Showing posts with label asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asia. Show all posts

8 May 2013

Terracotta Far East Film Festival Lauch 2013 Programme

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Tickets are now on sale for the fifth edition of the annual Terracotta Far East Film Festival.
Over the years the festival has seen the event go from strength to strength. This year is set to be the biggest yet, expanding to 27 films spread over 4 sections and 2 venues from 06 - 15 June 2013.

The core of the festival will remain a hand-picked selection of the best CURRENT ASIAN CINEMA at The Prince Charles Cinema. This all UK Premiere section reflects the vibrancy and energy in Asian filmmaking today. Ranging from realist dramas to romance, light comedies to spy action thrillers, swordfighting epics to gothic fairytales, the festival aims to balance the representation of Asian countries.

Terracotta Festival 2013 (TFEFF13) will open with Hong Kong action COLD WAR on Thursday 06 June 2013.

This year’s edition will also see a return to last year’s Terror Cotta Horror night on Friday 07 June in association with Film 4 Frightfest. The triple bill has now extended to an all-night horror marathon.

The organisers also have added the “IN MEMORY OF” section to mark the tenth anniversary of two of Hong Kong’s best loved and most missed stars: Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui.

Terracotta Festival 2013 will close out at the ICA with “SPOTLIGHT ON: Indonesia”. 11 - 15 June will be an entire week dedicated to Indonesian cinema, from the country's freshest emerging talent alongside work by established filmmakers. This new section will bring rare insight into one of Asia’s rising film powerhouses.

Guest actors and directors will be attending the festival to introduce their films, host Q&A sessions and run Masterclasses on various aspects of what it means to be a filmmaker today. Filmmakers in attendance will be announced closer to the festival dates.

Terracotta Far East Film Festival full Programme:


IN MEMORY OF: Leslie Cheung & Anita Mui

DAYS OF BEING WILD by WONG Kar Wai, Hong Kong – Wed 29 May 2013, 20:45
1994/ Cantonese and Mandarin with English subtitles/ 94mins/ starring Leslie CHEUNG, Maggie CHEUNG, Andy LAU, Tony LEUNG Chiu Wai
One of the most acclaimed masterpieces of modern cinema from one of Hong Kong’s finest auteur directors.


ROUGE by Stanley KWAN, Hong Kong – Thurs 06 June 2013, 17:50
1988/ Cantonese with English subtitles/ 96mins/ starring Anita MUI, Leslie CHEUNG
Part Romeo & Juliet, part ghost story, an outstanding and timeless classic.


HAPPY TOGETHER by WONG Kar Wai, Hong Kong - Fri 07 June 2013, 12:30
1997/ Cantonese and Mandarin with English subtitles/ 96 mins/ starring Leslie CHEUNG, Tony LEUNG Chiu Wai, CHEN Chang
The story of a gay love triangle slowly fragmenting and dislocating amidst the beautiful city of Buenos Aires.



CURRENT ASIAN CINEMA

COLD WAR by Sunny Luk, Longman Leung, Hong Kong – Opening Film Thurs 06 June 2013, 19:50
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Cantonese with English subtitles/ 102 mins/ starring Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Andy Lau
Police dealing with a sophisticated hijacking of a police van are outwitted at every turn.



LOVE ME NOT by Gilitte LEUNG, Hong Kong – Fri 07 June 2013, 14:30
UK Premiere/2012/ Cantonese with English Subtitles/ 92 mins/ starring Kenneth CHENG, Afa LEE
A sweet and daring portrait of blurred sexuality and love complications.



WHEN A WOLF FALLS IN LOVE WITH A SHEEP by HOU Chi-Jan, Taiwan – Fri 07 June 2013, 16:35
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Mandarin with English Subtitles/ 86 mins/ starring KO Chen Tung, CHIEN Man Shu, KUO Shu Yao, Nikki HSIEH
Vivid colours, lush set pieces and stop motion animation create a surreal, dreamy vision of Taipei.



