Blu-ray Review: RIGOR MORTIS

RIGOR MORTIS
Directed by Juno Mak
Distributed by WELL GO USA

 I recently watched RIGOR MORTIS, not having any clue what to expect going into this film. The film has a first time director, and a crazy sounding plot, so I went into this completely blindfolded.  I came out of it, though, with my eyes wide open and looking forward to the next film from Juno Mak.   This film is a treat for your eyes with some of the most visually stunning effects I have seen in some time.  Before I go any further, here is the plot of the film courtesy of the Well Go USA website:

  A washed-up actor, desperate and suicidal, moves into a haunted apartment building where supernatural creatures, ghost hunters, Taoist exorcists, and the souls of the undead are among his neighbors

  The plot sounds pretty simple, yet the film was actually a little confusing to me at times.  Mainly because of the ghost aspect and not really knowing if who, or what, you are seeing is actually "real" or not.   The plot really is not that important though, when watching a film that is just this visually beautiful!   The effects and creepy imagery are the star of the show here and do not disappoint.  Throw in a healthy dose of some of the greatest martial arts action I have seen in quite some time, and you have one movie that will blow you away. 

  Turn down the lights, crank up the surround sound and get ready for a fun ride!  I have a big fan of RIGOR MORTIS and highly recommend it!   RIGOR MORTIS is out now on DVD and Blu-ray from Well Go USA Home Entertainment.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray or DVD

DVD Review: MEMORY OF THE DEAD

 
MEMORY OF THE DEAD
Directed by Valentín Javier Diment
Distributed by Artsploitation Films

  I have said it before and I will say it again...I LOVE foreign horror films!  There are so many great horror movies being made all over the world, you owe it to yourself to check out some of these great foreign films!  I just watched a film from Argentina called MEMORY OF THE DEAD.  This was a visually stunning film that was heavily influenced by some of the top names in horror.   Here is the basic plot synopsis from the Artsploitation website:

  A stylish supernatural shocker that has been a hit at film festivals around the world. Argentina’s Memory of the Dead boasts some terrifying FX setpieces bathed in a candy-colored visual palette that makes Mario Bava’s gothic classics look monochromatic by comparison. Following the sudden death of her husband, Alicia assembles all his friends at a vast country manor for a reading of his final letter. But Alicia also has other plans in mind – helping her husband return from the grave with a spell that will put all of the gathered guests in mortal danger. Scary, hysterical and packed with mind-boggling visuals, Memory of the Dead is the cinematic equivalent of a funhouse ride.

  I love the reference comparing this film to a funhouse ride.  That is spot on as there is something different going on with each person in the house...a different surprise around every corner!  There are some crazy death sequences in this film, and just some crazy visuals all throughout the film.   One thing I noticed from the beginning was the excellent camera work.  There are some very cool shots throughout the film, great camera angles and such.

  It's interesting that this film was compared to a Mario Bava film in the plot synopsis.  I can totally see that, but I can also see influences from Dario Argento  (use of color),  and most of all, Sam Raimi and the EVIL DEAD films.  There are a few scenes taken directly from the EVIL DEAD films, a nice homage for sure!

  Fans of gore will be thrilled by this film...there are some crazy gore effects in this film, some that truly made me cringe, and I don't get bothered by too much!

  I highly suggest you check out MEMORY OF THE DEAD.  The DVD is available now from Artsploitation Films.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

Blu-ray Review: HERE COMES THE DEVIL (2012)

HERE COMES THE DEVIL
Written & Directed by Adrián García Bogliano
Distributed by Magnet Releasing

  I love foreign horror films.  There are so many great horror films out there from all over the world.  If you are not checking out foreign horror, then you are really missing out.    HERE COMES THE DEVIL is a great horror film made in Mexico. Hers is the plot of the film from the movie's official website:

  HERE COMES THE DEVIL combines modern indie filmmaking and storytelling with a hint of ‘70s-styled psychological horror that may not just be psychological. Francisco Barreiro and Laura Caro play parents Felix and Sol whose preteen son and daughter inexplicably re-appear after being lost overnight on a desolate, cave-riddled mountainside after a casual hike became every parent’s nightmare. The good luck and good fortune of their return soon changes, as the children’s behavior suggests ominous and unspeakable events the night the children were lost that continue even now. As a loving couple - and loving parents - try to care for and protect their children, the ancient and half-whispered legends around the caves and the mountain and those who have gone there before become too strange to believe...and too dangerous, no matter how insane, to ignore.

