THIS SALE / CLEARANCE ITEM IS BEING SOLD AS-IS. IT IS NOT RETURNABLEVengeful ghosts returning from beyond the grave, young women with supernatural abilities, investigative narratives, a terror of technology, and an ominous aura of urban alienation and isolation mark the wave of horror and mystery films that emerged in Japan at the turn of the millennium, collectively labeled as J-Horror. Remastered from the best available elements and packed with a host of new and archival extras, J-Horror Rising presents seven of the genres most distinctive titles.In the ghostly pastoral horror of Shikoku, a young woman returns after many years to her rural birthplace, only to find her best friend from childhood has died by drowning when just sixteen. The dead girls mother, the local Shintoist priestess, has embarked on the regions famous pilgrimage but why is she walking backwards? The aftermath of the devasting Kobe Earthquake of 1995 creates fissures in the already fractured mind of a high-school girl in Isola: Multiple Personality Girl, allowing an unwelcome intruder to set up home in her head and leaving a volunteer worker with psychic powers to determine which of her personas is the fake one. Shikoku also provides the mystical backdrop to Inugami, as a teacher from Tokyo finds himself drawn to a local papermaker, only to find himself the subject of some hostility from her extended family, who have long ties to the region and are rumored to be the descendants of the guardians of ancient evil canine spirits.Megumi Okina (Ju-On: The Grudge) plays the art designer for a horror-themed videogame in the innovative St. Johns Wort, who is forced to confront her childhood traumas when her colleagues ask her to gather visual materials from the creepy gothic mansion she has inherited from her estranged artist father. Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman features the titular predatory murderess drawn from urban legend, where it turns out home isnt the safest place for her potential child victims in this disturbing supernatural horror. A new craze for wearing ceramic masks sweeps the students of a high school, unleashing a wave of anonymous juvenile delinquency amongst the literal fashion-victims of Persona, which boasts early appearances from Battle Royale stars Tatsuya Fujiwara and Chiaki Kuriyama. Last but not least, the chilling Noroi: The Curse adopts a pseudo-documentary format as an investigative reporter into paranormal phenomena is forced to confront horrors beyond his wildest imagination after learning about an ancient folkloric demon.SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTSHigh Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all seven filmsOriginal lossless 5.1 and lossless stereo sound options for Shikoku, Isola: Multiple Personality Girl, Inugami, St. Johns Wort, Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman and Noroi: The Curse, and original lossless stereo audio for PersonaOptional English subtitles for each filmReversible sleeves and slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Dare CreativeDISC ONE SHIKOKU / ISOLA: MULTIPLE PERSONALITY GIRLAudio commentary on Shikoku by Japanese cinema expert Tom MesAudio 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 millenniumSomething in the Water, an interview with Shikoku director Shunichi NagasakiArchive interviews with director Shunichi Nagasaki and actors Chiaki Kuriyama and Yui Natsukawa on ShikokuArchive interview with actors Yoshino Kimura and Yu Kurosawa on Isola: Multiple Personality GirlOn-set footage of the filming of ShikokuOriginal trailers and TV spots for both filmsImage galleriesDISC TWO INUGAMI / ST. JOHNS WORTAudio commentary on Inugami by Japanese cinema expert Jonathan ClementsAudio commentary on St. Johns Wort by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.Dog Days, a video interview with Inugami director Masato HaradaThe Making of St. Johns Wort, archival featuretteArchive interviews with St. Johns Wort actors Megumi Okina, Koichiro Saito, Reiko Matsuo and Koji OkuraOn-set behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of St. Johns WortOriginal trailers and TV spots for St. Johns WortImage galleries for both filmsDISC THREE CARVED: THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN / PERSONAAudio commentary on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese folklore expert Zack DavissonWhy So Serious?, an interview with Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman director Koji ShiraishiWeapon of Choice, a video essay on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay NelsonConfessions of a Mask, an interview with Persona director Takashi KomatsuImage galleries for both filmsDISC FOUR NOROI: THE CURSEAudio commentary by film critic Julian SingletonDirectors POV, a video interview with Noroi: The Curse director Koji ShiraishiThe Man in the Shadows, an interview with Noroi: The Curse producer Takashige IchiseChanging Perspective, a video essay on Noroi: The Curse by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay NelsonEctoplasmic Worms, a video essay on Noroi: The Curse and Japanese cosmic horror by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.How to Protect Yourself Against CursesUrgent report! Pursuing the Truth about Kagutaba!! TV SpecialOver half an hour of deleted scenesTrailers and TV spotsImage gallery