Police study the victim and scene of the murder; an especially rare crime in their town. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
© 2009 CJ Entertainment and Barunson

Suspense thriller arrives in U.S. theaters May 12
Author: Richard Pusateri
Source: Magnolia Pictures
Official Movie Site: motherfilm.com (US), mother2009.co.kr (Korea)
Special Thanks to Marina Bailey

Director Bong Joon-ho (THE HOST) brings the Hitchcock flavor to MOTHER. First, well, it’s called “MOTHER” and takes maternal issues and other family matters to a length not seen in Alfred Hitchcock’s movies. It also has a “wrong man” theme, more than one McGuffin, a little voyeurism, a lot of suspense and several plot twists.

Comparison to the works of the Master of Suspense Hitchcock, should in no way diminish Bong’s achievement in MOTHER. MOTHER is a thoroughly engaging and satisfying film experience. There are almost no weak spots and the viewer remains focused on Mother’s obsessive quest. This movie is much more than a suspenseful crime drama. Overall, the universally enduring bond of love between a mother and her child is depicted with a subtle but insistent subversion for our entertainment, delivered with a gently twisted Hitchcockian touch. Bong delivers a thoroughly entertaining and technically accomplished movie that keeps the pace up with shocks and surprises.
Continued…

Australia’s Madman Entertainment brings the Korean hits HAEUNDAE and CHAW to DVD. Photos courtesy of Madman Entertainment.
HAEUNDAE © 2009 JK Film / CJ Entertainment. CHAW © 2009 Big House/ Vantage Holdings and Lotte Entertainment

Natural Disasters and Mutant Animals Terrify and Entertain
Source: Madman Entertainment

Two of the biggest box office hits in Korea last year were the mega-tsunami thriller HAEUNDAE and the killer wild boar horror/comedy CHAW. The Australian distributor Madman Entertainment has picked up both films and is releasing them on Region 4 PAL DVD. HAEUNDAE went on sale last month, and CHAW is scheduled for April.

Neither movie has been released on home video in North America.
Continued…

New Anime and Live Action Region 1 DVDs
Source: Section23 Films press release
Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff

DVD cover art for YOU’RE UNDER ARREST: FULL THROTTLE
COLLECTION 1, now on sale. Photo courtesy of Section23
Films.

Genre distributor Section23 Films has announced two new DVDs hitting shelves today. From Section23 client Sentai Filmworks comes the first collection of YOU’RE UNDER ARREST: FULL THROTTLE, the outrageous follow-up to YOU’RE UNDER ARREST: FAST & FURIOUS. Next up is BUYUSENKI BATTLE CHRONICLE, a motorcycle gang action thriller from Switchblade Pictures.

The ladies of Bokuto Police Station are back in YOU’RE UNDER ARREST: FULL THROTTLE, but there have been some BIG changes! Miyuki’s been in the U.S., studying American police techniques while Natsumi’s actually been serving in the military! So have these world-changing experiences had any effect on how everyone’s favorite girls in blue carry out their duties protecting the Japanese public? Have they gained a more “mature” perspective? Well, let’s just say that, if anything, they may be even wilder and less cautious than before!

The streets of Japan will be paved with blood in BUYUSENKI BATTLE CHRONICLE! Kyosuke Jinnai was the leader of the “Buyusenki,” the largest group of its kind in the Kanto region, but sick of the violence, he had planned to give it all up to make a family with his pregnant girlfriend. Instead, all of that was stolen from him in a moment of savage betrayal, and the man who dreamed of a life of peace has instead been transformed into an angel of death!
Continued…

New Murder Mystery from the Director of THE HOST
Source: Magnolia Pictures
Official Movie Site: motherfilm.com (US), mother2009.co.kr (Korea)
Special Thanks to Marina Bailey

US poster for MOTHER, the new film from writer/
director Bong Joon-ho. Photo courtesy of Magnolia
Pictures. © 2009 CJ Entertainment and Barunson

MOTHER (Madeo, 2009), the latest film from award-winning Korean director Bong Joon-ho (THE HOST) is a unique murder mystery about a mother’s primal love for her son. The movie has been picked up for release in the United States by Magnolia Pictures and begins its theatrical run on March 12th. Check magpictures.com/dates for theaters and screening times.

