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Hong Kong set to bring us a COLD WAR

The other day we were bemoaning the fact that Hong has been letting us down a tad on the horror movie front, but the same sure can’t be said for the number of top flight action thrillers coming from there of late. Police action flick...Cold War, is the latest to add to list, and we’ve just turned up the teaser poster and finally nailed down a plotline.

CW is directed by Longman Leung and Sunny Luk and they’ve assembled themselves a TOP cast including; Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung, Eddie Peng, Aarif Rahman and Charlie Yeung. Cold War opens in May, so trailer time any day now we reckon!

Synopsis: In Asia’s safest city, the police have long been untouchable. Approaching midnight in Hong Kong, police headquarters receives an anonymous call: a fully-loaded police van carrying the forces, most advance equipment and five highly trained officers has disappeared off the grid. The hijackers possess direct knowledge of police procedures. They’re already steps ahead. The police must meet a list of demands to ensure the hostage’s release, including the delivery of a huge ransom. Any delay will cost lives.....The clock is ticking…

RED LIGHT REVOLUTION: Review

Director: Sam Voutas. Review: Adam Wing.

Lets start with some interesting facts, shall we? In 1996 there was only one sex shop in Beijing, by 2010 there were over 2000. 70% of the world’s sex toys are made in China and 1.3 trillion condoms are made there every year. Here’s the fun part though, so I hope you’ve been paying attention. How many films have been made about Beijing sex shops? That’s right folks, just the one. Welcome to Red Light Revolution, a new film by Sam Voutas. With the movie failing to secure a release date in China, the U.K is officially the first territory in the world to see it. Which might seem a little strange, as Voutas himself has stated, “In my neighbourhood alone, there are three adult stores within a block of me. Business, it seems, is booming.” In the real world perhaps, but not on the big screen.

When Shunzi (Zhao Jun) loses his job as a cab driver, he finds himself without a wife and home. His spouse - a money loving cheat - has found herself another man and Shunzi’s life couldn’t possibly get any worse, or could it? With no savings to fall back on he is forced to move in with his parents, taking a humiliating job in a supermarket to make ends meet. You know you’re not living the dream when the job advert reads ‘fat man required’. Still, at least he makes a new friend, and his quirky colleague (Vivid Wang) might be able to help him set up his new venture. With nowhere else to go, Shunzi steps behind China’s ‘red curtain’ and secretly opens a sex shop. Not that he’ll be telling his parents anytime soon, as far as their concerned he’s selling 'modern lifestyle goods'...Continue review.

Red Light trailer

 

First trailer for stylish French thriller BLIND

Xavier Palud, the director of the fantastic little French film ‘Ils’ (Them), is back, with a new flick a cat and mouse horror thriller titled À l'aveugle (aka ‘Blind’). Being French it of course looks painfully stylish, and aside from the fact Palud directs - if we need even more reason to up the must see factor - you can add to the pot that its produced by the one and only Luc Besson. Blind opens in France in March. A must see? Naturellement!

Synopsis: The mutilated body of a young woman was found at his home. No sign of a break in, no witnesses, the crime is perfect. The investigation is entrusted to the captain Lassalle, an experienced cop and lonely, destroyed by the death of his wife. While other equally bloody murders are committed, Lassalle’s suspicions begin to fall on an implausible suspect...a blind man, Narvik. But the suspect's alibi is plausible and with his infirmity he is harmless. A strange duel, like a chess game, then engages the two men.

 

Blind trailer

Them trailer

THE TWINS EFFECT II on US DVD!

Never thought it would see the light of day in the United States, but here it is! Patrick Leung and Corey Yuen’s Twins Effect II has been picked up for release by Well Go USA. By all accounts they are releasing it intact and entirely uncut, so we’ll forgive them (only just) the slightly bizaree decision, to rename it ‘Blade of Kings??’ Lucky were here to steer HK action fans in the right direction then!

As well as the main draw of it starring Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan slugging in out on screen, the cast also includes Charlene Choi (Triple Tap, The Jade and the Pearl), Gillian Chung (Vampire Effect), and Hong Kong Film Award nominee for Best Newcomer Jaycee Chan (Jackie’ son) in the tale of a humble boy born to rule an empire who must first undertake his journey to claim his throne in the mythical land of Huadu.

If you enjoy quirky, fun and exciting old school Hong Kong action films chock full of big Hong Kong stars, then definitely purchase this when it lands on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack and DVD...March 6th

Twins Effect 2 trailer

Insane horror anthology THE THEATRE BIZARRE opens today

Do you like whacked out, insane horror movies? Do the words demented, disturbing, grotesque and bizarre make your ears perk up? If so, we've got something here you'll want to pay attention to. The horror anthology The Theatre Bizarre opens in select U.S. cities today and it's right up your alley.

