U.S trailer for Soi Cheang’s crime thriller ACCIDENT

It was way back in March that we first dropped news that Soi Cheang’s hard hitting thriller Accident was heading stateside, and with the release just around the proverbial corner, they’ve seen fit to throw us a U.S trailer to whet our appetite. Accident has top notch cast, stylish visuals, suspense and violence, all rolled around a fantastic premise and you can pick it up on DVD or Blu ...from June 12.

Synopsis: A self-styled accident choreographer, Brain is a professional hit man who kills his victims by trapping them in well crafted accidents that look like unfortunate mishaps but are in fact perfectly staged acts of crime. He is perennially plagued with guilt, as the avalanche of memories of his lost wife does not make things any easier. After one mission inexplicably goes wrong, costing the life of one of his men, Brain becomes convinced that this accident has been choreographed: someone is out there plotting to terminate him and his team. He becomes increasingly paranoid, not knowing whether or not to trust his friends and accomplices. When he discovers that a mysterious insurance agent named Fong is somehow related to the last staged accident, Brain becomes obsessed that this man must be the mastermind behind a conspiracy to take him out. To regain his sanity and to save his life, he must stay one step ahead of Fong before he makes his next move. Brain rents an apartment below Fong’s, bugs the rooms, then becomes obsessed with the insurance man’s comings and goings. Eventually reality and delusion blur, culminating in a wickedly twisted ending.

 

Promo trail for new Genghis Khan epic AN END TO KILLING

We were surprised to see that someone’s planning yet another historical epic based on the life of Genghis Khan – titled An End to Killing - so after a hunt around the web we’ve turned up a great looking (especially when you consider this is most likely unfinished footage) promo trailer for the film. Seems we aren’t the only ones who were wholly impressed – according to Variety, Universal has already snapped up the rights to the film, even before it’s finished. An End to Killing is due for release in China late this year, with a bow set for other territories in 2013.

Synopsis: The story is set against the backdrop of the later years of the reign of Genghis Khan. At a point when his power was at its peak and his empire had no equal, he decided to push westward wanting to enlarge his empire so that he could see it stretch from “the place where the sun rises to the city where the sun sets.” Smart, cunning, vicious and strategic; at that point in his life, no one could equal him and no one dared challenge him. That was until a master Daoist priest, Qiu Chuji came down from his mountain monastery, pursued Genghis Khan for three years and convinced him that immortality was only possible if he gave up violence and killing. Thus the mighty Khan was tamed.

An End to Killing promo

Korea’s action-packed QUICK hits U.S Blu and DVD

If spectacular street chases and non stop explosions galore are your thing (and who wouldn’t!?) then you could do a lot worse than cast your eye in the direction of the upcoming U.S DVD release of Jo Bum-Gu’s Korean blockbuster, action-fest...Quick.

Starring Lee Min-Ki, Kang Ye-Won and Kim In-Kwon it lands on Blu-ray™ and DVD. Both the BD and DVD have some extensive bonus content but the Blu-ray’s the one to go for, for some great exclusive bonus features.

Either way, it’s OTT, ridiculously cool eye candy of the highest order – so natch we’re going to cover it. Quick hits the street Aug 21.

Synopsis: While driving a female pop star to a live broadcast appearance, motorcycle-riding messenger Gi-su receives a mysterious call that there’s a bomb wired to the pop star’s helmet and will blow up if he fails to make a series of deliveries within a fixed time limit. Caught up in a terrorist attack on the grandest scale smack in a heavily populated city along with the police hot on his trail, he and his passenger must embark on a high-speed race against time that their very lives depend on.

Quick trailer

 

4th annual Shinsedai Cinema Festival announces programme

Toronto’s Shinsedai Cinema Festival has just announced the programme for 2012 and it a looks like Pinky violence, and sex galore, are the name of the game, as director Yu Irie’s film – ‘Ringing in Their Ears’ will have its Canadian premiere as the opening night film of the fourth annual festival on Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., at the festival’s new home, The Revue Cinema in Roncesvalles Village.

 ‘Ringing in Their Ears’ kicks off four days of Japan’s best new filmmaking talent for a new generation. Battle Girls & Bondage, Toronto’s first ever Pink Film Double Bill, starts on Saturday, July 14, at 9:30 p.m. and continues into the late evening with feature screenings of ‘Battle Girls’ and ‘New Tokyo Decadence: The Slave,’ plus an unforgettable mix of sexy performances, pageantry and kink.

For a full list of the films, perversion and oddness on offer, check out the fests official site here.

