this, the principal says, okay, 636 00:36:50,170 --> 00:36:52,270 Speaker 3: I know you're tired. You don't have to get moved 637 00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:55,049 Speaker 3: into your apartment tonight. You can stay here at my 638 00:36:55,090 --> 00:36:59,190 Speaker 3: house for the night. Oh, thanks. That sounds great. So 639 00:36:59,270 --> 00:37:03,940 Speaker 3: before Shiraki can reply, the principal launches into a history 640 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:08,060 Speaker 3: of the school. He starts explaining that Dr. Kimoto established 641 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:11,700 Speaker 3: the school 80 years ago. Quote, it has survived long 642 00:37:11,780 --> 00:37:13,739 Speaker 3: in this bleak northern land. 643 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:16,540 Speaker 2: I want to add one thing here. Well, two things, 644 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:20,759 Speaker 2: first of all. During my rewatch, I realized that the 645 00:37:21,300 --> 00:37:24,300 Speaker 2: disc also had a dub of this film. So there 646 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:27,700 Speaker 2: is an English language dub available, but I highly recommend 647 00:37:27,860 --> 00:37:31,060 Speaker 2: watching it with subtitles because the performances are so good. 648 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:36,660 Speaker 2: And even not understanding, not speaking Japanese, you can still 649 00:37:36,950 --> 00:37:40,730 Speaker 2: pick up on all the nuances of their performance. One 650 00:37:40,750 --> 00:37:45,130 Speaker 2: thing that I really like about Kurosawa's performance as Shiraki 651 00:37:45,350 --> 00:37:49,660 Speaker 2: is that He's great at those moments where he clearly 652 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:54,410 Speaker 2: doesn't know either doesn't know what to say or cannot 653 00:37:54,550 --> 00:37:56,770 Speaker 2: say the thing that they're talking about. We see that 654 00:37:56,790 --> 00:37:59,310 Speaker 2: in a later scene when they're really discovering the vampirism 655 00:37:59,350 --> 00:38:02,390 Speaker 2: in play. It's a very subtle thing in his performance, 656 00:38:02,430 --> 00:38:03,410 Speaker 2: but I thought it was very well done. 657 00:38:04,010 --> 00:38:08,549 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah. So after this, the. principal tries to get 658 00:38:08,620 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 3: Shiraki drinking brandy. He says this stuff is, is as 659 00:38:11,700 --> 00:38:14,319 Speaker 3: old as Dr. Komodo. So I guess that's 80 years 660 00:38:14,380 --> 00:38:16,940 Speaker 3: or more. I guess Dr. Komodo was old when he started. 661 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:20,040 Speaker 3: So old liquor. And there, so they poured into some 662 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:23,620 Speaker 3: goblets and discuss things. Uh, like they talk about the 663 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:27,009 Speaker 3: man who drove Shiraki from the train station. Uh, the 664 00:38:27,050 --> 00:38:30,310 Speaker 3: principal says, Oh, that's Yoshi. He's a professor of French 665 00:38:30,430 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 3: literature at the school. and is also the principal's assistant. 666 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:38,060 Speaker 3: So I guess he's a professor of French literature and driving. 667 00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:41,700 Speaker 2: Well, you know, he only had two classes this semester, 668 00:38:41,820 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 2: so he had to pick up some additional duties. 669 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:49,899 Speaker 3: Yeah. And then the principal springs something on Chiraki. He's like, 670 00:38:49,980 --> 00:38:52,299 Speaker 3: by the way, you're my successor. You're going to be 671 00:38:52,340 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 3: the next principal. Yeah. 672 00:38:56,140 --> 00:38:59,410 Speaker 2: I love it. Again, the screenplay just hits you with 673 00:38:59,610 --> 00:39:01,250 Speaker 2: something new over and over again. 674 00:39:02,150 --> 00:39:05,979 Speaker 3: Shiraki is taken aback. He tries to decline this, explaining 675 00:39:06,020 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 3: that he's not qualified for that kind of position. But 676 00:39:08,980 --> 00:39:12,160 Speaker 3: the principal insists. He says, I'm ill. I can't stay 677 00:39:12,180 --> 00:39:14,779 Speaker 3: in the job much longer. I need somebody to replace me, 678 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:17,440 Speaker 3: and it's going to be you. He says, I'm sure 679 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:23,930 Speaker 3: you'll be fine. He's also repeatedly insisting that Shiraki drink 680 00:39:23,969 --> 00:39:27,660 Speaker 3: the brandy. I think maybe he's trying to get him sleepy. Uh, 681 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:30,380 Speaker 3: so later that night, Shiraki is sleeping in the guest 682 00:39:30,420 --> 00:39:32,379 Speaker 3: room in his clothes, by the way. So he's still 683 00:39:32,420 --> 00:39:34,739 Speaker 3: got his shirt tucked in and his tie on while 684 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:37,020 Speaker 3: he's sleeping. That's yeah. 685 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:41,330 Speaker 2: They, by virtue of the brandy, uh, this is all 686 00:39:41,350 --> 00:39:44,230 Speaker 2: of course, wonderful because of course we know in the 687 00:39:44,290 --> 00:39:48,180 Speaker 2: original Dracula, um, that one of the whole things is 688 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:50,580 Speaker 2: you show up at Dracula's castle and Dracula has no 689 00:39:50,620 --> 00:39:52,700 Speaker 2: servants working for him. It's just him in this big 690 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:55,469 Speaker 2: lonely house. And so we see that reflected here in 691 00:39:55,489 --> 00:39:58,330 Speaker 2: the principal's house as well. In fact, he tells Shiraki 692 00:39:58,350 --> 00:40:00,569 Speaker 2: when he first arrives, it's like, you know, there's no 693 00:40:00,610 --> 00:40:02,950 Speaker 2: one else here to look after you, but it's fine. 694 00:40:02,969 --> 00:40:03,650 Speaker 2: You can stay here. 695 00:40:04,250 --> 00:40:08,580 Speaker 3: Yeah. So in the middle of the night, Shiraki hears 696 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:10,859 Speaker 3: a sound. He wakes up and he hears the sound 697 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:15,800 Speaker 3: of singing. high breathy ghostly voice that sort of blends 698 00:40:15,980 --> 00:40:18,280 Speaker 3: in and out with the sound of the breeze outside 699 00:40:18,300 --> 00:40:22,260 Speaker 3: the window shiraki goes to investigate he leaves his room 700 00:40:22,460 --> 00:40:25,180 Speaker 3: he walks down the hall he goes into the room 701 00:40:25,219 --> 00:40:27,969 Speaker 3: where the singing is loudest and just inside the door 702 00:40:28,110 --> 00:40:31,790 Speaker 3: there is a shattered mirror where the cracks in the 703 00:40:31,870 --> 00:40:36,150 Speaker 3: glass reflect shiraki's face back to him in this wheel 704 00:40:36,210 --> 00:40:40,359 Speaker 3: of separated fragments so it's very creepy thing to react to. 705 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:42,080 Speaker 3: He sees his own face, but broken. 706 00:40:42,100 --> 00:40:44,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, there are a number of scenes in the film 707 00:40:44,540 --> 00:40:46,870 Speaker 2: that remind me a little bit of Mario Bava, in 708 00:40:46,890 --> 00:40:50,730 Speaker 2: that there's an obsession with reflections and portals of one 709 00:40:50,770 --> 00:40:51,490 Speaker 2: sort or another. 710 00:40:52,489 --> 00:40:57,010 Speaker 3: Yeah. So further into the room, Shiraki finds the balcony 711 00:40:57,070 --> 00:41:00,390 Speaker 3: doors open to the night air, and then standing just 712 00:41:00,450 --> 00:41:03,339 Speaker 3: inside them, there is a figure in the dark. It's 713 00:41:03,380 --> 00:41:07,220 Speaker 3: a woman in a sheer blue nightgown, gazing out toward 714 00:41:07,260 --> 00:41:09,580 Speaker 3: the moon. So is this the woman who was singing? 715 00:41:10,300 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 3: She turns to face Shiraki. We see her skin is 716 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:18,410 Speaker 3: pale with a tinge of sickly blue-green, and her nightgown 717 00:41:18,450 --> 00:41:21,410 Speaker 3: hangs open, and we can see on her chest there 718 00:41:21,489 --> 00:41:25,310 Speaker 3: are two puncture wounds with a stream of blood running 719 00:41:25,370 --> 00:41:28,330 Speaker 3: down from each. So we all know what this means, 720 00:41:28,390 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 3: but Shiraki does not. One of those awkward things about 721 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:35,140 Speaker 3: vampire movies, not unique to this, of course, that the 722 00:41:35,260 --> 00:41:38,200 Speaker 3: audience is always ahead of the characters. As we see 723 00:41:38,219 --> 00:41:40,880 Speaker 3: the puncture wounds, we're like, oh, vampire fangs. But the 724 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:42,920 Speaker 3: characters are like, what is this wound? 725 00:41:43,100 --> 00:41:45,100 Speaker 2: I mean, we know we're in a vampire movie and 726 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:45,920 Speaker 2: the characters don't. 727 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:50,799 Speaker 3: Yeah. Though it's an interesting variation here because we're very 728 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:54,410 Speaker 3: used to seeing these fang punctures on the neck in 729 00:41:54,450 --> 00:41:59,219 Speaker 3: the movies. In this movie, they are Always or pretty 730 00:41:59,260 --> 00:42:02,280 Speaker 3: much always on the upper chest to just above the breast. 731 00:42:02,380 --> 00:42:06,060 Speaker 3: They say it's like over the heart. And I was wondering, 732 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:11,130 Speaker 3: is that a preexisting alternate vampire tradition? I didn't have 733 00:42:11,170 --> 00:42:14,450 Speaker 3: time to really research this, but I think maybe that 734 00:42:14,710 --> 00:42:17,910 Speaker 3: I feel like I've read before that that is there. 735 00:42:17,969 --> 00:42:20,610 Speaker 3: There are vampire traditions for the vampire bites on the 736 00:42:20,650 --> 00:42:21,950 Speaker 3: chest instead of the neck. 737 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,620 Speaker 2: I didn't have a chance to look into actual non-cinematic 738 00:42:25,660 --> 00:42:28,110 Speaker 2: vampire lore, but I know it shows up in the 739 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:33,530 Speaker 2: Hammer film from 1970, The Vampire Lovers. That's where Ingrid 740 00:42:33,570 --> 00:42:39,810 Speaker 2: Pitt plays the vampire Carmilla, and she's always biting ladies 741 00:42:39,870 --> 00:42:41,629 Speaker 2: on the breast to get the blood. 