Original subtitles

Hello? Yes, it is.

What?

Yes, I will tell her right away.

It was the hospital, Madam. They say your husband is dead.

That's awful. It's what I just was dreaming about.

Mental Hospital

Father-in-law?

Death was the best thing that could happen to him.

At the very least he should be grateful his father nursed him to the end.

Even if it was behind bars.

Thank you for everything.

Oh, poor uncle!

Madam, I believe your husband tried to say something before passing away.

Sadly, I didn't understand him.

But he's been unable to speak for 6 months.

Last night, when I took his temperature,

I'm sure he was struggling to speak.

Unfortunately, at that very moment, he suffered another stroke.

He really tried to speak?

Yes.

- That's impossible. - No, it's the truth.

It can't be.

My son's illness was irreversible.

His brain was destroyed.

He could never come back.

I know, it's true. Yet, Madam...

Please, don't go on.

Let's prepare for the funeral rites. We're already late.

What was that?

A bone joint squeaked while stiffening. It happens, sometimes.

Could you open the coffin?

Do it, please!

- Yoshie...! - I beg you.

Yes. Open it.

Yoshie, stop this.

Excuse me, Mrs. Munakata.

I'm an attorney.

Your husband hired me.

I've the property deeds of the villa.

- The villa? - Yes.

He bought it a month before the incident took place.

No-one knew about it but me.

It's completely separate from the rest of his property.

Please take it.

HOUSE OF TERRORS

Planning: Sanehiko OKADA Screenplay: Hajime TAKAIWA

Shoei NISHIKAWA Sound: Kenzo INOUE

Music: Shunsuke KIKUCHI

Cast:

Ko NISHIMURA

Masumi HARUKAWA, Keiko UMI, Yukiko KUWAHARA, Yoko HAYAMA, Yuko KUSUNOKI

Shinjiro EHARA

Director: Hajime SATO

How odd...

What's wrong?

It won't open.

Who are you?

The guardian of this house.

The guardian?

At your service, Madam.

Tell me, did you used to work for my husband?

Lots of crows here. The park is full of them.

Do you live here alone?

It's the first time I've been here, and I'm a bit scared.

Which was my husband's bedroom?

No, wait.

Tell me what drove him crazy and how it happened.

I'm sure you saw.

You must tell me. I don't mind.

I saw him right here, with a corpse in his arms.

A woman's corpse.

Who is it? Who's there?

Downstairs. There are visitors.

It's us, dear.

What a house. It looks so grim.

No wonder it affected Yoshie so much.

That hunchback fits right in.

I'm sure I heard someone laugh.

You're saying it was a ghost?

Why would ghosts appear to you?

It would make more sense if they blamed me in fact.

At least, the ghosts of my unluckiest patients.

Right, Dr. Yamashita?

Yes.

It felt like... someone was staring at me.

Nonsense!

Let's stop this stupid conversation.

Madam, it could have been your imagination.

I imagined the crow, too?

Maybe not. But I want to show you something.

Here, please take a look.

The ceiling and walls aren't at right angles.

It's quite a common thing.

Over time, the framework and beams bend,

structural soundness notwithstanding,

so the whole building, little by little, shifts its balance.

This very often causes inexplicable squeaks and noises.

Not knowing the cause can drive you mad.

To give an example,

a family living in a distorted house went mad and died.

As a matter of fact, I came here

to find the cause of your husband's illness.

Just before his death he did come to his senses.

Generally, with this sort of psychosis

one never recovers the senses, as Dr. Munakata said.

Personally, I believe the explanation is to be found in this house.

In this house?

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you even more.

I warn you to take care.

You seem to be prone to self-suggestion

and are currently in a kind of hypnotic state.

- What's happening? - I don't know.

Look, what a weird statue.

It's as old as the villa from the looks of it.

Perhaps it symbolizes the owner of this house.

A crow's feather.

- Yoshie... - Yes?

Sit down. I need to talk to you.

Even as his father I didn't know Shinichi had bought a mansion like this.

He bought it just before the incident

and asked the lawyer to keep it as it was and nobody noticed.

I wanted a place like this.

It's good timing.

What?

