1 2 3 >
Sci-fi fantasy INK: Review

Director: Jamin Winans. Review: Adam Wing.

It’s hardly surprising that I’d never heard of Jamin Winans’ mind-bending sci-fi thriller before it dropped through my letterbox, Ink’s birth was anything but typical. None of the big studios picked up the film for theatrical and home distribution in the US, so Double Edge Films pitched the movie directly to independent cinemas, DVD, Blu-ray and online distribution by themselves. It was a move that worked, because Ink became one of the most downloaded movies on file sharing torrent sites - 400,000 times in a single week - exposing the film to a much larger audience. The UK release is brought to you by 4 Digital Media. Prepare yourself for alternate timelines and dreamlike sensibilities, because if the film achieves nothing else, Ink will at least twist your perception of reality.

John (Chris Kelly) is a businessman in a hurry to get to his car, stressed out and somewhat distraught, he’s completely oblivious to the truck that’s heading his way. As he falls unconscious, he dreams of playing with his daughter Emma (Quinn Hunchar). Don’t worry though; things are about to take a turn down Disturbia Avenue. Warriors called Storytellers exist in an alternate version of reality, providing us with the good dreams we have while we sleep. Then there are the Incubi, artificial beings that fashion nightmares and take us to places we don’t want to go...Continue review here.

Ink trailer

New trailer for Malaysian action comedy KONGSI

It’s Friday! So how about we round off the week, with a great new trailer for Malaysian action-comedy Kongsi? Directed by Farid Kami it stars Fizo Omar and Shaheizy Sam as a cope and hapless hit man caught in the middle of a gangland turf war. Fights, car chases, crashes and funny sight gags, galore. Perfect. Kongsi opens in Malaysia May 12th.

Synopsis: Kongsi focuses on the investigation done by ASP Shariff (Fizo Omar) towards the killing of triad members in Kuala Lumpur. Various triad members are in shambles when they discover the presence of a hired killer Tumulak (Shaheizy Sam), who committed the killings to settle his debt. Asps Shariff is unable to pinpoint who’s to be blame since the cunning Tumulak works alone. In truth, the crimes are masterminded by Kimpedu (Zul Handyblack), who hired Tumulak to stir the nest of the triads as Kimpedu plans to take control of all of Kuala Lumpur.  

Korean blind swordsman epic BLADES OF BLOOD on UK DVD

New UK Asian movie label Epic Asia Films have just sent us an announcement that they are to release Lee Joon-ik’s Korean blind swordsman epic Blades of Blood (aka The Moon That Escaped the Cloud) on DVD next month, and the very spiffy cover art has come along for the ride. Blades of Blood will street in the UK, on 2nd May. Debit cards to automatic!

Synopsis: On the verge of the Japanese invasion, the Chosun Dynasty is thrown into chaos. Lee Mong-hak, an ambitious descendant of the royal family, betrays friends including his old lover to organize a coup. His old friend Hwang Jeong-hak, an uncanny blind swordsman, seeks the help of a vengeful young man to stop him.

 

Blades of Blood teaser

Blades of Blood trailer

New one sheet for Spanish horror PARANORMAL XPERIENCE

We didn’t like it as just a tagline, but from the looks of this striking new one sheet, Spanish production company Rodar Y Rodar are going with Paranormal Xperience 3D (urgh) as the title for Sergi Vizcaino’s latest horror movie. Personally we preferred the original name of 'Scars' (aka 'Cicatrices') but we wont let one minor niggle get in the way of the fact Rodar was behind the truly superb Spanish chiller/thriller The Orphanage, so no surprise we’re keeping an eye on it. Scars (still in denial over the new title) is still early into filming, but we should be seeing more soon.

Teaser for Korean thriller BLIND

Ahn Sang-hoon - who brought us the eerily effective Korean horror ‘Arang’ - is back with a new thriller titled Blind and a first teaser trailer has tipped onto the net.

Blind stars Kim Ha-neul and is due out this (like pretty much every other major horror/thriller release in Korean will be) this summer. Check the trail at the link.

Synopsis: After witnessing terrible and bloody crime, a blind woman named soo-ah has to face the killer alone, with only her acute remaining senses to rely on.