742 00:42:42,410 --> 00:42:44,570 Speaker 3: Well, I know Carmilla, I think, is based on an 743 00:42:44,630 --> 00:42:46,310 Speaker 3: older work of literature. It is. So I wonder if 744 00:42:46,370 --> 00:42:47,239 Speaker 3: it's that way. Yeah. 745 00:42:47,380 --> 00:42:48,700 Speaker 2: Oh, I mean, I don't know to what extent this 746 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:53,420 Speaker 2: is truly based on Carmilla, but the character is named 747 00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:56,980 Speaker 2: after them at any rate. But, yeah, outside of this, 748 00:42:57,540 --> 00:43:03,600 Speaker 2: whatever the decision-making involved here, you do see vampires occasionally 749 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:07,839 Speaker 2: biting people, other places besides the neck. Often things like 750 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:11,690 Speaker 2: the breast or the inner thigh. Yeah. Just to mix 751 00:43:11,710 --> 00:43:14,009 Speaker 2: things up and also maybe to enhance the sort of 752 00:43:14,070 --> 00:43:20,810 Speaker 2: erotic nature, the eroticism of vampirism that's always a part 753 00:43:20,850 --> 00:43:22,610 Speaker 2: of the scenario on one level or another. 754 00:43:23,380 --> 00:43:25,880 Speaker 3: Certainly couldn't rule out that was part of the decision 755 00:43:25,980 --> 00:43:26,640 Speaker 3: process here. 756 00:43:26,700 --> 00:43:26,879 Speaker 1: Yeah. 757 00:43:28,530 --> 00:43:32,450 Speaker 3: So anyway, the woman faces Shiraki expressionless as if in 758 00:43:32,489 --> 00:43:35,270 Speaker 3: a trance and he approaches her with concern. He tells 759 00:43:35,310 --> 00:43:38,660 Speaker 3: her that she's bleeding and she doesn't respond, but silently 760 00:43:38,739 --> 00:43:41,660 Speaker 3: raises her arms toward him as if to embrace him. 761 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:45,720 Speaker 3: Then suddenly that's when the attack comes, not from the front, 762 00:43:45,860 --> 00:43:52,219 Speaker 3: but from the side. And another previously hidden vampire woman comes. 763 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:55,650 Speaker 3: lunges at shiraki from his left so it's like the 764 00:43:55,710 --> 00:43:57,270 Speaker 3: raptors in jurassic park. 765 00:43:57,489 --> 00:44:00,370 Speaker 2: I think they're clever girls and i love how we 766 00:44:00,390 --> 00:44:02,690 Speaker 2: have this nice gliding effect you know like you know 767 00:44:02,750 --> 00:44:05,720 Speaker 2: obviously she's on sort of dolly or rollers uh but 768 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:07,719 Speaker 2: it creates that feeling you know like the feet are 769 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:11,100 Speaker 2: not touching the ground totally then the vampire ladies here 770 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:14,279 Speaker 2: you know obviously predominantly inspired by hammer har but there's 771 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:17,870 Speaker 2: a sense of more traditional japanese ghost forms here as well. 772 00:44:18,310 --> 00:44:20,590 Speaker 3: Yeah, totally. I think, I think you can see those 773 00:44:20,989 --> 00:44:24,990 Speaker 3: Japanese malevolent spirit, uh, aesthetics in like the, the pale 774 00:44:25,050 --> 00:44:28,029 Speaker 3: face makeup makeup and the white robes and stuff and 775 00:44:28,050 --> 00:44:32,969 Speaker 3: the gliding. Um, so, uh, anyway, uh, the second woman 776 00:44:32,989 --> 00:44:36,569 Speaker 3: I would say is more unambiguously a vampire. We don't 777 00:44:36,610 --> 00:44:38,690 Speaker 3: know exactly what was going on with the first lady, 778 00:44:38,730 --> 00:44:41,569 Speaker 3: but this lady is, she's wearing a white kimono. It's 779 00:44:41,700 --> 00:44:45,739 Speaker 3: she's got the same kind of pale white, green, blue skin, uh, 780 00:44:46,370 --> 00:44:50,730 Speaker 3: Long fingernails like claws and fangs bared like a hissing viper. 781 00:44:51,710 --> 00:44:54,319 Speaker 3: And Shiraki runs out of the room in terror, but 782 00:44:54,340 --> 00:44:56,980 Speaker 3: the two ghostly women chase him into the hall. And 783 00:44:57,000 --> 00:44:59,940 Speaker 3: then the vampire woman in white seems to inflict a 784 00:44:59,960 --> 00:45:02,980 Speaker 3: kind of magical attack on him and he falls unconscious. 785 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:06,180 Speaker 3: So we cut to the next morning. Shiraki wakes up 786 00:45:06,219 --> 00:45:08,620 Speaker 3: in his room and he's like, did that really happen? 787 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:11,279 Speaker 3: Or was that just a dream? I just had to 788 00:45:11,390 --> 00:45:15,070 Speaker 3: note the wallpaper in his room looks like the Dolan 789 00:45:15,170 --> 00:45:16,470 Speaker 3: red vermouth label. 790 00:45:17,190 --> 00:45:18,290 Speaker 2: Yeah, it does kind of, yeah. 791 00:45:18,950 --> 00:45:21,529 Speaker 3: These red fleur-de-lis kind of flourishes. 792 00:45:22,230 --> 00:45:24,989 Speaker 2: But I love that, yeah, he's trying to decide was 793 00:45:25,010 --> 00:45:27,690 Speaker 2: this real or was it a dream? Very quickly, he's 794 00:45:27,730 --> 00:45:32,540 Speaker 2: going to decide was a dream. And we were chatting 795 00:45:32,580 --> 00:45:35,060 Speaker 2: about this back and forth elsewhere in the outline. But 796 00:45:35,600 --> 00:45:38,680 Speaker 2: my read on this was he's a skeptical guy. He's 797 00:45:38,719 --> 00:45:41,700 Speaker 2: a rational guy. And I think the more he analyzes 798 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:45,959 Speaker 2: what appeared to happen, like it, the most likely explanation 799 00:45:46,100 --> 00:45:48,340 Speaker 2: to him is it had to be a dream because 800 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:51,960 Speaker 2: otherwise that's just not the rational world that he knows. 801 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:56,450 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think that's basically correct as far as the 802 00:45:56,469 --> 00:45:59,589 Speaker 3: characterization goes, but that'll get complicated by some things that 803 00:45:59,630 --> 00:46:03,029 Speaker 3: happen in a moment. So Shiraki goes to investigate the 804 00:46:03,090 --> 00:46:06,319 Speaker 3: room where the stuff happened the night before. And the 805 00:46:06,380 --> 00:46:08,140 Speaker 3: room is just like we saw it. So there's a 806 00:46:08,180 --> 00:46:11,080 Speaker 3: shattered mirror in the entryway, the balcony with the French 807 00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 3: doors hanging open. We can now see in the daylight 808 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:18,610 Speaker 3: that this room is intensely busy with flowers and floral decorations. 809 00:46:18,670 --> 00:46:21,150 Speaker 3: So there are these yellow flowers in a vase over 810 00:46:21,190 --> 00:46:24,529 Speaker 3: the mantle, white roses in a metal cage on the 811 00:46:24,590 --> 00:46:27,610 Speaker 3: tea table. And then in the background, there's a folding 812 00:46:27,710 --> 00:46:31,719 Speaker 3: privacy screen with lively pink and red flower designs on it. 813 00:46:31,780 --> 00:46:36,570 Speaker 3: Just a lot of flowers everywhere. And Shiraki says to himself, no, 814 00:46:36,590 --> 00:46:39,230 Speaker 3: it must have been a dream. And the reason I 815 00:46:39,270 --> 00:46:43,130 Speaker 3: was a little confused about this was not the impulse 816 00:46:43,210 --> 00:46:45,850 Speaker 3: to say that couldn't have happened, you know, because I 817 00:46:45,910 --> 00:46:49,250 Speaker 3: encountered two vampire women. It's that he goes into the 818 00:46:49,310 --> 00:46:51,930 Speaker 3: room and he sees the details of the room that 819 00:46:51,989 --> 00:46:55,350 Speaker 3: he has not entered before otherwise are exactly like he 820 00:46:55,390 --> 00:46:58,140 Speaker 3: remembers from the night before. Mm-hmm. So the only way 821 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:00,239 Speaker 3: I can make sense of that is if he's saying, well, 822 00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:03,239 Speaker 3: maybe I really did wander into this room last night 823 00:47:03,300 --> 00:47:05,799 Speaker 3: half awake, but then I dreamed the part about the 824 00:47:05,860 --> 00:47:07,460 Speaker 3: women with fangs attacking me. 825 00:47:08,989 --> 00:47:11,290 Speaker 2: I mean, it must have been some pretty stout brandy 826 00:47:11,390 --> 00:47:11,989 Speaker 2: one way or another. 827 00:47:12,430 --> 00:47:16,690 Speaker 3: Yeah. Anyway, Shiraki goes downstairs. Nobody seems to be around. 828 00:47:16,950 --> 00:47:19,970 Speaker 3: And while he's staring at a picture of a creepy 829 00:47:20,010 --> 00:47:23,250 Speaker 3: looking woman on the wall, suddenly a door thuds and 830 00:47:23,270 --> 00:47:26,460 Speaker 3: then creaks open behind him. It is the door to 831 00:47:26,700 --> 00:47:29,520 Speaker 3: the cellar. Uh, it is, uh, so, and it's one 832 00:47:29,540 --> 00:47:31,830 Speaker 3: of those doors that's like, it has an angled top 833 00:47:31,910 --> 00:47:34,089 Speaker 3: so that it fits under the staircase. I like that. 834 00:47:34,110 --> 00:47:37,009 Speaker 3: It's almost beckoning, right? You got to go down there. 835 00:47:37,130 --> 00:47:39,610 Speaker 3: So of course the hero goes down the staircase to 836 00:47:39,630 --> 00:47:42,009 Speaker 3: the cellar to have a look. Uh, now remember what 837 00:47:42,050 --> 00:47:45,040 Speaker 3: the principal said that his dead wife was being kept 838 00:47:45,140 --> 00:47:47,719 Speaker 3: in a coffin down there for seven days, part of 839 00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:52,299 Speaker 3: an old custom. Uh, so Shiraki descends, the stairwell has 840 00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:55,180 Speaker 3: stone walls. And then once he gets to the bottom, 841 00:47:55,219 --> 00:47:59,069 Speaker 3: he goes through this kind of heavy dungeon door and 842 00:47:59,090 --> 00:48:01,950 Speaker 3: the cellar seems to be full of wine bottles there 843 00:48:01,969 --> 00:48:05,390 Speaker 3: are these shelves of tinctures and liquors and there's also 844 00:48:05,489 --> 00:48:08,570 Speaker 3: a noisy crow there's a crow in there that squawks 845 00:48:08,710 --> 00:48:10,870 Speaker 3: at him and then flies away where does it fly. 846 00:48:10,650 --> 00:48:13,490 Speaker 2: To it just must live in the basement i guess 847 00:48:13,730 --> 00:48:17,150 Speaker 2: we'll see this crow again i will i mean i 848 00:48:17,170 --> 00:48:18,569 Speaker 2: guess now i'm thinking about it for the first time 849 00:48:18,610 --> 00:48:20,970 Speaker 2: maybe this is some sort of like a vampire's familiar 850 00:48:21,050 --> 00:48:25,250 Speaker 2: or something um there is some suspicious activity from this 851 00:48:25,310 --> 00:48:27,320 Speaker 2: crow later on. So we'll leave it at that. 852 00:48:28,700 --> 00:48:32,000 Speaker 3: So next he sees the coffin on top of the 853 00:48:32,040 --> 00:48:37,120 Speaker 3: coffin lid lies a white rose. Shiraki is moved by curiosity. 