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If you are a horror fan then there is a big chance that you might have heard about the horror streaming service Shudder, and if you have its subscription you might be wondering what’s in store for you in October 2024. Don’t worry there is a host of new and old horror movies coming to the service in the upcoming month and we have listed the 13 best movies coming to Shudder in October 2024.

Hush (October 1)

Hush is a slasher horror thriller film directed by Mike Flanagan who also co-wrote the film with Kate Siegel. The 2016 film follows the story of a dead writer living in a remote house in the woods but when a masked killer appears in the window she must fight for her survival. Hush stars Kate Siegel in the lead role with John Gallagher Jr.,...

“I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something wrong with her.”

When writer Tony Rayns met Japanese director for one of the first times in the 1990s, he spoke to him about his incredible output per year, which sometimes ranged somewhere between six to seven movies. According to Miike, the answer was obvious for he liked to keep himself busy with his films through the year. Additionally, rejecting a producer’s proposal, especially for an interesting idea, was something Miike could (and probably still can) not do, and in the end the people involved would find the right time and right place in his busy schedule to work everything out.

“Audition” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival

Interestingly, the year this encounter took place marks a significant milestone in Miike’s career. The Rotterdam Film Festival not only showed three of his movies – “Audition...

The Directors’ Guild of Japan has called on authorities in Myanmar to release filmmaker Maung Thein Dan. He has been detained and jailed pending a trial.

Myanmar was wracked by a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 which toppled the civilian government of Ang San Suu Kyi. The army has since mounted a brutal crackdown that notably involves control of most media within the country, the arrest of celebrities, and other efforts to eliminate dissent.

Variety has previously reported on the arrest in June and detention of Ma Aeint, who produced “Money Has Four Legs,” a satirical feature about no-budget filmmaking and film censorship that recently played at the Udine and Locarno festivals. She is currently in Insein Prison, held in a section for political prisoners.

Maung Thein Dan, who has lived in Japan since a child, was arrested while in Myanmar in April. He has been charged with supporting anti-government protests...

“I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something wrong with her.”

When writer Tony Rayns met Japanese director for one of the first times in the 1990s, he spoke to him about his incredible output per year, which sometimes ranged somewhere between six to seven movies. According to Miike, the answer was obvious for he liked to keep himself busy with his films through the year. Additionally, rejecting a producer’s proposal, especially for an interesting idea, was something Miike could (and probably still can) not do, and in the end the people involved would find the right time and right place in his busy schedule to work everything out.

“Audition” is streaming on Mubi

Interestingly, the year this encounter took place marks a significant milestone in Miike’s career. The Rotterdam Film Festival not only showed three of his movies – “Audition”, “Dead or Alive” and...

Audition

Blu ray

Arrow Video

1999 / 1:85:1 / 115 Min. / Street Date – February 12, 2019

Starring Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina

Cinematography by Hideo Yamamoto

Directed by Takashi Miike

It could be described as lyrically sadistic but de Sade himself might flinch at Audition – like its fragile leading lady, Takashi Miike’s film treads ever so softly before lowering the boom on its stupefied audience.

Ryo Ishibashi plays Shigeharu Aoyama, a middle-aged widower tired of sleeping in a single bed but ill-equipped for the dating game. Like the desperate anti-heroes of so many noirs, Aoyama makes just one mistake but it’s a doozy – he stages a sham audition as his personal matchmaking service. Into that not-so-tender trap steps Asami, a supernaturally shy ballerina with secrets all her own.

Miike spins their gauzy-lensed courtship with kid gloves and compassion and by the time the happy couple set sail for a seaside rendezvous we’re aching...

Love is certainly in the air this week, especially with our horror and sci-fi home releases, as we have plenty of tainted love on tap for those of you who tend to enjoy the darker side of romance. Scream Factory is ready to put you in the mood with both the Collector’s Edition of Valentine and their Poison Ivy box set, and Arrow Video has assembled an impressive Special Edition of Audition that fans are definitely going to want to pick up on Tuesday.

