Film - November 07

30th November

'Dragon Wars' on R1 DVD and Blu-ray

The Korean blockbuster monster feature D-Wars is now up for pre-order on both DVD and Blu-ray formats. East meets West, and ancient myth meets modernity in this creature feature from Korean director Shim Hyung Rae. A TV news reporter (Jason Behr, The Grudge), an antiques dealer (Robert Forster, Firewall), and a beautiful young woman (Amanda Brooks) all play a role in an old Korean legend coming to life.

A giant snake is slithering its way through the streets of Los Angeles, and the trio must keep it from reuniting with an ancient spirit that will turn it into an evil, even more destructive dragon. Dragon Wars is a throwback to classic monster movies of the 70’s-80’s. D-Wars is more of a guilty pleasure than fellow Korean import The Host, but it features impressive action and nods to monster movie favorites such as King and Kong and Godzilla.

Dragon Wars (Official U.S site)

Order the R1 DVD here or Blu-ray here

29th November

One sheet for 'Shinigami no seido’ (Accuracy of Death)

Further to our post way back in July, we have now turned up a one sheet for director Masaya Kakehi's new project ‘Shinigami no seido’ (literal translation "Accuracy of Death"), a horror fantasy starring Takeshi Kaneshiro. Takeshi plays the Grim Reaper who appears to his possible victims in human form and spends a week with them, before deciding whether or not to take them.

The film will be Kaneshiro's first to be shot in Japan, since the So-so sci-fi pic "Returners" in 2002. Manani Konishi will co-star as one of Kaneshiro's potential victims. The movie is based on a novel by Kotaro Isaka -- the writer's fifth to be made for the big screen. The film will be released in Japan via Warner Bros, March next year.

Accuracy of Death (Official site)

28th November

'Lust' in the U.K

One to note for all our U.K readers. Ang lee's multi award winning and more than a little racey thriller 'Lust, Caution,' opens in U.K Cinemas in January.

The Plot: Mrs. Mak, a woman of sophistication and means, walks into a café, places a call, and then sits and waits. She remembers…how her story began several years earlier, in 1938 China. She is not, in fact, Mrs. Mak, but shy Wong Chia Chi. With WWII underway, Wong has been left behind by her father, who has escaped to England. As a freshman at university, she meets fellow student Kuang Yu Min. Kuang has started a drama society to shore up patriotism. As the theater troupe's new leading lady, Wong realizes that she has found her calling, able to move and inspire audiences - and Kuang.

He convenes a core group of students to carry out a radical and ambitious plan to assassinate a top Japanese collaborator, Mr. Yee. Each student has a part to play; Wong will be Mrs. Mak, who will gain Yee's trust by befriending his wife and then draw the man into an affair. Wong transforms herself utterly inside and out, and the scenario proceeds as scripted - until an unexpectedly fatal twist spurs her to flee. Shanghai, 1941. With no end in sight for the occupation, Wong - having emigrated from Hong Kong - goes through the motions of her existence. Strangely, Kuang re-enters her life; as Wong reprises her earlier role, and is drawn ever closer to her dangerous prey, she finds her very identity being pushed to the limit...

The film has been given an 18 certificate, so we assume that the release is the full (frontal) 157 min version. 'Lust' arrives in U.K theatres January 4th. Lust, Caution trailer

28th November

Cronenberg's 'Eastern Promises' on R1 DVD

David Cronenberg's critically acclaimed London based thriller 'Eastern Promises' is out on DVD next month. The film follows the mysterious and ruthless Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), who is tied to one of London's most notorious organized crime families. His carefully maintained existence is jarred when he crosses paths with Anna (Naomi Watts), an innocent midwife, who accidentally uncovers potential evidence against the family. Now Nikolai must put into motion a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution. The film is available in wide screen, full screen, and HD versions.

Eastern Promises (Official site)

Order the DVD here

27th November

It's nearly time for 'Chocolate'!

Happy days. According to Thai film site 'Movieseer' the release date for Prachya Pinkaew's highly anticipated martial arts action pic 'Chocolate,' has been set for Feb 08! Prachya is perhaps best known as the director behind 'Ong Bak,' the hit movie that catapulted Thai martial arts maestro Tony Jaa, too international stardom.

