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R1 DVD release planned for Korean horror classic EPITAPH

Heads up Korean horror fans – some great news - Epitaph directed by Jung Sik and Jung Bum-sik is set to get a U.S DVD release in the new year! With its intriguing plot, exquisite cinematography and eerie 40’s styling Epitaph was a smash hit in its home country back in 2007. Set in 1940’s Seoul during the long Japanese occupation, the film is the scary story of a hospital morgue, serial killings and some rather strange doctors. Co-director Jung Bum-sik got his start as an assistant director on several Park Chan-wook films. We’re still trying to nail down the exact release date, but in the mean time you can check out a new English subbed trailer for the film.

The year is 1942: the Korean capital of Kyung Sung is occupied by the Japanese and the Anseng Hospital lies in the center of the city, representing the twin glories of Japanese Imperialism and western modernization. But mysterious things are happening at the hospital: An intern is bound by his parents to marry a girl whom he never met, but instead is romantically drawn to a corpse. A traumatized little girl, the lone survivor of a horrific car crash, is tortured by bloody visions and a married couple, who are doctors, desperately try to manage their colleagues’ behaviors but find themselves investigating a series of brutal murders. As the stories unfold and obsessive loves are revealed, the hospital and its staff descend into a darker abyss, which they may never return from.

 

Epitaph trailer

Official site for MUM & DAD now live

Just a quick update - The official site for Steven Sheil's uncompromising Brit horror Mum & Dad is now live. All the usual goodies are there to be seen. The pic will be the first UK film release to appear in cinemas at the same time as DVD, Video on Demand, electronic sell-through and rental. Mum & Dad opens on December 26th.

Synopsis: When Lena, a young Polish immigrant working as an office cleaner at Heathrow Airport, misses her last bus home, she accepts an offer of help from friendly co-worker Birdie, who lives nearby with her ‘adoptive’ parents. Knocked unconscious after arriving at the house, Lena soon finds herself imprisoned in a suburban House of Horrors, a living nightmare of abuse and torture. Designated a 'Mummy's Girl', Lena's only options appear to be to become part of the family - and join Mum and Dad in their insanity - or die.

 

Mum & Dad official site

Teaser for Russian Apocalyptic horror thriller THE REJECTION

With a storyline that reads like a cross between ‘The Happening’ meets ‘28 days later,’ a fantastic first trailer is out for Russian apocalyptic horror thriller The Rejection. Directed by Vladimir Lert - the film stars Sergei Babkin as a man who tries to discover the reason behind his cities impending destruction. As far as we can work out the movie is due for release in Russia, May 09.

Synopsis: The world is falling apart. An unknown metropolis sits under a Jade green sky. Abandoned in a hurry, belongings lay piled high and the roads are clogged with Cars and columns of Tanks sitting idle and empty. The few remaining inhabitants reel aimlessly through the streets behaving erratically, screaming - unable to control their own actions, whilst all around them a rapidly growing green mold is sucking the life out of every living thing.

 

The Rejection website

Indy Korean Sci-Fi BRAINWAVE now on DVD

A real blast from the past this. First covered on 24fps way back in 2006, Shin Tae-ra’s indie sci-fi flick Brainwave, is finally being released on DVD. Written, produced, and directed by Shin, Wave so impressed the Korea film council when it was first shown at the 2005 Jeonju International Film Festival they granted the movie an award of $35,000 to use towards (get this) the rental of equipment to transfer the original from Digital to 35mm print, just so he could get it a cinema release.

Since those humble low budget beginnings Shin Tae Ra has gone onto far bigger things, most notably his grisly psychological horror Black House, which was both a critical and box-office hit of the summer 2007 horror lineup. Kim Do Yoon, stars as Jun Oh, a man suffering from severe headaches. With his headaches come some unexpected special powers. Meanwhile, two narcotics detectives stumble upon a corpse under a bridge. And that's when things start to really get strange.

