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Thai Horror Phobia Trailer

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Phobia (also known as 4bia) is coming to DVD here in the UK on May 10th, and the trailer for this film of four connected horror tales is available to view now.

The film was actually originally released in Thailand back in 2008, and a sequel then followed in 2009; it’s taken its time to arrive on DVD in the UK, Icon Home Entertainment is the company that has finally decided to bring it to these shores though and UK fans can finally be exposed to this four way delight.

Yongyoot Thongkongtoon’s Happiness is up first, followed by Paween Purikitpanya’s Tit For Tat, and then Shutter director Banjong Pisanthanakun’s In The Middle. Finally it is then time for Parkpoom Wongpoom to finish things off with Last Flight, a fine short horror about a stewardess taking home the body of a deceased princess. There’s a good variety on display here as Happiness is a completely dialogue free effort, Paween Purikitpanya demonstrates a Final Destination influence in Tit For Tat, and Banjong Pisanthanakun tries his hand at comedy horror with In The Middle.

Check out the trailer below for a first look at Phobia, and be sure to seek out the DVD when it’s released on May 10th.

UK Horror Film Splintered to Feature in Coronation Street

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UK horror film Splintered is to feature in Coronation Street on Friday, with characters Sian and Sophie all set to watch the film with their on-screen boyfriends Ryan and Lee.

Splintered director Simeon Halligan had the following to say on the film’s inclusion in the long running British soap: “I’m really chuffed Splintered plays a key role in Friday’s episode of Coronation Street. And of course, having worked at Granada TV for many years myself – and actually on Corrie itself back in the 90s it seems fitting the movie gets a nod here before its UK release in July!”

Splintered is a psychological horror focused on the troubled central character of Sophie (Holly Weston). Splintered is the debut feature film from the Manchester-based production company Not A Number, the company responsible for the Grimm Up North horror festival.

Geisha Assassin Review

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Go Ohara has history in films as a stuntman, this was his first crack at directing a feature film however and it rather shows. Geisha Assassin has a Mortal Kombat meets Kill Bill feel about it; the frantic action of the fighting has the feel of a video game, and there’s a definite Kill Bill style about the way that the film is set up. There’s little plot here, with the main emphasis on the samurai fighting.

Kotono (Minami Tsukui) witnessed the death of her father as a child, and several years later she has now set out to avenge his death. Hyo-e (Shigeru Kanai) is the man that killed her Father and the one that she really wants to get to, in order to do that however she must first get through a number of others that have set out to pit their skills against her.

With its jumpy camerawork, Geisha Assassin made me feel rather nauseous for the opening third of the film, and whilst I ultimately became somewhat used to the camera style it was definitely something that affected my overall enjoyment of the film. The one on one fighting scenes I felt were generally carried out rather well, at times when there were multiple people fighting main character Kotono however, the on-screen action just seemed to feel a little too much like Power Rangers (a programme that I never did enjoy, even as a child). With fight after fight of impressive action a gripping storyline is not necessarily a requirement, with Geisha Assassin the fighting action is a little too hit and miss for my liking though, and when the fighting falls flat there’s no great plot line to come to the film’s rescue.

Geisha Assassin is definitely not a terrible film, and included here are a number of impressive fight scenes that are well worth watching; with the good there is also a fair amount of bad to take though, and overall Geisha Assassin just didn’t really do it for me. The camerawork takes some getting used to and sticking with the film in the introduction was therefore quite a battle, and even after getting used to the camerawork I did still find several times that the film in places had quite a dizzying effect on me. Go Ohara can perhaps come back in the future with a more impressive offering as there are a few positive signs here, there’s still quite a bit to work on though and Geisha Assassin is a martial arts film where there is I feel much room for improvement.

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Salvage Review

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It’s not often enough that a horror film comes along and really impresses me, but when I watched Lawrence Gough’s Salvage I was completely blown away by just how sublimely brilliant this film truly is. Salvage is a British horror film with an absolutely fantastic atmosphere, and right from the word go you know that you’re in for a treat with this one.

