Film - December 06

31st December

More new posters for Russian horror 'Dead Daughters'

More new posters have been added to an already impressive array of artwork on the ‘Dead Daughters’ official site. This highly (by us anyway!) anticipated Russian horror is due out in Russia in Feb 07.

Synopsis: “Once a mad mother drowned her three little daughters overnight. Some years later, already in a mental hospital, she was herself murdered with three types of cold steel. Witnesses said that it was done by three teenage girls...
The ghosts of the dead daughters took vengeance on their mother, but neither was their thirst of revenge quenched, nor did their hatred dispel.

A deadly chain reaction was put into action: for three days they watched the one who saw their victim last. As soon as this person did anything wrong, the ghosts held their merciless trial. They have great power. And this power is growing stronger and stronger. They cannot rest in peace. Maybe they’re not just ghosts. They are......”

The buzz has also been huge for this film outside of Russia. So much so that apparently U.S. company 'Gold Circle' has already bought the rights for a remake, which is rumoured to be due sometime in 2008. Poster 1, Poster 2, Poster 3

‘Dead Daughters’ (Official site) (Promo site)

‘Dead Daughters' (Teaser trailer) (Full trailer)

30th December

Release date for 'Straightheads' slips again

The release date for Gillian Anderson revenge horror ‘Straightheads’ has been put back again. The film was originally due out Feb 07. Now the launch has slipped again, but for good reason. Anderson is about to have a baby, and the studio felt it only fair that they give her a few months off to enjoy being a new mum, before starting to promote the film.

Anderson apparently wants to give the movies promotion her all, and because of the deadlines for film press and magazines the earliest they can now release is April 07. We were lucky enough to see a press promotional trailer for the film recently, and if that’s anything to go by then it will definitely be worth the wait!

‘Straightheads’ (Sub site)

30th December

Second poster for Thai horror 'The haunted Drum'

New just in is a second poster for the upcoming Thai horror ''The haunted Drum.' Looks great. For a summary of the movies storyline you can read our original post on the film, back on Nov 30th.

29th December

On set pics for 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'

Some behind the scenes on set pictures have appeared online for 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'. Cate Blanchett reprises her role in the sequel to the superb period epic 'Elizabeth. 'The Golden Age' continues the story Elizabeth's crusade to control love, crush enemies and secure her position as a major power of the western world.

Synopsis: "As Queen Elizabeth I's cousin Mary Stuart conspires with Philip of Spain to topple the throne, Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's trusty advisor works tirelessly to protect her from the many plots and conspiracies against her. Preparing to go to war to defend her empire, Elizabeth struggles to balance royal duties with an unexpected vulnerability in her attraction to Sir Walter Raleigh.”

If you haven't watched the original film we would recommend giving it a try. If for no other reason than to see the fantastic performance of Geoffrey Rush, as the ruthlessly dark 'Master of Assassins' Sir Francis Walsingham. 'Golden Age' is currently in post production, and is due to open Autumn 07.

28th December

Upcoming project from the director of 'My Sassy Girl'

Kwak Jae-yong, director of the Korean hit comedy "My Sassy Girl" (2001), has signed on with Japanese firm Amuse to direct a big-budget feature in Japan.The ¥1 billion ($8.5 million) Japanese-language production, with a title that translates as "Cyborg Girl," is set to start shooting in the next two months, with an eye toward a late 2007 release. Although details about the plot have yet to be released, the film is being described as a sci-fi fantasy.

Aside from Jae-yong and executive producer Ji Young-jun, the cast and crew will be Japanese. Amuse will both finance and produce the pic, scripted by Kwak. Two of Kwak's previous films were strong performers at the Japanese box office, with "My Sassy Girl" earning $4.2 million in a limited release in 2003 and romance/comedy "Windstruck" taking a very respectable $15.2 million in 2005. Kwak's latest Korean feature, "My Mighty Princess" starring Shin Min-ah, recently wrapped post-production.

