Toshiaki Toyoda wants you to join his ‘Monsters Club’

"Monsters Club" Japanese Theatrical Poster

If you’ve seen Toshiaki Toyoda’s film Blue Spring, you know the director has a knack for exploring the casual nihilism at the heart of many of today’s young people. With his forthcoming film Monsters Club, his characters are a bit older but they maintain a deep current of dissatisfaction with society.

The plot follows a man Ryoichi named who lives in complete isolation on a snow-covered mountain. He spends his days sending mail bombs to CEOs until mysterious events – like the reappearance of his long deceased brother – intervene and set him on a path of self-discovery. Over at Twitch, you can check out the Japanese theatrical trailer for Monsters Club. The film arrives in Japanese theaters on April 21, 2012.

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Throne of Blood | aka Spider’s Web Castle (1957) Review

"Throne of Blood" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Throne of Blood” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Isuza Yamada, Takashi Shimura, Akira Kubo, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Minoru Chiaki, Takamaru Sasaki, Kokuten KodoUeda Kichijiro
Running Time: 109 min.

By Mairosu

Guess what dear readers if there are any, it’s a fortification doubleheader!

First, I saw Hidden Fortress today, the film which allegedly inspired George Lucas to make Star Wars (turns out it just inspired some moments of Star Wars rather than the whole sextalogy), an adventure story of two petty goons who get involved into a high-profile rescue operation. The two smalltime profiteurs, Tahei and Matakishi, are just freshly out of recent war campaign in which they tried to earn some money but wound up with zilch and eventually in captivity. They manage to flee during a fully-fledged slave rebellion, and then stumble upon a few gold sticks in the mountains which spark their enthousiasm. Turns out, that gold is part of a bigger gold shipment, the one guarded by a guy who dubs himself general Makabe Rokurota (Mifune, who else), who also has another task – that one, to escort the princess of the Akizuki clan (Misa Uehara) to a safe territory over the border. Tahei and Matakishi accept to assist them, a decision obviously influenced by all that gold, and off they go to another 100 or so minutes of high adventure.

Was it really high adventure? Well, no. Although the pace is a bit faster than the usual Kurosawa samurai film, there is still not much action here happening to satisfy a modern action fan. But there’s eye candy and expert direction aplenty. This was Kurosawa’s first film which was shot in widescreen aspect, and he makes the best of it by fully utilising the wonderful scenery into this picture. Mountains, forests, medieval encampments and plains all bring this film to a better level – it’s amazing how a Kurosawa black and white film still looks much richer in detail than about 90% of coloured CGI crapola nowadays. And even though the action scenes are only here and there, when they happen they really happen – the horseback chase between Rokurota and some opposition soldiers a real standout. Also, it’s worth noting that this film is somewhat low on social references and commentary – as the DVD notes on the BFI disc mention, this is the closest Kurosawa came to chanbara genre in his period pieces. Probably because he knew this was his last Toho contract film, so he wanted to take a stab at something new I’m guessing.

As for the Star Wars references, well, Tahei and Matakishi are a somewhat loose inspiration for C3PO and R2D2, and the first fifteen minutes of film have been conveniently used for the Tatooine sequences after the two likable droids crash land. Also, Lucas himself mentions in an interview that the fact that the story was told from the view of two less important characters was the main thing which inspired him, which is well visible.

And oh, that last shot has been used in Phantom Menace methinks. Well, all things accounted for, this film did its best to bore me and yet I walked out (well, left the sofa actually) somewhat satisfied. Even though it lasted whopping 135 minutes, a big no-no in my books.

The other castle in this entry is the one of the spider’s web, the one featuring in Throne of Blood. Now, I liked this film a dash better than Hidden Fortress for some reason, which is odd as I usually favour action over drama. But Throne was good, real good. Anyway, this film is Kurosawa’s vision of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Long story short, two noble warriors – who are, much to my surprise, played by Mifune and Shimura – are back from a triumphant battle in which they put down some rebels, and on their way back to their lord’s castle they run into a ghost in the middle of a forest during a thunderstorm. The ghost predicts that Washizu (Mifune) will soon rule one castle, and that he will also become the high lord soon, but that his reign will be brief and ended by Odagura’s (Shimura) son. They both disband this as something unimportant, but soon, Washizu gets his castle and the plot begins – Washizu is soon egged on by his wife to murder the lord and frame someone else, and grab all the power for himself. Washizu obliges, then later even kills Odagura to eliminate competition, but Odagura’s son is obviously not happy and wants revenge. Washizu, worried that he might fail, visits the forest spirit once more, who grinningly informs him that he won’t lose unless the “spider bush” (the forest, as subbed by some inept Hong Kong translator) starts moving towards him.