Mother is a devoted single parent to her simple-minded twenty-seven-year-old son, Do-joon. Often a source of anxiety to his mother, Do-joon behaves in foolish or simply dangerous ways. One night, while walking home drunk, he encounters a school girl who he follows for a while before she disappears into a dark alley. The next morning, she is found dead in an abandoned building and Do-joon is accused of her murder. An inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force result in a speedy conviction. His mother refuses to believe her beloved son is guilty and immediately undertakes her own investigation to find the girl’s killer. In her obsessive quest to clear her son’s name, Mother steps into a world of unimaginable chaos and shocking revelations.
Continued…

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…

Next month Kaiyodo launches a line of highly detailed and articulated figures based on popular science fiction and fantasy characters.
Photos courtesy of Anime Jungle. Alien © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Daimajin © 1966 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc. © 2010 Kaiyodo Co., Ltd.

The Popular Toy Line is Expanded to Include Kaiju and Special Effects Movie Characters
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Translations: Jim Ballard
Source: Anime Jungle
Official Site: kaiyodo.co.jp/revoltech
Special Thanks to Tetsu Shiota

Fans and collectors are probably familiar with the brand Revoltech, which is owned by the Kaiyodo Company of Japan. It is a series of super-articulated figures in the 4-6 inch scale and based on various popular characters from manga, video games, television, film, and anime. The name itself reportedly means “Revolver Technology” as the revolver joint is what gives the figures their super-articulation.

Of interest to kaiju fans is the upcoming line, SCI-FI REVOLTECH, which will showcase popular characters from both east and west. The first figures up for release on April 1st are the Xenomorph from Ridley Scott’s ALIEN and the vengeful god DAIMAJIN from the Daiei movie series of the 1960s, followed on May 1st by Tsuburaya Productions’ friendly beast Booska and Toho’s Baragon (from FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD).
Continued…

Source: Section23 Films press release
Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff

HELL GIRL: TWO MIRRORS COLLECTION 1. Photo
courtesy of Section23 Films.

Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its May slate of DVD releases, including the second season of the hit anime series HELL GIRL from Section23 client Sentai Filmworks.

Sentai will also release three other anime series sets in May, including YOU’RE UNDER ARREST: FULL THROTTLE COLLECTION 2, SAMURAI HAREM – ASU NO YOICHI COMPLETE COLLECTION and EYESHIELD 21 COLLECTION 1.

Also releasing in May from Sentai Filmworks, APPLESEED BLU-RAY EDITION which includes an all new English dub featuring the cast of APPLESEED EX MACHINA!
Continued…

Theatre Also Announces Lecture on Anime Icon Hayao Miyazaki, and Screenings for 2010 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Official Site: NewPeopleWorld.com
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen

The new anime movie MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC (UNICORN)
will make its US premiere at VIZ Cinema on March 19th.
Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 Sotsu, Sunrise

VIZ Cinema in San Francisco, CA, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, has announced a variety of notable film screenings, festivals, lectures and other special events to be held throughout the month of March.

Activities kick off on March 5th with Patrick Macias’s new film/lecture series Tokyo Scope: The Wild and Crazy World of Japanese Cult Films. VIZ Cinema will present the NEW PEOPLE Artist Series Festival, a special collection of six insightful documentaries, from March 6th – 9th. The fest includes the U.S. theatrical premieres of several films featuring the Neo-Japanese “Hip-Hop-Samurai” painter Hisashi Tenmyouya, the cynical artistic genius of Makoto Aida, and the life and work of master sculptor Katsura Funakoshi.

The Allure of Hayao Miyazaki, a lecture given by Fred Schodt and Beth Cary (translators of Miyazaki’s autobiography Starting Point: 1979-1996) will be held on March 10th. VIZ Cinema also partners with the 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival to present DEAR DOCTOR on March 17th.

