|
Film
- July 08
31st
July
Website
and new teaser trail for 'Phoonk'
 Known
for his fear-based movies like 'Darna Mana Hai', 'Darna Zaroori
Hai' and 'Ghost,' director Ram Gopal Varma is back with another
genre flick titled 'Phoonk: A Black Magic'. Produced by Azam
Khan and Praveen Nischol, the movie deals with topics of black
magic & fear, something which Varma has explored in his
signature style. So far its all looking very promising with
creepy visuals galore. Best of all - not a song and dance
routine in sight. 'Phoonk: A Black Magic' is set for release
on August 22nd.
Synopsis:
“Phoonk is the story of a confirmed atheist whose belief
systems are shaken up when his loved ones are subjected to
unspeakable horrors by forces whose very existence his rational
mind refuses to accept. It is also the story of a fanatical
devotee who is forced to turn her back on God in the face
of traumatic experiences.”
Phoonk
(Official
site) Phoonk
(Posters)
31st
July
Is China free to frighten us once again? Chinese chiller 'The
Deserted Inn' gets a release date
 Zhang
Jing's Chinese horror movie
The Deserted Inn is finally set for a theatrical
release next month. Great news in itself as we first covered
news on the film, well over a year ago - More important,
could this mean the Chinese government
is starting to ease their
ban on horror films and all things frightening? Here's
hoping.
The
Deserted Inn stars Kenny Kwan as a music composer
whose career is on the rocks and retreats to a deserted town
looking for inspiration to write his next hit song. After
checking into a local inn, he begins to experience nightmares
that push him to the brink of insanity until he unveils the
dark secret of the innkeeper. The Deserted Inn
opens in mainland China, August 15th.
The
Deserted Inn Trailer
30th
July
Soi
Cheang's 'Shamo' available on DVD from tomorrow
 Whoa
how did we nearly miss this!? Director Soi Cheang's Shamo,
the follow up pic to his equally violent action movie 'Dog
Bite Dog,' is released on DVD tomorrow. The film produced
by Hong Kong's Same Way Productions is a hard core fight pic
about a about a psychotic antihero called Ryo. Shamo
stars Shawn Yue ("Infernal Affairs") in the lead,
along with Masato ("Lethal Ninja"), Dylan Kuo ("Black
Night") and Francis Ng ("Exiled").
Convicted
of murdering his own parents in a fit of insanity, Ryo Ishibashi
is thrown in a harrowing juvenile detention center, where
he's physically and sexually assaulted, pushing him to the
brink of suicide. But Ryo is rescued from the abyss by Kenji
Kurokawa (Francis Ng), an eccentric karate teacher who instructs
Ryo how to become a human weapon. The training gives Ryo the
will to live, and once he leaves prison, he decides to test
his skills in the extreme fighting tourney Lethal Fight, challenging
reigning champ Naoto Sugawara (Masato) to a winner-take-all
match. But Ryo is still searching for his missing younger
sister, Natsumi (Pei Pei, Dog Bite Dog), who descended into
prostitution after Ryo was jailed. During his search, Ryo
chances upon another prostitute, Megumi (Annie Liu), who comforts
him and gives him the strength to move forward, leave his
past behind, and battle for his ultimate goal: defeating Sugawara
in the "Lethal Fight" championship.
Shamo
(Official site)
Order
the DVD
29th
July
'Crows
Zero 2' Teaser online!
 Well
this has made our day. Crows Zero 2 the sequel
to last years (about high school gang wars) Manga-to-film
adaptation directed by Takashi Miike, now has a teaser trail
on its official site! Miike is back to helm the sequel, which
follows on eight months after events in the first
film.
Miike back to direct - with more gangs, more fights and more
bone crunching action. It doesn't get much better than that.
Crows Zero 2 opens in Japan in the new year.
Crows
Zero 2 (Official
site)
28th
July
English
subtitled trailer for Malaysian horror 'Susuk'
 We
first reported on the Malay horror Susuk
well over a year ago. The film was originally due to open
early in 2007, then for some reason production stalled, and
everything went very quiet. Now its finally finished and we’ve
managed to turn up a English subtitled version of the trailer
- always very handy when you're trying to work out what's
(between the screams) going on. Susuk opens
in Malaysia next month. Here's some gen on what “Susuk”
actually is, from the official site.
"Su•suk"
(noun) The forbidden art of inserting and embedding foreign
objects such as gold, silver and diamonds under a person's
skin in order to increase the person's allure.
Synopsis:
Beauty has a price. Soraya is a young trainee nurse who feels
disaffected by her life. A chance introduction to the world
of glamour piques her earlier ambition to be a star. She does
not succeed at first, but she is told that the forbidden practice
of Susuk can help. She has to make a choice whether to stay
the way she is, or cross the line... Meanwhile, Suzana is
a prominent diva with an air of mystery. She has long been
a practitioner of the black arts due to her use of the extreme
Susuk keramat. Every time she violates a taboo, a human life
is required. We follow the eventful lives of these two women
until we get to the true secret of this dreaded charm."
Susuk
Trailer
27th
July
Tai
Chi Master: R1 DVD Review
 Tai
Chi Master (1993) Released on R1 DVD via Dragon Dynasty. Director
- Yuen Wo-Ping.
Reviewed by: Luis Muniz.
It's
ideal to see some documentaries on Shaolin Monks and how they
go about their everyday activities to better comprehend films
like Tai Chi Master. Surprisingly, their
training habits are far-beyond those who spend a normal day
at the gym. Celebrated Director and Fight Choreographer Yuen
Wo-Ping, (The Matrix, Iron Monkey) in retrospect, gives us
a glimpse of how it was centuries ago by displaying Martial
Arts (Gongfu), to its highest potential. Starring Jet Li (The
Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Lethal Weapon 4) and the
self-professed tomboy Michelle Yoeh, (The Mummy: Tomb of the
Dragon Emperor, Supercop) Master is a treasure
indeed, to have both these phenomenal superstars together.
