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Upcoming
from Thai director Namchok Daengphut, is the Horror movie
‘the Mask of the Dead’. We’ve not been able
to find a huge amount of info on the film as yet, except for
the great looking poster, and a very long synopsis
from the films production company website. In the aged
century, the tale of traditional Siamese Takohn Mask that
turned Love to Rage was born. It all started with the love
triangle among Lord Chiang Roonk of Chiang Roonk Dynasty who
deeply fell in love with Princess Pin Lar, whose heart was
given to NaKen – a knight of Chiang Tung. In attempt
to kidnap the princess, Lord Chiang Roonk and his masked troops
ambushed the parade of Princess Pin Lar and her sister, Princess
Dao Fa, while on the way to the temple for Lanna traditional
merits making ceremony. Reported by the horseman, Lord Wang
Kum of Chiang Tung along with NaKen and the troops dashed
to rescue theirs lover princesses. In the middle of the chaotic
and fierce battle, in just one strike, Lord Wang Kum’s
sharp sword cut Lord Chiang Roonk’s head off his shoulder.
NaKen threw Lord Chiang Roonk’s head, which was still
attached to the his mask, into Mhan River, believed able to
imprison all evil spirits. In present day, a fashion advertising
agency was shooting a short film with international models
to promote the sophisticated beauty of the oriental garments
and fabrics. Given the concept “Thai Garments and the
Masks”, as traditional tale, the production was set
at Mhan river. While the crew was busy getting everything
ready for shooting, John – a curious and self-centered
model, dove into the river. While finding himself surrounded
with thousands of Takohn masks, he noticed one shining golden
mask that had a skull attached to it. Without telling anyone,
John took the golden mask, leaving the skull on the bottom
of the river, not knowing his greed has released Lord Chiang
Roonk’s evil spirit from captivity. A lifeless body
was found the next day by the river. Jakra, a young and charming
police offer was assigned to investigate this case. While
investigating, he found many more increasing mysterious deaths.
While John was found dead in his hotel room, the other models,
Louis’s and Mai’s bodies were found in the forest.
Their heads were chopped off. Pin and Pad, the model sisters,
had premonitions of the worse to come. Kan and Pal were skeptical
and trying to figure out what caused these mysterious deaths.
The answer revealed itself after Kara, Araty and Perter were
found brutally killed. The truth of the past, love, revenge
and grudge behind the mask that John brought up from the river.
The ghost of Lord Chiang Roonk appeared in middle of crowded
fashion show. Armed with his primitive hook weapon, his only
mission was to kill every reincarnated soul who was involved
in the last battle. What could stop this grudge? Who would
win in this battle? Their lives were at stake.
You
can’t but help to be impressed with the speed that Asian
studios turn around their DVD releases, after having been
so recently in cinemas. In this case Feng Xiaogang's epic
‘The Banquet’ is already available (released on
Nov 4th) to pre-order. Both in a standard edition, and a rather
snazzy 2 disc boxed set.
The
guys over at Deknang.com have picked up that a second trailer
for director Wisit Sasanatieng's much anticipated horror 'The
Unseeable', has just gone live on the official site. This
version has a darker and more sinister feel too it than the
first. Great stuff. 
Writer
Director 
It looks great, and seems of the verge of being fully active,
as all the animations, menus etc are in place. The visuals
(a boy and his Dragon) are definitely reminiscent of ‘The
Never Ending Story.’ This is going to be a big budget,
high earner for production company Mono films, this December.
A
worthy winner this weekend. ‘Isabella’ has won
the Top prize at the World Film Festival of Bangkok this Sunday.
A quiet thriller by Hong Kong director Pang Ho-cheung ‘Isabella’
tells the story of a Macao police officer's bachelor life,
that is interrupted by the daughter he never knew he fathered.
Other winners at the festival, which ran Oct. 11-23, were
"Seeds of Doubt" for screenplay; "Climates"
(Iklimer), by Turkish helmer Nuri Bilge Ceylan, for cinematography;
and "12:08 East of Bucharest," which took a special
jury prize. The People's Choice Award went to "The Banquet"
(no surprise there then), the fest's opening film. The event,
backed by the Tourism authority of Thailand, is in its fourth
year. Festival director Kriengsak "Victor" Silakong
said the Thai public was seemingly more aware of the festival
this year and 70% of the available tickets were sold. [
We
have turned up some concept art for horror film veteran Stan
Winston's upcoming film, 'The deaths of Ian'. The story:
Ian Stone (Mike Vogel) is an all-American kid with a great
life and a loving and devoted girlfriend, Jenny Walker (Christina
Cole). Late one night, while driving home from a painful loss
on the field, Ian comes across a bewildering discovery; what
looks like a dead body near the railroad tracks. Investigating
the grisly discovery, Ian is attacked by the ‘corpse’,
forced onto the tracks and run over by an oncoming train.