27th December

New poster and first teaser for Thai Horror 'Train of the Dead'

We first highlighted the upcoming Thai horror ‘Train of the Dead’ in a previous story back on Nov 30th. Now the guys at 'Thaicinema.org' have turned up a teaser trailer on the ever useful Youtube. Seeing it we couldn’t help but be reminded of the excellent Korean horror Redeu-ai (Red-eye). Another quite similar supernatural story about a haunted train. But hopefully 'Train of the Dead' will throw some new twists (and it being Thailand, no doubt lots of gore) into the plot.

‘Train of the Dead’ Teaser (Windows media)

27th December

'Confession' Loses to 'Curse' in Box Office Race

And the winner is…………. Well clearly not ‘Confession of Pain’ it would seem. Regarded as a potential box office rival to Zhang Yimou's latest blockbuster, ‘Curse of the Golden Flower’", ‘Confession' looks set to lose the year-end race.

‘Confession', released on Dec. 17, collected 24 (3.08 million U.S. dollars) from Friday to Sunday, while ‘Curse', which debuted on Dec. 14, reaped another (6.4 million U.S. dollars) in the same period, topping 2006 China's domestic movie box office with a record (24.73 million U.S. dollars).

The number of Beijing cinemas screening ‘Curse’ was triple that of the cinemas showing "Confession" last weekend and the digital screening rooms of big cinemas were all reserved to play ‘Curse’ only.

Source: [CRI]

26th December

Teaser trailer for Malaysian horror 'Syaitan' aka 'Satan'

News in on another Malaysian horror ‘Syaitan,’ due out in the new year. Directed by Bade Hj Azmi, and starring Rosyam Nor, Lis Dawati, Que Haidar, and Liyana Jasmay.

Synopsis: “Forced into a marriage by her parents, Dalila, is restless and despondent. When her husband slips into a coma after a bad accident, he awakes to his wife’s gentle care, but is haunted by the visions of the future that have plagued him during his comatose state…. What do the visions foretell? What dark secret lies behind his new wife’s smile?"

The teaser doesn’t give a whole lot (as it shouldn’t) away. But that combined with the poster, and the no nonsense title leaves us intrigued to see more. ‘Syaitan' opens 25th January 2007.

‘Syaitan' Teaser trailer (Windows media)

24th December

The 'Black Sheep' are coming!

Finally news we have been waiting for. The first real trailer for the horror comedy 'Black Sheep' is finally here. The film from writer/director Jonathan King, deals with an experiment in genetic engineering being conducted on a sheep station that goes horribly wrong, turning the loveable Lambs into killers that crave human blood. There is a link to the official web site below, where you can catch the trailer of the blood splattered bundles of fluffy joy in action.

'Black Sheep' (Official Site)

23rd December

Japanese horror fantasy 'Gegege no Kitarô'

Based on the hugely popular horror Manga of the same name ‘‘Gegege no Kitarô’ tells the story of Kitaro a half-human and half-yokai (a general term for creatures and supernatural beings), orphaned as a child and dedicated to keeping the peace between the human and yokai worlds. Kitaro tries to save a high school girl named Yumeko, and stop a stone with the power to control both worlds from falling into the wrong hands. If you enjoyed last years hit 'The Great Yokai War' this will be a must see in 2007.

'Gegege no Kitarô’ (Official Site)

22nd December

Argentina's first superhero 'Zenitram' heads for the bigscreen

It seems every country these days wants to have their very own superhero. Following in the wake of the likes of Thailand’s, ‘Mercury Man’ and Malaysia’s ‘Cicak’ comes Argentina's first big screen superhero ‘Zenitram.‘ The film is to be directed by Luis Barone, and has a budget slated at a respectable $4.6 million. Barone is producing under his Kaos banner with Spain's Telespan 2000, on a budget three times the average in Argentina.

