When I sat down to watch the 1995 Japanese movie "Gakkô no kaidan" (aka "Haunted School") I wasn't familiar with this being a family horror movie. I believed it was an ordinary horror movie.
So needless to say that my expectations for director Hideyuki Hirayama's movie wasn't exactly met. That being said, then I will say that "Haunted School" was actually a wholesome movie.
Now, if you think a Japanese version of "The Goonies", then you are on the right track as to what director Hideyuki Hirayama managed to churn out here in 1995. So this was definitely a family movie.
There is an adequate storyline told here in "Haunted School", though it is taking place in a rather restrained location; that being an old school. And it is a well-paced storyline as well, with lots of fun and excitement for the entire family.
The acting in the movie was adequate, though I can't claim to really be familiar with anyone on the cast list. And the majority of actors and actresses here are child performers, but they definitely put on good performances. Again, with child performers, then you know you are in for something that is suitable for a younger audience as well.
Visually then the effects are actually not all that bad. Sure, this wasn't over-the-top visual effects as you'd see in multi-million dollar Hollywood productions, and keep in mind that this is a family horror movie after all. But the effects are there, they serve their purpose and they are adequate.
All in all, then "Haunted School" was actually a rather nice surprise of a movie for the family. I am rating it a six out of ten stars.
6.2Plot summary
A young girl wanders into a wing of her elementary school that has been abandoned for years and is rumored to be haunted. When she doesn't come back, a group of her classmates go looking for her, only to find that they, too, are trapped inside. They must somehow find their way to safety, and quickly, because the rumors of ghosts are turning out to be true...
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Japanese family frightfest...
"Die you bastard!"
Highly amusing adolescent "Ghostbusters" with wonderfully corny digital effects (even for the mid-90's, the stuff here looks outdated). Inspired by the Japanese urban legend of "Hanako", a girl that supposedly committed suicide in a school lavatory stall, this film deals with a band of kids that venture inside of the haunted wing of their school that has been closed for ages. If you have an open mind, and are willing to not take this film very seriously, you'll be immensely satisfied. I've only seen a second or third generation VHS that I got from a local video store. If there's a clean DVD out there, I'd love to know about it.