'Chocolate' stars newcomer Nicharee "Jeeja" Vismistananda as an autistic girl who learns how to fight both by absorbing her martial arts skills from what she sees on TV and from the Muay thai boxing school next to her home. When she finds a list of debtors in her sick mother's diary, she decides to go collecting. Her quest leads her to confrontations with criminal gangs and also her father, a member of the Japanese mafia.

In another twist, Prachya also recently revealed in an interview with Thai newspaper 'The Nation' that the film Daab Atamat (Sword), the third Thai martial arts project he and Tony Jaa were to work on, has been cancelled. After 'Chocolate' he will apparently be making another action film with a female lead. More 'Choc' news as we get it.

26th November

Update on 'Riaru onigokko' (The Chasing World)

Further to our post on November 10th, the site for Japanese Sci-fi thriller 'The Chasing World,' now has a full length trailer online. An added bonus, we have also scared up a cool new poster featuring one of the films cyborg killer bad guys.

The Chasing World website

25th November

'Siyama: Village of warriors' full trailer now online

Back on July 18th we reported that a test trailer was out for the upcoming Thai action epic ‘Siyama: Village of warriors.’ Now the full (English subtitled no less) trailer is online, with its audio and visual FX complete. The studio seems to have done a great job on the post production work. It’s all looking very spiffy, with Sorcery, martial arts and epic battles galore. ‘Siyama’ opens theatrically in Thailand on Dec 20th.

Siyama trailer

24th November

First trailer for 'Kung Fu Dunk'

Veteran director Kevin Chu's new martial arts actioner 'Kung Fu Dunk,' now has a first slick looking teaser trail of its very own. For more background info on the production, check out our earlier story, dated November 3rd.

Kung Fu Dunk teaser

23rd November

Teaser trailer & posters for Korean fantasy horror 'Hansel & Gretel'

The first teaser trail and posters are out for director YIM Phil-sung’s (Atlantic Journal) surreal fantasy horror ‘Hansel & Gretel.’ Based on the famous fairy tail written by the Brothers Grimm, the movie tells the story of Eun-soo who gets lost in the woods and is lured by mysterious girl, to her strange house deep in the forest. Still in post production, the film stars CHEON Jeong-Myeong, SHIN Eun-Gyeong and JEON Jin-Hee. As well as the trailer & posters, there is also a shed load of creepy stills from the pic to be seen. Links below.

Posters 1 2

Stills

Hansel & Gretel trailer

22nd November

'Tiger Blade 2' on the way!?

From this teaser poster we've just found on their site, it looks like Thai moviemakers Mono Films have a sequel to their 2005 hit action movie 'The Tiger Blade' in the works. The poster also confirms that Tharatorn Siriphunvaraporn, the director of the first movie is on board to helm the new pic. The first 'Blade' had its flaws, but it also had a ton of rollickingly good martial arts (with a mystical twist) action & stunts, far better than you'd expect considering the movies relatively low budget. If they can top the first one, we could be in for a real treat. For those not familiar with the first film, here's the low down on the plotline:

"When a volatile case confronts the police, a young maverick cop with mystical powers is put on the case. Yosthana teams up with the seductive Duangdao, and together they must hunt down and capture the brutal and deadly 'Five Bullets Bandit.' The gang is led by the fearsome, Mahesak, who, like Yosthana is skilled in the art of sorcery and magic. Mahesak can only be defeated with The Tiger Blade, a magical and ancient sword, replete with the powers of nature, and the forces of good. Yosthana must find the Tiger Blade, and bring Mahesak to justice, before the bandits bring total chaos to the city. The stage is set for a gruesome battle between the two nemeses, but only one can survive”

You can check out the original films official site, from the link below.

The Tiger Blade (Official site)

The Tiger Blade on DVD

21st November

Poster and hi-res trailer for French re-release of 'Suspiria.'

Dario Argento’s classic cult horror ‘Suspiria’ is once again in Cinemas 30 years after its original release. Now fully restored for a new generation of fans to enjoy, the pic opens today in French theatres.

Starring Jessica Harper, Joan Bennett, Stefania Casini the film is the story of a young American ballet student, Suzy Banyon (Jessica Harper), who goes to Germany to attend a prestigious dance academy. Later she discovers the school is a front for a coven of witches who practice black magic.

