As these movies are all relatively new and are only recently released or getting released soon, I’m gonna go with my gut instinct with them. The films I’ll be featuring in this 3-part-post have all been researched and are on my watchlist for future viewing. I am very rarely wrong when it’s comes to world cinema titles.. So let’s get this started!!
1: GRATEFUL DEAD
Without a doubt this film has the most insane trailer that I’ve seen in quite some time. I’m a huge fan of Japanese cinema because they are just bat-shit-crazy, they make movies that are so twisted and deranged that it takes a special kind of viewer to appreciate them….. Someone who is touched with a mild case of insanity… Thankfully, I fit that bill just perfectly, as does most of my readers… So we’re good to go!! I just have to point out that this film is listed for release in 2013 but is only starting make some waves now… It’s my list, it goes on!
Official Plot
A love-hate relationship develops between a deranged young woman and an old man. Nami inherits a large sum of money, freeing up time for her to engage in a series of bizarre hobbies, including spying on lonely people like herself. One day she spies on an old man as he watches porn DVDs in his home. After witnessing this, she begins relentlessly stalking him.
2: WHITE GOD
I had heard of this film before but had completely forgotten about it, thanks to Fangoria posting the trailer on Facebook recently, I’ve once again got it in my sights.. And this time, it’s not getting away. I am constantly on the hunt for movies, some manage to get away from me, or slip beneath the cracks, but it’s only a matter of time before I get my grip on them and get them up on Moviehooker
The film reminded me a little bit of Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, not that it was about loads of god Damn Hairy apes, but about dogs who aren’t full pedigree, and have had enough of being outcasts. They start up a dog army to teach us filthy humans just who’s boss which looks like it’s lead by a young teenage girl (the owner of the “Ceaser” like dog).
The one thing I loved about the trailer was that it wasn’t very CGI-heavy, it looked like real animals, just shot very cleverly. The premise sounds interesting and has already conquered Cannes Film festival…. So that alone gives us the reason to be eagerly awaiting this one.
3: Broken
We all know how big a fan of Korean cinema I am. Recently, I finally got my girlfriend to watch Castaway On The Moon, and I was blown-away all over again by the lead actors performance. I realised that I hadn’t done any research into any other movies that he’s been in. That’s when I found out about Broken. I purposely didn’t read too much into it in fear of spoiling it. All I know is that it’s a vengeance type of movie, and if anyone can do Vengeance – then it’s the Koreans. So without even knowing what this flick is remotely about, it goes on the list.
I’m really looking forward to this one
4: INUMBER NUMBER
Another film that has makes its way right to the top of my watch-list – No doubt this will be another solid entry from the guys of XYZFilms.
Official Plot (official site)
When honest undercover cop Chili Ngcobo (winner of the TV Talent show, ‘Class Act’, S’dumo Mtshali), and his by-the-book partner, Sello ‘Shoes’ Moshoeshoe (lead actor of the Oscar Winning film ‘Tsotsi’, Presley Chweneyagae), are cheated out of a large reward by their corrupt superiors, Chili finds another way of getting the money he feels they deserve. Chili penetrates a cash-in-transit heist gang, and instead of busting them, convinces his partner to participate in a once off score.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this post which i’ll have up in a few days. Thanks for reading
1: THE SAMURAI
I’m pretty sure this one has already been released and not, then you can expect it very soon. I have just seen the trailer for this and was automatically drawn to it. Did I understand what the fuck was going on in the trailer?, no, I didn’t !. Did I even remotely know what it was about, again, no, I didn’t. All I seen was a cop who was on the pursuit of a wolf that has been terrorising a village. When his search brings him to a nearby by wooded area, he meets a strange man in a long red dress and is carrying a samurai sword,. The samurai tells the cop that he is on a crusade, he then asks the cop to accompany him and the cop accepts.
I have no idea where this film is gonna go, it could turn out to be a love story but I highly doubt it. All I know is that is sounds original and judging from the trailer it looks pretty awesome as well.
2:PARASYTE
Based on a hugely popular manga series by Hitoshi Iwaaki that was published from 1990-1995. PARASYTE tells the story of 17 yr old Shinichi Izumi, a kid who is unaware that while he is laying sleeping, a worm-like alien is trying to take over his body, but because he is wearing headphones, the alien is unable to get into his ears and infect his brain, so it burrows a hole in his arm. When he wakes the next day he finds that most of the human-race has been taken over by aliens, and that his arm can mutate into just about anything (think Prototype only more insane).