For those of you looking for some less romantically-inclined entertainment, Popcorn is getting the SteelBook treatment, and you can take a ride aboard the Horror Express as well. Other notable releases for February 12th include Possum, Killer Campout, Doom Room, Haunted Hospital: Heilstätten, Purgatory Road, and Nightflyers: Season One.

Audition: Special Edition

One of the most shocking J-horror films ever made, Audition exploded onto the...

Takashi Miike’s Audition will be available on Blu-ray From Arrow Video February 12th

One of the most shocking J-horror films ever made, Audition exploded onto the festival circuit at the turn of the century to a chorus of awards and praise. The film would catapult Miike to the international scene and pave the way for such other genre delights as Ichii the Killer and The Happiness of the Katakuris.

Recent widower Shigeharu Aoyama is advised by his son to find a new wife, so he seeks the advice of a colleague having been out of the dating scene for many years. They take advantage of their position in a film company by staging an audition to find the perfect woman. Interviewing a series of women, Shigeharu becomes enchanted by Asami, a quiet, 24-year-old woman, who is immediately responsive to his charms. But soon things take a very dark and...

Stars: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki, Jun Kunimura, Renji Ishibashi, Miyuki Matsuda, Toshie Negishi, Ren Ôsugi, Shigeru Saiki, Ken Mitsuishi, Yuriko Hiro’oka | Written by Daisuke Tengan | Directed by Takashi Miike

Takashi Miike’s Audition will always be a special movie to me, because it sparked off my obsession with Takashi Miike. It also put me off the meal I was eating when I first watched it, so it impressed me too. The fact that Arrow Video have given it a special edition should be enough to make it a must buy, but do they do the film justice with their release?

Audition (Ôdishon) is the story of Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) a widower who “auditions” prospective women to date under the rues of a film role. When Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina) is interviewed she catches his eye, and he takes her on a first date. Little does he...

There are some films that once seen are never forgotten. Audition is one of these films. Having first seen Takashi Miike’s arguably most famous and notorious movie some fifteen years ago, the memory of how it quite simply stunned me back then has never quite faded, and so returning to it for the first time in a decade and a half it was a pleasant surprise to discover that not only has Audition lost none of its power to shock and horrify in the intervening years, but that it’s actually a much deeper, entertaining and, yes, funnier film that I’d remembered.

For those unfamiliar with the film it works best going into it knowing as little as possible, but the basic plot revolves around widower Shigharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) being persuaded by his son Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki) that seven years of being alone is long enough and...

A demonic femme fatale, who tortures her male would-be oppressor, made Takashi Miike’s vengeance tale the horrifying launchpad for an entire genre

Japanese film-maker Takashi Miike pretty well invented the genre of J-horror as it came to be understood with this shocking, scabrous, satirical movie from 1999; adapted by Daisuke Tengan from the 1997 novel by Ryû Murakami. Above everything else, it has something which makes it very different from the vast majority of horror movies – a female evil-demon figure who terrorises the male.

Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is an ageing widower in the film business who hits on an underhand ruse for finding a new wife; he will audition for a non-existent female supporting role in a movie – which will attract the right kind of submissive, non-diva woman, whom he can let down gently and ask out on a date. This premise on its own would be enough for a smart comedy,...

Special Mention: C’est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog)

Written by André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux and Vincent Tavier

Directed by André Bonzel and Benoît Poelvoorde

France, 1992

Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, and Benoît Poelvoorde set out to make their first feature film with little resources and little money. In the tradition of filmmakers who can’t afford much film stock, the trio settled for a faux-documentary-style approach – the result is a high-concept satire of media violence that would spoof documentaries by following around a fictitious sociopath named Ben as he exercises his lethal craft. While the cinematic tradition of presenting villains as suave, charming, attractive, and intelligent individuals is nothing new, Man Bites Dog was still ahead of its time. Much like the great Hitchcockian villains such as Joseph Cotten in Shadow of a Doubt, Ben is a man of action and ideas. He expounds on art,...

Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.

