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The Japanese horror boom of the 1990s wasn’t just limited to film, as most of the classic survival horror franchises that we now know and love came from Japanese developers offering a unique perspective on traditionally western settings. This is how we got iconic yet idiosyncratic locations like Raccoon City and even the cursed town of Silent Hill.

That’s why it makes sense that the latest entry in the Silent Hill series is aiming to return to the franchise’s East-Asian roots by having the game actually take place in 1970s Japan after decades of having western developers in charge of the IP. With that in mind, we’ve decided to come up with a list recommending six underrated Japanese Horror films to get you in the mood for NeoBards’ upcoming Silent Hill f.

As usual, this list is entirely based on personal opinion, but we’ll try...

A hospital in the decommissioning process–housing only a skeleton staff and a few patients–receives an ambulance call, which gives no alternative other than to drop off an extremely ill man. When the person arrives, the hospital staff finds a bandaged body constantly oozing a thick green discharge. As the night goes on, it seems to affect the body and mind of those at the hospital, and they transform into violent zombies.

Coming up on Halloween, it was hard not to go with a horror movie, and one that certainly deserves more fanfare is Masayuki Ochiai’s 2004 film “Infection.” An entertaining mix of body horror and supernatural mystery, Masayuki Ochiai makes up for the limited budget by crafting ghastly moments of horror and disgust, like grabbing a handful from the needle dispensary. Moreover, “Infection” leaves much up to interpretation, and the source of the madness that overcomes the hospital...

J-Horror is among the most renowned internationally genres of Asian cinema, with the popularity of titles like “Ringu”, “Ju-on”, “Pulse” and so many others still echoing quite intensely. As such, it is quite interesting, even today, to shed a more thorough look to the roots, the motifs, and the reasons of success of these movies, also because some of the most central directors are still at large.

Check also this article Is J-Horror Coming Back? Six Movies that Suggest So

As such, I have to begin the review by stating that shooting this documentary seems like a colossal endeavor, both for arranging interviews with the likes of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takashi Shimizu, Teruyoshi Ishii, Joji Iida, Masayuki Ochiai, Shinya Tsukamoto, and Mari Asato, and for tracking down Rie Ino'o, who played Sadako in the first two films, and Takako Fuji, who played Kayako in a number of entries of “Ju-on”. Add...

The Japanese horror boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s, spawned in large part by Hideo Nakata’s Ring, gets the spotlight in the upcoming documentary The J-Horror Virus.

Check out the trailer below, first shared by Fangoria earlier today.

From Sarah Appleton and Jasper Sharp, The J-Horror Virus is said to be a “feature-length documentary charting the origins, evolution and diffusion across the world of a distinctive brand of made-in-Japan supernatural chillers that seeped into the global consciousness at the turn of the millennium, films featuring vengeful ghosts manifesting themselves through contemporary technology again a backdrop of urban alienation and social decay.”

The synopsis continues, “From its origins in Teruyoshi Ishii’s 1988 fake documentary Psychic Vision: Jaganrei (1988) and Norio Tsuruta’s seminal Scary True Stories (1991/92) straight-to-video series, through such key titles as Hideo Nakata’s Ring (1998), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse (2001) and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-On: The Grudge...

By Henry McKeand

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's “Pulse” had an inescapable impact on the Japanese horror scene when it hit theatres in 1997. Countless filmmakers were inspired by its pervasive unease and refusal to settle for simple scares. Along with the release of Hideo Nakata's “Ringu” a year later, it set the standard for the J-Horror renaissance that forever altered the cinematic landscape in the 2000s. But even with the hordes of imitators and worshippers, perhaps no film owes more to “Pulse” than “Saimin” by Masayuki Ochiai. Released later as “The Hypnotist” in the U.S., “Saimin” shares themes of hypnosis and the inherent darkness of human nature with “Pulse”, but it is ultimately a more commercial take on the same material, trading in Kurosawa's ambient dread for gonzo thrills.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

The film kicks off in bravura fashion, with Ochiai cross-cutting...

