Gangster Wong Po (Sammo Hung) battles Detective Ma Kwun (Donnie Yen) in KILL ZONE, coming to this month to Blu-ray and DVD in Britain.
Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 2005 ABBA Movies Company Limited, Stage Empire Ltd

Hong Kong Legends Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung Face Off in Martial Arts Hit
Source: The Associates press release
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

Cover art for the KILL ZONE two-disc Ultimate Edition
DVD. Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 2005 ABBA
Movies Company Limited, Stage Empire Ltd

Winner of the Best Action Choreography Award at the 2006 Hong Kong Film Awards and hailed by Variety as “a must see” for martial arts and action movie fans, the action-thriller KILL ZONE (aka SPL: Sha Po Lang, 2005) comes to Blu-ray and DVD (as a two-disc Ultimate Edition) in March packed with special features that include behind the scenes featurettes, plus exclusive interviews with the stars and filmmakers.

Directed by Wilson Yip and featuring the work of many of the creative talents who helped him in bringing IP MAN, FLASHPOINT and DRAGON TIGER GATE to the screen, KILL ZONE stars Donnie Yen (IP MAN; AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS), Simon Yam (IP MAN; TRIANGLE), Sammo Hung (THREE KINGDOMS; KUNG FU HUSTLE; THE MEDALLION) and Jacky Wu (INVISIBLE TARGET; FATAL CONTACT) and combines hard-hitting martial arts action with gritty police thriller conventions.

Climaxing in a long-awaited, extended screen showdown between martial arts legends Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen and featuring a breathtaking mano-a-mano face-off between Yen and Jacky Wu, KILL ZONE is an electrifying and suspenseful thriller guaranteed to keep action fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

KILL ZONE (cert. 18) will be released on DVD (£17.99) and Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on 8th March 2010.
Continued…

DVD and Blu-ray cover art for Hayao Miyazaki’s PONYO, now available in North America. Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
© 2008 Nibariki – GNDHDDT. © Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Source: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Inc.
Official Movie Site: disneypictures/ponyo
Special Thanks to Jackie Cavanagh

Today, March 2, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment releases several titles from legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki’s latest, PONYO, will be available in both Blu-ray and DVD, while the classics CASTLE IN THE SKY, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE, and MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO are returning as Special Edition DVDs with brand new extra features.

WDSHE has provided the trailer and a number of video clips from PONYO. For additional information, DVD and Blu-ray specs, and images please see the previous report here on SciFi Japan.
Continued…

Source: Capcom Co., Ltd., The Associates press releases
Official Site: tatsunoko.vscapcom.com
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

Logo for the new Wii game TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS. Photo
courtesy of The Associates. © 2010 Capcom Co., Ltd., partially licensed by
Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd.

TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS

Release Date: Jan. 29, 2010 (US), Jan. 29, 2010 (UK)
Genre: VS. Fighting
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: T (US), PEGI 12+/USK 12/OFLC PG/BBFC 12 (UK)
Producer: Ryota Niitsuma

TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM: ULTIMATE ALL-STARS pairs well-known characters from Capcom’s roster of games with some of Japan’s most-beloved characters from anime powerhouse Tatsunoko Production. From Capcom’s 30-year history come characters like Ryu and Chun-Li from the STREET FIGHTER series, Morrigan from DARKSTALKERS and Mega Man Volnutt from MEGA MAN LEGENDS. Tatsunoko’s near half-century of Japanese animation excellence is represented by the likes of Ken the Eagle and Jun the Swan from the SCIENCE NINJA TEAM GATCHAMAN anime (known in Europe and North America as BATTLE OF THE PLANETS or G-FORCE), cybernetic warrior Casshan and comedic action hero Yatterman No. 1. All together, there are more than 20 colorful combatants to choose from in order to form the ultimate tag team combination.
Continued…

SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO, Part 12
Author: Tim Eldred, Starblazers.com and Greasemonkeybook.com

Posters for the new film YAMATO REBIRTH. ©2009 Yamato Studio.

