THANKSGIVING Next Faux Trailer to Become Real?

With MACHETE hitting theatres next weekend and the GRINDHOUSE double-feature about to hit Blu-Ray, the question once again rises as to which of the infamous faux-trailers will become the next real movie.

As the title will no doubt imply, it looks like Eli Roth is prepping to draft a full script for his faux-movie THANKSGIVING. While doing a press release for THE LAST EXORCISM Roth had this to say:

"I've been working on the script with my co-writer, Jeff Rendell, who plays the pilgrim in the trailer. But Jeff has been working. I said that his deal is he has to work on the script while I'm promoting THE LAST EXORCISM, and as soon as I'm done in mid-September he's going to fly to California, we're going to sit down, and bang out the script."

Roth has been talking about doing an official version of THANKSGIVING basically since GRINDHOUSE was released in 2007, so its nice to see him make good on his word.

There's currently no talk from Rob Zombie or Edgar Wright to respectively bring WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE SS or DON'T to a cinema house near you.

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RABID (1977) Movie Review

RABID (1977)

When a young couple on a motorcycle are in a horrific crash, they are brought to the nearby plastic surgery hospital for emergency care, where the local surgeon uses an experimental skin grafting procedure to help heal Rose's (porn star Marilyn Chambers) wounds. After a month-long coma, Rose awakens to discover that she has an insatiable appetite for blood, which she draws from anyone who gets close to her via a penis-like growth that now protrudes out of her armpit. Scared and confused, Rose races out into the night, hoping to find her way back to the city where she can be safe. But with each victim that she attacks, she creates a frothing-at-the-mouth psychotic monster, who in turn attacks and creates more mindless raging creatures. By the time Rose has made her way back to the city, she has unknowingly created an epidemic which has forced martial law on the entire area!

Everyone's favorite gray-haired body-horror obsessed Canuck David Cronenberg is back after SHIVERS with his second feature-length nightmare, with partial funding from the Canadian government and Ivan Reitman serving as executive producer. This time around sex and desire are once again the enemy, with elective plastic surgery and the price of human physical perfection via experimentation added to the list. Though predating the AIDS scare of the 1980s, this is none the less a cautionary tale about the dangers of unprotected physical contact with strangers, and a warning about the consequences of unnaturally altering the human body. A majority of the film takes place at a plastic surgery institute, whose overseers discuss creating a plastic surgery franchise. Cronenberg deals with this installation and its inhabitants with pure disgust for those obsessed with human physical perfection.

Marilyn Chambers, the star and sensation of the 1972 porn classic BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR, shows off some solid acting chops here as Rose. Chambers' natural, innocent and intoxicatingly attractive look plays an important part in making RABID work the way it does. She performs with a vulnerability and slightly-spacey look on her face for most of the picture, which allows the seedier characters to attempt to take advantage of her. The twist is that she is the most dangerous character in the film, carrying a virus that will destroy any who get close to her within hours. That she is unaffected by the virus herself makes her all the more deadly. She is not shy about shedding her clothes here either, and thus we as viewers are filled with lust and become victims ourselves. Chambers appears in almost every scene, and even with her limited filmography, is able to muster a performance that keeps the film held together.

Taking some cues from George Romero's 1973 film THE CRAZIES, this virus turns its victims into grotesque mouth-foaming, eye-bulging lunatics who bite and claw at others, spreading the disease. The effects, even with the films obvious low-budget, are handled with a professional touch. They are effective, shocking, and above all disturbingly real. Cronenberg's takes another cue from Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, in which he keeps the viewer in the dark as to what exactly caused Rose's body to mutate the way it did and thus creating the virus, though several characters attempt to explain it throughout the movie. The film primarily revolves around Rose's subjective view about what is happening to her, and since no one explains to her what is wrong with her, we as viewers are left in the dark to the origins as well. It makes her character's experiences all the more frightening, and the more tragic.

Cronenberg's writing and directing style here is icy and already masterfully distant considering his short career at the time. He comes in close, whether literally with the camera or figuratively with the dialog, only when he absolutely has to, as if disgusted by the human race, the individual subjects at hand and what the species is capable of. Cronenberg doesn't flinch when showing what humans will go to whether it is a man trying to take advantage of a frail young woman, a bandaged patient nonchalantly discussing how many times they've had plastic surgery done, or the military's cold and calculating way of dealing with the epidemic through herding the masses like cattle and blindly executing anyone that has symptoms of the virus. This disgust is a stance that Cronenberg has taken again and again over the years in almost every project he's put his stamp on. Here in RABID though, it is particularly raw and unfiltered, and from the mind of an angry young man who sees the world a little differently than most, and wants those viewing to realize the ugly truth about what we are, what we do, and where we are going.

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First Footage of THE WALKING DEAD Trailer

Here is the first look at the trailer for The Walking Dead, which originally debuted at the 2010 San Diego Comic Convention. The 90 minute series premiere, directed by Frank Darabont, will debut on AMC Halloween night at 10pm.

The Walking Dead television series is based on the comic book of the same name by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics.




So, whose going to have themselves one hell of a viewing party?

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Cuban Zombies in JUAN OF THE DEAD

JUAN OF THE DEAD (aka JUAN DE LOS MUERTOS) centers around Juan, a typical forty-year-old slacker. When Havana begins to fill up with zombies, Juan decides that the best way to cope with it is to prosper. "Juan of the dead kills your loved ones" is his slogan, and his mission is to help people get rid of those infected around them ... for a price. But as the situation gets worse and everyone escapes to sea as a means to get away, Juan is left with no choice but to become a hero, staying to defend his country and protect his own on an island that has turned into a real bloodbath.

Cuba's entry into the bloated zombie-comedy film world, which is co-produced between Mexico and Spain, begins principal photography this September.

Here's the teaser trailer, which sells the zombie-killer-for-a-price motif pretty well.

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PIRANHA 3D Movie Review

PIRANHA 3D

Review by Mary Rizzo

Jaws with piranhas + boobs.

Fell asleep halfway thru.