Set in a futuristic and decaying Buenos Aires, the black comedy concerns a poor Argentine struggling to control his newly discovered superpowers. Juan Minujin ("A Year Without Love") stars as Zenitram. Jordi Molla ("Bad Boys II"), Steven Bauer ("Traffic," "Scarface"), Luis Luque ("On Probation") and Veronica Sanchez ("Mia Sarah") also star. We’ve had a hunt around and turned up a couple of publicity shots, which you can see full size here. [Source]

21st December

Emily Mortimer boards Brad Anderson's 'Transsiberian'

News in on a last minute change to the cast on Brad Anderson's ‘Transsiberian.' Emily Mortimer ("Match Point," "Dear Frankie") will replace Samantha Morton as the female lead on Brad Anderson's crime thriller. Mortimer, joins Woody Harrelson, Kate Mara, and Ben Kingsley in the cast.

Morton was forced to drop out due to a recent injury -- suffered when a ceiling fell in at her London home -- which left her unavailable to work, Filmax said. Due to the tight shooting schedule the producers were unable to rearrange filming at such short notice.

[Source: Variety]

20th December

'My Wife is a Gangster 3' to get Hong Kong release

According to ‘KBS’ the Korean comic action film “My Wife is a Gangster 3” will be shown at theaters in Hong Kong next February. The film’s producer Hyunjin Cinema said that it has decided to release the film in Hong Kong right before Chinese New Year in February considering the high expectations for the film there. The third installment of the series has already attracted much attention from Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam as well as Germany

The producer said that because the series has high brand recognition in Asian nations and Shu Qi is popular in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia (her birthplace), it expects that the third installment will also become successful in those countries. “My Wife is a Gangster 3” deals with events involving Aryeong (Shu Qi), the daughter of the most powerful mafia boss in Hong Kong who escapes to Korea due to a power struggle, and a group from the Korean gangster organization Dongbangpa, who try to protect her.
'My Wife is a Gangster 3' (Official Site)

20th December

New improved Forum

Why. Well for some reason our old forum server decided to loose our password and shut us out. Not all bad though, as the new one seems easier to use.

20th December

Rotterdam film festival to honor 'Johnnie To'

The Rotterdam film Festival (IFFR) is to dedicate one of its Filmmakers in Focus sidebars to Hong Kong director Johnnie To. "Johnnie To’s extensive work has ranged successfully, since his debut in the 1980s, between many genre. Among To's films in the Focus tribute are his two new films ‘Election’ and ‘Election 2’, as well as ‘Heroic Trio’, the 1992 film that cemented To’s reputation in the West," the festival said in a statement.

The Festival, which runs 24 Jan – 4 Feb 2007, will announce full program details in mid Jan, but it appears that it will have a strong Asian contingent. Of the eight films so far selected for its Tiger competition three are from Asia: "How Is Your Fish Today?," by London-based Chinese director Guo Xiaolu, "Love Conquers All," a debut feature by Malaysia's Tan Chui Mui, and "Fourteen" by Hirosue Hiromasa from Japan, who appeared in Rotterdam this year with his first pic "The Lost Hum." Competition jury is headed by recently banned Chinese director Lou Ye. [Source: Variety]

19th December

Website live for Samuel L. Jackson's 'Afro Samurai'

The website for ‘Afro Samurai,’ an animated series based on the graphic novel by Takashi Okazaki is now live. Voicing the title character, and co-producing the five-part miniseries is Samuel L. Jackson.

Synopsis: “With his unusually long blade, a cold-blooded attitude, and an occasional drag of a hand-rolled cigarette Afro is a lone warrior who roams the land knowing no love and shedding no tears. Upon his head is a cloth band with a mark that ranks him as the #2 fighter in the world. But in truth, he lives only to wreak revenge on the man who killed his father in a duel. That man ironically happens to be the world's top fighter, who wears another cloth headband marked by the symbol of the #1!”

