The Inugami Family — The Inugami Family( Blu Ray)
From the late 1970’s, The Inugami Family is a largely engaging, if overlong, mix of murder mystery & family drama, with some memorable murders, as well as light touches of both gothic horror, quirkiness, and charm. It concerns the will of a pharmaceutical tycoon, and what lengths his family will go to get their hands on his fortune- with double crossings, deceit, and murder. Here from Radiance- both in the UK & stateside- is a Blu-ray release of the film, featuring a 4k scan and a mix of new/ archive extras
The Inugami Family ( Inugami-Ke No Ichizoku) is from the year 1976 and is set in/ around a lakeside town. The film was directed by Mie Japan-born Kon Ichikawa- his career dated from the mid-1930s to the early 2000s, with an impressive eighty features to his name. These take in the likes of screwball/ erotic comedy The Woman Who Touched The Legs (1952), sports doc Tokyo Olympiad (1965), period satire I Am a Cat ( 1975) crime drama Kôfuku (1981), sci-fi adventure Princess from the Moon ( 1987), and mystery The 8-Tomb Village (1996).
The film centres on the manga/novel-based detective Kindaichi Kōsuke, who is a decidedly scruffy, quirky, yet energetic fellow; think a younger, matted-haired Japanese take on Columbo.
The two-hour-and-twenty-six-minute film begins with pre-credits showing the grey-skinned, bushy-eye browned, & goatee-sporting pharmaceutical tycoon Inugami Sahei (Mikuni Rentaro) on his deathbed. He’s surrounded by key members of his large family, as well as a moustached, receding-hairline lawyer, Furudate (Eitarō Ozawa)- who reveals that the will cannot be read until all the living family members are present.
As we get into the film, detective Kōsuke (Kôji Ishizaka) turns up in the small town- we find out he’s been called by Mr Wakabayashi (Hajime Nishio), the only other person with access to the will, as he feels something amiss.
Just as the detective is settling in, one attempted murder and one murder occur- with Mr Wakabayashi being killed by a poisoned cigarette…..so has a lot to investigate.
As the film unfolds, seemingly the final family member, Sukekiyo, turns up- he’s wearing a tight rubber mask- apparently due to disfigurement in the war… though the rest of the family are very suspicious. Then the will is read, with most of the estate being left to a non-family member… and things get rowdy.
The Killings feature several tobacco poisonings, a decapitation, two stranglings- one with an instrument string & the other with a rope- and an axe to the head: some of the murders dip more into the horror side of things with impressive enough practical effects.
The film has a fairly large supporting cast, and to be honest, at points I did lose track of who was who. Both Ishizaka and Ozawa are great in their roles- the former is wonderful as the shambling/ odd detective with his matted, dandruff-heavy hair. And the latter as the decidedly awkward/ on edge lawyer.
The main issue/ problem here is the films near two-and-a-half runtime- and really, it could easily have been cut down, as there are far too many dialogue scenes, which either repeat facts we’re aware of or add unneeded details.
For the most part, I found The Inugami Family an entertaining mix of mystery, sly humour, and horror- it just is really the runtime that pulls it down and will put some off.
Moving on to the new release, and the 4 K certainly looks lovely- full of crisp and well-defined colours. The dialogue and music mix is well realised, with easy-to-read English subtitles.
The only new extra on the disc is an interview with film historian Aaron Gerow (23.12). He begins by talking about how the film was a new marker in Japanese cinema- it was the first film released by Kadokawa Production Company, which became a major player in Japanese cinema. We find out the film had huge advertising coverage, going on to be the number two film at the box office that year. He touches on where director Kon Ichikawa career was at the point of making the picture. We find out the director was a huge mystery fan, and how he appears in the film as the owner of the hotel. He touches on the difference between the novel & the film, and more. A most interesting/ informative interview.
On the archive side, there is the following: The Secrets of Kon Ichikawa's Visual Style (44.06) interview with the director. Off Shots – The Day of Filming “The Secrets of Kon Ichikawa’s Visual Style (8.25) outtakes from Kon Ichikawa interview. Verification: How The Inugami Family Was Made (30.04) making-of documentary, featuring interviews with director Kon Ichikawa, star Koji Ishizaka and editor Chizuko Osada. The Birth of Kosuke Kindaichi (15.48) interview with actor Koji Ishizaka. The Path of the 4K Digital Restoration (11.31).
The release comes with a forty-page inlay booklet; this includes full cast and crew listings. Two new articles: Seeing Through Tamayo’s Eyes by Midori Suiren, and Haunted Houses And The Rediscovery Of Japa by Akihiko Ito. Transfer notes/ credits, a good selection of stills/ other imagery.
If you enjoy a good mystery, The Inugami Family is most certainly something you'll need to see- just go in ready for its length. This Radiance release serves up a great 4k scan and a worthy selection of extras.