 

Brainwave trailer

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Final trailer for Japanese disaster flick 252: SIGNAL OF LIFE

Now with even more Typhoons - the official site for Warner Japan’s new big budget disaster movie 252: Signal of life has been updated with a full length theatrical trailer. As trails go it’s looking great - right up until the point where the J-pop power (sheesh) ballad kicks in?! Directed by Nobuo Mizuta and starring Hideaki Ito and Masaaki Uchino, the film is due out in Japan December 6th. On site, click on the button directly under the "252" logo for the trailer.

Synopsis: A few weeks after a gigantic earthquake strike Tokyo, the temperature of the Pacific Ocean suddenly increased and causes the largest typhoon ever seen in Japan to head towards Tokyo with devastating force. The tidal wave generated by the typhoon covers the coastal city area with water. The Tokyo Fire Department dispatches its elite rescue unit, Hyper Rescue, and their sonar picks up a signal from underwater. Beneath the ground, in one devastated subway station, there is someone sending out a code which is known to rescuers only: 252 252 "We have survivors! In the extreme situation, a rescue party tries to save the survivors at the risk of their own lives. In the face of death, a daring rescue operation is to be carried out.

  

252 official site

Schoolgirls with chainsaws in UNIFORM SABAIGARU

Any more movies involving Japanese schoolgirls hacking Zombies to into bloody chunks with Swords, Chainsaws and other assorted sharp and pointy weaponry and we’ll all have to think up a new name for this rapidly expanding sub genre. Latest to be added to the growing list is - Uniform Sabaigaru.

As far as we can tell, the plot goes something like this...Seven school friends go for a day out to a theme park ominously titled "Survival Land." There, they get stuck into playing war games, fighting against park (dressed as Samurai and Ninja?) employees for fun. All seems well until they realise the weapons they’ve been given are actually real and the park staff they think are playing dead, are DEAD and soon after they become the UNdead. Trapped in the park alone, the battle becomes all too real, as they fight to survive against the ever increasing number of Zombies.

The official site for the film is live but as yet theres no trailer to be seen. In the mean time we have tracked down a few cool stills to be going with. Uniform Sabaigaru opens in Japan in December.

Uniform Sabaigaru official site

Stills 1 2 3

Full trailer for 20TH CENTURY BOYS (chapter 2)

With giant robots aplenty, the full trailer for chapter 2 of Yukihiko Tsutsumi‘s 20th Century Boys trilogy has just hit the web. The year is now 2015 and the mysterious and deadly 'Friend' grows ever more powerful, as millions flock to his dark cause. 20th Century Boys chapter 2 opens in Japan on January 09. Via.

Here's the plotline taken from Wikipedia: "Growing older is rough and Kenji is finding out just how hard it can be as life starts wearing down on him. On top of trying to make ends meet running a convenience store he has to care for the niece that his missing sister left in his care. Memories of youth make it easier, until those memories come back to haunt him. Kenji and his old friends are slowly being drawn into a mysterious conspiracy that could threaten the world. Someone they know from the past is turning their childhood ideas of bio weapons, mass destruction, and a giant killer robots into reality. Who is the mysterious "Friend" and how does he tie into Kenji's youth? Why are there disappearances and deaths tied into Ochanomizu University? Their memories hold the keys to the puzzle, but time and age have clouded their minds.The strange occurrences and the reach of the "Friend" conspiracy grow by the day. It will all culminate on New Year's Eve 2000. Will Kenji and the others be able to put together the puzzle and save the world?" 

