‘I’d like the blood of some growing young ones as well.’
An ancient Babylonian demon is revived by tomb robbers and takes immediate revenge. Flying to a nearby fishing village, he kills the local magistrate, assumes his identity and begins a reign of terror to satisfy his bloodlust. However, he soon comes into conflict with a group of local ghosts…
An indirect sequel to ‘Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters/Yôkai hyaku monogatari’ (1968) from returning screenwriter Tetsurô Yoshida. However, only the ghosts return from the first film, and the intention is for a far more fantastical approach with the target seemingly being a more juvenile audience.
In a striking opening sequence, grave robbers dig around giant statues on a barren hillside. Unfortunately for them, their activities awake a Daimon (Chikara Hashimoto) who isn’t shy about laying down the hurt on anyone presumptuous enough to disturb his slumbers. At first glance, this lethal leftover from Babylonia might appear to be little more than a fairly ridiculous birdman. However, he boasts an impressive set of choppers which he’ll be pleased to introduce to you at the slightest provocation. Yes, he’s got a severe ‘Dracula’ complex.
The shoot for the new album cover was a roaring success.
Checking in at a small, coastal village, he fangs local magistrate Takashi Kanda (returning from the first film in a different role) and assumes his identity. Anxious not to cause suspicions when he gets to Kanda’s home, he tears down all the religious icons and kills the family dog. Subtle he’s not. His behaviour dismays daughter Chei (Akane Kawasaki) and loyal young retainer Shinhachiro (Yoshihiko Aoyama) but, worse still, it awakens water imp Gen Kuroki, who’s trying to catch 40 winks at the bottom of the family pond.
Kuroki runs off to talk to his friends, the Yokai Monsters, which include the umbrella puppet and the long-necked woman (Ikuko Môri) as well as others familiar from the first film. At first, they don’t believe him, but they give it some more thought after two young children stumble into their graveyard. The magistrate’s men are chasing these kids because Hashimoto has expressed a need for youthful blood. Unfortunately, for the thugs, their rowdy behaviour doesn’t sit well with the monsters who decide it’s time to take sides.
The re-imagining of ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon’ had proved controversial with fans…
If there was one obvious flaw with the first film in this short series, it was that the apparitions appeared too late in the proceedings. It was a pity because their bizarre designs and practical costumes were its defining feature. So it must have made sense to place them front and centre in this follow-up, but that proves to be a mistake too. Considering the full-body get-up involved, it must have been close to impossible for the performers to imbue any of the spirits with any significant personality. The only real exception is the deliciously sinister Môri, but that’s because her face is exposed. The human characters aren’t much help with audience engagement, either, being almost wholly sidelined early on. Ultimately, the film just becomes a series of magical face-offs between Hashimoto and the ghosts.
Director Yoshiyuki Kuroda replicates some of the trippy visual style of the first film but, with far more emphasis on these kinds of unusual images, events soon become extremely repetitious and lack any significant impact. There’s more of a comedic element too, with Kuroki as a tiresome fall guy and, despite some imaginative moments, proceedings soon start to drag quite badly.
The recent rainstorms had left a lot of work in the garden…
Writer Yoshida worked on several films in the series about Zaotoci, the blind swordsman and penned all three parts of the ‘Dajamin’ trilogy, which was probably not too taxing, considering that all three pretty much told the exact same story. He also wrote ‘Journey with Ghost Along Yokaido Road’ (1969) which was officially the final outing for the ‘Yokai Monsters’ even if the key apparitions from the first two films are strangely absent from its running time.
A fantasy horror that starts with bags of style but soon becomes bogged down in a rather tedious plot. There are some moments of genuine creativity, but their potential is never fully realised.
Mark David Welsh 