J-Horror Rising Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.0

J-Horror Rising Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 23, 2024

When a set like J-Horror Rising offers someone like the venerable Tom Mes freely detailing how at least some elements that combined to create what is commonly called J-Horror (at least vis a vis J-Horror as it's about to be defined, below) might be likened to American B movies or even direct to video or made for television efforts, there may be a bit of a subliminal warning to be gleaned, all of which is to say, perhaps expectations need to be reasonably set when approaching some and potentially all of the films in this set. Mes unabashedly lists Ringu (the original Japanese Ring film, for the uninitiated) as a defining J-Horror landmark, at least within the context of the films offered here, in that none of these films probably could be imagined and almost certainly wouldn't have been made without the influence of the celebrated Hideo Nakata outing. It's also salient to note that several of the films in this collection were first exhibited as the "down ticket" item on "double features", sometimes not so coincidentally under main attractions like Ringu 2 and/or Ringu 0. As Mes overtly mentions in his overview of J-Horror included in this set, the wake left by Ringu was wide, but it wasn't particularly deep, at least as evidenced by how quickly this particular "rage" ebbed, and so as such even the Rising part of the title of this collection might be slightly misleading, since as Mes describes, by the time these offerings came along, things may have already been fading.

Note: Those interested in this release may want to also check out Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories, from Radiance, which is streeting the same day as this collection.

Reviews of the films in this set can be accessed by clicking on the following links:

Shikoku Blu-ray review

Isola: Multiple Personality Girl Blu-ray review

Inugami Blu-ray review

St. John's Wort Blu-ray review

Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman Blu-ray review

Persona Blu-ray review

Noroi: The Curse Blu-ray review

J-Horror Rising Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

J-Horror Rising Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

J-Horror Rising Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements on each disc are detailed in the above linked reviews. This is another very handsomely packaged set from Arrow, with the slim keepcases all featuring reversible sleeves and enclosing collectible art cards. A really nicely appointed insert booklet contains a number of very interesting essays, along with a number of photos and the typical cast and crew and technical information. A double sided fold out poster is also included. Everything is housed in a nicely designed slipbox.

J-Horror Rising Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

None of the films in this set is probably going to strike viewers as an undiscovered masterpiece, but lovers of the Ringu films and their imitators may find some interest here. The real selling point to this set may frankly not be the films themselves, but the typically excellent supplements Arrow has assembled, which include some really well done commentaries and some informative interviews and other bonus features. The packaging and non disc supplements are very well done, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.