 

 20th Century Boys trailer

 

CHANBARA BEAUTY (OneChanbara) on English subtitled DVD

It’s Zombie killing, Cowgirl time. OneChanbara: The movie is finally available on English subbed DVD. Based on the popular PS2 game series, OneChanbara brings the adventures of slayer Aya to the big screen in all its Katana-wielding, zombie-slicing glory. Written and directed by Fukada Yohei, Chanbara stars three pin-up idols in the leading action heroine roles. Up-and-coming actress Otoguro Eri (Shutter, Shaolin Girl) cuts fine form as the feisty heroine Aya, slashing her way through the movie in the character's signature - cowboy hat, cowboy boots, long scarf, and oh yes......a Bikini. To defend her city, she has to take on a quickly multiplying army of zombies that was raised from the dead by a mysterious scientist. Aya is joined in the fight by biker chick Reiko (Hashimoto Manami) who is out to avenge her father's death and Aya's half-sister Saki (Nakamura Chise, Swing Girls) who suddenly shows up in a schoolgirl uniform with a saber of her own. Cue the cheesy J-Pop and on with the Zombie bloodletting!

 

 

OneChanbara official site

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Muay Thai action movie FIREBALL gets trailerized

More action, more fights, and by the looks of it more teeth getting knocked out - the first official trailer for Thanakorn Pongsuwan’s (Opapatika) latest fight fest Fireball, has arrived on the pics website. As well as the trail there are all the usual other bits and bobs to (an added plus, most of it is available in English) see. Fireball arrives in Thai Cinemas December 30th.

Synopsis: Tai, a young man arrested on a crime charge, is discharged thanks to his twin brother Tan’s dogged help. After being set free, he finds Tan in a coma with severe injuries. Tan’s girlfriend, Pang, tells Tai that his brother got involved in some risky business to raise money to fight Tai’s case. Tai feels guilty that his problems brought his brother trouble. He then traces what happened to Tan, which ultimately leads him into illegal basketball gambling. Tai wants to find out who is behind this gambling and why his brother was beaten unconscious. He finally joins the “Fireball” team, a team which belongs to Hia Den and whose players include Singha, Kay, Ik, and Muek. In order to uncover the truth, Tai trades many things—possibly even his life.

 

Fireball official site

The weird and wonderful world of O’HORTON
We stumbled across the oddball Norwegian comedy O’Norton purely by accident and we’re glad we did - it looks like a real gem.  Written and directed by Norwegian helmer Bent Hamer (no we didn’t make the name up) O’Horton is a charming, quirky and eccentric look at one mans life in his “autumn” years post retirement. Think that sounds kind of dull? Read on…
 
Synopsis: The moment the train leaves the station without engineer ODD HORTEN (Bard Owe) aboard, he realizes that the path ahead is a journey without printed timetables and well-known stations. Horten has been forced to retire after 40 years of traveling a very stable rail, and the platform does not feel like a safe place anymore. His orderly, solitary existence is about to give way to a future of unlikely adventures and puzzling dilemmas: will Horten ever travel by plane? Will he finally sell his prized boat? How does Horten end up in a pair of women’s red high-heeled shoes? Will he survive a nighttime drive with a blindfolded man at the wheel? Proof positive that there is humor to be found in aging, and we don’t have to be elderly Norwegians to identify, laugh and embrace life in all its idiosyncratic splendor.
 
As well as a winning a swathe of awards in its home country, O'Horton was also an official selection at this years Toronto film festival and will be Norway’s entry into "best foreign language film" at next years Oscars. Sony Pictures Classics have picked up the U.S rights for the film, and will be releasing the movie on a limited theatrical run, February 09.
 
 
O'Horton trailer
 
 
 
More detailed synopsis for Aussie horror ROAD TRAIN

More details are starting to filter through on director Dean Francis’s first feature length film, the horror thriller Road Train. When we first heard about the project we’ll put our hands up and admit we thought it was all sounding (Kids get terrorised by a Demonic killer Truck) like a rip off of Spielberg’s ‘Duel,’ but reading through this new more detailed synopsis it seems there may be more to it than we first thought. 