I haven’t had the pleasure of reading the manga series but I must admit it looks and sounds absolutely awesome and completely original.
it was recently announced that there was a live-action adaptation coming our way which will be split into a two part series . The first instalment will be here as early as November, with the second following sometime next year.
I also read an article that Gareth Evans (writer of The Raid and The raid 2) had joined the cast. I have no idea if this is true. If he is involved then I’d say he’d be behind the camera rather than in front of it.
3:THE DEAD LANDS
No doubt this is gonna be another beauty from production company XYZ FILMS. XYZ FIKMS keep releasing fantastic movies, and there is no sign of them ever stopping. These guys know what they’re doing. They have given us classics like THE RAID, THE RAID 2, TUSK (not yet released), BIG BAD WOLVES, ON THE JOB, THE NIGHT COMES FOR US (not yet released). Now we have THE DEAD LANDS to add to the list.
THE DEAD LANDS
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
After his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery, Hongi – a Maori chieftain’s teenage son – must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honor to the souls of his loved ones. Vastly outnumbered by the band of villains, Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious ‘Warrior’ a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for years. — IMDb Plot: The Dead Lands (2014)
4COLT 45
Not only do the the French make quality horror films, they’re also pretty damn good at making thrillers. It’s been a while though since I have seen any French film (of any genre) that’s left it’s mark with me. The trailer for this looks really good, but there was a horrible stench of an inevitable American remake, such a rancid stench, you can almost see it coming through your screen.
5: AS GOD SAYS
Another manga adaptation from japan, this time, veteran director Takeshi Miike is the man in the directors chair. Miike has been out of action for quite some time but recently he’s been attached to direct three movie AS GOD SAYS, OVER YOU DEAD BODY, also a world war 2 drama/thriller that will star Tom Hardy (not sure of the title, sorry).
Miike is no stranger in bringing us ultra-violence adapted from a manga series. ICHI THE KILLER was, and still is one of the most shocking and daring films of recent years. A film that is guaranteed to make you go ” wtf did I just watch?”.
What I admire about Miike is that he has always been a daring filmmaker, films like AUDITION,ICHI THE KILLER,HAPPINESS OF THE KATIKURI’SVISITOR Qhave proved that the man is one the best in the business. He really doesn’t give a shit about censorship.. His films are as raw and brutal as they come and more than often, very graphic and extremely disturbing. So, Mr Miike, I salute you sir! AS GOD SAYS TRAILER
1: NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN
OFFICIAL PLOT
Tore (Julius Feldmeier) is a young man who has fallen in with so-called Jesus Freaks, a punk Christian sect basing themselves out of a house in Hamburg. Though an awkwardly unassuming sort, Tore one day makes acquaintance with an affable family man, Benno (Sascha Gersak), and decides to move into his home, where he meets and forges a connection with Benno’s young daughter Sanny (Swantje Kohlhof). However, this bond is tested once Tore discovers the sinister nature of this family unit; Benno’s dislike for Tore’s fastidious religious beliefs notwithstanding, the patriarch is an abusive sexual deviant with a short, violent temper.
MOVIEHOOKER’S THOUGHTS
I was mesmerised by the trailer for this. I am constantly on the hunt for films like this. One critic has even found some comparisons to MARTYRS, and I’m sure you all know, is my favourite horror movie of all time.
There is no doubt about it, this film is going to be dark, disturbing. When we see the violence arrive on-screen, we’re gonna be left feeling very uneasy, dirty and left with the thought “wtf have I just watched??.” There is just something about a horror movie about “Jesus freaks” that’s so unsettling.
2: OVER YOUR DEAD BODY
OFFICIAL PLOT (wiki)
Kousuke Hasegawa (Ebizo Ichikawa) is cast for the stage play “Makoto Yotsuya Kaidan” which is based on the traditional ghost story Yotsuya Kaidan. The ghost story revolves around betrayal, murder, and the revenge of Tamiya Iemon and Oiwa. Kousuke Hasegawa plays main male character Tamiya Iemon and his girlfriend Miyuki Goto (Kou Shibasaki) plays main female character Oiwa.
Kousuke Hasegawa landed the role due to Miyuki Goto’s recommendation, but Kousuke Hasegawa continues cheating on her by having intimate relationships with other actresses involved in the same stage play.
Meanwhile, Miyuki Goto has trouble separating her real self from the character of Oiwa.