With a background in American Studies, pretty much the only thing Mary Rizzo is qualified to write about is popular culture: food, fashion, ads, movies and so on. While she splits her time between nonprofit management, teaching, writing and baking bread, her ultimate goal in life is to get to ride in a deep-sea submersible.

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Teaser Art for Friday the 13th Part 3 Premium Format Figure

Here is the teaser photo collage for the upcoming premium format figure of Jason Vorhees in his guise from FRIDAY THE 13th PART 3 coming from Sideshow Collectibles.

No details are available yet as to what accessories will come with the figure or a release date, but if the previous figures are any indication, we should be seeing multiple points of articulation, a removable hockey mask (remember, this is the movie debut of the hockey mask) and movie-accurate clothing and multiple weapons.

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ATTACK OF THE BLIND DEAD (1973) Movie Review

ATTACK OF THE BLIND DEAD (1973)

500 years ago, the Templar Knights were finally captured by a small village, and had their eyes burned out so they couldn't find their way back from Hell before being put the stake. Every year since then, the village has held a festival celebrating their victory and have let the Templars' pledge to return from the grave to seek revenge fad into myth and legend, save for the village idiot, Murdo. On the evening of the latest festivities, Murdo sacrifices a virgin, and uses her blood to finally bring the Templars back to life.

The Templars, shrouded in decaying cloaks and riding a herd of dead horses with their swords brandished, hunt only by the sound of their soon-to-be victims' screams. As the village is slaughtered by the dozens, a small group escapes and barricades themselves in a church. But instead of fighting together, they individually try to escape, in hopes of leaving the others for the Templars, only to find themselves surrounded by the bloodthirsty knights. With daylight still hours away, who will stay alive long enough to see the sun rise again? The Mayor? The mother and child? Murdo? Or will each find fall before the night is through.

This is the second film in Spanish director/writer Amando de Ossorio's Blind Dead cycle, which are each stand alone films and not interlinked save for the main antagonists. This film is known by several alternate titles, including RETURN OF THE BLIND DEAD and RETURN OF THE EVIL DEAD, both capitalizing on the first movie, 1971's TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD. De Ossorio's dead are different from the then newly-founded flesh-eating zombies that were the rage in America and the UK thanks to George A Romero. Here, the victims are not eaten and do not return to life, and the Templars are dry and brittle skeletal corpses with limited commuting skill and strategic plotting. Their main goal is either revenge or to collect virgin's blood in order to resurrect, depending on the movie being watched.

In this film, de Ossorio blends a mixture of gothic ghost-like atmosphere, using plenty of fog, shadows and a dream quality slow-motion when focusing on the horse-riding corpses, with brutal violence and exposed flesh that were becoming the staples of 70's horror. Most characters meet their end through close-up impalements that does not hold back the red. There is also a familiarity here for zombie enthusiasts, as the final third of the film feels very reminiscent to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and it is probably no coincidence that many of the characters here have a striking resemblance to the barricaded septet in Romero's masterpiece.

ATTACK OF THE BLIND DEAD (which is the original title translated to English) has been plagued by cuts and edits for all of its home releases here in the United States. Even the claimed "uncut" laserdisc and original DVD releases did not contain the full Spanish version, but merely the uncut English language version, which omitted practically all of the gore and even crucial plot points including the scene where Murdo sacrifices the virgin, leaving the viewers to make guesses as to why the Templars finally rise from the grave. Fortunately, sleaze aficionados Blue Underground finally put all that behind for zombie lovers everywhere in 2005 with their DVD release. It features both the Spanish and English versions, and showcases a fantastic print of the film considering the age of the movie and the mistreatment it has received over the years.

De Ossorio's Blind Dead films, and this one in particular, while an interesting take on the living dead genre, still fall a little short to their American and Italian cousins. The film takes a little time to get moving, and even then plods along until the final third of the movie. Horror fans of all things "zombie" and those sentimental for 1970s exploitation should not miss out on watching at least one of these films though for archival purposes at the very least. For casual fans this is not essential viewing, but having one of these movies under your belt will definitely your horizons and is worth at least a rental come the next Dia De Los Muertos.

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First Images from John Carpenter's THE WARD

Here are the first two officially released photos for John Carpenter's upcoming THE WARD.

In the film, Kristen (Amber Heard), a beautiful but troubled young woman, finds herself bruised, cut, drugged, and held against her will in a remote ward of a Psychiatric Hospital. She is completely disoriented, with no idea why she was brought to this place and no memory of her life before being admitted. All she knows is that she isn't safe. The other patients in the ward, four equally disturbed young women, offer no answers, and Kristen quickly realizes things are not as they seem.

The air is heavy with secrets, and at night, when the hospital is dark and foreboding, she hears strange and frightening sounds. It appears they are not alone. One-by-one the other girls begin to disappear and Kristen must find a way out of this hellish place before she, too, becomes a victim. As she struggles to escape, she will uncover a truth far more dangerous and horrifying than anyone could have imagined.

THE WARD is set to drive you criminally insane September 24th 2010.

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THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN (2007) Movie Review

THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN (2007)
(aka CARVED)

Rumors have been circulating from child to child in a small Japanese town that the Slit-Mouthed Woman has returned. She is an entity that appears for children alone, wearing a long raincoat, holding a giant pair of sewing shears, and has a horribly disfigured face with a jagged slash from ear to ear. After asking the child "Am I pretty?" she takes the child back to her hideout to cut up in her own image. When a child disappears from the playground, the entire town goes into hysterics, and when a second child is kidnapped, a teacher from the school, Ms Yamashita, witnesses the Slit-Mouthed Woman before both disappear.

Yamashita becomes obsessed with finding the young girl, and when she crosses paths with a fellow teacher, Mr. Matsuzaki, she learns much more than she bargained for. Matsuzaki believes that the Slit-Mouthed Woman is actually his mother from thirty years ago. He describes the constant abuse he and his siblings took from the fists of his chronically ill mother, and fears that she has since returned to the land of the living to kill him as well. Following the consistently corroborating rumors that they have heard from the children, Matsuzaki comes to the realization that the Slit-Mouthed Woman has once again taken up residence in the now abandoned house where he used to live.

