New/Upcoming Releases

[Jen]

From Movies Online

In the spirit of R-Point and The Sixth Sense, Tartan Video is pleased to announce 1942, a new film from acclaimed director Kelvin Tong (The Maid). This DVD has been officially cleared to declare war on DVD shelf space January 29th in video stores across the country.

Huddled in a jungle trench, war cameraman Fujii is hoping to shoot footage of the Japanese 6th army when an enemy mortar shell explodes near by. Running for his life and armed only with an 8mm camera, the young soldier joins the remnants of the scattered 6th. With only five scared and weary soldiers remaining, the group decides they must escape the jungle if they are to survive the expedition. Curiously all the maps are wrong, the radio will not work and strange images are haunting the men. Fighting against thirst, hunger and eventually each other, the lone cameraman finds the job of keeping everyone alive squarely on his shoulders.

Filmed in Malaysia, 1942 is directed by Kelvin Tong, one of the most successful directors in Singapore today. Tong is currently filming a Hong Kong action thriller, Rule Number One, with Hong Kong stars Shawn Yue (Dragon Heat, Invisible Target, Dragon Tiger Gate and the Infernal Affairs series) and Ekin Cheng (Legend of Zu, The Storm Riders and the Young and Dangerous series), set to be released in 2008.


Japanese, with English and Spanish subtitles, 1942 is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features TBD.

[Jen]

gingerpete said:

Last year I had the good fortune to be on Tartan's mailing list here in the UK and received review copies of these three.

Whispering Corridors is great, a very effective and creepy ghost story. The other two were disappointing and Wishing Stairs in particular is clumsy and predictable.

I haven't seen them yet, they are on the list......lol. But that goes along with what I have heard from others.


Okay one more.......since I am behind.

From Movies Online

The ultra-gritty crime thriller, DOG BITE DOG, arrives as a two-disc DVD set October 23 under the Dragon Dynasty label from The Weinstein Company and Genius Products. Nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award® (Best New Performer, Weiping Pei), DOG BITE DOG is "a punch in the mouth that drags audiences over the finish line panting, sweaty [and] exhilarated” (New York Asian Film Festival). With its striking cinematography, DOG BITE DOG follows a volatile officer (Sam Lee, Made In Hong Kong, The Longest Summer) as he hunts down a ruthless hit man (Edison Chen, Infernal Affairs trilogy, The Grudge 2) through the bleak streets of Hong Kong. Directed by Pou-Soi Cheang (New Blood), the two-disc
DOG BITE DOG DVD includes featurettes with leading stars Chen and Sam Lee, a making-of, audio commentary with Chen and more

Special Features:

Feature Length Audio Commentary By Leading Man Edison Chen And Hong Kong Cinema Expert Bey Logan
Biting The Bullet: A Featurette With Director Cheang Pou-Soi
Top Dog: A Featurette With Leading Man Edison Chen
Unleashed: A Featurette With Star Sam Lee
Every Dog Has His Day: A Featurette With Co-Star Lam Suet
Dog Bite Dog Explored: A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Making Of The Movie
US Promotional Trailer

[Jen]

From Film Fanaddict

Enter if you Dare! Tartan Asia Extreme’s APARTMENT 1303 in Stores October 23rd

From Ken Oishi, the author of THE GRUDGE, comes a new dimension of terror, APARTMENT 1303. Directed by Ataru Oikawa who made a name for himself directing manga-based films (TOMIE, TOMIE: BEGINNING, TOMIE: REVENGE and EINSTEIN GIRL). APARTMENT 1303 is released under the Asia Extreme label and will frighten DVD shelf space nationwide October23rd.

After moving into her first apartment, Sayaka invites her friends to come over and celebrate. During the party, she begins acting strangely, before suddenly running to the balcony and jumping to her death. At the funeral, stunned and horrified, her friends and family refuse to believe Sayaka committed suicide. Upon investigation, her sister Mariko begins investigating and learns that Sayaka wasn’t the first to plummet to her death in Apartment 1303. The room has a shocking history and Mariko is about to come face-to-face with an evil more powerful and terrifying than she could ever have imagined.

In addition to writing novels that ultimately became terrifying films like Tartan Video’s APARTMENT 1303 and the wildly terrifying THE GRUDGE, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Japanese horror author Ken Oishi also adapted the Oldboy manga, creating a popular novel, which influenced Park Chanwook, who later directed the 2004 Cannes Grand Jury Prize Winner OLDBOY.