Supernatural Horror The Medium Comes Exclusively to Shudder October 14. From Director Banjong Pisanthanakun and Produced by Na Hong-jin, Visionary Director of The Wailing. Here’s the trailer:

A documentary team follows Nim, a shaman based in Northern Thailand, the Isan area, and encounters her niece Mink showing strange symptoms that seem to be of inheritance of shamanism. The team decides to follow Mink, hoping to capture the shaman lineage passing on to the next generation, but her bizarre behavior becomes more extreme. From director Banjong Pisanthanakun (Shutter) and producer Na Hong-jin (director of The Wailing)

The Medium is the latest feature from genre-jumping Thai director Banjong Pisanthanakun whose feature debut, the acclaimed ghost story Shutter, co-directed and co-written with Parkpoom Wongpoom, has been remade in three languages, including the 2008 Hollywood remake directed by Masayuki Ochiai.

The shamanic chiller marks the first time award-winning South Korean writer/director Na Hong-jin has...

The 19th Fantasia International Film Festival is right around the corner. Though the full lineup for the festival won't be unveiled until early next month, the second wave of Fantasia titles have been revealed and horror fans have a lot to look forward to.

Press Release: "Montreal, June 11, 2015 – The 19th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival, presented by Ubisoft and Anchor Bay, will soon be stunning Montreal with three weeks of cinematic ingenuity from July 14 until August 4, 2015.

Fantasia's complete lineup of programming and special events will be revealed on July 7th. To tide you over until then, we're thrilled to announce an incredible Second Wave of titles!

The International Premiere Of Takeshi Kitano’S Ryuzo And The Seven Henchmen

Coming immediately after his Outrage saga, Takeshi Kitano’s hilarious crime story stars screen legend Tatsuya Fuji (In The Realm Of The Senses) as a retired yakuza who realizes...

A little over one month away, the Fantasia Film Festival announced it’s second wave of titles this morning. Fantasia Film Festival holds a special place in the hearts of Sound on Sight and we could not be more excited for their upcoming edition which promises to be bigger and better than ever. Arguably the largest genre film festival in the world, Fantasia will run from July 14th to August 4th this year and feature a large number of world and international premieres. The full-lineup, including special events, will be announced on July 7th.

From the official press release, here are some titles we can now look forward to:

The International Premiere Of Takeshi Kitano’S Ryuzo And The Seven Henchmen

Coming immediately after his Outrage saga, Takeshi Kitano’s hilarious crime story stars screen legend Tatsuya Fuji (In The Realm Of The Senses) as a retired yakuza who realizes...

Takeshi Kitano’s Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen, Sonny Mallhi’s Anguish, Ringo Lam’s Wild City and Miguel Angel Vivas’ Extinction among titles playing at Montreal’s genre film festival.

Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled the second wave of titles for its upcoming 19th edition, taking place in Montreal from July 14-Aug 4.

Takeshi Kitano’s Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen will receive its international premiere at this year’s event, while the festival will also host the world premieres of Sonny Mallhi’s Anguish, David Keating’s Cherry Tree, Jacob Gentry’s Synchronicity, Victor Zarcoff’s Slumlord and Bite from Chad Archibald and the team behind Anti-Social.

The world premiere of Miguel Angel Vivas’ English language debut Extinction headlines a heightened focus on Spanish cinema at this year’s Fantasia, with other titles including Marshland and Shrew’s Nest.

Other notable titles in the second wave include Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s [link...

In honor of last year's 40th anniversary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Grey Matter Art revealed the final poster of the film in their four-part artwork series. Also in this round-up: two trailers for Ju-On: The Final, which inspired The Grudge franchise in the United States, and a clip from Sky Sharks.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Artwork: This poster is set to go on sale at Grey Matter Art's online shop this Thursday between 1-2pm Est. The poster is priced at $50 for the regular edition and $65 for the variant version.

"Artist: Francesco Francavilla

Size: 24x36

Regular Edition: 225/$50.00 (Hand Numbered)

Variant Edition: 150/$65.00 (Hand Numbered)

Printed By: D & L Screen Printing"

Regular:

Variant:

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Ju-On: The Final: "Mai Ikuno (Airi Taira) discovers that her younger sister Yui has disappeared. Yui is as an elementary school teacher, and she frequently visited the home Toshio Saeki (Kai Kobayashi), a truant student. Looking...