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

If you give an older anime fan a chance to wax poetic, you’ll hear wistful stories of what it was like before the internet came along. Don’t get me wrong, the internet is a perfect tool to follow the hobby and it delivers exponentially more than we could get in the “old days.” But at the same time, the internet makes it too easy. It requires less of you. When your only search engine was your own brain and email had to be hand-delivered on paper, the demands of being an anime fan were intensely challenging.

All my fondest memories of that time resulted from rising to that challenge, and when I learned that SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: REBIRTH CHAPTER would open in Japanese movie theatres on December 12, 2009, the challenge had been issued anew. YAMATO was what got me into anime in the first place. Seeking it out in all its forms has been a steady preoccupation for me since 1980. I could’ve continued to do that online and waited a few months for a DVD, but that just seemed wrong. Here, at last, was a chance to see it the way it was meant to be seen, on a big screen with big sound and surrounded by a big merchandising campaign. Going to Japan to see that in person was a new opportunity not just to relive the challenges of yesteryear but also to experience them in real time as Japanese fans did. I knew I’d regret it if I let the opportunity pass. And now I regret nothing.
Continued…

Official Press Notes For The New Ultraman Movie + 4 New TV Spots
Source: Warner Bros. Japan
Translation: Jim M. Ballard
Official Movie Site: Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy

43 years from it’s creation, Ultraman has consistently remained a beloved character for three generations. This staple series is now reborn with the aim at an all new stage. After Tsuburaya Productions joined TYO Group, Japan’s leading film relations enterprise, their first new theatrical film MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY combines the top staff of the film world from Hollywood and Japan. Abolishing the miniature SFX used until now, all the SFX cuts are presented with digital composites of CG and live action characters, with the images of the Ultraman home world the “Land of Light” and other worlds at the end of the universe being fully realized. And with the images of this world and the speedy activity of the Ultra heroes who move around freely within it having been totally reformed, it’s not wrong for the generations who have witnessed the former ULTRA series to be amazed at this evolution.
Continued…

Director Shusuke Kaneko is in Korea for the 2009 Megabox Japanese Film Festival, which will screen all three 1990s Gamera films.
Photo courtesy of Megabox. GAMERA 3: AWAKENING OF IRYS © 1999 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

Heisei Trilogy will be screened at Japanese Film Festival in Korea
Author: Kim Song-ho
Official Site: The 6th Megabox Japanese Film Festival

Poster art for the 6th Megabox Japanese Film Festival.
Photo courtesy of Megabox. © 2009 Megabox

The Heisei Gamera trilogy — GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (Gamera: Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen, 1995), GAMERA 2: ADVENT OF LEGION (Gamera 2: Region Shurai, aka GAMERA: ATTACK OF LEGION, 1996) and GAMERA 3: AWAKENING OF IRYS (Gamera 3: Iris Kakusei, aka GAMERA: REVENGE OF IRIS, 1999) — will be screened in Korea at the 6th Megabox Japanese Film Festival, running November 11 to 15 (Korean date). Shusuke Kaneko, director of the Gamera trilogy, is visiting Korea for the festival and will meet the audience in person for most of the showings.

Megabox Japanese Film Festival (J-MEFF) is a collaboration between Megabox Cineplex, a large cinema chain in Korea, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan. Since the premiere festival in 2004, J-MEFF is held in November. Each year it introduces both new and classic Japanese films to Korean audiences and is now one of the most well-known Japan-related film festivals among Korean film buffs.

Kim Song-ho previews what attendees can expect to see at this year’s Megabox Japanese Film Festival, and looks back at the history of Gamera in South Korea.
Continued…

College student Kenta Sato (Kenta Kiritani, right) has some questions about the new girl (Haruka Ayase) living with his friend Jiro Kitamura (Keisuke Koide)
in CYBORG SHE, a science fiction romance from the director of MY SASSY GIRL. © 2008 Cyborg She Film Partners.

Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Movie Site: cyborg.gaga.ne.jp (Japan)

Japanese poster art for CYBORG SHE. © 2008 Cyborg She Film
Partners.

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details and images from a new movie.