Full trailer for Singapore horror GHOST ON AIR

It’s actually just opened, but as we’ve just turned up another trailer online for the broadcast based Singapore horror flick....Ghost on Air we thought it worth a quick mention. A talk show DJ terrorized ghost stories made flesh are the name of the game in this one, and by all accounts the reviews have been pretty positive.

Synopsis: Ping Xiao, a two-time "Most Popular DJ" award winner, is suddenly robbed of his successful morning show slot. Jealous at seeing a younger DJ taking his place, he forces himself to conquer painful recurring memories of his deceased girlfriend and tells the ghost stories that were written by her on air. With each painful memory he endures, he regains a small step to his superstardom. However, as he is about to claim his reward, he begins to realize that the stories were not works of fiction, and maybe it wasn't him telling the stories all along... 

 

Korea action epic WAR OF THE ARROWS: UK DVD review

Director: Kim Han Min. Review: Adam Wing.

Korean cinema is well known for startling thrillers, but occasionally they put a little more emphasis on action and War of the Arrows is the result. Orphaned as a child, Nam Yi (Hae-il Park) overcame tragic loss to become the most accomplished archer of his generation. When Chinese forces attack Korea, he returns to discover that his sister - who he’s sworn to protect - has been taken into slavery on her wedding day by invading armies. Now he must prove himself against some of the greatest archers in history, shooting to thrill in a brave attempt to re-unite his family. War of the Arrows picked up 11 international awards on its way to DVD and it’s easy to see why.

Park Hae Il (The Host) won Best Actor at the Daejong and Blue Dragon Film Awards for his screen-hugging portrayal of the lone archer that would put even Robin Hood to shame. Television starlet Moon Chae Won plays his put upon sister, without whom we wouldn’t be blessed with such an adrenaline pumping night in. Directed by Kim Han Min (Paradise Murdered), War of the Arrows is a fast-paced action epic blessed with thrilling chase sequences, electrifying combat and exquisite direction. Kim Moo Yeol crops up as Moon Chae Won's husband, Park Ki Woong plays a Manchu prince, and Ryu Seung Ryong (The Front Line) swaps gunfire for bows as the leader of the Manchurian archers...Continue reading review.

War of the Arrows UK trailer 

Check out our review of the U.S theatrical release of Arrows

MITSUKO DELIVERS: DVD Review

Director: Yuya Ishii. Review: Adam Wing.

“When the wind blows your way, go with it.” Mitsuko Delivers is the new film from Yuya Ishii (Sawako Decides), starring Riisa Naka (Love Strikes!), Aoi Nakamura (Quirky Guys & Gals) and Ryo Ishibashi (Audition). Yuya Ishii is certainly making a name for himself; Sawako Decides won the Best Director accolade at the Blue Ribbon Awards, and the Best New Director Award at the Yokohama Film Festival. Hikari Mitsushima led an impressive cast in an enjoyable comedy drama that encouraged you to embrace the mediocrity of life and overcome it. Flawed yet fruitful, Sawako Decides was overlong and inconsequential, but it was also blessed with enough quirky charm to see it through.

His latest release, Mitsuko Delivers, takes similar themes and waltzes amongst the clouds with them. Mitsuko (Riisa Naka) is in the closing stages of her pregnancy to an African American guy she met in California. Her parents think she’s still in America but she’s actually back home, living in a rundown flat with no money and no friends. She’s a girl of simple pleasures; somebody that gets by on power naps, being ‘cool’ (doing right by people) and following clouds. That’s right folks; the clouds are what guide her in life apparently. So you wont be surprised to learn that she gets her flat cleaned up, jumps in a taxi (that she can’t afford to pay for), and follows a cloud back to the working class alley she grew up in...Continue reading review.

Mitsuko Delivers trailer

THE RAID to explode across the UK

We havent seen this kind of heavyweight theatrical support for an Asian film in a long time – Momentum Pictures, and Alliance Films Company, will release what film critics are calling “The Best Action Film of the Year”, THE RAID, in over 280 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 18 May.

The Raid stars the newest action movie superstar, Iko Uwais, was written and directed by Welshman, Gareth Evans and features a kick ass score by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and composer Joe Trapanese. An up to date list of all the cinemas playing THE RAID and show times is on the film’s Fan Hub page, or the official UK Facebook page.

Synopsis: Deep in the heart of Jakarta's slums stands an impenetrable apartment block; a safe house for the city’s most dangerous killers and gangsters and considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite SWAT team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. When rookie cop Rama is the last man standing, he must fight his way to the top of the building to complete the mission and escape with his life.  