The power and destruction that rumors and gossip can have when they spread like wildfire and morph into what is perceived to be truth takes on an unstoppable physical manifestation in this horror tale from director and co-writer Koji Shiraishi, who pulls pieces from a well-known Japanese folk legend for his tale. Shiraishi begins the film with an ambiguous energy that is not unlike the chicken-or-egg question. It is never revealed whether the Slit-Mouthed Woman strikes first, which start the rumors, or if the rumors start first which brings her into the real world. In either case, the Slit-Mouthed Woman draws her power from the collective gossip and fears circulating around the town. In that sense, she is very much Japan's answer to Freddy Krueger of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, with a maternal twist. She is an unstoppable force that can not be killed. She has no true physical form, and can only be seen when she possesses the body of a caring mother.

Koji Shiraishi, who has spent his entire filmmaking career in the warm embrace of Japan's horror community, is no stranger to shadows and jump scares. He utilizes these skills into a very subtle yet driving force within the context of the film here. His camera slowly pans and creeps along doorways and walls, obstructing the view just enough to make you anticipate the next shocking moment. However, the most horrific moments and the most difficult scenes to watch come from the flashback sequences of Matsuzaki's youth. Here, as a human, Matsuzaki's mother is truly a monster. Shiraishi lets his camera linger as the woman walks from child to child, striking with her fists. The muffled sound of each contact will send pangs of helplessness down through your soul, and Shiraishi holds just long enough for the viewers own protective instincts to kick in before turning away. This is where the film finds its greatest success, and it is these scenes that will most likely stay with the viewer longest.

Although children seem to be the targets of this entity, it is the mothers of the town that are the true victims. They become powerless and helpless to stop their children from being taken away, even when they attempt to protect them with their very lives via maternal instinct. That these caring mothers are possessed by the Slit-Mouthed Woman, who then in turn maims and murders, is the ultimate perversion of maternal care. This monster's only instinct is to lash out, hurt, and kill not only her own children, but any child that has a loving environment. Teens have long been fodder for slaughtering, but only in very rare instances do young children become victims in modern horror. In the world of this movie, young children are not safe from harm, and the film's creators take a daring step over a line that has been repeatedly drawn in cinema.

Within the murder and maiming sequences though, almost all of the actual penetration and cutting is done just off camera. Instead, sound is used to its greatest potential here. Horror crafters have long known that the mind can create a vision far more terrifying than anything that can be faked, and Shiraishi is certainly no exception. The grisly sounds the Slit-Mouthed Woman's sewing shears make will send shivers down the spine. Most people have probably been cut by scissors at some point in their life, and that real-life connection to pain makes the scenes just that more agonizing to watch. We are shown multiple mouth-gaping shots of the Slit-Mouthed Woman throughout the film, which are quite convincing. These are not the neat and surgical cuts of ICHI THE KILLER's Kakihara, these are jagged slashes, with the skin looking like it has even been torn beyond the initial cut.

The subject matter at hand is quite subjective. While those viewing who do not have children will most likely focus on the more supernatural mystery end of the film's spectrum, parents watching will no doubt be focusing on the plight of the worrying parents. More sensitive viewers may want to avoid this one, as this is a fairly mean-spirited film and though you'll get some good scares out of it, there is little entertainment value to be found here.

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Return to Nilbog TROLL 2 is Coming to Blu-Ray

Forget PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, forget ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, forget STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, this October one of the most celebrated so-bad-its-beyond-awesome movies of all time is coming to Blu-Ray this October.

That's right I'm talking about TROLL 2, or TROLL II for the Romans reading, a film truly deserving of the "movies at midnight" stamp of approval.

TROLL 2 tells the story of Joshua and his family, take a trip to Nilbog, which unbeknown to them, is the kingdom of the goblins, as told to young Joshua by his deceased grandfather Seth. Now it's up to Joshua, magical time-stopping Grandpa Seth, and a bologna sandwich to save the family from the evil Goblin Queen, who uses everything from magical rocks to an ear of corn to destroy Joshua's family.

TROLL 2 found its way into my heart in the early nineties when it was shown practically every weekend afternoon on WPIX here in the North East. No matter where I came into the movie's running time I was compelled to watch the rest, much like I was for TREMORS, GROUNDHOG DAY and SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER.

And now it will soon be mine to own, and yours too, in glorious high definition forever and ever and ever...

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Planned STAR WARS Blu-Ray Release; But Which Versions?

At Star Wars Celebration V this weekend George Lucas announced that the entire STAR WARS saga is being prepped for Blu-Ray, and expected to be released for the end of 2011.

The set will feature documentaries, vintage behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, retrospectives and never-before-seen footage from the Lucasfilm archives. Among this never-before-seen footage will be a scene deleted from RETURN OF THE JEDI that shows Luke Skywalker building his new lightsaber prior to his arrival at Jabba's Palace. This scene was revealed at Celebration V:



But the question that will be asked by the legions of fans who have spent the past 33 years dedicated to the franchise is this: which versions of A NEW HOPE, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI will be in this set? According to an article on the New York Times website the outlook isn't good:

Mr. Lucas said the versions of the first three films ... included in the Blu-ray boxed set will be the special-edition releases that were shown theatrically in 1997 and digitally restored for a 2004 standard-definition DVD boxed set.

This is a disturbing, but not unforeseen, revelation that will surely sour many who hoped to finally have the original versions in a high-def format. Perhaps there is hope that the originals will be released as an "extra feature", much like they were on the single-disc DVD releases of the original trilogy. For now though, hold close to your weathering VHS copies and Laserdiscs. The fate of the original STAR WARS trilogy is difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.