  I highly recommend this movie.  This film kept me entertained the entire run of the film.  The acting was good, especially by the actors playing the grieving parents.   One thing I loved about this film was how original it was.   There is a huge twist in the film involving the kids, and it is one I never saw coming.  I obviously can't reveal the twist here, but it is one that will really make you think.  

  While blood and gore wasn't the main focus of the film, there were a couple of instances of some very good gore.  This film is more about the story and it is a good story for sure.  Very creepy and entertaining.   My one complaint with this film was the cinematography.  It looks like a different camera was used for some scenes, resulting in two different video qualities throughout the film. Also there was an over excessive use of the "fast zoom" in this film. I don't know if there is a technical term for it or not, but it's like what they used in old spaghetti westerns and kung-fu movies.  You will know what I am talking about when you see it, and you will see it way too often in this movie.  It doesn't take away from the film as a whole, but it was a little distracting.

 Overall this is was a great film, I thought.  This is one I would recommend to any horror fan, especially those that are fans of foreign horror films.

 HERE COMES THE DEVIL will be released on DVD and Blu-ray March 18th from Magnet Releasing.  Special Features include the following:

*  Extended Nightmare Scene
*  Behind the Scenes
*  Rehearsals
*  Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
*  AXS TV:  A Look at HERE COMES THE DEVIL
*  Commentary with Director Adrián García Bogliano


CLICK HERE to visit the official website of the film and watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to pre-order the Blu-ray
CLICK HERE to pre-order the DVD

Check out the crazy trailer for NUIGULUMAR Z, aka GOTHIC LOLITA BATTLE BEAR!!

 I am a huge fan of crazy Japanese horror films. The crazier, the better in my opinion, so this one looks right up my alley!  The movie is called NUIGULUMAR Z, aka GOTHIC LOLITA BATTLE BEAR!  The film was directed by Noboru Iguchi, one of my favorite directors. His previous work includes THE MACHINE GIRL, ROBOGEISHA and MUTANT GIRLS SQUAD just to name a few. 

Here is the basic plot of the film:

Yumeko Ayukawa, better known as Dameko, is a lolita fashion-clad girl who possesses the ability to merge with her pink teddy bear Buusuke to become ""Nuigulumar"". In her new form she must do battle against a villain named Takeshi who's using zombies in his plot to take over the world.

 So the film is probably more of an action/adventure/fantasy film than a true horror film, but it's got zombies in it, so close enough!   Check out the trailer and let me know what you think.   The film was released in Japan last month, and there is currently no U.S. release date that I have seen.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

 

DVD Review: HORROR STORIES (2012)

HORROR STORIES
Distributed by:  Artsploitation Films

  I am  a huge fan of foreign horror films, especially Asian horror.  I am also a huge fan of horror anthologies, so this South Korean horror anthology film had a lot going for it in my eyes before I ever watched it.  Luckily, upon actually watching the film, I was not disappointed in the least.  This is one of the better horror anthologies I have seen in a while!   Here is some info on the film from the Artsploitation Films website:


Horror anthologies might be everywhere these days, but the Korean entry Horror Stories raises the bar with four terrifying stories (and a nail-biting wraparound tale), each one chilling enough to be its own feature. If you thought this was going to be a tame collection of teen-friendly “ghost girl” stories – think again. Horror Stories goes right for the jugular with non-stop splatter, intense shocks and riveting suspense. A high school girl is abducted and forced by a psycho to tell him the scariest tales she knows.

