Apartment 1303 3D Blu Ray Review

Like the dire American remakes of J-Horror features One Missed Call and Dark Water, Apartment 1303 3D joins the club of truly disastrous Japanese to American adaptations.

After escaping her domineering mother (Rebecca De Mornay), Janet (Julianne Michelle) signs the lease on her dream apartment. However shortly after experiencing some ghostly goings on, Janet falls out of her 13th floor window. Her sister Lara (Mischa Barton) begins to investigate and her chief suspect is Janet's boyfriend (Corey Seiver).

The main issue with Apartment 1303 3D is simply how unbelievably amateur it is. It lacks any scares and relies on completed outdated genre clichés to carry its narrative. The team behind the feature seem to think that the presence of a pale schoolgirl is enough to have audiences cowering in fear - but unfortunately they fail to craft any sense of tension or suspense, resulting in these attempted scares feeling utterly flat, uninspired, and downright forgettable. This is a problem that hinders all the attempted horror scenes in the feature - all lacking any originality, tension, or any distinct style.

There is nothing remotely scary about Apartment 1303 3D - apart from the lead acting and bland production. It feels cruel to say this when the leading cast are given such uninspired characters and dialogue to work with. Mischa Barton, Julianne Michelle and Corey Seiver fail to bring any life to these bland one-dimensional characters.

Whilst the most part of the narrative is truly abominable, Apartment 1303 3D does slip away on a bizarre subplot involving Rebecca De Mornay as a heavy-drinking country singer/controlling Mommie Dearest type figure. Whilst this lacks any inherent relevance to the narrative, De Mornay does provide the most engagement of the film. The actress slips into the role of a trashy, self-obsessed country-singer with complete ease - but this is a far cry from her best work.

You may feel a slight trashy thrill at De Mornay's hammy performance, but this really isn't enough to justify spending ninety minutes of your life watching this tired, lazy and ultimately bland piece of cinema. Avoid.

★☆☆☆☆

Andrew McArthur

Stars: Mischa Barton, Corey Seiver, Rebecca De Mornay
Director: Michael Taverna
Release: 03/06/13
Rating: 15 (UK)

Buy Apartment 1303:  Limited Edition Lenticular Artwork DVD / Limited Edition Lenticular Artwork (3D + 2D) Blu-ray

Watch the Trailer For Jamie Cheung's Sex Slavery Drama Eden

Directed by Megan Griffiths (The Off Hours, producer of My Sister's Sister) EDEN is based on the chilling yet inspirational true story of human-trafficking survivor Chong Kim and stars an award-winning performance from the beautiful Jamie Chung (The Hangover II & III), rising star Matt O'Leary (Disney's The Lone Ranger) and the legendary Beau Bridges (The Descendants).

The year is 1994. Korean-American teenager, Hyun Jae (Jamie Chung;The Hangover Part II &; III, Sucker Punch, The Man with the Iron Fists), goes to a bar in New Mexico where a handsome young man buys her drinks and offers her a ride home. But she never reaches home and is instead abducted and forced into prostitution by a domestic human and drug trafficking ring located outside the
bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada.
​
Hyun Jae is initiated into her new life by Bob Gault (Beau Bridges; The Descendants, Stargate SG-1), the corrupt Federal Marshall who runs the organisation and troubled Vaughan (Matt O’Leary;Spy Kids, Fat Kid Rules the World, Disney’s The Lone Ranger).Through a haze of morphine, Hyun Jae (soon renamed Eden, by her captors) learns what her future holds: sex with strangers and life in a 10x10 storage unit. Throughout the two years she is held, Eden reluctantly ensures her own survival by carving out power and influence within the very organization that has imprisoned her.

Eden will arrive in UK cinemas on 19th July put aside any reservations of Jamie Chung's previous film, Eden proves she does posses some acting chops just some critics wish she would show a little more often.

Horror Writers Wanted - Join Us At Cinehouse & The People's Movies

Creatures of the night Cinehouse & The People's Movies wants you! We're looking for passionate individuals  'dying' (pardon the pun, sorry!) to share their skills as writers and show their love for all things Horror. Contemporary, trashy, hollywood, cult, Asian, world cinema, Classic, good or bad  if it's Horror we want you .

Share that passion through reviewing some of the latest films, relive classic films through retrospectives  or simply create exciting fresh original articles, features or lists. Horror fans want news watch the latest trailers so you'll know where to look to get those, it can be in separate posts or combine weekly, fortnightly posts the format, timescale we'll discuss nearer the time. We will consider other forms like podcasts, youtube reviews too as we want to give you that platform to shine!

Due to the nature of the genre most film reviews most will be on DVD or BluRay however there will be times cinema previews online previews possibly the odd festival press passes too! This is not a review only position though it will take up most of the position but once your in there will be opportunities to write and review in other parts of Cinehouse and The People's Movies too.

Sadly this is not a paying position we would love too but what we can offer is chance to watch films before their release dates, freebies, etc... Ideal for someone attempting to break into the industry or just a fan of film like us wanting to share their love for all things film!