The latest entry in the Ju-On series comes with a title that could be considered false advertising. It's called Ju-On: The Beginning of the End yet it's not the "beginning" of anything, it's simply the end. Hell, it's beyond the end. Here are some alternative titles - Ju-On: Beating a Dead Horse (or dead cat, if you want to stay true to the Ju-On legacy) or Ju-On: The Greatest Hits.

Sadly, an opportunity to reinvigorate a J-horror mainstay has been wasted to regurgitate every Ju-on film we've seen to date. Furthermore, it's disappointing to see writer-director Masayuki Ochiai deliver such a flat-looking film, especially considering he gave us the colorful and textured Infection many years back.

The post Fantasia Review: New Ju-On Film is Like Every Other Ju-On Film appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

A bulky selection of new stills from the Masayuki Ochiai ('Shutter') directed horror sequel 'Ju-On: Beginning of the End' have arrived bringing with them more spooky images of Kayako and Toshio amongst some new faces set to come across this ghostly duo in the latest installment. The next chapter in the the long-running J-horror franchise will be making an appearance at this months Fantasia International Film Festival and was unleashed into Japanese theatres last month. Nozomi Sasaki, Sho Aoyagi, Kai Kobayashi, Reina Triendl, Miho Kanazawa and Haori Takahashi all star. Check out the new images below....

Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival has revealed its second wave of programming, which includes a screening of Ju-On: The Beginning of the End and a 40th anniversary screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, where Tobe Hooper will be presented with a lifetime achievement award:

“Official Closing Film – Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York

Fantasia will close its 2014 edition with the North American Premiere of Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York, the controversial latest from the legendary filmmaker behind such landmarks as Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, New Rose Hotel and the recently re-released Ms 45.

Welcome To New York is loosely based on the Dsk scandal and stars the iconic Gérard Depardieu in one of the bravest performances of his career. Co-starring is the equally sensational Jacqueline Bisset.

Abel Ferrara will be on hand to host this special evening,...

We're back with more titles heading to the 2014 Fantasia Film Festival as well as a few new images and word on a Lifetime Achievement Award for Tobe Hooper. Read on for all the details!

From the Press Release:

Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil additional highlights to rev you up for our July 10th Press Conference, where our full 2014 film lineup will be revealed.

Official Closing Film - Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York

Fantasia will close its 2014 edition with the North American Premiere of Abel Ferrara’s Welcome To New York, the controversial latest from the legendary filmmaker behind such landmarks as Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, New Rose Hotel and the recently re-released Ms 45.

Welcome To New York is loosely based on the Dsk scandal and stars the iconic Gérard Depardieu in one of...

The 18th Fantasia International Film Festival’s second lineup of films was unveiled Thursday, and it features the closing night film on August 5, Welcome to New York directed by Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant, Ms. 45).

Ferrara will be present to talk about his latest film, starring Gérard Depardieu and Jacqueline Bisset. The film was received with warm reviews after appearing out of competition at Cannes and at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

The Fantasia Film Fest runs July 17 to August 5 in Montreal, and the full lineup of films, in addition to the ones already announced, will be released July 10.

View the whole press release of second wave lineup announcements below.

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Fantasia Announces Second Wave

Of 2014 Programming Montreal, Thursday June 26, 2014 – Following last week’s first wave of programming announcements, the Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to unveil additional highlights to rev you up for our July 10th Press Conference, where...

Abel Ferrara’s controversial Dsk feature to receive North American premiere at the genre festival, which has announced its second wave of programming.

Welcome to New York will receive its North American premiere as the closing film of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

Abel Ferrara’s controversial feature, loosely based on the Dsk scandal, is part of the second wave of programming for the Montreal-based genre festival, along with the international premiere of Masayuki Ochiai’s reboot Ju-on: The Beginning of the End.