As well as the spiffy 30th anniversary poster, French site Allocine are hosting a Hi-res version of the trailer for the film. The beginning of which graphically highlights the improvement made to the movies picture quality.

Suspiria Hi-res trailer

20th November

[REC] Website now fully live

The official site for Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza's Spanish horror [REC] is now fully live. All the usual treats lie within. One of the most (aside from the kick ass trailer) interesting things, is a wallpaper showing of one of the "infected." It's the clearest pic we've seen so far, of one of the movies Zombies. And he looks Naasty. [REC] opens in Spain on Friday.

REC (Official site)

19th November

Sui Hark, Ringo Lam, Johnnie To's 'Triangle' up for pre-order on DVD

Hong Kong crime caper 'Triangle' is now up for pre-order on English subtitled DVD. The movie is the result of a first-time collaboration between three masters of Asian cinema, Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam, and Johnnie To. Each directed a segment of the film, based on an adventure quest they had imagined. It involves the characters Sam, Fai, and Mok, three penniless friends, a group of gang members, and a priceless ceremonial robe embroidered with gold, the object of everyone's desire. The three must choose between friendship, greed, & survival.

Triangle Website

Pre-order the DVD here

17th November

First trailer for 'L - Change the World'

Those boys at Twitch were first on the scene with news that a full trailer has appeared on the site for the 'Death Note' spin off movie, titled: ‘L - Change The World.’ The pic directed by the Hideo Nakata (The Ring 2, "Kaidan) will focus mainly on detective L's (played by Kenichi Matsuyama) story after the events of the original two Death Note pics.

L Movie (Official Site)

17th November

Here comes 'The Mist'

With its imminent release Stateside on November 21st, the marketing machine for the latest Stephen King novel to be movierised ‘The Mist‘ is in over-drive. Reasons to be intrigued: It's Stephen King. Frank (no-one does King better) Darabont (The Shawshank, Green Mile) directed the movie and wrote the Screenplay. Best of all, it's a rare beast these days, an R rated horror flim.

The Mist website

17th November

Shoreline to remake cult horror 'From Beyond'?

It looks like U.S. production house Shoreline Entertainment has a new version of ‘From Beyond’ (based on the short story by H.P Lovecraft) in the works. The original 1986 film version directed by Stuart Gordon was a sure fire cult classic, and fans of his version will no doubt consider it be a tough act to follow. That said, Shoreline has produced some original and entertaining genre pics. It will be interesting to see what they can do with the story. The new version is listed as being in "pre-production." Aside from the poster, the only other info available is this piece of concept art and a synopsis from the Shoreline site:

“Detective Davis Tillinghast is a modern day Sherlock Holmes, using his keen intellect and powers of deduction to solve the cases no one else can ... until now. A series of bizarre and seemingly impossible mutilations have him stumped, the only tenuous clue leading back to the laboratory of his estanged brother Crawford, a crazed genius obsessed with inter-dimensional physics. Crawford has invented an instrument that hyper-stimulates the pineal gland of the brain, making visible the many thousands of parallel universes that occupy our space/time continuum. But unbeknown to him this machine is also empowering creatures from other realities, giving them the ability to "drift" - travel between dimensions. Davis discovers that a "drifter" has been causing the random mutilations and sets out to destroy his brother's machine. In the process, Davis is exposed to a vast amount of the machine's energy, turning him too into a drifter.”

From Beyond clip (1986 version)

16th November

New teaser poster for 'Antoo Fighter'

A new teaser poster is out for upcoming Malaysian horror comedy 'Antoo fighter.' Ever so slightly (well very by the looks of it) camp, it appears to be great cheesy fun none the less. Directed by Azizi Chunk it follows the adventures of super heroes the 'Antoo fighters,' as they fight to save the world from evil.

Synopsis; "A group of ghostly creatures from the past led by Drakulat Van Listerooy returns to the present time terrorizing and dominating the town after they had escaped from a group sworn to fight against evil spirits in the past. Drakulat and his sidekicks journey to Kuala Lumpur and conquered the KL Tower and made it their headquarters. There they began to destroy the city till it brought the whole nation to a dangerous state.

The main objective of Drakulat is actually to free Lord Sharon, satan's spawn, so they could conquer and destroy the whole world together. In order to make it all happen he needs to locate the chosen girl, Delyla, who carries the blood line of having extraordinary powers and becoming the perfect sacrificial victim to Lord Sharon and freeing him into the world. The presence of Drakulat's clan is felt by Pak Din (one of the last Antoo fighters in the late 50's). Antoo fighter is a top secret group consisting of 5 chosen people on earth to protect the world from evil spirits every 60 years."

