Private Project

A Tape: The American History of Nobuhiko Obayashi's "House"

Ahead of HOUSE’s 50th anniversary next year, this experimental short film details the madcap 1977 horror film’s path from seldom-seen Japanese cinema curio to an iconic cult film in North America as told by the video clerks, musicians, distributors and film buffs who rediscovered it.

“A Tape” pairs existing/archival footage with recollections from some of HOUSE’s earliest American fans, including director/cinematographer Sean Price Williams, musician Geologist of Animal Collective and many others.

The result is an unconventional oral history of HOUSE’s American journey across multiple formats — a bootleg tape unearthed from a Manhattan video store, an illegal download from a filesharing website, an all-new 35mm print — within a shifting media landscape.

  • Max G. Robinson
    Director
    "A Movie: Obayashi's Cinematic Life"
  • Max G. Robinson
    Writer
    "A Movie: Obayashi's Cinematic Life"
  • Brandon Soderberg
    Producer
    "I Got a Monster"
  • Brandon Soderberg
    Editor
    "I Got a Monster"
  • Keith Adams
    Score
    "U-Myint Oo: An Experiment in Democracy"
  • Danny Greenwald
    Audio Production
    "No Stairway"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Horror, Japanese Cinema
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 37 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 27, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Maryland Film Festival
    Baltimore
    United States
    April 10, 2026
    World premiere
Distribution Information
  • The Baltimore Film Culture Incubator
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Max G. Robinson

Max G. Robinson is a Baltimore-based film essayist and filmmaker. He has produced special features for Cult Epics' home video release of Nobuhiko Obayashi's "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" and "School in the Crosshairs." Max is the author of the film essay collections "Kinema: A Japan Travelogue" and "Drying Out at the Movies." His writing has appeared in the Baltimore Beat, City Paper, Vulture, The Servant and MovieJawn.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film exists because I saw HOUSE in my early 20s and haven't stopped thinking about it. My affection for Obayashi's singularly weird and wonderful debut feature evolved into a years-spanning investigation of HOUSE and its growing popularity as a cult film in North America. "A Tape" is my attempt to understand the creeping, clawing immortality of a great movie and how it came to haunt our hearts.