There’s trouble in the air as Jodie is taken by her Father to spend Christmas with her mother, Beth, in Liverpool. Already not wanting to spend Christmas with her Mother, things just seem to go from bad to worse for Jodie as she discovers her Mother sleeping with someone in the bedroom. Jodie is quick to head over to her friend’s house, and there is soon some strange activity in the street as the army shows up and asks that people remain locked inside their houses until further notice. As the phone line gets cut off, Beth begins to get increasingly more worried as there are strange goings on in the street and she can’t even get through to her daughter to check that all is okay with her. Things aren’t right at all, and although she’s been advised to remain in the house, Beth feels that it’s her duty as a mother to try and get across the street to see Jodie and make sure that her daughter is protected. People are changing and deaths are occurring; Jodie doesn’t just want to sit and do nothing and it’s time to take action as she leaves the house in hope of finding her daughter.

With a limited budget available to him, Lawrence Gough has managed to put to film one of the best British horrors I have seen in a long time, with an 81 minute offering that is absolutely packed full of quality. As both director and co-writer of the story, Lawrence Gough is obviously a man with a lot of great ideas, and is clearly very clued up when it comes to horror. Salvage has a similar feel about it to that of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, and although it’s unlikely to bring in as much money as Boyle’s 2002 horror, Salvage is most definitely a film that Lawrence Gough can be very proud of.

Those that watch Lawrence Gough’s Salvage are sure to be impressed with this exciting British horror film, and although the film is a little rough around the edges due to its limited budget, look past this and what you have is an absolutely fantastic film. Neve McIntosh impresses massively as Beth, and the other actors present here also put in some quality performance when called upon. We spend a lot of time with key protagonist Beth and it was therefore important that Lawrence Gough chose someone for the part that could really pull it off; in Neve McIntosh he can certainly be seen to have chosen wisely, and never does the fine Scottish actress disappoint.

Lawrence Gough has another film coming up in 2011, The Drought, and given the quality of Salvage it will definitely be interesting to see what Gough can come up with next. Gough is once again working with Colin O’Donnell for The Drought, and having co-written the story for Salvage with him, one would certainly hope that their partnership can once again provide great quality as they work alongside each other on the action/adventure film.

British directors very rarely release horror films of the quality of Salvage, and for those that love their horror this is most definitely a must see film. Salvage impresses massively in all areas, and when the film is brought to DVD on March 22nd it really is one that you should quickly seek to add to your collection.

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Eclipse (Twilight Saga) Trailer

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The Twilight series is now entering its second half as we prepare for the release of the third film in the series, Eclipse. Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) has returned to Bella Swan’s (Kristen Stewart) side, the evil Victoria is out to get her though and it’s therefore up to Edward Cullen and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) to try and keep her from coming to any harm.

Twilight has its fans, but it also has its fair share of haters; if you’re one of those that loves the books and films then you’ll definitely be wanting to watch this Eclipse trailer.

Eclipse will not be released until July 9th 2010 here in the UK, the trailer however is available to watch below:

Afterschool Review

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Afterschool DVD Cover

Although still only in his twenties, American director Antonio Campos has already been able to impress a lot of people with his work, with several short films under his belt as well as this full length feature Afterschool. Campos won the Cinefondation award at the Cannes Film Festival with his 2005 short film But It Now, and despite his young age is really making a mark on the world of cinema. Afterschool is Campos’ first full length film and yet you wouldn’t know it to watch it; Antonio Campos is an obviously talented director with a clear vision for what he wants to achieve with his work.

Robert is an awkward young student at a prep school in America; Robert finds it difficult to interact with others and spends much of his time watching violent and pornographic videos on the internet. Whilst filming around the school for an afterschool filmmaking class, Robert accidently catches on tape the drug induced deaths of two fellow students. Having witnessed their deaths, Robert is chosen to put together a memorial video for the girls and interviews a number of people about them, including fellow students, their parents, and the headmaster.