'Antoo fighter' opens in Malaysia in the new year. Antoo fighter Unofficial teaser trailer.

15th November

First footage from 'The Forbidden Kingdom'

The first clip for Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s upcoming martial arts fantasy ‘The Forbidden kingdom’ is out. First impressions. We’re surprised at actually how good it’s all looking. So far. Directed by Rob Minkoff, with (more importantly) fight scenes choreographed by 'The Matrix’s' Yuen Wo Ping, it does stand a chance at being a pretty decent flick. Heres hoping.

Check it out for yourself, from the link below.

The Forbidden kingdom (Trailer:Youtube)

15th November

'Exiled' and 'Election 2' DVD giveaway Winners!

Our contest to give away 3 copies each of Johnny To's 'Exiled' and 'Election 2' has come to an end, and the winners have been drawn. Congratulations are due too: Graham Webster, Rod Morgan, and Kai Ljung. Those who entered but didn’t win this time, keep a look out. We have more great giveaways coming up soon.

14th November

New posters for Thai horror 'The Screen'

Two new posters have arrived for 'The Screen, the promising big budget Thai horror from 5 Star Productions. 'The Screen' is directed by Songsak Mongkolthong & stars Na Ayudhya, Namo Tonggumnerd, Pakkaramai Potranan & Achita Pramoj. Check out the link below, to take a peek at them bigger.

1 2 Posters

The Screen (Official site)

13th November

Oxide Pang's 'The Detective' on English subtitled DVD

The latest offering from one of those prolific pang boys, hits DVD next week. Oxide Pang's ‘The Detective’ stars Aaron Kwok, who continues his string of winning performances in this detective thriller, with a hint of horror. Kwok is supported by talented character actors Liu Kai Chi (Infernal Affairs 2), Kenny Wong (Gong Tau), Wayne Lai, Kiki Sheung, and Jo Koo.

Synopsis: Working form a tiny office, near-sighted, debt ridden private detective Tam (Kwok) talks big, but does small business. He gets an interesting new job when his friend Lung shows up one day with the picture of a woman whom he claims is trying to kill him. Unable to locate the woman, Tam starts looking up her acquaintances, but he seems to always be in the wrong place at the right time. At his first port of call, he walks into a man hanging from the ceiling, the first of many dead bodies he stumbles upon. Tam becomes increasingly obsessed with finding the truth behind the mysterious deaths, but digging too deep could have dangerous consequences.

The Detective trailer

Order the DVD here

13th November

France goes Zombie in David Morley's 'Mutants'

French horror seems to be heading in another direction, with the news that filming has started on director David Morley's Zombie survival pic, ‘Mutants.’ The film is produced by Alain Benguigui and Thomas Verhaeghe for Sombrero Productions.

Synopsis: "In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, Marco and Sonia set off to find a secret base to escape from the 'mutants'. When the latter attack them, Marco is infected too. Little by little, he undergoes the same changes. Sonia, who is expecting a baby, is then forced to fight her worst enemy, the man she loves."

The screenplay for Mutants was written by Morley, Johann Bernard, and Louis-Paul Desanges. The movie stars Hélène de Fougerolles as Sonia, and Francis Renaud as Marco. It co-stars former Muay Thai champion Dida Diafat. ‘Mutants’ will be released theatrically in France in the summer of next year. [Source]

12th November

Theatrical poster for Johnny To's 'Mad Detective'

And boy was it a hard find. Even though Johnny To's new pic 'Mad Detective' opens in barely two weeks time, there's been a real lack of promotional material to be found online for the film. Thats a little surprising when you consider it's going to be vying for ticket sales against two other heavy hitters, '30 Days of Night' & Danny Pang's 'In Love with The Dead.' Which along with MD are all released in Hong Kong on Nov 29th. Not perhaps the wisest of scheduling choices by the films production company? 'Mad Detective' stars: Lau ching Wan, Lam Ka Tung and Andy On.