The second wave includes three additional world premieres – Tim Grabham & Jasper Sharp’s The Creeping Garden, Joseph O’Brien’s The Devil’s Mile and Chad Archibald’s The Drownsman – while the likes of Brian O’Malley’s Let Us Prey and Maximilian Erlenwein’s Stereo receive their North American premieres at this year’s edition.

Nicholas McCarthy’s At the Devil’s Door (formerly Home), Wong Jin’s From Vegas to Macau...

Director Masayuki Ochiai’s has unleashed a third Ju-on (The Grudge) movie onto the world and its spreading out from Japan, into new territories. Malaysia is set to get it next (on July 31st) and that means English subbed trailer time! Fingeers crossed it wont be long before it heads a little colder to home. Synopsis: This film focuses on the deceased Saeki family and its curse. An elementary school teacher named Yui (Nozomi Sasaki) visits the home of a boy named Toshio Saeki (Kai Kobayashi) who's been absent from school for a long period of time. When she arrives, she re-lives the horrifying events that occurred in the Saeki household 10 years earlier.

Director Masayuki Ochiai’s has unleashed a prequel Ju-on (The Grudge) movie onto the world and its spreading out from Japan, into new territories. Malaysia is set to get it next (on July 31st) and that means English subbed trailer time! Fingeers crossed it wont be long before it heads a little colder to home. Synopsis: This film focuses on the deceased Saeki family and its curse. An elementary school teacher named Yui (Nozomi Sasaki) visits the home of a boy named Toshio Saeki (Kai Kobayashi) who's been absent from school for a long period of time. When she arrives, she re-lives the horrifying events that occurred in the Saeki household 10 years earlier.

Further expanding the terrifying backstory of little Toshio Saeki is Japanese horror sequel 'Ju-On: Beginning of the End'. A new trailer from the Masayuki Ochiai ('Shutter') helmed project has been released featuring all the familiar traits and trappings of classic J-horror. Director Masayuki helms from a script he wrote and the sequel stars Nozomi Sasaki and Kai Kobayashi. Head below and check out the new trailer....

The creepy and scary little ghost fellow who became famous by popping up at odd times and making cat gestures at people is coming back. His name is Toshio and the announcement was made a few months ago of his return in the upcoming Japanese flick Ju-on: Beginning Of The End aka The Grudge: Beginning Of The End. From writer/director Masayuki Ochiai this will mark the seventh entry into the Ju-on Horror franchise. Below is the official trailer for…...

Toshio, the ghost boy who made audiences scared of cat meowing, is back. After being announced just a few months ago, an official trailer has already been released for Ju-on: Owari no Hajimari, or The Grudge: Beginning of the End, the seventh entry in the popular Japanese Ju-on horror franchise.

Set to be released in Japan on June 28th, Ju-on: Owari no Hajimari is written and directed by Masayuki Ochiai (2008 remake of Shutter) and stars Nozomi Sasaki and Kai Kobayashi. This is the first Japanese Ju-on film since 2009′s Ju-on: White Ghost (2009).

“An elementary school teacher named Yui visits the home of a boy named Toshio Saeki who’s been absent from school for a long period of time. When she arrives, she re-lives the horrific tragedy which occurred in the Saeki household 10 years earlier. A cardboard box left in a closet holds the key to revealing a long-hidden truth.

Production on Masayuki Ochiai's 'Ju-On: Beginning of the End' is well underway with a Japanese premiere scheduled in for 28 June. The movie which follows the 'Ju-On' franchise marks its seventh theatrical outing and reintroduces us to the terrifying Toshio Saeki. The first teaser trailer from the production has arrived featuring the typically creepy noise now famously synonymous with the series. Masayuki will write and direct whilst Nozomi Sasaki and Kai Kobayashi both star in the sequel. Head below to check out the new trailer as well as the previous teaser art....

Ju-on Beginning of the End Trailer, Posters. Masayuki Ochiai‘s Ju-on: Beginning of the End / Ju-on: Owari no Hajimari (2014) teaser trailer, movie poster stars Nozomi Sasaki and Kai Kobayashi. Ju-on: Beginning of the End‘s plot synopsis: “An elementary school teacher named Yui visits the home of a [...]

Continue reading: Ju-on: Beginning Of The End (2014) Teaser Trailer and Movie Posters...