And anime fans won’t want to miss VIZ Cinema’s just-added week long screening of the MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UC (UNICORN) feature film (58 min) running March 19th – 25th. The movie makes a special U.S. debut only one month after its original premiere in Japan.
Continued…

THE WOLFMAN ©2010 Universal Pictures

THE WOLFMAN Production Notes
Source: Universal Studios
Official Movie Site: thewolfmanmovie.com

Production Information

“Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright…”
—Gypsy legend

In the 1930s and ’40s, Universal Pictures released a series of horror films that created a new genre of entertainment for audiences: the monster movie. By transforming themselves into such iconography as Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, The Mummy and The Invisible Man, legendary performers including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Claude Rains committed to celluloid nightmares previously only available to the imagination of readers.

One of the most haunting of these creations has been with us since Lon Chaney, Jr. introduced him in 1941. A lone man forced to give in to the most primal side of his spirit haunted moviegoers who breathlessly watched as he transformed into something inhuman. When the moon was at its fullest, he unleashed a primal rage born from the darkest shadow of his psyche. Part man, part demon…his curse was eternal.

SciFi Japan gives you all the information you need to know about this remake of the classic Universal icon.
Continued…

Romance, Anime, and 20TH CENTURY BOYS 2 in San Francisco
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Official Site: NewPeopleWorld.com
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen

JOSEE, THE TIGER AND THE FISH. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2003 Josee, The
Tiger and the Fish Film Partners

February is the month of love and VIZ Cinema, the nation’s first and only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, sweetens this theme with a pair of captivating love stories by director Isshin Inudo, presented in association with Asmik Ace Entertainment. Don’t miss the chance to attend the West Coast premieres of these heartwarming cinematic masterpieces. How far would you go in the name of LOVE?

VIZ Cinema is privileged to present director Inudo’s JOSEE, THE TIGER AND THE FISH, screening February 5th –18th; and LA MAISON DE HIMIKO, showing February 18th – March 4th. To celebrate the spirit of Valentine’s Day for the entire month of February, filmgoers who also bring a date (or a friend) will receive a special 50% discount on the second person’s admission.

Anime fans can also look forward to a special double-feature encore showing of GURREN LAGANN: THE MOVIE 1 & 2 – for one night only – on Sunday February 21st at 5:00pm and 7:30pm respectively. VIZ Cinema will offer special combo tickets for $15.00 to attend both showings.

VIZ Cinema will also host a one night only DVD Release Screening of 20TH CENTURY BOYS 2: THE LAST HOPE on Tuesday, February 9th.
Continued…

The blind swordsman Zatoichi is back on the big screen this month in ZATOICHI, THE FUGITIVE, one of nine chambara classics playing Japan
Society’s “The Double-Edged Sword” film series. Photo courtesy of Japan Society. © 1963 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

Japan Society Presents the Second Installment of “The Double-Edged Sword” Chambara Film Series
Source: Japan Society
Special Thanks to Sean Levine

New York – Japan Society’s latest Monthly Classics film series “The Double-Edged Sword: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu & Raizo Ichikawa” pays tribute to two Japanese screen legends in their most respected, representative and stylish chambara (sword fighting) films. Curated by film expert and author Chris D. (Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film), the series screens monthly through May 2010. Having opened in December, the second installment in the series is ZATOICHI, THE FUGITIVE on Friday, January 22 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $11/$7 Japan Society members, students and seniors.

ZATOICHI, THE FUGITIVE (Zatoichi kyojo-tabi)
Friday, January 22, 7:30 pm
1963, 86 min., 35 mm, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka. With Shintaro Katsu, Miwa Takada, Masayo Banri, Junichiro Narita, Katsuhiko Kobayashi.

As the iconic blind masseur Zatoichi, Katsu enters this fourth episode of the saga— one of the most acclaimed— with a bounty on his head. Soon, he is up to his neck slicing and dicing through a throng of yakuza thugs, fending off a long-lost love and battling a ruthless ronin for hire.
Continued…

DVD Release and Special San Francisco Screening on January 26
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Official Site: VIZ Pictures
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen

DVD cover art for DAIDO MORIYAMA: STRAY DOG OF TOKYO.
The documentary will play the VIZ Cinema on January 26.
Photo VIZ Media. © 2001 B.B.B. Co., Ltd

VIZ Pictures will release the newest volume of its ongoing NEW PEOPLE ARTIST SERIES – DAIDO MORIYAMA: STRAY DOG OF TOKYO (Near Equal Moriyama Daidou, 2001) on DVD January 26th. This intriguing documentary profiles the life and art of Japan’s foremost photographer and highlights his unorthodox style and technique. The DVD will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN and will be distributed by VIZ Media.