Synopsis: Four young friends on a camping adventure in outback Australia are run off the road by a mystery road train - a massive three-trailer truck. With their own 4x4 wrecked and the road train stopped, the friends march off to remonstrate with the driver. But there is no one to be found. Suddenly, the silence is broken by the sound of gunshots. A distant figure screams and runs towards them. Are they witnesses to a murder? There’s no time to discuss it. The friends commandeer the road train. The next town is only three hours away. But the next town is somewhere they will never reach. What they discover inside the vehicle’s trailers proves more terrifying than anything out there on that lonely road.

Filming on Road Train starts Feb 09. More as we get it. 

ACCURACY OF DEATH on English Subtitled DVD

Actor Takeshi Kaneshiro returns to Japanese Cinema for his first Japanese film in six years -Sweet Rain (a.k.a. Accuracy of Death). Kaneshiro plays the God of Death, walking between the worlds of the bustling living and the ethereal dead. Based on Isaka Kotaro's best-selling novel, Sweet Rain may be the latest death god feature to appear, but this is no 'Death Note' clone. Co-starring Konishi Manami (Angel's Egg), Mitsuishi Ken (Megane), and Fuji Sumiko (Hula Girls), Accuracy of Death explores the value of life and inevitability of death through three seemingly separate lives, and the lonely death God who connects them together.

When a person's time has come, a death god is sent to earth to observe for seven days and assess the person's life. After a week has passed, he determines whether the person lives or dies. Music-loving death god Chiba's (Takeshi Kaneshiro) latest assignment in the mortal world is a meek 27-year-old office lady (Konishi Manami) who lives a life so quiet and uneventful that even she doesn't see the value of her existence. The judgment seems clear but over the course of the week, Chiba is slowly swayed by his observations and interactions. At the end of the week, he makes a decision, a different decision that causes lives to change and fates to link together in unexpected ways.

Accuracy of Death trailer

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Trailer for Thai Sci-fi horror DEEP IN THE JUNGLE

Snake women ahoy! A trailer is out for upcoming Thai Sci-fi horror Deep in the Jungle and there seems to be more of a hint of 'The Island of Dr. Moreau' meets ‘Species’ about proceedings. The pic is produced by Thai studio Phranakorn (they've turned out some reasonable "B" horror pics in their time) Films, who seem to have the knack of taking outlandish, weird, or just down right out there storylines and end up making them look…well….actually quite good. 'Deep' opens in Thailand in December.

Synopsis: Nawin, an army secret service agent decided to withdraw from a scientific investigation because of unlawful procedures that involved International forces. Although he had tried desperately to avoid the illegal acts of the armed forces, it seems the harder he tried the more involved he became. He was constantly under surveillance no matter where he went or what he did which made him realize there was more to the situation that meets the eye. Jin, a young woman who Nawin once saved from a brutal attack is undergoing a strange transformation within her body as her blood circulates through mutation. This transformation on Jin is what Nawin believes the International forces are after. The half breed mix between animal and human. Nawin decides to help Jin by taking her back to her birth place. As he leads her home, her illness seems to subside. They will soon grow close and fall in love. When it comes time for Nawin to choose between her and his life, he awakes to find that it has all been an image of his imagination…or was it?”

 

Deep in the Jungle trailer   

The World Sinks Except Japan: DVD review

The World Sinks Except Japan (Nihon Igai Zenbu Chinbotsu ) (2006) Director - Minoru Kawasaki

Reviewed by: Darren Cenerini.

The last movie contained in the Minoru Kawasaki collection is a disaster movie of epic proportions. Or so we're told. The World Sinks is about exactly what it sounds like. Due to tectonic plate activity under the Earth's crust, the continents all over the world begin to sink back into the ocean, forcing the inhabitants to flee to one of the other areas that are still above water. It begins with the USA, forcing the President to flee to the naval bases of Japan. China sinks next, and then the rest of the world in no particular order until the entire world's population is living in Japan. At first the government there is accepting, trying to help out their fellow man. As the film plays out though, we see that Japan begins to exhibit totalitarian rule, encouraging foreigners to integrate in the culture in order to enjoy their new lifestyle. This turns into forceful assimilation rather quickly when the GAT force is formed. The Gaijin Attack Team is quite similar to the Gestapo, existing only to enforce law and punishment upon the foreigners, all the while showing the brainwashing advertisements telling everyone that the Japanese people are superior to everyone. Will the rest of the world sit around and take these new laws willingly, knowing they have nowhere to fall back to should they fail in a coup de grace......Continue reading The World Sinks review