To apply to join us we need some details  and here's what we need:

• Name and town 
• Age
• 2 samples of your previous work (web links to reviews, pieces you have written)
• A paragraph on why we should pick you to be a horror writer (max 500 words)

Send the above to cinehouseuk@gmail.com  label email 'horror writers'
Freelancers are welcome.

Step Into The Cult Arena With Arrow Video This June With The Vineyard

Arrow Video is pleased to confirm that James Hong's intoxicating cult-horror classic The Vineyard will be released on DVD on Monday 10th June via their ArrowDrome imprint.

We’ve all heard that wine has its health benefits. But what if it could help prolong your life… indefinitely?!

Crackpot scientist and celebrated winemaker Dr. Elson Po has made the ultimate discovery: the secret to everlasting life. As with all good things, however, there’s an inevitable downside; and a bunch of good-looking and horny youngsters, invited to Dr Po’s island under the premise of an "audition", are about to find out the hard way. As the vineyard starts to give up its dark secrets, these doomed teens will have to contend not only with Dr. Po and his kung-fu fighting henchmen but also with a rotting gang of marauding zombies!

A startlingly tongue-in-cheek mix of action, body-horror and undead terror, The Vineyard comes courtesy of writer/director/actor James Hong – character actor extraordinaire and star of such genre favourites as Big Trouble in Little China and Blade Runner.

Hailed as "the man of a thousand faces", James Hong is one of the world’s best loved Asian-American actors and cult stars. He is also, arguably, the most prolific. In an illustrious acting career spanning 50+ years, he has starred in over 450 film, television and video game roles and, at the tender age of 84, he shows no sign of stopping just yet.

Originally hitting the silver screen back in 1989, The Vineyard has aged gracefully, only now maturing into the bona-fide cult snifter that warrants the ArrowDrome treatment.

The newly re-vamped DVD release of The Vineyard comes complete with brand new artwork, a collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Calum Wadell, and the original theatrical trailer.

Pre-order Buy:The Vineyard [DVD]

Tinto Brass' All Ladies Do It / The Key Blu-Ray Review

Watching the films of Tinto Brass is an ultimately disappointing experience. All Ladies Do It (1992) starring Claudia Koll and Paolo Lanza and The Key (1983) with Frank Finlay and Stefania Sandrelli, both recently released by Arrow Films on special dual format Blu-ray and dvd, showcase perfectly what was wrong with his work. Clearly a gifted filmmaker (his artistic inclinations come from the influence of his grandfather, renowned Gorizian painter Italico Brass), his talent was wasted on pornography - though he likes to class his films as erotic which he sees as different, but which really amount to one and the same.

In All Ladies Do It, loosely based on Mozart's opera Così fan tutti (of which the film's title is a direct translation), Diana (Koll) is happily married to Paolo (Lanza). Unfortunately Diana's sexual appetites are stronger than those of Paolo and unable to get satisfaction from him, she sets out on a voyage of self discovery and fulfilment much to her husband's anger and humiliation.

The Key, Brass's first film since his notorious masterpiece Caligula (1979), follows Nino (Finlay) as a man who fears loosing the love of his wife, the beautiful Teresa (Sandrelli), because of his inability to satisfy her sexually. To 'spice' things up he takes erotic photographs of Teresa then arranges for her to have an affair with the young man Laszlo (Franco Branciaroli) who develops the images. In the meantime Nino follows the progress of Teresa and Laszlo's blossoming relationship by reading her diary, fully aware that she in turn is reading his ......

Pornography is a strange subject. What turns on one person sexually may leave another positively frigid, and vice versa. There is a fine line between what can be seen as artistic (i.e. erotic) and simple, straightforward pornography, which is more or less sex for the sake of it. A naked woman in a top shelf 'lad's mag' is seen as degrading and pornographic. Take the same naked woman, a celebrity photographer and a decadent setting, publish the resulting photograph in a high-end fashion magazine and hey-presto you have art.

Which is in actual fact a good summation of Brass's work, where stunning Venetian locations, dreamy artisan interiors and melodic scores by composers like Ennio Morricone, strive to lend his films an air of bohemian acceptability. All Ladies Do It in particular has scenes which look like they were lifted straight from the pages of a late 1980's issue of British Vogue, with the character of Diana running through the rain lashed alleyways of Venice in sharply cut suits and jauntily angled, picture hats.

However any in-depth study of the deeper content and meaning of these films is, on the whole, unnecessary as, when stripped bare, their story-lines clearly exist purely to link various scenes centring around the often sordid sexual proclivities of the individuals involved. Instead, if you really feel the need to watch the films of Brass (purely as an academic exercise in order to broaden your experience of the overall, cinematic oeuvre), then they should be taken purely on their visual merits and quickly crossed off the your 'to experience' list. The interiors for the films evocatively capture the eras in which they are both set - a heavy 1940's wartime mustiness for The Key, highlighted by the complete opposite in the austere, almost clinical late 1980's / early 90's air of All Ladies Do It. These, along with the otherworldliness of the Venice exteriors, form a perfect backdrop against which to show the sexual shenanigans of a group of characters with whom the audience feel little connection, neither sympathetic or otherwise - one can't escape the sense that the cast are there simply to perform a sexual function with, despite their best efforts, little emotion involved.