Two cranky youngsters are partnered up in the Shaolin Temple
with secretive intentions to learn the fine art of Kung Fu
without a master's approval. Compelled to leave the temple
due to lack of respect towards their elders after a scuffle
was set off by Chin Bo that Jun Bo (Jet Li) tried to control,
they find themselves moving to a district that draws the twin
warriors to a rebel faction and entertains the public for
means of shelter and income. With the two running into trouble
having to pay taxes bylaw, Chin Bo uses the opportunity to
join the military in the Lutan Province for potential wealth
and power leaving his companion behind. Eventually, the go-getting
extremist entraps his former friend and the rebellion lead
by Siu Lin (Yoeh) by tricking them with false information
in order to further build his position with Lord Lu....
Continue
reading the review here
Tai
Chi Master U.S trailer
Tai
Chi Master H.K trailer
Order
the DVD
27th
July
Korean
horror 'Anonymous Blood' (Hong Kong Version) on DVD
 Although
released on English subtitled Korean DVD last year, we though
it worth a mention that Blood-splattered Korean horror Anonymous
Blood is to get a (far cheaper) Hong Kong DVD release.
As well as it's high body count, Anonymous Blood
also made headlines in its home country with what was there
considered a very "provocative" teaser
poster featuring a female nude. Directed by Son Tae Woong,
Blood made use of a state-of-the-art cadaver
model to enhance realism and visual scares.
Synopsis:
Sun Hwa, Joon Suk, Ki Bum, Eun Joo, and Kyung Min are medical
students about to experience the most gut-wrenching lesson
of their lives. On the first day of anatomy class, a beautiful
female cadaver awaits them in the laboratory. Strangely, soon
after their encounter with the dead, a string of accidents
and unexplained deaths befalls their classmates, and the students'
lives spiral out of control as they begin to suffer from unexplainable
hallucinations and delusions. Suspecting the first cadaver
they dissected to be the link behind the killings, they begin
to investigate the past to find out why they have been marked
for death. They get the fright of their lives when they discover
that eighty percent of cadavers are victims of unnatural death
with no surviving relatives. Suddenly, nothing seems the way
it appears to be...
Anonymous
Blood Trailer
Order
the DVD
26th
July
UK
theatrical release for Sui Hark, Ringo Lam & Johnnie To's
'Triangle'
 Well
this is a surprise. Coming to UK cinemas this August is Triangle,
one of the most highly anticipated Hong Kong movies in recent
years - not least because it features the work of the three
undisputed masters of contemporary Hong Kong cinema. Tsui
Hark (Seven Swords; Zu Warriors;), Ringo Lam (Full Contact)
and Johnny To (Mad Detective) have joined forces for the first
time ever to apply their directorial skills to an inventive,
comic crime thriller starring Louis Koo (Flashpoint), Simon
Yam (SPL), Honglei Sun (Mongol; Seven Swords), Lam Ka Tung
(Mad Detective; Infernal Affairs) and Kelly Lin (Mad Detective).
The story
revolves around three down-on-their-luck drinking buddies
who become involved in a simple heist that becomes ever more
complicated as outside elements interfere with their attempts
to make some ‘easy’ money. The plot may sound
plain and simple when summed up in one sentence, but with
each consecutive third of the movie directed in succession
by Hark, Lam and To, respectively, the results are far from
predictable. It not only makes for a singularly entertaining
movie, but is also a cinematic experiment that perfectly showcases
the strengths of three of Hong Kong's greatest filmmakers.
Triangle is released by Manga Entertainment
and will open at selected UK cinemas on 29th August 2008.
Triangle
Trailer
25th
July
'Hanuman:
The White Monkey Warrior' Trailer
 A
trailer is up for Thai supernatural martial arts action gangster
(thats a lot of genres to cram into one film) movie Hanuman:
The White Monkey Warrior. We've watched it more than
a few times and still dont know what the hell to make of it
- So, you be the judge. Hanuman opens in Thailand in August.
Here is the storyline, taken from the production companies
website...
In
the ancient time before Land of Siam was born, there was a
time when armies of invaders came to colonize the land and
were mercilessly massacring the population. A priest secretly
gathered drawings of many animals from all over the world.
He bonded the drawings in to a book with great supernatural
powers. Then he gave the book to two headman of one Thai tribe
to use these drawings to tattoo on his people and fight the
invaders. When the land is rid of vandals and peace returns,
the sacred book must be divided into many segments and passed
on to the most trusted disciples to guard and preserve it.
All segments of the sacred book must never fall in to hands
of those who seek absolute power. The time passed and ages
went by, the sacred book once again emerged into the hands
of rivals. All stories confirm that they were invincible because
they were protected by tattoos with supernatural powers. When
the segments of the sacred book once again collide, the blood
battle of the supernatural animals begins.
Hanuman
Trailer
24th
July
A
little more 'Midnight Meat Train'
 A
quick update - further to our post on July
22nd. The official Korean site for The Midnight Meat
Train has just gone live. Main points of interest
include - some news stills and a short but sweet 30 sec TV
spot for the pic.
Midnight
Meat Train (Official Korean site)
24th
July
'Ninja
in Ancient China': DVD Review
 Ninja
In Ancient China (1989) R0 DVD. Director - Chang Cheh
Reviewed by: Darren Cenerini
I'll
be honest here, I've never been a huge fan of the Wire Fu
generation of martial arts films. I find them incredibly pretentious
in the story department, and incredibly boring in the martial
arts department, as you can only be amused by the same "hey
look, we can fly!" scene so many times. That's not to
say I don't enjoy some of them, though. For example when Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon was first released it was my favorite
film at the time, and I even liked the light hearted remake
of Iron Monkey. Still though, I can't help but feel ripped
off somehow when I pop in an "action packed martial arts
film!" and see the same old wire stunts I've seen in
countless other films. I was given a chance to view the last
film by famous director Chang Cheh - "Ninja In Ancient
China". Would this be another movie to change my mind
on the Wire Fu generation, or was it doomed to be lumped into
the same pile as countless other B-grade films?
The
story is oversimplified and almost non existant to a certain
degree, as everything is set up in the first ten or so minutes.
Then it throws us a sucker punch and kind of drifts off to
what seems like a different movie before coming full circle
by the final act. Taoist Yu is a doctor of sorts, providing
the local villagers with medicines and herbs to improve their
health...Continue
reading the review here
Ninja
In Ancient China trailer
23rd
July
‘The
Coffin’ goes international
 A
quick update on Ananda Everingham’s latest foray into
the genre that is Horror. A suitably spooky International
poster for Thai frightener ‘The Coffin,’ has appeared.