 

 

Blind teaser trailer

PANDEMIC: DVD review

Director: Zeze Takahisa. Review: Adam Wing. Outbreak gets a Japanese makeover in Zeze Takahisa’s crisis drama, in which a deadly virus is the key to mankind’s annihilation, infecting millions of people and threatening to destroy the lives of many more. Tsumabuki Satoshi (Dororo) stars as a young doctor who finds himself centre stage in a fight against a highly contagious illness that begins with flu-like symptoms and ends in death. Dan Rei (Love and Honour) plays a World Health Organization officer, not to mention token love interest, who joins him in the race against time to find a cure. They used to be lovers but personal ambition drove them apart, and now they must work together in order to survive the relentless chaos that threatens to consume them.

Directed by Zeze Takahisa (Flying Rabbits), Pandemic spreads fear through the heart of an impressive supporting cast including the likes of Sato Koichi (The Magic Hour), Ikewaki Chizuru (Strawberry Shortcakes), Fuji Tatsuya (Flavour of Happiness), Kuninaka Ryoko (Train Man) and Mitsuishi Ken. It’s a large ensemble, and as a result, Pandemic struggles to find its feet early on. Most of the characters are faceless at first, and not just because they’re wearing surgical masks either, which means that the majority of them fail to make an impact...Continue review here.

Pandemic trailer

Thai horror THE LOST HOME goes International

A while back we said Thai movie house GMM were always up for some overseas sales on their productions, and what do you know an international English subtitled trailer for Lad Da Land (aka The Lost home) has appeared. Something tells us this will be cropping up outside of Thailand pretty soon. We'll be watching when it does.

Synopsis: There is an urban legend about a village where screams and shrieks fill the night. Mass murders are taking place and no matter how much the residents pray, it seems like nothing can save them. The death toll continues and the residents are fleeing from this place. This cursed place is called Lad da land.

 

 

 

Lost Home International trailer

Trailer for Malaysian horror SERU

Found footage/handcam style horror movies seem to be becoming all the rage - with vary degrees of success - in Malaysia at the moment, and here’s the trailer for the latest offering from actor/director Pierre Andre…Seru, which follows a production team in the midst of shooting a movie, and yes you guessed it things start to turn narsty.

Synopsis: When assistant director Sari gets hysterical and makeup artiste Julia collapses, things start to go haywire. Not long after, Julia disappears into the forest and the rest head out to find her. As the crewmembers get taken out one at a time by a vengeful entity, the reason behind the whole event is uncovered.

 

 

 

Seru trailer

AKIRA finally landing on UK Blu-ray!

To coincide with their 20th anniversary celebrations, in June 2011 Manga Entertainment will be releasing Katsuhiro Otomo’s Anime classic Akira, on Blu-ray for the first time ever, and as an added 2 for 1 plus - the film will also open at selected UK cinemas, giving fans the chance to see one of the greatest anime features of all time in all its big screen glory.

The film has been digitally restored and remastered in full HD with super dynamic audio, especially for this long-awaited Blu-ray release.

Synopsis: Neo-Tokyo, 2019. The city is being rebuilt following the devastation of World War III. Kaneda and Tetsuo, two high school dropouts, stumble upon a secret government project to develop a new form of weaponry – telekinetic humans. Tetsuo learns of the existence of his ‘peer’, Akira, the project's most powerful subject, and determines to challenge him...

Akira (cert. 15) will open at selected UK cinemas on 17th June 2011 and will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on 27th June 2011. A special limited edition collectors’ SteelBook containing both the DVD and the Blu-ray disc will also be available from 27th June.

Akira trailer

Zhang Yimou’s BLOOD SIMPLE: Review

A week doesn’t seem to pass these days without an ill-conceived Western remake of an Eastern classic, hell with it; they don’t even have to be classics anymore. Zhang Yimou is best known for martial arts period dramas like Hero and House of Flying Daggers, but here he turns the tables on Hollywood with a loose remake of the Coen Brothers cult classic Blood Simple. A strange choice on paper perhaps, and there’s not a lot of evidence on screen to suggest otherwise. Honglei Sun, Xiao Shen-Yang and Ni Yan star in the aptly named A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop, available to own for the first time on R2 DVD.

