The late Japanese director Nobuo Nakagawa – whose horror films in the ’50s and ’60s laid the groundwork for later movies like RING and JU-ON – will be honored at next year’s Future Film Festival in Venice. Nakagawa’s works include GHOST STORY OF YOTSUYA (based on a classic legend), GHOST CAT MANSION, GHOST STORY OF KASANE SWAMP, SNAKE WOMAN’S CURSE, and the classic JIGOKU – one of the most amazing horror films ever made.
It is hard to overestimate Nakagawa’s influence. On the DVD bonus features for JIGOKU, director Kiyoshi Kurosaw (KAIRO) states that, when he teaches film classes, he avoids showing Nakagawa’s works because he doesn’t want his students to realize how much he owes to Nakagawa.
Also to be honored at the festival is Disney animator Ub Iwerks.