While an encouraging first sign of life for the movie outside
of Asia, there’s still no word as to if and
when American
distributor Arclight films (who own the U.S distribution rights)
will release the film theatrically. We will keep on digging
on that front. In mean time, you can see the poster larger
from the link below.
The
Coffin Poster
23rd
July
'Dark
Corners' DVD: Review
 Dark
Corners: Director - Ray Gower
R2 DVD: Review by - Pete Higgins
There
are few things more disappointing than wasted potential. Thora
Birch’s almost heartbreaking movie career is a classic
example. From the practically perfect “Ghost World”
to the virtually unwatchable “Dark Corners”. How
did it come to this?
To give
Thora some credit, at least she has the sense to look faintly
bemused and/or disgusted by the whole thing. It’s not
her fault that the film stinks worse than month-old milk.
No, the blame lies firmly at the door of director/writer Ray
Gower. “Dark Corners” is his first film. In an
ideal world it would also be his last, but no: he’s
currently hard at work on something called “Necrogenesis”.
I can’t wait.
For what
it’s worth, the plot of “Dark Corners” is
actually interesting. In safer hands than those of Mr. Gower,
it could have made a decent, creepy little thriller. The idea
of a film in which the audience is never quite sure what is
“real” and what is “fantasy” is interesting,
if not entirely original. Here, however, it is handled so
crassly that any goodwill on the part of the viewing public
is quickly replaced by irritation, revulsion, disbelief and,
perhaps worst of all, boredom.
The
film’s obviously low budget is no excuse – cheap
doesn’t have to mean stupid - and everyone in the cast
does his or her best, but really, what more can you say about
a film in which the main source of “humour” is
a corpse’s unfortunate erection, and how to get rid
of it?
Dark
Corners Trailer
22nd
July
Korean
promo reel for Clive Barker's 'Midnight Meat Train'
 Japanese
director Ryuhei Kitamura’s film adaptation of Clive
Barker’s The Midnight Meat Train has
been a troubled affair. Ever since the production neared completion
there have been rumours that the films U.S. distributor were
to say the least unkeen on giving it a theatrical release.
After opening dates were changed, then change again, they
finally settling on a "limited" theatrical release
for the U.S. All that coupled with a less than aggressive
marketing campaign and lack-lustre trailer,
haven't made for an easy ride for the Meat Train. Not so in
Korea. There the pic has been scheduled for a theatrical run
for months now - and with the opening date drawing near, a
great promo reel has just been released to support the movie.
Now this is a horror movie trailer. MMT opens in
Korea, August 14th.
Midnight
Meat Train (Korean Promo Reel)
21st
July
'Infected Island' teaser trail
Well isnt it always the way. No sooner do we drop the news
(July 16th) on Japanese disaster horror Infected Island,
than they go and release a teaser trail on us. It's very
short, but the clip leaves you no doubt this is going to be
a disaster movie - right down to the doom-laden The
Omen-esk Choral theme track. To see the clip, head
over to the official site.
Infected
Island (Official
site)
20th
July
Director Benny Chan returns with new action thriller - 'Connected'
 Hong
Kong action director Benny Chan is back with his new film
Connected. Last year Chan wowed us all here
with his superb Cop/Gangster pic Invisible
Target, so we are keen as mustard to see this
new movie.
Connected
is apparently the first ever Chinese remake of a Hollywood
blockbuster. The film, which takes its concept from David
R. Ellis Cellular, stars Louis Koo, Barbie
Hsu and award-winning leading man Liu Ye. Chan spent two years
working closely with writers Alan Yuen and Xu Bing to hone
and adapt Chris Morgan's original screenplay to Chinese culture
and sensibilities. Currently in post production Connected
opens in September. Link to teaser trail below.
Story:
Bob (Louis Koo)'s life isn't going well at all. A single father
in a dead-end job as a debt collector, he's trapped in a job
that goes against his usual easy-going helpful nature and
he's under tremendous pressure to be a better dad, a better
brother, a better worker, even a better person. While dealing
with all this and his sister (Flora Chan)'s threat to move
to China with his son to force him to clean up his act, Bob
receives a call out of the blue. It's a stranger called Grace
(Barbie Hsu) who claims a mysterious kidnapper (Liu Ye) is
keeping her against her will and begs him to save her and
her young daughter. Is it just a heartless prank? The detective
(Nick Cheung) he tried reporting the call to seems to think
so but Bob's instincts tell him that he may just be the only
thing standing between them and a painful death. But does
he have the mettle to rise above his own self-centred concerns
and risk everything – including his own son –
for two people he has never met and who may not even exist?
Connected
(Teaser Trailer)
19th
July
DVD
release roundup
There
are a load of great Asian/Cult titles due out at the end of
this month, so we’ve decided to cover as many as possible,
in one big hit. Ok, here goes…
‘Tai
Chi Master’ R1 DVD
Jet
Li teams up with Michelle Yeoh in ‘Tai Chi Master’
(aka Twin Warriors), a period martial-arts tale of revenge
and retribution filmed in 1993. Directed by Yuen Woo Ping
(who also directed Jackie Chan's popular Drunken Master and
Yeoh's Wing Chun), it matches over-the-top melodrama with
fantastical fight scenes. Li and Chin Sui Hou play Junbao
and Tienbao, two misfit monks who get into trouble at their
Shaolin temple since childhood.
Order
the DVD
‘Carved
2’ (aka Kuchisake-Onna 2) R2 DVD
Posted
by: Daniel
 Earlier
this year, 24fps readers were given a taste of Carved 2 (Kuchisake-Onna
2) with an official site/trailer. Carved 2, although directed
by Kôtarô Terauchi, and not Kôji Shiraishi
(who directed the film's predecessor), is a follow-up featuring
the infamous, slit-mouthed woman of Japanese urban legend
- setting its focus more on the events that led to her becoming
a killer, rather than the terrifying aftermath and effect
on society.
Good
news – It’s just been released on Japanese R2
DVD. Bad news - Sadly, the release comes without English subtitles.
So unless you speak Japanese, this is for die hard ‘Slit
Mouthed Woman’ fans.
Order
the DVD
‘Vengeance’
R1 DVD
 Directed
by Preaw Sirisuwan, Mono Films, Thai (B-movie) horror adventure
pic ‘Vengeance,’ comes to R1 DVD. A team of police
officers must track down a group of ruthless criminals who
have entered a mysterious forest that is said to be cursed.