Only to wake up in an office cubicle! He’s still alive
and living with a beautiful but eerily mysterious woman called
Medea (Jaime Murray). Jenny is still there, but she’s
not his girlfriend, just a co-worker and one of a number of
apparently familiar faces. That’s when Ian learns he
is being hunted. Every day at the same time the clocks stop
and someone, or something, comes for him and kills him. The
only problem is Ian won’t stay dead. He wakes in a new
life and new place each day, only to find the cycle repeating
itself. He is desperately searching for someone to help him
make sense of what’s going on before his pursuers succeed
in killing him for the last time! To see the rest of
the artwork, and read a much more detailed synopsis of the
movie, click 
Directed
by Katja Von Garnier and Starring Olivier Martinez (Taking
Lives, Unfaithful) and Agnes Bruckner (Murder by Number, The
Glass House) ‘Blood and Chocolate’ is adapted
from the novel the novel by Annette Curtis Klause. The film
is the story of a teenage werewolf who has spent her life
trying to hide the fact that she is part wolf. She must choose
between her love for a human, and her pack family after her
relationship with a visiting American threatens to expose
her secret. Whilst most sites are listing this as opening
first in the U.S. in January 07, two separate Malay films
site are quoting it as launching there in December 06. You
can check out the poster full size, from the link below.
And
this is no vague unfounded internet rumour. From the man himself
via Revelations and Fango, he has announced in an interview
he intends to remake his most famous film to date. The debate
about this will now no doubt rage for weeks on end. My only
thoughts on the matter are, it was bound to happen sooner
or later, and if anyone was going to do it then who better
than Barker. You can read the full annoucement from the link
below.
Starring
Britain's very own 
The
website for the survival horror ‘The Passion’
has gone live. The main points of interest are a far better
(center icon) quality trailer, and a load of stills from the
movie. Looks good.
Only
one so far alas, but even that gives us some idea of the scale
of the production. The set in the pic looks hugely lavish,
and has us eager to see more! For more background details
and a summary of the plot, you can check out our original
story on the movie posted way way back on 
Director
Ramon Etman’s ‘Horizonica’ apparently holds
the distinction of being the largest project in Dutch cinema
history, to be entirely completed by using only volunteers.
With a tiny budget, Etman managed to persuade various Dutch
celebrities, actors, singers and DJs to join the cast and
crew for free! 
Comingsoon.net
have covered news that Johnnie To's ‘Triad Election
(the sequel to his epic Election) is due for release in New
York April 07. Synopsis: Jimmy (Hong Kong superstar Louis
Koo) is in the running for the coveted post of Triad president.
He faces resistance from his "godfather" Lok (Simon
Yam), who has served his two-year term and makes an increasingly
desperate effort to throw tradition to the wind and maintain
his position. As the power plays escalate, so does the violence...
Election 2 is an uncompromising film; violent, serious, politically
controversial, and spectacularly unsympathetic. It also depends
in large part on the viewer having seen its prequel.
And
very good it looks too. Joon-ho Bong’s mega grossing
blockbuster ‘The Host’ is due to hit France on
the 22nd November. We have turned up the poster and trailer
for the French release, which offers a few new tantalising
glimpses of the monster. Enjoy. 
According
to the Hollwood Reporter, Rogue Pictures have bought the film
rights to an upcoming vampire comic book titled "Blood
on the Tracks," setting Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon
(pic left) to write and direct the adaptation. Michael Zoumas
is on board to produce via his Zoom Entertainment, while Barry
Levine is producing via his newly formed company Blatant Pictures.
"Blood" revolves around a series of killings in
the New York subway system. While at first it is thought to
be the work of a serial killer, it later is revealed that
the murders are the work of a vampire who has been living
in the tunnels of the city from the days when it was still
New Amsterdam. Agent John Levin, who represents Levine's company,
came up with the initial concept and pitched it to Levine.
Levine was setting up a comic book company named Radical Comics
that also would produce movies via an arm called Blatant Pictures.
He took it to author/comic writer David Tischman, who shares
co-creator credit. Tischman will exec produce.
We
covered news last month on Malaysia's first superhero ‘Cicak-
Man’. Now the first trailer for the movie has arrived
on Youtube, it has pretty much confirmed what initial reports
hinted at. The film indeed appears to be as camp as a row
of tents. Heavy on the ‘comedy’ we’d do
best to expect more 'Ultraman', than ‘Dark Knight’
this time round.
