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(aka "Edogawa Rampo Ryōkikan: Yaneura no Sanposha" or "Watcher in the Attic" or "The Stroller in the Attic" or "The Watcher in the Attic")
Directed by Noboru Tanaka
Japan 1976
A perverted loner roams the rafters of a boarding house in 1920s Tokyo in Watcher in the Attic, directed by one of the Nikkatsu‘s top Roman Porno filmmaking talents, Noboru Tanaka, peeping on the unusual sexual antics of its residents in this dreamlike tale of voyeurism, obsession and murder drawn from the “erotic grotesque” literature of Japan’s foremost master of mystery and the macabre, Edogawa Rampo. *** In 1923 Tokyo, Saburo Gōda (Renji Ishibashi), a reclusive tenant, moves into a dilapidated boarding house run by Lady Minako (Junko Miyashita), a seductive widow. Obsessed with voyeurism, Gōda drills peepholes in the attic, spying on the house’s eccentric resident - a priest with perverse confessions, a woman with a pet monkey, a man hiding inside furniture. One night, he watches Minako strangle her clown lover during sex, aware of his gaze. Aroused and enthralled, Gōda sees her as a kindred spirit. Their twisted connection deepens when he drops poison through the ceiling to kill the priest, sparking a mutual murder game. As their bond grows, the Great Kantō earthquake strikes, crushing them mid-passion in the attic. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: June 12th, 1976
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Review:
88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-rayBox Cover |
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Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray | |
Runtime | 1:16:30.002 | |
Video |
2.45 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 28,312,301,744 bytesFeature: 23,818,690,560 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
LPCM Audio
Japanese 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit |
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Subtitles | English, None | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: 88 Films
2.45 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 28,312,301,744 bytesFeature: 23,818,690,560 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • Audio Commentary By Jasper Sharp & Amber T. • Who’s Watching Who? Hisayasu Sato On Watcher In The Attic (8:52) • Stills Gallery (1:37) • Trailer (2:43)
Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 9 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
NOTE: We have added 82 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
88 Films use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the
original Japanese language. Watcher in the Attic
has few modestly aggressive moments - poisoning and a quite suffocation
with a more intense earthquake climax. The sparse and eclectic score was
by Jiro Sarashina - sometimes credited as Jiro Sarashina or Sarashina
Jiro in Japanese sources. His full bio is thin. The contribution is a
subtle, atmospheric gem that enhances the film’s unsettling vibe -
identifying it is
Edogawa Rampo and amplifying the ero-guro. There are traditional
Japanese tones and minimalist ambiance, fitting the film’s 1923 Taishō-era
Tokyo setting. The audio is clear and clean in the uncompressed
transfer. 88 Films offer optional English subtitles on
their Region 'B'-locked
Blu-ray.
The 88 Films
Blu-ray
Noboru Tanaka's Watcher in the Attic
is a twisted, voyeuristic tale set in 1923 Tokyo, based on a story by
Edogawa Rampo,
Japan’s master of ero-guro (erotic grotesque) - see our reviews of
Rampo Noir,
Horrors Of Malformed Men,
Blind Beast, and
Blind Woman's Curse. Junko Miyashita (celebrated career as the "Queen
of Nikkatsu Roman Porno" launched by
Apartment Wife: Affair
in the Afternoon) stars as Lady Minako, a bored, wealthy widow
running a run-down boarding house filled with oddballs - a priest with a
confession fetish, a woman into bestiality, and a chauffeur hiding in a
chair to feel Minako sit on him. Renji Ishibashi (Shohei Imamura's
Profound Desire of the Gods and over 200 Japanese film and TV
credits) plays Saburo Gōda, a tenant who crawls through the attic,
spying on everyone through peepholes he's drilled. One day, he catches
Minako strangling a clown lover mid-cunnilingus, knowing he’s watching.
This flips a switch - Gōda’s smitten, convinced she’s his soulmate. He
ups the ante, poisoning a priest through the ceiling, sparking a
grotesque murder spree between them. The boarding house, run by Lady
Minako is a crumbling relic of Taishō opulence - tatami mats, sliding
doors, and ornate furniture - all filmed in tight, claustrophobic frames
that trap you with the weirdos inside. While not rife with nudity - the
perversion is on full tilt. I preferred Watcher in the Attic
to the more graphic, envelope-pushing,
Assault! Jack the Ripper.
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Menus / Extras
88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
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Box Cover |
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Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
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