Once
inside the forest the police and the criminals discover a
bizarre world where mythical creatures exist and the curse
of ancient treasure hidden within the forest is in fact real.
As they make their way through the forest they must fight
against the creatures within and each other - in hopes of
escaping alive.
Vengeance
(Official
site)
Order
the DVD
‘Dark
City’ (Director's Cut) R1 DVD
 The
critically-acclaimed triumph from visionary director Alex
Proyas (I Robot, The Crow) is back with a brand new directors
cut featuring enhanced picture and sound never-before-seen
footage and three commentary tracks that take you deeper than
ever before into the world of one of sci-fi’s most exciting
and revered tales. When John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes
with no memory at the scene of a grisly murder he soon finds
himself hunted by the police a woman claiming to be his wife
and a mysterious group of pale men who seem to control everything
and everyone in the city. Starring Rufus Sewell, Jennifer
Connelly, William Hurt and Kiefer Sutherland.
Order
the DVD
'Doomsday'
(Unrated Widescreen Edition) R1 DVD
 Loud,
violent, and proudly derivative, the post-apocalyptic action-thriller
Doomsday is the latest from UK cult director Neil Marshall,
who impressed horror fans with his previous efforts, Dog Soldiers
and The Descent. Both pictures established Marshall as a director
with a knack for reinventing well-worn genre pictures, but
here, he seems more interested in stitching together favorite
scenes and elements from established horror and science-fiction
films. Escape from New York is the main source for Doomsday,
though there are plenty of nods to The Road Warrior and its
multitude of Italian-made carbon copies, as well as the zombie/plague
subgenre; the lovely but impassive Rhona Mitra is the Snake
Plissken-esque loner sent by police (represented by Bob Hoskins)
to infiltrate Scotland, which has descended into anarchy following
a viral outbreak.
Order
the DVD
'Psycho
Beach Party' R2 DVD
 Psycho
Beach Party comes from screenwriter and dragtress extraordinaire
Charles Busch. It's an audaciously funny whodunit and psycho
thriller parody set on the sun-drenched beaches of ‘60s
Malibu. When pouty-lipped misfit Chicklet, (Lauren Ambrose,
Six Feet Under) finally makes her way into the cool crowd,
she begins having insanely bizarre blackouts. At precisely
the same time, all of her beefcake surfer pals mysteriously
drop like flies and she quickly becomes the chief suspect.
A madcap romp with shirtless hunks, a wannabe surf babe with
a split personality, oh, and a few severed body parts.
Order
the DVD
'The
Tiger Blade' Blu-ray
 When
the police are challenged with a highly volatile and dangerous
case a young maverick cop with mystical powers is put on the
job. Yosthana teams up with the seductive Duang Dao to hunt
down and capture the deadly Five Bullets Bandit and the brutal
female warrior G.I. Jenjira.The fearsome gang is led by the
lethal Mahesak who like Yosthana is skilled in the art of
sorcery and magic. Mahesak can only be defeated with The Tiger
Blade an ancient sword that holds the powers of nature and
the forces of good. Yosthana must find The Tiger Blade and
bring Mahesak to justice. The stage is set for a gruesome
battle between the two archenemies.
The
Tiger Blade (Official
site)
Order
the disc
'Madame O' R1 DVD
 Madame
O: Director - Seiichi Fukuda
R1 DVD: Review by - Pete Higgins
“Madame
O” is not your average female-revenge flick. For one
thing, its sedate pace (it was made in 1967) takes some getting
used to. For another, its languid, poised, quietly beautiful
heroine is hardly the stuff of modern J-horror. And, for yet
another, the unrelenting gaze with which it observes some
pretty disturbing goings-on is brutally effective.
The
plot, for what it’s worth, is your average female revenge-flick:
Madame O, a successful gynaecologist, was gang-raped on the
beach that summer, and now she picks up guys in bars, sleeps
with them, and kills them. Pretty standard stuff, right? Not
this time. Prepare yourself for a film that packs a real emotional
punch.
The star, Michiko Sakyô, is in practically every scene,
and she brings a truly mesmerising quality to her role, going
about her business with a steely determination that’s
never less than compelling. Whether she’s injecting
her sleeping lover with some unnamed substance, or just driving
home from work, you can’t take your eyes off her for
a second. As the film progresses and things get really far
out, you might want to stop looking, but resistance, as they
say, is futile.
Switching, seemingly at random, between colour and black-and-white,
“Madame O” is quite unlike any other film I’ve
ever seen. Perhaps it’s just that I haven’t seen
many Japanese films from the sixties. Anyway, even in its
dubbed version, this is a film worth tracking down, because
no amount of dubbing can detract from the superb cinematography
and the film’s stately but hypnotic progress. And then
there’s the surprising subtlety of the sex scenes, which,
like those in “Lust, Caution” actually advance
the plot and teach you something about the people involved,
rather than just spicing things up. Yes, whatever it takes
to make a cult classic, “Madame O” has got it.
Madame
O Trailer
Order
the DVD
Like
to suggest a DVD release we might have missed? Why not drop
us a line and tell us about it.
18th
July
'Gosa:
Bloody mid-term exams' Theatrical trailer
 The
theatrcial trailer has just been uploaded to the offical site
for Korean horror 'Gosa: Bloody mid terms.' The film holds
two real distinctions. Number one being its only about the
second home grown horror pic to be released in Korea this
year - And two, it does actually look really
quite good! Very light on the long haired ghosts, 'Gosa'
seems instead to give a large nod of recognition to the world
of slasher horror. 'Gosa' opens in Korean
in August.
Gosa
(Official
site)
18th
July
'The
Good, the Bad, the Weird': Review
 The
Korean Times reporter Lee Hyo-won reviews one of the hottest
tickets in Korean cinema this year. Kim Jee-woon's Western
extravaganza - 'The Good, the Bad, the Weird.'
Director
Kim Jee-woon (``A Bittersweet Life,'' 2005) finally brings
home what had judges in awe at 2008 Cannes in its out-of-competition
section. While inspired by Sergio Leone's spaghetti Western
``The Good, the Bad, the Ugly,'' 1966, ``kimchi'' Western
(as the Toronto International Film Festival calls it) ``The
Good, the Bad, the Weird'' achieves, with finesse, the creative
struggle of transforming self and heritage into something
new.