Ultimately, if you feel the need to watch Brass's films, they should be approached in the same way as most pornographic material - briefly 'stimulating' when they last, but providing little in the way of a deep or meaningful experience.

★★☆☆☆

Cleaver Patterson

All Ladies Do it
Rating: 18
DVD/BD Release Date: 20th May 2013 (UK)
Director:Tinto Brass
Cast: Claudia Koll,Paolo Lanza, Franco Branciaroli, Ornella Marcucci

Buy: All Ladies Do It [Blu-ray]



The Key
Rating: 18
DVD/BD Release Date: 20th May 2013 (UK)
Director:Tinto Brass
Cast: Stefania Sandrelli, Frank Finlay,Franco Branciaroli, Barbara Cupisti
Buy:The Key [Blu-ray]

Anime Writers Wanted, Join Us At Cinehouse & The People’s Movies

Kwonicha ! We’re recruiting again and we want you and that’s the Anime Writers! We’re looking for lovers who have a passion for all things Japanese, are you that person?

Do you want to review the latest reviews from Manga Entertainment and MVM but it’s not all about the reviews. Post the latest news from the world of anime, the latest trailers, create fresh original but most of all entertaining articles and features help create The People’s Movies & Cinehouse into a hub for Anime fans? If you your passion also lies in Asian cinema in general we can help you out there too and we’ll do our best to give you a platform to share your passion?

We’re looking for a couple of writers who have written for sites before or someone really eager to get first steps, so do you have what it takes? Remember this isn’t just for reviews they are probably most important part of working with us. So can you work on your own initiative know where to look for the latest Anime news, trailers to create your posts?

Unfortunately we can’t offer any money however you will be able to keep those MVM and Manga Entertainment releases you will review, we can provide you with the Anime films to review, maybe occasionally the odd cinema screening, passes for festivals. What are you waiting for then? Get in touch now, Freelancers are welcomed

So how do you sign up?

1. Your Name &Age
2. Location (what is your home town name)
3. 2 sample links to previous posts
4. Reasons on why we should pick you (500 words maximum)
5. If your freelancer let us know

Where do I send the above too? label your email 'Anime Writer' and email the info we need to cinehouseuk@gmail.com

Please Note The Peoples Movies And Cinehouse are UK based websites so if you live outside UK we cannot provide anime to review, however if you are keen to help using your own sources please do get in touch.

Manga UK Releasing Bakuman Season 1 On DVD This June

It's good to aspire to something, believe in something and in Bakuman the best students want to be great writers. On 17th June Manga Entertainment will release volume one of the popular anime series Bakuman based on a manga by Ooba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi

Synopsis

Top student Akito is willing to do anything to become a hit writer in the Japanese comics industry, including manipulating his unsure classmate Mashiro into becoming his illustrator. Before long, the pair have their backs up against the wall, fighting for a chance to get noticed in the intense world of manga publishing. But then, an unlikely series of events puts them face-to-face with what real comic artists have to give up: love, health, and maybe even their futures. Get ready for a compelling race through the world of publishing not limited to glimpses into the industry, but all-out panoramic views packed with insider details!

Bakuman Volume one will be released on DVD  on 17th June 2013 in UK&Ireland by Manga Entertainment. Pre-order/Buy Bakuman Season 1 [DVD] now!

VAMPIRES From The Myth To The Big Screen

When it comes to mythical creatures in the world of film, nothing has cemented their place as firmly as vampires have. Spanning an impressive 90+ years of legendary screen appearances, vampires started in horror and have since then covered just about every genre imaginable – and sparked the imagination of screenwriters inspired by the myth and its connection with historical figures like Vlad ‘The Impaler’ Tepes and Elizabeth Bathory.

Surviving periods of saturation, the vampire genre is still very much “un-dead” and kicking, with filmmakers fighting to bring new approaches that have seen a tremendous boost of popularity for the world’s favourite blood-drinkers. Neil Jordan, director of the critically acclaimed and hugely successful Interview With The Vampire, returns to UK cinemas on May 31st with Byzantium, a fresh take on the genre that sees Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan playing a mother and daughter vampire duo.

To celebrate Byzantium’s release, we’ve taken a look back at the birth of the vampire myth and its evolution through the ages to become one of the greatest cinematic icons.

Origins of the Myth
Legends of vampires have existed for millennia, with cultures such as the Mesopotamians, Hebrews, Ancient

Greeks, and Romans having told tales of demonic entities and blood-drinking spirits that are precursors to modern vampires. Although vampiric entities have been recorded in many cultures, the term vampire was not popularized until the early 18th century, after an influx of vampire superstition into Western Europe from areas such as the Balkans and Eastern Europe; this lead to mass hysteria, corpses actually being staked, and people being accused of vampirism.