Every now and then, a movie comes along and takes you by surprise. Sometimes it flies under the radar and you never hear of it, sometimes it looks unremarkable and you pay it no mind, or perhaps you just think ‘you gotta be kidding, I’m not going to bother.’ In the case of CYBORG SHE (Boku no Kanojo wa Saibogu), the 2008 romantic sci-fi comedy film from Korean director Kwak Jae-Young (MY SASSY GIRL), it was a little bit of all of these.

Towards the end of a long flight back from Japan, I turned to the in-flight entertainment system to pass the time. I saw a listing for this film, in Japanese with English subtitles. I’d never heard of it, the title sounded odd, the two sentence summary didn’t sound very promising. Japanese comedies are very much hit and miss for me, but boredom got the better of me and I decided to take a chance.
Continued…

Civilians flee as the tsunami hits Busan’s Gwangan Grand Bridge. Photo courtesy of CJ Entertainment. © 2009 JK Film / CJ Entertainment

Korean Government and Movie Industry Deal with Film Piracy
Author: Kim Song-ho
Source: Various Korean news sites and official press releases
Official Movie Site: HAEUNDAE

HAEUNDAE, the first full-scale disaster movie of Korea, opened on July 22 at 546 screens across the country and became an instant blockbuster. Currently, the largest-grossing Korean movie of all time is Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 monster movie THE HOST (Gwoemul) which attracted 13.01 million admissions. HAEUNDAE swept away 5 million admissions after just 13 days of release and crossed the 10 million mark after one month. As of October 22, HAEUNDAE is still in release and has accumulated admissions of 11.39 million. That puts the movie at first place in the 2009 Korean box office and fourth place on the domestic all-time list.

On August 29, as the movie was swallowing up the Korean cinemas like a tsunami itself, Korean news sites reported that a high-quality, full-length HAEUNDAE movie file had been leaked online. It was a big shock to everyone involved with the movie. The production company JK Film and distributor/co-investor CJ Entertainment stated that both companies would seek out the persons or organization that initially circulated the file and demand the authorities pursue all necessary legal action.
Continued…

Source: 4Digital Media, The Associates press releases
Official Movie Site: cyborg.gaga.ne.jp (Japan)
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

UK DVD cover art for CYBORG SHE. Photo courtesy of
The Associates. © 2008 Cyborg She Film Partners.

Have you ever imagined what THE TERMINATOR would have been like had it been a romantic comedy in the vein of SERENDIPITY? Well, now you don’t have to because that’s pretty much what writer-director Kwak Jae-young (director of the smash hit Korean comedy, MY SASSY GIRL) delivers with CYBORG SHE (Boku no Kanojo wa Saibogu, 2008), a touching and lighthearted sci-fi love story about a lonely young man and his female cyborg from the future.

Jiro Kitamura (Keisuke Koide) is a teenage student living in Tokyo who each year celebrates his birthday alone, buying himself a gift and dining on the same meal at the same restaurant. Shopping in a department store on the evening of his 20th birthday, Jiro witnesses an attractive young girl (Haruka Ayase) trying on a new outfit and leaving the store without paying. Later, as he sits down for dinner, the mysterious girl shows up at the restaurant and announces that it’s her birthday too. They spend the rest of the evening together, but at the end of what proves to be Jiro’s best birthday ever the girl disappears.

Exactly one year later, the girl reappears and joins Jiro for his annual birthday meal. When a crazed customer unleashes a torrent of gunfire on the restaurant, it is only the actions of his pretty companion that save Jiro from the hail of bullets. His savior then reveals the shocking truth about her existence— she is, in fact, a cyborg built by Jiro’s elderly future self and sent back to the present to prevent him from being crippled by the gunman.
Continued…

Live Action Movie Based on Hit Anime Streets October 20
Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Official Movie Site: Blood The Last Vampire

DVD cover art for BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE.
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Ent. © 2009
East Wing Holdings Corp. and SAJ.

From a producer of HERO and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON comes BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE, based on the cult hit anime. Demons have infested Earth, and only one warrior stands between the dark and the light: Saya, a half-human, half-vampire samurai who preys on those who feast on human blood. Joining forces with the shadowy society known as the Council, Saya is dispatched to an American military base, where an intense series of swordfights leads her to the deadliest vampire of all.