The series is due to air on the U.S. cable channel ‘Spike TV.’ Rumours still persist that Jackson ‘may’ also be starring in a live action version of the Manga, slated for a possible release around 2008. ‘Afro Samurai’ (Official Site)

18th December

Korean film 'Duelist' Released in Egypt

The Korean Martial arts movie ‘Duelist’ has been exported to Egypt, a first for the Korean film industry. Egyptian film distributor Good News Group held a preview of the film directed by Lee Myung-se in the country’s capital of Cairo on Wednesday, with some 100 invited film reporters attending. ‘Duelist’ is the first Korean movie to be sold to an Egyptian film distributor for commercial viewing, although some Korean movies have been introduced to the Cairo International Film Festival.

The distributor will show the movie in four theaters in Cairo for two weeks from Thursday. An executive at the company expressed his confidence in the movie’s success there. “I think the movie will capture Egyptians’ interest with its spectacular martial arts performances,” he said. The Egyptian daily Al-Gomhuria said that the country has shown interest in Korean dramas and movies since the Korean hit drama “Winter Sonata” was aired on its national TV.

[Source:KBS]

17th December

'King Naresuan' will now be a three-parter!

Last month we reported that Chatrichalerm Yukol the director of the upcoming Thai epic ‘King Naresuan’ was to split the film into two parts. Now according to the guys over at 'Thaicinema.org' the movie is to be split again becoming a whopping three parter. In an interview this week, Chatrichalerm Yukol revealed the first two will be released on the Royal Army Day of January 18, 2006. And the final instalment will be slotted to the last month of 2007.

Each of the first two parts will last approximately two hours long. The first part portrays the childhood life of King Naresuan in Burma where he was politically adopted as the Burmese King Bayinnuang’s son. The second part will feature on his life until he freed Ayuthaya from the Burmese occupation and declared the country's independence. Filmgoers can watch them separately or can buy a special promotional package to be launched at the time of releases.

The final part will focus on his life, mostly in numerous wars to save Ayuthaya, including yutthahadthee or the elephant war. The Director also denied the rumour that King Naresuan would be his final works. He still has several projects to make, including the Thai popular adventure novel Petch Phra U-ma (The Jewel of the Uma Goddess).

Also the films English language site is up and running. ‘King Naresuan’ (Official Site)

17th December

Teaser trailer for Finnish horror 'War of the Dead'

We have turned up the first teaser for the Finnish Horror “War of the Dead.” Although the film is written and directed by acclaimed Finnish director Marko Makilaakso, and the cast is predominately Scandinavian, we hear the movies dialog will principally be in the English. Lithuanian Film Studios, the largest film studio in the Baltic States, has partnered with L.A.-based The Little Film Company to finance, produce and distribute the action horror. Principal photography for the film, which is being produced in association with Double Star Films, began in November in Lithuania. The Little Film Company is also handling worldwide sales of the film.

Synopsis: "In the frozen arctic forests, Captain Martin Stone is leading a finely-trained, elite platoon of American and Finnish soldiers as they attack an enemy bunker. Underestimating the enemy’s strength, they are quickly beaten back into the forest. As they try to regroup, they are suddenly attacked by the same soldiers they had just killed a few minutes earlier. Forced to flee deeper into Russian territory, they discover one of the most terrifying secrets of World War II and realize they have woken a far more deadly enemy. Death is no longer the final frontier." 'War of the Dead' Teaser.

17th December

First trailer for U.S release of 'Tears of the Black Tiger'

‘kaijushakedown’ have picked up that Magnolia pictures have a trailer online for their upcoming release of the Thai film ‘Tears of the Black Tiger.' With its loud acting style, exuberant sets and stunning shots in pastel colours, this cult film is as much a parody as it is a homage to the Western and the romantic tearjerker. Great stuff. You can check out the trailer, and details of the release dates from the link below.

Thanks to 'Peter' for the steer.

‘Tears of the Black Tiger' (Magnolia pictures)

16th December

Zhang Yimou's "Curse" takes 15 million yuan in 5 hours

The blockbuster from director Zhang Yimou, "The Curse of the Golden Flower", brought in 15 million yuan ($1.9 million) within 5 hours, on its first day of release in China. “Reasonable estimates believe that its nationwide box office would top 100 million yuan in one week, and to reach 300 million shortly after the new year," said Gao Jun, an executive from the Beijing based New Film Association.

