The Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch

If there’s one thing horror nerds love it’s passing on their appreciation for the genre to the next generation…preferably their own kids.  But finding the right content for the right age can be a challenge (full disclosure: my children are quite well adjusted despite hearing a cacophony of screams at all hours coming from daddy’s basement).  Twisted family fare like Willy Wonka and Coraline are excellent barometers, but, if your kids are good readers, you don’t need to limit yourself to English speaking fare.  Making its home video debut outside of Japan, The Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch (1968) is full of creepy imagery, supernatural mysteries and one instance of shocking violence.   You know, for kids!

After growing up in an orphanage because of a clerical error, Sayuri is reunited with her birth parents and welcomed into their home.  But the fairy tale is just beginning.  Sayuri’s emotionally unstable mother has been hiding her other daughter, Tamimi, in the attic to disguise a reptilian deformity.  Meanwhile a literal white haired witch is plotting to return Sayrui back to the orphanage…or make her disappear forever!

 

Filmed with the sort of dream-logic more prevalent in experimental films, director Noriaki Yuasa lets his imagination rip in the adaptation of Kazuo Umezu pioneering manga.  Part Grimm fairy tale, part gothic mystery, part Scooby Doo, the story is told almost entirely from a child’s perspective, distorting the audience’s ability to distinguish fantasy from terrifying reality.  The fanged make-up used to accomplish Tamimi’s transformation, not to mention her voyeuristic tendencies, are the perfect nightmare fuel for kids of a certain age.  And the traditional fairy tale conceits of disbelieving parents and untrustworthy adults make The Snake Girl a relatable primer for more adventurous parents as well.

 

Arrow’s Blu-ray is wonderful looking from beginning to end, showcasing another fine addition to their growing Daiei library (fans of Gamera will recognize quite a few sound effects throughout).   Extras include a commentary track, hour-long interview with manga scholar Zack Davisson, trailer, image gallery, reversible sleeve and collector’s booklet.

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