YOUNG GUN IN THE TIME by OH Young-doo, South Korea- Fri 07 June 2013, 18:35
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Korean with English subtitles/ 95mins/ starring HONG Young-geun, HA Eun-jung, CHOI Song-hyun
Quirky, low-budget time travel romp filled with sex shops, robot hands and Hawaiian shirts.



KARAOKE GIRL by Visra Vichit VADAKAN, Thailand - Fri 07 June 2013, 20:30
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Thai with English subtitles/ 77 mins/ starring Sa SITTIJUN, The Sittijun family.
Realistic, unseedy portrayal of a lovely and lovelorn Bangkok hostess.



THE ASSASSINS by ZHAO Yiyang, China – Sat 08 June 2013, 12:00
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Mandarin with English subtitles/ 107 mins/ starring CHOW Yun Fat, TAMAKI Hiroshi, Crystal LIU Yi Fei
CHOW Yun Fat in a historical swordfighting epic tale of love, power and betrayal.


THE STORY OF YONOSUKE by OKITA Shuichi, Japan – Sat 08 June 2013, 14:20
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Japanese with English Subtitles/ 160 mins starring KORA Kengo, YOSHITAKA Yuriko
A story of a college student with an unusual name and a warm heart, spanning his college days in 1980’s Tokyo, as told by his closest friends and associates.


DRUG WAR by Johnnie TO, Hong Kong – Sat 08 June 2013, 17:30
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Mandarin with English Subtitles/ 107 mins/ starring Louis KOO, SUN Honglei, LAM Suet
Johnnie To’s fast moving actioner features a police captain and an arrested and coerced drug lord out to smash a major drug ring.


THE BERLIN FILE by RYOO Seung-wan, South Korea – Sat 08 June 2013, 19:45
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Korean with English subtitles/ 120mins/ starring HA Jung-woo, Gianna JUN, HAN Suk-Kyu, RYOO Seung-bum
North and South Korean agents in Berlin are tangled up in a BOURNE style multi-agency web of deceit.


SEE YOU TOMORROW, EVERYONE by NAKAMURA Yoshihiro, Japan - Sun 09 June 2013, 12:25
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Japanese with English Subtitles/ 120 mins/ starring HAMADA Gaku
Filmmakers behind the hugely entertaining FISH STORY bring you a multi-layered look into life on a Japanese council estate.


A WEREWOLF BOY by JO Sung-hee, South Korea - Sun 09 June 2013, 15:30
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Korean with English subtitles/ 125 mins/ starring SONG Joong-ki, PARK Bo-young, YOO Yeon-seok
Fantasy romance along the lines of EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, taking a traditional fairytale structure and setting it against a 1960's technicolor Korea.


THE BULLET VANISHES by LAW Chi Leung, Hong Kong – Sun 09 June 2013, 18:00
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Mandarin with English Subtitles/ 108 mins/ starring LAU Ching Wan, Nicholas Tse
Detectives are called to a munitions factory where murders involving “phantom bullets” are puzzling the forensics teams and spooking the local workforce.


THE LAND OF HOPE by SONO Sion, Japan - Sun 09 June 2013, 20:05
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Japanese with English Subtitles/ 133 mins/ starring HAMADA Gaku, ORTEGA Naomi
SONO Sion takes a step back from his usual over-the-top film-making style for a restrained drama dealing with a family’s struggles after the aftermath of a Fukushima-style nuclear power plant explosion in their town.



Terror Cotta Horror All-Nighter
COUNTDOWN by Nattawut POONPIRIYA, Thailand – Fri 07 June, 23:30- 07:10
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Thai and English with English Subtitles/ 90 mins/ starring Pachara CHIRATHIVAT, Jarinporn JOONKIAT, Pattarasaya KRUESUWANSIRI
New Year’s Eve in New York City goes wrong for three flat-mates when their drug dealer overstays his welcome and turns psycho on them.