The Theatre Bizzare features six deranged segments from directors like Buddy Giovinazzo (Combat Shock), Tom Savini (one of the best horror special effects guys ever) and Richard Stanley (Hardware, Dust Devil) as well as a framing sequence starring Udo Kier! If you happen to live in New York or Los Angeles, you're in luck as there are midnight screenings happening at the Sunshine Cinema and Nuart theaters (respectively) with directors and cast members doing a Q&A afterwards! Udo Kier in person!

Synopsis: Down a seedy city street, a young woman is obsessed with what appears to be a long abandoned theatre. One night, she sees the front door slightly ajar and impulsively decides to sneak inside. But there in the vast, eerie auditorium, a show unlike any other unfolds before her eyes. Its host is an odd marionette-like man who will introduce her to six tales of the truly bizarre: A couple traveling in a remote part of the French Pyrenees crosses paths with a lustful witch; A paranoid lover faces the wrath of a partner who has been pushed to her limit; The Freudian dreams of an unfaithful husband blur the lines between fantasy and reality; The horrors of the real world are interpreted through the mind of a child; A woman addicted to other people's memories gets her fix through the fluid of her victims' eyeballs; And a perverse obsession with sweets turns sour for a couple in too deep. But as the stories unfold, something strange is happening to the woman. Something irreversible and horrific. Something that awaits its next audience in The Theatre Bizarre.

Official Website

Official Facebook page

 

Peter Chan’s WU XIA: DVD review

Director: Peter Chan. Review: Adam Wing.

The greatest action star in the world is back, so lets answer the most important question first. Somewhat surprisingly, he doesn’t take his shirt off once. Unbelievable I know. Donnie Yen is back in business and doing what he does best, kicking the crap out of anyone that gets in his way, and he’s doing it fully clothed. Don’t expect another stereotypical action movie though, because there’s more to Wu Xia than meets the eye. In addition to choreographing the action, Donnie stars as a mild mannered paper maker who wouldn’t say boo to goose. Unless the goose tried to pick a fight of course, then all bets are off. There’s a joke about the goose and a need for speed there somewhere but we’ll let it go for now.

Donnie’s biggest threat comes from Kaneshiro Takeshi as an eccentric detective who doesn’t believe a single word Donnie is telling him. If that’s not enough for you, director Peter Chan (The Warlords) also casts Shaw Brothers legends Jimmy Wang Yu (The One-Armed Swordsman) and Kara Hui (My Young Auntie) in pivotal fighting roles. Chan’s latest comes on like an episode of CSI first, Ip Man second. It’s a curious concoction for sure, but in choosing a less than linear path Chan has made a far more interesting movie. A hit with fans and critics alike, not only was Wu Xia the only Chinese-language film to play at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival; it’s also the freshest action movie to arrive in years...Continue reading review.

 

Teaser poster and trailer for NIGHTCLUB SCHOOL HOSPITAL

Maybe it’s just us, or is mainland China really starting to up the stakes on the horror movie production front? Nothing much of note has turned up out of Hong Kong in what seems an age, and yet here’s news on another...slick (and more than a tad surreal looking) Chinese horror thriller, to turn up at our door in just over a week.

As movie titles go Nightclub School Hospital is definitely another case of being lost in translation, but for a first trailer, colour us intrigued. NSH opens in China Feb 10 and then fingers crossed it will head over to HK, so we can get a handle of what the hells going on (serial killers, ghosts, musical numbers, nurses and aliens?!) with the plot!?

Nightclub School Hospital trailer

News on Chinese slash horror 'Harpoon'

Norwegian slasher COLD PREY 3 on UK DVD!

Well its been a long time coming, but some bright sparks (namely G2 Pictures) have seen sense and nabbed themselves the UK rights to the third film in the massively successful Norwegian Slash horror series namely Fritt Vilt 3 (aka Cold Prey 3). Following the sequel that’s actually a prequel route, Fitt Vilt 3: Beginning covers the origins of everyone’s fave Norwegian axe wielding psycho killer the “Ice Man.” And we can’t wait to give it a watch! Cold prey 3 streets in the UK on April 23rd. Disc details, and review to follow soon.

Synopsis: Jotunheimen 1976. The Stehøe mountain hotel is on the brink of bankruptcy after several suspicious and bizarre events. Unsure that their son has nothing to do with the inexplicable events the young couple running the hotel take the desperate and brutal step of keeping him locked in the basement. But one day something happens to shake the family forever. The official story is that the boy fell into a crevasse while he was out playing, and that the parents were taken by avalanche while they were looking for him. But was it the truth?