The plot: "A missing police pistol is connected to a series of recent murders. Its owner Wong vanished while pursuing suspects in the Hong Kong mountains. His partner Chi-Wai miraculously returned unharmed. Hotshot regional Crime Unit inspector Ho knows the only chance he has of solving the case is to ask for help from his mentor, former boss Bun. Bun was a gifted criminal profiler until he went insane several years ago. Since then, he lives in seclusion with his beloved wife May.

Bun has the gift to see a person’s inner personality, where their subconscious desires, emotions & mental states are laid bare and these are the key to unlocking a killer’s identity. Bun comes to the conclusion Chi-Wai has a total of seven personalities and the cap’s alternate identities are responsible for his murderous behavior. While Bun’s investigation and mental state gets increasingly out of control, Ho starts to believe he has made a serious mistake in asking this mad detective to help with the inquiry. What began as a quest for an answer has now taken a schizophrenic turn where truth and lies, reality and delusions intertwine..."

As well as the cool poster, you can also check out the Mad Detective trailer.

11th November

'The Signal' site gets a revamp

They've had the painters and decorators in at the website for Magnolia Pictures upcoming shock horror THE SIGNAL, giving it a major upgrade. Directed by David Bruckner and Jacob Gentry. Cast: Anessa Ramsey, Justin Welborn and AJ Bowen.

The plot: A mysterious signal is being transmitted from all media devices in the city of Terminus, provoking murder and madness within the psyches of its inhabitants. One man battles to save the woman he loves from the vehemence of her crazed husband. But, in order to succeed, he must first decide who he can trust in a city where everyone appears to have succumbed to the violence of the signal--including himself.

The Signal gets a limited release in the U.S. February 22nd.

The Signal (Official site)

The Signal original teaser (Youtube:Viewer discretion advised)

10th November

Teaser trailer for 'Riaru onigokko' (The Chasing World)

The official site for Kazunari Shibata's Japanese Sci-fi/Horror 'The Chasing World' now has a teaser trailer for the movie. The screenplay for the pic written by Shibata, is based on the hit novel by Yûsuke Yamada. The movie stars Takuya Ishida, Mitsuki Tanimura, Shunsuke Daitô, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, and Akira Emoto.

Synopsis: "In Japan, a mysterious series of murders has occurred, which only targets people whose last name is 'Sato'. During a fight with a gangster, high school student Tsubasa Sato winds up in a parallel world. Things appear to be the same, but his friends and classmates are somehow different from who they used to be. Tsubasa doesn't understand what is happening around him. After seeing a girl killed in front of him by a pursuer, he finds out that he is now in a world where the lord of the land plays a lethal game of tag - a real onigokko (chasing game) that targets people whose last name is 'Sato'. If, during the 'game', a target manages to elude his pursuers for a few hours every day for a week, any wish that he has will be granted. Tsubasa discovers that the parallel world is linked to ours; when a person is killed in the parallel world, so is the target's counterpart in our world. When the siren sounds to signify that onigokko has begun, Tsubasa races to protect his sister's double - and hence his sister herself..."

Produced by Phantom Film Ltd. the movie is to released theatrically in Japan, in the new year.

The Chasing World website

Source

9th November

French Sci-fi thriller 'Dante 01' website and new trailer

The website for Maro Caro's dark science-fiction thriller DANTE 01 has just gone live. Lurking within is a new extended trailer for the film, and all we can say is...WOW! What with this, Julien Leclercq's recent release 'Chrysalis' & Franck Vestiel's 'Eden Log,' it seems clear that French Sci-fi is going through a major Renaissance at the moment. For a rundown on the films cast and plot, check out our post dated October 23rd.

Dante 01 (Official site)

9th November

Korean horror 'Someone Behind You' aka 'Two people' now on DVD

Director Oh Ki Hwan (The Art Of Seduction) hops on the comics to film bandwagon with ‘Someone Behind You.’ The film is based on a best-selling comic titled "Two People", which tells of an old family curse marking one person dead at the hands of two people in every generation. Staying true to its genre, ‘Someone’ provides a bloodbath of horror using familiar scare tactics like gory visuals and chilling audio effects. Combining Oh Ki Hwan's understanding of mainstream trends and comic artist Kang Kyung Ok's cleverly devised, twist-laden plot, this creepy screamer is a horror-thriller like no other.

