DVD - January 07

'Dorm' (Hong Kong Version): Region 3

Thai filmmakers seem to be particularly fond of ghost films, but Dorm stands apart from the rest. One of the directors of 2003 box office hit My Girl, Songyos Sugmakana goes solo for his second film, reuniting with child actor Chalee Trairat for the decidedly uncommon 'Dorm.'

Though marketed as a horror, Dorm escapes easy categorization. The beautiful color-drained photography, gray institutional set design, and eerie music and visuals are effectively creepy and moody, bringing plenty of scares as the story unfolds.

The film, however, does more than just frighten.Revolving around a young boy's uneasy boarding school experience, Dorm is as much a coming-of-age story about friendship, forgiveness, and facing fears far greater than ghosts. 'Dorm' Review (Black hole reviews)

'Dorm' Trailer (Quicktime)

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'Curse of the Golden Flower': Region 3

Curse of the Golden Flower is probably the most talked-about movie among all Chinese films released in 2006. International star Chow Yun Fat returns to Chinese cinema to team up with Gong Li in a film directed by the famed Zhang Yimou, who returns to the epic genre after Hero and House of Flying Daggers. The three big names already constitute plenty of talking points, and the amazing palace sets and dazzling colours, creating an unprecedented visual feast that is more than just astounding. The Hong Kong (region 3) DVD with English subtitles, hits the shelves on Feb. 14th.

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'Children of Men': Region 1

"Children of Men" envisages a world one generation from now that has fallen into anarchy on the heels of an infertility defect in the population. The world's youngest citizen has just died at 18, and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction. Set against a backdrop of London torn apart by violence and warring nationalistic sects, "Children of Men" follows an unlikely champion of Earth's survival: Theo (Clive Owen), a disillusioned ex-activist turned bureaucrat, who is forced to face his own demons and protect the planet's last remaining hope.

'Children of Men' (Official site)

'One Missed Call Final' (Hong Kong Version): Region 3

Get ready for more ominous phone calls in the third and apparently final installment of the popular One Missed Call horror franchise started by Miike Takashi. This time directing duties for One Missed Call Final fall on TV director Aso Manabu. Like in the previous two films, terror begins with that special ring tone and a phone message foretelling a horrible death. The filmmakers have added a Battle Royale-meets-Carrie twist to One Missed Call Final, as friends are pitted against each other in a race to save themselves, making the film more complex than the typical vengeful ghost flick. Starring teen idols Horikita Maki and Kuroki Meisa (Under the Same Moon, One Missed Call Final is a bone-chilling entry into the J-horror genre that plays on fear, adolescent uncertainties, and the terrifying evil of both the human and spiritual worlds.

'One Missed Call' Order here

'A Scanner Darkly': Region 2

Richard Linklater's adaptation of Philip K. Dick's classic novel is a challenging, mind-bending experience that cautions about the dangers of excessive drug use as well as the government's capacity to abuse and manipulate power. Using the same interpolated rotoscoping technique that Linklater employed in 2001's WAKING LIFE, the film is an animated, trippy descent into one man's unraveling mind.

Set in the not-too-distant future where a new drug, substance D, has created an epidemic, A SCANNER DARKLY charts the mental unraveling of Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves). Arctor is an undercover cop who has been assigned to track a group of individuals who include the hyper-intense Luckman (Woody Harrelson), the ultra-paranoid Freck (Rory Cochrane), and the beautiful Donna (Winona Ryder).

As the film unfolds and Arctor finds himself abusing substance D in order to maintain his façade, his mind begins to spin out of control, to the point where he doesn't know what's real and what isn't. Eventually, the truth comes out, leaving Arctor even more numbed. Linklater's surprisingly faithful adaptation of Dick's novel blends humor, drama, and Bob Sabiston's striking animation to deliver a thought-provoking film that will leave viewers as dazed as the film's protagonist.

One Day Suddenly- 4 Horror Stories Limited Edition: Region 3

Lamenting the state of the horror genre in Korea, director Ahn Byung Ki of APT and Phone said he was the only one left making horror films who was truly interested in the genre. But he didn't just come to the table with empty words; he gave a chance to like-minded people to do the genre justice, producing One Day Suddenly - 4 Horror Stories.

Ahn created four different stories, all adapted from Yoo Il Han's works and exploring different subtexts of the horror genre, and gave four young directors their first shots at directing true horror.
This four-disc limited edition comes with all four films on separate discs. Each disc also includes audio commentary, making of, director and cast interviews, photo gallery, and theatrical trailers for the film.

For more info about the films you can read our original report on the release, back on August 28th last year.

Pre-order the DVD here!

'Frostbite': Region 1

Annika and her teenage daughter Saga arrive in a small town in Lapland in order for her to start a new job, and the pair a new life. It's not long before Saga is making a friend, Vega; a raven-haired goth. Can Vega be trusted? Moreover, will mother and daughter discover the town's horrifying secret before it's too late? FROSTBITE is an invigorating vampire film with a difference: Set in a part of the world that is plunged into darkness for weeks upon end, there is no escaping these creatures of the night at dawn. With comedic overtones and a post-modernist sensibility that is steeped in the writings of Bram Stoker and Hammer Horror, FROSTBITE is a vampire film you will not want to miss.

'Frostbiten' (Official site)

'Little Miss Sunshine': Region 2

The Hoover family treks from Albuquerque to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in Redondo Beach, California, to fulfill the deepest wish of 7-year-old Olive, an ordinary little girl with big dreams. Along the way the family must deal with crushed dreams, heartbreaks, and a broken-down VW bus, leading up to the surreal Little Miss Sunshine competition itself. On their travels through this bizarre landscape, the Hoovers learn to trust and support each other along the path of life, no matter what the challenge.

'Little Miss Sunshine' (Official site)

'Natural City' (Hong Kong Version): Region 0

In the year 2080, human clones with artificial intelligence replace manual labor in Natural City. Each clone has its own expiration date, but few are willing to accept the fate of recycling. A MP force is formed to hunt down the expired clones. R (Yoo Ji Tae), a member of the MP force, is in love with fast-expiring female clone Ria (Suh Lin), and he does not want to lose her.

R finds out that Dr. Croy knows a way to extend Ria's life.Can R save the life of his beloved? Natural City is a blockbuster sci-fi Korean flick costing over seven billion Korean won in production. Starring Yoo Ji Tae (Old Boy), the film is both a sensitive love story and an action thriller filled with stunning visual effects, making the film stand out from the rest.

'Natural City' Order Here

'Right at your door': Region 2

In the wake of the detonation of a 'dirty bomb' in LA and under the instruction of a public service announcement, Brad barricades himself within his home. With his wife Lexi on her way to work, he desperately tries to call her in an attempt to find out if she is safe and well. As time elapses and his worse fear looks set to manifest, Lexi appears outside the family home. If he allows his wife inside, he risks contaminating the house with deadly germs but leaving Lexi outside leaves her vulnerable to infection. Brad's dilemma is a harsh one and hinges on a decision that cannot be made lightly. What would you do?

'Right at your door' (Official site)