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NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS (2004) Movie Review

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS (2004)

Best friends, Philip, Wurst, and Konrad are three unpopular seniors just trying to make it through high school in one piece. One night, when they visit a Satanic ritual being performed by the school's goth crowd, which includes Philip's next door neighbor Rebecca, the three friends are accidentally covered in the ashes of a Haitian zombie. While driving home, Wurst crashes his van, and the three wake up in the morgue. Unsure if they are stoned or if the medics just made a huge mistake, the three sneak back to Philip's house.

It is only when watching Day Of The Dead that evening that the trio put two and two together and realize they are zombies. They take their new powers in stride, putting them to good use on the rugby field to finally win a game against the jocks. But when Konrad begins to use his undead status to get back at all those that picked on them, Philip knows that they have to find an antidote and turns to Rebecca and her copy of the Necronomicon. If they can not finish the spell within thirty-six hours, they'll be stuck as zombies forever!

Writer and Director Mathias Dinter gives us Germany's entry into the rom-com-zom subgenre with this outing that focuses much more on the comedy aspect than the horror. Mathias' inspiration and dedication seems to come almost exclusively from the worlds of REVENGE OF THE NERDS, AMERICAN PIE and CAN'T HARDLY WAIT, rather than the universe that George Romero created. Dinter leaves all of the undead references and homages to SHAUN OF THE DEAD, save for one quickie, which is a highlight of the film. Instead, Dinter focuses his efforts on the lives of his clueless and horny dorks as they try to cope with their new abilities and the troubles they bring. The zombie aspect of the film could almost be any interchangeable variable that would have allowed Philip to gain sudden popularity.

Dinter completely drops any feeling of suspense or horror, and hardly dabbles in the gore department. Sure, there is a bit of neck biting and some severed limbs, but it is approached in a gross-out comedy way rather than blood-n-guts gross-out. Instead, Dinter drinks deep of the gross-out teen comedy cup that has already been poured and generously borrows from his predecessors while adding a decidedly "German" touch. While there are plenty of solid laugh out loud moments, and several good set-ups and pay-offs, the standard plot remains easily predictable and has been done before in half a dozen languages.

The main acting crew here, consisting of German versions of twenty-something WB actors pretending to be teenagers, do a decent job with the material, but no one here is winning any awards. Manuel Cortez, who plays the teacher-chasing perpetually-stoned Wurst, takes top prize in the comedy department, while Collien Fernandes, a former member of the bands Yam Yam and Suco E Sol, gives the movie its eye candy with her shy yet sexy role as Rebecca.

All rolled up, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS is an easy to digest comedy that yucks it up rather than yucks you out. The film is even more approachable due to its complete lack of undead mythos built in, or jokes that will only play for a target audience, and works better as a companion piece to the oft-forgotten MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK, instead of trying to vie for attention against SHAUN OF THE DEAD. In the end, it becomes a by-the-numbers John Hughes film, house party scene and all. Just with zombies.

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GRINDHOUSE Blu-Ray Full Specs and Artwork Revealed

A little ways back rumors began circulating the GRINDHOUSE was finally coming to Blu-ray completely uncut. Now the full details and artwork have been revealed. It appears all extras from the single-movie releases PLANET TERROR and DEATH PROOF have been ported over, plus over two hours of brand new content, much of which focuses on the faux trailers.

An exhilarating homage to the titillating B-movies of the 60s and 70s, Grindhouse, a double billing featuring Academy Award winner Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror bursts onto two-disc Blu-Ray on October 5 from Vivendi Entertainment and The Weinstein Company. Debuting for the first time in high definition and in its original theatrical exhibition format, the presentation starts with the deliciously over-the-top horror flick Planet Terror, followed by an intermission featuring three gritty trailers and concluding with the ultra-intense vehicular slasher film Death Proof. The set features over two hours of brand new bonus material including a 10-Minute Cooking School feature with Rodriguez, five features on the trailers including an extended trailer and making-ofs, deleted scenes and much more.

Special Features:

Disc 1 – Theatrical Exhibition:
* Grindhouse Feature (Planet Terror)
* Intermission Cards
* Don’t Trailer
* Werewolf Women of the S.S Trailer
* Thanksgiving Trailer
* Grindhouse Feature (Death Proof)

Disc 2

Planet Terror
* Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Film School
* The Badass Babes of Planet Terror
* The Guys of Planet Terror
* Casting Rebel
* Sickos, Bullets, And Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror
* The Friend, The Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent
* Planet Terror Poster Gallery

Death Proof
* Stunts On Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof
* Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
* The Guys of Death Proof
* Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
* Finding Quentin’s Gals
* The Uncut Version of “Baby, It’s You” performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
* Introducing Zoe Bell
* Double Dare Trailer
* Death Proof Extended Music
* Death Proof Poster Gallery

Plus these all-new bonus features:
* Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Cooking School
* The Makeup Effects of Planet Terror
* The Hot Rods of Death Proof
* From Texas to Tennessee: The Production Design of Death Proof
* Trailers
* Extended Werewolf Women of The SS Trailer
* View Extended Cut Of Werewolf Women of the SS -Trailer with Commentary by Director Rob Zombie
* The Making Of Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer
* Extended Don’t Trailer
* View Extended Cut Of Don’t Trailer with -Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
* The Making of Don’t Trailer
* Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison
* View Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison with Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
* Don’t Storyboards Still Gallery
* Don’t Poster
* The Making of Thanksgiving Trailer
* New York Times Talk with Quention Tarantino and Lynn Hirschberg at Comic Con 2006 Featuring the -Directors and Cast of Grindhouse
* Grindhouse Trailer Contest Winner Hobo With A Shotgun

You can read my original review of GRINDHOUSE from when it first came out back in 2007.

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Plot For Kevin Smith's Horror Movie RED STATE is Revealed

The basic plot for Kevin Smith's first foray in to horror hath been revealed:

"In the film a group of kids encounter a crazed preacher (based on Fred Phelps, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church) who gives a whole new meaning to the term 'extreme fundamentalism.'"

Given Smith's previous commentary on religion in DOGMA and homosexuality (the bane of Fred Phelps' existence and the apparent reason for all the world's problems) in CHASING AMY it will be interesting to see where RED STATE will go.