MOVIEHOOKER’S THOUGHTS
it’s great to see legendary veteran director Miike Takeshi back on-the-scene. He was one of the main reasons I feel in love with Asian Cinema. The man just doesn’t give a shit, he is one of the most provocative and challenging filmmakers alive today, and proudly holds two fingers up to censorship.
3: MEXICO BOMABARO
OFFICIAL PLOT
México Bárbaro shows the world stories that form a part of our culture, and even some that have haunted us and made us have nightmares since childhood, those ones which took away our innocence. The boogeyman, trolls, ghosts, creatures, Aztec sacrifices, and of course our most beloved tradition, Day of the Dead, immerse in urban and rural stories are some of the issues that make up this anthology.
MOVIEHOOKER’S THOUGHTS
Mexico has given us some fine horror movies over the last fews years. So, anything that comes out of Mexico automatically has my attention.
I’ve been following this as much as I can but unfortunately the only information that I really have on the movie, is that it’s actually getting made. One thing I can tell you though, Mexicans can make a great horror movie. We should watch and buy this movie, promote it all we can, so these fine filmmakers get a chance to do it all over again.
4: THE SHREW’S NEST
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
Spain, 1950s. Monte’s agoraphobia keeps her locked in a sinister apartment in Madrid and her only link to reality is the little sister she lost her youth raising. But one day, a reckless young neighbor, Carlos, falls down the stairwell and drags himself to their door. Someone has entered the shrew’s nest… perhaps he’ll never leave.
MOVIEHOOKER’S THOUGHTS
I posted the poster and plot on my MovieHooker FB page a couple of months ago (https://www.facebook.com/MovieHooker). The trailer recently arrived online and just strengthened my belief that this is gonna be an original and seriously messed up film. I’m looking forward to it.
OFFICIAL PLOT (wiki)
A vicious man (Lee Jung-Jin) works for a loan shark as an enforcer. When customers are unable to pay for their outrageous interest payments the man forces these borrowers to gimp their own bodies to collect insurance money. A woman (Jo Min-Su) then appears in front of the man and gets down on her knees. She tells the man that she is her mother and begs for forgiveness. The vicious man was given up for adoption as soon as he was born. The man quickly dismisses the woman as crazy, but her persistence soon cracks through the man’s hardened outer shell. Can the mother and son find happiness at last?
MY THOUGHTS
Not very often that I’d watch a movie and have to look away from the screen (you’ll know the scene). A very vicious but brilliantly written & acted drama.
Do approach with caution as some of the scenes are very graphic and disturbing.
2: KIDNAPPED
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
Three hooded Eastern-European criminals burst into a home in a Madrid gated community, holding the family hostage in its own home, and forcing the father to empty his credit cards.
MY THOUGHTS
If you’re into Home Invasion movies then chances are, you like you’re movies quite disturbing and unsettling,
KIDNAPPED was a great Home Invasion movie with a simple plot. Guys break into house and take a family hostage, and so begins a horrible night of torture for the family involved.
The film was clever, well written, very realistic and equally sadistic. It didn’t quite follow the usual path and had a very unexpected ending, which in my opinion separated this film from the rest of the home invasion movies and it sits comfortably in the top of my pile of faves.
3: I SAW THE DEVIL
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
When his pregnant fiancée becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge.
MY THOUGHTS
I’m sure everyone has seen this by now as it’s got a huge following with a American remake set for 2014/15 (surprise surprise).
Starring choi min-sik from OLDBOY and NEW WORLD as the perfectly casted serial killer. The man is just fantastic in everything I’ve seen him in, and for someone who is actually a Buddhist, he sure does pick the dark and delicious roles
4: RED WHITE & BLUE
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
A HIV positive woman’s quest to infect as many men as possible has gruesome consequences after she attracts the attention of a psychotic former Army interrogator and an emotionally fragile young man caring for his ailing mother.
MY THOUGHTS
A truly unsettling film, but in my eyes it was quite a masterpiece. I was a fan of the director and writer of this movie, as one of his previous films THE LIVING AND THE DEAD shocked me to core. I had no doubt in my mind that this one would’ve done the same…..and it did.
The guy who plays the army vet deserves a special mention. The man was just fantastic. He gave a riveting yet very unsettling performance.
5: BIG BAD WOLVES
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
A series of brutal murders puts the lives of three men on a collision course: The father of the latest victim now out for revenge, a vigilante police detective operating outside the boundaries of law, and the main suspect in the killings – a religious studies teacher arrested and released due to a police blunder.