BELENGGU by Upi, Indonesia – Fri 07 June, 23:30- 07:10
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Indonesian with English Subtitles/ 100 mins/ starring Abimana ARYASATYA, Avrilla.
Visions of violent murders, a giant, knife throwing rabbit and a mysterious femme-fatale. What is really going on in Elang’s head?


HENGE by HAJIME Ohata, Japan – Fri 07 June, 23:30- 07:10
UK Premiere / 2012/ Japanese with English Subtitles/ 54 mins/ starring MORITA Aki, KAZUNARI Aizawai
What would you do if the person that you loved most in the world turned into a monster right before your eyes?


THE GHOST STORY OF YOTSUYA by NAKAGAWA Nobuo, Japan – Fri 07 June, 23:30- 07:10
1959/ Japanese with English Subtitles/ 76 mins/ starring AMACHI Shigeru, KITAZAWA Noriko, WAKASUGI Katsuko
A classic retrospective presentation of an old Japanese Macbeth-like folk tale.


ZOMVIDEO by MURAKAMI Kenji, Japan – Fri 07 June, 23:30- 07:10
UK Premiere / 2011/ Japanese with English Subtitles/ 76 mins starring YAJIMA Maimi, NAKAJIMA Saki
Could you survive a zombie apocalypse? Zomvideo will show you how.


SPOTLIGHT ON: Indonesia

THE DANCER by Ifa ISFANSYAH, Indonesia – Tue 11 June, time tbc
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Indonesian with English Subtitles/ 107 mins/ starring Oka ANTARA, Prisia NASUTION, Slamet RAHARJO, Dewi IRAWAN, Hendro DJAROT, Lukman SARDI
The story of a girl destined to be the ronggeng of her village in the 60's political turmoil. Indonesia’s official entry at the 85th Academy Awards.


LOVELY MAN by Teddy SOERIAATMADJA, Indonesia – Wed 12 June, time tbc
UK Premiere/ 2011/ Indonesian with English Subtitles/ 76 mins/ starring Donny DAMARA, Raihaanun NABILA, Yayu aw UNRU, Luddy SAPUTRO
A provocative, powerful father-daughter story unlike any you’ve seen.


WHAT THEY DON’T TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT LOVE by Mouly SURYA, Indonesia – Thurs 13 June, time tbc
UK Premiere/ 2012/ Indonesian with English Subtitles/ 105 mins/ starring Karina SALIM, Ayushita NUGRAHA, Nicholas SAPUTRA, Anggun PRIAMBODO, Lupita Jennifer
At a special needs boarding school, the students are like any other teenagers: they attend classes, pursue artistic endeavours, and occupy their minds with love and dreams.

POSTCARDS FROM THE ZOO by Edwin, Indonesia – Fri 14 June, time tbc
2012/ Indonesian with English Subtitles/ 96 mins/ starring Ladya Cheryl, Nicholas SAPUTRA, Adjie Nur AHMAD
Premiered at Berlinale, a story which revolves around Lana, a girl who was raised in a zoo after she was abandoned.


OPERA JAWA by Garin NUGROHO / Arturo Gp / Arswendi, Indonesia – Sat 15 June, time tbc
2006/ Indonesian with English Subtitles/ 125 mins starring Martinus MIROTO, Artika Sari DEVI, Eko SUPRIYANTO
A traditional Indonesian tragedy is reworked into a visually stunning musical in OPERA JAWA.

THE BLINDFOLD by Garin NUGROHO, Indonesia – Sat 15 June, time tbc
UK Premiere / 2012/ Indonesian with English Subtitles/ 90 mins starring Jajang C. NOER, Adriani ISNA, Eka Nusa PERTIWI
The story of three young people lured into a radical Islamic organisation.