Convinced that there are no such things as moving bushes, Washizu reassures his army that the victory is theirs. Mood is great, until next morning… someone detects that forest is heading into castle’s way! How the hell did that happen you ask ? Why, the cunning opposition army disguised itself under branches and leaves and started their move to the castle. Unable to quell his own troops and dispell this illusion, Washizu is treated to a salvo of arrows which nail him to the wall of his own commander’s watchpost (a truly memorable scene) – and so this story ends.

I obviously shortchanged the role of Washizu’s wife, who is masterfully played by Isuzu Yamada. Pauline Kael mentioned in her review that there was never a better lady MacBeth, and I’m inclined to agree here (I’ll of course casually forget I never saw any other MacBeth adaptation) – her pale white face is pure evil, and the scene in which she washes her hands of blood in the end is downright creepy. Creepy, actually, is the tone of this film – from the great haunting score with choir singing to the visually stunning scenes in the “spider bush” during thunderstorm and generally gorgeous landscape (as usual), the film just oozes some uneasiness throughout. And there’s again Mifune excelling as the medieval tough guy, but of totally another mould than the jovial characters of Sanjuro and Makabe Rokurota – lord Washizu is one evil, power-hungry loon, and his descent into madness is a triumph of Mifune’s acting ability.

And man, I can’t believe I forgot to mention how great of a score was the one for Yojimbo. Man, ’twas awesome, and then some. But, yeah, the grades for today :

Mairosu’s Rating: 8.5/10

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

New Korean thriller will have audiences ‘Howling’ at the moon

"Howling" Korean Theatrical Poster

"Howling" Korean Theatrical Poster

The Korean thriller Howling is slated to hit theaters in its native country on February 9th, 2012 and today Beyond Hollywood has the new poster for the film. Howling is about two detectives trying to unravel the murder mystery surrounding a killer “wolfdog” and stars Song Kang-ho, one of the most recognizable faces in Korean cinema thanks to his turns in films like The Host, Thirst, and Memories of Murder. He co-stars alongside Lee Na-young (Dream of a Warrior).

Director Yoo Ha is no slouch either, having helmed such movies as A Dirty Carnival and A Frozen Flower. All in all, Howling is shaping up to be one of 2012’s Korean films to watch. Beyond Hollywood has the English-subbed trailer.

Update: Asian Movie Pulse reports that Howling is a resounding hit at the Korean box office. In its first week, it knocked Nameless Gangster from the top slot. The movie is expected to surpass one million ticket admissions by the end of the week.

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Martial arts icon Kara Hui takes to the horror genre with ‘Blood Stained Shoes’

"Blood Stained Shoes" Promotional Picture

I’ve been following Todd Rigney’s coverage of the upcoming Chinese horror film Blood Stained Shoes over at Beyond Hollywood for a couple of reasons. One is that the Asian horror genre remains interesting, despite the countless Ringu knock-offs and American remakes it’s been forced to endure.

Two is that Blood Stained Shoes stars Kara Hui, the martial arts icon famous for appearing in Shaw Brothers films like My Young Auntie and Eight Diagram Pole Fighter. Even at 52 years old, Kara is still one of the loveliest actresses in the world.

I’ve been waiting patiently for a trailer to arrive before I posted about the movie and today my wish has been granted. And the trailer even has English subtitles! Check it out here.

There’s no official plot synopsis available yet so we’ll just have to piece together clues from the trailer. The film looks to take place in the not too distant past and feature some rather striking cinematography, with a classic ‘ghost story’ type vibe, perhaps not unlike the popular Japanese video game series Fatal Frame. The cast includes Ruby Lin, Monica Mok, Anna Kay, Michael Tong, Xing Minshan, Daniel Chan, Jing Gangshan, and Daichi Harashima. Blood Stained Shoes lands in Chinese theaters on March 8.