MY THOUGHTS
One of my favourite films of last year. It’s great to see Israel start to make their mark in the horror genre. The film itself isn’t the biggest budgeted movie of all time, but there is a solid and very believable storyline, with a great script, great direction, and top performances from all members of the cast.
6: MANIAC
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
As he helps a young artist with her upcoming exhibition, the owner of a mannequin shop’s deadly, suppressed desires come to the surface.
MY THOUGHTS
I really don’t think the above synopsis is accurate.
Guy walks around LA meeting beautiful ladies, violently removes their scalps and uses scalps as realistic hair on mannequin dolls he’s got
Top performance from Elijah Wood. He plays the creepy serial killer extremely well. The style of filming was very unusual and unique. The camera was almost attached to Elijah wood in almost every scene of the film, which resulted in a brand new way to get under your skin…… You became the serial killer for the movie.
You throw in some dirty 80’s themed synthesisers for the soundtrack, and you’ve got one hell of a disturbing and frightening watch.
7: BREATHLESS
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
A bitter and abusive debt collector finds some relief when he meets a high school girl.
MY THOUGHTS
I sat down with my girlfriend to watch this. The opening scene is a man beating a woman around in the middle of a street (my girlfriend immediately gave me the evil eye) then out of nowhere the main character shows up and starts beating the shit out of the dude who was beating the woman (girlfriend continues to stare at me, knowing this film is gonna be hardcore and she ain’t gonna like it). Then when you think the main character is going to help the lady who getting smacked about, he kneels down beside and start slapping her across the face, saying stuff like “why do you just sit there and take it you fucking cunt!” (At this point me and the girlfriend reached a mutual agreement, that she would go on the iPad and I would continue watching).
If you’re no stranger to Korean cinema and you’ve watched some of the classics like “mother”, “bad guy”, then I’m pretty sure you’d enjoy this one. It’s a pretty uneasy watch and when I say there is a lot of domestic violence in it, then I ain’t kidding. That concept alone makes it very hard to watch. The acting has to be mentioned purely for the leading actor. The man deserved an oscar for the performance he gave.
The story goes in an obvious direction, but how it gets there is uncertain, and that’s what makes this film a masterpiece.
8: COLDFISH
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
When Syamoto’s teenage daughter is caught stealing, a generous middle-aged man helps resolve the situation. The man and his wife offer to have Syamoto’s troublesome daughter work at their fish store. Syamoto soon discovers the horrific truth of the seemingly perfect couple.
MY THOUGHTS
This film is just crazy, full of energy, violence with a nice blend of humour.
Don’t really want to say much more about it without giving away too much of the storyline. Just check it out 😉
9: ICHI THE KILLER
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.
MY THOUGHTS
The very first film that made my girlfriend stop eating her dinner 😉 she has watched many of my movies over the years but this was the one that was too much for her.
The film takes violence to a whole new level. To this day the film is still one of the most shocking and disturbing flicks I’ve ever seen. And although I haven’t watched this flick in a long time, some of the scenes are still as fresh in my mind as the first day I saw them.
10: AUDITION
OFFICIAL PLOT (imdb)
A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all.
MY THOUGHTS
Another great and very unsettling film from the guy who pretty much dominates Japan with the most fucked up movies around. (ICHI the killer, visitor q, gozu). Quite an old film but again this film will stick with you for years after watching. Another one for people who like their stuff dark, filthy and extremely gruesome.
Currently still in production. “Killers” is the story of two serial killers, one who has a huge online following, and the other who is a copycat murderer . The copycat murderer is starting to steal the limelight from our main guy , which leaves him no other choice than to travel from Japan to Indonesia and hunt him down, kill him, and earn back his respect. The premise of this film sounds brilliant, people who enjoy a really good serial killer movie like “I saw the devil”, and like their films a little fucked up and disturbing are going to be left speechless as this film is gonna give us two serial killers, and two directors who aren’t scared of going for the jugular and leaving us feeling uneasy.
I know for a fact this film is gonna be insane. From the writers ( mo brothers) of the demented serial killer film “coldfish” and the extremely disturbing and blood soaked fucked up family movie “macabre”, and financially backed by “merantau pictures” which is owned by “Gareth Evans” the writer and director of ” the raid”. Release date TBC
MOVIEHOOKER 