Venues:

IN MEMORY OF: Leslie Cheung & Anita Mui, CURRENT ASIAN CINEMA, Terror Cotta Horror All-Nighter at Prince Charles Cinema
7 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BY / Box Office : +44 (0)20 7494 3654

Tickets at Prince Charles Cinema: £8.50 non members, no concessions/ £6.00 (PCC Members)

(Friday afternoon: £6.50/ £4.00)


Festival Pass: £59.50 non members/ £48 members

EARLY BIRD PASS*: £55 non members/ £45 members (excludes Terror Cotta Horror Night and ICA Spotlight on Indonesia)

*if you buy early before Sunday 12th May, midnight

Terror-Cotta Horror All-nighter: £22 non members/ £19.50 members

SPOTLIGHT ON: Indonesia at Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA):
The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH / Box Office: +44 (0)20 7930 3647

Tickets at ICA: £10 / £8 Concessions / £7 ICA Members

More information or to  book tickets head over to Terracotta website: www.terracottafestival.com

12 April 2013

Terracotta Film Festival To Expand With New venues, Events and Dates This Years Festival

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The Terracotta Festival, for its 5th year anniversary, will expand from the usual four-days to 10 days from Thursday 6 June to Saturday 15 June 2013. The festival will increase the number of films and venues, and still remain in the heart of the capital.

To commemorate this special occasion, Terracotta Festival organisers are delighted to announce that more strands have been added to the line-up. The four strands of the festival are: CURRENT ASIAN CINEMA, IN MEMORY OF: Leslie Cheung & Anita Mui, SPOTLIGHT ON: Indonesia and the Terror Cotta Horror All-Nighter.

Terracotta Festival will continue to screen its usual selection of best contemporary films from any genre, any Far East country, at the Prince Charles Cinema from 6-9 June 2013. Like previous editions, guest actors and directors will attend the festival to introduce their film, host Q&A sessions, run Masterclasses and interact with festival goers. This will be the CURRENT ASIAN CINEMA section of the festival.

Two prolific and well respected Hong Kong actors, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, passed away unexpectedly, and in tragic circumstances, in 2003. Ten years later, their impression on film lovers around the world is still very strong. Terracotta Festival would like to take this opportunity to present some highlights of their screen legacy.

An additional five days from 11-15 June 2013 have been added for a new section entirely dedicated to an emerging territory. This section will be called “SPOTLIGHT ON:…” and this year the festival will shine the spotlight on contemporary Indonesian cinema.

Taking place at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), this section will showcase the exciting breadth of genres, directors and subject matters from this country.

Whilst the Prince Charles Cinema is a perfect location (leading cult cinema in the centre of Chinatown), the new structure and the ICA will give a wider audience more opportunities to take part in the Festival.

Last but not least, the Terror Cotta Horror All-Nighter returns following the success of last year’s event. Showcasing the diversity and ingenuity of horror from the Far East, expect a mix of ghosts, monsters, zombies, demons and cold-blooded killers from various East Asian territories.

What is Bobo are the official design sponsors of the Terracotta Far East Film Festival for the 3rd consecutive year, creating the festivals branding, on screen identity and all of it’s promotional material.

Festival Director Joey Leung comments: “It is very encouraging for us to see the growth in audience numbers each year, and the appetite of audiences to explore deeper into this area of International Cinema. This year’s enlarged festival will bring a depth to our programme, a wider range of entertaining stories and an exciting line-up of guests

6 February 2013

Watch Full Trailer For Japanese Drama Drive Petal Dance

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Friends will be friends they always say your true friends will stick with you until the end and when you hear stories that one friend may have died you want to know the truth. In Hiroshi Ishikawa's Petal Dance this is the case and before its April release in Japan a full trailer has been released.

Petal Dance (or Pedal Dance as its also called) stars Aoi Miyazaki, Sakura Ando as friends Jink and Motoko hear about a unusual but worrying rumour that their friend Miki (Kazue Fukiishi) she jumped into the ocean only to be rescued at the last minute. Now in a local hospital the girls head to Miki's hometown to find out the truth behind what happened  and on the way they find a third person (Shioli Kutsuna) who joins them.