****

Special Mention:

Häxan

Directed by Benjamin Christensen

Denmark / Sweden, 1922

Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft,...

Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.

As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.

****

50: Thundercrack!

Directed by Curt McDowell

Written by George Kuchar

1975, USA

Thunderstruck! is by far the most obscure film you will find on this list. It is without a doubt one of the true landmarks of Underground cinema. With a screenplay by veteran underground film maker George Kuchar (story and characters by Mark Ellinger) and directed Curt McDowell (than student of Kuchar),

Thundercrack! is a work of a crazed genius.

It's no secret that the Alamo Drafthouse is the best theater chain in the country. Sure, it's small, but the passion they have to create the perfect environment to watch a movie is unparalleled. Case in point, their hugely popular No Texting [1] public service announcements, incredible in-theater food selection, stunning repertory screenings and so much more. As the new year begins, the entire staff of the Drafthouse voted on their favorite films of 2011 and selected /Film as the outlet to exclusively premiere their list. It's extremely eclectic (The Muppets, Beginners and 13 Assassin all made the cut) but you'd be hard pressed to find a better cross section of the best 2011 had to offer. Check it out after the jump. Here's the explanation of the list and how it came together. Members of the Alamo Drafthouse team each submitted their Top 10 films of 2011, which were then aggregated into one master list of spectacular cinema.

A sequel to The Ballad of Narayama by Imamura's son Daisuke Tengan: the old women sent up the mountain to die instead plan a revenge attack on the village below.

In 1983, Shohei Imamura’s The Ballad Of Narayama saw a Japanese village’s long-held laws decree that its elders must die when they turn 70. This ensured there were enough resources for the up and coming generations to survive until it was their turn. The film was based on a novel by Schichiro Fukazawa and went on to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

Dendera is a sequel of sorts, based on a Yuya Sato book but...

[Editor's Note: Thank you to Craig and David for their reporting from this year's London Film Festival which concluded two days ago. Here they are with a final chat about their treasures and pleasures. -Nathaniel]

Craig: So, David, I guess it's time to mull it over and decide on our "Best of the Fest". Top tens, top fives? More, less? I wonder what we'll agree and disagree on...

David: It's always sad to say goodbye. It might not be the most glamorous or revelatory event on the festival circuit, but it has such a nice atmosphere strewn across Central London, flirting with megastars every so often, but giving equal red carpet steps to the little gems you speak of. A top five definitely isn't enough for me, but I'll give restraining myself my best shot. I've been there most days, and often packed in four in a day (my eyes are paying the price!), so I'd wager I have seen more than you - quality over quantity, though!

Dendera

In my stringently ordered, agonisingly compiled list that I just came up with, my number five slot would go to Oslo,...

(The review of 13 Assassins included below was originally posted as part of my coverage of the London Film Festival. Below the review of the film you can find my thoughts on the new Blu-ray release from Artificial Eye.)

The Film

Edo period Japan and the untouchable brother of the Shogun, the villainous Lord Naritsugu (played wonderfully by Smap member Goro Inagaki), is out of control and a group of samurai (and a wandering bandit) set out to assassinate Naritsugu before he rises too high and things get far worse. Laying a trap for him and his guards the group of assassins must fight through hundreds of of men in order to get to him. In their efforts to kill him they employ complex tactics and ingenious contraptions but it is their tenacity that is perhaps their greatest strength.

13 Assassins is based on a true story and is also a remake...

13 Assassins

Stars: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Mikijiro Hira, Hiroki Matsukata | Written by Daisuke Tengan & Shoichiro Ikemiya | Directed by Takashi Miike

“In mid-19th Century Japan the era of the samurai is beginning to fade as the feudal nation begins to enjoy a rare period of peace. But the fragile calm is soon threatened by the bloody rise of Lord Naritsugu, the Shogun’s sadistic, psychopathic younger brother, whose position places him above the law and free to rape, mutilate and murder on a whim. Concerned that Naritsugu’s actions will eventually destroy the Shogunate, top Shogun official Sir Doi covertly calls on esteemed and noble samurai warrior Shinzaemon Shimada (Koji Yakusho) to assassinate the evil Lord before it is too late. Shinzaemon willingly agrees and immediately gathers together an elite group of samurai to assist him in the task, knowing that what they are about to embark upon...