Loosely
translated as ‘Leave quickly, return late’ : ‘Pars
vite et reviens tard’ tells the story of a modern-day
Parisian town crier, who gradually learns that someone is
using him to give cryptic warnings of a plague outbreak in
the city. Synopsis: Paris, year 2000. The police chief
of the Adamsberg district is intrigued by the numerous appearances
of a 4 reversed, painted on the interior doors of various
buildings of the capital. For days, an anonymous customer
has deposited in the post box of the town crier, mysterious
even incomprehensible messages. Sometimes written in French
of the 17th century, sometimes even in Latin. The advertisements
become increasingly cold in the dark. To what plague so terrible
that anyone hardly dares to murmur its name, do the obscure
messages refer? Should they be taken seriously or are they
simply the work of a madman? There is a teaser to watch
over at the films official site. No english subs as yet but
we are on the hunt for one.
The
first full trailer for 'Bug’ directed by the mastermind
behind 'The Exorcist' William Friedkin is now available to
see on the films website. It goes further to confirm this
will be a very different horror experience, to what we are
used to from Friedkin. 
Well
it may be the season to be jolly, but what may be the first
poster for director Glen Morgan’s remake of the 1974
slasher ‘Black Christmas’ tends to give you the
impression it will be anything but. Plot Outline: A group
of sorority sisters find themselves being harassed by a stranger
with menacing phone-calls and begin to die, one by one on
Christmas Break. The film from 
London
sales outfit Lumina Films has picked up worldwide rights to
Colombian horror movie 'Espectro.' The movie is debut of 28-year-old
writer-director Juan Felipe Orozco is produced by Paloalto
Films. Juan Felipe apparently wrote the script with guidance
from a psychologist, in an attempt to make the film as disturbing
and intense as possible. The story all takes place inside
the apartment of a woman with agoraphobia. Convinced she's
not alone, she sets up cameras to record herself sleeping
and soon she discovers she has a very unwelcome guest. Watching
the trailer you certainly get the sense that Orozco has captured
the claustrophobic atmosphere of a women terrified to leave
her home, yet equally scared to stay and face her unknown
tormentor. 'Espectro' will screen at the upcoming American
Film Market. '
Local
production house Hock Star Entertainment are soon due to release
a new international horror feature film, ‘Possessed’,
which stars a host of local and international artistes.
Geneon
Entertainment’s U.S website for the excellent, dark,
and noir esk Anime ‘Ergo proxy’ is near to going
live, in preparation for its DVD release in the states in
November. For those that missed our original piece back in
May heres a summary of the story : 
Good
news for British Horror fans. U.K. sales outfit High Point
Films has picked up world rights to Dutch slasher pic "Slaughter
Night." Directed by Edwin Visser and Frank van Geloven,
pic will premiere in Pusan, followed by the Toronto After
Dark Festival and will then screen for buyers before the American
Film Market. High Point founder Ronald de Neef, who launched
Italian horror maestro Dario Argento onto the international
market in the 1980s, commented, "What struck us immediately
is just how visually strong the film is, which is ideal for
an international audience." 
Only
in the Thai language at the moment, though I understand there
will be an English version
soon. The main plus to be found on the site
is the trailer, now available in a lovely crisp downloadable
Quicktime version. [
The
official movie poster and first teaser trailer have turned
for 'Prince
of the Himalayas' over at 
The
new Hong Kong gangster flick "Undercover operation"
will hit Chinese cinemas on October 13. Based on real life
stories, the film breaks the mould for gangster movies by
telling the stories of hundreds of undercover cops who work
to split the criminal gangs up. 
What
is the difference between a replacement and being dropped?
Not much, it seems, when it comes to the odd affair of how
"Invisible Waves" is no longer Thailand's foreign-language
Oscar contender. 
