Blind Beast

, aka "Moju the Blind Beast" is a 1969 Japanese film directed by Yasuzo Masumura. It is based on a novel by Edogawa Rampo.
Release.
"Blind Beast" was released in Japan on January 1969. The film was released by Daiei International Film with English subtitles in April 1969. It was reissued by Roninfilm under the title "Warehouse" in February 1974.
Reception.
In a contemporary review, "Variety" praised the cinematography and Shigeo Mano's art direction, while noting that his previous films dealt with sexuality such as "Daini no Seo" and "Manji" but "these are kindergarten material compared with "The Blind Beast"...it's a sick film."
Retrospective reviews include critic Jasper Sharp calling it "One of the most fascinatingly freakish of all the big screen adaptations of the works of Japanese mystery writer Edogawa Rampo". Tom Vick of AllMovie compared the film to "The Collector" and opined that "Masumura, a master of dark humor and macabre psychodrama, strikes an odd balance between silliness and horror throughout the film. One of the nuttier entries in his oeuvre, Blind Beast is a delicious guilty pleasure." "Sight & Sound" referred to the film as a "fascinating curiosity" with "bizarre production design, tendency towards outlandish symbolism and eccentric performances, it seems at least partly tongue in cheek even at its most extreme."