Many film websites published “decade’s best horror films” lists in late 2009/early 2010. While these lists collectively provided a rough snapshot of the genre’s ups and downs during that time, with more time to reflect, it becomes increasingly clear what an important period the 2000’s were for the horror genre on a global scale.

Not only did this decade easily and obviously eclipse the comparatively arid 1990’s in both volume of production and overall quality, the 2000’s can also be looked at as a crucial one for horror cinema despite the justified outrage about the American film industry’s widespread strip-mining of classics and foreign films for remakes/re-boots and its saturation of the market with teen-friendly PG-13 rated horror films.

While by no means as groundbreaking as the 1970’s or as sentimentally regarded as the 1980’s, the 2000’s will be recalled as the decade that, despite well-founded criticisms...

Each year the Sitges Film Festival commercial spot is almost as eagerly awaited by the general public as its lineup, and Rafa Antón, creative director of the China agency and the man responsible for its campaigns over the last ten years, has presented this year’s commercial, entitled "Alter Ego". In addition, the preliminary lineup for the Festival has been revealed, but it's not complete by any means. More will be announced throughout the month.

Antón presented the commercial at the Velodrome, property of the brand, along with Festival director Angel Sala and one of Sitges 2011’s partners Moritz Beer.

As explained at the presentation of the Sitges 2011 posters, artificial intelligence is this year’s central theme, represented through the geminoids created by professor Ishiguro in Japan. For the commercials, Rafa Antón stated that he’d “continued with the same commemorative leitmotif of the tenth anniversary of Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg...

Assembled for broadcast on Japanese television by Nhk, Kaidan Horror Classics is a series of four adaptations of famous macabre short stories by high profile Japanese directors. And it's an interesting selection of talent, to say the least. Calling the shots on the series are Hula Girls director Sang-Il Lee, Infection's Masayuki Ochiai, Nobody Knows helmer Hirokazu Kore-Eda, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man's Shinya Tsukamoto.

For a full breakdown of the four films I recommend heading over to the Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow, who have posted a full review, but for a quick taste we've got the trailer below.

A few days ago, the official website for the hybrid live-action/animated film Thriller Restaurant was updated with a full trailer featuring some previously unrevealed live-action footage.

The film is based on a popular series of storybooks in which the proprietor of Kaidan Restaurant, Obake Garçon (Ghost Waiter), tells horror stories to a group of children. A total of 50 volumes were published from 1996-2007 and have sold over 8 million copies to date. Toei Animation recently adapted the books to an anime series which TV Asahi began airing on October 13, 2009. According to Anime News Network, the film version will be mostly live-action and CGI except for a 10-minute animated sequence in the beginning. 13-year-old Oscar Promotion member Ayano Kudo will star as a young spirit detective named Haru Amano.

The film’s director is Masayuki Ochiai, who’s previously been best known for directing horror films like “Parasite Eve” (1997), “Infection” (2004), and...

The official website for the hybrid live-action/animated film Thriller Restaurant has been updated with a teaser trailer. Unfortunately, it really is a teaser and doesn’t actually have much in the way of actual footage.

The film is based on a popular series of storybooks in which the proprietor of Kaidan Restaurant, Obake Garçon (Ghost Waiter), tells horror stories to a group of children. A total of 50 volumes were published from 1996-2007 and have sold over 8 million copies to date. Toei Animation recently adapted the books to an anime series which TV Asahi began airing on October 13, 2009. According to Anime News Network, the film version will be mostly live-action and CGI except for a 10-minute animated sequence in the beginning. 13-year-old Oscar Promotion member Ayano Kudo will star as a young spirit detective named Haru Amano.

The film’s director is Masayuki Ochiai, who’s previously been best known...

Ok, so we've seen the poster and the stills for the next chiller coming out of Japan, Hiroshi Takahashi's latest spook-fest Kyôfu. Now how about some good old fashioned trailer action? Mind you, there are no subtitles, but hey, the language of fear is universal!

