Original Japanese Title Kyûketsu-ga [Moth Vampire]

Director: Nobuo Nakagawa
starring Ryô Ikebe, Kôsuke Kindaichi, Asami Kuji, Ichirô Arishima, Akio Kobori

   

This relatively obscure black-n-white horror/thriller was produced by Toho Studios in 1956, directed by Nobuo Nakagawa. He was one of the most successful directors of Japan's early horror genre, responsible for a string of classic thrillers. This one holds an interesting distinction as - perhaps - the first semblance of what would become Internationally known as a Giallo. It's the story of a black clad killer who stalks a dancer working at a risqué cabaret. There's plenty of suspense and tension plus snippets of nudity that would have been daring for the era.

Nobuo Nakagawa was generally considered the Master of the Japanese thriller, often called the Nippon Hitchcock. His films appealed to both the high and lowbrow audiences. Nakagawa was never reluctant to use buckets of blood nor gratuitous sexual situations, but his films could also be appreciated as two dimensional psychological thrillers. He is best known for NEW GHOST STORY OF YOTSUYA, SNAKE WOMAN'S CURSE, LADY VAMPIRE, GHOST CAT MANSION, THE GHOST STORY OF KASANE SWAMP and his controversial masterpiece HELL. After helming 100 films, Mr Nakagawa died from a stroke in 1984 at age 79.