"We are optimistic that the film will make a new box office record in China," said Gao. The current box office record in China was set in 1998 by "The Titanic" with 350 million yuan ($44 million), while Zhang Yimou's "Hero" in 2002 set a record box office among Chinese homemade movies with 250 million yuan ($31 million). "Hero" sold 10 million yuan ($1.3 million) worth of tickets on the first day it was released.

[Source:Chinaview]

15th December

Website live for Russian Sci-fi 'Paragraph 78'

The website for director Mikhail Khleborodov’s upcoming sci-fi action movie ‘Paragraph 78’ is up and running. There's some great content to look at, including behind the scenes production photos, cast and crew details, and a Quicktime version of the teaser trailer. Best news of all is that the entire site can be viewed in English.

‘Paragraph 78’ (Official Site)

14th December

Lionsgate picks up 'Backwoods'

There has been a lot of buzz in the online horror community Stateside for this movie. Mainly positive, but also expressing frustration at not being able to see it. Well now it appears their wait will soon be over. Variety have announced That Lionsgate has picked up North American rights to 'Backwoods' starring Gary Oldman. The English-language thriller, the feature debut of Spanish director Koldo Serra, is set in Basque country in 1978.

Two young couples on vacation stumble on a deformed girl in a cabin and, in a tale of mounting violence, anger local villagers when they try to help her. Virginie Ledoyen, Paddy Considine, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon and Lluis Homar also star. Pic's co-produced by up-and-coming Spanish producer Monfort Prods.; Castelao Prods.; Filmax Entertainment's feature production arm, Divine Prods.; Holy Cow Films; and Videntia Frames Prods. Now all we need is someone to sort out the UK distribution rights. Soon!

'Backwoods' (Official Site)

13th December

Trailer & poster for upcoming Russian horror 'Trackman'

The first trailer and poster has surfaced for director by Igor Shawlak upcoming horror ‘Trackman.’ Starring Dmitry Orlov, Svetlana Metkina, Alexander Vsokowski, Julia Wall, Alexei Dmitriev, Oleg Kamenczykov, Thomas Mockus.

Synopsis: “Three robbers commit raid on a bank. Thinking they have the ideal escape route from the crime they retreat into the abandoned tunnels of the Moscow subway. In the course of a robbery 3 hostages were taken and they too are dragged into the depths of the tunnels. From that moment they fall into the domain of the ‘Trackman.’ Methodically he hunts them down, stripping them of their eyes.“

Watching the trailer you can’t help but think the film has perhaps been a tad influenced by Christopher Smith’s ‘Creep.’ That aside, the cast perform their roles with gusto, the production looks great, and it seems to promise a few good scares along the way. 'Trackman' is the first Importfilm and Columbia Pictures co-production. The official site is not yet up, you can however see the trailer here.

12th December

More awards for Eastwood's 'Letters from Iwo Jima'

Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" received its second award in seven days after being voted best picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the group said. The film is the second of back-to-back movies made by Eastwood focusing on the vicious fighting on Iwo Jima towards the end of World War II. "Flags of our Fathers" was released in the US two months ago.

Unusually for a major Hollywood production, "Letters from Iwo Jima" examines the battle from the Japanese perspective and was shot in Japanese with subtitles. It has yet to be released in the US but is already generating talk of being a contender at next year's Oscars. Much of the latest film delves into the tribulations of Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, played by Ken (pictured with Eastwood) Watanabe, who had lived in the US and was fond of Americans but gave his life to defend the island.