Now after 400 years, Saya’s greatest hunt is about to begin. She’s here… and there will be blood.

Following a US theatrical run this past summer from Samuel Goldwyn Films, director Chris Nahon’s (KISS OF THE DRAGON) martial arts horror thriller BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE will be released on DVD and Blu-ray this month by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Continued…

Premieres October 14 from IFC Films
Source: IFC Entertainment, Mirovision Inc.
Official Movie Site: ifcfilms.com/deathbell (US)

The South Korean horror hit DEATH BELL (Gosa: Piui Junggangosa, 2008) will makes its US debut on October 14 via IFC Films’ On Demand service.

On a Saturday, 170 days before college entrance exams, a special class for 20 top students is held at school. But in the middle of class, “For Elise” rings from the speaker and the TV in classroom shows the top student Hye-young trapped in the water rising tank, screaming and struggling to breathe. And an unidentified voice asks the answer to a mid-term exam question that will cost Hye-young’s life. Nowhere to run, and only 20 students and 3 teachers are in school. The bloody exams start once again for them…
Continued…

Gene Roddenberry’s TV movies GENESIS II and PLANET EARTH have been released on DVD for the first time. Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.
GENESIS II © 1973/Renewed 2001. PLANET EARTH © 1974/Renewed © 2002. Package Designs © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Source: Warner Archive Collection
Special Thanks to Gabriel Vicuna

Two 1970’s TV pilots from STAR TREK creator Gene Roddenberry — GENESIS II and the follow-up PLANET EARTH— arrive on DVD for the first time ever on October 6, exclusively from the Warner Archive Collection.
Continued…

Watch the Conclusion to INUYASHA Online for FREE
Source: VIZ Media press release
Official Site: ShonenSunday.com
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq

Beginning this weekend, brand-new subtitled episodes INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT (InuYasha Kanketsu-hen) will stream on ShonenSunday.com/anime and Hulu.com mere hours after it airs in Japan. A new episode will air every Saturday thereafter.
Continued…

Source: The Associates press release
Official Site: ghostintheshellredux.co.uk
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

Cover art for Manga Entertainment’s UK DVD of GHOST IN
THE SHELL 2.0. Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 1995
/2008 Shirow Masamune/Kodansha · Bandai Visual · Manga
Entertainment

Manga Entertainment UK will release the 2008 anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL 2.0 (Kokaku Kidotai 2.0) to selected cinemas in England beginning October 2nd. The theatrical run will be followed by a 2 disc DVD set and Blu-ray release on October 26th.

In 1995, the animated cyberpunk action-thriller GHOST IN THE SHELL stunned moviegoers and anime fans alike by seamlessly merging traditional animation with the latest CG imagery to create an intelligent and artistic sci-fi spectacle unlike anything seen before. The film enjoyed both critical and popular acclaim at the international box office before going on to reach even greater success on DVD.

Now, director Mamoru Oshii (THE SKY CRAWLERS; AVALON) has revisited his classic masterpiece to create a newly enhanced “director’s cut” for cinemas in the form of GHOST IN THE SHELL 2.0. Containing over 90 altered and enhanced scenes and an all-new soundtrack that includes dialogue re-recorded by the original actors (with the exception of one new voice cast member who adds a unique spin to the plot), this new release represents the perfect opportunity for fans to see this mind-blowing film as originally intended.
Continued…

Korean Killer Wild Boar Movie Takes a Bite out of European and Asian Territories
Author: Kim Song-ho and Keith Aiken
Source: Finecut Co., Ltd., Ascot Elite Home Entertainment
Official Movie Site: CHAW
Special Thanks to Lim Ji-yoon

Cover art for the upcoming German Blu-ray disc of CHAW.
© 2009 Polygon Entertainment LLC/Soo Jack Films

On September 11, the South Korean international film sales company Finecut Co., Ltd. announced that their new monster movie CHAW had been picked up for release in the UK. Finecut had signed the agreement with British distributor Optimum Releasing during the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Finecut also held a private screening of CHAW at the event.