854 00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:39,319 Speaker 3: And so he goes to the coffin. He tosses the 855 00:48:39,360 --> 00:48:43,990 Speaker 3: rose aside. He removes the cloth drapery that's hanging over 856 00:48:44,050 --> 00:48:47,840 Speaker 3: the lid. And then he opens the coffin and, And inside, 857 00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:50,740 Speaker 3: it is the vampire woman. It is the same woman 858 00:48:50,780 --> 00:48:53,540 Speaker 3: who attacked him from the side like a raptor the 859 00:48:53,580 --> 00:48:57,279 Speaker 3: night before. She is lying peacefully in the box with 860 00:48:57,320 --> 00:49:01,710 Speaker 3: her hands folded like a typical corpse now. Shiraki reaches 861 00:49:01,790 --> 00:49:06,270 Speaker 3: out to touch her. What? And then he recoils from 862 00:49:06,310 --> 00:49:09,570 Speaker 3: the coldness of her flesh. And he says to himself, 863 00:49:09,650 --> 00:49:13,219 Speaker 3: she's dead. It must have been a dream. And then 864 00:49:13,260 --> 00:49:18,859 Speaker 3: he smiles to himself like, well, okay. Problem solved. But like, 865 00:49:18,989 --> 00:49:22,109 Speaker 3: why does this. dead woman you've never seen before look 866 00:49:22,170 --> 00:49:27,359 Speaker 3: exactly like the vampire you dreamed about? And then suddenly 867 00:49:27,890 --> 00:49:31,060 Speaker 3: somebody shouts at Shiraki. Somebody says, what are you doing? 868 00:49:31,440 --> 00:49:34,420 Speaker 3: And it's the principal. He's standing behind Shiraki at the 869 00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:36,790 Speaker 3: other end of the room. And I was thinking, yeah, 870 00:49:36,850 --> 00:49:40,690 Speaker 3: what are you doing right here? The hero's behavior in 871 00:49:40,730 --> 00:49:42,490 Speaker 3: this scene is way out of line. 872 00:49:42,920 --> 00:49:46,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, it seems like a pretty severe transgression here. And 873 00:49:47,020 --> 00:49:50,219 Speaker 2: hard to maintain the moral high ground when you just 874 00:49:50,300 --> 00:49:53,200 Speaker 2: threw open a casket and laid hands on the corpse. 875 00:49:54,420 --> 00:49:59,469 Speaker 3: Shiraki apologizes. He begs forgiveness. And The scene has a 876 00:49:59,530 --> 00:50:01,910 Speaker 3: great detail. While his back is now turned to the 877 00:50:01,930 --> 00:50:04,049 Speaker 3: coffin and he's talking to the principal, we see the 878 00:50:04,090 --> 00:50:08,209 Speaker 3: body inside suddenly flexing her hands, like her hands come open. 879 00:50:08,230 --> 00:50:12,509 Speaker 3: So she's not dead after all, but Shiraki remains oblivious 880 00:50:12,530 --> 00:50:14,029 Speaker 3: because it's happening behind his back. 881 00:50:14,150 --> 00:50:18,220 Speaker 2: I can only imagine this eliciting some cries of fear 882 00:50:18,580 --> 00:50:22,020 Speaker 2: when this was shown in the theater. And speaking of theater, 883 00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:23,819 Speaker 2: I do want to mention one of the posters that 884 00:50:23,840 --> 00:50:28,950 Speaker 2: you shared in our outline was advertising Evil of Dracula 885 00:50:30,010 --> 00:50:34,750 Speaker 2: with English dubbing to be played at the Toho Theater. 886 00:50:35,690 --> 00:50:39,590 Speaker 2: And then this combined with the English dub mission on 887 00:50:39,610 --> 00:50:42,390 Speaker 2: the poster, I looked at the details and this is 888 00:50:42,430 --> 00:50:45,610 Speaker 2: not something I was aware of, but apparently Toho Studios 889 00:50:45,710 --> 00:50:50,650 Speaker 2: built and operated a theater in Hawaii from like 1964 890 00:50:50,650 --> 00:50:56,850 Speaker 2: through 1976, I think, or thereabouts. And they exclusively played 891 00:50:56,989 --> 00:51:02,000 Speaker 2: Toho films. And yeah, I can only imagine how cool 892 00:51:02,020 --> 00:51:04,739 Speaker 2: that must have been. I was reading about it on cinematreasures.org. 893 00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:07,780 Speaker 3: I really wish I could have gone to that. That's amazing. 894 00:51:07,980 --> 00:51:10,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. I had no idea that that existed until I 895 00:51:10,620 --> 00:51:11,280 Speaker 2: saw that poster. 896 00:51:11,960 --> 00:51:14,910 Speaker 3: On the other hand, so this poster is cool to see, 897 00:51:14,950 --> 00:51:17,890 Speaker 3: but it also has one of the weakest movie poster 898 00:51:17,930 --> 00:51:21,390 Speaker 3: taglines I've ever seen. I'm going to read exactly what 899 00:51:21,430 --> 00:51:26,759 Speaker 3: it says. Cries of death. scent of death are found 900 00:51:26,780 --> 00:51:31,560 Speaker 3: in evil of Dracula. What? Yeah. I don't know. 901 00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:34,400 Speaker 2: I mean, I guess there are sounds of death and 902 00:51:35,100 --> 00:51:35,759 Speaker 2: sense of death. 903 00:51:35,780 --> 00:51:36,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. 904 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:38,020 Speaker 2: Kind of have to imagine the smell. 905 00:51:38,060 --> 00:51:39,740 Speaker 3: Is it presented in smell of vision? 906 00:51:39,760 --> 00:51:41,779 Speaker 2: I don't think it was. Yeah. 907 00:51:43,219 --> 00:51:45,120 Speaker 3: All right. Let's see. Where were we? Oh yeah. Yeah. 908 00:51:45,140 --> 00:51:48,780 Speaker 3: So in this scene, the principal scolds Shiraki for touching 909 00:51:48,820 --> 00:51:51,520 Speaker 3: his dead wife. Obviously he says it's, you know, a 910 00:51:51,580 --> 00:51:54,700 Speaker 3: great sacrilege to, disturb the peace of the dead and 911 00:51:54,719 --> 00:51:56,680 Speaker 3: he tells him don't come in here again. 912 00:51:56,600 --> 00:52:00,340 Speaker 2: Ever but this doesn't seem to otherwise mess up plans 913 00:52:01,180 --> 00:52:03,799 Speaker 2: that the principal has like the secession still seems to 914 00:52:03,820 --> 00:52:04,980 Speaker 2: be in place as we'll see. 915 00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:06,860 Speaker 3: Yeah I'm still going to make you the next principal 916 00:52:07,050 --> 00:52:09,009 Speaker 3: no worries you can touch my dead wife and I'll 917 00:52:09,030 --> 00:52:13,050 Speaker 3: still make you the principal next so that's the setup 918 00:52:13,090 --> 00:52:14,450 Speaker 3: for the story and now we're going to meet some 919 00:52:14,489 --> 00:52:18,029 Speaker 3: more characters there so there are three main students in 920 00:52:18,150 --> 00:52:23,110 Speaker 3: the cast there is Yukiko Kyoko and Kumi and And 921 00:52:23,150 --> 00:52:26,890 Speaker 3: we first encounter them at tennis practice where they're out 922 00:52:27,150 --> 00:52:31,629 Speaker 3: playing with their coach and they meet Professor Shiraki when 923 00:52:31,730 --> 00:52:35,330 Speaker 3: he retrieves a lost ball for them. We learn these 924 00:52:35,390 --> 00:52:38,170 Speaker 3: three are roommates in the dormitory and they all end 925 00:52:38,210 --> 00:52:40,830 Speaker 3: up running up to Shiraki. They run up to meet 926 00:52:40,850 --> 00:52:44,790 Speaker 3: the professor. Kumi comes last. Kumi is the more modest 927 00:52:44,870 --> 00:52:50,560 Speaker 3: and reserved of the three. And when they're speaking, Yukiko 928 00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:54,500 Speaker 3: immediately offers to go on a date with Professor Shiraki 929 00:52:54,620 --> 00:52:59,750 Speaker 3: if he lets her stay out past curfew. Shiraki doesn't 930 00:52:59,810 --> 00:53:03,950 Speaker 3: comment on this, but Kumi scolds Yukiko. It's like bad form. 931 00:53:05,330 --> 00:53:10,310 Speaker 3: And then suddenly from this terrible exchange, everybody's attention turns 932 00:53:10,810 --> 00:53:14,719 Speaker 3: across the way to Professor Yoshii. Remember, that's the man 933 00:53:14,780 --> 00:53:19,140 Speaker 3: who drove Shiraki from the train station. Well, now this 934 00:53:19,180 --> 00:53:21,620 Speaker 3: guy is standing just past the fence at the edge 935 00:53:21,660 --> 00:53:24,740 Speaker 3: of the tennis courts, just leaning on a tree and creeping. 936 00:53:24,780 --> 00:53:29,480 Speaker 3: He's just staring at the students. And Kyoko and Yukiko 937 00:53:29,540 --> 00:53:32,040 Speaker 3: comment on how he does this all the time and 938 00:53:32,060 --> 00:53:35,180 Speaker 3: he gives them the creeps. And then Shiraki chooses one 939 00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:37,919 Speaker 3: of the worst answers I could possibly imagine to this. 940 00:53:38,200 --> 00:53:40,980 Speaker 3: He says, first of all, you shouldn't talk about teachers 941 00:53:41,060 --> 00:53:44,040 Speaker 3: like that. And then second, he says, he's only staring 942 00:53:44,080 --> 00:53:45,240 Speaker 3: because you're all so pretty. 943 00:53:46,620 --> 00:53:50,580 Speaker 2: Yeah, forgive his creepiness. It's because you're beautiful. 944 00:53:51,660 --> 00:53:54,250 Speaker 3: But in the way the scene is written, the three 945 00:53:54,290 --> 00:53:56,450 Speaker 3: young women take this as a compliment and they run 946 00:53:56,489 --> 00:54:08,720 Speaker 3: away laughing. So once the students are gone, Shiraki walks 947 00:54:08,980 --> 00:54:13,439 Speaker 3: suspiciously over to Yoshii, who's still standing there. And then 948 00:54:13,620 --> 00:54:17,779 Speaker 3: with a dreamy tone, Yoshii begins to quote Baudelaire at him. 949 00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:22,810 Speaker 3: He says, as if a poignant dagger stabbed my moaning heart, 950 00:54:23,270 --> 00:54:27,010 Speaker 3: kiss to retrieve the devil's corpse whose blood you sucked. 951 00:54:27,770 --> 00:54:30,870 Speaker 3: And then he says, wonderful. Baudelaire truly is a wonder. 952 00:54:31,250 --> 00:54:34,980 Speaker 3: He calmly walks away while these oboes play on the soundtrack. 953 00:54:35,600 --> 00:54:38,770 Speaker 3: And Shiraki says to himself, they're right. He is weird. 954 00:54:39,070 --> 00:54:41,310 Speaker 3: It's like, he didn't take their word for it until 955 00:54:41,330 --> 00:54:44,150 Speaker 3: the guy quoted Baudelaire. Now, now he knows. 956 00:54:44,190 --> 00:54:46,070 Speaker 2: Walked over there. I gave him a chance to redeem 957 00:54:46,110 --> 00:54:48,600 Speaker 2: himself and just instantly proved how weird he is. 958 00:54:48,640 --> 00:54:48,819 Speaker 3: Yeah. 959 00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:49,259 Speaker 1: Yeah. 960 00:54:51,370 --> 00:54:54,810 Speaker 3: Anyway, later we get a scene at the dormitory Dean's 961 00:54:54,890 --> 00:54:59,190 Speaker 3: office where Shiraki meets yet another character, Dr. Shinomura played 962 00:54:59,270 --> 00:55:03,030 Speaker 3: by Kunie Tanaka. And again, I love this guy's energy. 