• “Don’t Answer the Door” finds a little brother and sister home alone at night and under siege.
• “Endless Flight” has a serial killer escaping police custody in the middle of an otherwise empty flight.
• “Secret Recipe” serves up a wildly macabre fairy tale about two jealous stepsisters who take plastic surgery to nightmarish extremes.
• “Ambulance on the Death Zone” is a claustrophobic zombie shocker with a paramedic and a mother at a standoff over her possibly infected young daughter.

An international genre festival success from Sitges to Fantasia, this is one of the best Korean horror films in years and has been called “one of the scariest Asian horror anthologies of the 21st century” (horror-movies.ca).


HORROR STORIES is a must see for any horror fan in my opinion.  The production value is top notch and the acting in all 4 stories is superb.  I think the first and last story are my favorites by far, with the last story (“Ambulance on the Death Zone”) being my favorite.  This is a zombie film done in a very unique way, as most of the entire film takes place inside an ambulance.  The confined space of the ambulance really works well with this story and adds to the suspense.  

HORROR STORIES is available now on DVD and it includes the following Special Features:

*  Cast Interviews
*  12-page Collectible Booklet
*  Reversible Cover Art
*  Artsploitation Trailers


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

Check out the amazing trailer for the Hong Kong Vampire film, RIGOR MORTIS

  As most of you know, I love foreign horror films....especially Japanese and Asian horror films.  I'm not talking about the mainstream films like JU-ON/GRUDGE, RINGU type films.  I love the smaller, lesser known asian films that are just flat out crazy and full of spraying blood and gore.  I'm talking about films such as HELLDRIVER, TOKYO GORE POLICE, ICHI THE KILLER, etc.  Well, I might have a new one to add to that list with this new film called RIGOR MORTIS.  Here is the basic plot of the film from imdb.com:

  In this eerie and chilling, contemporary, action/special effects laden homage to the classic Chinese vampire movies of the 1980's, writer-director-producer, Juno Mak makes his feature directorial debut. Co-produced by J-Horror icon Takashi Shimizu, and reuniting some of the original cast members of the classic Mr. Vampire series, RIGOR MORTIS is set in a creepy and moody Hong Kong public housing tower whose occupants we soon discover, run the gamut from the living to the dead, to the undead, along with ghosts, vampires and zombies

  So, what could make a vampire movie better?  Throwing in some ghosts and zombies, of course!!  Sounds like a winner to me!   Check out the ultra cool trailer...the visuals in this film look amazing.  This is the directorial debut of Juno Mak, and it looks like he might be hitting a home run his first time up to bat!  The film is being distributed by Fortissimo Films, and the website says it is in post-production now.  As soon as I hear about a release date, I will let you know for sure.  Until then, watch the trailer and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below!   

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
 

DVD Review: DEATH PENALTY.COM (2011)

DEATH PENALTY.COM
Directed by Ryota Sakamaki
Distributed by Danger After Dark/TLA Releasing

  As some of you know, I am a huge fan of foreign horror films, especially Japanese horror films.  The Japanese make some crazy demented movies, and I love 'em!   DEATH PENALTY.COM isn't too "out there" like some of the Japanese films I've seen lately.  This is more traditional horror, but it still has it's J-horror quirkiness.  I was intrigued with this film from the very beginning after reading the plot synopsis.  Here is the synopsis from the TLA website:

Angry at your boss or has your best friend betrayed you? No worries. Welcome to DeathPenalty.com where you can find a mysteriously masked ally to solve your problem. But there is a catch. For every murder requested, you must commit one and if you don t follow the plan, you are next!!

  Pretty creepy concept...makes you wonder if things like this could actually exist! Let's hope not...but on to the review.   I thought DEATH PENALTY.COM was a very good movie and was very entertaining.  The acting is good from everyone involved.  The death scenes are very well done, some being very brutal.   The movie is neat in that most of the time is spent showing you the computer screen and all the different people logged on to commit the murders. Everyone on the site wears a mask or disguise of some sort, for obvious reasons.  This makes for a very weird forum of characters, all with disguised voices.  One person wears a gas mask, one a crazy clown face, and one even wears a horse head!  Crazy stuff! 

