In feudal Japan the capital is under threat from a mix of bandits and some demons/wizards, who are being led by Shuten-doji – so the warriors of the Genji clan are tasked with getting rid of the threat.

DEMON OF MOUNT OE is a Japanese period horror movie that was directed by Tokuzō (ZATOICHI’S VENGEANCE) Tanaka, produced by Daiei Film and based on a novel by Matsutarō Kawaguchi. It stars Kazuo Hasegawa, Raizô Ichikawa, Kôjirô Hongô and Shintarô Katsu.

Director Tanaka also made THE HAUNTED CASTLE (1969), KILLER WHALE (1962) and the witch film THE WOMAN OF THE SNOW (1968).

This colourful movie, inspired by Japanese folklore, features a sympathetic villain and some cool supernatural characters.

One demon woman loses her clawed hand and then comes back to reclaim it, another ‘wizard’ can turn into a kind of horned, pantomime demon bull and another transforms into a giant spider.

The spider-monster confrontation is my favourite scene: a bunch of samurai battling a fine-looking, full-scale puppet arachnid. Coooooooool!

DEMON OF MOUNT OE is a well-shot, pretty decent fantasy samurai flick, so track it down and give it a watch.