Rejoice, J-horror fans – Kōji Shiraishi’s found-footage nightmare Noroi: The Curse has finally been given the physical media treatment as part of Arrow’s new J-Horror Rising boxset, available to pre-order now for an October 28 release.
The boxset also includes a whole host of overlooked J-horror from the era’s boom in the late 90s and early 2000s, including Shunichi Nagasaki’s Shikoku (1999), Takashi Komatsu’s Persona (2000), Toshiyuki Mizutani’s Isola (2000), Ten Shimoyama’s St. John’s Wort (2001), Masato Harada’s Inugami (2002) as well as another Shiraishi offering, Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (2007).
Long (legally) inaccessible to overseas horror fans before being picked up by Shudder in 2020, Noroi: The Curse is considered by many to one of the scariest found-footage movies of all time due to its slow-burn pace and folk horror themes.
Noroi: The Curse stars Jin Muraki, Rio Kanno (Dark Water) and Marika Matsumoto (Reincarnation), and follows:
A prominent paranormal journalist named Kobayashi goes missing shortly after completing a documentary. What begins as an investigation into strange noises soon evolves into the chilling mystery of a demonic entity named Kagutaba.
As mentioned, the J-Horror Rising boxset – co-produced by Japanese horror scholar Jasper Sharp and Generation Terror director Sarah Appleton, both of whom are co-directors of The J-Horror Virus– contains plenty of hidden gems that have long been unavailable outside of Japan. Here’s what the boxset boasts in terms of special features:
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all seven films
- Original lossless 5.1 and lossless stereo sound options for Shikoku, Isola: Multiple Personality Girl, Inugami, St. John’s Wort, Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman and Noroi: The Curse, and original lossless stereo audio for Persona
- Optional English subtitles for each film
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Eugene Thacker, Jasper Sharp, Anton Bitel, Amber T., Mark Player, Jim Harper and Sarah Appleton
- Double-sided foldout poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by John Conlon
- Limited Edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by John Conlon
DISC ONE: SHIKOKU / ISOLA: MULTIPLE PERSONALITY GIRL
- Brand new audio commentary on Shikoku by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes
- Brand new audio commentary on Isola: Multiple Personality Girl by critics and Japanese cinema experts Jasper Sharp and Amber T.
- The Aftermath, Tom Mes discusses J-Horror at the turn of the millennium
- Something in the Water, a brand new interview with Shikoku director Shunichi Nagasaki
- Archive interviews with director Shunichi Nagasaki and actors Chiaki Kuriyama and Yui Natsukawa on Shikoku
- Archive interview with actors Yoshino Kimura and Yu Kurosawa on Isola: Multiple Personality Girl
- On-set footage of the filming of Shikoku
- Original trailers and TV spots for both films
- Image galleries
DISC TWO: INUGAMI / ST. JOHN’S WORT
- Brand new audio commentary on Inugami by Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements
- Brand new audio commentary on St. John’s Wort by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.
- Dog Days, brand new video interview with Inugami director Masato Harada
- The Making of St. John’s Wort, archival featurette
- Archive interviews with St. John’s Wort actors Megumi Okina, Koichiro Saito, Reiko Matsuo and Koji Okura
- On-set behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of St. John’s Wort
- Original trailers and TV spots for St. John’s Wort
- Image galleries for both films
DISC THREE: CARVED: THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN / PERSONA
- Brand new audio commentary on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese folklore expert Zack Davisson
- Why So Serious?, a brand new interview with Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman director Koji Shiraishi
- Weapon of Choice, a brand new video essay on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay Nelson
- Confessions of a Mask, a brand new interview with Persona director Takashi Komatsu
- Image galleries for both films
DISC FOUR: NOROI: THE CURSE
- Brand new audio commentary by film critic Julian Singleton
- Director’s POV, a brand new video interview with Noroi: The Curse director Koji Shiraishi
- The Man in the Shadows, a brand new interview with Noroi: The Curse producer Taka Ichise
- Changing Perspective, a brand new video essay on Noroi: The Curse by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay Nelson
- Ectoplasmic Worms, a brand new video essay on Noroi: The Curse and Japanese cosmic horror by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.
- How to Protect Yourself Against Curses
- Urgent report! Pursuing the Truth about Kagutaba!! TV Special
- Over half an hour of deleted scenes
- Trailers and TV spots
- Image gallery