The Raid UK trailer

UK DVD cover art for Columbian horror film THE SQUAD

Every once in a good while a South American country; ups and throws something bloody good into the international horror pot and this time around Colombia’s in the frame as Jaime Osorio Marquez's Military horror (‘El paramo’) The Squad is heading for a UK DVD bow. Part psychological thriller, part full-blown horror film, The Squad builds tension before delivering a final revelation that will “send faint-hearted viewers running screaming to the hills.” We’d gladly take that challenge...and for any others in the UK wanting to give it a go, June 18 is the date to look out for.

Synopsis: When all communication with a remote military base situated in an area of intense guerrilla activity is lost, a unit of Colombian soldiers is sent on a mission to regain contact with their brothers-in-arms. Fearing the base has been taken over by enemy forces, they arrive to find the place seemingly devoid of life. Once power is restored to the outpost, the full horror of the situation is revealed – the place is littered with corpses, the walls daubed with blood and what appear to be magical symbols intended to ward off evil. Amidst the carnage the soldiers discover a woman buried alive behind one of the walls. The dead captain’s log reveals she had been captured in the area several days earlier and was being held on suspicion of being a guerrilla informant. Further interrogation of the woman reveals little, but soon leads to tensions amongst the men who are struggling to come to terms with the mysterious slaughter of their comrades. Confused and isolated, the soldiers find themselves gripped by inexplicable feelings of fear, mistrust and paranoia that leads them to question the nature and identity of their enemy.

The Squad trailer

HELPLESS: Review

Director: Byun Young-joo. Review: Chris Sawin.

Mun-ho (Lee Seon-gyun) and Sun-yeong (Kim Min-hee) are engaged to be married. They're actually on the way to visit Mun-ho's parents, but as Mun-ho stops for some coffee Sun-yeong receives a phone call that changes both of their lives forever. As Mun-ho returns to the car, Sun-yeong is nowhere to be found. He searches everywhere, calls her cell phone to no avail, files a police report, and even comes home to a house that looks like it has literally been turned upside down. Sun-yeong has disappeared without a trace and Mun-ho will stop at nothing to find her even if it means that the person he's looking for may not be the person he's grown to love over the course of the past year.

Helpless is unique in the sense that it's more enjoyable than the movies it may remind you of. To a certain degree, it’s a lot like ‘Unknown’ with a little bit of gender swapping and more originality. The intimate scenes between Mun-ho and Sun-yeong were reminiscent of ‘The Vow,’ but doesn't feel overdone or leave you with the urge to regurgitate. Overall, Helpless is pretty well-crafted. Mun-ho becomes obsessed with finding Sun-yeong and will stop at nothing to not only find her whereabouts, but also what her true identity actually is. He puts everything on the line including his job as a veterinarian. He talks his former police detective cousin, Jong-geun (Jo Sung-ha), into helping him search for Sun-yeong. As Helpless progresses, it's as if Mun-ho's mental and emotional stability folds under learning who Sun-yeong actually is but he can't stop. Not until he hears it all from Sun-yeong herself...Continue review here.

Helpless trailer

SADAKO 3D heads for Hong Kong

Where they’re next set to release the latest incarnation of ‘The Ring’ series - Sadako 3D - has been occupying a lot of our time, because we really want to see it and every new territory means a possible source to snap up an English subbed DVD. Last month Korea offered up hope for a possible purchase, but now that Hong Kong has just jumped on the Sadako bandwagon, we’ve now got a sure fire (and cheaper. Hey...we’re big Asian horror fans, but still always up for a bargain) source on the way. S3D opens in HK June 14.

Synopsis: Akane is a high school teacher who hears a rumour from her students that there is actual footage on the Internet of someone's suicide. The footage is said to drive anyone who sees it to also commit suicide. Akane does not believe the rumour at first, but when one of her female students dies after viewing the footage, she and her boyfriend Takanori are fatefully drawn into the horror that has been created by the man who appears in the suicide footage, Kashiwada. Kashiwada's intention is to create chaos in the world by bringing back Sadako and the power of her curse. Now Akane has to fight against Sadako and Kashiwada to save the lives of herself and Takanori.

Official Sadako 3D website

 

EMPEROR AND THE WHITE SNAKE: DVD review

Director: Ching Siu Tung. Review: Adam Wing.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Two beautiful girls live amongst the trees, frolicking in a CGI forest and talking to animals. They could be lovers, they might be sisters (very close sisters), but they frolic all the same - laughing, giggling and slithering through life. One of the girls becomes obsessed with a rather damp excuse for a human being, saves his life and then stalks him for a while. The other girl longs for companionship and befriends a dim-witted demon hunter. The dim-witted hunter is bitten by a giant bat demon and starts to transform, but the beautiful girl vows to teach him the ways of a human/demon hybrid – as you do I guess.