Petal Dance will be released on 20th April 2013 in Japan.


A big thanks to Nipponcinema for trailer

27 January 2013

Nakata Hideo Returns To J-Horror With The Complex

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He is one of J-Horror's most iconic director Nakata Hideo and is probably responsible for most of famous J-Horrors such as Ringu (Ring)known to Western cinephiles.

Nakata Hideo returns to horror with The Complex (Kuroyuri danchi)and tonight we have our hands on the first teaser trailer.

Starring Atsuko Maeda formerly of J-Pop supergroup AKB48 as a nursing student Asuka who moves into a an apartment block plagued with strange mysterious deaths thanks to what to a death that happened 13 years previously. When she further investigates the strange noises from adjacent flat she learns the old man who lived there died trying to claw himself out of a wall but who is responsible for the deaths?

Films such as Sinister have a lot to thank Nakata for introducing the watch the video and you'll die a concept that can be seen in many western based horrors too. Tonight at Rotterdam International film festival The Complex will make its world premier then on 18th May Toei will release the in Japan. No UK date has been set but expect the film to arrive later in the year/2014.


sourceNipponcinema

8 November 2012

Kim Ki-Duk Double Bill comes to UK DVD

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If, like me, you missed out on Kim Ki-Duk's critically praised Arirang during its limited theatrical release, you'll be pleased to know that the Cannes Un Certain Regard winning documentary, supposedly made as "self-administered therapy", will come to UK DVD on 12th November though Terracotta Distribution.

But that's not all, as Kim Ki Duk fans will also get treated to his 1996 directorial debut Crocodile, which will come bundled in the 2 disc DVD. This will be the first time the film has seen a release in the UK, so it's sure to be a treat for those who wish to revisit the Korean filmmaker's roots.

Read the official press release below:

This 2 disc DVD set will include CROCODILE, Kim Ki Duk’s rarely seen 1996 directorial debut which has never been released in the UK; the grittiest of his early work which led the path to series of intense and highly acclaimed features. 
And ARIRANG, the director’s long anticipated documentary about his self-imposed exile, Winner of “Un Certain Regard” Award at Cannes Festival 2011. 

Crocodile: South Korea / 1996 / 102 Mins / Cert 18 / Drama / In Korean with English subtitles
Arirang: South Korea / 2010 / 100 minutes / Cert 15 / Documentary / In Korean with English subtitles
RRP: £19.99

DVD RELEASE DATE:  12th November 2012

Director Unlike most directors and writers, Kim Ki-duk turned to filmmaking without any prior experience or training.Born in 1960 in South Korea, Kim Ki-duk returned to Korea after studying art in Paris and began his career as a screenwriter. He made his directorial debut with a low-budget movie, CROCODILE, in 1996. Since then, he has been hailed by both critics and audiences for his hard-to-express characters, shocking visuals, and unprecedented messages. He continued on making internationally acclaimed films such as SAMARITAN GIRL which won the Silver Bear Award (Best Director Award) at the 54th Berlin Int’l Film Festival.Kim Ki-duk just won the top award Golden Lion at the 69th Venice Film Festival this year, with his new film PIETA. Selected FilmographyCrocodile (1996), The Isle (2000), Address Unknown (2001), Bad Guy (2001), The Coast Guard (2002), Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring (2003),Samaritan Girl (2004), 3-Iron (2004), The Bow (2005), Time (2006), Breath (2007), Dream (2008), Pieta (2012).