Released in Korea on July 15, CHAW is the tale of various oddball characters who have gathered to hunt down a giant, man-eating wild boar. The film mixes both horror and comedy, and was written and directed by Shin Jeong-won, a former music video producer and art director who had made a successful debut with his first feature TO CATCH A VIRGIN GHOST (Sisily 2km) in 2004. The movie recorded approximately 1.8 million admissions during its domestic theatrical run.

The UK deal marks the latest international sale for CHAW, which had already been picked up for release in Germany, Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Brunei, Austria, Vietnam, Indonesia, Switzerland, and Thailand.
Continued…

Babes, Bikinis, Blades, Guns and Zombies on Region 2 PAL Disc
Source: The Associates press release
Official Movie Site: Onechanbara: The Movie (Japan)
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

UK DVD art for CHANBARA BEAUTY. Photo courtesy of The
Associates. © 2008 “Onechanbara: The Movie” Production
Committee

A bikini clad babe in a cowboy hat, armed with a samurai sword slashing her way through hordes of zombies as she seeks revenge on her patricidal kid sister who’s now playing sidekick to an evil scientist… What’s not to like?

Based on the hit Japanese video game series THE ONECHANBARA, the directorial debut feature from cinematographer Yohei Fukuda (GROTESQUE), CHANBARA BEAUTY stars Eri Otoguro (VAMPIRE GIRL VS. FRANKENSTEIN GIRL; SHUTTER), Tomohiro Waki (INITIAL D – DRIFT RACER) and Taro Suwa (UZUMAKI; END CALL; THE MACHINE GIRL) in a pulse pounding action-horror extravaganza that entertainingly delivers the goods from the get-go.

It’s the near future and the majority of the world’s population has been transformed into flesh-eating zombies by a virus created by mad scientist, Dr. Sugita (Taro Suwa). Attempting the level the score of humans vs. zombies is Aya (Eri Otoguru), a beautiful samurai assassin with a minimalist dress code and a fondness for very sharp blades who is searching for her younger sister, Saki (Chise Nakamura), missing since she murdered her and Aya’s father.

CHANBARA BEAUTY (cert. 18) has been released on DVD (£17.99) in the UK by Manga Entertainment, and the British publicity firm The Associates has provided a press release, DVD cover art, stills, and video clips from the film. Please note: the video clips do include violence and some brief nudity.
Continued…

A mega-tsunami hits Busan City in the big budget Korean disaster movie HAEUNDAE. The film has topped the box office in its native country and is now
playing in AMC Theatres in America. Photo courtesy of CJ Entertainment. © 2009 JK Film / CJ Entertainment

Disaster Film Scores Big at the Korean Box Office… and is Now Playing in American Cinemas
Author: Kim Song-ho
Source: Official Korean press materials, JS Media & Entertainment, various
Official Movie Site: HAEUNDAE
Korean box office figures courtesy of the Korean Film Council
Special Thanks to Paul Shin

Key Korean theatrical poster art for HAEUNDAE. Photo
courtesy of CJ Entertainment. © 2009 JK Film / CJ
Entertainment

Located on the southeast tip of the Korean peninsula is the international city of Busan. A popular vacation spot on the East Sea coast, Busan City’s Haeundae Beach draws more than one million visitors every year.

Eventually, Kim gets a call about a deadly oncoming wave, but with only ten minutes to spare! While the vacationers and citizens of Busan are enjoying a peaceful, hot summer day, a mega-tsunami is headed straight for Haeundae at 500 miles per hour…

SciFi Japan’s Kim Song-ho presents a look at HAEUNDAE— the Korean box office smash that is now playing in select AMC Theatres in the United States— with a review, production info, photos, promotional art, and several videos including the theatrical trailer and behind the scenes featurettes.
Continued…

Japanese Theatrical Smash to be Released in Britain September 7th
Source: The Associates press release
Official Movie Site: Dororo (Japan)
Special Thanks to Louise Rivers

UK DVD art for DORORO. Photo courtesy of The
Associates. © 2007 “DORORO” Production Committee

Based on the enduring 1960s manga series by the legendary Osamu Tezuka (creator of ASTRO BOY) and its subsequent anime television series adaptation, DORORO finally gets a big-budget, big-screen treatment as a live-action feature starring Japanese singing and acting superstar Kou Shibasaki (MEMORIES OF MATSUKO; ONE MISSED CALL; BATTLE ROYALE; SINKING OF JAPAN) in the title role.