While the appearance of folkloric vampires of the Balkans and Eastern Europe ranged in description from nearly human to bloated rotting corpses (perhaps the equivalent to today’s zombies?), it was the interpretation of the vampire by John Polidori in his 1819 novella The Vampyre that established the archetype of the charismatic and sophisticated vampire. Polidori’s work was arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century, which eventually served as inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Bram Stoker and the Modern Vampire

Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula quickly became the quintessential vampire novel and provided the basis of modern vampire fiction. Dracula drew on earlier mythologies of werewolves and similar legendary demons and was to “voice the anxieties of an age", and the "fears of late Victorian patriarchy". The success of this book spawned a distinct vampire genre, still popular in the 21st century; with books, films, video games, and television shows drawing on the tome. The vampire is such a dominant figure in the horror genre that literary historian Susan Sellers places the current vampire myth in the "comparative safety of nightmare fantasy".


From The Novel To The Screen: The Early Adaptations
1922’s Nosferatu, F.W. Murnau’s German Expressionist cult classic, is one of the most famous early adaptations of the Dracula character. However, something that most people don’t know is that, back in the day, it attracted a (successful) lawsuit from Stoker’s estate for copyright infringement, which meant that all existing copies of the film were ordered to be destroyed. Thankfully, a few copies were saved and escaped

the pyre constructed by the copyright lawyers. Today, the film is out of copyright, and can watched legally in its entirety online.

Nosferatu, contrary to popular belief, wasn’t the first attempt at bringing Dracula to the silver screen. Dracula's Death — sometimes known as The Death of Drakula — was a 1921 Hungarian horror movie (currently believed to be a lost film) that was written and directed by Károly Lajthay. The film is notable because of the fact that it marks the first screen appearance of the vampire Count Dracula, though recent research indicates that the plot does not actually follow the narrative of Bram Stoker's novel. After originally opening in Vienna in 1921 and enjoying a long and successful European run, the film was later re-edited and re-released in Budapest in 1923. This second theatrical run, coupled with the fact that scholars are only now uncovering reliable information about the film, may explain why the Internet Movie Database erroneously lists the film's original release date as April 1923.

There are reports of a 1920 Soviet silent film Drakula (Дракула), based on Stoker's novel. The film would have predated Dracula's Death and is thus claimed to be the first film adaption of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Nothing regarding this film is known to survive; there are no known production stills, and there is very little information about the film available.


The Soviet film is said to be about a woman who experiences frightening visions after visiting an insane asylum where one of the inmates claims to be Count Dracula (here following the Hungarian spelling Drakula), and she has trouble determining if the visions were real or if they were merely nightmares.

Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee: The Making of a Cultural Icon
The 1931 film version ‘Dracula’ was based on the 1927 stage play dramatized (this time with the Stoker estate's endorsement) by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. It starred Bela Lugosi up against Edward Van Sloan, both of whom had originated their respective roles on the stage in the aforementioned play, and was directed by Tod Browning. It is one of the most famous versions of the story and is commonly considered a horror classic. In 2000, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally

significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. The audience heard music only during the opening (the famous main theme from Swan Lake, which was also used at the beginning of other Universal horror productions) and closing credits, and during a brief sequence set at an opera. In 1999, Philip Glass was commissioned to compose a musical score to accompany the film. The current DVD release includes this soundtrack

At the same time as the 1931 Lugosi film, a Spanish language version was filmed for release in Mexico. It was filmed at night, using the same sets as the Tod Browning production with a different cast and crew, a common practice in the early days of sound films. George Melford was the director, and it starred Carlos Villarías as the Count, Eduardo Arozamena as Van Helsing and Lupita Tovar as Eva. Because of America's movie industry’s censorship policies, Melford's Dracula contains scenes that could not be included in the final cut of the more familiar English version.

1958, Hammer Films produced Dracula, a newer, more Gothic version of the story, starring Christopher Lee as Dracula and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. It is widely considered to be one of the best versions of the story on film, and was named the 30th greatest British film of all time in Total Film’s 2004 feature. Although it takes many liberties with the novel's plot, the creepy atmosphere and charismatic performances of Lee and Cushing make it memorable. It was released in the United States as Horror of Dracula to avoid confusion with the earlier Lugosi version. This was followed by a long series of Dracula films, usually featuring Lee as Dracula.

The 1990s: Bringing The Beast Back to the Mainstream
In 1992, Francis Ford Coppola produced and directed Bram Stoker's Dracula starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Anthony Hopkins. Coppola's story includes a backstory telling how Dracula (who is the historical Vlad Ţepeş in this version) became a vampire, as well as a subplot not in

Stoker's original novel in which Mina Harker was revealed to be the reincarnation of Dracula's greatest love. Dracula serves as a tragic hero instead of being a villain.

Interview with the Vampire is a 1994 American drama horror film directed by Neil Jordan (who is bringing us Byzantium at the end of the month). Based on the 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, the film focuses on Lestat and Louis, beginning with Louis' transformation into a vampire by Lestat in 1791. The film chronicles their time together, and their turning of a twelve-year-old girl, Claudia, into a vampire. The narrative is framed by a present day interview, in which Louis tells his story to a San Francisco reporter.

The film stars Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst, with Antonio Banderas and Stephen Rea co-starring. The film was released in November 1994 to positive critical acclaim, and received Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Original Score. Kirsten Dunst was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.