The building is 3,000 sq. m set in 20,000 sq. m grounds

including mountains and forest.

I'm confident I can succeed socially and economically.

I've longed for such an opportunity.

A chance to free myself

from my unprofitable job in that hospital.

I'm sure I can still work like a young doctor.

It's getting very late.

Don't you want to hear the rest of it?

The rest...?

You see, my dear,

at the funeral an acquaintance thought you were my wife.

I lost my wife a long time ago, but I didn't feel bad when I heard that.

It put a spring in my step.

We could use this mansion as a foundation

and join forces.

It would be a good solution.

What are you doing?

Mopping the floor at this time of day?

Just by that horrible statue in the hall.

Very weird.

Like he was doing something painful but absolutely necessary.

Your uncle lived with a woman. His secretary?

Yes.

The hunchback must know if something happened between them.

Dr. Yamashita, you're leaving tomorrow?

Why?

I feel uneasy.

Like something terrible is going to happen.

- What's happening? - Aunt Yoshie!

- What happened? - Madam! Madam!

- Aunt Yoshie! - Yoshie! Who did this?

That laughter... that horrible laughter of his...

Whose laughter? You mean Shinichi?

- Ah, let me help you! - Kazuko!

It was him. I'm sure it was him!

- What...? - I'm sure.

- Who else could it have been? - Why would he do it?

I don't know.

But I think he wants us out of here.

He's doing all he can to scare us.

I fear that Shinichi really killed a girl in this accursed house.

Nonsense!

You really think your husband was a killer?

I'm sure that horrible laughter last night was him

Rubbish!

So, you think it was Shinichi's ghost?

What foolishness!

You said last night you were overwhelmed by a strong wind?

- Yes. - You imagined it.

No, a sudden strong wind came through the door, down the corridor.

The door at the end?

The one that suddenly opened by itself?

I tried, but couldn't open it.

Another trick of that damn hunchback!

I'm sure Shinichi was trying to warn me,

when he made that horrible noise at the morgue.

I already told you, it was a natural event.

No!

Even in my dreams,

when he was about to die, he tried to tell me something,

They called to say he died right after that dream.

Maybe he sought forgiveness for his scandalous and shameful life.

No! I'm certain it's as I see it.

It's not true that I imagine things.

It's absurd! Give me a break...

I'm starting to think that maybe it's not all her imagination.

- You mean you believe her? - No, it's not that.

Yet, her hand was wounded by something or someone.

If it was not by human hands can you explain it?

The crows...

It's all crow carcasses.

What's that?

An anti-aircraft post from the war.

Right.

I never thought I'd see war scars in a place like this.

There's some graves down there.

George, Judy, Irene...

Foreigners' graves?

Dog graves made by children.

- It won't open. - It certainly opened yesterday.

- Someone must have locked it. - Yes. Probably the hunchback.

Let's find him.

What? Who opened the door?

Was it you, Kazuko?

He called... Judy...

Who called?

A voice down there.

The basement.

The hunchback...

Wait!

Did you build the altar in the basement?

What are the dead crows?. Some sort of sacrifice?

Can you explain?

You won't answer?

Come on, speak! What are you going to do with us?

Hey! Answer me!

You know the secret of this house. Come on, you must tell us!

What is this? Where did you get it?

Did it belong to the woman who died here?

What are you doing?

Let him go! Don't hurt him, please!

Now, after what I saw, Madam, I am willing to believe you.

That crow had a white chrysanthemum in its beak,

like the one in Shinichi's mouth.

- What? - Coincidence?

- Maybe he wanted to give us a clue. - About what?

A warning, perhaps, not to come here.

I'm sorry. There are more visitors.

Oh! It's you.

I wanted to talk to you urgently, Madam.

In fact, my car had engine trouble half way through the journey,

luckily a sports car passed by that was coming this way.

A sports car?

Yes. Are you Dr. Yamashita?

- I am. - They're waiting for you outside.

And now, with your permission I'd like to introduce Miss Akemi Yokota.

Akiko! Good to see you.

I don't care.

Sorry. Dr. Munakata suddenly insisted on coming here.

You could've told me.

