Kowai- Chapter 15: Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975)

Welcome to the wide world of noir as Rashmi and Zach introduce the newest YBR Presents series: NOIR MONDIAL The duo inaugurate this new series studying film noir here and abroad with their first study unit, 'One Last Job'. As a starter they dig into one of film lands most beloved noir heists, John Huston's 150 classic, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE! Tune in today to hear them break down the film and how it influenced the wider world of both noir and film at large.

Zach and Rashmi conclude their journey through Japanese Horror Cinema with a leap forward in time to that terrifying new metal world as they deep dive Shinya Tsukamoto's 1989 cult classic, TETSUO: THE IRON MAN! Join them as they get lost in Shinya's whirlpool of madness and the many ways this cyber-punk terror piece has shaped the world of horror and cinema at large. PLUS: A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Zach and Rashmi learn how to get ahead (or two) in life as they unravel the 1975 whirlpool of madness that is Masahiro Shinoda's UNDER THE BLOSSOMING CHERRY TREES. Tune in to hear us pontificate about this dreamy-looking but terrifying horror tale!

Zach and Rashmi find themselves amid the haunted susuki grass as they settle in for an unnerving tale courtesy of Kaneto Shindō AS THEY UNPACK HIS 1964 opus, ONIBABA. Tune in to hear how Shindō and his independent filmmaking skills came to bring about a timeless horror classic.

Zach and Rashmi get invited to a spinster aunt's abode where terrifying and darkly hilarious things lurk as they take a deep and crazy dive into Nobuhiko Obayashi's 1977 horror hit, HOUSE. Tune in to learn how a surreal story from the imagination of Nobuhiko's daughter became an adored and legendary tale of terror whose impact is still being felt to this day!

Zach and Rashmi are on the highway to hell by way of Shintoho as they unravel the many layers and devilish sights of Nobuo Nakagawa's 1960 outing, JIGOKU Tune in to hear about the many ways this startling and stunning piece of horror cinema has captivated the worlds attention and how its impact is felt in cinema at large to this day.

Zach & Rashmi get Shakesperean on Kowai as they tackle a fog laden land of Madness and Mifune with Akira Kurosawa's 1957 masterclass, THRONE OF BLOOD. Tune in as the two extrapolate how Kurosawa lends a horror layer onto the familiar story of MacBeth and how it manages to prove itself a worthy entry into the canon of Japanese Horror. PLUS: Zach demands a portrait of Toshiro Mifune gloriously riding an elephant.

Zach and Rashmi get entranced to an upper class home only to find the fantasy is the trance of a long gone soul as they take a closer look at Kenji Mizoguchi's ghostly 1953 tale, UGETSU. Join them as they unpack the meticulous methodology of Mizoguchi and how his subtle hand at terrifying moments blend beautifully into this tragic tale.

Zach and Rashmi sift through an oft told tale under delicate and dread fueled care as they unpack Nobuo Nakagawa's 1959 chiller, TŌKAIDŌ YOTSUYA KAIDAN! Settle in to discover how Nakagawa handles adapting a century plus old kabuki play into a spine tingling tale of cinematic terror whose influence has echoed down the decades to this very day.

Zach and Rashmi hop aboard a ghost ship and set sail for for the terrors found within Hiroshi Matsuno's 1968 pulp shocker, THE LIVING SKELETON. Come aboard and listen to the duo as they unpack the film's high marks amid a low budget, dig deeper into the religious threads intertwined throughout, marvel at the many Western tropes of scares brilliantly achieved, and assess how this B- Picture makes them walk away feeling A+ satisfaction.