This new DVD from the Danger After Dark series of films is actually a double feature.  Along with DEATH PENALTY.COM, you will also get the sequel, DEATH PENALTY.COM:  A NEW BEGINNING!   Two movies for the price of one!  I haven't checked out the sequel yet, but I plan to soon.  Click on the link below to purchase the DVD!


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer and/or purchase the DVD

Crazy Japanese movie alert! It's the splatter sports comedy film, DEADBALL!

 Ahh...those crazy Japanese and their crazy ass films.  You just gotta love 'em!  I am a huge fan of  Japanese horror films.  I don't think I have ever seen a splatter/sports/comedy movie though!  That will change soon hopefully, as I hope to get my hands on a copy of Yudai Yamaguchi’s DEADBALL!  The movie looks pretty crazy!  Here is some info about the film from the Sushi Typhoon website:

GRAB YOUR BAT AND HOLD ONTO YOUR BALLS….IT’S GAME TIME!!

Baseball prodigy Jubeh Yakyu (Tak Sakaguchi) is the most feared and dangerous juvenile delinquent in all of Japan. After accidentally causing the death of his father with a super-powered, deadly fireball pitch, Jubeh swore off baseball and became a criminal and now, at 17, has been sent to the Pterodactyl Juvenile Reformatory for hardened criminals. Headmistress Ishihara, the granddaughter of a World War II Nazi collaborator, runs the institution with an iron fist and the enthusiastic help of her sadistic assistant, Ilsa. After arriving at the hellhole, Jubeh soon learns from governor Mifune that his long-lost, younger brother Musashi had also done time there after a murder spree, but had since died mysteriously.

Despite having sworn never to play baseball again, Jubeh is presented with an ultimatum by governor Mifune: join the reformatory team, The Gauntlets, in the national tournament for juvenile inmates, or witness the death of his innocent cellmate Four Eyes (Mari Hoshino). With the knowledge that the death of his brother is somehow connected to the team, Jubeh agrees, and Gauntlet training begins. Their first opponents: the sexy but deadly “psycho butcher girls” of the St. Black Dahlia High School, a team of literal man-killers. And so the splatterific baseball tournament begins, but Jubeh soon learns that he is not only fighting to win the game, but also to save his own life!

A hilariously offensive, politically incorrect sports splatter comedy, DEADBALL is director Yudai Yamaguchi’s follow-up to his earlier zombie baseball classic BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL, and once again features action star Tak Sakaguchi (VERSUS, BE A MAN! SAMURAI SCHOOL). A riotous, over-the-top epic of excess, DEADBALL is the movie for the psycho sports fan in all of us, and more fun than a prison cavity search!


I am not sure about a release date yet, but once I find out I will let you know, and hopefully will be able to a do a full review of the film.

CLICK HERE to go to the Sushi Typhoon website and watch the trailer

Check out the very weird trailer for the Norwegian film, THALE

 
 Wow...this one looks messed up.  And I mean that in a good way!   THALE was written and directed by Norwegian filmmaker, Aleksander Nordaas.  Here is the basic story of the film from imdb.com:

'Thale' is a feature film based on a mythical character in Norwegian folklore called 'HULDRA'. According to the myth a hulder is a beautiful lady living deep in the woods, and it is said that she seduces men that work or hunt in the woods. She hums a beautiful song and lures them to her deep in the woods, and they never return to their village. You can recognize a hulder by her cow tail.

Well, that sounds interesting for sure!  I'm not sure if the creature is actually called a 'huldra' or a 'hulder', as both terms are used in the description above, but none the less, it sounds interesting fore sure.

Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think.  Be sure to check out the 1:34 mark of the trailer.....it's a split second but if you pause it on just that moment, look at the creature or whatever that is up on the road. Very strange.  Then the woman at the end is very intriguing to say the least...not sure how I feel about her! HA!  Check it out and you (at least the guys) will see what I mean.