963 00:55:03,430 --> 00:55:06,489 Speaker 3: So he is, the character is a medical doctor. In 964 00:55:06,530 --> 00:55:08,640 Speaker 3: addition to being a Dean at the dorms here, he 965 00:55:09,520 --> 00:55:12,780 Speaker 3: wears a tweed jacket. He has these long bushy sideburns 966 00:55:12,920 --> 00:55:16,299 Speaker 3: and his personality is kind hearted and ironic. He's got 967 00:55:16,340 --> 00:55:20,189 Speaker 3: a sense of humor. And we're presented back to back 968 00:55:20,239 --> 00:55:23,000 Speaker 3: here with a kind of faculty duality, aren't we? So 969 00:55:23,020 --> 00:55:28,980 Speaker 3: we get Yoshii, the cold, ethereal, predatory creep, and Shinomura, 970 00:55:29,060 --> 00:55:34,410 Speaker 3: the warm, earthy ally and friend. So Shiraki and Shinomura 971 00:55:34,450 --> 00:55:39,250 Speaker 3: hit it off immediately. Shinomura fills Shiraki in on recent 972 00:55:39,330 --> 00:55:42,810 Speaker 3: events in the dormitory. He tells him that five days ago, 973 00:55:42,830 --> 00:55:46,270 Speaker 3: a student named Keiko disappeared and no one knows where 974 00:55:46,310 --> 00:55:50,120 Speaker 3: she went. Uh-oh. Why didn't the principal mention that to 975 00:55:50,160 --> 00:55:52,520 Speaker 3: Shiraki when they met the other night? That would be 976 00:55:52,540 --> 00:55:55,900 Speaker 3: a strange thing to leave out. Shinomura says the principal 977 00:55:55,960 --> 00:56:01,770 Speaker 3: likes secrets but hates rumors. Well, that's a problem. And 978 00:56:02,130 --> 00:56:05,810 Speaker 3: Shinomura then says it's normal for one or two students 979 00:56:05,890 --> 00:56:09,130 Speaker 3: to disappear every year, but he implies that this is 980 00:56:09,219 --> 00:56:13,540 Speaker 3: not like a case where foul play is suspected. It's 981 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:17,799 Speaker 3: generally understood as students running away because they get bored, 982 00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:20,339 Speaker 3: because campus life is very quiet. There's not a lot 983 00:56:20,380 --> 00:56:23,850 Speaker 3: of excitement going on. So because of this boredom, every year, 984 00:56:23,950 --> 00:56:26,150 Speaker 3: one or two of the students, they flee. 985 00:56:26,830 --> 00:56:29,250 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, it seems like a lot to me 986 00:56:29,570 --> 00:56:31,990 Speaker 2: because it doesn't look like the school is that big. 987 00:56:32,090 --> 00:56:35,890 Speaker 2: So I would think either way you cut it, like 988 00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:39,650 Speaker 2: two student disappearances a year Like, not just like they 989 00:56:39,710 --> 00:56:42,500 Speaker 2: go back home or even like student deaths of one 990 00:56:42,540 --> 00:56:44,580 Speaker 2: sort or another, but just students straight. 991 00:56:44,380 --> 00:56:46,299 Speaker 3: Up vanishing, never to be seen again. 992 00:56:46,860 --> 00:56:48,879 Speaker 2: Not a great sign, but hey, maybe it's just that's 993 00:56:48,900 --> 00:56:51,540 Speaker 2: the quality of education you get at this school. It's 994 00:56:51,600 --> 00:56:53,700 Speaker 2: worth putting up with a few disappearances. 995 00:56:55,370 --> 00:57:00,890 Speaker 3: But again, well, yeah, okay. So Shinomura, after this, he 996 00:57:00,930 --> 00:57:04,230 Speaker 3: mentions that he has a personal interest in ancient legends 997 00:57:04,270 --> 00:57:08,790 Speaker 3: and folklore. Here's the Van Helsing aspect. And he says 998 00:57:08,870 --> 00:57:11,549 Speaker 3: that the old folks around town say that when people 999 00:57:11,610 --> 00:57:14,550 Speaker 3: disappear from the school, it's because, quote, the devil's having 1000 00:57:14,590 --> 00:57:19,890 Speaker 3: his fun. So Shinomura promises to tell Shiraki some cool 1001 00:57:19,950 --> 00:57:22,990 Speaker 3: stories he's heard about vampires next time they get together. 1002 00:57:23,010 --> 00:57:27,690 Speaker 3: And then there are more scenes with Kyoko, Yukiko, and Kumi. 1003 00:57:27,730 --> 00:57:31,230 Speaker 3: They discuss the disappearance of their friend from the dormitories, 1004 00:57:31,270 --> 00:57:35,230 Speaker 3: their friend Keiko. They say maybe Professor Yoshii kidnapped her. 1005 00:57:35,980 --> 00:57:40,660 Speaker 3: And Yukiko asserts that Professor Shiraki would protect her from Yoshii. 1006 00:57:41,440 --> 00:57:43,620 Speaker 3: And then they're frightened when they see a shadow at 1007 00:57:43,660 --> 00:57:46,260 Speaker 3: their dorm window. Who is that? They go to look, 1008 00:57:46,300 --> 00:57:48,570 Speaker 3: but the person has disappeared before they can see who 1009 00:57:48,610 --> 00:57:49,010 Speaker 3: it was. 1010 00:57:49,280 --> 00:57:51,740 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. Then we get a great line here from Yukiko, right? 1011 00:57:52,050 --> 00:57:55,110 Speaker 2: Because she's not concerned about the peeping Tom. She's like, 1012 00:57:55,910 --> 00:57:57,650 Speaker 2: take it as a compliment. That just means you're pretty. 1013 00:57:58,430 --> 00:58:00,930 Speaker 3: Oh, yeah. She picked this up from Shiraki earlier. What 1014 00:58:00,970 --> 00:58:06,840 Speaker 3: a terrible meme to inject. Horrible idea. So then later 1015 00:58:06,900 --> 00:58:12,060 Speaker 3: that night, Shiraki investigates the empty room of Keiko. This 1016 00:58:12,100 --> 00:58:14,520 Speaker 3: is the student who disappeared and he finds her ID 1017 00:58:14,580 --> 00:58:19,070 Speaker 3: card and realizes that Keiko was the other woman he 1018 00:58:19,130 --> 00:58:21,670 Speaker 3: saw the night of his dream. She was the one 1019 00:58:21,730 --> 00:58:25,360 Speaker 3: standing at the window with the bite marks. He's disturbed 1020 00:58:25,440 --> 00:58:28,620 Speaker 3: by this, and he ends up meeting Kumi in the hallway, 1021 00:58:28,890 --> 00:58:32,750 Speaker 3: and they sit down in this lounge area and discuss 1022 00:58:32,790 --> 00:58:35,190 Speaker 3: these strange facts, like how could he have seen this 1023 00:58:35,230 --> 00:58:39,810 Speaker 3: girl in his dream? Meanwhile, Kyoko and Yukiko are in 1024 00:58:39,830 --> 00:58:42,180 Speaker 3: their room, and they begin to wonder where Kumi is. 1025 00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:45,740 Speaker 3: Kyoko goes out into the hall looking for her, and 1026 00:58:45,880 --> 00:58:50,180 Speaker 3: finds instead a single blooming white rose on the floor 1027 00:58:50,220 --> 00:58:53,900 Speaker 3: of the corridor. She accidentally nicks her ankle with one 1028 00:58:53,940 --> 00:58:56,260 Speaker 3: of the thorns on the rose stem when she picks 1029 00:58:56,340 --> 00:58:58,820 Speaker 3: it up. And we see blood run down from her 1030 00:58:58,890 --> 00:59:04,590 Speaker 3: leg onto her slipper. Now, Rob, question here, because the 1031 00:59:05,370 --> 00:59:09,300 Speaker 3: students who are attacked by the vampires later will die. 1032 00:59:10,020 --> 00:59:13,820 Speaker 3: be will go through transformations they will start to become 1033 00:59:13,900 --> 00:59:16,550 Speaker 3: these half vampire type creatures like we see in a 1034 00:59:16,590 --> 00:59:18,750 Speaker 3: lot of these stories like it's a progressive kind of 1035 00:59:18,790 --> 00:59:23,160 Speaker 3: disease um And I noticed that all the characters who 1036 00:59:23,200 --> 00:59:26,550 Speaker 3: go through this get pricked by the rose. So it 1037 00:59:26,590 --> 00:59:28,930 Speaker 3: made me wonder, wait, is it the bite or is 1038 00:59:29,010 --> 00:59:31,950 Speaker 3: it the rose actually that does this to them? 1039 00:59:32,670 --> 00:59:35,330 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess I mostly interpreted the rose as being 1040 00:59:35,370 --> 00:59:41,140 Speaker 2: kind of a surreal visual element that's added here. I mean, 1041 00:59:41,160 --> 00:59:45,040 Speaker 2: we do see the rose pricking their skin. 1042 00:59:45,060 --> 00:59:45,140 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1043 00:59:47,440 --> 00:59:49,439 Speaker 2: And then later on, of course, we'll see the white 1044 00:59:49,520 --> 00:59:53,110 Speaker 2: rose bloom into a red rose when a character is 1045 00:59:53,160 --> 01:00:02,130 Speaker 2: not just ensorcelled by the vampire, but fully turned or consumed. So, yeah, 1046 01:00:02,150 --> 01:00:04,110 Speaker 2: it's hard to, but it's hard to figure out what, 1047 01:00:04,130 --> 01:00:07,210 Speaker 2: if we were to give a rational explanation for what's happening, 1048 01:00:07,310 --> 01:00:11,090 Speaker 2: it kind of defies rational explanation. Like, it's not a 1049 01:00:11,130 --> 01:00:14,490 Speaker 2: situation where you can say, oh, the vampires have both 1050 01:00:14,670 --> 01:00:17,880 Speaker 2: a crow familiar and also rose familiar. It's like, that 1051 01:00:17,910 --> 01:00:22,000 Speaker 2: doesn't make sense. But in a non-rational sense, in a 1052 01:00:22,040 --> 01:00:25,000 Speaker 2: dreamlike quality, it does work that way. I don't know. 1053 01:00:26,960 --> 01:00:29,510 Speaker 2: And I guess also maybe a vampire is like a 1054 01:00:29,570 --> 01:00:34,910 Speaker 2: cut rose, especially the white one. Pale, cut off from 1055 01:00:35,010 --> 01:00:39,450 Speaker 2: organic life, but kind of sustained in a lifelike death. 1056 01:00:40,270 --> 01:00:42,890 Speaker 2: but then one that must be sustained in some sort 1057 01:00:42,910 --> 01:00:44,350 Speaker 2: of artificial means. I don't know. 1058 01:00:45,240 --> 01:00:46,700 Speaker 3: Put in the face with the water. 1059 01:00:47,020 --> 01:00:50,460 Speaker 2: Yeah. So it's kind of like an out-of-control visual metaphor 1060 01:00:50,500 --> 01:00:55,160 Speaker 2: that breaks free and starts physically injuring characters in the film. 1061 01:00:56,040 --> 01:00:58,100 Speaker 3: Well, I mean, one reason I asked is that there's 1062 01:00:58,140 --> 01:01:01,480 Speaker 3: a later scene where we see Yukiko, she seems to 1063 01:01:01,600 --> 01:01:05,810 Speaker 3: start being influenced by the vampires even before she's bitten. 1064 01:01:05,890 --> 01:01:07,650 Speaker 3: The only thing that's happened to her is she's been 1065 01:01:07,710 --> 01:01:08,550 Speaker 3: nicked by the rose. 1066 01:01:08,570 --> 01:01:08,670 Speaker 1: Hmm. 1067 01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:11,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. So I don't know. Yeah. 1068 01:01:12,120 --> 01:01:13,640 Speaker 2: I've watched it twice and I don't have an answer. 1069 01:01:14,120 --> 01:01:16,740 Speaker 3: But anyway, yeah. So Yoko goes out, she cuts herself 1070 01:01:16,820 --> 01:01:20,250 Speaker 3: on the rose thorn and then eerie music begins to play. Oh, 1071 01:01:20,750 --> 01:01:23,150 Speaker 3: so she wanders down the hall into an empty room. 1072 01:01:23,330 --> 01:01:26,870 Speaker 3: The window is open. The breeze is blowing the curtains 1073 01:01:27,330 --> 01:01:30,930 Speaker 3: and suddenly she turns and the principal is behind her. 1074 01:01:31,610 --> 01:01:34,560 Speaker 3: So he has fangs out and he attacks. She's frozen 1075 01:01:34,620 --> 01:01:36,780 Speaker 3: in place and he bites her over the heart. 1076 01:01:37,380 --> 01:01:39,500 Speaker 2: Now, is this the first scene in the film where 1077 01:01:39,520 --> 01:01:42,520 Speaker 2: we get to see the principal in full vampire mode 1078 01:01:42,940 --> 01:01:46,300 Speaker 2: wearing a snazzy white scarf instead of a Dracula cape? 1079 01:01:46,950 --> 01:01:48,650 Speaker 3: I don't know if this is the first time, but 1080 01:01:48,670 --> 01:01:49,350 Speaker 3: it would make sense. 1081 01:01:49,410 --> 01:01:52,090 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's certainly a part of his style and it 1082 01:01:52,130 --> 01:01:56,669 Speaker 2: works very well. I love the idea of this Dracula-like 1083 01:01:56,730 --> 01:01:59,810 Speaker 2: character having his own distinct style. And it matches up 1084 01:01:59,870 --> 01:02:02,710 Speaker 2: to earlier he had the white turtleneck on. Now he 1085 01:02:02,730 --> 01:02:05,700 Speaker 2: has the white scarf. matches up with the white rose. 1086 01:02:06,080 --> 01:02:08,020 Speaker 2: I like the way the film's putting all these visual 1087 01:02:08,040 --> 01:02:08,740 Speaker 2: elements together. 1088 01:02:09,200 --> 01:02:12,020 Speaker 3: They do have a lot of garments that cover the neck. Yeah, 1089 01:02:12,040 --> 01:02:15,520 Speaker 3: the turtlenecks, the high collars, the scarves, even though, I 1090 01:02:15,540 --> 01:02:19,110 Speaker 3: don't know why these vampires, they wouldn't have, they're the vampires, 1091 01:02:19,150 --> 01:02:21,510 Speaker 3: so they wouldn't have the wounds on the neck. And also, 1092 01:02:21,550 --> 01:02:23,330 Speaker 3: they're not biting on the neck in this movie. They're 1093 01:02:23,350 --> 01:02:24,150 Speaker 3: biting on the chest. 1094 01:02:25,010 --> 01:02:26,810 Speaker 2: Well, maybe we'll come back to that question later when 1095 01:02:26,830 --> 01:02:27,730 Speaker 2: more things are revealed. 1096 01:02:28,350 --> 01:02:31,340 Speaker 3: Okay. Oh, wait a minute. Yes, I think I know 1097 01:02:31,360 --> 01:02:34,600 Speaker 3: what you're talking about. Okay, we'll save that for later. Anyway, 1098 01:02:34,960 --> 01:02:37,380 Speaker 3: Kumi finally comes back to her room later after the 1099 01:02:37,420 --> 01:02:40,930 Speaker 3: conversation with Shiraki, and she finds her two roommates in bed. 1100 01:02:41,050 --> 01:02:44,090 Speaker 3: Kyoko is already asleep. Apparently she came back to the 1101 01:02:44,130 --> 01:02:46,950 Speaker 3: room without saying anything and went straight to bed, and 1102 01:02:47,030 --> 01:02:50,890 Speaker 3: Kumi observes that this is weird because Kyoko normally stays 1103 01:02:50,970 --> 01:02:53,800 Speaker 3: up late. They also notice something new in the room. 1104 01:02:53,950 --> 01:02:56,320 Speaker 3: There is a white rose and a glass of water 1105 01:02:56,440 --> 01:03:01,690 Speaker 3: on the shelf above Kyoko's bed. Anyway, time for psychology class. 1106 01:03:01,730 --> 01:03:04,810 Speaker 3: So this is our first classroom scene with Professor Shiraki, 1107 01:03:05,190 --> 01:03:08,470 Speaker 3: and he is explaining the concept of a Rorschach test. 1108 01:03:08,630 --> 01:03:11,550 Speaker 3: So he is putting up slides on the blackboard in 1109 01:03:11,610 --> 01:03:15,190 Speaker 3: front of the room to demonstrate, you know, ink blots 1110 01:03:15,230 --> 01:03:17,370 Speaker 3: and asking the students to write down what they see. 1111 01:03:17,810 --> 01:03:20,290 Speaker 2: Now we get some more hot for teacher antics in 1112 01:03:20,330 --> 01:03:21,910 Speaker 2: this scene, right? Is it Yukiko again? 1113 01:03:22,840 --> 01:03:25,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, she stands up and they've got one of the 1114 01:03:25,380 --> 01:03:27,100 Speaker 3: ink blots up. She says, what if I said it 1115 01:03:27,180 --> 01:03:28,560 Speaker 3: revealed I was in love with you? 1116 01:03:30,080 --> 01:03:34,390 Speaker 2: Because he's teaching about the Rorschach test. So he's having 1117 01:03:34,410 --> 01:03:38,090 Speaker 2: them all take it. He's showing these different ink blots 1118 01:03:38,190 --> 01:03:42,650 Speaker 2: up on the overhead projector. And they're all writing down 1119 01:03:42,690 --> 01:03:45,250 Speaker 2: what they see. And it's a great sequence with these 1120 01:03:45,590 --> 01:03:50,730 Speaker 2: haunting blots resembling bats and blood and the, The students 1121 01:03:50,770 --> 01:03:55,070 Speaker 2: are writing down these sorts of answers. And then Kyoko 1122 01:03:55,190 --> 01:03:58,669 Speaker 2: is watching and we see this. She sees and we 1123 01:03:58,730 --> 01:04:01,910 Speaker 2: see this, too, as the viewer, a red stain spread 1124 01:04:01,950 --> 01:04:05,490 Speaker 2: across the screen. And then she she cries out and 1125 01:04:05,530 --> 01:04:07,430 Speaker 2: she faints right there on the classroom floor. 1126 01:04:07,930 --> 01:04:10,640 Speaker 3: When they're all writing down what they see, somebody I 1127 01:04:10,680 --> 01:04:13,860 Speaker 3: think it's Kyoko writes the devil. She sees the devil 1128 01:04:13,940 --> 01:04:17,710 Speaker 3: in the inkblots. But anyway, so she, did you mention, 1129 01:04:17,790 --> 01:04:21,290 Speaker 3: so she gets up and screams and faints. And then 1130 01:04:21,430 --> 01:04:24,510 Speaker 3: the next scene is a checkup with Dr. Shinomura. So 1131 01:04:24,550 --> 01:04:28,230 Speaker 3: Kyoko is unconscious in her bed. Shinomura says she probably 1132 01:04:28,270 --> 01:04:31,390 Speaker 3: just pushed herself too hard studying for exams. And then 1133 01:04:31,410 --> 01:04:34,850 Speaker 3: he notices something, or at least Shiraki notices the puncture 1134 01:04:34,890 --> 01:04:38,730 Speaker 3: wounds again on her chest. And so they say, well, 1135 01:04:38,750 --> 01:04:40,790 Speaker 3: Kyoko needs to recover in bed for a few days 1136 01:04:40,950 --> 01:04:43,510 Speaker 3: and it's about to be a school vacation. So everybody 1137 01:04:43,590 --> 01:04:46,060 Speaker 3: is going to go home or travel to somewhere. But 1138 01:04:46,140 --> 01:04:49,439 Speaker 3: Kumi and Yukiko offer to stay at school to take 1139 01:04:49,520 --> 01:04:52,600 Speaker 3: care of their roommate while she recovers. Very nice of them. 1140 01:04:53,500 --> 01:04:56,980 Speaker 3: So the next day, Shiraki goes to visit Shinomura at 1141 01:04:57,080 --> 01:05:00,540 Speaker 3: his office off campus in town and they talk about 1142 01:05:00,580 --> 01:05:04,430 Speaker 3: Kyoko's wound. They say, what could it mean? Shinomura says 1143 01:05:04,470 --> 01:05:08,360 Speaker 3: doctors often tend to wounds they don't understand. However, when, uh, 1144 01:05:08,390 --> 01:05:11,790 Speaker 3: Shiraki tells his friend about his experiences the first night 1145 01:05:11,850 --> 01:05:14,380 Speaker 3: in the principal's house, uh, and the connection to the 1146 01:05:14,420 --> 01:05:18,900 Speaker 3: missing student, things seem to change. And then Shinomura, uh, 1147 01:05:19,060 --> 01:05:22,120 Speaker 3: takes Shiraki out to a graveyard on a hilltop and 1148 01:05:22,220 --> 01:05:25,380 Speaker 3: fills him in on a local legend. So here we 1149 01:05:25,400 --> 01:05:27,970 Speaker 3: get the, the backstory scene. Yeah. 1150 01:05:28,030 --> 01:05:30,150 Speaker 2: And I, I loved this. Again, we get the, these 1151 01:05:30,190 --> 01:05:33,850 Speaker 2: beautiful haunting shots of this, uh, It's supposed to be 1152 01:05:33,870 --> 01:05:38,450 Speaker 2: a northern Japan countryside. And it takes him out to 1153 01:05:38,510 --> 01:05:41,430 Speaker 2: where we have this old busted casket, like some sort of, 1154 01:05:41,430 --> 01:05:44,020 Speaker 2: like some sort of, the remains of like some sort 1155 01:05:44,040 --> 01:05:47,600 Speaker 2: of iron casket or something, partially buried in the earth. 1156 01:05:48,260 --> 01:05:50,040 Speaker 2: And this is where we get the telling of the 1157 01:05:50,120 --> 01:05:55,380 Speaker 2: vampire's origin story. And I loved all of this because 1158 01:05:55,510 --> 01:06:01,110 Speaker 2: we have a vision of vampirism here where we have 1159 01:06:01,310 --> 01:06:05,680 Speaker 2: Western vampirism that is described as kind of an invasive 1160 01:06:05,740 --> 01:06:10,439 Speaker 2: infection brought on by a Christian outsider. And it's fitting 1161 01:06:10,480 --> 01:06:13,990 Speaker 2: because remember in Dracula, in Bram Stoker's Dracula, the vampire 1162 01:06:14,330 --> 01:06:17,050 Speaker 2: is inherently a foreigner. That's part of it. He is 1163 01:06:17,110 --> 01:06:21,670 Speaker 2: a foreigner who has arrived in England. And so here 1164 01:06:21,690 --> 01:06:23,870 Speaker 2: we get a kind of interesting twist on all of that. 1165 01:06:24,640 --> 01:06:27,640 Speaker 2: And then we get this idea too of vampirism as 1166 01:06:27,700 --> 01:06:31,900 Speaker 2: a curse for blasphemy, even blasphemy under torture. which I 1167 01:06:31,920 --> 01:06:34,860 Speaker 2: thought was a pretty dark and riveting origin story here. 1168 01:06:35,440 --> 01:06:38,300 Speaker 3: Yeah. Similar to the kind of thing we get in 1169 01:06:38,320 --> 01:06:41,600 Speaker 3: that backstory of Coppola's Dracula, which we talked about recently 1170 01:06:41,640 --> 01:06:45,340 Speaker 3: on the show, that also has a blasphemy, brings the 1171 01:06:45,580 --> 01:06:49,760 Speaker 3: curse of the devil upon Dracula, and he becomes a vampire. 1172 01:06:49,780 --> 01:06:54,590 Speaker 3: I actually transcribed this backstory. Should we just read it here? Okay, 1173 01:06:54,670 --> 01:06:57,930 Speaker 3: so the way Shinomura tells it is, it was about 1174 01:06:57,930 --> 01:07:00,990 Speaker 3: 200 years ago. A foreign ship was wrecked and a 1175 01:07:01,030 --> 01:07:05,330 Speaker 3: white man swam to shore. His name and nationality were unknown. 1176 01:07:05,650 --> 01:07:08,950 Speaker 3: All we know was that he was a Christian. Christianity 1177 01:07:09,180 --> 01:07:12,990 Speaker 3: was banned and he was badly tortured. He betrayed his 1178 01:07:13,070 --> 01:07:16,900 Speaker 3: faith and spat on the cross. Then he became a demon. 1179 01:07:17,300 --> 01:07:20,600 Speaker 3: He sucked human blood. According to the legend, the white 1180 01:07:20,640 --> 01:07:24,100 Speaker 3: man lost his God, then lost his mind. He went 1181 01:07:24,220 --> 01:07:27,660 Speaker 3: into the wilderness to flee from his persecutors. And here 1182 01:07:27,700 --> 01:07:29,760 Speaker 3: we see these shots of him wandering out in this 1183 01:07:29,900 --> 01:07:33,420 Speaker 3: desert just over these sand dunes and this totally dry, 1184 01:07:33,480 --> 01:07:34,500 Speaker 3: parched landscape. 