Japanese, with English and Spanish subtitles, APARTMENT 1303 is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features TBD.

[Jen]

From Film Fanaddict

Connected only by their theme of a beautiful young swordswoman who’s wronged, then seeks bloody revenge on her oppressors, the LEGENDS OF THE POISONOUS SEDUCTRESS series was produced at Toei Studios in the late 1960s, only a few years before the studio revolutionized the Japanese film industry with their “true-life” yakuza films, girl-gang sagas and modern-day violent thrillers. Set during the samurai days, when Japan was isolated from the rest of the world, the POISONOUS SEDUCTRESS series stars the beautiful Junko Miyazono, first as Ohyaku, then as Okatsu, women who endured humiliation and injustice for as long as they could…until they had to strike back with violence!

Each episode forms its own individual story, and will only be available for sale separately.

EPISODE 1: FEMALE DEMON OHYAKU
A quiet actress named Ohyaku is wrongly sent to prison, then pushed by her tormentors to the point of no return. With a demon tattoo splayed across her back and a sword in her hand, she embarks on a crusade of vengeance against all those who have wronged her, laying waste to man and woman alike in her quest for bloody retribution. A gruesome Pinky Violence classic, the film’s merciless parade of action, beheadings, tattooing and torture proved highly influential on later series of sexy action films from Toei Studios in the 1970s.

EPISODE 2: QUICK-DRAW OKATSU
The daughter of a swordplay instructor takes on a power-hungry magistrate in the second entry of the series, joined this time by Rui, a wild young swordswoman (Reiko Oshida). The two sexy avengers embark on a blood-soaked quest for revenge after Okatsu is raped and her father slaughtered by one of his assistants. From fencing schools to small-town brothels to the imperial city of Edo , Okatsu and Rui slash their way through dozens of evil men in order to settle the score with those who wronged them, in this swordplay classic which features some of the best fight scenes of the series.

EPISODE 3: OKATSU THE FUGITIVE
In the final episode of the series, the legendary beautiful swordswoman Okatsu is on the hunt for Judayu, a corrupt merchant responsible for the death of her parents. Betrayed by her fiancé, she finds herself aided in her quest by a handsome stranger (longtime yakuza movie star Tatsuo Umemiya) – who happens to be as handy with a sword as she is! What is the reason for his kindness, and will Okatsu be able to prevail against her nemesis, now a powerful businessman with scores of allies in high places? Whatever the end may be, the restless spirits of her murdered parents drive Okatsu along her crimson-colored road of vengeance.

Episode 1 directed by Yoshihiro Ishikawa (GHOST CAT OF OTAMA POND). Episodes 2 & 3 directed by legendary filmmaker Nobuo Nakagawa (SNAKE WOMAN’S CURSE, JIGOKU).

The series features an all-star cast of famous faces from the best of Japanese genre cinema, including lead actress Junko Miyazono (ELEVEN SAMURAI, SAMURAI WOLF 2), two-time series co-star Tomisaburo Wakayama (LONE WOLF & CUB, BLACK RAIN), Tatsuo Umemiya (GRAVEYARD OF HONOR, WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY), Kunio Murai (SNAKE WOMAN’S CURSE), Ko Nishimura (SNAKE WOMAN’S CURSE, HANZO THE RAZOR), Reiko Oshida (DELINQUENT GIRL BOSS), Yukie Kagawa (HORRORS OF MALFORMED MEN, FEMALE CONVICT SCORPION – JAILHOUSE 41), and Yoichi Numata (JIGOKU).

Synapse Films’ LEGENDS OF THE POISONOUS SEDUCTRESS DVD Series Include the Following Special Features:
• New, fully restored anamorphic widescreen transfers mastered in high-definition from Toei’s original vault elements
• Japanese language audio with newly-translated, removable English subtitles
• Audio commentary on FEMALE DEMON OHYAKU and QUICK-DRAW OKATSU by Japanese film expert Chris D.
• Original Japanese theatrical trailers
• Poster galleries
• Liner notes and essays on the female swordplay genre
• Reversible covers with original Japanese poster artwork
• MORE!

[Jen]

From Film Fanaddict

Coming this Tuesday, November 13th: Cyberpunk Collection 2-pack from TLA Releasing!

Rubber's Lover
A powerful and secretive corporation is conducting underground psychic experiments utilizing Digital Direct Drive, otherwise known as DDD. While under the influence of the drug ether, the human subjects are outfitted in rubber suits and bombarded with DDD with extremely intense sound. Though the experiments are successful in unleashing psychic powers in the test subjects, the results are usually fatal. As a result, the corporation attempts to shut down the experiments against the wishes of Motomiya and Hitotsubashi who are in charge of the research.

