A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse

Director - Kazuhiko Yamaguchi (Wolf Guy, Sister Street Fighter)

Starring - Naomi Tani (Flower and Snake, Skin of Roses), Misa Ohara (13 Steps of Maki: The Young Aristocrats), and Taiji Tonoyama (River of Fireflies, Tokyo Pop)

Release Date - 1975

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Mondo Macabro does one hell of a job bringing international films to genre fans. While I don’t always like the films they release, I still find myself excited to check out a film from across the globe. A week or so ago I received a few releases from Mondo Macabro and all three releases were international films. I decided to check out the 1970 exploitation flick In the Folds of the Flesh first before moving on to what was probably the film I was the most curious about which was A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse. The name and artwork really made my imagination work overtime. When I finished In the Folds of the Flesh I decided I couldn’t wait any longer and tossed it in. I want to thank Mondo Macabro and CAV for sending this one over. Thanks guys! 

      The film follows a young woman who marries a gambling addict. When he is assaulted for stealing money from a group of gangsters, she works to clear his debt to prevent them from killing him. Things seem to look up for the pair so she moves her younger sister in with her to help her get on her feet when her horrible husband rapes her. He then reveals that he has acquired an even bigger debt gambling and she needs to work at the local bathhouse to pay off his debts. However, he is secretly sleeping with the madame and she plans on torturing her, so she can be with her husband. Her punishment starts out severe and quickly escalates until her death. Soon those that wronged her in the bathhouse, along with her adulterous husband, are haunted by her evil spirit. 

      A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse is exactly what I was expecting while not being what I expected. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but it will after I explain what I mean. The film’s artwork and title was giving me serious Haus vibes and the film does have that Haus type of paranormal haunting during the last 20 to 30 minutes. However, the first hour or so is a classic pinku flick. A lot of torture and rape which was not what I was expecting but when you mix the two together you get a sleazy haunted house flick that is really difficult to compare to anything else. It is a very unique film but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. The acting in this one is surprisingly well done. The characters are pretty generic especially if you have seen any other pinku films. I’ve reviewed a dozen or so Nikkatsu films over the years so I’m very familiar with these and this is probably one of the better acted Japanese rape/revenge films I’ve seen. As I said earlier, the characters are a carbon copy of characters from the other films like it that I’ve reviewed but the cast is all in. The torture scenes are rather unnerving and not as cringy. I did find myself getting uncomfortable during these scenes as rape is something that I don’t find entertaining and the raw emotions shown here really gave these scenes a greater impact. The rest of the film is solidly acted as well. The cast gets along so well with each other and it shows in each scene even the more violent ones. The story for this one does not look like it would fill a standard-length film, but it does. It doesn’t over do it with the rape and torture scenes, but they do help move the story along while staling the ending. With that being said, the last 20 or so minutes is what really made the film for me. The haunted aspect of the film is fully utilized and fucking works especially with the lighting and imagery. Finally, the film has some great looking props and some blood but the film’s highlight is the makeup for the ghost and the atmosphere the film has during that time. What it lacks in blood and gore it more than makes up for with tension and imagery. Overall, A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse is a must see for genre fans and an essential purchase for collectors. This film was a blast and I’m glad Mondo Macabro brought us this release.