The
Happiness Of The Katakuris (2001/Arrow Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B-/C Sound: B-/C Extras: A Film: C+
The
all the Katakuri family wants to do is run their peaceful B&B Inn
at the base of Mt. Fuji, but all their guests seem to only be
psychopaths and end up dead. In order to not tarnish their inn's
reputation they end up burying and hiding the bodies in the mountain
in Takashi Miike's The Happiness Of The Katakuris (2001).
The
Katakuri family can hardly stand each other, much less live under one
roof, they have an ex con uncle, a single mother who is trying to
find the next Mr. Right and they all want to get out of the house,
but the patriarch of the family insists they all remain together and
all their happiness can be found at the inn. After a series of weird
circumstantial 'deaths' and cover ups, they literally have skeletons
in the closet, and it becomes a relief when they finally get 'normal'
customers.
Could
be hell, could be heaven. This was a comical/macabre Japanese
musical, sort of like the Little 'Pet' Shop of Horrors. At times
they even use clay animation to animate the various weird deaths. As
the audience you know it's about a dis-functional family as them try
to keep their family together and after a few secrets/deaths, that
always brings the family together.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image is pretty good on the
Blu-ray version with usually good color, death & detail, while
the PCM 2.0 Stereo is as clean and clear as this soundtrack is going
to get. The anamorphically enhanced DVD with lossy Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo is comparatively soft and weak throughout and no match for the
Blu-ray. Extras include commentary, interviews, making of the film,
booklet and trailers.
-
Ricky Chiang
