SPLICE: Review

Director: Vincenzo Natali. Review: Pete Higgins.

Looking for a great comedy? A real laugh-riot? Look no further. Splice is here, and it shows up Toy Story 3, Greenberg, and Get him to the Greek as the miserable, humourless, down-beat grim-fests that they so assuredly are. Yes, folks, Splice is the wildest, funniest, laugh-out-loudest comedy you could ever hope to see. Following the recent ruling that all films released in 2010 must star Adrian Brody, it stars Adrian Brody as a scientist in a very bad suit and a succession of “cool” t-shirts. His wife, played by uber-irritant Sarah Polley, is also a scientist. Together these two geniuses/dolts are working on some sort of genetic-mutation-artificial-life nonsense that has so far resulted in two horrible blobs of muscle which they have named Fred and Ginger. But our heroes want more: they want to start splicing this stuff with human genetic information. And why not? As characters in the film say, over and over again, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’

Where do I start? Perhaps our bungling boffins should have been a bit more selective in their choice of DNA for this ker-azee experiment. Perhaps also they should have watched a few horror movies before meddling with forces beyond their control. Very beyond their control. Because, only a few minutes later, they’ve got themselves a totally cute little “daughter” with weird eyes, a tail, and legs like that thing out of Pan’s Labyrinth. But they mustn’t, under any circumstances, tell anyone about the existence of little Dren (yeah, that’s her name – NERD backwards; don’t ask). How do they do this, in their high-security lab? Why, they just stick her in a box and dump her in the basement, before eventually remembering that La Polley’s character owns a farm in the middle of nowhere. Handy, that. Off to the farm they go. To say that things get a bit ridiculous from here on in would be like saying the North Pole is a bit chilly this time of year.

As is usual for brilliant scientists in stupid movies, Brody and Polley behave stupidly throughout. Also as usual, the powers-that-be threaten to withdraw funding, threaten to stop them doing what they have to do, but never succeed in doing anything that makes you understand how they ever got to be so powerful. Meanwhile, Dren is discovering all sorts of new powers (including how to break a window to escape, but never escape again through the resulting hole) and all sorts of new desires... if Freud were around to watch, he’d be carried out from the screening in a stretcher. As a comedy, Splice is without equal. From Brody’s and Polley’s dismal lack of chemistry, charisma and common-sense, via a great scene involving a whole bunch of people getting splattered with blood, and all the way through to the hysterical climax, the laughs just keep on coming. However, as I left the cinema on an all-time high, I was beset, albeit briefly, by a pang of disquiet: hang on I thought, this was supposed to be a comedy, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?

Splice official site

Full specs for the ALIEN ANTHOLOGY BluRay boxset!

Back in December, we told you that Fox was going to be releasing a new boxset of the 4 Alien films on Blu-Ray and that the new one would blow all previous versions out of the cocoon. Well, DVD Active has posted the full release details for this massive 6 disc Blu-Ray set and it's got us drooling.

The list of features is far too long to list here (you'll need at least an hour to take everything in!!), so go check it out at DVD Active. And start saving your pennies because you're going to need a lot of them! The set is due out on October 25th and is going to cost you about $140, unless you go for the special egg packaging, which will probably run you more, but will make you look totally awesome walking out of the store with it.

Interview with VALHALLA RISING director Nicolas Refn

A few years ago, Nicolas Winding Refn was not a name many were familiar with. Some were lucky enough to have caught 'Pusher' back when first it came out, but for most of us, it wasn’t until his film 'Bronson' came along that everything changed. Refn’s film about one of Britain’s most notorious (and fascinating) criminals made waves all over the movie sites populating the internet, thanks to some amazing visuals and an outstanding performance by lead actor Tom Hardy. Now Refn is back with a new film, Valhalla Rising, in which the director proves himself as one of the world’s best. Hypnotic, violent and atmospheric, Rising is like some sort of minimalist acid trip about a mute warrior who escapes captivity to join a crew of Vikings on their way to Jerusalem to fight, but end up somewhere far from where they expected. It’s one of them best films we’ve seen so far this year. Refn took some time to talk to our very own regular 24Frames contributor Richard aka ‘Adgy’ about the film, his career and why it’s not just a Viking film.

24FPS: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! How’s it going?

NWR: I’m not used to working in Hollywood, where they give you a list of actors and you always think “Oh my god, oh my god” and then they say “no, yes, no, no, has-been, not really, not interested, can’t do it anymore, no, he’s not available, rehab…” Anyway, I needed to go through that. Sorry.