In a desperate attempt to salvage their work, the two researchers take over the lab and hold an innocent secretary hostage while they transform their fellow researcher into an ether addict and use him as the final human guinea pig for their experiments. The result has to be seen to be believed as his psychic powers are unleashed in a wave of ferocity that will leave you breathless.

Pinocchio 964
Pinocchio 964 is the nightmare of a cybernetic sex android let loose into the world without a memory. Wandering around Japan, Pinocchio finds Kyoko, another amnesiac with a horrible secret to her own memory loss. Together they try to piece their lives and live in a world where memory is no longer needed. At the same time, Pinocchio's fiendish architect and master is desperately trying to find his lost prototype before the world finds him. As agents hunt down Pinocchio, the sex android begins to unravel in what can only be said is a hallucinogenic thrill ride that has to be seen to be believed. Shozin Fukui's masterful direction gives the viewer a totally unique experience along the lines of Tetsuo the Iron Man. This underground classic packed the theaters in Japan and stood out among so many other films that it was hailed as a masterpiece of innovation in Japan's film industry.

ALSO AVAILABLE INDIVIDUALLY!

[Jen]

From Unearthed Films

Press Release from Unearthed Films Inc.

Unearthed Films is proud to announce a new distribution agreement with TLA Releasing. Stephen Biro, President of Unearthed says, "We are very eager to start releasing our entire library of product thru TLA. They are a great company who are releasing edgy, interesting product into the marketplace. We feel that, with their knowledge of Japanese cinema and their independent and mainstream channels, they will be able to give us the push we have been needing for years. A good portion of our product that has been unavailable since 2005 will now get a proper release. Our newer titles will finally be exposed to a much broader customer base.

We have always been looking for a home, so we can just concentrate on acquiring and making great films. TLA will give us the freedom we need to concentrate on our future projects.

TLA Exec. Director Richard Ross has this to say about the acquisition of Unearthed Films for distribution. "We are so proud and excited to be working with Unearthed Films. Their talent for acquiring new cutting edge product and their amazing catalog are a perfect addition to our new diverse lineup."

Beginning Oct 30th, TLA will be distributing the reissue of Unearthed Films "Ichi-1" and "Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre." Following on November 13th will be the release of two more catalog titles, "Pinocchio 964" and "Rubber's Lover", which will be followed by the new title "This Hollow Sacrament" on Nov 27th. Then on Dec 11th, two more catalog titles, Evil Dead Trap 2 and Rock & Rule will be released, in addition to the new UK horror film Footsteps.

"We plan on releasing two catalog titles and one new release every month. We have had e-mails from so many unhappy fans that they haven't been able to find any of our new releases over the last year. By the end of 2008, we should have released our entire catalog, in addition to one new title each month.

[Jen]

Maybe its just me, but this looks all kinds of awesome....

Machine Girl Trailer

[Jen]

GP 506 Trailer

[Jen]

From HorrorMovies.ca (follow link to see pictures)

First Images: Tokyo Gore Police
Posted By : jmh314, Friday Feb,01
Filed Under : Foreign Horror,

A while back we gave you information on an upcoming Asian film called The Machine Girl. I know many people were blown away by the sheer madness of that trailer, so now I come to you again with some images of whats sure to be another Asian cult film lovers wet dream. Coming soon is a film titled Tokyo Gore Police and is actually produced by the same guy who produced The Machine Girl and is set to be directed by first-time director Yoshihiro Nishimura. Despite being a first time directer, Nishimura is no stranger to the asian horror community as he co-wrote Uzumaki and was behind the special FX on films like "Meatball Machine" and "Exte: Hair Extensions". The action sequences are in the very talented hands of Versus star Tak Sakaguchi.

Tokyo Gore Police revolves around Ruka (played by Eihi Shiina of Audition fame). Ruka is a female police officer on a task force that is assigned to kill strange mutants created by a mad scientist called Key Man. She isnt after just mutants as she also seeks revenge for her father's death years ago, something that she strangely has in common with Key Man.

Fangoria recently visited the set of Tokyo Gore Police as filming rapped in Tokyo, and I must say they got their hands on some of the craziest set photos I have seen in a long time. It makes me wish I could have a trailer right now, but we will have to wait until March when it premieres at the Yubari Fantastic Film Festival. And actually, the trailer is debuting in front of the world premiere of The Machine Girl. So with the trailer 2 months away and a release date likely to be until mid-year or later in Japan, for now we will have to survive on these still alone....but damn are they satisfying!

[Jen]

From HorrorMovies.ca (follow link to view trailer)

Art of the Devil 3 Trailer
Posted By : jmh314, Monday Feb,18
Filed Under : Foreign Horror,

Good news for fans of Asian gore films.....Long Khong 2 aka Art of the Devil 3 is coming and the first trailer is out and is bloody good(literally). TwitchFilm reports Art of the Devil 3 is going to be a direct sequel of Art of the Devil 2, unlike AOTD2 which had no connection to AOTD1 other than the name. AOTD3 will continue the previous films story as Napakpapha Nakprasitte returns to play a woman who is skilled in black magic and hellbent on vengeance.

Art of the Devil 3 releases in Thailand cinemas on April 3, no word yet on US distribution or a DVD date. I for one didnt like AOTD2 as much as the first film, but this trailer is more than enough to get me to see this if/when it sees DVD distribuition in the US. Check out the trailer below to wet your appetite because I'm sure it's gonna be a while before it makes its way out of Thailand.

[Jen]

From Film Fanaddict

Japanese Horror Film Favorite Arrives On DVD February 19th under The Weinstein Company and Genius Products’ Dimension Extreme Label.

Nightmare Detective weaves a hypnotic narrative that explores terror too sinister and imagery too shocking for the waking world. Seeking to uncover the truth behind a series of apparent suicides, a young detective investigates a mysterious man who invades his victims’ dreams, convincing them to kill themselves in real life. But when no one believes the terrible truth, the young detective pursues the killer into the dreams themselves, facing her own darkest fears. Starring Ryuhei Matsuda (9 Souls), Shinya Tsukamoto (Ichi the Killer) and pop singer Hitomi, Nightmare Detective is directed by Tsukamoto (Tetsuo, Hiroku the Goblin).

Investigating a rash of mysterious suicides, a female detective finds a curious link between the deaths: each of the victims had dialed ‘O’ on their cell phones almost immediately before taking their own lives. As she discovers more about the bizarre deaths and their chilling connection, the young cop enlists the aid of a fellow detective who shares the killer’s ability to enter people’s dreams… but she soon realizes that she must face her own fears if she is to prevent further murders.

[Jen]

From Twitch

Coming Soon: Kelvin Tong’s Horror Thriller RULE #1
Posted by The Visitor at 9:05pm.
Posted in Film News , Thriller, Horror, Asia.

There’s nothing like cops and ghosts.

Kelvin Tong, the guy behind the horror films The Maid and 1942 and the recent horror-comedy Men In White, has become the first Singaporean director to make a feature film in Hong Kong. His upcoming cop horror-thriller, Rule #1, is set for release in Malaysia on March 13, while in Singapore, we’re still uncertain of the release date, but it should be the same date as Malaysia, or even earlier.

Rule #1 is a co-production between Fortune Star Hong Kong, MediaCorp Raintree Pictures, Scorpio East Pictures, Dream Movie Entertainment Overseas and Boku Films, and stars Shawn Yue, Ekin Cheng, Stephanie Che and Singapore’s Fiona Xie.

The synopsis sounds rather offbeat but interesting:

Rookie Sergeant Lee (Shawn Yue) is injured in a shoot-out and is assigned to the dubious-sounding Miscellaneous Affairs Department (MAD). There, he is paired up with Inspector Wong (Ekin Cheng), a jaded and alcoholic veteran who explains that MAD’s role is to answer supernatural calls. Wong explains MAD’s rule number one - there are no ghosts. For every seemingly-inexplicable phenomenon, there is a corresponding scientific and rational explanation. MAD begins investigating a string of bizarre teenage suicides; impossible suicides, unless the victims were possessed. As Lee and Wong follow the clues, they realize something sinister is heading their way.

[Jen]

From HorrorMovies.ca

Nightmare Detective 2 Details!
Posted By : jmh314, Tuesday Mar,04
Filed Under : Foreign Horror,


With Nightmare Detective hitting US shelves 2 weeks ago, details are now starting to surface for Shinya Tsukamoto's anticipated sequel, Nightmare Detective 2. Originally all that was known was that it would revolve around the first films mysterious Kyoichi Kagenuma, who has the ability to go inside peoples dreams and help them. Well now the great people over at TwitchFilm got their hands on a very detailed synopsis for the sequel. Post Production is nearing completion and the first footage may surface soon at Hong Kong Filmart. No word on a release plans yet but I wouldnt expect it outside of Asian countries for some quite time still.

Synopsis for Nightmare Detective 2 from TwitchFilm:

Kyoichi Kagenuma, the Nightmare Detective is a man cursed with the ability to enter someone else’s dreams. Yukie, a 15 year old high-school student is plagued by nightmares about a classmate and approaches Kagenuma to ask him to enter her mind and cure her of her bad dreams. Kyoichi tells her that it is too risky to enter someone’s dreams and that he has quit being a Nightmare Detective. But Yukie insists that she will die if she goes to sleep, and will not leave his side. She refuses to listen to Kyoichi and begins to explain what happened to cause her nightmares:

The whole thing started out as a prank. Yukie and her friends, Mutsumi and Akiko locked their classmate Kikukawa in an equipment room in the gym, to scare her. Though they let her out in the end, Kikukawa stopped coming to school the following day. Yukie began to have nightmares about Kikukawa. In the dream Kikukawa stood with her back to Yukie and her friends in a huge gymnasium, her hands shaking uncontrollably and exuding a nightmare menace. Yukie wanted to leave, but the only way out was past Kikukawa. Kikukawa ran towards her, suddenly turned around, and threw a cup of water at Yukie, which landed on her friend Mutsumi. When Yukie woke up in class she found that Mutsumi had died of a heart attack.

A few days after her death, Yukie has the same dream, but this time, it is her other friend, Akiko who gets the water thrown at her, and the following day, she too dies an unnatural death. Yukie is convinced that she will be the next to die. Shaking with fear, and fighting the urge to sleep, Yukie begs Kyoichi to help her. When he hears her story, he realizes that Kikukawa’s behavior reminds him of his own mother who was scared of everything and eventually committed suicide. Thinking that he may be able to get a step closer to the mystery of his mother’s death, he enters Yukie’s nightmares, to confront the very nature of fear itself.

[Jen]

From HorrorMovies.ca

Death Note Coming to US; Official Trailer Debuts
Posted By : jmh314, Tuesday Mar,04
Filed Under : Foreign Horror, Horror Trailers,


The Japanese smash hit movie Death Note is on it's way to the US, and as a result a new official trailer has surfaced. Fangoria reports that Viz Media is planning to release the live action version of the hit Manga and Anime in the US later in the Spring. The trailer itself is DUBBED in English but is somewhat misleading because the film will be released with subtitles and the Japanese language track. Viz Media also owns the rights to the films sequel Death Note: The Last Name. No word on if they plan to release the sequel in the US as well. Click HERE to view the exclusive US trailer over at Fangoria.

I have seen and own imports of both the live action Death Note movies and I must say I REALLY enjoyed them. I wouldnt consider them as horror but more of a crime thriller as most of it revolves around the police investigation. They definately fall in the PG-13 category as well as they are not graphic and are geared towards fans of the manga and anime (but you dont have to know the manga/anime to enjoy it). Think of the films style as Zodiac but PG-13. It will keep you guessing as the film always seems to stay one step ahead of it's viewer.

In Death Note, Battle Royale's Tatsuya Fujiwara stars as Light Yagami who finds the "Death Note," a notebook with the power to kill and he decides to create a Utopia by killing the world's criminals. Soon the world's greatest detective, known only as the mysterious "L", is hired to find the perpetrator. An all out battle between the greatest minds on earth begins, the winner controlling the world.



View Trailer HERE

[Jen]

From HorrorMovies.ca (follow link to view trailer)

The Slit-Mouthed Woman 2 Trailer
Posted By : jmh314, Saturday Mar,08
Filed Under : Foreign Horror,


Because of the success of the Asian horror market, it is no secret that many Asian horror films get sequels as they try and capitalize on the markets success. About 8 months ago the film Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman was released on DVD in the US. Being a huge Asian horror fan I checked it out and thought it was mediocre, so you can imagine I was shocked when I found out The Slit-Mouthed Woman 2 was being released. The good people at TwitchFilm got their hands on the trailer for The Slit-Mouthed Woman 2 and I am kind of undecided on this one. I didnt enjoy the first one enough to get excited for a sequel, but there is a noticable improvement in production quality just in the trailer. From the looks of things this is going to play out very similarly but this time the girl is disfigured by acid instead of scissors. Take a look for yourself at the trailer at the bottom and see if this sequel peaks your interest.