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Have a ‘Secret Reunion’ with this Korean thriller on Import Blu-ray and DVD

"Secret Reunion" Korean Theatrical Poster

Before he wowed international audiences with his blistering Korean War drama The Front Line, director Jung Hun delivered a decidedly modern thriller in Secret Reunion. This 2010 film stars Korea’s most recognizable actor, Song Kang-ho (Thirst, The Host, Memories of Murder), alongside Kang Dong-Won of Haunters fame in a North vs. South Korea spy game.

Song Kang-ho plays a disgraced federal agent who alternately hunts down and befriends Kang Dong-Won’s North Korean spy.

Trusted retailer DDDHouse is now accepting pre-orders on the Region A Blu-ray for only $16.03 and the Region 3 PAL DVD for only $12.56. The disc releases on March 8th.

Secret Reunion screened at the 2010 New York Film Festival where it was billed as “2010’s most heartwarming shoot-’em-up,” combining “manly hugs with messy headshots.” Check out the trailer.

Posted in Asian Import Titles, News |

New Chinese martial arts movie reveals the power of ‘Nunchucku’

"Nunchucku" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Nunchuku is a new Mandarin-language martial arts film slated to hit Chinese theaters on March 2, 2012. It’s also a difficult film to bring you information on since not much has been written about it in English! From what Cityonfire.com has been able to gather, the picture is directed by and stars an actor named Chen Star.

The film explores themes of honor, family, and loyalty, but also features Chen Star kicking tons of ass with his deadly pair of nunchucks. Not surprisingly, Chen Star reportedly draws great inspiration from Bruce Lee. In the trailer for Nunchucku, it’s clear that Chen’s mannerisms, Chi-type noises, and nunchuck-wielding ways are meant to channel the great martial arts icon.

Although it’s been a challenge for us English speakers to find any information on this film, Nunchucku won the 5th Cologne award at the Cologne Film Festival in Germany last year. Hopefully some reviews of the film will pop up online after it hits Chinese theaters and we can find out if Chen Star successfully pays homage to Bruce Lee.

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Rampart Blu-ray & DVD (Millennium Entertainment)

Rampart Blu-ray & DVD (Millennium Entertainment)

Rampart Blu-ray & DVD (Millennium Entertainment)

RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2012

Quiz: Out of all the “bad lieutenants,” who would win in a fight: Harvey Keitel, Nicolas Cage or Woody Harrelson?

Millennium Entertainment presents Rampart, starring Woody Harrelson as a cop who is forced to face up to the consequences of his wayward career.

Rampart is directed by The Messenger’s Oren Moverman and written by James Ellroy, who is mostly known for writing L.A. Confidential.

Also starring Ice Cube, Ben Foster, Robin Wright, Ned Beatty, Anne Heche, Steve Buscemi and Sigourney Weaver. Check out the trailer.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Alfredo Alfredo DVD (Mya Communication)

Alfredo Alfredo DVD (Mya Communication)

Alfredo Alfredo DVD (Mya Communication)

RELEASE DATE: March 13, 2012

Another hard-to-find treat from Mya Communication! After 1971’s Straw Dogs, Dustin Hoffman took a break from the ultra violence and starred in Alfredo, Alfredo, a 1972 Italian language comedy. Alfredo Alfredo is about a man who marries the woman of his dreams, only to discover that married life is not all it’s cracked up to be. Check out a clip from the film.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Blu-ray & DVD (Paramount)

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Blu-ray & DVD (Paramount)

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Blu-ray & DVD (Paramount)

RELEASE DATE: April 17, 2012

Blamed for the bombing of the Kremlin, agent Ethan Hunt is disavowed when the President initiates “Ghost Protocol”. Brad Bird, who gave us The Incredibles, re-juices the franchise with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, starring Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Vladimir Mashkov. Read cityonfire.com’s review. Watch the trailer.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Slasher movie parody ‘Detention’ finally gets a release date

"Detention's" Cinderhella

From the director of Torque, the 2004 Fast ‘n Furious clone that blew audience’s virgin minds with its video game cutscene-like special effects and blatant Mountain Dew advertising, comes Detention, one of the most buzzed about flicks at last year’s South By Southwest. The film is a self-aware, tongue-in-cheek parody of horror films that AICN described as a cross between Scott Pilgrim and Scream. Not much was heard about the Joseph Kahn-helmed movie after SXSW, leaving many horror fans to wonder if they were ever going to get the chance to see it.