Synopsis CROCODILE Kim Ki-duk’s stunning debut CROCODILE is a study of violence in South Korean society and seemingly unlike any other Korean films made before it.It depicts the life of violent thug, Crocodile, who lives with a peddling boy and an old man by the banks of the river Han in Seoul, a popular suicide spot.Homeless Crocodile makes a living by robbing the dead bodies of those who commit suicide by jumping into the river.One day, he saves the life of a suicidal young woman from drowning but only to use her for sex. Keeping her there, he develops an abusive relationship and, despite his temper and violence, a bond soon forms between the four of them. Starring: Cho Jae-hyeon (Wild Animals, The Isle, Bad Guy, Address Unknown, Sword in the Moon, The Kick)

ARIRANG ARIRANG marks Kim Ki-duk’s triumphant return to cinema after an absence of three years. ARIRANG offers audiences a unique and indiscreet look at the man regarded as one of Korea’s greatest living directors.While shooting a suicide scene for his last film, DREAM, in 2008, the lead actress nearly perished and the incident triggered an emotional and creative breakdown for the director. As an act of self-administered therapy, ARIRANG takes playful liberties with the documentary form as Kim Ki-duk traces his experiences and mindset during this period of crisis. Arirang is a folk song and, according to some sources, Korea’s unofficial national anthem. While ostensibly a love song, its theme of parting and sorrow provides a potent metaphor for Korea’s suffering as a nation and its enforced division at the end of the Korean War

Arirang is the ultimate work of auteurist cinema” – Empire

This startling, fascinating and bizarre film is in some ways the strangest arthouse event of the year.” - The Guardian 4/5 stars

"a rare insight into a controversial director who's as divisive as the 38th Parallel." -Total Film

“Arirang is quite simply Kim Ki-duk's best film to date.” – Hangul Celluloid





30 July 2012

'The Victim' DVD Review

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★★★☆☆


Although Thai director Monthon Arayangkoon’s The Victim isn’t exactly a pitch perfect horror-thriller, it’s still a bit criminal that the film was made back in 2006 and is only now getting a release in the UK.  The Victim’s strength pulls mostly from the basic and striking nature of its premise: a young actress is haunted by the souls of the victims she portrays in police reconstructions, and after taking on the role of Meen she is slowly pulled into a mess of supernatural terror. A good mix of thriller, horror, plot twists, and a dollop of black comedy make this feature a lot more accomplished as a whole than your average bog-standard ghost story.
                Arayangkoon’s understanding of the composition of horrifying images is obvious throughout The Victim and even when the second half starts to wobble on plot twists, the visual impact is in no way lessened. Images of terror here are eerie and startling: faces summoned out of shadow, long tracking shots through deserted space, the muddling of past and present, imagined and real. All of these help to push the viewer down a rabbit hole with the fantastic Pitchanart Sakakorn who’s wrought twisted lead performance stands out as key to the success of the story.  On the other hand, some of the supporting cast can be less striking; fading into wooden monotony, but the success of the director’s control over the involving nature of fear squashes any problems here.

                Over-reliance on CGI in some make-up effects tarnishes an otherwise accomplished understanding of the subtleties required in striking fear into an audience. The director’s keen eye is most arresting when he constructs scares comprised solely of glimpses and shadows and it’s this that is most infuriating when compared with the TV-movie feel of the more blasé CG scare-tactics.

                Problems kick-in from the big twist that strives for the Shyamalan-effect but squanders itself somewhere around his later, less striking, work. From the first unveiling the film slowly threatens to pop its own bubble, the excellent mix of moods and that wonderful control of visually perfect haunting sequences is somewhat tarnished by a complicated and rushed last half hour that strives to do too much with too little and leaves the film unfulfilled.  Still, a good strong lead, consistent visual smarts, and more than enough well-devised scares help leapfrog any lulls in the plot and mark the feature out as impressive.



Scott Clark



Rating: 15
UK Release Date: 6 August 2012
Directed By: Monthon Arayangkoon
Cast: Pitchanart Sakakorn, Apasiri Nitibhon, Penpak Sirikul
Pre-Order/Buy:The Victim On DVD

29 July 2012

Zombie 108 DVD Review

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☆☆☆☆


A cursory glance at some of the Internet’s goriest movie websites tells you that approximately half a billion zombie-themed movies were released in the past 8 months, with another half billion on the way.

