Anyone
who knows classic Japanese cinema knows there was more to fear during the Edo era
than ronin and ninja. There were also Kwaidan-style ghosts and so-called
Onibaba demon-hags. A ronin bent on avenging his shogun master will face
the latter as the first challenge of his quest in puppetry-filmmaker Kevin
McTurk’s wildly cool short film The Haunted Swordsman, which screens
during the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
Technically,
the squared jawed samurai failed his lord. That is why he is now a ronin.
However, it is hard to blame him, given the powers of the demonic monster that
consumed the shogun. The ronin has pledged to avenge him, but he realizes he
will need some powerful help, most likely of a supernatural nature, to get the
job done. Fortunately, he has a decapitated death’s head that will serve as his
reluctant “Navigator” of the spirit-haunted regions. We had better listen to
him, because his voice is supplied (quite eerily) by the great James Hong (and
Christopher Lloyd provides the sinister speech of one of the truly monstrous
figures).
We
can’t wait to see a full feature from McTurk, because Haunted Swordsman and
his previous film, The Mill at Calder’s End are two of the most amazing
genre shorts we have ever seen. Even beyond the puppetry, which puts most live
action filmmaking to shame, the attention to detail lavished on the sets and
costumes is quite extraordinary. You can see real world-building in Swordsman.
Perhaps the greatest endorsement is the imprimatur of Lisa and Heather Henson
(as in the Henson Company) serving as executive producers. They would know
puppetry world-better than anyone.
Ironically,
Haunted Swordsman starts with actual cliff-hanging and ends in a bit of
a cliff-hanger. Instead of facing his nemesis, the Swordsman only completes the
first encounter in what will probably be a long and perilous campaign. It sure
looks like a proof of concept film, so consider the concept proved.
To reiterate, we are eager to see a full feature film from McTurk and Haunted Swordsman would be the perfect vehicle for him to revise and extend. Regardless, the 17-minute film is so wildly macabre and technically accomplished, genre fans should see it now, even though it will leave them hungrily wanting more. Vey highly recommended, The Haunted Swordsman had its New York City premiere at this year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
To reiterate, we are eager to see a full feature film from McTurk and Haunted Swordsman would be the perfect vehicle for him to revise and extend. Regardless, the 17-minute film is so wildly macabre and technically accomplished, genre fans should see it now, even though it will leave them hungrily wanting more. Vey highly recommended, The Haunted Swordsman had its New York City premiere at this year’s Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