For those of you following along the steps of the "J-Horror Theater" franchise, the sixth installment in the series (the other five films being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution, Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation, Norio Tsuruta's Premonition, and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection), Hiroshi Takahashi's Kyôfu, is getting set to make its debut in Japan this July. To help you gear up for this auspicious occasion, be sure to also visit the official Kyôfu website.

There are no details available about the movie just yet, but we'll let you know when something more meaty comes our way.

Check out the trailer below courtesy of Gomorrahy.

We told you about Hiroshi Takahashi's latest Japanese spook-fest Kyôfu a few weeks ago and even showed you a few stills from the flick to get you into the long black-haired spirit of things. Ready for the one-sheet? No? Well, here it is anyway!

For those of you following along the steps of the "J-Horror Theater" franchise, the sixth installment in the series (the other five films being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution, Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation, Norio Tsuruta's Premonition, and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection), Hiroshi Takahashi's Kyôfu, is getting set to make its debut in Japan this July. To help you gear up for this auspicious occasion, the official Kyôfu website has been updated with some bells and whistles including the artwork you see below.

There are no details available about the movie just yet, but we'll let you know when something more meaty comes our way.

The official website for Hiroshi Takahashi‘s Kyofu (terror, horror, fear, fright - take your pick) has been updated with a trailer for the film.

Takahashi was the screenwriter for Hideo Nakata‘s “Ring”, the 1998 film which launched the J-horror wave that had Japanese teenagers biting their fingernails and routinely screaming “yada yada!” for several years afterward. Most would agree that particular wave has been pretty much kaput for a good while now, but don’t tell that to producer Takashige Ichise, who keeps finding ways to get worldwide distribution for the “J-Horror Theater” series of horror films he’s been involved with from the beginning. As the trailer shows, the series includes Masayuki Ochiai’s “Infection”, Norio Tsuruta’s “Premonition”, Takashi Shimizu’s “Reincarnation”, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Retribution”, and Hideo Nakata’s “Kaidan”. Kyofu is intended to be the sixth entry in the series.

The theme of the film...

From the writer of The Ring comes an experiment which gives me some serious Dreamscape vibes.

As we previous reported, Kyôfu is being promoted as the sixth and final movie in the "J-Horror Theater" (J horâ shiatâ) series - the five previous movies being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution

(Sakebi), Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation (Rinne), Norio Tsuruta's

Premonition and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection (Kansen).

Trailer after the break. via The Gomorrahizer

Embedded video stripped, see full HTML version.

Is anybody really still watching J-horror anymore? I don't know about you guys, but we've pretty much had our fill of spooky little girls dressed in white with long black hair. Even our own Andrew Kasch only gets a half a chub when a new Japanese flick comes out, and that's really saying something!

For those of you following along the steps of the "J-Horror Theater" franchise, the sixth installment in the series (the other five films being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution, Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation, Norio Tsuruta's Premonition, and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection), Hiroshi Takahashi's Kyôfu, is getting set to make its debut in Japan this July. To help you gear up for this auspicious occasion, the official Kyôfu website has been launched. Right now it's only home to some teaser art, but we'll keep an eye on it in case anything interesting pops up.

We've just been informed by our pal The Gomorrahizer that a website for The Ring's Hiroshi Takahashi's newest j horror film, Kyôfu, has gone live. We've also been shown some first stills which are quite a sight.

Apparently, Kyôfu is being promoted as the sixth and final movie in the "J-Horror Theater" (J horâ shiatâ) series - the five previous movies being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution

(Sakebi), Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation (Rinne), Norio Tsuruta's

Premonition and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection (Kansen).

Tokyo Theatres Co. Inc. (Tôkyô Teatoru K.K.) plans to release Kyôfu

theatrically in Japan in July.

Check out the stills after the break.

Head to Quiet Earth to see the stills.

The 2000's—the decade of iPods, social networking websites and economic hardship—were an interesting decade for horror movies, to say the least. You either loved them, or you downright hated them. From remakes, re-imaginings, reboots, restarts and resets to foreign imports to a resurgence of low-grade schlock, the 2000's were not without gore for fans across the globe....

