Sigh's Mirai Kawashima Picks 5 Most Terrifying Japanese Horror Movies | Revolver

Sigh's Mirai Kawashima Picks 5 Most Terrifying Japanese Horror Movies

From rom-com torture flicks to the film that inspired a real-life serial killer
sigh-mirai-1-courtesyband-web-crop.jpeg, Sigh
Courtesy of Sigh

Revolver has teamed with Sigh for an exclusive "neon green with white splatter" vinyl variant of their 2001 album Imaginary Sonicscape. It's limited to 200 — get yours before they're gone!

Japanese black-metal crew Sigh have a long history of tapping into some dark and diverse influences to create their unique brand of experimental extreme metal.

To make their ambitious, genre-busting 1991 album Imaginary Sonicscape, bandleader Mirai Kawashima channeled some surprisingly far-out non-metal source material. Kawashima is also quick to hail the influence of his country's metal pioneers … as well as Japan's renowned horror-movie auteurs.

In the list below, which was originally provided to Revolver in 2008, Kawashima tells the stories behind what he considers to be the 5 most terrifying Japanese horror films.

Jigoku (Hell), 1960

This is a cult classic, and I must say, one of the most fucked-up movies ever made! In the movie's hell, people are skinned, some are dismembered and others forced to walk on needles for eternity.

Kyofu Kikei Ningen (Horrors of Malformed Men), 1969

This is crazy! I can't come up with any other word than crazy. It's so cheap and cheesy, but you gotta love this! Fucked-up storyline, lots of freaks ... and the extremely horrible ending!

Guinea Pig series, 1985 - 1990

Strange enough, but these are some of the most famous horror movies in Japan. The famous serial killer here, Tsutomu Miyazaki, who killed four little girls, was said to love the second film, Flower of Flesh and Blood, and it inspired him for his crimes. Definitely the first two — The Devil's Experiment and Flower of Flesh and Blood — are the best.

Audition, 1999

Probably the scariest movie by shock director Takashi Miike [13 Assassins, Ichi the Killer, Visitor Q]. The contrast between the romantic-comedy-like first half and the tortured-filled second one is brilliant. The first part is pretty much slow and dull, but towards the ending ... Even the bad acting of the female lead makes the movie better!

Dark Water, 2002

The original, Japanese version of this movie is dark, atmospheric, and scary — though it does have a stupid ending. Actually, I'd love to recommend the original short novel [of the same name by author Koji Suzuki] rather than the movie. It's available in English so I suggest you grab it straightaway!