Official site for Russian horror VIY now fully live

We caught our first look at Oleg Stepchenko’s big budget remake of the classic Russian horror pic Viy well over a year and a half ago and since then the release date has slipped more times than we can recall. Now finally with the official site going live, it really looks like we might be one step closer to actually seeing the damn thing!  According to the latest poster the pics release date is now set for March 09, which coincides with the bi-centenary of Nikolai (author of the book the film is based on) Gogol's birthday. Treats to see on site include: production notes, interviews, photos galleries, storyboards and two fantastic looking trailers. Enjoy.

Synopsis: Cartographer Jonathan Green undertakes a scientific voyage from Europe to the East. Having passed through Transylvania and crossed the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods. Nothing but chance and heavy fog could bring him to this cursed place. People who live here do not resemble any other people which the traveler saw before that. The villagers, having dug a deep moat to fend themselves from the rest of the world, share a naive belief that they could save themselves from evil, failing to understand that evil has made its nest in their souls and is waiting for an opportunity to gush out upon the world. Even in his worst nightmares our scientist could not suppose that he was going to meet the devil’s most faithful servant.

 

 Viy official site

 

The Rug Cop: Review

The Rug Cop (Zura Deka) (2006) Director - Minoru Kawasaki

Reviewed by: Darren Cenerini

The Minoru Kawasaki collection continues. Next up -The Rug Cop, which I'll be honest, I had the lowest hopes for of the three films. Detective films always amuse me because they're so ranged, being genuinely meaningful and deep (Suicide Circle) and sometimes they're so campy and far fetched that you can't help but smile. The Rug Cop though is a third category all in its own, and I can't quite accurately describe it. It's a trouble with identity, super hero rejects, Cop drama with yet again some musical numbers. I guess this is a trend in Kawasaki's films. So does Rug Cop work? Or is it as flat and cringe worthy as a really bad toupee?

The story begins with an armed robbery, where a man and his ventriloquist dummy are holding an office hostage at gunpoint. Enter Mr. Rug, a misfit detective who keeps getting shifted around various precincts because nobody wants him. After discovering that the dummy is the one responsible (and not the ventriloquist...don't ask), we discover why he's called Mr. Rug. He can throw his toupee with deadly accuracy, and it also seems to be weighted since it shatters vases, among other things. Mr. Rug is then transferred to a new precinct which is full of misfits for the most part. These guys have powers just like Mr. Rug, but they're all pretty different.....Continue reading The Rug Cop review

First footage fromTak sakaguchi’s SAMURAI ZOMBIE

Finally! It’s no trailer, but some first footage from Tak sakaguchi’s (Versus) upcoming Zombie horror Samurai Zombie, has made it's way onto the net. Last week the main cast attended a TV press conference to plug the film and at the end of the interview several clips are shown - one includes a first look at the Samurai bad boy himself. Someone’s kindly uploaded the whole interview onto Youtube - but for non Japanese speakers, head straight to around 5mins 30sec to check out all the cheesy Zombie goodness. 

The plot: A family on a trip encounters a man threatening them with a gun on a desolate mountain trail. At a moment of maximum tension, a couple shows up out of nowhere, kill the man and disappears again. Shortly after a lunatic old lady comes and warns them of their impending death. The frightened family is headed for a showdown with Samurai Zombies resurrected from their graves.