Wang (Dahong Ni) is a miserable noodle shop owner in a desert town, but considering the dim-witted company he keeps it’s hardly surprising. His wife (Ni Yan) feels neglected and finds comfort in the arms of Li (Xiao Shen-Yang), one of her husband’s employees. Wang finds out about the affair and schemes to murder his adulterous wife and her lover, but situations like this are rarely that straight forward. Li keeps hold of a gun that his lover had bought in order to kill her husband and together they plot his demise. Little do they know that he has bribed patrol officer Zhang (Honglei Sun) in order to kill the illicit couple - it’s a foolproof plan surely, what could possibly go wrong? Zhang Yimou drops wife-fu swordplay in favour of slapstick comedy and costume drama, so at least the actors look pretty, but did he really have to drop the ball as well? Continue reading review here.

Blood Simple trailer

Im-Sang Soo’s THE HOUSEMAID on R1 DVD

Sang-soo lim’s (‘President Last Bang’) remake of Kim Ki-young's 60s Korean thriller The Housemaid - A dark tale of adultery, twisted ambition and murder - is up for pre-order on R1 English subtitled DVD! The original was considered to be one of the best South Korean movies ever made, and the general consensus has been that Lim did himself proud with the reboot…so pencil this date in...The Housemaid goes on sale June 7, 2011.

Synopsis: Divorcee Eun Yi signs on to work as a nanny and housemaid for a wealthy, upper-crust family. In her naive eyes, the rich and handsome Hoon, his pregnant wife Hae Ra, and adorable daughter Hae Ra (make the picture-perfect family. But that myth is soon shattered when the domineering Hoon finds his way to her bed. Their torrid affair upsets the balance of the household, unleashing a cruel power struggle as Hae Ra, her mother, and the head housekeeper all answer with their own calculated attack.

The Housemaid Korean trailer

 

Poster lands for Israel’s first Zomb horror ANOTHER WORLD

Israel, not a country famous for prolific film production, let alone a post apocalyptic Infected Zombie horror. So when we received an email inviting us to take a gander at the poster for their first ever attempt - Another World, it would have been rude not too. Turns out it looks surprisingly good for an Independent production, and you can check it out for yourself over at the films official site.

Synopsis: The setting is in a near post apocalyptic future where a biological warfare program goes wrong, and turns most of humanity to mindless, murderous creatures (hence forth - "infected"). There are five characters, which are still uninfected, trying to survive constant attacks by the dead. Each one of them represents in some way a different aspect of human existence, a different world-view, but most important, a different moral view about the world and his/her place in it;

The Colonel - A professional soldier. Represents the political-military-economic establishment, which sees life as a constant violent struggle for power and resources. The Doctor - Represents a commitment to love, justice and non-violent struggle against all wrong.

The Wizard - A young man, an inventor and an autodidact scientist, who looks at life as a puzzle to be solved -he strives to discover, understand and invent, with no thought as to the consequences.

The Daughter - A simple girl with simple ambitions - sailing through life enjoying every comfort, while ignoring or unaware of bigger and more profound issues.

The Mouser - A murderer and rapist, evil in the most banal aspect of the word.

The plot takes place during their last six days. all along, as the characters evolve, they listen to a daily radio program dealing with the extinction of the dinosaurs, finding correlating themes to their own situation. as the protagonists move and try to survive, and as their world views and correlations to the situation are gradually revealed, the following themes are explored: the essence of evil, the boundaries of moral responsibility, species (and humankind) extinction, love, grace, euthanasia and more.

Another World official site

IFC Midnight picks up Dutch evil Santa slasher SAINT

IFC films has gone and done it again, with word just out that their horror arm IFC Midnight has nabbed themselves another foreign horror gem, acquiring the U.S. distribution rights for director Dick Maas’ evil..Santa..slasher film...Sint (aka Saint). Press release time…

“IFC Midnight announced today that the company has acquired U.S. distribution rights from sales and production outfit XYZ Films for director Dick Maas’ evil Santa film SAINT. The deal includes a theatrical component and was made prior to the movie’s North American premiere in the Cinemania section at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. An original and delightfully gruesome slasher film, SAINT re-imagines jolly old Saint Nick as a murderous bishop fulfilling a grisly prophecy under the December full moon. Packed with creative yuletide horror, SAINT is a fun chiller that follows local teen Frank (Weeber) as he sets out on a bloody, high-energy battle to save Amsterdam from the wrathful “Sinterklaas” and his minions.”

 

Saint official site

Official ATTACK THE BLOCK website is now live

It looks hugely entertaining and is high on our must see list next month - The official site for Joe Cornish’s Brit horror comedy Attack the Block has just gone live, with new videos and pics galore to enjoy. Attack the Block opens in the UK May 11, and thanks to the good folks at Sony/Screen Gems, the US shouldn’t be too far behind. Check out the inner city vs alien invasion mayhem, at the link.