Eastwood, a two-time best director Oscar winner, said his unusual decision to make twin films was meant to explore "the great futility of war." Some 21,900 Japanese and 6,821 Americans died in the month-long Battle of Iwo Jima, a small sulfurous island that gave the US a crucial staging ground to bomb mainland Japan. The LA critics' best picture award followed a similar honor bestowed on the film last week by the US National Board of Review. [Source:CRI]

12th December

Australian horror 'Storm Warning' gets distribution deal

We first covered news on the horror flick 'Storm Warning' Back in July 20th. Now according to The Hollywood reporter its been announced that Dimension films have acquired all North American, Australian and New Zealand rights to the horror flick. The film, follows a husband and wife on a fishing trip gone very wrong. When they're captured by deranged locals, the wife fights back in a gory battle that director Jamie Blanks ("Urban Legend") delivers with vivid prosthetic and digital effects.

Dimension execs bought "Warning" from Arclight division Darclight based on a screening of post-production footage. The film, shot in Melbourne, Australia, is scheduled for completion in May and tentatively set for theatrical release next year. "It's pretty full-on in terms of its violence, with a more heightened reality than 'Wolf Creek,'" said producer Gary Hamilton, one of several "Creek" creators on the film. Peter Ford also produced, and Martin Fabinyi, Michael Gudinski, Greg Sitch and Mark Pennell served as execitive producers. The teaser trail is on the 'Storm Warning' official site.

11th December

Upcoming French psychological thriller 'Le Serpent'

Due out in France in January 07, 'Le Serpent' appears to be a promising psychological thriller from director Eric Barbier. Starring Yvan Attal, Minna Haapkyla and Clovis Cornillac.

Synopsis: "Vincent Mandel, a photographer is caught up in an ugly divorce and fighting for custody of his children. One day his world is blown apart by the appearance of a ghost from his past: Joseph Plender, one of his former classmates. Murder, and blackmail will lead Vincent on a true descent into Hell… There remains to him one hope, to beat Plender with its own game."

'Le Serpent' (Official Site)

11th December

Full trailer for 'The Possibles'

'The possibles' which we previously reported on back on November 8th is out now in Thai cinemas. Of course the film has an accompanying website. But one thing the site oddly appears to be missing, is a trailer. But as ever Youtube has come up with the goods, with one full of 70s goodness.

'The possibles' (Youtube)

9th December

New independent horror from Russia - 'The path of death'

News in from Russia on an independent horror ‘Tropa Smerti’ aka ‘The path of death.’ According to one Russian online film site, ‘Path’ has been an absolute blockbuster in the republic. For the first week of release, the teenage horror covered its production cost – about one million Rubles ($37,500). That doesn’t sound a lot in western terms, but a million Rubles probably goes a long way in Russia.

Synopsis: “Dmitry suffered a serious trauma in his childhood when his family went for a picnic in the woods. Only he and his Sister survived. Many years later It’s the middle of July. Now 23, Dmitry has graduated from Yakutsk State University. He and his friends – Nikolay, Ilya, Vitaly and Peter – set out for camping trip into taiga (a thick coniferous forest) to have fun.

Drinking heavily they become forgetful and disorientated and soon get very lost. Quarrelling with each other as to who’s to blame for their predicament, a drunken brawl breaks out near a sacred shaman tree. The Tree soon becomes the target for them to vent their anger. They shouldn’t do that. The spirits of Taiga forest will have retribution for the damage the boys have caused. None will leave the woods alive.” 'Path of Death' (Official site)

8th December

Kurosawa Kiyoshi's 'Loft' gets French cinema release

Director Kurusawa ('Kairo' aka 'Pulse') Kiyoshi’s new horror 'Loft' is due to open in French cinemas on January 3rd. Synopsis: “prize-winning writer, Leiko (NAKATANI Miki), moves to a quiet sub-urban house to finish up her new novel with a help from the editor. That night while sleeping, she sees a man in a storage room transporting an object wrapped in cloth.

She soon finds out that he is a renowned archaeologist, Professor Yoshioka (TOYOKAWA Etsushi), researching ancient mummies, and that object was a recently discovered mummy. Working late on her book, Leiko witnesses a ghost and finds out that her room once belonged to a woman who had been missing for a while. This brings unexplainable fear to Leiko as she starts to uncover more stories from the past.”