The late ‘90s brought us Wesley Snipes in the ‘Blade’ trilogy. The Marvel take on the vampire myth featured Snipes as the titular Blade – and chronicles his emergance as a vampire hunter, out to destroy the lives of the vampires who killed his mother. As the films progress, the traditonal gothic architecture of vampire films gives way to neon-lit hyper-stylised future underworld, where vampires are having their own battles between pure-bloods and vampires who used to be human. The box office treated the films more kindly than the critics, and they three films have so far made over $415million. Blade paved the way for the juxtoposition of the vampire myth and unfamiliar surroundings.

Turn of the Century: New Takes on the Genre
The 21st century has brought with more diverse and popular vampire films – popular both critically and commercially. Russian production Night Watch kicked off a series of films that portrayed a secret society of

protectors who have throughout history guarded humanity from the darkness. It’s vampires hunting vampires in this complex tale – and some of the greatest set-piece stunts ever dreamed up for the big screen.

Possibly as far as you can get from the insanity of Night Watch while remaining firmly in the vampire genre, Let The Right One In was one of the most highly acclaimed films to come out of Scandinavia in 2008. John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel was faithfully adapted for the screen by the author himself, and sensitively directed by Tomas Alfredson. The vampire in this snowy film is the young girl Eli, who struggles to balance her vampiric affliction with a regular life, and her burgeoning relationship with fellow outsider Oskar. The film brought a new and strangely human angle to the vampire story, captivated audiences, and spawned a US remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz.

Perhaps the most popular (although whether this popularity is informed by vampirism or just the lead actors is debatable) vampire film series of all time is Twilight. Based on Stephenie Meyer’s four Edward Cullen novels, the series spans five films that have sent fans crazy since 2008, and has grossed over $2billion. Seen by some as a dumbing-down of many generes from horror and drama to action and romance, Twilight borrows from the mythology of vampires and werewolves to frame a teenage love-triangle (where one is a wolf, and the other is several hundred years old – and dead). These are just three of the more diverse vampire films already released over the last few years – honourable mentions go to Korean vamp-flick Thirst and the clever vampire-friendly premise of 30 Days of Night.

Byzantium: A Fresh Approach
Next up on the vampire slate is Neil Jordan’s Byzantium. Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan. The ladies play a mother and daughter pair surviving in a rundown seaside town – Mother Clara (Arterton) poses as a

prostitute and feasts on some of the clientele. Clara relishes her vampirism, played down from the often exaggerated supernatural aspects of more traditional and tired vampire films. These vampires lack the fangs and supernatural powers that have become a trademark of the genre – the only giveaway to their true identities is a sharp thumbnail that reacts to arousal – at the sight of blood or otherwise. Jordan is no stranger to vampires, having directed the acclaimed Interview With The Vampire, but his new film places the blood-thirsty beings firmly in our reality. They could be anyone of us.

Byzantium promises to delve into an exploration of not just modern vampires, but the challenges of being a vampire for the two leading ladies. Saorise’s Eleanor struggles with the life as many young women would, all the while keeping her dark secret locked within. This is vampirism rethought for the second decade of the 21st century – It’s dark, sexy, emotionally authentic, and real – Twilight it is not.

Byzantium hits UK cinemas on May 31st.

Edinburgh International Film Festival Reveals 2013 Line Up

This June all cinematic eyes will be on Scotland's capital as the longest running international film festival announces it's 2013 line up.

Now in it's 67th year, Edinburgh International Film Festival  which will run from 19th until 30th June, will showcase 146 features from 53 countries, including 14 World premieres, 6 international premieres and 10 European premieres.

Drake Doremus Breathe In starring Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones has the honours of  been the opening gala with the world premiere of John McKay's Scottish romantic comedy Not Another Happy Ending starring Doctor Who's Amy Pond, Kate Dickie (Prometheus), Ian De Caestecker (Agents Of S.h.i.e.l.d) and Stanley Webber (The Borgias) Closing the grand old festival.

2013 line up does seem to be leaning more towards independent, arthouse and World Cinema market compared to previous years, which compared to this years  impressive Glasgow Film Festival line up. Risky move we'll soon find out however don't criticise what they have in offer as it's of high standard.

The highlights of this years festival include a chance to Emma Watson  a theme obsessed teen who steals from the rich in Sofia Coppola's  The Bling Ring (UK premiere).Arthouse film fans will get a chance to see Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha as it makes it UK premiere,Zal Batmanglij's Sundance hit The East starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard and Ellen Page as a anarcho terrorist leader will make its UK This Is Martin Bonner, Upstream Color and What Maisie Knows other highlights.
premier.

Horror fans will be keen to see James Wan's eagerly anticpated The Conjuring will make its UK premiere based on true life paranormal husband and wife team Ed and Lorraine Wilson (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) face the most challenging and dangerous case of their careers. If we go by Wan's last film Insidious we can expect a night of scares!The master of J-Horror Hideo Nataka (Ring) return to the genre he help create with The Complex.

