The Tragedy in the Devil-Mask Village

1978 1h 28m JA

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 2

Mystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Tarao’s services are called upon to solve the mysterious death of bride-to-be, Mariko, who was found dead with an eerie mask of a devil.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Akira Kobayashi
Bannai Tarao
Keiko Suzuka
Chihiro Amamiya
Noboru Matsuhashi
Toru Hinata
Sanae Kitabayashi
Utae
Takako Kitagawa
Kiyo
Eiko Harada
Akemi Mizunuma
Hiroshi Hijikata
Hakoda
Masataka Naruse
Masahiko Sugiyama

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Writers: Yoshitake Hisa, Masahiro Kakefuda
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

48 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Tarao Bannai Remake Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, shot by Tetsuya Desaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hajime Kaburagi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Fumio Soda shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Akira Kobayashi and Keiko Suzuka and Noboru Matsuhashi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0358193 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kazuhiko Yamaguchi directs. Tetsuya Desaki behind the camera. Hajime Kaburagi scores. Fumio Soda cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
248 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Tarao Bannai Remake Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, shot by Tetsuya Desaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Hajime Kaburagi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Fumio Soda shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Akira Kobayashi and Keiko Suzuka and Noboru Matsuhashi carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0358193 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.