And now, Kevin Smith as a zombified inaction figure...

Shooting is slated to begin this month, with Kyle Gallner, Melissa Leo, Dermot Mulroney, Michael Angarano, Steven Root, and Michael Parks attached to star.

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Is Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Trilogy Worth the Blu-Ray Upgrade?

So you've purchased the individual domestic DVD releases of SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE, OLDBOY and SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Or maybe the Korean imports are a jewel of your DVD set. But now that there's a Blu-ray boxset release of all three films the question arises; is it worth the double dip? Lets take a look at everything that comes with the set:

SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE (2002) Unable to afford proper care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of wealthy industrialist Dong-jin, who recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a spiral of destruction.

* Audio commentary with director Park Chan-Wook and actor/filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan
* The Process of Mr. Vengeance
* My Boksu Story
* Crew interviews
* Jonathan Ross on Park Chan-wook
* Soundtrack and photos
* Storyboards
* Original behind-the-scenes feature
* Trailer

OLDBOY (2003) Oh Dae-su is an ordinary Seoul businessman with wife and little daughter who. After a drunken night on the town, is abducted and locked up in a strange and private "prison." No one will tell him why he’s there and who his jailer is. His fury builds to a single-minded focus of revenge. 15 years later, he is unexpectedly freed, given a new suit, a cell-phone and 5 days to discover the mysterious enemy who had him imprisoned. Seeking vengeance on all those involved, he soon finds that his enemy’s tortures are just beginning.

* Audio commentaries:
o Director Park Chan-wooko Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon
o Park Chan-wook and cast
* Five behind-the-scenes featurettes:
o Making The Film – The Cast Remembers
o Production Design
o The Music Score
o CGI Documentary
o Flashback
* Le Grand Prix at Cannes
* Ten deleted scenes with optional commentary
* "The Autobiography of Oldboy": 3-hour video diary.

SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE (2005) Lee Geum-ja is the Lady Vengeance who was sent to prison when she was 19 for a murder case and abduction of a child on behalf of Mr Baek. While in prison, she carefully prepares for her revenge by winning the hearts of her fellow inmates with her kindness, thus earning herself the nickname 'kind Ms. Geum-Ja'. Upon her release from prison after 13 years, she finally sets out to seek revenge on Baek.

* Regular Version
* Fade-To-White versions (with Park Chan-wook introduction to the Fade-To-White version)
* Audio commentaries:
o Director Park Chan-wook and actress Lee Young-ae
o Park Chan-wook, cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon and art director Choi Hyeon-seok
o Critic Richard Peña
* Making-of featurette
* EPK:
o Teaser
o Trailer
o Highlights
o Second making-of featurette
* The Style of Lady Vengeance:
o Visualization
o Production Design
o Costume & Makeup
o Art
o CG
* Deleted scenes with commentary
* Park Chan-wook:
o Interview with Park Chan-wook
o Park Chan-wook, "Mr. Vengeance"
o Photography featurette
o Director's Choice, A short film recommended by Park Chan-wook
* Character interviews
o Lee Geum-ja
o Professor Baek
o Prisoners
o Families
* Lady Vengeance in Venice
* Get Together
* Trailer
* TV spots
* Poster gallery

Two things standout which makes this a must-have addition to your collection. First and foremost, everything has subtitles! In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when importing DVDs was the only way to see many Korean films, including Park Chan-Wook's films, it was nigh-unbearable that all the extra features did not have subtitles, including many of the extras that are now part of this set. Now we are able to enjoy what is being spoken about, which only adds a brand new layer of enjoyment to these cinematic delights. Secondly, is the alternate Fade-to-White version of SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Much like the name implies, the film gradually fades from full color to black-and-white over the course of the running length, adding entirely new visual implications to themes set forth in the film.

Released by the recently rechristened Palisades Tartan distribution company, this is one of the few times where double-dipping seems the only natural thing to do.

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BATTLE ROYALE (2000) Movie Review

BATTLE ROYALE (2000)

In the near future of Japan, the youth have become completely uncontrollable. In a desperate and extreme turn, the government creates the Battle Royale Act, in which a random high school class is chosen every year and the students of said class are put in an enclosed area and have three days to kill each other until only one remains. If they do not comply, a collar placed around their necks will explode at the end of the three days.

This year's class has just been chosen, and after a brief introduction and instruction by Kitano (Beat Takeshi), forty-two ninth graders are unleashed onto a small island each armed with one weapon and enough food to last three days. As the game begins, alliances are made and broken, friendships are tested, love and hate are pushed to the limit, and as the students begin to fall one by one, a glimmer of hope shines as a plan to stop the game comes to fruition.

Based on the novel of the same name by Koushun Takami, Kinju Fukasaku's controversial film was released on an unsuspecting public and instantly became a cult favorite which in its short life has already garnered fan websites, an impressive comic book adaptation, and hordes of cosplay fan who dress up like the characters. Much of the controversy surrounding the film dealt with the fact that actual teen actors (including a then relatively unknown Chiaki Kuriyama, who would go on to KILL BILL fame as GoGo) were used for the teen roles. The Japanese government went so far to try and ban the film, as they had with the book, but were again unsuccessful.

Here, "Beat" Takeshi Kitano is the only face that is really recognizable, and as a veteran actor in Japanese cinema, easily carries every scene he is in, as the truly sinister and diabolical Master Of Ceremonies. He plays the role perfectly with almost no emotion or facial expression, which is easy given his face is half-paralyzed due to a motorcycle accident in the mid-90's, and reminds the students to wash in the morning with the same vocal rhythm he does reading off the list of dead students that died the previous day. He is truly a despicable character, though he slowly transforms into a sympathetic if not pathetic character as the film roles on. Takeshi is clearly having a ball here, and demonstrates once again why he has the following he has.

Director Kinji Fukasaku, in addition, brings an almost over-the-top energy to the film, and masterfully combines the drama, tragedy, black comedy and shocking violence that was woven throughout the novel into a simmering pot of cinematic goodness. Much of the political undertones of the book are lost in the translation though, and although it is not hollow, the film does take on a more at-face-value and exploitive mode than the source material. What does remain, is some very intense testing of the human psyche within the characters, and the exploration of the subconscious and animalistic desire to survive no matter the cost within all of us.