``Good''
is seductively entertaining in the way you expect a Western
movie to be: three of Korea's most endearing actors ride around
with guns on horseback and engage in a pulsating train robbery,
cross-country treasure hunt and three-way shootout. But the
films has that inherent Koreanness; it capitalizes on heritage
in a new playing field. Exceeding all domestic records in
terms of budget and number of takes for shoots, it recreates
the exoticism of 1930s Manchuria, the natural born child of
the ancient Silk Road where all of Asia seems to melt together
in one pot....
Read
the full review here
The
Good, The Bad (Official
site)
17th
July
Norwegian
slasher sequel 'Cold Prey 2' teases
 A
teaser poster has just dropped for the sequel to last years
surprise international horror hit, the Norwegian slasher ‘Cold
Prey.’ We loved the first movie and are looking forward
to seeing this second installment big time. All we can say
is - U.S./ U.K distributors, buy the rights to this movie
now!
The
sequels story follows directly after the bloody events of
the first movie and apparently promises to be even more action
packed. You can see the poster full size on the pics official
site. 'Fritt Vilt 2' (aka 'Cold Prey 2') is scheduled to open
in Norway on Oct 10th.
Cold
Prey 2 (Official
site)
16th
July
Japan
becomes an 'Infected Island' in 2009
Due out in the new year is Japanese disaster horror 'Infected
Island' (aka 'Kansen Rettou'). Directed by Takahisa Zeze the
pic is apparently about the outbreak of an unknown virus in
Japan. We've just tracked down a teaser poster for the film,
but the boys at Nippon
Cinema have some additional background info.
Kansen
Rettou official site (Not yet active)
15th
July
‘Exte:
Hairy Extensions': DVD
winners
 Our
contest to give away 3 copies of of Sion Sono’s 'Exte
Hairy
Extensions’ has come to an end
and the winners have been drawn. Congratulations are due too:
Min
Kim, Jacob Robins
and Dan Wu. If you entered
but didn’t win this time around, keep a look out - More
great giveaways soon.
Exte
Trailer
Read
our review of EXTE here
14th
July
Teaser
poster and trailer for 'SexyKiller'
 Well
as premises go for a film we've seen weirder. Well maybe.
The official site for Spanish comedy splatter-fest 'SexyKiller'
is now online, with a downloadable version of the teaser trailer.
'SexyKiller' gives new meaning to "Fashion Victim."
Macarena Gómez plays the lead - the murderous "SexyKiller"
who appears to be a cross between "Paris Hilton and Hannibal
Lecter": A cannibal psychopath but with a closet full
of exclusive designs. The blood and mayhem lets fly, when
the film opens in Spain in October.
Synopsis:
The Campus of an exclusive faculty of medicine begins to sown
with corpses. The police have no clue as to who is responsible
for the carnage. Nobody suspected Barbara, an innocent-looking
young woman whose only concern seems to be fashion. However,
under this frivolous facade hides the most lethal and unforgiving
of killers.
Sexy
Killer (Official
site)
*Update*
To save time downloading the trailer, we've also found it
to see on Youtube.
14th
July
'Grindhouse
Trailer Classics Vol. 2' up for pre-order on DVD
 Hot
on the heels of the successful - and critically acclaimed
- Grindhouse Trailer Classics vol 1, Nucleus Films have been
busy polluting their minds watching a mind-twisting plethora
of movie trailer trash in preparation for this much requested
follow up volume of Grindhouse trailers, which promises to
be just as audacious as the first volume – and then
some!
Be prepared
to venture on a second two-hour trip into the demented minds
of the folks at Nucleus Films, and have your brain knocked
out of gear by this stunning assault on the senses of demented
and deranged movie previews, the likes of which you never
dreamed of!
Grindhouse
Trailer Classics vol 2 brings you a hand-picked collection
of mind-blowing trailers for the 1960s and 1970s cult movies
that have inspired and informed the works of a whole generation
of contemporary directors including the likes of Quentin Tarantino
(Death Proof), Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror), Eli Roth
(Hostel) and Rob Zombie (The Devil’s Rejects) –
films such as THE BLACK GESTAPO, TEN VIOLENT WOMEN, THE BODYGUARD,
THE DEPRAVED, BLOODY PIT OF HORROR, THE PINK ANGELS, FOXY
BROWN and many more.
To see
a couple of clips (not safe for work) from Grindhouse Trailer
Classics vol.1, go here
and here.
Pre-order
the DVD
13th
July
Thai
teaser trail for 'The Coffin'
 The
Thai website for Ekachai Uekrongtham’s (Beautiful Boxer)
supernatural thriller ‘The Coffin’ is now up and
running, with a teaser trailer for the flick. Unusually for
Thai horror movie trailer its light on the blood n gore, going
instead for atmosphere and claustrophobic chills. For background
on the pic and to see the Korean trailer for the movie, check
our posts on June
15/17th.
The
Coffin (Official
site)
Source
12th
July
'A Tale of Legendary Libido' on DVD
 Korea's
answer to Austin Powers? A Tale of Legendary Libido stars
comedy sensation Bong Tae Gyu (The Two Faces of My Girlfriend)
as a timid loner suddenly bestowed with an incredible mojo
that allows him to have super strength erection. In this latest
raunchy sex comedy loosely based on the ancient Korean folklore
song Byeon Kang Swe Tale about a macho sex icon named Byeon
Kang Swe, director Shin Han Sol (The Art of Fighting) offers
a modern day interpretation of machismo and male sexuality
that clearly sets his film apart from previous adaptations
like Garujigi (1988).
In a small mountainous village during the Joseon era, there
lived a young timid rice cake seller named Kang Swe (Bong
Tae Gyu), who suffered from impotency due to a freak accident
some years ago. The target of the town's mockery, he hides
himself in the mountains, but his stay is cut short after
running into a monk who passes on the ancient secret of never-ending
erection. Now in full gear, Kang Swe returns to the village
and finds out that all healthy men have been sent out to war.
With sex-hungry, lusty women fighting to get a piece of the
action, Kang Swe certainly has some work cut out for himself.
Tale
of Legendary Libido Trailer
Order
the DVD
12th
July
‘Exte:
Hairy Extensions': DVD giveaway ends soon!