 

Cold Prey 3 official site  

 

GANTZ 2: PERFECT ANSWER - DVD review

Director: Shinsuke Sato. Review: Adam Wing.

For those of you that don’t know, let’s cast our minds back to how it all began. In a nutshell - big black balls. Gantz and its sequel Gantz: Perfect Answer are based on a hit manga series created by Hiroya Oku. Directed by Shinsuke Sato, Gantz stars leading Japanese actors Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City). After an accident on a train platform, recently deceased childhood friends Kei and Kato find themselves transported to an empty apartment populated by several confused strangers and a mysterious black ball known as Gantz.

The big black ball issues them a set of strange suits, instructing them to exterminate "dangerous aliens" from Earth in a series of bloodthirsty games. They are given high-tech weaponry, and the opportunity to collect points depending on how many aliens they kill. Once they reach 100 they are awarded the opportunity to either leave the game, or resurrect one of their fallen comrades. Part one is a well-crafted sci-fi action adventure with great special effects, ingenious plotting and ‘fine’ support from Natsuna Watanabe. Gorier than you might expect, and overloaded with electrifying action, the opening instalment is a frantic sci-fi adventure that leaves a lot of questions unanswered, like for example, how the hell did Natsuna get in that suit...Continue reading review.

Gantz 2 trailer

New TV spot for THE WOMAN IN BLACK

We’re still not best keen on the new (could they have taken up any more of the page with the mug shot of Daniel Radcliffe?) poster, but the newly released TV spot for The Woman in Black, does little to curb our interest in seeing this modern reboot of a cult classic.

Here’s hoping for two things - it does the original justice, and scores the newly reformed Hammer Films a sure fire blockbuster hit. WIB opens in the U.S Feb 3rd, and the UK Feb 10th.

Synopsis: THE WOMAN IN BLACK tells the tale of Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), a lawyer who is forced to leave his young son and travel to a remote village to attend to the affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House. Working alone in the old mansion, Kipps begins to uncover the town’s tragic and tortured secrets and his fears escalate when he discovers that local children have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances. When those closest to him become threatened by the vengeful woman in black, Kipps must find a way to break the cycle of terror.

 

 

The Woman in Black TV spot

The Woman in Black official UK site

The Woman in Black official US site

Retro-horror EL MONSTRO DEL MAR on US DVD

It's Monday, so no better time of the week for some cheesy b-horror. Breaking Glass Pictures has announced the February 28 DVD release of the nautical bloodbath, retro-horror thriller “El Monstro del Mar!” El Monstro mixes sexy yet deadly (always a winner) beauties, the infamous Vernian monster, and a grindhouse feel that just goes to prove the sea is to be avoided - because there’s critters live in it, with Teeth!

The DVD release will come packed with special features, including an exclusive interview with the Monstro Girls, audio commentaries with the cast and crew, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and two short films, “Acid Spiders” and “Sickie”, from Director Stuart Simpson.

Synopsis: Three gorgeous but deadly hired killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community to keep a low profile. But this town has a dark secret. The local old sea baron, Joseph, tries desperately to warn them to never go into the water. But these crazy vixens listen to no one, especially not some crazy-assed old fool. So the Kraken awakes! Now, along with Joseph and his beautiful grand daughter, Hannah, they must fight for their lives against this furious creature of the deep as the sea rises in a tidal wave of gore. Let the bloodbath begin!

El Monstro del Mar trailer

YAMADA: WAY OF THE SAMURAI - DVD Review

Director: Nopporn Watin. Review: Adam Wing.

Set in the ancient Kingdom of Ayothaya, Yamada: Way of the Samurai is based on an incredible true story (mixed with a generous supply of creative freedom), which brings to life the adventures of Yamada Nagamasa (Seigi Ozeki). For those of you that don’t know, Yamada is a Japanese Samurai warrior who gave up his homeland to protect the sovereignty of the Thai people. Or so it says here. He also became the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat province in South Thailand, but seriously, he asked me not to mention that part.

Betrayed and left for dead by treacherous Japanese forces, he makes a home for himself in a remote Thai village and masters the art of Muay Boran (Thai boxing). Fearless, emotionless and without genuine acting ability, Yamada takes on the role of royal bodyguard to King Naresuan The Great (Winai Kraibutr). His greatest challenge, besides emotional range, comes on the day that he’s forced to fight back against the elite Japanese warriors who left him behind. Yamada: Way of the Samurai is available in the U.K. this month courtesy of CineAsia...Continue reading review.

