NOVA Horror Club Discussion: House AKA Hausu (1977)

NOTE: This is NOT a screening, please watch the movie before the discussion.

"I'm scared! It's like a horror movie!"
"That's out of date. Step aside. This is a karate movie!"

Nobuhiko Obayashi’s House is less a horror film than a psychedelic fever dream that happens to be haunted. When a group of schoolgirls visit a remote countryside house, logic quickly evaporates, replaced by floating heads, ravenous furniture, and a visual language that feels closer to a children’s cartoon than a traditional ghost story.

House was created in direct opposition to the prestige dramas and somber horror of its era, resulting in a cult classic that feels anarchic even today. Using crude visual effects, cartoon logic, and musical cues, the film creates horror through excess rather than restraint. It’s funny, disorienting, and utterly unique — a film that feels like it’s being invented moment by moment.

***