Category: Movies

Welcome to this Week’s Installment of Short Horror Film Friday featuring BAKEMONO by  by Sumire Takamatsu and Jorge Lucas who Wrote as well as Directed the Film.

What I found Interesting is the Evil Spirits in BAKEMONO are in fact Based on Hungry Ghosts.Hungry Ghosts is a Concept in Chinese Buddhism, Chinese Traditional Religion, Vietnamese Buddhism, Vietnamese Traditional Religion, Japanese Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism, Representing Beings Who are Driven by Intense Emotional needs in an Animalistic Way. Since the Family in the Film is Japanese I’m going to quickly Touch on Hungry Ghosts in Japanese Buddhism.

In Japanese Buddhism, Hungry Ghosts are considered to have Two Variants: the Gaki and the Jikininki. Gaki are the Spirits of Jealous or Greedy People, Who as Punishment for Their Mortal Vices. The Gaki have been Curses with an Insatiable Undying Hunger for a Particular Substance or a Specific Object. Traditionally, this is Something Revolting or Humiliating like Decaying Human Corpses or Feces, but in Recent Years it can Virtually be Anything No Matter how Bizarre it may be. Meanwhile Jikininki (People Eating Ghosts) are the Spirits of Greedy, Selfish or Impious Individuals who are Cursed After Death to seek out and Eat Human Corpses. They Feed at Night Scavenging for Recently Deceased Human Bodies, and the Food Offerings Left for the Dead. Jikininki Lament Their Curse and Hate Their Vile Craving for Feasting on the Flesh of the Dead.

Plot Summery: The Date is February 3rd, known in Japan as Setsubun, and is Supposed to be the Celebration of the Beginning of Spring. Families Celebrate by Casting out Evil Spirits from Their Homes.  Although at Ayumi’s House things have become so stressful You could Cut the Tension with a Knife. This is Due to Rebellious Ayumi who once again like so many Children is Refusing to Finish Her Dinner. In an Attempt to Remedy the Problem Ayumi’s Mother Tries to Scare Her into Compliance with a Terrifying Tale. As the Story goes if Ayumi Doesn’t Finish Her Dinner then an Evil Spirit will Enter the House and Eat it instead, But Ayumi is not Convinced that All Spirits are Evil. So Ayumi decides to test Her assumption by Inviting One in for a Midnight Snack, and Learns You should Never Feed a Hungry Ghost the Hard Way.

Enjoy.

CAST:

• Ayumi – Claudia Fabella
• Oka-san – Shio Muramatsu
• Oto-san – Daisuke Suzuki
• Bakemono – Sherry Q, Erin Yuqi Yang

Thanks For Watching,

   Presented By Les Sober