At the end of the 90s, horror movies were almost non-existent. They were doing nothing new—trying only to steal the fame that Scream harnessed in 1995. Theatres were flooded with neo-Slasher knockoffs, and mediocrity ran amok. If it weren’t for The Blair Witch Project and The Sixth Sense, the 90s would have drowned in a sea of its own plainness. Once the 90s ended and the new millennium began, horror slowly glided on the watered-down plotlines of the should-not-be-classics of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend,...

This past year was a pretty damn good one for horror—as long as you didn’t depend on the mainstream. While most of the wide-release features conformed safely to formula, much more daring and interesting stuff was cropping up all over the art-house, festival and DVD scene.

Perhaps no better example can be drawn than the fact that while the bloodless, predictable Twilight was sucking millions of bucks out of tween girls at the multiplexes, the small Swedish import Let The Right One In, a modern classic on the same theme, was quietly knocking out audiences on a much smaller scale. Not everything the studios gave us in 2008 was negligible; a couple of titles from the majors made my top 10, and The Ruins and The Strangers would be among the runners-up. But there are far more indie features swarming like piranhas just below my list…

1.) Let The Right One In...

It’s all about the traps this week. Check out what horror flicks are hitting DVD on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008...

Asylum (2008)

Directed by David R. Ellis

It seems all the madness surrounding Ellis’ last effort, Snakes on a Plane, popped something in his head and he decided the only way to follow it up would be with the most generic, bland, impotent kind of horror film. Enter Asylum, the story of a group of new kids at college who find out their new dorm is adjacent to the former stomping grounds of a doctor who got off on conducting experiments on kids their age. Lameness follows. Be sure to read our Asylum DVD review for more! Buy it here!

Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell (2007)

Directed by Kevin Wheatley & Jonny Gillette

How strange; I remember when this film first was getting festival play it was the talk of the...

Shutter is truly the best Asian horror remake since the American version of Ringu ( The Ring ). From the executive producers of The Ring and The Grudge comes a true picture of terror, Shutter, debuting both as an Unrated and Rated DVD as well as a Blu-ray Disc (Bd) July 15th from Fox Home Entertainment. Soon after relocating to Japan, New York newlyweds Ben (Joshua Jackson; Bobby, “Dawson’s Creek”) and Jane (Rachael Taylor; Transformers) realize that the honeymoon is over before it can begin. After a tragic accident, a chilling, ghostly shadow begins to appear in their photos. Determined to expose Ben’s past, this mysterious spirit image will stop at nothing in her quest to reveal his dark and disturbing secrets. As they delve deeper into the word of spirit photography, Ben and Jane learn that the past can never truly be left behind.

Available as a widescreen DVD,...

Shutter is truly the best Asian horror remake since the American version of Ringu ( The Ring ). From the executive producers of The Ring and The Grudge comes a true picture of terror, Shutter, debuting both as an Unrated and Rated DVD as well as a Blu-ray Disc (Bd) July 15th from Fox Home Entertainment. Soon after relocating to Japan, New York newlyweds Ben (Joshua Jackson; Bobby, “Dawson’s Creek”) and Jane (Rachael Taylor; Transformers) realize that the honeymoon is over before it can begin. After a tragic accident, a chilling, ghostly shadow begins to appear in their photos. Determined to expose Ben’s past, this mysterious spirit image will stop at nothing in her quest to reveal his dark and disturbing secrets. As they delve deeper into the word of spirit photography, Ben and Jane learn that the past can never truly be left behind.

Available as a widescreen DVD,...

A realy cool Photoshop job courtesy of Fox Home Video who has released the final DVD cover art for their upcoming unrated release of Shutter. The Masayuki Ochiai directed horror will be available to own from the 15th July, with each disc retailing at around $29.98. The rated edition will include anamorphic widescreen and full screen presentations, along with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround tracks. The only extra material will be 2 featurettes (A Ghost In The Lens, A History Of Spirit Photography). The unrated edition will receive an anamorphic widescreen presentation, along with English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dts 5.1 Surround tracks. Extras will include a commentary with Production Executive Alex Sundell, Screenwriter Luke Dawson and actress Rachael Taylor, 5 featurettes (A Cultural Divide, The Director: Masayuki Ochiai, A Conversation With Luke Dawson, Create Your Own Phantom Photo, The Hunt For The Haunt: Tools And Tips For Ghost Hunting), 9 deleted scenes, an alternate ending (Mental...