After witnessing the murder of her eldest aunt by her youngest aunt, Ka In encounters a series of deadly, unexplainable events in her life. Her classmate attacks her without warning, and her teacher and even her own mother attempt to kill her. Meanwhile, watching Ka In's paranoia is Suk Min, a mysterious boy rumored to have murdered his own father. Suk Min teaches Ka In that the only way to survive is to trust no one. Ka In searches desperately for clues, finally learning of the bizarre family curse that has marked her dead by the hands of two people in her life. Now all she needs to do is identify the two killers. But who are they?

Someone Behind You website

Order the DVD here

8th November

Trailer for ‘Shamo’ finally arrives

After what seems to have been an age, a first trailer has finally arrived for the hard-core action pic ‘SHAMO,’ via Grady Hendrix over at Kaiju shakedown. The movie from director Soi Cheang, is the follow up to the equally violent Dog Bite Dog.

The $3 million pic, produced by Hong Kong's Same Way Prod, is about a psychotic antihero who takes up competitive fighting after being beaten nearly to death at a prison for boys -- where he's serving time for killing his parents. ‘Shamo’ stars Shawn Yue ("Infernal Affairs") in the lead, along with Masato ("Lethal Ninja"), Dylan Kuo ("Black Night"), Francis Ng ("Exiled"), Bruce Leung ("Kung Fu Hustle"), Annie Liu ("Mob Sister") and Ryo Ishibashi ("The Grudge").

Grady has confirmed what we have been hearing – that the film has received very mixed reviews, but most agree that the raw and uncompromising fight scenes are a class act. You can check out the trailer for yourself, over at Youtube here.

7th November

Website live for 'An Empress and the Warriors'

Following hot on the heels of our first (November 1st) story on Donnies Yen's upcoming BIG budget epic 'An Empress and the Warriors,' we have now turned up the official site (English version available) for the film. Its only just gone live so content is quite limited, but they've included a story summary and background info on the cast, to kick things off.

An Empress and the Warriors (Official site)

7th November

Teaser poster for Tinieblas González's horror 'Underground'

A teaser poster is out for Tinieblas Gonzalez's 'Underground' aka (ASD: Alma Sin Dueno).' His feature film debut, Gonzalez is one of Spain’s up and coming genre filmmakers. His earlier works include a series of shorts & a gothic adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's “The Raven...Nevermore.” Written by Gonzalez, Koldo Serra (Backwoods) and Txabier Alastruey, ‘Underground’ is set in a labyrinth of subway tunnels.

Synopsis: “The 1970s, industrialisation. The movement of people from the provinces to the cities in search of more opportunities creates a huge number of tramps and homeless people who huddle together in communes, hidden beneath the city. The underground, reservoirs and other subterranean passages serve as improvised homes. In this period, an urban legend appears concerning a creature, born from the womb of a dead woman, who manages to survive. This deformed creature wanders through the depths of the city and dismembers its victims. The Press call it the ”Unowned Soul.”

2007, post-modernity. Nathan, Joe and Fu are three young graffiti artists, experts in street paintings. Motivated by the possible media impact of an act of sabotage, they plan to ”decorate“ a new underground station on the day before it is opened. They are helped by Rat, who is capable of outwitting any security system. When they are unexpectedly interrupted by the violent Police Chief and his men in the station, the youngsters are forced to flee and penetrate the dark tunnels of the underground. To the threat posed by their pursuers is added the presence of a creature which stalks them, the ”Unowned Soul“. Both the police and graffiti artists will fall like flies in his hands. They wanted to make headlines. Now they will.”

Shot in English, 'Underground' stars Brendan Coughlin, Francia Raisa, Doug Haley and Deance Wyatt. Still in post production the pic is out in the new year.

6th November

'Dragon Wars' on R1 DVD in January

The guys over at Fango have scored the DVD cover art/ details for the R1 DVD release of Shim Hyung-rae’s CGI epic ‘Dragon Wars.’ The film will be presented in both widescreen and fullscreen with Dolby 5.1 Surround sound, plus the following (surprisingly limited) extras: 500 Years in the Making featurette, Storyboard-to-screen featurette, Photo gallery. The disc hits the shelves on January 8th.

Dragon Wars (Official U.S site)

5th November

Park's upcoming Vampire pic pre-sold already

Before the cameras have even rolled, director Park Chan-wook's untitled (working title 'Bakjwi' aka 'Evil live') project about a priest turned vampire has already been pre-sold to several big foreign companies including Frances Wild Side, at the American Film Market.