Directed by Akihiko Shiota (CANARY; HARMFUL INSECT), co-starring Satoshi Tsumabuki (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT), Eita (MEMORIES OF MATSUKO) and Anna Tsuchiya (SAKURAN; KAMIKAZE GIRLS), and featuring action choreography by Hong Kong action maestro Siu-Tung Ching (CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER; HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS; HERO), this epic, supernatural fantasy proved to be a major box office smash in Japan, topping the movie charts for an unprecedented six consecutive weeks.

DORORO (cert. 15) will be released on DVD (£15.99) by MVM Entertainment on 7th September 2009. Special Featues include: “Road To Dororo” featurette; deleted scenes; trailer gallery; stills gallery; Japanese Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1 audio options; optional English subtitles; scene selection.

The UK publicists The Associates have provided DVD cover art, stills, and video clips from the film… enjoy!
Continued…

Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Special Thanks to Kai Saari

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has provided a half dozen clips from their new DVD release ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION.

Click the link below to watch scenes from THE H-MAN, BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE, and MOTHRA.
Continued…

Cult Favorite Rankin/Bass-Tsuburaya Co-production Now Available
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Warner Archive Collection
Special Thanks to Gabriel Vicuna, Garo Setian, and James Ballard

Promotional art for the Rankin/Bass- Tsuburaya co-production
THE BERMUDA DEPTHS. © 1978 Rankin Bass Productions Inc.

What secret lurks 20,000 feet below the waves in the paranormal realm called The Bermuda Triangle? That’s the question a scientist (Burl Ives), his student (Carl Weathers) and a young man (Leigh McCloskey) haunted by nightmarish memories of his Bermuda childhood ask themselves. The answer involves a beauty (Connie Sellecca) who has sold her soul for eternal youth, and a giant sea turtle that leaves death in its wake. Eerie and hypnotic, THE BERMUDA DEPTHS was produced by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass, who meld their imaginative fantasy style with the live-action horror genre. -synopsis courtesy of Warner Bros.

The 1978 cult classic THE BERMUDA DEPTHS— one of three movies produced by the American studio Rankin/Bass in association with Tsuburaya Productions in Japan— is now available on DVD from the Warner Archive Collection.
Continued…

Source: Asian Film Festival of Dallas
Special Thanks to Mike Keller

Program cover for the 2009 Asian Film Festival of Dallas.
Photo courtesy of AFFD.

The Asian Film Festival of Dallas returns to Landmark’s Magnolia Theater from July 17-23, 2009.

This year’s festival will open with Dante Lam’s THE BEAST STALKER, which was nominated for five Hong Kong Film Awards. The closing film will be IP MAN, the acclaimed biography of Bruce Lee’s martial arts teacher.

In between will be a wide range of action, drama, animation, documentary, comedy, and fantasy movies from the United States, Japan, China, Vietnam, North Korea, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, India, and the Philippines. A partial list includes such titles as WRITTEN BY, K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES, HANSEL AND GRETEL, KABEI: OUR MOTHER, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, CAPE NO. 7, ICHI, TANDOORI LOVE, MUSHISHI, 4BIA, OLD PARTNER, 881, NEKO RAMEN TAISHO, SAMURAI AVENGER, and KIMJONGILIA.
Continued…

Reimagining of the Legendary Blind Swordsman ZATOICHI Opens in Britain on July 10
Source: The Associates, Manga Entertainment UK
Official Movie Site: ICHI (Japan), ICHI THE MOVIE (UK)
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

While searching for her long-lost mentor, the blind swordswoman Ichi (Haruka
Ayase) meets a young boy named Kotaro (Ryosuke Shima). Photo courtesy of
The Associates. © 2008 ICHI Film Partners

Director Fumihiko Sori’s 2008 movie ICHI, a gender-bending reimagining of the classic “Zatoichi” series of films and TV shows, will open at selected UK cinemas on 10th July, 2009.