Chicago – You will see a lot of movies this season that don’t deliver on their set-up. Whether it’s because they’re setting up the audience for another installment in a blockbuster franchise or just the fact that movies made by big studio committees often drop the ball, it’s simply a fact. Whatever one can say about Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins,” opening this weekend at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago and currently available On Demand, it absolutely, undeniably delivers the goods. And those goods are soaked in blood.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

If you’re unfamiliar with the prolific Miike, he earned a stateside following with a series of ultra-violent films and became a critical darling after releasing the terrifying “Audition.” With the kind of output that matches most entire studios, Takashi Miike has continued to make interesting films but only a handful make an impact in the U.S.

Takashi Miike may be one of the hardest working directors working in cinema today. In the past ten years, the director has made more than fifty movies and T.V. movies. What is even more bizarre about the Japanese auteur is his choice of films. Eccentric, weird, gross, and unpredictable are just a few words that come to mind when thinking about Miike’s films. Audition, a story about an obsessive relationship gone painfully wrong, was the film that catapulted the director to notoriety in the States. Since then, the director has tackled straight-up “yakuza” films with the Dead or Alive trilogy, the power and danger of the media with Visitor Q, the wacky hijinks of a family in the zombie -musical The Happiness of the Katakuris, the day to day life of a superhero in Zebraman, and what many consider one of the goriest movies ever made … Ichi The Killer.

Director: Takashi Miike Writers: Kaneo Ikegami and Daisuke Tengan Cinematographer: Nobuyasu Kita Stars: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki Studio/Running Time: Magnet Releasing, 126 min. While Takashi Miike’s name here in the United States will forever by synonymous with his ultra-violent pictures like Ichi the Killer and Audition, at this point he’s worked in pretty much every genre under the sun—not a huge surprise considering that he’s likely the most prolific director of all time (IMDb lists 83 projects he’s directed since 1991). Even so, there are still large consistencies to his pictures, which tend to boast...

Edo period Japan and the untouchable brother of the Shogun, the villainous Lord Naritsugu (played wonderfully by Smap member Goro Inagaki), is out of control and a group of samurai (and a wandering bandit) set out to assassinate Naritsugu before he rises too high and things get far worse. Laying a trap for him and his guards the group of assassins must fight through hundreds of of men in order to get to him. In their efforts to kill him they employ complex tactics and ingenious contraptions but it is their tenacity that is perhaps their greatest strength.

13 Assassins is based on a true story and is also a remake of an under-seen but exceptional 1963 film of the same name by Eiichi Kudo. Kudo’s original was the first film in a loose trilogy with The Great Killing and 11 Assassins. Although The Great Killing is often considered his masterpiece, perhaps...

Reviewed by Annlee Ellingson

(from the 2010 AFI Fest)

Directed by: Takashi Miike

Written by: Daisuke Tengan

Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura

Insanely prolific Takashi Miike’s remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film starts with a dramatic suicide. It ends with a bloody 45-minute showdown between the titular warriors and an army of 200 men. Between this isolated act and the gory battle that avenges it are some slow, too-deliberate exposition and development, but the rousing finale, along with heavy thematic questions about the samurai code of loyalty and moments of levity, make it well worth the wait.

Alone in the forecourt of an imposing palace, a nobleman commits hara-kiri, the camera focusing on his face as he carves, to protest the rape and murder of his daughter-in-law and beheading of his son by Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki), the vile brother of the shogun.

Reviewed by Annlee Ellingson

(from the 2010 AFI Fest)

Directed by: Takashi Miike

Written by: Daisuke Tengan

Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki and Masachika Ichimura

Insanely prolific Takashi Miike’s remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 film starts with a dramatic suicide. It ends with a bloody 45-minute showdown between the titular warriors and an army of 200 men. Between this isolated act and the gory battle that avenges it are some slow, too-deliberate exposition and development, but the rousing finale, along with heavy thematic questions about the samurai code of loyalty and moments of levity, make it well worth the wait.