Daido Moriyama has been a major force in artistic photography since the late 60’s, but his true persona has been hidden behind a veil of mystery since he has refused any major media appearances – until now. This new documentary follows the charismatic Moriyama as he displays his trademark photographic technique of taking quick snapshots without looking in the viewfinder. Often shot in black and white, out of focus and dramatically cropped or tilted, the themes of Moriyama’s images have been said to convey a sense of the disordered human condition and the conflicting realities of modern urban life.

In celebration of this new release, VIZ Pictures has scheduled a special one night only theatrical screening of DAIDO MORIYAMA: STRAY DOG OF TOKYO on January 26th at VIZ Cinema. Tickets are $25.00, which includes a pass to the film screening, a copy of the DVD, a postcard and a NEW PEOPLE original pin button.
Continued…

“Hit Me With Music Vol. 2” Film Series Runs this January
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Official Site: NewPeopleWorld.com
Special Thanks to Evelyn Dubocq and Erik Jansen

The documentary DAIDO MORIYAMA: STRAY DOG OF
TOKYO will play the VIZ Cinema on January 26. Photo
courtesy of Eleven Arts. © 2001 B.B.B. Co., Ltd

San Francisco’s VIZ Cinema, the nation’s first and only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, opens 2010 with an exciting new program for January that continues to explore music as a cinematic theme.

From rock ‘n roll to classical, music provides the soundtrack for young people’s lives. “Hit Me With Music, Volume 2” will showcase several films that each move to a different beat and will premiere SHINDO (2007), MIDNIGHT SUN (Taiyo no Uta, 2006), and OH! MY BUDDHA (Shikisoku zenereishon, 2009).

VIZ Cinema’s ever popular “Weeknight Anime People” will screen the samurai action of SWORD OF THE STRANGER while the venue’s “New People Artist Series” plans a special presentation of the intriguing documentary, DAIDO MORIYAMA: STRAY DOG OF TOKYO (Near Equal Moriyama Daidou, 2001).
Continued…

A Conversation with the Production Crew of the Upcoming Korean SFX Hero TV Show
Author / Translator: Kim Song-ho
Official website: T3 Entertainment (RAYFORCE website coming soon)
RAYFORCE demo footage on YouTube
Special Thanks to Ko Jeong-jin, Jun Jae-hoon, Hong Gi-hun and the members of Big Monster Club

The Korean super team Rayforce, ready for action! Photo courtesy of T3
Entertainment. © 2009 T3 Entertainment

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

On October 22, 2009, the Korean game company T3 Entertainment announced the production of a new SFX Hero TV Show called RAYFORCE, WAR RECORD OF TIME AND SPACE (Shigongjeongi Reifosu). Shortly before the official announcement, T3 released a 4-minute video demo of the show on YouTube. The quality of the demo was enough to attract attention from genre fans, and RAYFORCE has become one of the most anticipated SFX shows in Korea.

According to initial news reports, RAYFORCE will be a 2-season show, consisting of 26 episodes for each season. T3 will begin principal photography in next March and the first season of the show will air in September.
Continued…

Author: Sean Kotz
Official Website: Virginia Creepers Movie

Virginia Creepers lobby card. ©2009 Horse Archer Productions.

Like most Americans, my first exposure to Japanese science fiction was on television back in the day when local TV was an integral part of most people’s lives, primarily through my local TV horror hosts. It was those shows that gave me my love for films in general and horror and sci-fi in particular.

At Chesapeake’s Monster Fest in 2007, I had the privilege of moderating a panel comprised of several Virginia TV horror hosts, past and present. This was a very funny, very talented group of people… some of whom were still playing their characters after more than 30 years… who bore witness to more than 40 years of changes in television. I had grown up watching these guys (including Dr. Madblood’s first show in 1975) and was currently watching the newer hosts online, and on the heels of VAMPIRA: THE MOVIE and AMERICA SCARY, I suddenly became aware that this was the stuff of documentaries.
Continued…