Watching the film, you can not help but to find at least one character than can identify with and route for, whether it be the heroic Shuya, who truly believes he can unite the students to beat the system, the backstabbing seductress Takako (Chiaki Kuriyama) or soulless and silent, machine-gun toting student who ruthlessly mows down anyone in his path. Most likely, you'll be wondering what you would do in this LORD OF THE FLIES inspired situation, or at the very least think of a few high school chums you wouldn't of mind killing.

At the time of this writing, there is no word, or even a whisper, of an official domestic release. Fear not though, for the Korean DVD import is Region 0 (that means we can watch it in the US) and is readily available to purchase in the states on Amazon and even available for rent on Netflix.

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Co-Writer Confirms that SAW 3D Will Be Last Movie

Co-Writer Patrick Melton had this to say about rumors of an eighth SAW script already being written, "At one point we had an idea for two more movies. But after VI opened, we decided to combine everything into one last film, which is SAW 3D. This one is the last shebang!"

So there you have it, the series is coming to a close. Though I guess there's always the inevitable remake of the original which will inevitably spin off into its own original franchise.

SAW 3D is current set to open in theaters October 29th.

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SHOGUN ASSASSIN Movie Review

SHOGUN ASSASSIN (1980)

When the shogun's head assassin Ogami defies an order to commit seppuku, and then kills the shogun's son in a duel, both he and his son are marked for death. Ogami and his young son Daigoro wander the countryside, hiring themselves out as hired killers and always, always on the lookout for ninjas. They could be anywhere or anyone. For the pair's latest hiring, they have been asked to murder the shogun's brother. Ogami accepts, but before he can kill his target, he must first face off against the three Masters Of Death!

It is impossible to keep a body count and impossible not to enjoy this purely guilty pleasure that has been keeping samurai fans squealing with delight for decades. SHOGUN ASSASSIN is a strange hybrid unlike anything else in cinema. "Director" and writer Robert Houston took footage from the first two LONE WOLF AND CUB films from the early seventies, which were film adaptations of an extremely popular manga, and spliced them into one film. Next, he wrote the English dialogue that would be dubbed by American actors. Finally, through musician W. Michael Lewis, he added in a completely new score that thumps and bumps with lo-fi electronica and jazzy grooves, leaving just a bit of the original score.

While the original six-part Japanese films series was filled to the brim with a historically accurate account of the Japanese Edo period, it is now remembered much more so for the relentless bloodbath action sequences that came with Toho's attempt to give Japanese audiences a reason to go to the cinema, and give them thrills and excitement that couldn't be found on television. Today, these movies still championed for their almost-comical decapitations and dismembering of limbs, and the geysers of blood to follow. These are the parts that Houston knew his audience would want, and in the creation of SHOGUN ASSASSIN has stripped out most of the political and slower portions of the film to get to Ogami's masterful way with a sword and dispatching ninja after ninja.

And boy does Ogami know how to dispatch ninjas! Ogami is not just content with using his sword to slice and dice with more precision than a ginzu knife, but also uses a staff with blades on both ends to remove his enemy of their heads! Even little Daigoro gets involved, with his baby cart filled with hidden weapons. With just the simplest hit of secret panels, blades pop out of the wheels, spears fly through the air, and knives pop out of the handles. However, the lone wolf and his cub are not the only ones who know how to take a life. Among those who would attempt to stop Ogami are a band of female ninjas that work like a school of piranha removing bits and pieces of their target until there is nothing left but the stump of a torso, and the three Masters Of Death. This trio, who wear oversized straw hats, are each trained in one specific weapon - nail covered gloves, a deadly studded club, and a giant metal claw! Their accuracy with these weapons is matched only by their cruelty when they use them.

Although I will be the first to denounce the unnecessary dubbing of any foreign film, for SHOGUN ASSASSIN I will not only accept the dub (there, in fact, is no Japanese version of this movie) but applaud Houston for his approach to the dub. The actors approach the material with a serious yet soft tone, almost completely opposite of what you would think of for most kung fu dubs, and are able to act with their voices. Sure, there is the standard over enunciation and maniacal laughter, but it is relegated to the scenes where it works. Of standout here is Gibran Evans, in his only credited performance, who dubs Daigoro and tells most of the movie's story via the character's voice over. His voice is sweet and innocent, with just a hint of fear, and flows like a little brook through a bloody battlefield.

SHOGUN ASSASSIN has had its share of infamy and praise over the years. In the early eighties, it was marked as one of the "video nasties" in the UK when the Video Recordings Act of 1984 was passed. It has since been passed by the BFCC and for a long time was the only place to get an official release of the movie. The soundtrack was sampled for GZA's 1995 hip-hop album "Liquid Swords". The movie surged back into pop culture earlier this decade when Quentin Tarantino mimicked the insane bloodletting during the House Of Blue Leaves sequence in KILL BILL Vol. 1 and named dropped it at the end of KILL BILL Vol. 2.

For years and years in the US, this film was only available on murky multi-generation VHS and poorly-transferred DVD bootlegs. US company AnimEigo has since released a restored and reconstructed version of the movie, using the remastered prints from the LONE WOLF AND CUB series. The film has never looked better!

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Stills From Wes Craven's Upcoming MY SOUL TO TAKE

Here's a look at three newly released images from Wes Craven's MY SOUL TO TAKE

In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer.

Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thierot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad’s terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that’s returned, he must face an evil that won’t rest ... until it finishes the job it began the day he was born.

Wes Craven's MY SOUL TO TAKE is set to open in theatres October 29th 2010.

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HUNDRA (1983) Movie Review

HUNDRA (1983)

When a clan of female nomadic warriors, made up of women who were once slaves and escaped to find personal freedom, are attacked and killed by a roving tribe of barbarians, only one remains alive. Her name is Hundra (Laurene Landon), the finest warrior of her people. Hundra seeks out her elder, who in turn prophesies that Hundra must go into the belly of the beast - the home of the barbarians that slaughtered her tribe - and find a man to plant a seed within her so that her bloodline will go on.