• Weekend Top 10 # Title Gross % Chg. Theaters Weeks Avg Total Distributor 1 Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! $25.1M -44.2 3,961 2 6.336 $86.5M Fox 2 Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns $20.M --- 2,006 1 9.975 $20.M Lionsgate 3 Shutter $10.7M --- 2,753 1 3,886 $10.7M Fox 4 Drillbit Taylor $10.2M --- 3,056 1 3,337 $10.2M Paramount 5 10,000 B.C. $8.7M -48.4 3,454 3 2,507 $76.1M Warner Bros. 6 Never Back Down $4.9M -43.5 2,729 2 1,781 $16.8M Summit 7 College Road Trip $4.6M -40.7 2,575 3 1,798 $32.M Buena Vista 8 The Bank Job $4.1M -18.9 1,613 3 2,541 $19.4M Lionsgate 9 Vantage Point $3.8M -30.4 2,124 5 1,789 $65.3M Sony 10 La Misma Luna $2.6M --- 266 1 9,781 $3.3M Weinstein Company To say Tyler Perry’s record at the box office is impressive is a gross understatement. The man’s movies consistently defy expectations by grabbing the top spot despite lower theatre counts. Though the $20 million gross for his latest, Meet the Browns, is on par with past hits, there was one elephant of an obstacle stopping him from being crowned king of the jungle and his name is Horton.

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Joshua Jackson is set to join Rachael Taylor in Regency Enterprises' psychological thriller Shutter, which begins shooting March 12 in Tokyo. Also joining the cast are David Denman (The Office), James Kyson Lee (Heroes) and John Hensley ("Nip/Tuck").

From director Masayuki Ochiai, Shutter, a remake of a 2004 Thai film, centers on a young American couple (Jackson and Taylor) on their honeymoon in Tokyo, who begin seeing ghostly images in their photos as well as around them.

Luke Dawson wrote the screenplay. Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee and Doug Davison are producing with Takashige Ichise. Alex Sundell is overseeing for Regency president of production Sanford Panitch.

20th Century Fox will distribute.

Jackson now appears in Bobby and will next be seen in Stuart Townsend's indie film Battle in Seattle starring Charlize Theron. He is repped by WMA, Michael Bircumshaw of Waterstreet and attorney Steve Warren.

Denman plays Roy, Pam's on-again/off-again boyfriend on the hit NBC comedy The Office. He can next be seen in Miramax Films' Smart People and MGM's Fan Boys. He's repped by APA and Hofflund Palone.

Rachael Taylor has signed on to star in Shutter, a psychological thriller being directed by Masayuki Ochiai for Regency. Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee and Doug Davison are producing with Taka Ichise.

The story revolves around a young American couple on their honeymoon in Tokyo who begin seeing ghostly images in their photos as well as around them.

Taylor plays the new bride.

Shooting is scheduled to begin next month in Tokyo.

Fox will distribute the movie, which is a remake of the 2004 Thai film. Luke Dawson wrote the screenplay.

Alex Sundell is overseeing for Regency president of production Sanford Panitch.

The Australian-born Taylor is in DreamWorks' upcoming tentpole Transformers, which opens July 4. She also appeared in See No Evil and played Catherine Oxenberg in ABC's "Dynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure."

Taylor is repped by WMA, Marquee Management and attorney Fred Gaines.

CANNES -- Lions Gate International has acquired worldwide distribution rights excluding Japan to producer Taka Ichise's recently announced horror franchise J-Horror Theater. The package will feature a selection of six films each by Japanese filmmakers who have worked heavily in the horror genre. The directors on board for Ichise's franchise are Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on: The Grudge), Hideo Nakata (The Ring), Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure), writer-turned director Hiroshi Takahashi, Masayuki Ochiai (Parasite Eve) and Norio Tsuruta (Ring O: Birthday).