Yamada trailer

SEEDIQ BALE hitting North America in April

On their Facebook page recently, film distributor WellGo USA announced that they'd created a new fan page for their next North American release Warriors Of The Rainbow: Seediq Bale, which lists the release date as being April 2012. This is a film we've covered extensively here at 24FPS, and given it's been nominated for 6 Asian Film Awards (including Best Picture) and recently made it to the short list for Best Foreign Language film at this year's Academy Awards, it seems like the time for this film has come!

Synopsis: Set in 1930’s Formosa (now Taiwan) and based on true events, the film depicts the valiant but doomed struggle of more than 300 native Seediq warriors who, overcoming long standing and divisive inter-tribal rivalries, unite and launch a rebellion against their Japanese overseers. Fighting with ancient guns, spears and minimal weaponry and seeking to reclaim their land, their dignity and their honour, they took on the overwhelming force of the well armed Japanese imperial army. Driven by years of oppression and calling on the bravery and spirit of their ancestors, the 300 warriors using stealth, cunning and guerrilla tactics battle for freedom.

Official Website

Check out a bunch of poster at Hong Kong Movie Posters

 

New posters for Chinese slash horror HARPOON

Up until recently the authorities in mainland China’s have had something of an aversion to allowing the production of hard core horror movies, but from the looks of upcoming slasher flick Harpoon that policy seems to be....slipping.

Don’t let the latest posters to drop online fool you, they do a good job of hiding the fact (unlike the earlier ones) that this latest creation skirts closer to the realms of torture porn - than a mere hack n slash, and it’s being tipped as China’s answer to ‘Saw.’ Details on the plot are still proving elusive, but lets face it...being horror....very bad (splattery) things are going to happen too good people. With chainsaws and sharp pointy objects. Harpoon opens on Jan 24th.

Harpoon posters 1 2

Harpoon trailer

THE VIRAL FACTOR: Review

Director: Dante Lam. Review: Chris Sawin.

Jon Wan's (Jay Chou) life is turned upside down when his ex-girlfriend Ice (Bing Bai) is killed while they're out on a life threatening mission in Jordan. After waking up in the hospital, Jon is informed that not only is his career as a cop more than likely finished but a bullet is still lodged in his brain, is inoperable, and he will be completely paralyzed in two weeks time. Instead of staying in the hospital, Jon goes to visit his mother who tells him a twenty year old secret that he has a younger brother. Little does Jon realize that his brother Wan Yang (Nicolas Tse) has become one of the most wanted criminals of Malaysia. Now in a race against time, Jon is just trying to reunite his family as Yang attempts to figure out who ratted him out. Meanwhile, Jon's former teammate Sean (Andy On) has developed a mutated version of smallpox to release on all five continents with the intent to get rich off of the vaccine he has yet to develop.

I became familiar with the majority of the cast through the likes of Vampire Effect, True Legend, The Green Hornet, Bodyguards and Assassins, The Lost Bladesman, and New Police Story. Jay Chou was the questionable factor for me as I'd only seen him in True Legend and The Green Hornet. True Legend had potential but dropped the ball in the long run and The Green Hornet lost whatever appeal it once had in its second viewing. Chou seemed much more comfortable here as both his acting and action sequences were miles above either of the films I saw him in previously. Nicholas Tse is at the top of his game as well as he seems to get the crap kicked out of him every time he walks out onto the street yet keeps kicking and his raw emotion displayed in The Viral Factor is unparalleled by anyone else he shares screen time with. Andy On is downright despicable. His plans for the smallpox virus along with how he incubates it is nothing short of diabolical and Sean does all of this unflinchingly...Continue review.

Viral Factor trailer

NY Japan Society believes: Love Will Tear Us Apart

Love kills, at least that’s what New York’s Japan Society tells us - with the announcement of their latest, upcoming film season; Love Will Tear Us Apart, and it set to be a doozie. The press release lists just some of the sights to see.

"Bad romance, blind love, amour fou! This spring, we screen a series of twisted, obsessive, heart-blazing love stories from Japan and Korea, because, after all, it takes two to tango and at least two to tumble. The 20+ film lineup, mostly from the past decade, includes the U.S. premiere of Shinya Tsukamoto's latest film, KOTOKO, and the world premiere of Koji Wakamatsu’s Petrel Hotel Blue, as well as Hirokazu Kore'eda's Air Doll, Nagisa Oshima's arch-classic In the Realm of the Senses, Yukio Ninagawa's Snakes and Earrings, Lee Sang-il's Villain, Lee Chang-dong's Oasis, and Kim Ki-duk's Bad Guy, among other twisted tales."

