"Kwaidan is a film like no other. Adapted from Japanese legends and myths that were collected by Irish author Lafcadio Hearn, the film is an anthology of four ghost stories. The superstitiousness of Irish culture clearly influenced Hearn’s recording of these tales, and to see these stories adapted again by a Japanese artist is fascinating. I think Kobayashi poured his soul into this project. Kwaidan, in every way, bleeds Japanese culture and identity: not a loud and obnoxious nationalistic pride, but a thoughtful and considered love and respect for its heritage. Toru Takemitsu provides an austere and haunting score using traditional Japanese instruments and warped sound effects. The majority of the film is shot on a soundstage and features strikingly, often eerily painted backdrops. This was Kobayashi’s first color project, and cinematographer Yoshio Miyajima uses light, a 2:35:1 aspect ratio, and refined camera movement to astonishing effect."

"When I was growing up, I heard a lot of compilation albums being played by my parents. One of these was Abba Gold. That got me into the band. In the end, it was tough to choose between Arrival and Voulez-Vous, which came out three years later. There are two reasons why Arrival wins out. “Firstly, ever since The Darkness got into a position where we needed an intro, we’ve used the song Arrival itself. So, I hear it every night, and it’s become a part of my life. Secondly, there’s a helicopter on the album cover. That’s cool in itself. But what I recently had done was a photo with myself, my wife, my child and dog put into the cover shot in place of the band, all of us standing by the helicopter. That has pride of place in my lounge"