Antonio Campos captures Robert’s awkward nature perfectly with Afterschool, with actor Ezra Miller really able to play the part of Robert well. Robert is an incredibly creepy character, and through his camerawork here Antonio Campos really brings the key protagonist to life. The quality of acting from Ezra Miller is top class, and this combined with the supreme direction of Antonio Campos really does provide for a hugely impressive film.

Campos has plenty to be proud of with Afterschool, and given the quality of this film he is without doubt a director to watch out for in the future. Antonio Campos is unashamed of his influences, is clearly clued up when it comes to filmmaking, and belies his relative inexperience here with a very impressively put together drama. Antonio Campos may not be a name that you’ve come across in the past, looking to the future though and there’s surely plenty more to come from this highly skilled New York filmmaker.

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Sinking of Japan Review

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For those that enjoyed The Day After Tomorrow, Shinji Higuchi’s Sinking of Japan is another film that should certainly appeal. With hugely impressive special effects and excellent character development, Sinking of Japan is a disaster film that is most definitely well worth watching, and the acting quality here is always of an exceptional standard.

As major earthquakes begin to hit Japan it doesn’t take the geological experts long to realise that the country is in serious danger, and the authorities are alerted as it’s calculated that there’s less than a year to go before that Japan will be fully submerged under the sea. The government keeps the situation quiet at first, as large areas of the country begin to get wiped out the time arrives for them to act fast however and they begin to make plans to send as many people overseas as possible. Although the countries future is at threat, all hope is not yet lost as there is a way of solving the problem and stopping Japan from becoming any further damaged by nature; the procedure to stop Japan from sinking is high risk, it is however possible that Japan can be saved.

Kou Shibasaki and Mayuko Fukuda both play their parts brilliantly in Sinking of Japan, and it’s their developing relationship that is at the very centre of the film. Their characters have been extremely well developed here, and their incredibly high quality of acting really does make this film special. Not only is the film visually impressive, but cerebrally engaging also, and the film easily manages to maintain your interest for the entirety of its 135 minute runtime. The only thing that doesn’t seem to work particularly well is the choice of song in what should be an extremely poignant scene; the scene should be highly emotive and could have been excellent, the accompanying track however just doesn’t work. Were it pure instrumental then the effect would perhaps have been greater, for two full minutes the track plays though and just really breaks the film up; this I feel would be my only cause for complaint about the film, and this I feel is an area in which the film could have been improved.

For fans of disaster films I really would recommend watching Sinking of Japan, and for those that follow extreme weather this is a film that would surely appeal. Shinji Higuchi truly has done a cracking job with this film, and all credit must also go to Sakyo Komatsu, the writer of the novel Japan Sinks on which the film is based, and the screenplay writer Masato Kato also. All involved with Sinking of Japan combine together to make the film special, and this is no doubt a film to add to your rental list at the very least.

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$10,000 iTunes Gift Card Issued as 10 Billionth Track is Sold

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This week iTunes sold its 10 billionth track, and to celebrate the occasion the lucky downloader has been credited with a $10,000 iTunes gift card. The winner’s details have not been disclosed, whoever they are though they are sure to have a much larger music collection before long.

Apple will no doubt be impressed to have reached the 10 billion milestone, and Steve Jobs will perhaps now be planning what to do when the 100 billionth track is ultimately downloaded at some stage in the future.

Mudvayne ‘Beautiful and Strange’ Video Banned

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Due to sexually explicit scenes taking place in a graveyard and others displaying acts of sadism, Mudvayne’s video for the ‘Beautiful and Strange’ single has been deemed too extreme to be shown in most places, and can in fact only be found at VampireFreaks.com.

The networks aren’t willing to touch it, with VampireFreaks it had found its home though and can currently be viewed on the website. The video is intended for mature audiences only.