The beautiful Ichi is a sole goze (blind woman singer) carrying only a shamisen (Japanese stringed instrument) and a walking stick, traveling on her own to find the blind swordsman who has brought her up and cared for her as a child. People try to take advantage of the fact that she is blind, but Ichi fights back with her unusual skill with swords, using the sword hidden inside her walking stick.

British distributor Manga Entertainment and publicist The Associates have provided a handful of clips from movie. Click the “Continued” link and enjoy!
Continued…

Samuel Goldwyn Films Releases Live Action Film Based on Hit Anime
Source: Samuel Goldwyn Films press notes
Official Movie Site: Blood The Last Vampire
Special Thanks to Teresa DiMartino, Jean McDowell, and Sharon Siegel

US poster art for BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE, the live
action adaptation of the hit anime film. Photo courtesy
of Samuel Goldwyn Films. © 2009 East Wing Holdings
Corp. and SAJ.

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details for a new movie.

Following theatrical releases in Japan, France, Hong Kong, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, Chris Nahon’s martial arts action thriller BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE will open this month in American cinemas. The film is a live action adaption of the award-winning anime of the same name from Production I.G. (GHOST IN THE SHELL, KILL BILL VOl. 1) and Aniplex. The new movie was created by an international partnership that includes East Wing Holdings Corp., Pathé, the Hong Kong-based EDKO Film, the French production company SAJ, and cooperation and support from Production I.G.

BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE will be released theatrically by Samuel Goldwyn Films in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle, Berkeley, Boston, Cambridge, Waltham, Washington DC, San Francisco, Honolulu, Aiea, San Diego, Dallas, Houston, Irvine, Seattle, Las Vegas, and New York on Friday, July 10th.

SciFi Japan presents an early look at BLOOD with press notes, photos, promotional art, the US trailer, and video clips courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Continued…

Movie Opens this Friday in Britain
Source: Pathé, The Associates
Official Movie Site: Blood The Last Vampire movie, Last Blood (Japan)
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

The Associates and distributor Pathé have provided video of the opening scene of the new movie BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE. Originally schedule for earlier this month, the UK theatrical release date for BLOOD is now set for this Friday, June 26th.

For more information, videos, and images from BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE, please see the previous coverage here on SciFi Japan:

• First Look at BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE UK Trailer
• New BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE UK Theatrical Poster

Manga Entertainment’s UK poster art for ICHI. Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 2008 ICHI Film Partners

Reimagining of the Legendary Blind Swordsman ZATOICHI Opens in Britain on July 10
Source: The Associates press release, Shochiku Co., Ltd.
Official Movie Site: ICHI (Japan), ICHI THE MOVIE (UK)
Special Thanks to Farhana Shaikh

From Fumihiko Sori, the director of VEXILLE and PING PONG, comes the period martial arts action saga ICHI, a bold, gender-bending reimagining of the classic “Zatoichi” series of films and TV shows. Originally created by novelist Kan Shimozawa, the eponymous hero— a blind masseur and master swordsman— has traditionally been a male character (previously played by stars such as Shintaro Katsu, Takeshi Kitano and, in BLIND FURY, by Rutger Hauer). In a refreshing break from tradition that adds an intriguing twist to the story, Sori’s ICHI stars actress Haruka Ayase (HERO) in the title role playing a young and beautiful blind musician who also happens to be an adept swordswoman.
Continued…

Upcoming German Audio Drama is a Homage to Classic Japanese Kaiju Movies
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Sven Pyczak, Ralf Lorenz, The Gualagon Team
Offical Webste: Gualagon — Frankensteins Schreckengigant
Additional Material: Godzilla-Germany
Special Thanks to Avery Guerra

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

An exclusive first look at the new GUALAGON advertising
art, which was done in the style of a 1960s era Japanese
movie poster. Photo courtesy of The Gualagon Team.
© 2008 Triumph Des Wahnsinns

In Germany, a group of fans who grew up watching the likes of Godzilla and Gamera at their local cinemas have decided to honor the glory days of Japanese monsters with their own kaiju production; a German language audio drama entitled GUALAGON- FRANKENSTEIN’S GIANT OF TERROR (Gualagon- Frankenstein’s Schreckengigant).