A
quick reminder to any that may have missed it. Our latest
DVD giveaway to win a copy of Sion Sono’s J-Horror ‘Exte:
Hairy Extensions,’ is drawing to a close. We have three
copies up for grabs and entry closes July 14th, after which
3 winners names will be picked at random. To enter, send us
an email to the address on our contact
page, with your name and the title "EXTE DVD"
in the subject field. Easy as pie.
Exte
Trailer
Read
our review of EXTE here
11th
July
Tokyo
Gore Police: Review
 Tokyo
Gore Police (2008) Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura
Reviewed by: Luis Muniz.
Ignorance
is bliss if blood-spatter can’t get any better then
this. As a partial fan of Japanese Anime, finally, someone
seems to be implementing that particular style into live action
cinema. I wondered who the master mind could be that is taking
makeup to a whole new level making it possible to take some
of that uncanny substance that’s created into that lost
terminology i.e., Japanimation, and put it to the test on
the big screen for an audience to realistically see.
Lucky
for us (admirers of that caricature culture) a film like this
gives promise for more Anime to be converted to cinema like
Stan Lee’s comic book to movie invasion. Special effects
wizard Yoshihiro Nishimura (Meatball Machine, The Machine
Girl) scores big with his gruesomely bizarre Tokyo Gore Police
starring Eihi Shiina, (Audition) a nearly forgotten actress
that remains a mystery as to why stardom hasn’t come
to pass. This film that I phrase in one word “insanity”
takes you on a journey of bloodshed where carnage, amputation
and absolute gore is a way of life in future Tokyo.....
Continue
reading 'Tokyo Gore Police' review
Tokyo
Gore Police trailer
10th
July
Teaser
trailer for 'Truck'
 It
appears Korean has jumped on the hand cam film production
band wagon, with the release of the teaser trailer for Hyung-jin
Kwon's horror thriller 'Truck.' Other than the films plotline
we don't know that much about the production. But from the
trail, its looking like one intense piece of filmaking. Check
out the trailer on the pics official site - Link below.
(Yu
Hae-jin) is a simple truck driver transporting liquor, vegetables
and other goods. When his daughter is diagnosed with a congenital
heart disease, he scrambles to borrow money from his friends
to pay for for the operation but cannot raise the necessary
amount. He follows a friend to a gambling house to raise the
outstanding money, but luck deserts him and he loses everything.
In a further bout of bad luck, he enters the wrong room in
the gambling den only to witness a gang boss stabbing several
victims to death in a murderous rage.
After
his friend begs for Chul-min's life, the gang boss sends him
to a faraway province to dispose of the corpses. Carrying
the dead bodies in his truck, Chul-min listens to the radio
for company on the nerve-racking journey. The news program
is about extraordinary serial killer Young-ho (Jin Ku) who
is under police escort to a mental asylum. As Chul-min passes
a country lane, he spots a car that has fallen into the ditch.
Inside, he finds the bodies of several murdered policemen.
After some hesitation, he leaves to complete his duty to bury
the corpses. However, a policeman unexpectedly flags his truck
down and orders him to drive him to the exact province that
he is heading to. As Chul-min unravels the real identity of
his passenger, his nightmare really begins...
Truck
(Official
site)
10th
July
'Fermat’s
Room': Review
 Fermat's
Room (2007) Director Luis Piedrahita/Rodrigo Sopeña
Reviewed by: Peter Higgins
The
more movies you see, the less likely it is that you are ever
going to be genuinely surprised by one. Will the cop come
out of retirement to handle the case? Will the couple who
seem so ill-suited get together in the end? Will the crook
who just wants to go straight get entangled in one last, messy,
caper? Why, yes!
OK, but
how about: will the four mathematicians locked in the inexorably-shrinking
room manage to escape before they all get reduced to little
more than a pocket calculator and a pair of glasses? That’s
the premise of the splendidly entertaining Spanish film “Fermat’s
Room”. Directed by Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopena,
“Fermat’s Room” is a white-knuckle ride
into terror, guilt and mathematics.
After
a brief introductory sequence, the basic set-up is in place,
and we are stuck in that room with our “heroes”.
The four mathematicians in question are: the brash youngster;
the sexy one with whom the brash youngster may or may not
have once had an affair; the no-nonsense, slightly dull one
(with beard); and the older (and wiser?) one (also with beard).
Why are
they here? Who is setting the fiendish puzzles which they
have to solve in order to survive? How many sweets do you
have to pull out of the jar in order to label the jars correctly?
And just where can I get one of those nifty PDAs the bad guy
uses? Genuinely surprising, utterly gripping, at times very
funny, “Fermat’s Room” is enough to entertain
even those of you who hated maths at school. Especially
those of you who hated maths at school.
Fermat's
Room (Official
site)
9th July
Korean
horror 'Wide Awake' on R1 DVD
 Director
Lee Kyu Man's horror thriller 'Wide Awake (The Return) is
up for pre-order on R1 DVD. A hair-raising, whodunnit mystery
incorporates a medical enigma for extra suspense. The pic
stars a great ensemble cast including Kim Myung Min (Into
The Mirror), Kim Tae Woo (Epitaph), Jung Yoo Suk (You Are
My Sunshine), and Kim Yoo Mi (The Doll Master).
Synopsis:
Surgeon Ryu Jaeu gains recognition from his colleagues for
carrying out Korea’s first ever operation using hypnotic
anaesthesia, together with psychiatrist O Chihun. Jaeu ignores
opposition from his surgical partner, anaesthetist Jang Seokho.
But with the return of childhood friend Gang Ukhwan, strange
events start to unfold in the lives of Jaeu and his wife.
One day, Jaeu’s wife collapses with an inexplicable
fever. Jaeu himself
takes charge of the operation, but is unable to save her.
Plunged into despair, Jaeu makes an unexpected discovery about
his wife’s death and sets out to find out the truth.
The truth gradually emerges As Jaeu digs deeper, he realizes
there is a shocking secret behind not only his wife’s
death, but the whole chain of events surrounding him.
Wide
Awake Trailer
Order
the DVD here
9th
July
Palisades
picks up Tartan’s UK library
 New
York based Palisades Media has acquired the majority of Tartan
Films UK's film library of more than 400 titles several weeks
after the company went into administration. The move follows
Palisades' acquisition of Tartan's US film library in May.