Sweden and Korea will be the countries on focus a chance to discover some possible gems. most notable are The Berlin File a state of art of  conspiracry thriller from one of Korea's leading thriller directors Ryoo Seung-won. If you admired the visual style of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy you will enjoy Wallander  Mikael Marcimain's Call Girl an explosive story into the 1970's underage prostitution ring amongst Sweden's elite. Stoker/oldboy director Park chan-wook will be one of the judging panel members for the festival.

Below is the official press release the good people at Edinburgh film festival have sent us, before you read on check out the festivals promo reel which shows off some of the highlights festival goers can expect. The People's Movies /Cinehouse Edinburgh based writers Andrew, Scott and Sophie will be attending the festival possibly myself too we will bring the coverage from the festival as well as our views on everything.

Check out the official press release.

Edinburgh – 29 May, 2013 – Artistic Director Chris Fujiwara announced this morning at Filmhouse in Edinburgh details of the programme for the 67th edition of Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). This year the Festival, which runs from 19-30 June, will showcase 146 features from 53 countries, including 14 World premieres, 6 international premieres and 10 European premieres.

The Festival boasts 125 new features, with highlights including FOR THOSE IN PERIL, the debut feature by Paul Wright, a contender for the Michael Powell Award, starring newcomer George MacKay and Kate Dickie. Alex Gibney’s controversial WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS screens within Directors’ Showcase. Noah Baumbach brings FRANCES HA to the Festival with co-writer and star Greta Gerwig, as part of the American Dreams strand which also includes Sofia Coppola’s depiction of fame-obsessed teens, THE BLING RING. Special Screenings include FIRE IN THE NIGHT, which receives its World premiere ahead of the 6 July anniversary of the Piper Alpha North Sea oil rig disaster of 1988. JURASSIC PARK 3D and the 1950 landmark Scottish film THE GORBALS STORY are two of the 21 classic titles in the Festival.

EIFF Artistic Director Chris Fujiwara said: “I’m very proud that in my second year at the Festival we’ve again put together a programme that reflects our festival’s commitment to international cinema, while giving our audiences opportunities to discover a broad range of outstanding work from British filmmakers. This year we take the Festival in a number of new directions. In our new “American Dreams” strand we bring the highlights from an exceptionally good year for American independent cinema. In our Focuses on Korea and Sweden, we recognise films that represent the artistic vitality and social commitment of two strong filmmaking nations. Our “New Realities” strand reaffirms our Festival’s continuing support for documentary filmmaking. And “Not Another Teen Movie” is a new section programmed by 15-19-year-olds for their peers. Altogether, our programme is filled with films that I’m sure our audiences will find exciting and inspiring.”

British films competing for the Michael Powell Award include 7 World premieres and 6 feature debuts. Among the Michael Powell Award contenders are the captivating Scottish tale of belonging and loss BLACKBIRD by Jamie Chambers; the black comedy EVERYONE’S GOING TO DIE by the two-person collective ‘Jones’; Paul Wright’s FOR THOSE IN PERIL; DUMMY JIM by Matt Hulse; MISTER JOHN by Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy; and John Hardwick’s SVENGALI, expanded from a YouTube series. A LONG WAY FROM HOME by Virginia Gilbert stars Natalie Dormer, who serves on the International Feature Film Competition jury; while THE SEA by Stephen Brown stars Ciarán Hinds and Charlotte Rampling. A documentary feature competing is LEVIATHAN by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel. Completing the selection are UWANTME2KILLHIM? by Andrew Douglas, based on true events, WE ARE THE FREAKS by Justin Edgar, in which misfit teens go on an all-nighter, and NOT ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING, the Festival’s Closing Gala film, directed by John McKay. The Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film will be awarded from films within the Michael Powell selection.

The International Feature Film Competition includes a selection of live-action narrative films, animated films and documentaries, highlighting filmmaking from around the world that is imaginative, innovative and deserving of wider recognition. The selection introduces debuts from Mahdi Fleifel with A WORLD NOT OURS, a portrait of family life in a Palestinian refugee camp; Iraqi-Kurdistan-born director Hisham Zaman with BEFORE SNOWFALL a coming-of-age odyssey from East to West; and Argentine director Leonardo Brzezicki, who paints an erotic psychological landscape with sound in NOCHE. The European premiere of JOY by Greek documentary filmmaker Elias Giannakakis competes along with titles such as Alexey Fedorchenko’s CELESTIAL WIVES OF THE MEADOW MARI which focuses on the rites and customs of a Russian ethnic group; a dreamlike allegory set in Tehran, FAT SHAKER by Mohammad Shirvani; and I.D. by writer-director Kamal K.M. based on a real incident in Mumbai. JUVENILE OFFENDER, a gritty story of family neglect in Korea by Kang Yi-kwan, and OF SNAILS AND MEN, a Romanian post-Communist era social satire by Tudor Giurgiu, round out the International Feature Film Competition.