Synopsis: Trainee nurse Sam is walking home to her flat in a scary South London tower block when she¹s robbed by a gang of masked, hooded youths. She¹s saved when the gang are distracted by a bright meteorite, which falls from the sky and hits a nearby parked car. Sam flees, just before the gang are attacked by a small alien creature that leaps from the wreckage. The gang chase the creature and kill it, dragging its ghoulish carcass to the top of the block, which they treat as their territory. While Sam and the police hunt for the gang, a second wave of meteors fall. Confident of victory against such feeble invaders, the gang grab weapons, mount bikes and mopeds, and set out to defend their turf. But this time, the creatures are bigger. Much bigger. Savage, shadowy and bestial, they are hunting their fallen comrade and nothing will stand in their way. The estate is about to become a battleground. And the bunch of no-hope kids who just attacked Sam are about to become her, and the block¹s, only hope.

Attack the Block official site

NORWEGIAN NINJA: Review

Director: Thomas Cappelen Malling. Review: Adam Wing.

From the team that gave us Norway’s first Nazi zombie horror movie comes Thomas Cappelen Malling’s Norwegian Ninja, that’s right, there really is a film called Norwegian Ninja. The most startling revelation of course is that it’s based on a true story - mostly. We’re talking about the true-life tale of Arne Treholt, a former Norwegian Labour Party politician and diplomat convicted of high treason and espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Iraq during the Cold War. Treholt's espionage is one of the most serious spy cases in the modern history of Norway. He was arrested in 1984 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, even though the Norwegian government pardoned him in 1992 after serving just 8 years of his punishment. Perhaps we should start again though, just in case you missed the part where the film dared to call itself ‘Norwegian Ninja’.

It’s fairly obvious that Thomas Cappelen Malling’s debut feature doesn’t take itself too seriously, but then, what would you expect from the producers of Dead Snow? In the hyper-surreal world of Norwegian Ninja, Treholt was never a spy. He was of course a bona fide Ninja, entrusted by King Olav to lead a secret force of enlightened shadow warriors called The Ninja Force. Norwegian Ninja takes place in the time leading up to Treholt's arrest. The Ninjas discover that Stay Behind, a sinister NATO force created to battle the Soviet Union, are planning an attack on Norwegian soil. The Ninjas must defeat the conspirators at all costs in order to keep Norway free. What follows is a loving tribute to all things Bond, with gadgets, ageing ninja’s and sky cars aplenty. Not to mention special powers, comedy penguins and hell with it, Norwegian Ninja has comedy penguins - consider me sold...Continue reading review.

Norwegian Ninja UK site

New teaser art for Teddy Chen’s THE GUILLONTINES

It seems Teddy Chen’s (‘Bodyguards and Assassins’) big budget reboot of the classic 70s, Hong Kong martial arts movie 'The Flying Guillotines' has had itself a name change, at least that’s what it looks like according to this freshly released teaser art. “Flying” has been dropped and now its just…‘The Guillotines.’

Whatever handle we’re calling it now, the prospect of a big budget period martial arts flick about a team of ruthless, crack assassins versed in the use of a weapon that can decapitate its victims, is more than enough reason for us to want them to just get on and finish it already. Guillotines is due out early next year.

Synopsis: Arguably history’s first SWAT team, this covert assassination squad of the emperor was composed of young street thugs who had been killing for food and survival since they were kids. Trained to use the Flying Guillotines, the deadliest weapon ever invented, they competed with one another to be the best killer. Merciless and arrogant, they live life in the fast lane, until one day it was revealed they've been killing the wrong people for the wrong side. As they were ambushed by another team of killers, and the hunters became the hunted, they were forced to kill for their survival again or faced imminent annihilation.

Takashi Miike’s 13 ASSASSINS: Review

Director: Takashi Miike. Review: Dan King.

Miike directs a Samurai epic! Admittedly I had pretty much made up my mind about this film after reading the plot, and watching the annoyingly unrevealing trailer. I'm pleased to say that it didn't disappoint. The premise is simple - A former shogun advisor asks a retired Samurai, Shizaemon (Kôji Yakusho), to assassinate a sadistic (and heavily guarded) Lord with a thirst for torture and designs on war. Shizaemon recruits a group of fellow Samurai and a Ronin to achieve what seems to be a suicidal task. Taking control of a small village, and being joined by quirky bandit, they build their “town of death” and await the arrival of the Lord and his forces.