Alone in the forecourt of an imposing palace, a nobleman commits hara-kiri, the camera focusing on his face as he carves, to protest the rape and murder of his daughter-in-law and beheading of his son by Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira (Gorô Inagaki), the vile brother of the shogun.

Nagoya TV Next has uploaded a trailer for Daisuke Tengan’s Dendera to their channel on YouTube.

Tengan is the eldest son of director Shohei Imamura, whose film The Ballad of Narayama won the Palm D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1983. It told the story of a remote village which avoided the potential burden of caring for the elderly by banishing them to the top of a nearby mountain to die when they reached the age of 70.

Based on a 2009 novel by Yuya Sato, Dendera covers the same topic from a completely different angle. In the film, 50 elderly women who were abandoned and left to die on “Old Lady Mountain” manage to survive the harsh conditions by banding together and forming a village called “Dendera”. Some of them simply want to live out their final days in peace, while others want revenge against the villagers and family members that abandoned them.

13 Assassin

Directed by Takashi Milke

Written by Daisuke Tengan

Based on a screenplay by Kaneo Ikegami

If you’ve seen any of Takashi Miike’s thousand-or-so films, you know that his new samurai flick, 13 Assassins, isn’t like the others. But in the tradition of his best movies, Miike reveals his subversive intentions sparingly and methodically before succumbing to his ultra-violent inclinations.

Assassins opens on a distressing shot of a man committing harakiri–with the noise of the cut pulled way, disgustingly, up in the mix–in protest of the Lord Naritsugu (Gorô Inagaki), brother of the Shogun, rapist, murderer, and general ne’er-do-well. Though feudal Japan has enjoyed years of peace, Naritsugu is allowed free reign to tie up groups of Japanese civilians and shoot arrows at them in his courtyard. Outraged by his indiscriminate violence, and wary that Naritsugu may soon attain actual power, old-timer samurai Shinzaemon (Kôji Yakusho...

Magnet Releasing have unveiled a brand new trailer and poster for ultra-violent period-horror film 13 Assassins, a remake of Eiichi Kudo’s 1963 black-and-white Japanese film of the same name.

Directed by renowned Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi The Killer) from a screenplay penned by Daisuke Tengan, the film stars Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Hiroki Matsukata, Kazuki Namioka, Yûsuke Iseya, Gorô Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, and Mikijiro Hira.

Read more on New trailer and poster for Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins...

Ok peeps! The lineup has been announced for SXSW 2011. South by Southwest 2011 kicks off on March 11th in Austin, Texas and runs through March 19th. Check out the strong film lineup !

13 Assassins:

Director: Takashi Miike, Writers: Shoichirou Ikemiya & Daisuke Tengan

Distressed by the Lord’s murderous rampage, top Shogun official Sir Doi secretly calls on esteemed samurai Shinzaemon Shimada to assassinate the evil Naritsugu. Outraged by Lord Naritsugu’s vile acts, Shinzaemon willingly accepts the dangerous mission.

Cast: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura

Paul:

Director: Greg Mottola, Writers: Simon Pegg & Nick Frost

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite as two geeks who meet an alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) on a pilgrimage to America’s UFO heartland. Their road trip will alter our universe forever.

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, John Carroll Lynch, with Sigourney Weaver, and...

The South by Southwest Film Festival announced its feature film line-up Wednesday, piling heaps of cinematic goodness on an already stellar program that includes Jodie Foster’s The Beaver, Duncan Jones’ Source Code, Ti West’s The Innkeepers, Conan O’Brien’s tour documentary, and the latest Simon Pegg-Nick Frost comedy, Paul, with Seth Rogen.

Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) returns to the festival with her latest film, Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried, after the writer-director spoke on a screenwriting panel in 2009.