1185 01:07:34,600 --> 01:07:37,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I looked this guy up. We have a 1186 01:07:37,600 --> 01:07:40,920 Speaker 2: Caucasian actor playing the role here. I don't think he 1187 01:07:40,940 --> 01:07:44,540 Speaker 2: was in anything else. But we're to presume this might 1188 01:07:44,600 --> 01:07:49,580 Speaker 2: be a Portuguese seaman or an English clergy member. We're 1189 01:07:49,600 --> 01:07:53,419 Speaker 2: not entirely sure, and neither is anyone that's telling the story. 1190 01:07:54,080 --> 01:07:57,560 Speaker 3: I mean, I guess it could be Dracula. Oh, no. 1191 01:07:57,580 --> 01:07:58,540 Speaker 3: Could be the Count. No. 1192 01:07:59,840 --> 01:08:01,420 Speaker 2: Because he's not a vampire yet. He's just a dude. 1193 01:08:01,440 --> 01:08:03,780 Speaker 3: He's not a vampire yet. That's true. He becomes a 1194 01:08:03,820 --> 01:08:08,350 Speaker 3: vampire later. That's true. Yeah. So the Dracula theory doesn't work. Anyway, 1195 01:08:08,690 --> 01:08:11,390 Speaker 3: so it says, yeah, he went into the wilderness. Quote, 1196 01:08:11,450 --> 01:08:16,330 Speaker 3: he suffered from hunger, thirst, and despair. He wandered seeking salvation, 1197 01:08:16,430 --> 01:08:20,679 Speaker 3: but nowhere could he find peace. Nowhere. In order to survive, 1198 01:08:20,729 --> 01:08:24,750 Speaker 3: he had to suck his own blood. The legend says 1199 01:08:24,830 --> 01:08:28,470 Speaker 3: his first victim was a 15-year-old girl. He held the 1200 01:08:28,530 --> 01:08:31,910 Speaker 3: dead girl tightly in his arms and wept. Then, by 1201 01:08:31,950 --> 01:08:35,530 Speaker 3: the immortal hand of the devil, she was revived. As 1202 01:08:35,590 --> 01:08:38,849 Speaker 3: soon as the villagers realized, they killed them both. They 1203 01:08:38,930 --> 01:08:42,450 Speaker 3: locked their bodies in a huge stout coffin. They buried 1204 01:08:42,490 --> 01:08:45,540 Speaker 3: it here. And then he shows him right here at 1205 01:08:45,600 --> 01:08:48,100 Speaker 3: this grave and brings him to a place where the 1206 01:08:48,140 --> 01:08:50,889 Speaker 3: ground has been dug up. And there is an old 1207 01:08:50,970 --> 01:08:54,460 Speaker 3: coffin on the earth right in front of them. And 1208 01:08:54,520 --> 01:08:58,110 Speaker 3: Shiraki opens it and there's nothing inside. It's empty. Not 1209 01:08:58,130 --> 01:09:02,250 Speaker 3: a single bone. Shinomura says, according to the villagers, this 1210 01:09:02,330 --> 01:09:06,180 Speaker 3: proves they came back to life. And then after this, 1211 01:09:06,380 --> 01:09:09,700 Speaker 3: Shiraki and Shinomura go out to dinner and they go 1212 01:09:09,729 --> 01:09:12,910 Speaker 3: out for dinner and sake to further strategize. And I 1213 01:09:12,950 --> 01:09:15,310 Speaker 3: really like the scene at the restaurant. It's so cozy. 1214 01:09:15,330 --> 01:09:17,150 Speaker 3: It makes me want to like take down a vampire 1215 01:09:17,170 --> 01:09:17,729 Speaker 3: with a friend. 1216 01:09:17,750 --> 01:09:21,750 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is. Yeah, it feels very authentic. And it's 1217 01:09:21,790 --> 01:09:24,769 Speaker 2: well acted, too, because they're clearly hitting the sake a 1218 01:09:24,790 --> 01:09:28,310 Speaker 2: bit hard because they are finding themselves in a very 1219 01:09:28,370 --> 01:09:32,920 Speaker 2: unusual and terrifying circumstance here. But at one point, there's like, OK, 1220 01:09:32,939 --> 01:09:35,800 Speaker 2: slow down. Let's not drink anymore. Let's get serious about this. 1221 01:09:35,900 --> 01:09:36,780 Speaker 2: We've got to act. 1222 01:09:37,720 --> 01:09:42,479 Speaker 3: So they decide that the vampires previously targeted Keiko, and 1223 01:09:42,590 --> 01:09:47,210 Speaker 3: now they're attacking Kyoko, and that these two professors are 1224 01:09:47,250 --> 01:09:49,730 Speaker 3: going to have to intervene to save the students. So 1225 01:09:50,229 --> 01:09:53,229 Speaker 3: there is some discussion here of what it meant that 1226 01:09:53,330 --> 01:09:56,950 Speaker 3: Shiraki was told he would be the next principal. Shinomura 1227 01:09:57,010 --> 01:09:59,610 Speaker 3: remembers something. He says there was another teacher who was 1228 01:09:59,670 --> 01:10:02,260 Speaker 3: told he'd be the next principal. Now he's in a 1229 01:10:02,320 --> 01:10:04,559 Speaker 3: mental hospital on the other side of the mountains. 1230 01:10:05,280 --> 01:10:06,260 Speaker 2: Oh, not a good sign. 1231 01:10:06,880 --> 01:10:10,800 Speaker 3: Yeah. So they set up an ambush for vampires. Shiraki 1232 01:10:10,860 --> 01:10:13,580 Speaker 3: and Shinemura collect a bunch of gear and they plan 1233 01:10:13,600 --> 01:10:16,309 Speaker 3: to keep watch in the dormitory all night to make 1234 01:10:16,350 --> 01:10:19,950 Speaker 3: sure nothing happens to Kumi, Yukiko and Kyoko, who again 1235 01:10:19,990 --> 01:10:22,510 Speaker 3: are the three that are remaining behind at the school 1236 01:10:22,530 --> 01:10:26,479 Speaker 3: while everybody else has gone home. Shinomura brings a clue. 1237 01:10:27,000 --> 01:10:29,960 Speaker 3: So they're sitting around having tea, talking, and he brings 1238 01:10:30,020 --> 01:10:33,320 Speaker 3: out the diary of the previous professor who went mad, 1239 01:10:33,920 --> 01:10:35,929 Speaker 3: the one who was going to be the new principal. 1240 01:10:36,570 --> 01:10:39,770 Speaker 3: And the last entry reads, it is certain the principal 1241 01:10:39,850 --> 01:10:43,530 Speaker 3: and his wife had changed since they got married. They 1242 01:10:43,630 --> 01:10:46,889 Speaker 3: stopped going out during the day. The same thing happened 1243 01:10:46,930 --> 01:10:50,020 Speaker 3: to the former principal, too. So then we get this 1244 01:10:50,100 --> 01:10:53,130 Speaker 3: explanation about how there were actually three principles in a 1245 01:10:53,170 --> 01:10:56,250 Speaker 3: row who all changed like this. And so that's a lot. 1246 01:10:56,290 --> 01:10:59,710 Speaker 3: They've been through a lot of principles. But anyway, the 1247 01:10:59,810 --> 01:11:02,849 Speaker 3: entry reads, if the devil is to exist in the world, 1248 01:11:03,030 --> 01:11:06,340 Speaker 3: it cannot look like a devil. It must be in disguise. 1249 01:11:06,760 --> 01:11:10,340 Speaker 3: It must live in the disguise of an ordinary human being. 1250 01:11:12,280 --> 01:11:14,880 Speaker 3: So anyway, I guess I'll narrate the following bit of 1251 01:11:14,900 --> 01:11:17,340 Speaker 3: the movie more lightly. Later that night, there is a 1252 01:11:17,360 --> 01:11:20,680 Speaker 3: vampire attack on the dorm. Kumi is out of the 1253 01:11:20,740 --> 01:11:25,660 Speaker 3: room making dinner. And then suddenly Kyoko begins to act strangely. 1254 01:11:25,760 --> 01:11:28,550 Speaker 3: She says to Yukiko, he is calling you and grabs 1255 01:11:28,590 --> 01:11:32,710 Speaker 3: her wrist. And then the principal appears and attacks Yukiko. 1256 01:11:33,150 --> 01:11:37,790 Speaker 3: And the men come running, Shinemura and Shiraki come running. 1257 01:11:38,150 --> 01:11:40,610 Speaker 3: And the principal jumps out the window when he is caught. 1258 01:11:41,150 --> 01:11:44,189 Speaker 3: So Shinomura and the night watchman, who's there with them, 1259 01:11:44,310 --> 01:11:47,570 Speaker 3: run out into the woods chasing the principal. Shiraki and 1260 01:11:47,640 --> 01:11:51,040 Speaker 3: Kumi stay behind to take care of Yukiko. And Kyoko 1261 01:11:51,100 --> 01:11:54,080 Speaker 3: tries to stab Shiraki with a pair of scissors and 1262 01:11:54,120 --> 01:11:56,920 Speaker 3: then throws herself from the top of the stairwell and 1263 01:11:57,040 --> 01:11:58,660 Speaker 3: dies when she hits the bottom. 1264 01:11:58,820 --> 01:12:01,180 Speaker 2: Now, an important plot point at this point is that 1265 01:12:01,500 --> 01:12:04,670 Speaker 2: they saw the vampire principal jump out the window only 1266 01:12:04,729 --> 01:12:07,330 Speaker 2: from behind. There'll be much talk of this later when 1267 01:12:07,350 --> 01:12:08,360 Speaker 2: the detective shows up. 1268 01:12:09,090 --> 01:12:14,710 Speaker 3: Yes. So, meanwhile, Yukiko disappears out the window. And then 1269 01:12:14,770 --> 01:12:19,010 Speaker 3: later in the woods, Shinomura spies Yukiko and the principal together. 1270 01:12:19,590 --> 01:12:22,610 Speaker 3: He takes a picture with his camera as the principal 1271 01:12:22,729 --> 01:12:27,720 Speaker 3: embraces Yukiko to suck her blood. But then Shinomura is caught. 1272 01:12:27,820 --> 01:12:30,860 Speaker 3: The principal sees him and pins him against a tree 1273 01:12:30,960 --> 01:12:33,000 Speaker 3: and strangles him. So, no. 1274 01:12:33,920 --> 01:12:36,700 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was saddened to see this character go. He 1275 01:12:36,740 --> 01:12:37,340 Speaker 2: was so much fun. 1276 01:12:47,460 --> 01:12:50,839 Speaker 3: So police arrive on the scene. Shiraki tries to explain 1277 01:12:50,880 --> 01:12:54,700 Speaker 3: what happened, but the detective does not accept, not only 1278 01:12:54,740 --> 01:12:57,689 Speaker 3: does not accept what Shiraki is saying, he doesn't even 1279 01:12:57,729 --> 01:13:00,309 Speaker 3: accept this is a murder case. He's saying from the 1280 01:13:00,370 --> 01:13:03,270 Speaker 3: evidence available, it looks like an accidental death. You're saying 1281 01:13:03,330 --> 01:13:05,950 Speaker 3: she threw herself from the top of the stairs, but 1282 01:13:05,990 --> 01:13:10,469 Speaker 3: it was the principal's fault. Yeah, it's hard to explain 1283 01:13:10,490 --> 01:13:15,450 Speaker 3: this like vampire hypnotism. So then Shiraki accuses the principal 1284 01:13:15,770 --> 01:13:18,750 Speaker 3: of being in the student's room and jumping out the window. 1285 01:13:18,810 --> 01:13:21,750 Speaker 3: But again, says he saw him from behind. So they 1286 01:13:21,950 --> 01:13:25,410 Speaker 3: the police go to interview the principal at his mansion. Principal, 1287 01:13:25,430 --> 01:13:28,940 Speaker 3: of course, denies everything. And he has an alibi. Why, 1288 01:13:29,100 --> 01:13:33,080 Speaker 3: Professor Yoshi was here with me all night. We've been 1289 01:13:33,120 --> 01:13:35,479 Speaker 3: here together. So I couldn't have gone out and done 1290 01:13:35,540 --> 01:13:39,260 Speaker 3: any of that. Oh, and then Yoshi says, uh, says 1291 01:13:39,300 --> 01:13:42,280 Speaker 3: to the detective, in fact, I know someone who looks 1292 01:13:42,380 --> 01:13:47,250 Speaker 3: like the principal from behind implying Shiraki himself and the 1293 01:13:47,570 --> 01:13:50,470 Speaker 3: cops all have a good laugh at this. Like, oh yeah, 1294 01:13:50,490 --> 01:13:51,270 Speaker 3: maybe it was you. 1295 01:13:51,370 --> 01:13:54,650 Speaker 2: There's a great, uh, sense that the detective and, and, uh, 1296 01:13:54,729 --> 01:13:57,210 Speaker 2: and his fellow policemen here are really not going to 1297 01:13:57,250 --> 01:13:59,809 Speaker 2: shake any rock the boat at all. Like they're just 1298 01:13:59,850 --> 01:14:03,490 Speaker 2: here to sort of as a formality. And they're just like, oh, yeah, 1299 01:14:03,510 --> 01:14:06,850 Speaker 2: this kind of thing happens, and we're just going to 1300 01:14:07,210 --> 01:14:08,330 Speaker 2: ride it up and move on. 1301 01:14:09,470 --> 01:14:13,160 Speaker 3: There's a later scene where Yoshii goes downstairs, and he 1302 01:14:13,320 --> 01:14:16,560 Speaker 3: gets the body of the principal's wife out of her coffin, 1303 01:14:16,640 --> 01:14:18,640 Speaker 3: and he's doing something to it. Is he trying to 1304 01:14:18,760 --> 01:14:21,549 Speaker 3: drink blood from the vampire's body? 1305 01:14:21,560 --> 01:14:22,030 Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. 