LIZA THE FOX-FAIRY (2015)
Label: Cauldron Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 98 Minutes
Audio: Hungarian & Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Stereo with Forced English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Károly Ujj Mészáros
Cast: Mónika Balsai, Szabolcs Bede Fazekas, David Sakurai, Zoltán Schmied, Antal Cserna, Piroska Molnár, Gábor Reviczky, Mariann Kocsis, Ági Gubík, Lehel Kovács, Zsuzsa Töreky, Vali Dániel, Mária Bókay, Gyözö Szabó, István Göz, István Hajdu, Klára Jarábik, Kata Bartsch, Rodrigo Crespo, János Bán
Liza (Mónika Balsai) is an awkward and lonely live-in nurse who cares for Márta (Piroska Molnár, Taxidermia), the aging widow of the former Japanese ambassador to Hungary. Aside from her charge her only friend is the ghost of the long-dead Japanese pop-star named Tomy Tani (David Sakurai Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) who keeps her entertained with a steady diet of 60s Japanese pop songs and kitschy dance routines that only she can see. As Liza turns 30 she yearns to find the sort of love she reads about in her Japanese romance novel, and sets about meeting romantic hopefuls, but she is quite inexperienced and awkward initially, and eventually resorts to reading Cosmo for dating tips to improve her seduction game. This does not please the ghost of the Japanese pop-star wants to keep her all to himself, so Tamy (who is no ordinary ghost) sets in motion a series of unfortunate events, beginning with the death of Márta, to ensure that Liza's would-be suitors all meet tragic ends and she winds up with him.
Liza unexpectedly inherits Márta's flat after her death, much to the chagrin of the deceased's surviving sisters. With that unexpected windfall she begins her new life, but each time she has a new suitor lined-up they end-up dying in a series of strange accidents caused by the jealous Tamy Tani. This results in numerous encounters with the local police who have suspicions that she is a murderess but are baffled without clear evidence. Police Sargent Zoltan (Szabolcs Bede-Fazekas) weirdly ends up renting a room from Liza and secretly falls in love her, all the while she carries on several brief dalliances with a series of daft would-be suitors who Tamy dispatches. Liza is unaware of the ghost's interference, and after Liza dreams that she has become a Fox-Fairy, she is convinced that she has been cursed to become a supernatural creature who lures lovers to their death.
This genre-bending fairytale has an attractive retro candy-coated look and vibe that brought to mind Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie with a dash of Wes Anderson magic, and a streak of darkness, managing to maintain a lighter-than-air atmosphere that keeps it quite playful and quirky, despite the high-body count. I loved the retro-60s/70s locations and set-design, and the mixing of Hungarian and Japanese cultural elements. It all combines into a quirky cinematic concoction accompanied by a soundtrack chock full of faux 60s Japanese pop songs that are performed to note perfection by Erik Sumo. The numerous music and dance sequences are the cherry atop this completely charming modern fairytale that effortlessly melds black comedy, melodrama, supernatural fantasy, and an alarming body count. This is a true under-the-radar gem, so kudos to Cauldron Films for bringing it to the movie-loving masses. The distributor been curating a fascinating roster since their inception and this multi-genre gem is definitely one of my favorite film discoveries of 2022.
Audio/Video: Liza the Fox-Fairy (2015) debuts on North American Blu-ray from Cauldron Films in 1080p HD widescreen (2.35:1). The source looks in great shape, colors look accurate, and depth and detail is pleasing. Audio comes by way of mixed Hungarian and Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0 and 5.0 with forced English subtitles. There are no issues on either option, both tracks are clean and dialogue sounds great as does the score and faux 60's Japanese pop songs by Erik Sumo and a score by Hungarian composer Dániel Csengery. Not sure if this soundtrack has been released on it's own, but I will definitely be seeking it out, those songs are freaking cool.
We get some solid extras, beginning with Budapest 100, a 7-min featurette examining the visually interesting locations and in the film. The 17-min Behind the Scenes featurette has interviews with the principal cast and crew, we get 3-min of Story Boards, a 3-min Music Video of Erik Sumo & the Fox-Faries - "Dance Dance Have a Good Time", plus a brand new 'Fox Fairy Legend and Fairytale' Video Essay by Kat Ellinger that runs about 15-min. The always informative cult-film author/critic discusses the influences seen in the film, defines the Fox Fairy legend, which originates in China but is also well-known in Korea, a sort of shape-shifting succubus that lures lovers to their death, and talks about how the film is Gothic in that gaslighting is a heavy component of it. The disc is buttoned-up with a 2-min Trailer and a 20-sec TV Spot for the film. The single-disc standard edition arrives in a Viva Elite clear keepcase with a non-reversible two-sided wrap with an eye-catching mint green theme that matches the outfit worn my Japanese pop-singer.
Special Features:
- Budapest 100 (7 min)
- Behind-the-Scenes Interviews (17 min)
- Story Boards (3 min)
- Music video - Erik Sumo & the Fox-Faries "Dance Dance Have a Good time" (2 min)
- Trailer (2 min)
- 'Fox Fairy Legend and Fairytale' Audio essay by Kat Ellinger (15 min)
- TV Spot (20 sec)
The standard release version of the Liza the Fox-Fairy (2015) will be released on September 27th, but the limited edition version is currently available directly from Cauldron Films and includes an exclusive mini folded-poster and high quality slipcase featuring artwork by Haunt Love - buy it here: https://www.cauldron-films.com/collections/front-page-titles/products/lizale
Screenshots from the Cauldron Films Blu-ray:
Extras:
