Oh my. I have a dream. Well, one of many. In this particular one I am hovering in the air. I’m not so much jazzed that I have achieved flight without the aid of thrusters or Buddhist meditation. What’s really got me going is that I am hovering above hundreds of Japanese school girls all splayed out on the ground. And they all seem very pleased to see me. Now, you know it is a dream! Hey-yo!
But it’s good to know that Japanese maverick director Takashi Miike and I share this mutual appreciation. So, I share my dream with you now. We have the second teaser for his upcoming Yatterman adaptation and indeed there is time enough in this one to see at least dozens of Japanese school girls lying on the ground in a lovely heap.
Thanks to NipponCinema for the heads up!
Continue Reading "Schoolgirls galore in second teaser for Takashi Miike’s ‘Yatterman’"...
In his quest to reinvent himself can Jean Claude Van Damme go two for two? With the US theatrical release of the stellar JCVD drawing near - and while it’s nice to be quoted in the new US trailer it would’ve been even nicer if they’d gotten our URL correct - we now move our attention to Full Love, the new project Van Damme wrote, produced, directed and stars in.
Very little is known about Full Love at the moment other than that it was shot in Thailand and is a very personal project for the man behind it, so personal that two of his children - Kristopher and Bianca Van Varenberg - both have roles in it. As for Van Damme himself, he describes it as being “based on a true story, based in another reality”, which is as confusing as it is intriguing. Beyond that he simply notes that it is “about love, friendship, and dedication.”
But while we may not have plot details just yet, what we do have are the first five images from the film to be released anywhere, so hit the link below to check them out!
Last night the complete list of Sitges award winners was announced, and while a combination of alcohol and air travel has prevented me from posting the news until now, here are my personal highlights. There are several juries on hand and several awards categories at Sitges, so hit the links below to get the complete list of winners from all juries.
There were a few big surprises on the night, the first being that major festival fave Let The Right One In - previously announced as the European Federation of Fantastic Films Festival’s Golden Melies Award as the year’s best European genre film - was completely shut out of the Sitges awards. Instead, Jennifer Lynch’s Surveillance to home the best film prize while Kim Ji Woon took best director for The Good The Bad And The Weird, Brian Cox took best actor for Red and - another surprise, this one a very welcome one - Semra Turan took best actress for Fighter.
I served on a jury responsible for giving three awards at the festival and those three went to The Chaser in the Orient Express category for best Asian film, John Bergin’s From Inside as best animated feature and Rodrigo Gudino’s The Facts In The Case of Mr Hollow as best animated short.
Other notable awards went to the new Coffin Joe film, The Embodiment of Evil, Mamoru Oshii’s Sky Crawlers, Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs and Albert Arriza’s Ramirez. Hit the links below for all the winners in all categories.
[The Kiru ~ Kill trailer has now been added to the Twitch Player and is available below the break.]
Okay, for those who haven’t been paying attention, here’s the score: Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii is currently overseeing a four part anthology film titled simply Kill. In it four directors, including Oshii himself and Kenta Fuksasku, present the climactic final battle scenes to films which do not actually exist. So, you know, you get all of the violence without any of the tedious plot or character development. The film is about to have its world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival and if you can find the trailer below the break in the Twitch Player.
Continue Reading "First Trailer Arrives For Mamoru Oshii-Supervised Anthology Film KIRU ~ KILL!"...
Shinji Higuchi’s Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess is a prime example of what I have begun to refer to as the Dororo Syndrome. That is to say that - like far too many recent Japanese blockbusters - it starts with a lone notable cast member - in this case the always charismatic Hiroshi Abe - surrounds them with a cast of musicians and TV stars and then ramps up the special effects and massive sets hoping that it will distract the audience from the fact that there isn’t a whole lot of script present. This is the sort of film where - quite literally - one of the major characters is caught precisely in the middle of an explosion strong enough to level a mountain and yet manages to ride away without a scratch. While also somehow saving one of the other principal characters. Logical? Not so much. But that said, if you’re in the mood for some mindless action and are able to block out any comparisons to the Akira Kurosawa film that this is based upon it is not entirely without its charms.
Continue Reading "Sitges 2008: HIDDEN FORTRESS, THE LAST PRINCESS Review"...
Thankfully KITE creator Yasuomi Umetsu is not taking his sweet time to bring us another installment of his KITE anime. Rather than wait 9 years like he did between KITE and KITE Liberator he’s right back at it.Series creator/director Yasuomi Umetsu reports that he is now writing a sequel to the Kite Liberator OVA. The assumption is, he will direct this installment as he did the other two.
Thanks Mary.
A storyboard image for Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher’s action horror film La Horde (The Horde) has turned up online. As previously noted, Xavier Gens is onboard as executive producer. The full-size image is now available for viewing in the Twitch image gallery (see “Related Links” below). The drawing does not reveal much (i.e., it simply reflects the film’s core premise) but since the film is now shooting, more images will undoubtedly begin to surface in the near future. The teaser for Rivoallan, which is Dahan and Rocher’s short “prequel” to La Horde, is featured beneath the fold for an additional taste of what awaits.
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Batten down the hatches! Hide your women and children! Cult monster fave Guilala - last (and only previously) seen in 1967’s The X From Outer Space - is back and in cult director Minoru Kawasaki’s hands nobody is safe! Not even the leaders of the western world!
Let’s be clear here: Kawasaki, quite proudly, does not make what anybody would generally term ‘good’ films. He is a master of cheap shlock, gimmicky humor, and rubber monsters. He is the crazy child of Japanese film, the man who simply refuses to grow up and continues to make precisely the sorts of films he would have loved himself when he was ten, and he is an absolute master of his craft. Kawasaki is a trash-auteur of a very particular type and while his films may not be ‘good’ they are always good for at least a handful of very solid laughs and, by my count, his Guilala revival flick is his strongest since he first burst into the international scene with The Calamari Wrestler.
Continue Reading "Sitges 2008: MONSTER X STRIKES BACK! ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT!"...
Freshly off a screening of Fumihiko Sori’s Ichi - a partial re-envisioning, partial continuation of the classic Zatoichi saga - I feel quite confident about two things.
First, though he now has only three feature films to his credit Sori is arguably Japan’s most wildly diverse director. Thus far he has made a charming indie comedy (Ping Pong), an animated scifi spectacle (Vexille), and now a traditional swordplay drama. All are impeccably crafted and all vary so wildly in style and approach that you’d never guess that the same man directed all three if not for his name in the credits.
Second, if there is any man on the surface of this planet with a fighting chance to out-do Riki Takeuchi in the crazy-face department then that man must surely be Shidou Nakamura. Yes, both are in this film and, yes, both break out the crazy-face on a regular basis.
Continue Reading "Sitges 2008: ICHI Review"...
The PR campaign for upcoming Russian action comedy Invincible - or Man of the East, as is the official English title for sales purposes - has now produced a total of four teasers and video clips and I am absolutely, 100% sold on this one. Solid 80’s style action, sterling production values, an engaging lead, and the ability to balance the action with comedy without sacrificing either - truly a rare combination - makes this one look like an absolute winner. I absolutely adored the first “Internet Trailer” that appeared a few days ago and it has just been joined by a second, similarly labelled bit of work - and, really, what distinguishes an “Internet Trailer” from a regular one? - and I am every bit as fond of this one. Yes, please.
You’ll find all four trailers below the break in the Twitch Player.
Continue Reading "Yet Another Stellar Trailer For Russian Action-Comedy INVINCIBLE (MAN OF THE EAST)"...
[Updated with higher quality trailer.]
In the last week a teaser trailer for upcoming Hong Kong action film The Beast Stalker starring Nicholas Tse and Nick Cheung has emerged. Hong Kong is in desperate need of a leading action man and Nicholas Tse is certainly doing what he can to fill that role. Once under the title of Witness it has undergone a name change and is due to hit theaters on November 11th.
Little girl Yee was killed by Fei (Nicholas Tse), a brave cop, when he was fighting with the bandits. Yee’s twin sister Ling was taken hostage by the same group of criminals. Her mother (Zhang Jingchu) decided to save her daughter on her own.
We have the teaser trailer after the break, which includes what appears to be the new signature shot in Hong Kong action films, the broadside hit. And look for the fall from the moving vehicle. That’s gonna leave a mark!
Be sure to visit the forums over at KFCC for set photos.
Continue Reading "Nicholas Tse is ‘The Beast Stalker’"...
The international trailer for Transporter 3 has arrived online via Allocine.fr. In the third installment of the Transporter series, Jason Staham is back to reprise the role of Frank Martin, the high risk delivery driver and the new baddie he must contend with is played by Robert Knepper of Prison Break fame. Taking over the director chair is Olivier Megaton while Corey Yuen returns as the Martial Arts choreographer. This sure as hell ain’t going to win audience over with character depth or compelling storyline but for those just looking for a mindless thrill ride, then look no further. Here’s the official synopsis:
Frank Martin has been pressured into transporting Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Ukraine, from Marseilles through Stuttgart and Budapest until he ends up in Odessa on the Black Sea. Along the way, with the help of Inspector Tarconi, Frank has to contend with the people who strong armed him to take the job, agents sent by Vasilev to intercept him, and the general non-cooperation of his passenger. Despite Valentina’s cynical disposition and his resistance to get involved, Frank and Valentina fall for each other, while escaping from one life-threatening situation after another.
The US release date is on November 26th. You’ll find the original teaser and the new trailer below the break in the Twitch Player.
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5 Star Productions has announced a new horror thriller titled Slice. Thailand certainly is not short of horror films, cranking them out willy nilly but what is special about this one is the talent behind the camera and behind the pen. Muay Thai Chaiya director Kongkiat Komesiri and art director, acclaimed director Wisit Sasanatieng [Tears of the Black Tiger, Citizen Dog and The Unseeable] except this time around Wisit [left] is writing the script. That makes me a happy boy because they have already proven they can do good horror with The Unseeable. Wisit directed the script written by Kongkiat. This time they switch roles.
After a string of murder cases, involving mostly male victims being severed from the police are still baffled by the case and have no clue linking a murder suspect. An ex hitman named Tai, turned informant, tries to fill in the details of this baffling case. But the police simply disregard his valuable input, until now. The situation changes when the next victim is revealed as the son of a government official. The order is put out to capture the murderer at all costs. The police have nowhere to turn to for clues and so must revert to Tai for leads. But information from the Tai comes with a price. First he requests his freedom. In return, he promises to apprehend the murderer within 15 days. To make sure he can deliver the murderer as promised, his wife is held against her will until he can deliver the murderer. With Tais expertise in tracking down people, the ex hitman uses what he knows to gain insight and clues to the case. Remembering that one of his childhood friends has a history of mental illness that shows in the form of resenting the male species in general, thus starts a chase for the murderer. Tai must now duel it out and hopefully catch the right man.
We’ll jump at the chance to give you any information or fun tid bits on any Shinya Tsukamoto film. Yeah, we’ve got big man crushes on the guy. And while this may not be much it is at least a tease, a taste of what is to come. The ever watchful eyes of Chris over at the J-film Pow Wow sighted a handful of images from Nightmare Detective 2 over at Cinema Today. It’s just enough to whet your appetite.
Not too long ago, we reported the launched of the official site for Wilson Yip’s martial arts biopic Ip Man with a teaser and a gallery of stills lurking within. The teaser was actually more of a behind a scenes video which hardy contain any footage of the film, leaving us hungry to see more. Lo and behold, a trailer has been added to the site and holy cow, Donnie Yen really cut loose. Just look at his rapid Wing Chun straight punches go! To say I’m very excited to see this film is a gross understatement.
The theatrical release date in Hong Kong is December 18th. Hurry over and catch this bad boy trailer after the jump!
Continue Reading "Donnie Yen Throws Barrage of Punches! Kick ass Trailer for IP MAN!"...