Fortunately, AICN reports that Samuel Goldwyn Films have granted Detention a April 13th release date. The cast features Josh Hutcherson, Dane Cook, Spencer Locke, and Aaron Perilo. Check out the trailer here.

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Michael Fassbender is Cormac McCarthy’s ‘Counselor’

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender

Since No Country For Old Men author Cormac McCarthy sold his first spec script to Hollywood a few weeks ago, the project, titled The Counselor, has been on the fast track – and that’s putting it mildly.

It didn’t take long before Blade Runner and Alien filmmaker Ridley Scott signed on to direct and today AICN reports that acclaimed actor Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class, Shame) is attached to the lead.

The Counselor is about a lawyer who thinks he can dip his toe in the drug business without consequences and soon finds himself in way over his head. AICN also claims that Jeremy Renner, Brad Pitt, and Bradley Cooper are in talks to play the villain. Principal photography on the film starts May 1st.

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Chinese cinema makes an impression at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival

"Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" actresses Mavis Fan and Kwai Lun Mei

The 2012 Berlin Film Festival may have just wrapped a few days ago, with the Italian docudrama Caesar Must Die taking home the Golden Bear for Best Picture, but there’s no doubt that Chinese filmmakers made a strong impression at the international fest.

Acclaimed director Zhang Yimou was on hand with star Christian Bale for his new film The Flowers of War, about the Nanking Massacre in 1937. The film won rave reviews from critics. Danish journalist Martin Wolsgaard declared, “I think it’s almost safe to say it’s the best film I am going to see at this festival.”

Also at the Berlin Film Fest was Cityonfire.com favorite Tsui Hark with his new 3D wuxia film Flying Swords of Dragon Gate.

The film co-stars Jet Li and Zhou Xun and serves as an update on the 1966 film Dragon Gate Inn and Hark’s own 1992 venture New Dragon Gate Inn. With a budget of $35 million US dollars and 3D design from the visual effects supervisor of James Cameron’s Avatar, there’s no doubt that Hark’s movie is destined to impress American audiences when we finally get the chance to see it.

Lastly, the 1964 Chinese hand-drawn animated feature The Monkey King received a 3D update courtesy of Avatar and Harry Potter effects designers. The film screened out of competition to the delight of younger audiences at the Berlin Film Fest. The character of the Monkey King continues to fascinate Chinese audiences, with Donnie Yen set to star as the folk hero in an effects-heavy blockbuster this July.

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China to allow more Hollywood blockbusters into their country

Chinese audiences enjoying a 3D Film

For decades, China has allowed 20 “blockbuster” foreign films to be screened in its country year round. Last year, movies like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Transformers: Dark of the Moon ended up becoming breakout hits in the country, much to the chagrin of the Chinese government, who were hoping that historical pieces like Beginning of the Great Revival would garner higher ticket sales. Now it appears that the tide is turning.

Yesterday, it was announced that China would be increasing that foreign film quota to 34 blockbusters, which is quite the boost. There is a catch, though: these extra 14 films must be in either IMAX format or 3D. In addition, Hollywood studios will be allowed to keep 25% of the box office gross rather than the current 13%.

The new status quo is part of a last minute deal struck by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and American Vice President Joe Biden during Jinping’s visit to the country. How this new deal will affect China’s own film industry remains to be seen but one thing is for certain, now there will be even more big-budget movies competing for Chinese theater screens and ticket sales.

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War of the Arrows (2011) Review

"War of the Arrows" Korean Theatrical Poster

“War of the Arrows” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Han-Min
Cast: Park Hae-Il, Ryu Seung-Ryong, Moon Chae-Won, Kim Moo-Yeol, Park Gi-Woong, Lee Han-Wi, Lee Kyung-Young, Park Ki-Woong, Ryohei Otani, Kim Ku-Taek
Running Time: 122 min.

