Honestly this looks more like a release and transfer that, the now defunct, HomeVision would have been allocated. It is not as pristine as we have seen from some top-shelf Criterion releases - there is heavy digital/noise-grain but overall looks acceptably impressive with deep penetrating blacks. The transfer is fairly dark but I see no undo signs of black level boosting. It is progressive, of course, and anamorphic in Shintohoscope 2.35:1 ratio. The 1.0 channel audio has a shade of background hiss at times - almost imperceptible if you weren't looking for it. Subtitles are at Criterion's usual high standard.

Extras include an informative 40 minute documentary - Building the Inferno -  where people give their impression of the unassuming Nakagawa and discuss the genre-breaking uniqueness of Jigoku. It is also interesting to hear Kiyoshi Kurosawa's input on the film. There is also a gallery of amusing/campy posters, a theatrical trailer and an excellent 14-page long liner notes booklet featuring an essay by Chuck Stephens.

The film? - well, 'creepy' is probably the operative word. Shintoho was considered quite the decadent exploitation production company of films in Japan, but this is a far step above any of that. I didn't assume this was my type of film at all but I began to really get into it as it progressed. The bluesy background music certainly helps with the mood. There definitely is something to it and those at all keen on the current Asian-horror trend should see this - the granddaddy of them all.

Gary W. Tooze