That’s definitely a killer line-up. The season starts on March 2, and you can check out the full list, ticket prices and dates on their official site...here.

 

Trailer for Shinya Tsukamoto’s newest flick KOTOKO

Hard not to be excited about what is being toted as a return to form for Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto. His newest, Kotoko, has been making the festival rounds since debuting in Rotterdam about a year ago and is gearing up for it's Japanese release on April 7th with a new poster and trailer. The film is currently set for a theatrical release in the UK in August via Third Window, but there's been no word about anything happening with it stateside. Fingers crossed that that changes soon.

Synopsis: A single mother (Cocco) becomes afflicted with double vision. Taking care of her newborn baby becomes a nightmare as the mother also becomes paranoid. The only time the mother doesn't see double is when she sings. She also finds solace in cutting herself, allowing her blood to drip free and able to feel alive. A terrifying nervous breakdown ensues. When things spiral out of control, her baby is taken away. She then rides a bus and sings to herself. A man (Shinya Tsukamoto) sitting nearby listens to her wonderful voice. He begins to stalk her. The man is an award winning novelist who has fallen in love with the woman. They begin a volatile relationship. The woman's paranoia and vision slowly improves. Eventually her baby is returned, but her vision worsens...

See the poster in high resolution.

Thanks to WildGrounds for the heads up.

 

 

Posters and trailer for Thai horror comedy GHOST DAY

We’ll be honest and say right from the off that we won’t hold our hopes up too high yet, for the “comedy” (which can often tend to be mainly pratfalls and wack-wack-oops gags) element of director Thanit Jintanukul’s upcoming horror flick Ghost Day.....but combined with some scares it could be well worth a watch.

Two other plus points in its favour; the movie is co-produced by Phranakorn Film who’ve churned out some pretty good, high end B-horrors in their time, and it never hurts that the newly released posters and trailer look great fun! Ghost Day opens in Thailand Feb 23.

Synopsis: After watching a clip of two exorcists perform their exorcism on Youtube, an infamous TV show invites them to the program to make expose them as frauds live on air, in order to raise the show ratings. Underestimated by the TV staff as tricksters, the two exorcists accept the invitation to so show them just how real an exorcism can be.

 

Ghost Day posters

 

Brit horror thriller KILL LIST: Review

Director: Ben Wheatley. Review: Adam Wing.

The less you know about Ben Wheatley’s (Down terrace) second feature the better. Opening events give no indication as to how bruised and battered you’ll feel by the time the final credits roll some 85 agonising minutes later. We’re talking about family disputes, irresponsible parents and cringe worthy dinner parties here. A set of circumstances so familiar, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that Wheatley has set up shop in your own living room. Not only does he dress his gut-punching thriller in melodrama and side-splitting realism, his protagonists are largely unsympathetic (with the exception of Michael Smiley’s Gal). You wont find many heroes in this neighbourhood, but we all know a family like there’s and that’s what makes the opening act so uncomfortably engaging.

Jay (Neil Maskell) and his wife Shel (Myanna Buring) are hosting a dinner party for old friend Gal (Michael Smiley) and his new girlfriend. Tensions are already high, even before they introduce the red stuff, and Shel and Jay are constantly fighting over money troubles. Jay hasn’t worked in months, the bills are piling up, and there’s precious little hope of him convincing Shel that the new Jacuzzi fitting will aid his bad back. To make matters worse, Gal is positively coining it in with his latest venture and it’s only a matter of time before Jay gets back on the horse with him. It’s a nice little earner you see, too good to be true perhaps, but one that could put pay to Jay’s persistent bad memories. That’s all you need to know for now. You’ll soon discover when it comes to Kill List; it’s all in the details...Continue reading review.

Kill List trailer

New trailer for Korean thriller HOWLING

Song Kang-ho - one of the biggest acting names in Korean cinema today - in a thriller about a string of murder victims, whose deaths involve internal combustion and a mysterious Wolfdog?! Cummmmon what’s not to like about that?!

Ok, granted the premise of Howling sounds a little out there, but Song (star of ‘The Host,’ ‘Thirst,’ to name but a few, stellar movies) is one of our fave actors - the trailer looks great - and it sure doesn’t hurt that starlet Lee Na-young is along for the ride as co-star. Howling opens in Korean Next month. Official site, new trailer and stills galore at the links.

Synopsis: A man is killed by a spontaneous combustion. On his body animal teeth marks are discovered. A veteran male cop and rookie female cop starts an investigation ...

 

 

Howling stills

Howling trailer

Howling official site

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