Perhaps I should’ve mentioned that this is a Jet Li movie, with the martial arts legend appearing alongside a long line of CGI nastiness, playing the part of a demon slaying monk. Perhaps I should also mention that the two girls are snakes, one white and one green, and that not since the hit movie Splash have we witnessed such alluring scaly-skinned specimens. Welcome to the wonderful world of Emperor And The White Snake. That’s right folks, The Legend of the White Snake is born again, with Eva Huang (Kung Fu Hustle) starring as a lovelorn demon and action superstar Jet Li playing the part of a Buddhist monk – a Buddhist monk who belongs in another movie entirely, but we’ll let that go for now...Continue review here.

Emperor trailer

U.K theatrical release set for Sion Sono’s HIMIZU

Auteur of the strange - all round genius - and huge favourite around these parts, Japanese director Sion Sono’s latest opus (and biggest box-office success to date) Himizu is set for a UK theatrical release next month via Third Window Films, and we reckon its an opportunity not to be missed. Opening at the ICA, Prince Charles Cinema and selected regional sites, you can catch Himizu from June 1st. A real no brainer that this is a must see for Sono fans...end of!

Synopsis: Set after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, all 14-year-old Yuichi Sumida wants to become is a regular boy and live a decent life. His environment though repeatedly drags him into the mud. He runs his parent's rental boat business, which is located next to a nondescript lake. His mother frequently comes home with different men and soon she leaves him entirely. His father only comes around looking for money. Whenever Yuichi's father is drunk he tells Yuichi "I wish you were dead." Keiko Chazawa is a classmate of Yuichi Sumida. She harbours a severe crush on Yuichi. Keiko's home life isn't much better than Yuichi's. Her mother builds a gallows with a noose in place for Keiko to take her own life. Her mother believes her life would be better off without Keiko.Under these circumstances, Keiko pays a visit to Yuichi's home. A group of people are lingering nearby who live in make shift tents on the property. Keiko tries to befriend Yuichi, but she is berated and even physically assaulted. She doesn't get deterred though and sticks around. One day, the yakuza come by Yuichi's home. They look for Yuichi's father who is nowhere to be found. The men then tell Yuichi that he has to come up with 6 million Yen by tomorrow to pay off his father's debt. Yuichi already heartbroken by his mother's abandonment and abuse from his father nears a tipping point. A string of incidents then occurs that brings Yuichi's world to a screeching halt. Is there light at the end of the tunnel for Yuichi?

Himizu trailer

Full trailer for Lim Sang-soo’s THE TASTE OF MONEY

After bringing us the highly acclaimed remake of the Korean 60s classic (hailed by some as the best Korean film ever made) ‘The Housemaid,’ director Im Sang-soo, is back with another tale of high society greed, sex and deceit - in The Taste of Money. A new trailer is out and if only goes to prove one thing it’s that Soo knows how make greed, sex and deceit look oh so very stylish. The Taste of Money opens in Korea May 17th. 

 

 

The Taste of Money full trailer

The Taste of Money official site

 

Aussie horror THE LOVED ONES hits the U.S this June

Great news for all you U.S gore fiends who are fans of unusual, quirky and shockingly bloody horror - Australian first time director Sean Byrne’s "Carrie"-meets-"Misery" flick The Loved Ones, is finally due for some theatrical releases in the U.S ,and the date to watch out for is June 1st! Details of which cities are lucky enough to get to see it first (plus there’s a tab to click to request further venues) are on the films official site.

Prom night just got BLOODY...good.

Synopsis: Brent (Xavier Samuel) has never really recovered from the night of his car crash. It's the crash that killed his father, the crash that he was responsible for, and his only solace is his loving girlfriend Holly. But there's another girl who yearns to comfort Brent, the quietest girl in school, Lola. Just when Brent thought his life couldn't get any worse, Brent turns down Lola's invitation to the school prom and enters a nightmare beyond imagining. Just hours before the dance, Brent is abducted and taken to Lola's home by her adoring, demented DADDY who's determined to make his lovelorn princess's dream come true, her own private prom night with her dream date. As the night wears on Brent discovers that Lola's feelings for him aren't the only thing she's been keeping a secret, and although beaten and broken, he must summon every ounce of will he possesses if he is to survive, escape, and prevent Lola and her father from extending her revenge to those he loves most.

The Loved Ones official site

Read our review of The Loved Ones

Recent Entries