There are a number of Special Screenings across the Festival, including the World premiere of THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES from co-directors James Erskine and Zara Hayes about the historic 1973 tennis match between Wimbledon winner Billie Jean King and retired champion and self-proclaimed chauvinist Bobby Riggs; and, receiving its European premiere, HAWKING, for which filmmaker Stephen Finnigan was given unprecedented access to the world’s most famous living physicist, Stephen Hawking. I AM BREATHING tells the true story of Neil Platt following his diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease just months after the birth of his son; the film screens in the Festival ahead of MND Global Awareness Day on Friday 21 June. There will also be a chance to see on the big screen the first two episodes of BBC Two’s crime drama PEAKY BLINDERS, set in the lawless streets of post-war Birmingham on the cusp of the 1920s, starring Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory and Sam Neill.

The American Dreams strand includes the European premiere of Scott McGehee’s WHAT MAISIE KNEW, a modern story based on the Henry James novel; Sebastian Silva’s MAGIC MAGIC, which reveals a star turn by Juno Temple; and THE EAST, which stars Brit Marling, who co-wrote with director Zal Batmanglij. International premieres include Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s C.O.G., adapted from humourist David Sedaris’s autobiographical essay; the sci-fi thriller UPSTREAM COLOUR by writer-director and actor Shane Carruth; and THIS IS MARTIN BONNER from Chad Hartigan, in which an unlikely friendship blossoms.

EIFF is privileged to welcome to Edinburgh one of the world’s greatest animators, Richard Williams, to celebrate his work with a retrospective, RICHARD WILLIAMS: 80 ANIMATED YEARS. This screening is in partnership with Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival and charts the development of Williams’s animated career. Williams will also present the coveted McLaren Award, which provides a focus for new British short animation. This year marks a new partnership with the British Council, which will see films selected from the McLaren Award competition for an international touring programme representing the best contemporary British animation. The Festival hosts a further Special Screening of short animations in tribute to Scott Ward, the award-winning cinematographer who died earlier this year. Scott had worked as animation programmer for EIFF for ten years.

The Directors’ Showcase presents work from established auteur directors and emerging talents with 23 films from 17 countries. The selection includes 6 documentaries including Thomas Riedelsheimer’s BREATHING EARTH SUSUMU SHINGU'S DREAM, following artist Susumu Shingu; and actor and director Sarah Polley's intimate family portrait STORIES WE TELL. Narrative films cover a variety of genres and include high-speed Hong-Kong cop film MOTORWAY directed by Pou-Soi Cheang and produced by action auteur Johnnie To, while Dibakar Banerjee takes Bollywood in a new direction with political thriller SHANGHAI. Intimate human dramas are represented with Bruno Barreto’s REACHING FOR THE MOON, about the love affair between American poet Elizabeth Bishop and Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares; Mania Akbari’s FROM TEHRAN TO LONDON, a poetic exploration of the roles of women, during the filming of which Akbari fled to the UK; and THE DEEP, Baltasar Kormákur’s breathtaking drama about an Icelandic fisherman who reluctantly became a national hero.

The World Perspectives strand presents 25 films from 18 countries, offering a spectrum of work from emerging directors. BIG BOY, from the Philippines, was shot on Super 8 by Shireen Seno; DAYS OF GRACE is a breathless triple-kidnapping thriller from Mexican director Everardo Valerio Gout; DIE WELT, set after the 2011 Tunisian revolution, is the feature debut from Dutch director Alex Pitstra; from Li Lou, EMPEROR VISITS THE HELL is a political satire inspired by a Ming Dynasty literary classic; and EVERYBODY’S GONE is an outstanding debut by Georgiy Paradjanov, nephew of legendary master director Sergei Paradzhanov.

With New Realities, EIFF features some of the most interesting documentary filmmakers working today, including Thomas Heise, who observes the routines of a crematorium in CONSEQUENCE; PJ Raval, who reveals the lives and loves of three gay seniors in BEFORE YOU KNOW IT; and first-time director Khaled Jarrar, who follows fellow Palestinians’ attempts to cross the wall separating them from Israel in INFILTRATORS. The enigmatic Scottish maker of salmon flies Megan Boyd is the subject of Eric Steel’s KISS THE WATER; and with LUNARCY! Simon Ennis takes an affectionate look at a group of individuals obsessed with the moon. The strand also hosts the World premiere of DESERT RUNNERS by Jennifer Steinman, an intimate film about competitors in RacingThePlanet’s 4Desert Ultra-marathons, and the European premiere of Jeanie Finlay’s THE GREAT HIP HOP HOAX, the stranger than fiction story of Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain, aka ‘Silibil 'n' Brains’.

Filmmakers and filmmaking is the subject of the Film on Film strand which includes: NATAN, David Cairns and Paul Duane’s moving account of Bernard Natan, a forgotten giant of French cinema; A STORY OF CHILDREN AND FILM by Mark Cousins; and Graham Eatough’s THE MAKING OF US, commissioned by the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art.

The late-night Night Moves strand hosts the World premiere of OUTPOST 3: RISE OF THE SPETSNAZ, with producer Kieran Parker turning director for the third instalment of the popular Nazi zombie saga; and the European premiere of SHOOTING BIGFOOT, in which British filmmaker Morgan Matthews travels to America and forms uneasy alliances with several Bigfoot trackers. Concept artist Richard Raaphorst directs his first horror flick, FRANKENSTEIN’S ARMY, a Nazi v Communist ‘found footage’ horror; while PARIS COUNTDOWN, a high-octane thriller, is director Edgar Marie's debut feature; and the master of Japanese horror Hideo Nakata brings us THE COMPLEX.