Park, perhaps best known for the stunningly, fantastically, brilliant (can you guess we kinda liked it?) ‘Oldboy,’ will begin to shoot the new film in the spring, with a release in Korea at the end of 2008.

The film will see star Song Kang-ho ('The Host,' 'Secret Sunshine') as the priest whose transformation, due to a medical experiment, results in bizarre physical and psychological changes that lead him into an illicit affair with the wife of his childhood friend.

Source

4th November

Korean horror 'Epitaph' up for Pre-order on English subtitled DVD

Epitaph was co-directed by the Jung Brothers, who were honored with international recognition when it screened in the New Directors section of the 2007 San Sebastian International Film Festival. Unlike traditional horror films, which rely on instant gratification via sudden scary images and sound effects, Epitaph brings finesse to the genre with exquisite cinematography and an intricate plot. Hailed by critics for its originality as well as first-class performances by its cast, Epitaph is an illuminating vision of darkness.

Synopsis: “In a modern hospital in 1941, doctors witness weird events and learn death is the sole healer. In 1979, Dr.Park receives an old photo album from his twenties in 1941 when mysterious things befell him and his colleagues. Park was bound by his parents to marry a girl whom he never met, but fell in love with a dead woman who happened to be his arranged marriage. Meanwhile, a little girl who was apparently the only survivor a car accident was haunted by ghosts every night. After two doctors (a married couple) involved in these two stories return to their hospital from Tokyo, a series of serial murders occurs around them.”

Epitaph (Official site)

Epitaph (English subtitled trailer)

Order the DVD here

3rd November

New teaser poster for 'Kung Fu Dunk'

Putting the slightly dodgy premise to one side for a moment, 'Kung Fu Dunk' does boast an impressive production team, which could make for big things. The high school set martial arts action movie is set to be the biggest budget pic to come from Taiwan in recent years. The cast is headlined by pop star Jay Chou, who has appeared in "Initial D," "Curse of the Golden Flower"

The martial arts drama is about a young man who grew up in a kung fu school and was recruited by the university basketball team because of his excellent slam dunk skills. Follow him as he juggles his time between training for gruesome matches, fighting a fellow team member for the heart of the girl of his dream and trying to locate his family.

As well as Jay Chou, the movie will also reunites "Golden Flower" action director Ching Siu-tung and cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding. Working with a $10 million budget, the flick is directed by veteral helmer Kevin Chu Yin-ping. It also stars Charlene Choi, Taiwanese model Chen Bo-ling and Hong Kong's Eric Tsang. The Film is due for release, in Feb 2008.

2nd November

First Look picks up 'Sukiyaki Western Django'

Happy days. First Look Studios has picked up North American rights to 'Sukiyaki Western Django.' The pic, Takashi Miike's ('Ichi the Killer') homage to spaghetti-Westerns is performed entirely in subtitled, heavily Japanese accented English. It also boasts hugely over the top action/fight scenes, majorly campy performances, and it all looks utterly fantastic. It's highly doubtful that the movie will get a large theatrical release in the States, but one thing this does guarantee, is a decent quality DVD release. [Source:Variety]

Sukiyaki Western Django (Official site)

1st November

Donnie Yen dons armour in 'An Empress and the Warriors'

Four character posters for Donnie Yen's new big budget action epic ‘An Empress and the Warriors’ have just been released. The film is helmed by Hong Kong director Tony Ching and stars Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Guo Xiaodong and Kelly Chen.

The blockbuster is scheduled to open in Chinese theatres early next year. That’s all we know at the moment. But hey what more do we need. It’s Donnie Yen, in armour, with a BIG sword, looking badass! You can check out all four posters bigger, from the links below. More info as we get it.

Poster 1 2 3 4

1st November

Second international trailer for 'Viy'

The guys over at movie site Filmz.ru have picked up on a 2nd international trailer for the Russian horror ‘Viy.’ The new clip only goes further to confirm that this pic will be one sumptuous feast for the eyes, but it’s still small consolation for the disappointing fact that the films release has been delayed (see our post dated Oct 14th) by at least a year. In the mean time you can check out the new trailer, in lovely crisp downloadable Quicktime.

Viy 2nd international trailer

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