Plus a few favorites from the Sundance Film Festival last month, like Tom McCarthy’s Win Win, Morgan Spurlock’s The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Max Winkler’s Ceremony.

I’m extremely excited, even if I’m already having flashbacks to intense sleep deprivation. Like the last two years, I’ll be on the ground covering as much of the festival as I can within the packed 9 days of screenings,...

‘Tapping into the cultural zeitgeist,’ at SXSW 2011

Austin, Texas – The SXSW 2011 Feature Film Lineup was unveiled Wednesday afternoon. The festival lineup will consist of 130 features, in nine full days of programming, promising to deliver a film-going experience unlike previous years.

With a reputation for taking chances on relatively unknown filmmakers, the SXSW panel of judges carefully picked 130 films from 1,792 feature-length film submissions, (1,323 U.S. and 469 international). The program consists of 60 World Premieres, 12 North American Premieres and 16 U.S. Premieres.

The main competition categories return with eight Narrative Features, and eight Documentary Features, both competing for their respective Grand Jury Prize. New for films in competition this year, are awards for screenplay, editing, cinematography, music, and acting.

(The Midnighters and SXFantastic feature sections, along with the short film program, will be announced next week.)

Here are a few of the Features to be screened, among many others.

Narratives:

The Beaver (World Premiere)

Dir.

Readers of Sound On Sight can be sure that we will indeed be covering the SXSW Film Festival once again. As previously reported, Duncan Jones’ latest film Source Code is opening the festival and there will also be premieres for the documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Greg Mottola’s Paul, and Jodie Foster’s The Beaver. Now the full line-up has been announced it is incredible.

Hit the jump to check out the line-up, and be sure to visit our site during the event.

The 2011 SXSW Film Festival runs from March 11 – 19th in Austin, Texas.

SXSW Film Announces 2011 Features Lineup

Austin, Texas – February 2, 2011 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year’s Festival, March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The 2011 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist, highlighting emerging talent and breakthrough performances and supporting first-time filmmakers.

"Win Win," starring Paul Giamatti, left, and Alex Shaffer, will screen at SXSW

Aimée Lagos’ thriller “96 Minutes,” starring Brittany Snow; Chris Eyre’s “A Year in Mooring” and “American Animal” from writer-director Matt D’Elia are among the films that will screen in competition at next month’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

These films will be joined in the Headliners section by Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan in Tom McCarthy’s “Win Win,” Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins,” Rainn Wilson in “Super” and others previously announced including Jodie Foster’s “The Beaver,” Greg Mottola’s “Paul,” the documentary “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” from director Rodman Flender, and the opening-night world premiere of Duncan Jones’ “Source Code.”

The following are highlights from the lineup announced Wednesday, with descriptions provided by the festival.

Narrative Feature Competition “96 Minutes”

Director, Writer: Aimée Lagos

Four young lives. One night. One terrifying event.

"Win Win," starring Paul Giamatti, left, and Alex Shaffer, will screen at SXSW

Aimée Lagos’ thriller “96 Minutes,” starring Brittany Snow; Chris Eyre’s “A Year in Mooring” and “American Animal” from writer-director Matt D’Elia are among the films that will screen in competition at next month’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

These films will be joined in the Headliners section by Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan in Tom McCarthy’s “Win Win,” Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins,” Rainn Wilson in “Super” and others previously announced including Jodie Foster’s “The Beaver,” Greg Mottola’s “Paul,” the documentary “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” from director Rodman Flender, and the opening-night world premiere of Duncan Jones’ “Source Code.”

The following are highlights from the lineup announced Wednesday, with descriptions provided by the festival.

Narrative Feature Competition “96 Minutes”

Director, Writer: Aimée Lagos

Four young lives. One night. One terrifying event.

The South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival announced this year's features lineup. The festival takes place March 11-19 in Austin, Texas.

There are a total of 130 features screening this year including 60 world premieres, 12 North American premieres and 16 U.S. premieres! This year the a total of 1,792 feature-length films were submitted, which is the most ever.