EIFF will this year screen 172 short films from 38 countries across 22 programmes. In addition to animated shorts the Festival continues to showcase new work by Scottish, UK and international filmmakers, including DAY TRIP by Park Chan-wook and his brother, Park Chan-kyong. The experimental Black Box strand presents a series of shorts programmes from innovators in the visual art world as well as the World premiere of documentary poem and travelogue ‘10’ from photographer filmmaker Telemach Wiesinger. The Festival enters new territory this year with BLACK BOX LIVE, a presentation of multi-projector expanded cinema artworks performed live by experimental practitioners Nominoë, Sami van Ingen, and Screen Banditas.

The first of the retrospectives previously announced will celebrate the work of French director Jean Grémillon with a programme of features and short films in partnership with the BFI, while the second, presented as part of a wider programme running at Filmhouse, recognises the Hollywood director Richard Fleischer.

As previously announced, this year’s two country Focuses showcase work from Korea and Sweden not previously seen in the UK. The Focus on Korea includes films ranging from the commercial mainstream to independent cinema that show the diversity and vitality of Korean film today. The Focus on Sweden includes feature films from contemporary mainstream and experimental filmmakers, a film by an old master from the silent era, and a selection of shorts.

A new initiative this year has seen a group of 15-19-year-olds with a keen interest in film select films under the mentorship of the Festival. Entitled ‘Not Another Teen Movie’, their new strand includes include quarter-life crisis comedy OLD STOCK by Canadian director James Genn; 7 BOXES, a thrilling chase movie set in the markets of Paraguayan capital Asunción, from co-directors Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schémbori; STRUCK BY LIGHTNING, starring Chris Colfer and Rebel Wilson; Danish coming-of-age drama YOU & ME FOREVER and a collection of short films.

As previously announced, the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival opens with the European premiere of Drake Doremus’s BREATHE IN with Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce and the Closing Gala is the World premiere of the Scottish romantic comedy NOT ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING, starring Karen Gillan and Stanley Weber. Disney•Pixar’s MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is this year’s Family Gala, screening at Festival Theatre Edinburgh in 3D.

World Premieres

· "10"
· THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES
· BLACKBIRD
· DESERT RUNNERS
· FIRE IN THE NIGHT
· A FLONG WAY FROM HOME
· THE MAKING OF US
· MISTER JOHN
· NOT ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING
· OUTPOST 3: RISE OF THE SPETSNAZ
· THE SEA
· SVENGALI
· UWANTME2KILLHIM?
· WE ARE THE FREAKS

International Premieres

· BEFORE YOU KNOW IT
· C.O.G.
· EVERYONE'S GOING TO DIE
· SANCTUARY (Faro)
· THIS IS MARTIN BONNER
· TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT (Drogówka)

European Premieres

· BREATHE IN
· THE GREAT HIP HOP HOAX
· HAWKING
· INFILTRATORS (Mutasalilun)
· JOY (Hara)
· KISS THE WATER
· LILOU'S ADVENTURE (Lilou No Bouken)
· THE OBSCURED HISTORIES AND SILENT LONGINGS OF DAGULUAN'S CHILDREN
· SHOOTING BIGFOOT
· WHAT MAISIE KNEW


Book Your Tickets or more information including a PDF version of the Edinburgh Film Festival 2013 brochure head over to the festivals official website. 

Oscar Nominated Russian Film Burnt By The Sun 2 Coming to UK This July

Following the hugely successful Academy Award winning Burnt By The Sun comes its sequel Burnt By The Sun 2, the epic action-packed Russian drama which follows the Nazi invasion of Russia, set in the Eastern Front of World War II, which makes its DVD debut courtesy of Arrow Films.

Directed and starring the renowned Oscar winning filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov, who plays a purged red army general Sergei Kotov who escapes death after German bombers blow up his gulag and is soon left defending the motherland from fascist tanks.

Burnt By The Sun 2 had one of the largest production budgets ever seen in Russian cinema and includes the remarkable Citadel, which was the official Russian Oscar entry of 2011 and Exodus. It comes to DVD on the 8th July 2013 courtesy of Arrow Films.

Exodus Set in 1941 Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin is terrorizing the people of Russia while the Nazis are advancing. Russian officer Kotov, who miraculously survived the death sentence in Stalin's Purge, is now fighting on the front lines. His daughter, Nadia, who survived a rape attempt by Nazi soldiers, is now a nurse risking her own life to save others. In the war-torn nation even former enemies are fighting together to defend their land.



Citadel Divisional Commander Kotov returns home during World War II after having been cruelly betrayed, narrowly escaping execution for treason and all but reduced to dust in a prison camp. Discovering that everything has changed and that he will have to fight again for his name and his honour, Kotov once again bears arms and struggles forth.

Pre-Order/Buy: Burnt By The Sun 2: Exodus & Citadel On DVD