1306 01:14:22,890 --> 01:14:25,370 Speaker 3: She wakes up and embraces him, but I couldn't tell 1307 01:14:25,430 --> 01:14:26,770 Speaker 3: exactly what was happening here. 1308 01:14:27,170 --> 01:14:29,870 Speaker 2: Well, we're beginning to understand, and then it's more properly 1309 01:14:29,950 --> 01:14:32,230 Speaker 2: revealed in a bit, that I think Yoshi is not 1310 01:14:32,270 --> 01:14:35,800 Speaker 2: a full-blown vampire, but maybe like a vampire spawn. So 1311 01:14:36,340 --> 01:14:39,180 Speaker 2: maybe there is some sort of a feeding of Yoshi 1312 01:14:39,240 --> 01:14:43,390 Speaker 2: that has to take place. But yeah, he's the ultimate 1313 01:14:43,729 --> 01:14:44,770 Speaker 2: vampire toady here. 1314 01:14:46,140 --> 01:14:49,000 Speaker 3: But we're closing in on the, the climax of the film. 1315 01:14:49,060 --> 01:14:51,439 Speaker 3: So there is a dark room scene, kind of a 1316 01:14:51,510 --> 01:14:55,010 Speaker 3: research scene where Shiraki and Kumi together develop the role 1317 01:14:55,050 --> 01:14:58,890 Speaker 3: of film from Dr. Shinomura's camera. And they find a 1318 01:14:58,970 --> 01:15:02,290 Speaker 3: photo of Yukiko with her arms outstretched in the air. 1319 01:15:02,750 --> 01:15:05,170 Speaker 3: And then by kind of posing themselves, they figure out 1320 01:15:05,189 --> 01:15:09,320 Speaker 3: what's happening. They say she's embracing someone who is invisible. Yeah. 1321 01:15:09,340 --> 01:15:12,820 Speaker 2: Cannot be captured on film as sometimes how the, like 1322 01:15:12,939 --> 01:15:16,510 Speaker 2: no reflection in the mirror thing is, uh, is utilized 1323 01:15:16,570 --> 01:15:17,169 Speaker 2: in films. 1324 01:15:16,970 --> 01:15:20,950 Speaker 3: Like this right unfortunately that does not provide good evidence 1325 01:15:21,030 --> 01:15:24,450 Speaker 3: that the police can use against the principal um so 1326 01:15:24,770 --> 01:15:28,300 Speaker 3: uh now kumi has to keep watch over yukiko who 1327 01:15:28,380 --> 01:15:31,280 Speaker 3: is unwell and in bed while shiraki drives over the 1328 01:15:31,320 --> 01:15:34,140 Speaker 3: mountains to the mental hospital to meet the other man 1329 01:15:34,220 --> 01:15:38,050 Speaker 3: who is slated to become the principal and they meet 1330 01:15:38,120 --> 01:15:41,590 Speaker 3: shiraki prods him but the man does not speak eventually 1331 01:15:41,610 --> 01:15:46,530 Speaker 3: the man turns his head and reveals a long gash 1332 01:15:46,670 --> 01:15:49,510 Speaker 3: in his, like a scar under his jawbone. It looks 1333 01:15:49,530 --> 01:15:52,030 Speaker 3: like someone tried to cut his throat or cut under 1334 01:15:52,090 --> 01:15:55,990 Speaker 3: his jaw. What could that be? And then back at 1335 01:15:56,030 --> 01:15:59,660 Speaker 3: the dorms, Yukiko is called away by the vampire, so 1336 01:15:59,700 --> 01:16:03,280 Speaker 3: she wanders off. Kumi tries to stop her, but Kumi 1337 01:16:03,340 --> 01:16:06,600 Speaker 3: is prevented by Professor Yoshii, who obstructs her path and 1338 01:16:06,640 --> 01:16:09,360 Speaker 3: then quotes Baudelaire at her until she faints on the floor, 1339 01:16:09,380 --> 01:16:14,230 Speaker 3: you know. So finally, we see Yukiko going to the 1340 01:16:14,260 --> 01:16:19,920 Speaker 3: vampire's crypt, where not only does the principal's wife drink 1341 01:16:20,220 --> 01:16:25,080 Speaker 3: her blood, she places Yukiko's body on a table and 1342 01:16:25,120 --> 01:16:29,280 Speaker 3: then begins to cut into the flesh under her jaw. 1343 01:16:29,400 --> 01:16:31,780 Speaker 3: What's this that's happening? Here's a big twist. 1344 01:16:31,820 --> 01:16:34,099 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. I was not prepared for this at all. 1345 01:16:34,120 --> 01:16:37,970 Speaker 2: She's cutting in the same place as that mysterious scar 1346 01:16:38,170 --> 01:16:42,139 Speaker 2: on the gentleman in the asylum. Uh, and so what we, 1347 01:16:42,380 --> 01:16:45,519 Speaker 2: we quickly watch as she, and fairly in a mix 1348 01:16:45,590 --> 01:16:49,870 Speaker 2: of like graphic bloody detail and implied shadow play, we 1349 01:16:49,970 --> 01:16:53,689 Speaker 2: see her cut the face off of the girl and 1350 01:16:53,729 --> 01:16:57,290 Speaker 2: then pull this face up over her own face and 1351 01:16:57,310 --> 01:17:00,269 Speaker 2: begin to kind of like meld it into place, like 1352 01:17:00,490 --> 01:17:03,770 Speaker 2: on top of, or into her own, her own face, 1353 01:17:04,250 --> 01:17:08,840 Speaker 2: assuming the girl's likeness. And we can tell already ultimately 1354 01:17:08,910 --> 01:17:13,769 Speaker 2: her identity. Presumably, this is how this pair of vampires 1355 01:17:14,250 --> 01:17:17,790 Speaker 2: have been surviving all of this time. They keep claiming 1356 01:17:17,830 --> 01:17:22,910 Speaker 2: new victims, stealing new faces, and maintaining a position of 1357 01:17:22,970 --> 01:17:26,400 Speaker 2: authority within the school where they just happen to continually 1358 01:17:26,439 --> 01:17:30,059 Speaker 2: get all of this fresh meat each and every semester. 1359 01:17:30,800 --> 01:17:33,680 Speaker 3: So whenever there's a new principal, it's actually just the 1360 01:17:33,720 --> 01:17:36,439 Speaker 3: same vampire who has taken someone else's face. 1361 01:17:36,520 --> 01:17:37,230 Speaker 2: Right, right. 1362 01:17:37,270 --> 01:17:39,650 Speaker 3: You can see why they wanted Shiraki because he's so handsome. 1363 01:17:39,689 --> 01:17:42,230 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I guess they kind of like use, they 1364 01:17:42,310 --> 01:17:44,450 Speaker 2: use identities up after a little bit and they need 1365 01:17:44,470 --> 01:17:47,790 Speaker 2: something fresh. And also it helps to partially cover for 1366 01:17:47,810 --> 01:17:50,980 Speaker 2: the murders because I guess they figured out we can, what, 1367 01:17:51,020 --> 01:17:53,680 Speaker 2: we can kill one student per semester, I guess. 1368 01:17:54,540 --> 01:18:00,030 Speaker 3: Yeah, they're being, they're rationing it. Yeah. So the vampire 1369 01:18:00,490 --> 01:18:04,150 Speaker 3: now wearing Yukiko's face appears to Kumi in the dormitory. 1370 01:18:05,010 --> 01:18:07,850 Speaker 3: But Kumi, because she is virtuous and true, she knows 1371 01:18:07,930 --> 01:18:10,860 Speaker 3: it is not really Yukiko. You know, virtue sees through 1372 01:18:10,900 --> 01:18:13,620 Speaker 3: the illusion. There's a lot of that in movies like this. 1373 01:18:14,380 --> 01:18:16,479 Speaker 3: And so the vampire says, fine, I guess I can't 1374 01:18:16,540 --> 01:18:18,500 Speaker 3: fool you, you know, but I'm going to be the 1375 01:18:18,540 --> 01:18:20,900 Speaker 3: new principal's wife and the new principal is going to 1376 01:18:20,920 --> 01:18:24,350 Speaker 3: be Principal Shiraki. So I think she's trying to make 1377 01:18:24,650 --> 01:18:29,100 Speaker 3: Kumi jealous because she knows Kumi likes Shiraki. So the 1378 01:18:29,240 --> 01:18:32,760 Speaker 3: vampire woman steals Yukiko's face. The principal is going to 1379 01:18:32,780 --> 01:18:35,559 Speaker 3: steal Shiraki's face. And then they're going to pose as 1380 01:18:35,600 --> 01:18:38,810 Speaker 3: a married couple and live in the school principal's mansion 1381 01:18:39,210 --> 01:18:40,549 Speaker 3: and just keep trading faces. 1382 01:18:41,390 --> 01:18:43,710 Speaker 2: I like it. I think it's rather clever because it's, 1383 01:18:43,890 --> 01:18:46,229 Speaker 2: you know, this is this idea that like these two 1384 01:18:46,290 --> 01:18:50,700 Speaker 2: vampires were, you know, they faced a two. a terrible 1385 01:18:50,800 --> 01:18:54,540 Speaker 2: fate initially because they were found out. And so once 1386 01:18:54,560 --> 01:18:56,700 Speaker 2: they escape from that iron casket, you know, they have 1387 01:18:56,740 --> 01:18:59,460 Speaker 2: to live in secret. They have to feed in secret. 1388 01:18:59,500 --> 01:19:02,140 Speaker 2: And they found themselves a very clever scheme that they 1389 01:19:02,160 --> 01:19:05,780 Speaker 2: can they hope to maintain for some number of years 1390 01:19:05,840 --> 01:19:07,470 Speaker 2: before they have to move on to some other kind 1391 01:19:07,510 --> 01:19:10,610 Speaker 2: of cover. And yeah, I thought this was rather clever. 1392 01:19:10,650 --> 01:19:13,670 Speaker 3: I liked it. So when Shiraki finally gets back to 1393 01:19:13,710 --> 01:19:17,219 Speaker 3: the dorm, the vampire with Yukiko's face tries to fool him. 1394 01:19:18,120 --> 01:19:20,240 Speaker 3: She says she has something she needs to show him 1395 01:19:20,300 --> 01:19:22,519 Speaker 3: and leads him to the edge of a spooky lake 1396 01:19:22,680 --> 01:19:26,260 Speaker 3: covered in mist. And then she asks him to marry her. 1397 01:19:26,280 --> 01:19:29,340 Speaker 3: He doesn't go for it. He reveals what he knows. 1398 01:19:29,400 --> 01:19:32,940 Speaker 3: He says, you're not Yukiko. You're the principal's wife. And 1399 01:19:33,020 --> 01:19:35,460 Speaker 3: she laughs at him. She says, you sound like a fantasy. 1400 01:19:35,540 --> 01:19:40,019 Speaker 3: Nobody would believe you. But she reveals Dr. Shinomura is 1401 01:19:40,070 --> 01:19:42,519 Speaker 3: here at the bottom of the lake, like so many others. 1402 01:19:42,580 --> 01:19:44,760 Speaker 3: When people mess with us, they die. We put them 1403 01:19:44,780 --> 01:19:47,519 Speaker 3: in the lake. And she says, we have Kumi also. 1404 01:19:47,600 --> 01:19:50,719 Speaker 3: She's at the house. So you're toast. 1405 01:19:50,860 --> 01:19:53,840 Speaker 2: This reminds me, I think there's some distinct bits of 1406 01:19:53,880 --> 01:19:57,260 Speaker 2: Japanese folklore about bodies at the bottom of a lake 1407 01:19:57,340 --> 01:19:58,380 Speaker 2: that they're drawing on here. 1408 01:19:59,060 --> 01:20:02,220 Speaker 3: After this, we have a fight between Shiraki and Yoshii. 1409 01:20:02,260 --> 01:20:06,360 Speaker 3: Yoshii shows up and they punch up and wrestle around 1410 01:20:06,420 --> 01:20:09,269 Speaker 3: on the banks here. The fight ends when Shiraki throws 1411 01:20:09,330 --> 01:20:12,470 Speaker 3: Yoshii into the water. It seems he has no defense 1412 01:20:12,530 --> 01:20:15,090 Speaker 3: against water. He just sort of freezes and then sinks 1413 01:20:15,189 --> 01:20:18,150 Speaker 3: into the deep. That's a kind of creepy image. Yeah, yeah. 1414 01:20:18,250 --> 01:20:21,929 Speaker 2: And it does play on some beliefs about vampires. Often 1415 01:20:21,950 --> 01:20:24,410 Speaker 2: at times it's running water, but I think other times 1416 01:20:24,430 --> 01:20:25,870 Speaker 2: just water in general may do the trick. 