After Hundra arrives in the walled city, she finds its citizens living in fear and oppression of the local temple. It is there the young women of the city are taken to be made over as slaves for the pleasure of the chieftains. Hundra, under the pretense of being captured, infiltrates the temple. There she meets another young woman who does as she is told in order to survive. While Hundra allows her to make her over as one of the slaves, she also teaches her how to fight, so that she may break free of the shackles of domination. While in the city, Hundra also meets the local healer, and it is he that Hundra deems worthy to plant his seed. Once with child, Hundra faces the first difficult choice of her life, whether to stay in the company of her child's father, or set off back to the hideout of her people's elder.

In the wake of CONAN THE BARBARIAN and the resurgence in interest in the sword and sorcery sub-genre, production companies were scrambling to put their own epic adventure on the screen. Director and writer Matt Cimber was approached to literally make a "female Conan" movie. After setting out the basic story line, co-writer John Goff reworked some of the plot points and HUNDRA went into production in Spain. Actress Laurene Landon, who had previously worked with Larry Cohen and a small role in AIRPLANE II, was entrusted to take up the lead role. Landon, who performs almost all of her own stunts here, looks the part of the warrior woman, and though her swordplay lacks some finesse, she is quite believable in the role and is able to carry the slightly corny dialogue with dignified decorum. Ennio Morricone is also brought in to emulate Basil Poledouris' CONAN score, and creates several triumphant and invigorating theme tunes.

Over the years, there has been quite the discussion over the subtexts within HUNDRA. Is there an underlying feminist message decrying the vicious domination that men have had over women throughout the centuries? A critical eye would certainly take it that way. Hundra, who would rather be riding with a horse between her legs than a man, is quick to dismiss men as needless, and has had no previous interaction with them not dealing with a sword. Matt Cimber, whose previous film THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA dealt with a woman who subdued sexual predators and then castrated them, continues that theme here. Almost all of the men in HUNDRA are portrayed as sexual predators, beasts, and oafish soldiers who of course are always armed with a long spear. Hundra's way of dealing them usually involves some form of crotch attack before killing them. Hundra also makes some powerful speeches to any woman who will listen throughout the picture.

However, Cimber does stray a bit too far into epic-style exploitation that diminishes the feminist tones found within and would have the casual viewer take this as nothing more than rousing adventure entertainment. There is more than enough swordplay, spear-impaling, blood-spraying, disembowelment and decapitation to please any action enthusiast. The first twenty-minutes of the film alone is comprised of two spectacular fight sequences. Cimber also interjects eroticism as his camera lingers lustfully on the female slaves, clothes many of the extras in see-through garments, and shows off a titillating scene of the slaves bathing nude which is there just to ogle the women. Additionally, there are several scenes of implied rape and forced sex. Though non-explicit, and necessary to set-up the danger Hundra faces, these scenes do set a rather uncomfortable tone that is hard to shake.

Due to a distribution fiasco with Universal that was of Cimber's own creation, HUNDRA was hardly seen in the theatre and fell into the void of VHS and never found its domestic audience. A DVD release in 2007 finally allowed this film to be seen by the masses, but with the likes of XENA, who has truly given the sword-carrying feminists of the world a champion, whatever rallying call HUNDRA may have been shouting initially has been drowned out. What remains is the best CONAN rip-off flick you'll ever find, and should easily find a place in the libraries of those that already own RED SONJA.

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NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (2010) Cover Art and Extras Released

Here is the official cover art for the standard DVD and Blu-Ray release of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake, which is scheduled to hit shelves and online stores October 5th 2010.

Currently the only feature to be included on the standard DVD will be a featurette entitled Freddy Krueger Reborn.

The Blu-Ray release will include the feature film on both Blu-Ray and standard DVD, the Freddy Krueger Reborn featurette, a Maniacle Movie Mode, an Alternate Opening, an Alternate Ending, a Deleted Scene, and a digital copy of the film.

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Photos and DVD Cover Released for NIGHT OF THE DEMONS Remake

A remake of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS is finally getting its DVD and Blu-Ray debut just in time for Halloween when it is released on October 19th. NIGHT OF THE DEMONS is directed by Adam Gierasch and includes Shannon Elizabeth, Monica Keena, Bobbi Sue Luther, Diora Baird and Edward Furlong plus horror queens Tiffany Shepis and Linnea Quigley.

Angela Feld is throwing the Halloween party to end all Halloween parties at the infamous Broussard Mansion in New Orleans, where dark events transpired almost a century ago. But when the packed party gets busted by the police, Angela and her friends Maddie, Lily, Suzanne, Colin, Dex and Jason are the only ones left behind. Soon Colin and Angela make a grisly discovery in the basement and inexplicable events start to take place. With the mansion gates mysteriously locked, the seven find themselves trapped for the night...and soon they're fighting ancient demons for their very souls.

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HUMAN LANTERNS Movie and DVD Review

HUMAN LANTERNS (1982)

Rivals Lung and Tan have been at each other for years, trying to best the other in everything from martial arts skills to festival competitions. When Tan invites Lung to his home, only to show off what will be his entry in this year’s lantern competition, Lung is jealous and humbled. But when Tan brings out a local prostitute in front of Lung and his wife, who Lung has been secretly seeing, Lung is humiliated. Vowing revenge, Lung turns to a master lantern craftsman (Shaw Brothers legend Lo Lieh) to construct a lantern guaranteed to win the competition.

Meanwhile, a psychotic madman with a mastery over monkey-style kung fu has vowed to take away everything that is precious to Tan and Lung. Dressed in black and donning a skull mask, the madman begins to kidnap women including Tan’s sister and Lung’s wife. Tan and Lung at once begin to suspect each other, and bring in the local police to place blame on one another. The police begin to search for clues, hoping to find the women still alive, unaware the kidnapped victims have already been skinned alive to be used as material for the madman’s dazzling lanterns.

