BOOTBOX004 | Region-Free (DVD)

Title: Midwinter Sacrifice (1946)

Alternate Title: Midvinterblot, The Sacrifice

Genre: Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Set in prehistoric Sweden, a pagan community performs a ritualistic human sacrifice during the midwinter season to appease the Norse gods. The film captures the solemnity and gravity of the ceremony, reflecting on themes of tradition, belief, and the human connection to nature.

---

Cast and Crew:

Director: Gösta Werner
Writer: Gösta Werner
Cast:

• Gunnar Björnstrand as Hövdingen
• Henrik Schildt as Offret
• Olof Widgren as Narrator (voice)
• Yngve Nordwall as Various

---

IMDb Link:
Midwinter Sacrifice (1946)

---

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Lexxx – ★★★★☆
   “Happy winter solstice 🙂 Celebrate by watching this gorgeous snowy slice of Swedish folk horror featuring a bloody b&w human sacrifice to appease the gods!!!!!”

2. Daniel – ★★★½
   “There aren’t exactly lots of Swedish folk horror films out there, so Midvinterblot scratches an itch even though it’s just a short film. This is a haunting mood piece detailing a ritual sacrifice in the snowy woods.”

3. Lencho of the Apes – ★★★½
   “Stunning, Nykvist-level photography in a film that wasn’t necessarily made with all the resources of the Swedish film industry. A bit like peak Bergman if Bergman were a death-metal dude. Folk horror, paganism…”

---

Meta Description:
“Midwinter Sacrifice” (1946), directed by Gösta Werner, is a Swedish drama short film depicting a pagan community’s ritualistic human sacrifice during midwinter in prehistoric Sweden, exploring themes of tradition and human connection to nature.

---

Title: Pig-Chicken Suicide (1981)

Alternate Title: Tonkei shinjû

Genre: Drama, Horror

Plot Synopsis: “Pig-Chicken Suicide” is a provocative film that combines intense imagery of animal slaughter, racial tension, and surrealism to narrate the tragic love story of two Koreans residing in Japan. Their relationship deteriorates under the weight of pervasive racial discrimination. The film employs explicit abattoir scenes and rich symbolism to highlight the struggles faced by ethnic Koreans in Japanese society. Central to the narrative is a butcher’s romantic involvement and his complex relationship with the animals he processes.

---

Cast and Crew:

Director: Yoshihiko Matsui

Writer: Yoshihiko Matsui

Cast:

• Naomi Hagio
• Takahiro Hattori
• Toshihiko Hino
• Remi Nakamachi

---

IMDb Link: Pig-Chicken Suicide (1981)

---

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. elías – ★★★★☆ “It’s difficult to interpret, and yet I feel as though I could understand what Matsui was going for.”

2. Nick N – ★★★½ “Bizarre, surreal, brutal, dripping with symbolism, and utterly incoherent. Matsui has a lot of amazing ideas here.”

3. Robert Berlin – No Rating “Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t track down English subtitles for this Japanese exploitation film.”

---

Meta Description: “Pig-Chicken Suicide” (1981), directed by Yoshihiko Matsui, is a Japanese drama-horror film that explores the harrowing experiences of two Koreans in Japan. Their love story unravels amidst intense racial discrimination, depicted through stark imagery and surreal storytelling.

---

Title: Newlywed Hell (1975)

Alternate Title: Niizuma Jigoku

Genre: Drama, Romance, Horror

Plot Synopsis:
Yuki, a young and beautiful bride, returns to her hometown after a traumatic marriage to an abusive older husband. While in town, she narrowly escapes the sexual advances of an old friend and accidentally witnesses a woman bound with rope through an open doorway. This encounter ignites a complex journey as Yuki delves into the world of submission and pleasure, exploring themes of trauma, desire, and self-discovery.

---

Cast and Crew:

Director: Akira Katō
Writers: Keiji Kubota (Screenplay), Oniroku Dan (Story)
Cast:

• Naomi Tani as Yuki
• Terumi Azuma as Natsuko
• Hiroshi Gojo as Aizawa
• Kunio Shimizu as Shigeo Ōtsuki
• Gō Awazu as Tōru Yashiro

---

IMDb Link:
Newlywed Hell (1975)

---

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Bloodspiller – ★★★½
   “My second Naomi Tani film this week, she’s been a great recent discovery. She stars here in yet another pinku film involving bondage and light slave play…”

2. Dakota Noot – ★★★★★
   “What if Mario Bava’s ‘The Whip and the Body’ lost the gothic, but gained Naomi Tani? She navigates the blurred lines for a bottom between past trauma, fantasy, and guilt. It’s tragic and poetic…”

---

Meta Description:
“Newlywed Hell” (1975), directed by Akira Katō, is a Japanese drama exploring Yuki’s journey into the world of submission and pleasure after a traumatic marriage, featuring Naomi Tani in a compelling role.