The most notably extra on the French website for the film, are two new (French subtitled) clips we've not seen before. There is also an English subtitled trailer which you can see here.

7th December

Full trailer online for Malaysian horror - 'Chermin'

The website for the upcoming Malaysian horror ‘Chermin’ has been updated with a new full length trailer. 'Chermin’s' story revolves around a woman who is haunted by a vengeful spirit trapped in an antique mirror. We first covered news on the film back in September, but for those that missed it here’s a quick recap of the plot:

“Nasrin a young Malay woman has her face badly disfigured in a ‘mysterious’ car accident. When her mother discovers an antique mirror hidden amongst old family heirlooms, Nasrin finds herself strangely drawn to it. Her fascination with the mirror turns into obsession and she starts taking on the persona of the mirror spirit, Mastura. In her quest to regain her past beauty, Nasrin submits herself to the mirror spirit by satisfying the mirror’s need for blood and revenge.?"

'Chermin' is the first feature film of writer/director Zarina Abdullah.

'Chermin' (Full Trailer)

7th December

'Prince of the Himalayas' entered at Golden Globe's

Film Director Sherwood Hu's "Prince of the Himalayas" has entered the running for next year's Golden Globe Awards with five Foreign Film nominations. The film which we previously covered back on Oct 11th is a Tibetan version of William Shakespeare's famous tragedy "Hamlet."The film's hero is played by Tibetan actor Purba Rgyal.

The Golden Globe Jury has reportedly given the film high praise, saying "there are few Tibetan movies to compete and it is really stunning." Director Sherwood Hu has revealed his next film will be based in Shanghai and Purba Rgyal will again play the lead.

[Source:CRI]

6th December

'The Host' (Limited Edition Set)(Korean Version) on DVD Dec 28th

The biggest Korean film of the year comes to DVD! Bong Jun Ho's monster film broke every record on the book, The Host became the first Korean film to sell 13 million tickets, surpassing the all-time record held by King and The Clown. Now the 3 (thats 3!) disc Korean R3 special addition of the film is available to own.You can check out the full specs, and pre-order the DVD from the link below.

'The Host' (Limited Edition box Set)

5th December

Exclusive: First look at upcoming horror from India 'The Forest'

We have turned up a teaser trailer for Ashvin Kumar's first feature length film ‘The Forest,’ a bilingual (Hindi/English) survival horror. 'Forest' is to be the first ever ‘Hollywood producer’ backed movie to be made-in-India. Arclight Films has teamed with Dreyfuss/James Prods to fund the project, and it will be released under Arclight's genre banner, Darclight Films.

Kumar's other works includes 'Little Terrorist' which was Oscar-nominated in the short film category. He also helmed the hour long 'Road to Ladakh,' which he is working to develop as a feature length picture with the U.K. Film Council.

Synopsis :” A leopard in the mysterious terai jungle escapes the bullets of poachers, but when its wounds won't allow it to hunt his usual prey, it turns into a ravenous man-eater. An urban couple on vacation have come to the jungle to sort out their troubled marriage, and a compelling human story unfolds as the hungry leopard is pitted against self-absorbed city-slickers in a night of terror...”

From the synopsis and watching the teaser, you get the impression that there may be more to it than just a straight up survival horror. There seems to be a hint of the supernatural about the film. Either way the movie looks great. ‘The Forest.’ is currently in postproduction.More news as we get it. ‘The Forest’ Teaser trailer (Downloadable Quicktime)

5th December

Exclusive: On set photos for Chow Yun-Fat's 'Children of Huang Shi'

A ton of official on set pics for Chow Yun-Fat’s upcoming film ‘Children of Huang Shi' have turned up online. The 19-million-dollar war epic is the true story of a young British journalist who saves a group of orphaned children with the help of an Australian nurse during the Japanese invasion of China in 1937.

Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, the film unites an international team from Hollywood, Australia and Germany. The film's stellar cast include Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Myers, Chow Yun-Fat and Malaysian-Chinese star Michelle Yeoh. Chow Yun-Fat will play a Chinese commander. Filming has just begun in Dunhuang, in the province of Gansu. 'On set pictures'

4th December

'Death Note' to get spin off movie

The two ‘Death Note’ films, which have together grossed nearly ¥7 billion ($60 million) in Japan, have generated a spin off featuring the movies eccentric detective ‘L’ , according to Tokyo press reports.

The first "Death Note" pic, distributed by Warner's Japan, earned $24.6 million following its June release. The second, which opened in November and concludes the story, has passed the $34.5 million mark. Meanwhile, the comic on which the films are based has sold 23 million copies in paperback editions. The as-yet-untitled spin off will go into production sometime next year, with ‘NTV’ again producing.

[Source: Variety]

3rd December

U.K site for 'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'

Still riding high in cinema charts across Europe, the next country 'Perfume' is to take on is the U.K. Armed with its new (check out the excellent wallpapers) website, its pretty much a certainty this stunning looking film will do very well over the Christmas period. 'Perfume' opens in the U.K on December 26th.

'Perfume' (Official UK site)

2nd December

Teaser poster for Brad Anderson's - 'Transsiberian'

We have the first look at a teaser poster for Brad (director of Session 9 & The Machinist) Anderson's - 'Transsiberian.' The film has an excellent cast including Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Ben Kingsley and Kate Mara. Along with the one sheet, we have also found a detailed (Spoiler alert) Synopsis:

"Following a stay in Peking, Roy and Jessie, a couple who are going through a rocky patch, decide to give their relationship one last go and have another adventure together, traveling on the Transsiberian from China to Moscow through exotic, wild and snow-laden places.

On the train, Roy and Jessie discover that the days of the Transsiberian’s glorious luxury have faded since the fall of the USSR. The famous train’s former glamour has disappeared, leaving cold steel carriages and fellow passengers, reputed to include drug traffickers. They take refuge in the company of a fellow western couple who arrive in their shared compartment, Carlos and Abby, who travel throughout the world giving language classes and re-selling handcraft, such as, on this occasion, Russian “Matryoshka” dolls.

Everything is going well until the four decide to get off the train at one stop. Roy gets separated from the rest of the group and the train carries on with the other three already back on board. Jessie, by now extremely worried, has no other option but to get off at the next station and wait until Roy comes on the following train. Abby and Carlos offer to wait with her. However, while they wait for him, Carlos tries to take advantage of Jessie and, in trying to defend herself, she ends up accidentally killing him. Terrified, she buries the corpse in the snow and returns to the station, where Roy has finally arrived. Back together at last, Jessie tries to forget about what has happened. But the nightmare is only just beginning.

She will soon discover that Carlos and Abby were in fact drug dealers who were being pursued by several corrupt police officers, and they are now chasing her. Unwittingly, Roy and Jessie get caught up in the dark world of smuggling and betrayal. And they know that while the train is in motion, there is no means of escape!" [Source: Filmax]

1st December

French historical epic from Russia – ‘The sovereigns servant’

Yes indeed, the Russian film industry spreads its wings yet further to tackle another genre on the big screen. This time it’s with an 18th Century historical French swashbuckler ‘Sluga Gosudarev’ aka ‘The Sovereigns Servant.’

The movie is directed by Oleg Ryaskov, and stars Olga Arntgolts, Aleksandr Bukharov, and Nikolai Chindyajkin. From the look of the trailer it’s got everything you would expect from a period flick; love, betrayal, duels, big ships, and even bigger wigs!

Synopsis: “Europe, 1709. Russia and Sweden are at war. Two French duelists are exiled by King Louis XIV of France: one to the side of Car Peter the Great of Russia, the other to the side of King Charles XII of Sweden. Although separated by war and allegiance, fate has not finished with them.”

The trailer is available to see on Youtube. The 'Video' quality's good, the down side is that the soundtrack appears to be a tad out of synch. The movie is due out in Russia in 2007. ‘The Sovereigns Servant’ Trailer