I apologize. Let's go inside, anyway.

No.

You're mad at me?

No, but... I don't really like this house.

- Was she Shinichi's mistress? - Yes.

About a year ago I was instrumental in separating her from your husband.

What does she want now?

Well, right before your husband's company went bankrupt,

your husband promised her some special bonuses.

She read of your husband's death in the papers,

so she came to claim the whole amount.

I'm very sorry.

How much money?

Two million.

Two million?

If he were alive, I'd be willing to wait.

Sadly, he's dead,

and I figured that if I didn't act I'd never see that money.

You need to leave now.

It was agreed between me and the lawyers.

There's no money.

My son's company is in other hands now.

Debts are all that's left.

Well, there's this villa, isn't there?

What was your father's answer?

Do you care?

Of course.

Dad agrees.

Really?

He even said you could become the hospital manager.

I'm very happy. Thank you.

But you have to get Professor Munakata to resign.

You think you can do that?

I know his past is anything but clean.

And I can prove it.

Kazuko's here, isn't she?

They say she's in love with you.

Do you love her?

What happened here?

A motorcycle ran into it.

The riders were killed.

Did you dig the three graves on the hill?

Do you know anyone called Judy?

I heard a man's voice calling her.

Twice already.

So long as you hear the voice, you will not be able to leave this house.

Wait!

Mr. Isobe, what do you think about this matter?

Well, I must admit it's a complex problem.

Anyway, I would like to read your son's will first.

A will? Where did you find it?

In a private safe-deposit box.

It also contained the property deed for this villa.

I missed it because it was inside another unmarked envelope.

According to the date, the deed was drawn up 9 months ago.

2 months before your son fell ill.

It says nothing about his company.

Papers shows that all his properties, except this villa, were mortgaged.

So what does all that mean in a nutshell?

I'll skip the rest then.

I'll only mention what concerns this house.

"My villa will belong to my father Keisuke,

"together with my beloved wife, Yoshie.

"So long as he becomes her tutor,

"supports her, takes responsibility for her well being."

So, the house belongs to me and Yoshie.

That's the gist of it, yes?

It is.

And now, one last thing.

When one of the owners dies, the other will get full ownership.

What about my two million, Mr Lawyer?

That's up to them.

Don't think about it. It's out of the question.

It's legally invalid anyway.

That's not true.

I'm very sorry, but there's nothing in writing.

So you're double-crossing me?

Well, we can discuss this elsewhere.

Discuss... How dare you.

I understand, so let's talk calmly.

I won't play their game.

If it happens I'll get the money from you.

Stop it.

Oh, it's you. When did you arrive?

Dr. Yamashita has something to say to you, Professor.

Does he? What is it?

May I ask you to leave, madam?

Why can't she stay?

- I think you're in trouble. - What do you mean?

Come on, we're wasting time.

I'm listening.

I've proof that during the Chinese war you vivisected some prisoners.

If you resign quietly from the hospital, I'll keep this matter a secret.

- This is blackmail! - Call it what you want!

I just want to know if you wish this to be kept a secret.

I did it out of conviction as a doctor.

My experiments were done to advance medical science!

- You really think that will work? - What?

Let's hope you can persuade the medical board.

It's a fact that today your methods are largely outdated.

As a psychiatrist, my evidence would be your denial of the divine spirit.

Divine spirit? What rubbish!

Overseas they think differently.

In some cases, they managed to use them to cure some particular neuroses.

You mean I can meet my son again?

If it's a real thing.

Indeed. But you will have to prove it.

I'm damned if the spirit world exists.

I believe it.

It's easy to believe this creepy house is haunted.

No matter how long we wait my dead son won't appear.

Forget this nonsense.

Wait a bit longer.

It's all nonsense. I'm going to bed.

Professor, I once read a book in which an English man spoke to a ghost.

They made words out of the sounds the table made and were able to talk.

Young lady, that's just silly fiction.

Dr. Yamashita I see you fell for the young lady's theories.

I was the one influenced by Dr. Yamashita.

Madam...

the table just moved.

Judy! Judy!

Kazuko!

Kazuko, are you okay?

Mr. Isobe?