Mixing the expected incredible martial arts choreography that the Shaw Brothers are known for with the rising desire for macabre subject matter of the early eighties, director Sun Chung (THE SEXY KILLER, THE AVENGING EAGLE) along with co-writer Ni Kuang, who has written pretty much every worthwhile Shaw Brothers title since the mid 1960s, created what would become one of the studio’s most sought after cult films.

Starting with the shocking and seductive title, which also goes by the slight more descriptive Human Skin Lanterns, the film proceeds to deliver the goods with several jaw-dropping sequences in which the still living women are turned into raw material for lanterns while strung up in a fog-drenched torture chamber and workshop. Using clever camera angles, along with latex, flesh-toned fabrics and copious amounts of bright red food coloring, these sequences may even bring a grimace to those with a penchant for gore and horror. While the grotesque skinning is shown as much as it can, just enough is left not seen in order for a vivid imagination to fill in the blanks.

But for its alluring title and gory sequences, the film is much more in line with putting another notch in the Shaw Brothers’ martial arts belt than experimenting and expanding into horror. Lung and Tan, played by Liu Yung and Chen Kuan-Tai respectively, provide several fun one-on-one martial arts duels using classic Shaw Brothers choreography techniques. But it is the fight sequences that focus on the mystery madman that are surely the highlight of the film. His style, which emulates the movements of a wild monkey, is made all the more unreal by altering the film speed of the camera. By either slowing down or speeding up the movements, his attacks seem impossible to overcome, and merely toys with his kidnap victims and opponents until he is through having his fun.

Individually, the macabre horror and martial arts scenes are well done and left on their own provide great entertainment. But this is clearly a case where the parts are greater than their sum. Sun Chung often has difficulty switching between the vastly different styles, and the jarring editing at times feel like two entirely different films were used to create one. That being said, it is certainly nowhere close to ruining the picture, but perhaps a more thought out singular feel would have made the editing flow better and given fans and even greater movie.

Helping to give HUMAN LANTERNS its rise in cult status and infamy is due to the unavailability of an uncut print on any commercial format. Originally released in its entirety for its 1982 theatrical run in Hong Kong, subsequent VHS releases had much of the gore and nudity cut out. Even for its remastered release on DVD in 2003 by Celestial Pictures in Hong Kong, some of the most noticeable cuts remained and left fans more than a bit disappointed. But now, with the help of Image Entertainment through their Eastern Masters banner, the hunt is a thing of the past. Sporting extended footage of the these infamous scenes, this release is exactly what the fans have been waiting for.

Using Celestial Pictures remastered print, Image provides an anamorphic widescreen transfer with the original Mandarin soundtrack along with English and Spanish subtitles. The DVD features an interview with actress Shaw Yin-Yin, who recalls her days at Shaw Brothers and her time on the set of HUMAN LANTERNS. Also included is one of the skin peeling scenes with alternate footage cut in, as well as a selection of production stills. Finishing out the disc are a large assortment of classic martial arts and action movie trailers from Hong Kong.

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SICK NURSES Movie Review

SICK NURSES (2007)

In a rundown hospital that never seems to have any patients, Dr. Taa and his harem of sexy nurses sell dead bodies on the black market to make extra money. But when one of the nurses Tahwaan, who was supposed to marry Dr. Taa, becomes jealous after he decides to marry another nurse, she threatens to go to the police. For her disobedience, she is murdered by the rest of the nurses and put on ice to become the next body sold.

But on the seventh day after her murder, Tahwaan returns in the form of a vengeful spirit with her sights set on killing the nurses. Taking a play out of John Doe’s handbook, Tahwaan begins using each nurse’s particular vice to dispatch them in bloody and torturous ways. As the hospital’s black and white tiled floors are stained red, the ever dwindling survivors believe that they only have to survive until midnight which is when Tahwaan will lose her spirit form. But Tahwaan has a particular trick up her sleeve to ensure that the clock never reaches 12:01!

Short on plot and even shorter on character development, co-director and writers Piraphan Laoyont and Thodsapol Siriwiwat embark on a rather misogynistic trip that takes a look at the excessive vices and jealousy that brews within women. To these two, apparently, women are nothing more than vain and vindictive creatures who only enjoy looking their best and being number one. This view is reflected in their choice of actresses, many of whom make their film debut here and deliver their lines tenuously at best, and seem to be chosen only for their sexual energy and ability to shriek.

The hospital setting, with flickering fluorescent bulbs and eerily painted hallways, is laid out as a labyrinth like maze of endless twists, turns, and random tables of surgical equipment. Hospitals are scary enough as it is, and that is before you drench it in a nighttime setting, which provides all the natural lack of light necessary to keep the shadows thick and piled up in corners, and add in some boiler pipes and a room full of specimens in jars. The nightmarish quality of this hospital is outstanding, and provides all them ample atmosphere for a few great scares.

Where the film does shine through is with their ghost creation, who supplies some very bloody and satisfying kill sequences. This ghost, which is painted black and wears a draping black dress at first appears to be nothing more than another generic long-haired spirit, but quickly breaks out of this mold to become one of the more creative killers in recent East Asian horror. Though she has the standard ability to spread her hair out like tentacles, she takes particular pleasure in possessing part of her victim and forcing them to bring about their own demise. These particularly grim sequences include a bulimic who is forced to eat a mouthful of metal, forcing a pregnant woman to impale her own stomach, and forcing one woman to use a bone saw to remove another woman’s legs.

SICK NURSES continues the trend of low-budget Thai horror, who will take bad taste to the extreme, exploit sensitive topics for a buck, splatter the screen with grisly violence, and inject sexual objectification where ever they can, but will not for any reason whatsoever show nipple. After all, using a fetus from a jar of formaldehyde as a killing device is a-okay, but nudity is strictly forbidden! Fans of spraying blood and the final sequence in GOZU, and those with a predilection for Asian women in nurse outfits should definitely seek this out.

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