1417 01:20:26,630 --> 01:20:31,170 Speaker 3: Even stagnant water will get this one. But anyway, we're 1418 01:20:31,189 --> 01:20:33,259 Speaker 3: up to the climax now. Shiraki has to take the 1419 01:20:33,310 --> 01:20:37,270 Speaker 3: fight to the principal's house. So we come there, and 1420 01:20:37,290 --> 01:20:39,680 Speaker 3: there's going to be a final confrontation and battle. 1421 01:20:40,110 --> 01:20:43,820 Speaker 2: Yeah, and this is pretty great. It's pretty action-packed. We 1422 01:20:43,860 --> 01:20:47,439 Speaker 2: have the sort of hammer house of horror setting. But 1423 01:20:47,520 --> 01:20:52,560 Speaker 2: the action is pretty intense. It covers multiple floors of 1424 01:20:52,840 --> 01:20:57,900 Speaker 2: the house, I believe. And we're going to have Shiraki 1425 01:20:57,960 --> 01:21:02,150 Speaker 2: battling the principal. And then also Kumi's battling the female 1426 01:21:02,210 --> 01:21:03,849 Speaker 2: vamp as well. So we have like kind of two 1427 01:21:03,870 --> 01:21:06,110 Speaker 2: different battles going on that are eventually going to converge 1428 01:21:06,150 --> 01:21:12,340 Speaker 2: into the one battle. And yeah, just full of attempted stakings, 1429 01:21:12,840 --> 01:21:16,620 Speaker 2: axe throwing, furniture busting. It's really good. 1430 01:21:17,610 --> 01:21:20,830 Speaker 3: There are weapons that appear that have not been Chekhov'd 1431 01:21:20,890 --> 01:21:24,140 Speaker 3: at all. Like at some point. Shiraki ends up with 1432 01:21:24,180 --> 01:21:26,840 Speaker 3: an ax that we've never seen before in the movie. 1433 01:21:26,860 --> 01:21:28,660 Speaker 3: He just picks it up and he throws it at 1434 01:21:28,700 --> 01:21:31,860 Speaker 3: the principal and hits him in the heart. And we think, oh, 1435 01:21:31,920 --> 01:21:34,799 Speaker 3: we got him. And you see the principal's wife upstairs. 1436 01:21:34,840 --> 01:21:39,390 Speaker 3: She's attacking Kumi and suddenly she seizes up and they collapse. Like, okay, 1437 01:21:39,750 --> 01:21:42,090 Speaker 3: it's going to be all right now. But then they recover. 1438 01:21:42,410 --> 01:21:45,950 Speaker 3: It's like that wasn't enough. And finally, Shiraki has to 1439 01:21:46,030 --> 01:21:48,689 Speaker 3: kill the principal with a fire poker, which he hammers 1440 01:21:48,790 --> 01:21:51,390 Speaker 3: into the principal's chest with a stool. Yeah. 1441 01:21:52,200 --> 01:21:54,880 Speaker 2: And then the final moments with the two vampires is 1442 01:21:55,140 --> 01:21:59,920 Speaker 2: I think it's horrifying, but also fittingly sad. And because, 1443 01:22:00,040 --> 01:22:03,830 Speaker 2: you know, they're they're slowly reduced to like these elder forms, 1444 01:22:03,990 --> 01:22:09,129 Speaker 2: especially the principal. Suddenly he's white haired and white flaky skin. 1445 01:22:09,790 --> 01:22:12,990 Speaker 2: And and he's reaching out not to try and hurt 1446 01:22:13,010 --> 01:22:17,300 Speaker 2: our protagonist, but to to touch the hand of this 1447 01:22:17,500 --> 01:22:20,420 Speaker 2: female vampire that he's he's been with all this time. 1448 01:22:21,200 --> 01:22:25,290 Speaker 2: And it implies a rather complex relationship between these two vampires, 1449 01:22:25,310 --> 01:22:29,330 Speaker 2: you know, born out of blasphemy and curse, out of predation, shame, 1450 01:22:29,350 --> 01:22:33,350 Speaker 2: and then mutual imprisonment. And again, here they are, presumably 1451 01:22:33,410 --> 01:22:37,979 Speaker 2: like the only two of their kind, truly, in this country, 1452 01:22:38,860 --> 01:22:40,760 Speaker 2: you know, that were locked in a casket together for 1453 01:22:40,820 --> 01:22:43,099 Speaker 2: so long and now have, you know, had to live 1454 01:22:43,140 --> 01:22:47,179 Speaker 2: in secret in this strange new world that they emerged into. Yeah. 1455 01:22:47,640 --> 01:22:50,820 Speaker 3: And then we see them decay rapidly, of course. So 1456 01:22:50,840 --> 01:22:53,660 Speaker 3: we go through, we get the dry oatmeal face, and 1457 01:22:53,700 --> 01:22:56,680 Speaker 3: then that turns into melting face. And we see their 1458 01:22:56,720 --> 01:22:59,900 Speaker 3: flesh liquefy and melt off, and finally just bones are 1459 01:22:59,939 --> 01:23:01,969 Speaker 3: left with a big fire poker sticking out of one 1460 01:23:01,979 --> 01:23:02,450 Speaker 3: of them. Yeah. 1461 01:23:02,610 --> 01:23:05,030 Speaker 2: They're turned to bones and ash on the floor. And 1462 01:23:05,070 --> 01:23:09,429 Speaker 2: then Shiraki and Kumi embrace. I guess teacher and student 1463 01:23:09,450 --> 01:23:11,350 Speaker 2: will now become married. I don't know. 1464 01:23:11,979 --> 01:23:15,439 Speaker 3: He doesn't say that. There's a lot of talk of 1465 01:23:15,479 --> 01:23:16,240 Speaker 3: that in the film. 1466 01:23:16,280 --> 01:23:19,390 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know how we're supposed to assume what 1467 01:23:19,430 --> 01:23:21,809 Speaker 2: this ending means for these two characters, but they've been 1468 01:23:21,830 --> 01:23:25,590 Speaker 2: through a lot. Certainly an experience like this could bring 1469 01:23:25,630 --> 01:23:27,430 Speaker 2: you closer together. I just, I don't know what the 1470 01:23:27,450 --> 01:23:30,410 Speaker 2: school's policies are in this sort of thing. There's probably 1471 01:23:30,450 --> 01:23:35,840 Speaker 2: a clause, like in case of encountering vampires, werewolves, or Frankensteins, 1472 01:23:36,740 --> 01:23:40,800 Speaker 2: you know, we'll give a pass. Student-teacher romances, I don't know. 1473 01:23:41,770 --> 01:23:43,510 Speaker 3: Is he still going to become the next principal? 1474 01:23:43,530 --> 01:23:47,050 Speaker 2: I don't know if he got that in writing. It's 1475 01:23:47,090 --> 01:23:49,590 Speaker 2: going to be a hard one to convince, right? To 1476 01:23:49,630 --> 01:23:54,490 Speaker 2: convince people on. So I'm not sure. I'm thinking maybe not. 1477 01:23:54,550 --> 01:23:57,450 Speaker 2: He might decide he really wants a different school for 1478 01:23:57,490 --> 01:23:58,690 Speaker 2: his next posting after all. 1479 01:23:59,390 --> 01:24:00,070 Speaker 3: Yeah. 1480 01:24:00,260 --> 01:24:01,910 Speaker 2: Though there are a number of openings. They also need 1481 01:24:01,939 --> 01:24:03,280 Speaker 2: a new French literature professor. 1482 01:24:03,920 --> 01:24:04,800 Speaker 3: Oh, that's true. Yeah. 1483 01:24:06,000 --> 01:24:09,519 Speaker 2: So yeah, that is Evil of Dracula. Again, just a 1484 01:24:09,800 --> 01:24:13,530 Speaker 2: rollicking good time. I loved it. The only, it just 1485 01:24:13,570 --> 01:24:16,050 Speaker 2: makes me, I mean, I'm happy that I still have 1486 01:24:16,550 --> 01:24:19,570 Speaker 2: two full Bloodthirsty Trilogy films to watch at some point, 1487 01:24:19,870 --> 01:24:22,050 Speaker 2: but I'm also kind of saddened because I kind of 1488 01:24:22,070 --> 01:24:24,990 Speaker 2: want there to be like a full Jayhammer universe in 1489 01:24:25,030 --> 01:24:28,220 Speaker 2: which we also get a Frankenstein film with this kind 1490 01:24:28,240 --> 01:24:31,180 Speaker 2: of flavor, a werewolf film with this kind of flavor 1491 01:24:31,240 --> 01:24:32,340 Speaker 2: and everything else as well. 1492 01:24:33,320 --> 01:24:34,080 Speaker 3: That would be great. 1493 01:24:34,220 --> 01:24:36,830 Speaker 2: Yeah. in the same way, you know, that we kind of, 1494 01:24:36,850 --> 01:24:38,670 Speaker 2: that we have like the whole sort of Nashy verse, 1495 01:24:38,890 --> 01:24:40,870 Speaker 2: you know, I really wanted it. I kind of wanted 1496 01:24:40,930 --> 01:24:43,070 Speaker 2: that here as well, but Hey, three films is still 1497 01:24:43,090 --> 01:24:44,750 Speaker 2: a blessing. So I'm happy that we got them. 1498 01:24:45,270 --> 01:24:48,330 Speaker 3: Okay. Well, do we have anything else on the horror, 1499 01:24:48,470 --> 01:24:51,250 Speaker 3: not horror of Dracula, evil of Dracula, horror of Dracula 1500 01:24:51,350 --> 01:24:52,750 Speaker 3: is a hammer. Yeah. Yeah. 1501 01:24:53,530 --> 01:24:55,730 Speaker 2: Uh, no, I think that does it. Uh, but again, 1502 01:24:55,760 --> 01:24:57,019 Speaker 2: this was a lot of fun. I'd love to hear 1503 01:24:57,070 --> 01:24:59,140 Speaker 2: anyone out there from anyone out there who has thoughts 1504 01:24:59,220 --> 01:25:02,540 Speaker 2: on this film, um, other films in the bloodthirsty trilogy, uh, 1505 01:25:02,810 --> 01:25:06,530 Speaker 2: or just other takes on the Hammer formula, if you will. 1506 01:25:07,150 --> 01:25:09,200 Speaker 2: Write in, love to hear from you. If anyone ever 1507 01:25:09,260 --> 01:25:12,460 Speaker 2: went to that Toho Theater in Hawaii, I definitely want 1508 01:25:12,500 --> 01:25:13,260 Speaker 2: to hear about that. 1509 01:25:13,280 --> 01:25:14,259 Speaker 3: Please. 1510 01:25:14,640 --> 01:25:17,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, and always feel free to write in with your 1511 01:25:17,240 --> 01:25:20,879 Speaker 2: recommendations for the future or comments on current and past 1512 01:25:21,000 --> 01:25:24,439 Speaker 2: episodes of Weird House Cinema, which publishes every Friday in 1513 01:25:24,460 --> 01:25:26,740 Speaker 2: the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast feed. We're normally 1514 01:25:26,780 --> 01:25:29,320 Speaker 2: a science and culture podcast, but on Fridays we said 1515 01:25:29,400 --> 01:25:31,410 Speaker 2: most of that aside and we just focused in on 1516 01:25:31,450 --> 01:25:34,120 Speaker 2: a weird movie. during the month of October. These are 1517 01:25:34,140 --> 01:25:36,740 Speaker 2: all going to be horror movies, of course. So stick 1518 01:25:36,780 --> 01:25:39,100 Speaker 2: with us. We've still got a couple of selections to 1519 01:25:39,140 --> 01:25:41,970 Speaker 2: go this month. And yeah, who knows? Sometimes we carry 1520 01:25:41,979 --> 01:25:43,660 Speaker 2: it over into the first week of November as well. 1521 01:25:43,700 --> 01:25:44,630 Speaker 2: We'll see how we feel. 1522 01:25:46,250 --> 01:25:49,970 Speaker 3: Huge thanks, as always, to our excellent audio producer, J.J. Posway. 1523 01:25:50,250 --> 01:25:51,570 Speaker 3: If you would like to get in touch with us 1524 01:25:51,610 --> 01:25:54,070 Speaker 3: with feedback on this episode or any other, to suggest 1525 01:25:54,150 --> 01:25:56,110 Speaker 3: a topic for the future, or just to say hello, 1526 01:25:56,170 --> 01:25:59,210 Speaker 3: you can email us at contact at stufftoblowyourmind.com. 1527 01:26:06,640 --> 01:26:09,080 Speaker 1: Stuff to Blow Your Mind is a production of iHeartRadio. 1528 01:26:09,439 --> 01:26:12,790 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app. Apple 1529 01:26:12,810 --> 01:26:15,150 Speaker 1: Podcasts are wherever you listen to your favorite shows.