24FPS: Hah! No, no, that’s quite alright.

NWR: So, Valhalla Rising.

24FPS: Yeah, I watched the movie last night and I thought it was amazing.

NWR: Thank you.

24FPS: I’m kind of curious about the genesis of the film. Were you intending to do a Viking movie from the start?

NWR: Well, I’ve had the idea since I was 15 or 16. Basically, the whole origin of me wanting to do a Viking film started from when I heard this documentary program, like a National Geographic, on the radio and it was about a rune stone that was discovered in Delaware, Washington in the 30’s, which was a great puzzlement because people were very surprised that, you know, a lot of Americans wouldn’t accept that people had been to America before Columbus. So it was dismissed as a hoax. And it wasn’t until many years later that it became apparent that there were settlers in Newfoundland and they found the Viking settlements that, you know, changed the acceptance of the idea that the Vikings had been to America before. The sagas talked about the wine country, which was America for them, but the question was still ‘how can a ship like theirs get so far down south from Newfoundland [to Delaware], because it’s quite far, and because they were only there for a very short time. And so historians have kind of speculated that what had happened was that a ship had of course sailed out, but went south and that the east coast had been more fertile, like Florida further up, and the rivers had gone in and out of the country much more and they had sailed into a river and gotten almost lost inside America. And then a war between them and the Indians started. Because the rune stone was a warning sign for the Vikings. And I was thinking “Oh my god, that’s a great action film” and ever since then, I wanted to do this Viking film... Continue reading here

Thai horror MEAT GRINDER: Review #2

Director: Tiwa Moeithaisong. Review: Adam Wing.

Thai horror has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years, which probably explains why we seem to be watching so many of them these days. With that in mind, lets see what’s on the menu for tonight. Directed by Tiwa Moeithaisong, 2009 Thai horror hit Meat Grinder serves up a sumptuous feast of murder, mayhem, dismemberment and cannibalism, taking the "torture porn" sub-genre to the giddiest of heights. This gory yet beautiful tale stars Mai Charouenpura (Suriyothai) as a deranged woman in 1970s Thailand running a noodle stall and hearing voices in her head - colour her crazy indeed. When she finds a dying man in her stall one night, she comes up with the idea of chopping him up and grinding the body parts for her noodle soup. I know - that’s the first thing I thought of as well. It turns out to be one of her most popular dishes, and as the stall generates more business, she realises that she needs more bodies to cater for increased customer demand. A banquet of horror to tantalise your taste buds then, the table is booked and your seat at the table is reserved, Meat Grinder is coming to UK shores uncut and incredibly uncomfortable....Continue reading review here.

(NSFW trailers)

Meat Grinder teaser trailer

Meat Grinder full trailer

IFC sweeps up Im-Sang Soo’s THE HOUSEMAID

According to The Hollywood Reporter, IFC Films has just acquired the North American rights to Im-sang Soo's "erotic psychological thriller" The Housemaid, starring Jeon Do-yeon, who you may remember as the winner of the Cannes award for Best Actress in 2007 for Secret Sunshine. The Housemaid follows an innocent and educated woman who finds a job as a maid in the home of a rich family who is soon caught in a love triangle with the wealthy husband and his wife, who is pregnant with twins. It's a remake of a 1960's classic of the same name directed by Kim Ki-youn that was recently restored by none other than Martin Scorsese. Hopefully, someone will be releasing that at some point soon, too!

The film also stars Jung-jae Lee ("Typhoon", "Il Mare"), Yoon Yeo-jeong ("The President's Last Bang") and Woo Seo ("Paju") and is scheduled to hit the film festival circuit before being released by IFC either later this year or early next year.

It looks fantastic. Check out the trailer.

Full trailer for French action flick 600 KILOS

Whilst messrs Brody and Fisburne having been doing battle with 'Predators' on alien worlds, France has been wrapping up a great looking jungle based action adventure - starring acting veteran Clovis Cornillac - of their very own titled 600 Kilos Of Gold. No invisible creatures in this one, Gold is a straight up action flick, with some crime caper shenanigans thrown in for good measure. The Full trailer has just gone live on the official site, and you can check it out, as always at the link.