What happened?

I won't stay in this creepy house anymore.

We tried to escape, but I couldn't open the door.

Suddenly a tremendous wind, like a tornado...

blew down the corridor and engulfed Akemi.

This house is haunted by an evil spirit.

- My husband? - No, he was its victim too.

So, whose spirit then?

No idea.

All I know is that the evil spirit took a girl called Judy

who lived here during the occupation.

And that spirit is still not satisfied.

Still not satisfied...?

There will be more victims.

Please tell me...

what kind of curses are within this house?

Judy and her parents were also victims of this curse.

Now we have another victim.

Please tell me...

what kind of curses are within this house?

There's no point in telling you anything.

Who is it?

You are possessed by a crow!

You're the devil's messenger!

Evil things haunt this house.

How do you know?

I know.

As I passed by the front of this house my guardian spirit told me loud and clear.

Can you tell us whose spirit dominates this house?

I'll have to undergo a deep mental concentration,

so it will be very dangerous to turn the lights on suddenly

or interrupt me with any questions.

Only when I have gone into a complete trance state

will you be allowed to ask questions.

- I see my husband's... - Quiet!

She's trying to talk.

Yoshie!... Yoshie!

Dr. Munakata?

Shinichi?

If we ask questions, will you answer?

Tell us about the girl, then, the one you brought here.

We want to know how she died.

In the... in the...

...fire!

In the fire? Was it an accident?

No, not an accident.

Suicide?

- No. - How did she die?

She was murdered!

Murdered? Who by?

I killed her. With my own hands!

Speak, then. How did you do it?

I set her on fire! She burned alive!

I soaked her body in gasoline.. then little by little put a candle to her...

Then I set her on fire... she was sizzling and burning.

She was screaming. And I threw more gasoline over her!

She wriggled like an eel while the fire ate her!

Slowly, slowly I grilled her body through the night.

Please stop!

Were you already mad when you did this?

Mad?

Was it because you were crazy?

Crazy?

You idiot, I've never been crazy!

Yoshie! Yoshie!

Yoshie!

Munakata, who did you really love?

Your wife or that girl you brought here?

Both.

It's true, I loved them both.

You weren't crazy because she died, were you?

Of course not!

We used to make love in a bed at the hospital.

And my father used to spy on us through a peephole.

That's not true!

Yoshie! You must beware of him!

It's a lie!

Can you tell us whose spirit is haunting this house?

Darling... What did you want to tell me?

Tell us which spirit is tied to you.

Darling, tell us!

Munakata!

Kazuko!

Who are you?

I am... Baron Tominaga.

Baron Tominaga?

My destiny is to kill everyone who sets foot in this house.

Why?

Do you really want to know?

It was near the end of the war and this crazy woman was my everything.

I left it all behind when I fell for her.

This woman was my obsession.

So beautiful...

But suddenly, one summer night...

I will kill... I will kill you both. I will curse the living forever.

You must die... You must die!

Brother...

Brother...

You will carry this curse for the rest of your life.

From that day, no-one who stepped into this house ever came out alive.

And none of you will be an exception.

Kazuko!

Hey, Dr. Yamashita...

It's the baron.

If we bury him, maybe he won't haunt us anymore.

What's that sound?

What happened?

A tree... fell... on me.

- Why can't you open it? - I don't know.

- Stay here. - What'll you do?

I'll go to the attic to find a way out.

- Be quick. - Lock the door.

Dr. Yamashita?

Where are you going?

I want to take a look.

You can't escape now.

Leave me alone!

No! Your body doesn't lie.

You'd come to the hospital and get into my son's bed.

Yet you knew he was crazy and had a mistress.

But you went anyway, because you liked it.

I know what kind of a woman you are.

It's not true!

It is true. I know. Shinichi's spirit spoke the truth.

Also, I saw you many times.

Yoshie...

Judy...

Go.

Go!

Go now!

Go...!

Kill that woman!

Brother... No.

Brother...

Brother!

Forgive me!

Don't go!

Stop it!

Judy...

Judy...

Judy...

Stop!

Don't go!

Judy...

Remember, so long as you live, you can never betray me.

The End