No U.S. release date has been set that I can find.  The film was just released in Norway this past February.  I doubt we will see a U.S. theatrical release, but I'm sure we will be seeing it on DVD and or Blu-ray at some point.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer  **WARNING** Trailer includes brief nudity

Blu-ray Review: BATTLE ROYALE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

  

BATTLE ROYALE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
Directed by:  Kinji Fukasaku
Distributed by:  Anchor Bay Entertainment

 
 FINALLY!!   That is what I screamed when I heard that Anchor Bay was releasing BATTLE ROYALE 1 & 2 for the first time ever in North America!    If you have never seen these films, do yourself a favor and do so asap!   I had seen BATTLE ROYALE a couple of years ago, but I had never seen BATTLE ROYALE II:  REQUIEM until I watched it as part of the awesome complete collection set Anchor Bay has released. 

 The timing of this release is perfect, and intentional of course, due to the theatrical release of THE HUNGER GAMES, which a lot of people feel is a rip-off of BATTLE ROYALE.  I have not seen THE HUNGER GAMES yet, so I can't make that accusation, although the plots do sound very similar.

 BATTLE ROYALE is a about a Japanese society that has seen an increase in juvenile crime and over population.  To take care of both issues, the government has created Battle Royale, an annual game in which a random 9th grade class is selected to participate.  The rules are simple, kill or be killed.  The kids are taken to an island and are given a map and a weapon of some sort. They are to kill each other off any way they can until there is only one student left, who is declared the winner.

 This is one of my favorite Japanese films of all time.  It is beautifully shot with the island providing some very nice scenery.   The subject matter is pretty crazy and seeing kids kill kids is very unsettling and caused quite a stir upon the films initial release.   The acting in the film is very good from all involved, and I especially love how the teacher that runs the game delivers some of his lines.
The movie has some very violent scenes, especially those involving collars worn around the contestant's necks.  There are certain "danger zones" on the island and if you are in one of these danger zones at certain times, then the collar explodes, as does the wearer's neck!  The provides some excellent gore for sure.

BATTLE ROYALE II:  REQUIEM is a much different film than the first, but just as good I think in a different way.   The plot is similar to the first, except the government has changed the rules.  Now instead of killing each other, the kids must find and kill a terrorist living on an island intent on overthrowing the government and killing all adults for making the kids kill each other in the first film.
I won't tell you who the terrorist is as I don't want to give anything away if you haven't seen the first film.

BATTLE ROYALE II is more like a war movie than the first film.  In fact, it reminded me of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN but with kids at some points.   My buddy Scott from The Shattered Ravings blog compared it to BLACK HAWK DOWN which I can definitely see as well.   As with most any war film, BR2 is very bloody and action packed.  This is a great sequel and continues the story perfectly.   The basic concept from the first film is still there, but it is different enough where it doesn't feel like they made it for no reason other than make more money based on the recognizable BATTLE ROYALE title. 

BATTLE ROYALE:  THE COMPLETE COLLECTION is available now, along with a single disc version of just the first film on DVD or Blu-ray.    I highly suggest you get the complete collection, though, as you will definitely want to check out part 2.  Also, the complete collection comes with a 4th disc full of the following special features:


*  Audition & Rehearsal Footage
*  Special Effects Comparison Featurette
*  The Making of Battle Royale
*  Original Theatrical Trailer
*  Basketball Scene Rehearsals
*  Special Edition TV Spot
*  Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
*  Battle Royale Press Conference
*  TV Spot: Tarantino Version
*  Tokyo International Film Festival 2000
*  Filming On-Set
*  Battle Royale Documentary
*  Instructional Video: Birthday Version

This is must own DVD/Blu-ray set in my opinion.   Get your hands on a copy of this one as
soon as possible!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for BATTLE ROYALE
CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for BATTLE ROYALE II:  REQUIEM
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray or DVD