Here
is a much fuller synopsis for Oxide Pang's upcoming film 'Diary'.:
Winnie (Charlene Choi) has become very disturbed and depressed
after her boyfriend, Seth broke off with her. She became schizophrenic,
imagining things that never happen, and often lives in her
own world. One day, she met a guy named Ray (Shawn Yue), who
resembled her ex-boyfriend very much. Seeing this, Yvonne
(Winnie’s best friend) encouraged her to start going
out with Hou so she can forget her misery and start over a
new life. So, Winnie and Ray started seeing each other and
soon became a couple. One thing Winnie realised is that the
courting was the same as her previous experience. Every other
little thing that Ray and she do together seems to be a recollection
of her previous relationship with Seth. And as things go smoothly,
Winnie realises that even this time around, her relationship
with Ray has turned sour as with her last. She began to feel
that Ray’s heart is changing and seems to have fall
out of love with her. Was her past relationship affecting
her now? Was this her imagination or was this really happening
again? Do they all exist in the first place…
News
just in on another Thai horror flick, ‘The letters of
Death’. Not a great amount of detail on the story as
yet, except a suitably cryptic synopsis from the films production
site: What happens when a former sixth grade student who
lived with vengeance came back to take his revenge. The answer
of the quiz must be revealed before time runs out! Is there
probably no answer for this quiz? And if so the only thing
left is the death of everyone? Along with that, we have
found some even more cryptic trailers which you can see 
It
would appear that ‘The Banquet’ is not the only
Chinese film inspired by Hamlet. "Prince of Himalaya"
is another Chinese production based on the famous tragedy
by William Shakespeare. Set in the ancient Tibet, "Prince
of Himalaya" is actually closer to the original story
than ‘The Banquet’ does. Co-written and directed
by US-based Chinese filmmaker Sherwood Hu (Lanling Wang),
it is shot in Tibet with a full Tibetan cast, speaking Tibetan
throughout the film. The prince is played by first-time young
actor Pubajia, who was discovered by the director at a bar
in Jiuzhaigou, located in the southwestern Chinese province
of Sichuan. Director Hu later sent Pubajia to Shanghai Theater
Academy and paid his tuition. Last month Pubajia became the
winner of "My Hero", a boy only American Idol-like
TV Show in China. The cinematography was done by Hou Yong
(Jasmine Women (as the director), Hero, The Road Home, The
Horse Thief). [
Yes
indeed, every so often we like to take a turn around the world
of U.S. B-Horror. This time it’s ‘Plane dead’.
We did actually cover the film back on 
Now
in its ninth year, the line-up is all in place for the Horrorthon
Film Festival which takes place this year from Thursday 26th
October through to Monday 30th October at the Irish Film Institute
in Dublin. 
The
new film from Haruki (the producer of ‘
From
director Wisit Sasanatieng, creator of ‘Tears of the
Black Tiger’ and ‘Citizen Dog’ comes his
new film ‘The Unseeable’. Synopsis: A young
pregnant woman Nuan-chan ventures to Bangkok in 1934 looking
for her husband. She stays in the house of a wealthy widow
Run-juan who, it's rumored, still sleeps with her dead husband.
The film is due to be screened at the 
-
“THE BABY’S ROOM” By ALEX DE LA IGLESIA
Upcoming
from Thailand is the survival horror ‘The Passion’.
Synopsis: One night at a cinema in town, after catching
the last movie of the evening, Praew, an attractive girl is
struggling to escape from Chai, a stranger who attempts to
assault her in a restroom. Chai is actually the head of security
for the huge entertainment complex, and has been obsessively
watching Praew’s every move from his security monitors.
Luckily, Koa, an usher of the cinema comes to save her in
time. As they run to escape, Chai commands his guards to seal
the complex. The chase is on to hunt her down. There
is an official site, but at the moment there is only a title
page. We have however tracked down a full trailer for you
to check out. The film opens in Thailand on October 19th.
[
According
to Variety, Hayao Miyazaki has started production on his latest
as-yet-untitled animated film, according to Miyazaki's Studio
Ghibli. Release is scheduled for summer 2008 -- four years
after the his last feature, 2004's "Howl's Moving Castle,"
which grossed $170 million in Japan alone. International sales
company and local distribution have yet to be announced, though
Toho has handled all of Miyazaki's recent movies. Studio Ghibli,
which has produced every Miyazaki films since 1985, is releasing
only the odd tidbit about the new pic, such as the July excursion
of Miyazaki and his main staff to scout locations in Kobe,
a port on Japan's Inland Sea, and Miyazaki's use of watercolors
for his storyboards a departure from his B&W norm. 
Director
Songyos Sugmakanan’s Ghost story ‘Dorm’
is set to get a Hong Kong cinema release on October 19th.
The story revolves around a Thai boy Chatree (Charlie Trairattana)
who is sent to boarding school by his parents, against his
wishes. Despite being the social outcast, and a recluse, Chatree
befriends another pupil, Wichien (Sirarath Jianthaworn). They
become fast friends, but Wichien has a deep dark secret and
at 6pm everyday, he mysteriously disappears.The release is
of course good news for film goers in Hong Kong. But its also
possibly great news for those of us still waiting to see the
film on DVD with English (the Thai disc unusually had none)
subtitles. With a release in theatres in HK, that ‘should’
greatly increase the chances of the film being picked up by
a Hong kong distributor, who almost always provide English
subs on DVDs. 
Find
out what's caught our eye from this months new dvd releases
It
seems that cop/crime movies with an occult twist are very
much in vogue at the moment. Another upcoming film in the
genre is ‘Death walks the streets’. Said to be
the first chapter in a new trilogy of films blending action
and drama into a rich world of crime and horror. The filmmakers
have