Synopsis: A group of adventurers band together to buy a gold mine in the heart of Guyana, but the deal goes sour they are forced to flee the scene by helicopter crash-landing in the middle of the jungle. With them is six hundred kilos of gold...but trapped in a very hostile environment their spoils soon start to become a burden. Deep into the jungle…. the climate, insects, fatigue, and the threat of pursuit contributes to making their long journey impossible. The forest seems to close in on them. And the group start to fragment, split apart by gold fever...

600 Kilos official site

MEGA PIRANHA on UK DVD

Even before we start on this, the needle on the bad-taste-o-meter is dangerously in the red, but we just can’t resist a low budget creature feature. From the company that brought us ‘Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus,’ mutant critter disaster pic Mega Piranha is set to inflict itself on the UK film watching public next month. Crammed with every B-movie cliché there is, you may feel dirty and used after watching this Turkey, but might it be worth it to see Tiffany eaten by a fish? Mega Piranha is on sale from August 9th.

Synopsis: Join Special Agent Finch (Paul Logan) and Professor Sarah Monroe (80’s pop star Tiffany) as a mutant strain of giant ferocious piranha escape from the Amazon and eat their way toward Florida… Will the entire population of Florida be saved from complete annihilation? Will Paul Logan keep his top on for more than 5 minutes? Will Tiffany get through the entire film without bursting into song? Battleships will be destroyed, helicopters will be eaten, humanity will be threatened and a continent will reach the edge of disaster, as a group of heroes will risk it all to save innocent lives. Prepare for the ultimate bite-sized blockbusting thrill-ride that will leave you desperately hanging onto the edge (over a bucket?) of your seat.

Mega Piranha trailer

More from the CURSE OF THE DESERTED

Just a quick update with more ghostly goings on in the full trailer for Hong Kong frightener, Curse Of The Deserted. Leads Shawn Yue and Kitty Zhang provide the on screen eye candy, in what looks like a promising little tale of ghosts, curses and possession. Curse opens in Hong Kong Next month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curse full trailer

The Ice Man cometh. First real teaser for FRITT VILT 3!

We covered most of the back story to the - highly anticipated around these parts - third instalment in the Norwegian 'Fritt Vilt' (aka Cold Prey) slash horror series last week, so without further ado we present the first real teaser trailer for the movie. And my my it’s looking good! Fritt Vilt 3 opens in Norway in October. Head to the official site and select "teaser 2."

 

 

Fritt Vilt 3 official site

Fritt Vilt 1/2 websites

BLOOD RIVER: DVD review

Director: Adam Mason. Review: Adam Wing.

Appearances can be deceiving, especially in the case of Adam Mason’s psychological thriller Blood River. You’ll be forgiven for expecting something along the lines of Wolf Creek and The Hitcher, but after an all too familiar set up, Blood River turns into a worthier proposition. A successful young married couple are on their way to visit family when they pass a drifter walking cross-country. After a blowout on a desolate stretch of highway in Nevada, they head to the next town only to discover it long abandoned.

That’ll be The Hitcher and Wolf Creek covered then, Adam Mason successfully avoids any further comparisons when his plot takes a devilish twist. It’s not long before Joseph joins them, the mysterious stranger they passed on the roadside. He takes an immediate shine to Summer (Tess Panzer) and gets on the wrong side of her jealous husband (Ian Duncan) in doing so, before long his game plan comes to fruition and Summer is being played off against suspicious husband Clark. Surface contentment turns sour, dark secrets threaten to emerge, and lives unravel in a way you would never expect...Continue reading.

Extreme Thai horror MEAT GRINDER on UK DVD

A 21st century twist on the tale of Sweeney Todd? Thiwa Meyathaisong’s extreme Thai horror, Meat Grinder - about a Thai noodle shop owner who decides on an unhinged way of disposing of customers - is up for a DVD release in the UK next month, via 4Digital. Checking the BBFC website reveals the film was passed “without cuts,” so we can expect it to be the full on gore fest, that only Thailand can deliver. Meat Grinder goes on sale August 23rd. Links to the original Thai trailers below. Both of which aren’t exactly work safe.

Synopsis: Meat Grinder takes you to taste the bizarre horror of traditional noodle recipe cooked by Bus, a woman who owns a very unique noodle stall. Bus has been living with tension and stress for all of her life, she works hard for her family as a cook. Sometimes, she is controlled by a mysterious voice that suggests her to do or not to do things. One day, she encounters a riot town and is rescued by a guy named Uttapol who later becomes her companion. That evening after the riot, Bus surprisingly discovers a guy lying dead under her stall; she discreetly looks at him and comes up with her new recipe. Bus begins to slice his flesh, mix it with spices, and throw it into her noodle pot. After her secret recipe is introduced, Bus gains so many customers and reputation of her delicious noodle. Meanwhile, the haunting voice still keeps talking to her, and tells her what to do. Bus tactfully starts to lure and murder people. The more she kills, the more of her dark side is revealed. And when Uttapol begins to suspect Bus's behaviour and discovers her evil deeds, he now becomes the hunted.   