That is, admittedly, a slight exaggeration, but there’s no denying that zombie movies continue to be churned out with a worrying regularity that makes their abundance on video-store shelves seem like a desperate parody of their own content. They are quite literally everywhere.

Zombie 108’s tactic to make itself heard amongst the shuffling rabble of its flesh-hungry fraternity, is to sell itself as Taiwan’s first ever zombie movie.

It’s to be hoped that it’s also the last. Zombie 108’s treatment of the shambling, groaning, venerable old monster is so wanton, so profoundly pig-headed, it surely marks the point at which we collectively shelve the genre for the time-being, and turn our attentions to mummies or radioactive insects instead.

The initial copy made available for viewing was removed from its berth on Vimeo due to apparent complications with the English subtitles. It was therefore with no small sense of irony that I settled in to watch a replacement copy, only to find that the film employs only a minimum of intelligible dialogue anyway. It’s an honest question to wonder whether this laughably incoherent collection of violent set-pieces would be in anyway degraded by a complete and utter removal of all sound from the film. A non-descript, laboratory-based disaster is unleashed upon Taipei, turning its denizens into a hungry, gooey army of the undead. This complicates matters for the upright members of the Taiwanese SWAT team engaged in a turf war with a local mob boss. The zombies shuffle in, and the two sides must work together in order to avoid being served-up as an entrée.

It’s a joyless, meaningless parade of tits, bums, chicks with guns, a little bit of parkour, and a lot of sub-standard gore.

But it’s the addition of a sleazy torture-sub-plot, making its presence felt too often for comfort, which prevents Zombie 108 from being merely noisy, juvenile nonsense. It’s in these moments that the film falls into downright lecherous misogyny and startling, incomprehensible animal cruelty. A rape scene intercut with moments of comedy stands as particularly ill-judged, coming dangerously close to Last House on the Left territory.

Zombie 108’s existence was made possible thanks to the generosity of some 900 or so individuals who heeded director Joe Chien’s plea for charity and donated money to fund the film. If you count yourself among the 900, might I suggest you politely ask for a refund? It takes guts to pull the trigger on a friend or family-member who has slowly but surely begun the painful transformation into a walking cadaver; but it must be done. Likewise, Zombie 108 is a film which desperately needs euthanising.

Chris Banks


@Chris_in_2D

UK Rating: 18
DVD Release: 30th July 2012
Directed By:Joe Chien
Cast: Morris Rong, Yvonne Yao , Sona Eyambe
Buy:Zombie 108 On DVD

7 July 2012

Watch Trailers For Filipino Fantasy SAVING SALLY

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Over the years there's been a number of films that have combined live action with animation like Mary Poppins, Who framed Roger Rabbit  Quietearth have spotted this awesome live action-animation SAVING SALLY. Been described as a love story involving boy, girl and lots of monsters and in this there's lots of monsters. The romantic comedy (yes romcom but there's no Katherine Heigl in this!) has been in the works for years working on a blue screen using real actors combining it with 2d animations and yes it may not look in a style or some would argue same quality as those but here at Cinehouse we love what we see from this film. 3 trailer below so do enjoy!

Saving Sally Trailer #2 from Avid Liongoren on Vimeo.

Saving Sally Trailer # 1 from Avid Liongoren on Vimeo.