A remake of the 1963 film Jûsan-nin no shikaku (Eiichi Kudo), Miike's film brings the Samurai epic kicking and screaming into the 21st century. While faithful to the original this version is undoubtedly Miike; vivid yet subtle, violent yet understated. For further reading on how Miike's compares to the original, head here. Having seen this version I for one will definitely be grabbing a copy of the source material. Being not only a Miike fan, but also of the Samurai genre, it will be interesting to see exactly which elements of the film are 'remade' and those that are Miike's touch...Continue reading here.

 

Promo reel for Terracotta film festival 2011

Terracotta Festival 2011 is nearly here – and the official promo reel for the fest is out. 14 Premieres, 4 days, actors and directors from Asia, masterclasses, and one big party. The fun takes place at the Prince Charles Cinema in London from the 15th to the 18th of May, showcasing 14 hand picked Asian films from a variety of genres. A picture speaks a thousand words, so the promo will tell you more than enough to know, if you’re an Asian film fan in the UK, Terracotta is the place to be.

 

Terracotta promo

Winners at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards

The 30th Hong Kong Film Awards winners have been announced with awards being given for performances and direction in Ip Man 2, Young Bruce Lee, Confucius and most notably Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame which took 6 awards for Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Actress, Best Costume and Make-up Design, Best Sound Design and Best Visual Effects! The full list goes like this....

Best film: "Gallants"

Best director: Tsui Hark, "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame"

Best screenplay: Pang Ho-cheung and Heiward Mak, "Love In a Puff"

Best actor: Nicholas Tse, "The Stool Pigeon"

Best actress: Carina Lau, "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame"

Best supporting actor: Teddy Robin, "Gallants"

Best supporting actress: Susan Shaw, "Gallants"

Best new performer: Hanjin Tan, "Bruce Lee, My Brother"

Best cinematography: Peter Pau, "Confucius"

Best film editing: Cheung Ka-fai, "Ip Man 2"

Best art direction: James Choo, "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame"

Best costume and make-up design: Bruce Yu, "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame"

Best action choreography: Sammo Hung, "Ip Man 2"

Best original film score: Teddy Robin and Tommy Wai, "Gallants"

Best original film song: "Here to Stay," music, lyrics and performed by Jun Kung

Best sound design: Wang Danrong and Zhao Nan, "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame"

Best visual effects: Lee Yong-gi and Nam Sang-woo, "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame"

Best new director: Felix Chong, "Once a Gangster"

Best Asian film: "Confessions" (Japan)

Professional achievement: Willie Chan

Lifetime achievement: Terry Lai

Via: Yahoo

Exclusive clip for Takashi Miike’s 13 ASSASSINS

If the posters, trailers and other assorted goodies weren’t enough to whet your appetite to go and check out Takashi Miike's epic, 13 Assassins, then how about we try again - with a new exclusive clip from the film? We caught the film at a press screening last Friday (review on the way) and honestly have to say the film is stunning. This really must be seen on the big screen, so we'd recommend you get your behinds to the nearest theatre showing it…ASAP! 13 Assassins will be released in the US April 29, and the UK on 6th May 2011.

The Plot….In mid-19th Century Japan the era of the samurai is beginning to fade as the feudal nation begins to enjoy a rare period of peace. But the fragile calm is soon threatened by the bloody rise of Lord Naritsugu, the Shogun’s sadistic, psychopathic younger brother, whose position places him above the law and free to rape, mutilate and murder on a whim. Concerned that Naritsugu’s actions will eventually destroy the Shogunate, top Shogun official Sir Doi covertly calls on esteemed and noble samurai warrior Shinzaemon Shimada to assassinate the evil Lord before it is too late. Shinzaemon willingly agrees and immediately gathers together an elite group of samurai to assist him in the task, knowing that what they are about to embark upon may well prove to be a suicide mission. Following weeks of training and preparation, Shinzaemon and his men head off on a perilous journey through the mountains, hoping to ambush Lord Naritsugu and his entourage. However, on finally coming face to face with their target, the 13 samurai discover Naritsugu’s men hugely outnumber them. Disregarding the odds, the fearless assassins continue with their plan and initiate a bloody showdown that they cannot allow to end until Naritsugu lies dying.  

Recent Entries