The news is small consolation, considering just a year ago
Tartan was the name in Asian film distribution. But,
trying to look at the glass half full, at least it means the
entire catalog will stay together under one distributor.
Source
8th July
FrightFest
is coming!
 A
date of note for U.K horror film fans! Now in its ninth year,
The Film4 FrightFest the UK’s premiere festival of horror
and fantasy has announced its full lineup. Taking place at
the Odeon West End in Leicester Square London, the fest runs
from Thurs 21 August to Monday 25th August with the best in
horror and gore screenings, premieres and personal appearances.
Just some of the treats to see, for genre fans will include:
New Brit shock horror ‘Eden Lake,’ Swedish Vampire
chiller ‘Let the Right One In’ and (highly anticipated
around these parts) Yoshihiro Nishimura’s Japanese mega
splatter fest ‘Tokyo Gore Police.’ For the full
screening schedule, event guide and ticket into, check out
the festivals website.
FrightFest
(Official
site)
8th
July
New
'Dragonball' poster
Posted
by: Daniel
 Justin
Chatwin stars as our hero, Goku, in the 2009 anime-movie adaptation
by James Wong, and judging by Goku's clothes in the poster,
it seems that the movie is going for a more modern setting,
and not the traditional, ancient one as in the anime. This
modernisation, and the fact that Goku is played by an American
(not to mention a fairly unknown one) has angered some, believing
that an actor more close to home should have perhaps been
cast. The movie includes some big names though, like Chow
Yun-Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and James Marsters
(Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and is James Wong's fifth film
as director.
Casting
aside, I will be busting at the seams to see this movie when
it comes out, being a lifelong Dragonball(/Dragonball Z) fanatic,
and while it is hard to imagine Goku appearing on the big
screen, I will be eagerly awaiting the day that he does.
Dragonball
is still in post-production and is expecting an April 2009
release, worldwide. Via
Posters
1
2
7th July
The
Orphanage (aka El Orfanato) DVD: Review
 The
Orphanage (2007) Director - Juan Antonio Bayona
R2 DVD (Optimum Releasing) Reviewed by: Peter Higgins
Remember
the first time you saw "The Others"? How the tension
was expertly drawn-out and you thought you couldn't stand
it any more until... bang: that moment when the door slams
shut on Nicole Kidman, and from then on, the pace never lets
up and you know you're in the hands of a master film-maker.
Older readers may have had a similar experience at their first
viewing of "Aliens"... just when they were ready
to think, "actually, this film isn't really that exciting..."
all hell broke loose, and then they didn't have time to think
at all. So now here comes "The Orphanage", a film
of such power and finesse and skill, a film so brilliantly-crafted
that you won't mind its minor faults, maybe won't even notice
the way its plot is so riddled with holes. Because, trust
me, when that first jaw-dropping (pun intended...) moment
comes, the only way you're not going to be out of your seat
with shock is if you're asleep (unlikely), or dead.
But let’s
start again, at the very beginning. The film’s opening
images are of children's hands peeling away layers of antique
wallpaper, to reveal... what? An inky black nothingness, that's
all. Then we get a scene-setting flashback, with soft-focus
and bleached colours. Our heroine arrives at the titular building,
with grand plans for the place. There will be a party for
all the lucky children who will make this their home. But
things are not as they should be. Who, exactly, is the almost
ludicrously weird social worker? What the hell does she want?
And why is our heroine's husband behaving so strangely?
And why,
in spite of everything, are we still lulled into believing
we are way ahead of the story, when, in fact, we are miles
behind? Too late: all hell has broken loose. Now you're on
the edge of your seat and you're staying there for the duration.
Cue creepy psychics, children wearing horrible masks, ill-advised
journeys into dark cellars, revelations that might come just
in time, or might not.
Keeping
a film like this from descending into mediocrity or stupidity
is no easy task, but director Juan Antonio Bayona knows exactly
what he’s doing. He is helped immensely by excellent
performances from the entire cast, and a perfectly-judged
screenplay (by Sergio G. Sánchez). With its startling
mixture of familiar horror clichés, sentimentality,
brutally well-timed shocks and dazzlingly well-directed set-pieces,
"The Orphanage" already feels like a modern classic.
The
Orphanage (Official
site)
6th July
Gala
NA Premiere for 'The Good, The Bad and The Weird' at TIFF
Oh
you lucky Canadians. The North American premiere of KIM Ji-woon’s
eagerly anticipated ‘oriental western’ The Good,
The Bad, The Weird' will have a Gala showing at the Toronto
International Film Festival (TIFF) this September. KIM’s
western, which had its World Premiere at Cannes this May,
is apparently the first Korean film to receive a Gala screening
at the Toronto fest.
The Good,
the Bad, the Weird will be released in Korea on July 17th.
The film, revolving around a treasure map, stars SONG Kang-ho,
LEE Byung-hun and JUNG Woo-sung and is set in Manchuria during
the Japanese colonial period. The CJ Ent.-backed film has
already sold to 11 nations, with CJ handling international
sales. Source
The
Good, The Bad (Official
site)
The
Good, The Bad (English subtitled trailer)
6th July
Theatrical trailer for Indonesian horror 'Karma'
The website for upcoming Indonesian movie 'Karma,' has just
a had a makeover with a shiny new theatrical trailer holding
pride of place. The pic will boast visuals by Hollywood art
director Martin Surya (The Hulk, Paycheck) mixing a blend
of ancient Chinese/Indonesian traditions and Hollywood visuals.
"The
Guan family is put under an eternal spell: every woman in
the family is bound to suffer a tragic death. Still, this
does not deter Sandra (Dominique Agisca Diyose) to marry Armand
Guan (Joe Taslim), and pull out every possible effort to put
the long-lasting bad karma to an end."
'Karma'
opens in Indonesia, in July.
Karma
official site
5th
July
'A
Tale of Two Sisters' on Blu-ray Disc
 A
big 24fps welcome to another new contributor the site Luis
Muniz, with news of a Korean horror classic arriving on Blu-ray.
Posted
by: Luis Muniz
For
those who are in demand to see some excellent picture &
sound quality from an instant classic, Janghwa, Hongryeon
a.k.a A tale of two sisters goes Blu-ray on July 28th 2008.