Who Said Chinese Can't be Naughty, Trailer For Pang Ho-Cheung's VULGARIA

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This is not a post about Bulgaria or that fictional country from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang but the trailer for Hong Kong film maker Pang Ho-Cheung's latest adventure VULGARIA. Cheung is no stranger to Cinehouse as we last read about him with Love In A Puff, Dream Home (wai dor lei ah yut ho) and fresh from Hong Kong Film Festival Vulgaria proving he's one of Hong Kong's most intriguing film makers.  When it comes to raunchy, sexual references in Asian cinema it tends to come from Japan but occasionally elsewhere like Hong Kong and this film has sexy nurses, maids and a mule with plenty of wash your mouth with soap dialogue and sexy jokes prove this might be funny film. So don't judge a book by its cover or in this case film title, yes its naughty but potentially one of the funniest sex comedies from Asia in a while.


source Twitch

5 July 2012

Grim Trailer For Kim Ki-Duk's PIETA

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Every so often we get film makers that seem to be more popular outside there homeland than actually in there homelands, Kim Ki-Duk is one of those directors. Regarded as one of the forefathers of the Korean wave who has had success with the likes of  3 Iron, Bad Guy, The Coast Guard, Spring Summer Fall Winter And Spring .Then after a 3 year stint away from the camera he returned to documentary film making with Arirang making an appearance at Cannes 2011 but after mentoring certain young filmmakers it looks like the director may finally find some success on his own feet with his next film.

Pieta looks like to be a dark psychological drama which may not be up there with the dark twisted films we know and love from Korea but enough to say the film maker is on form. Grim but beautifully shot.

he film is about a brutal man who works for a cruel loan shark. Without any family or loved ones to worry about, he has no fear or hesitation when it comes to carrying out his evil deeds. One day, a mysterious woman shows up in his life, saying she is his mother. At first, he doesn't believe her, having no memories of a mother. But as his attachment to her grows, he discovers her gruesome yet sad secret.

source: Hancinema

4 July 2012

Stylish Teaser Trailer For Erik Matti's Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles

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There's always been talk that maybe monsters live among us, most probably living among us without us even knowing of their existence. What if you pissed of a clan of these beasties  and ones that crave babies and your bride to be just happens to be pregnant what would you do to protect them? In Erik Matti's Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles this is a scenario you may cross.

The trailer for the Filipino film has arrived, giving us a stylish look at the comedy horror and it looks business as usual for the genre veteran though we don't see any of the films comedy elements. The unique selling point of this film is its completely filmed on green screen which is a first for Philippine, a company created by Matti himself working on the digital effects as well, overall looking fantastic.

Unfortunately there is no English subtitles however there's enough here to appreciate the film and what Filipino cinephiles have got to look forward to when this film arrives in Philippines on 17th October. The film stars Dingdong Dantes, Lovi Poe, Joey Marquez, Janice De Belen, Ramon Bautista, Roi Vinzon, LJ Reyes, Mike Gayoso, and Rina Reyes.

If your wondering what Aswang is, its a type of Filipino Vampire!  source:Twitch

26 June 2012

Taiwanese ZOMBIE 108 Invading UK Homes This July!

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Billed as Taiwan's first ever Zombie film in history ZOMBIE 108 which has generated a nice buzz within the Horror community worldwide. Thanks to help of 900 fans with funding Director Joe Chien's film and thanks to our friends at Cine Asia British and Irish Horror fans to enjoy the film when its released this July on DVD.

After a catastrophic accident at a top secret research lab, a deadly virus is released into the city and all hell breaks loose.


Controlled by a local crime lord, District 108 is the one place in the city the police don't want to go on a normal day. But today is not a normal day, and the crack SWAT team ordered to help evacuate the uninfected must do just that. Met with fierce resistance by the local gangs, both sides suffer heavy casualties before realising that the guys with the guns aren't the real enemy: the zombies are!


With ammunition running low, the two sides join forces to fight for the only thing worth fighting for: a chance to escape from the city and the zombies currently running loose in it!

Selected for the Terror-Cotta film festival in association with FILM4 Frightfest Prince Charles Cinema London Friday 13th April 2012.  

Zombie 108 will be released in UK&Ireland July 30th (Pre Order / Buy Zombie 108 On DVD )