In promotional materials for GUALAGON, the production group (known collectively as “the Gualagon Team”) explained that their idea was based on “the most beautiful films from the golden era of Japanese monster movies… It was during that time that most of the people involved in the project were introduced to the Godzilla movies. Those flicks usually played on Saturday or Sunday afternoons at the local cinemas in the kids matinee; and it was back then that we were first exposed to THE WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS [known in Germany as Frankenstein - Zweikampf der Giganten/ FRANKENSTEIN: DUEL OF THE GIANTS], the main source of inspiration for GUALAGON.”

SciFi Japan goes behind the scenes of GUALAGON- FRANKENSTEIN’S GIANT OF TERROR with exclusive information, artwork, and photos, plus a look at the German theatrical releases of the classic Japanese monster movies that inspired this upcoming tribute.
Continued…

News on the Nation’s Largest Anime and Manga Convention
Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press releases
Official Site: anime-expo.org
Special Thanks to Chase Wang

Anime Expo 2009 will be the place to be for anime and manga lovers this fourth of July weekend. The nation’s largest anime/manga convention serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2009 will be held July 2 – July 5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are invited to view the video coverage site of the 2008 convention at AXBackstage.org and to register for the 2009 convention at anime-expo.org. In addition, the convention recently launched a Japanese language version of its newly re-designed fan-friendly site to be used as a welcome portal to Japanese industry, press, attendees and fans.
Continued…

Award-Winning Anime Goes on Sale May 26, 2009
Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Official Site (Japan): sky.crawlers.jp

From Mamoru Oshii, the world-acclaimed director of GHOST IN THE SHELL, comes an award-winning story of an exciting but endless war with heroes too young to understand the meaning of their battles. A group of eternally young fighter pilots known as Kildren experience the sudden loss of innocence as they battle the enemy in astonishing dogfights above the clouds. With his only childhood memory consisting of intense flight training, the fearless teenage pilot Yuichi’s dogfights coexist with his struggle to find his missing past. When his beautiful, young female commander Suito is reluctant to discuss the fate of the pilot that Yuichi is replacing – or the strangely perfect condition of that pilot’s former aircraft – Yuichi’s curiosity becomes heightened.
Continued…

Author: Kim Song-ho
Source: Official Korean press release

Production companies CJ Entertainment and JK Film (formerly Doosaboo Film, Inc.) have released two advance theatrical posters and the teaser trailer for the highly-anticipated Korean disaster film, HAEUNDAE. The movie is about a massive tsunami striking Haeundae, a famous Korean beach area located in Busan.
Continued…

Promotional art for JU-ON: WHITE GHOST and JU-ON: BLACK GHOST. © 2009 Toei Video Co., Ltd./Cell

Franchise Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary with Three New Films
Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Official Site: TheGrudge3
Official Site (Japanese): juon10th.jp

Cover art for THE GRUDGE 3, the new DVD sequel to the
American series. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment. © 2009 B and G Derivatives Holdings, LLC.

In 2000, writer-director Takashi Shimizu and producer Taka Ichise created the straight-to-video J-horror movies JU-ON and JU-ON 2. The two movies launched a hit franchise that has included two Japanese theatrical films and the American remakes THE GRUDGE (2004) and THE GRUDGE 2 (2006).

2009 is the tenth year of JU-ON/THE GRUDGE films. To celebrate that milestone, three new films— one in America and two in Japan— will be released over the next few months.

First up is THE GRUDGE 3, the straight-to-DVD sequel from Ghost House Pictures and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment that will be released on May 12. Directed by Toby Wilkins and written by Brad Keene (THE GRAVEDANCERS), the movie picks up from the events of THE GRUDGE 2, with ghosts Kayako and Toshio Saeki now haunting an apartment building in Chicago.

And on June 27, two new chapters in the Ju-On series— JU-ON: WHITE GHOST (Ju-On: Shiroi Rojo) and JU-ON: BLACK GHOST (Ju-On: Kuroi Shojo)— will be released theatrically in Japan. With Kayako and Toshio currently menacing America, the new Japanese installments instead focus on fresh interpretations of the grudge curse.
Continued…