Although there is no mention of any new material added that
could possibly surpass what was applied to the Tartan Asia
Extreme DVD, a Blu-ray experience of a beautiful horror film
is worth the watch.
Synopsis:
Bae Soo-yeon (Geun-yeong Mun) and Bae Soo-mi (Su-jeong Lim)
are sent to a mental hospital after the intimate death of
their mother. When released, they are welcomed by their wicked
stepmother Eun-joo (Jung-ah Yum) only to find themselves wondering
in a house full of tension amongst their father and an eerie
paranormal that lurks about.
Ed:
With the unfortunate demise of Tartan UK going into administration,
it's still not 100% clear what will happen to the brand. This
could well be one of the last releases under the Tartan label.
A great shame indeed.
A
tale of two sisters trailer
Order
the Disc here
5th July
A
glowing review of John Woo's 'Red Cliff'
 The
Korean Times reporter Lee Hyo-won has just written a positively
glowing review for John Woo's 'Red Cliff.'
By
Lee Hyo-won. Korean Times
Finally.
Asian cinema sees the birth of a movie with the grandeur in
both budget and inspiration of epic franchises like ``The
Lord of the Rings.'' ``Mission Impossible II'' and ``Face/Off''
helmer John Woo brings ``Red Cliff'' (``Chi Bi'' in Chinese),
a pulsating, two-part battle flick based on the historical
tome ``The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.''
To drive
up the heat, it stars not one but three iconic actors: Tony
Leung (``Lust, Caution''), Takeshi Kaneshiro (``House of Flying
Daggers'') and Chang Chen (``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.'').
This $80 million co-production by South Korea's Showbox/Mediaplex
is yet another story about the three warring ancient Chinese
states. Recently, there was another domestic production geared
for a pan-Asian audience, ``Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of
the Dragon'' with Andy Lau and Maggie Q. ``Red Cliff'' not
only satisfies those who grew up reading the novel, but will
also appeal to a wider audience.... Read
the full review here.
Red
Cliff Trailer
5th July
'Repo
Man’ sequel on the way?
 British
writer-director Alex Cox (Sid & Nancy) is planning a sequel
to his 1984 cult hit ‘Repo
Man.‘ Cox has already completed the screenplay for
the project, ‘Repo Chick,’ and is looking for
studio backing. The new movie is billed as "a 21st-century
look at the issues of Repo Man." The film will feature
some of the same cast as appeared in Repo Man, but the central
character, will be female. Alas there are no roles for the
originals leads - Emilio Estevez or Harry Dean Stanton.
Repo
Chick will be set against the backdrop of the credit crunch
and the mortgage crisis in the US, where repossessions of
homes, cars and other forms of property is at a new high.
"The repo business has expanded to everything from boats,
houses, aeroplanes, small nations...children.” Said
Cox. So the scripts written, but a stack of paper is still
a long way from a movie production. 'Repo Man' has always
tended to have a polarizing effect on opinion around these
parts. If the sequel does get off the ground, the news will
have the lovers and haters of Cox's work in shivers of either
delight, or horror. Source
4th
July
‘Ninja
in ancient China’ on DVD
Cult
label Greenfan dropped us a line to tell us they have have
just released Chang Cheh’s (the director of The 5 Venoms
and The One Armed Swordsman) classic Kung Fu film ‘Ninja
In Ancient China,’ on DVD
When
tragedy befalls Taoist master Yu at the hands of power hungry
general Suen Cheuk, the Taoist master's students, the Five
Element Ninja, decide that revenge is their only option. However,
if they are to have their vengeance they must first infiltrate
the inner circle of the general's closest allies. Featuring
action choreograph by by Kung Fu Hustle star Tung Chi Hua,
Shaw Brothers legend Chang Cheh delivers a classic 'old school'
kung fu flick, filled with intrigue, high emotion , blistering
fight sequences and a tiny bit of high campery.
An added
bonus, the release is region free so can be watched
anywhere.
Ninja
In Ancient China trailer
3rd July
Thai
martial arts sensation 'Chocolate': Review
 Chocolate
(2008) Director - Prachya Pinkaew
Reviewed by: Darren Cenerini
One of
my favorite genres of movies are the martial arts movies.
Films like Enter The Dragon, Supercop, Iron Monkey and many
more classics are a guilty pleasure of mine. I love movies
with an epic, moving story more than most people, but even
I cannot deny that sometimes you just want to watch people
get smacked around. A few years back martial arts movies seemed
to be at an all time low, relying more on wireframe stunts
and CGI than actual martial arts. A man named Prachya Pinkaew
stepped up and presented us with his first studio film, Ong
Bak, starring now legendary Muay Thai fighter Tony Jaa. The
absolutely stunning fight scenes and disregard for anyone's
safety by seldom using safety equipment had me speechless.
This was it. Martial arts movies were back, and hopefully
here to stay. We were then presented with Tom Yum Goong, the
follow up to Ong Bak and once again it took me many days after
initial viewing to pick my jaw up off the floor. This year,
Prachya's third film, Chocolate, was released but had a noticeable
absence of Tony Jaa. Taking his place was a newcomer; a female
fighter with roots in Taekwondo named Jeeja Yanin. Could she
possibly be as good as Tony?.....Continue
reading the review here
Chocolate
(Official
site)
2nd
July
Stunning
new footage from Mamoru Oshii's 'The Sky Crawlers'
 The
official site for Mamoru
Oshii's (Ghost in the Shell) new feature animation film,
‘The Sky Crawlers’ has just gone fully live and
within is a quite stunning full length trailer. Oshii has
blended 2D and 3D animation into something that we think will
blow viewers away. We really want to see this now!
The
story unfolds in another 'possible' modern age. The main characters
are youngsters called "Kildren", who are destined
to live eternally in their adolescence. The Kildren are conscious
that every day could be the last, because they fight a "war
as entertainment" organized and operated by adults. But
as they embrace the reality they are faced with, they live
their day-to-day lives to the full.
‘Sky
Crawlers’ is due to be released in Japan in August.
The
Sky Crawlers (Official
site)
2nd
July
'Mutant
Chronicles' teaser trailer has arrived
 Get
it while you can. Tomas Jane has uploaded a teaser trailer
for his new film ‘Mutant Chronicles’ onto his
own personal website. It's not clear if th
| 