By HKFanatic

“War of the Arrows” is a blockbuster Korean film set during the Second Manchu invasion of Korea in the mid-17th century. Our hero, Nam-Yi, is the best archer in all the land – but his father was murdered when he was just a boy for opposing the laws of the King. Nam-Yi and his sister, Ja-In, were taken in as orphans by a local lord. Time has passed and now the lord’s son is asking for Ja-In’s hand in marriage. Nam-Yi reluctantly agrees to give his sister away. All is well on the happy wedding day…until some damn Manchus come riding over the hill and ransack the entire village. They kidnap Ja-In and her groom and set Nam-Yi on the trail to rescue them both. But can he overcome his inner doubt and hone his bow skills in time to save them?

This film ended up becoming the #1 box office hit in South Korea last year with over 7 million admissions. I wish I could say I knew why it captivated audiences as much as it did but I found “War of the Arrows” to be merely serviceable as an historical action piece. It is handsomely produced, there’s no doubt about that, with solid special effects and lengthy action sequences. If you just want to see characters whizzing arrows at each other for 2 hours, you’ll probably be entertained.

On that note, the last thirty minutes of the movie is devoted almost entirely to an extended chase sequence, featuring our protagonist on the run from a well-trained team of Manchus. They hide behind rocks, fire arrows at each other, jump across cliffs, and even do battle with a computer-generated tiger. There’s not much dialogue during this segment of the film and it admittedly goes on much longer than necessary, but this is definitely the height of the action quotient in “War of the Arrows.”

Much like Ridley Scott’s attempt at reviving “Robin Hood” in 2010, “War of the Arrows” is a lavishly mounted epic that left me feeling disconnected with what was happening onscreen. It wasn’t long before I realized this was not a movie where logic would come into play: during the first five minutes, some pursuit dogs run right past a pair of hiding kids as though they’ve suddenly lost their sense of smell. Later on, about a dozen characters make a inhuman leap across a chasm and climb a sheer rockface, a feat that would be impressive even in an episode of “Dragonball Z.”

Lately I’ve found that Korean movies sometimes have a habit of making their protagonists foible to a fault. I understand that we need to feel like our hero isn’t perfect and that he has some personal adversity to overcome in addition to defeating the bad guys. But scenes of Nam-Yi puking his guts out after a night of binge drinking, breaking down in tears, or continually missing the target with his arrow don’t inspire much confidence in our hero. I want a good guy who comes across as capable, not one who seems like he might not even be up to the occasion. I had similar feelings with another recent Korean film, “The Sword With No Name.” Nam-Yi seems to persevere in this film not because he’s particularly brave or smart but because, in the end, he’s the best shot with a bow

“War of the Arrows” arrives on Region 1 Blu-ray+DVD combo from distributor Well Go USA. Once again, they have done an excellent job packing an Asian film for the Western market. The visual transfer is superb and allows the scenery and costume details to truly pop. The only effect that sticks out like a sore thumb is the tiger that is alternately CG and green-screened into the movie but, hey, what are you going to do. You can’t exactly dump a live tiger into the midst of actors anymore. Overall, “War of the Arrows” has its slow parts and its predictable moments but if you’re craving arrow-slinging action and fierce Manchu warriors, it should fit the ticket.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Korean, Reviews | Tagged , |

Japanese horror discovers the found footage genre with ‘POV’

"POV ~Norowareta Film ~" Japanese Theatrical Poster

It had to happen sometime. The Japanese horror genre appears to have gone all Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield on us with a new film titled POV ~Norowareta Film~. The good news is POV actually looks like it could be a lot of fun. The film just hit Japanese theaters on February 18th and Far East Films has the trailer.

In the movie, two high school girls set out to capture physic phenomena on film and soon discover strange things afoot in their own school. The trailer trots out the usual J-horror tropes like creepy female ghosts but seems to deliver it in a fresh way thanks to the unique video camera-style cinematography. A more detailed synopsis of the plot is available at the link.

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