Meat Grinder teaser trailer

Meat Grinder full trailer

Our review of Meat Grinder

Korea goes for hand cam horror in DESERTED HOUSE

China recently tried their hand at it, and now Korea has decided to take the plunge and have a stab at “hand-cam” horror, in a new scare flick…..Deserted House. Even though they’re a little late to the table - from the looks of the two trailers - it seems Korean director Lee Cheol-ha, has worked some magic on this particular (perhaps passed its prime?) sub genre. Guess we’ll see soon enough. Deserted House opens in Korea next month, and we'll definitely be giving it a watch when it hits DVD.

Synopsis: In 42 years, 6 people have disappeared! 8 people have died! There have been 11 murders! Everyone is afraid of the deserted house with the ghosts. It is prohibited to enter if you are alive. But three deserted home society members and three filming team members enter the deserted house. They break the taboo of deserted homes and enter the world of spirits. But they disappear one day... And there is only a video they left behind...

 

 

Deserted House teaser trailer

Deserted House full trailer

Via: Hancinema

Poster and first pics for Brit horror BASEMENT

Everyone’s favourite mockney, Danny Dyer is back in another new British horror yarn ‘Basement,’ and lookee here, some first stills from the film have appeared on the flicks now live website. No surprise there’s nothing too revealing amongst them, but reading through the plotline its clear something unpleasant in the dark, waiting for our cast of plucky “20?” somethings. Could be good, but we'll reserve final judgement until we clap eyes on a trailer. Basement is due for release next month.

Synopsis: Returning from an anti-war demo, the chaos of horror ensues when stoner Gary (Dyer - Severance), quiet and insular Sarah (Kierston Wareing – Fish Tank), vain Saffron (Lois Winstone – Beyond The Rave), posh Pru (Emily Beecham – 28 Weeks Later) and Pru's arrogant boyfriend Derek (Jimi Mistry - RocknRolla) stop in the country. When Derek and Saffron find an unexplained metal hatch in the middle of the forest, curiosity wins and they decide to explore inside. Searching for their missing friends, Gary, Pru and Sarah are forced to follow but the hatch locks behind them, and the shadows that lurk in the darkness force the whole group to run for their lives. In this fight of good versus evil - only the most evil will survive.

Basement official site

UK prepare for some BLACK DYNAMITE!

We said it was coming, and now finally the date that UK fans of Kung-fu, action, B-movies have been waiting for, is here. Scott Sanders, 70s blaxploitation parody – with more than a liberal dose of hard core vigilantism – Black Dynamite is to be release in the UK on August 13th. Want to see the UK trailer? Then get yo’self down to that link.

Synopsis: Michael Jai White takes the lead in the 70s-based action fest about one mans mission to clear the streets of crime and corruption. When “The Man” murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to fight all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House.

 

 

Black Dynamite UK trailer

PSYCHOSIS: DVD Review

Director: Reg Traviss. Review: Adam Wing.

Low budget horror movies can be found in every bargain bin, every video store and every film fans DVD collection up and down the country. More often miss than hit; just occasionally a truly original, well-made horror movie can be found if you know where to look. The House of the Devil is one such movie, and even though I’d never heard of it before getting comfortable on the sofa, I was really glad I had by the time the credits rolled. I’d never heard of Psychosis either, but I’m always willing to try on a new horror outfit for size. It’s very rare that they fit of course, but as any shelf stacker at Blockbuster Video will testify, there are plenty more costumes in the closet. After pressing play, with very little hope for the next ninety minutes I might add, I was pleasantly surprised by the words ‘Starring Charisma Carpenter’ flashing up on screen. Being a long time Buffy devotee, I have often wondered what the hell happened to my one time favourite Sunnydale resident, she can next be seen alongside Sly, Arnie, Jason and Bruce in 80’s action throwback The Expendables. With Psychosis, she appears alongside Paul Sculfor and Ricci Harnett. Not the greatest of endorsements it has to be said, the warning signs are there for all to see...Continue reading here.

Psychosis trailer

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