 

 

Samurai Zombie clip

Donnie Yen’s PAINTED SKIN up for pre-order on DVD

A box office hit in both China and Hong Kong, Donnie Yens Supernatural action pic Painted Skin is up for pre-order on DVD. A remake of King Hu's 1993 film of the same title, this Gordon Chan-directed release mixes old-style Hong Kong Cinema with new generation stars and visual effects, resulting in a mixture of drama and kick ass action. Chinese actresses Zhou Xun and Vicki Zhao face off as two women who love the same man, a soldier played by Aloys Chen. Donnie Yen lends the film a solid martial arts presence, while Betty Sun (Fearless) and Singapore actor Qi Yu Wu (881) fill out the supporting roles.

Zhou Xun stars as Xiaowei, a beautiful maiden rescued from the clutches of bandits by honorable soldier Wang Sheng (Aloys Chen). Alone and without family, Xiaowei is taken into Wang Sheng's home, where she becomes popular with Wang Sheng's fellow soldiers, and friends with his lovely wife Peirong (Vicki Zhao). However, a romantic tension exists between the three, and though Wang Sheng is faithful to Peirong, he can't help but be attracted to the alluring Xiaowei. The situation is further complicated when Peirong's old flame, martial arts expert Yong (Donnie Yen) appears, along with a demonic serial killer (Qi Yu Wu) who steals human hearts. While Wang Sheng and his men hunt down the killer, Peirong tells Yong that she believes that the killer is not working alone. She suspects that the killer is delivering the hearts to a demon who consumes them to stay immortal, and that the demon is hiding within their midst in the skin of the beautiful Xiaowei.

Painted Skin trailer 

Pre-order the DVD

Oldboy remake finds a writer?

So it look this wasn’t a bad dream after all. Writer Mark Protosevich is in early talks to pen the Spielberg and Will Smith remake of Korean revenge pic Oldboy. Mr Protosevich seems eminently qualified to do so as he’s already written the screenplays for two highly popular and very average remakes - ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ and Smiths CG laden ‘I am Legend.’ The only bright spot on the horizon is the fact that the rights deal between DreamWorks and Mandate (who own the U.S rights) Pictures is yet to be completed.  In our world, the Mandate executives at a final meeting to clinch the deal - wake up - realise in horror what they’ve nearly done - and with bloody hammers in hand, fight their way to freedom through a hoard of DreamWorks staff.  Yeah right. Source

Executive Koala: Review

Executive Koala (Koara Kacho) (2005) Director - Minoru Kawasaki

Reviewed by: Darren Cenerini
 
While mainstream Asian cinema has been getting its fair share of exposure these days, I often forget that there's always the low budget films being produced there as well, like any country. While I have seen films such as the now legendary Tetsuo: The Iron Man, the notorious Kichiku Dai Enkai and even the infamous Guinea Pig films, there are many I would never happen across unless I was told specifically what they were and how to get them. Synapse Films has picked up the rights to some of low budget King Minoru Kawasaki's films, films that stretch the very fabric of logic to its maximum in hopes of making an entertaining film. First up in the collection was Executive Koala.
 
Executive Koala tells the sordid tale of Keiichi Tamura, your everyday average business executive at a pickling plant (used in cup ramen, mainly). The only difference is he's a six foot tall, grey suit wearing koala bear. Keiichi is well liked at the office and gets along well with the president of the company, a six foot tall white rabbit. He even has a normal girlfriend named Yoko. After spending a steamy night with Yoko after a long day at the office, Keiichi is visited the following day by two detectives, telling him that Yoko has been brutally murdered by way of being stabbed 33 times. One detective, Ono, insists tht Keiichi murdered Yoko, which he denies outright. Ono then brings up that his ex-wife Yukari has been missing for three years now, and accuses Keiichi of killing her, too. We discover that Keiichi suffers from psychotic episodes where he remembers happy times with his ex-wife only to then be assaulted by memories of killing her with a hatchet....Continue reading Executive Koala review.

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