There are going to be some amazing films shown this yea. Opening night kicks off with Duncan Jones' Source Code (Moon). The fest rolls on with Jodie Foster‘s The Beaver, Greg Mottola‘s Paul, Sundance Grand Prize doc winner How to Die in Oregon, Errol Morris‘ Tabloid, Victoria Mahoney‘s Yelling to the Sky, Azazel Jacob‘s Terri. There will also be a special screening of Catherine Hardwicke‘s Red Riding Hood.

The Midnight and SXFantastic sections will be announced with the shorts program next week.

See the complete lineup below via...

The South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) just announced their entire 2011 feature film lineup, and there’s isn’t a lot of note, with regards to this blog’s focus.

Titles you should be aware of – all of which we’ve previously profiled on Shadow And Act – include, Victoria Mahoney’s feature film debut, Yelling To The Sky (which will actually make its world debut at the Berlin Film Festival later this month); plus Blacktino, the first feature film from writer/director Aaron Burns, a self-described “blacktino nerd from Austin, Texas,” who got his start at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios doing visual effects; Benda Bilili, a documentary about a band of homeless, disabled Congolese; and last, but not least, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, a documentary about the black man that happens to be the man behind the puppet (which also played at Sundance).

There might be...

The South by Southwest Film Festival has announced their features lineup for the 2011’s Festival, which will take place March 11th to the 19th in Austin Texas. Read the full press release after the jump. SXSW Film Announces 2011 Features Lineup Austin, Texas – February 2, 2011 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year’s Festival, March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The 2011 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist, highlighting emerging talent and breakthrough performances and supporting first-time filmmakers. The Midnighters and SXFantastic feature sections, along with the short film program, will be announced next week. “This is the most exciting moment for us. After a fantastic festival of discovery in 2010, we can finally unveil the line up for this year’s event,” says Film Conference and Festival Producer Janet Pierson. “SXSW prides itself on taking chances, sifting for...

Edo period Japan and the untouchable brother of the Shogun, the villainous Lord Naritsugu (played wonderfully by Smap member Goro Inagaki), is out of control and a group of samurai (and a wandering bandit) set out to assassinate Naritsugu before he rises too high and things get far worse. Laying a trap for him and his guards the group of assassins must fight through hundreds of of men in order to get to him. In their efforts to kill him they employ complex tactics and ingenious contraptions but it is their tenacity that is perhaps their greatest strength.

13 Assassins is based on a true story and is also a remake of an under-seen but exceptional 1963 film of the same name by Eiichi Kudo. Kudo’s original was the first film in a loose trilogy with The Great Killing and 11 Assassins. Although The Great Killing is often considered his masterpiece, perhaps...

AFI Fest 2010 announces the titles for its World Cinema, Midnight (comedy and horror), Alt/Art (films about art and artists) and Breakthrough (discovered via submissions) programs. The fest's offerings total 97 (66 features, 31 shorts). World Cinema selections includes fall fest holdovers Abbas Kiarostami's Certified Copy (France/Italy/Iran), Jean-Luc Goddard's Film Socialisme (Switzerland), Bertrand Tavernier's The Princess of Montpensier (France, pictured) and Thailand's Oscar hopeful Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives from Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The complete lineup for these five categories is after the jump. World Cinema Selections 13 Assassins: A band of samurai swordsmen attempt an impossible assassination. Dir Takashi Miike. Scr Daisuke Tengan. Japan. Boy: When his absent father returns home, a young boy in 1980’s New Zealand must confront ...

Chicago – Takashi Miike’s controversial and terrifying “Audition,” recently released in a ten year anniversary Blu-Ray edition, feels even richer and more dramatically interesting than it did ten years ago as the dating world has become so much more reliant on technology. And it remains just as effective as as when it was first released in terms of genuine, chill-inducing scares. The Blu-Ray is a bit disappointing in terms of technical presentation and the special features are merely so-so, but the film itself is still a must-see and the release a must-own for foreign film or horror fans.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

“Audition” is not a typical horror movie. If you want traditional scares this Halloween, check out the great “Drag Me To Hell” or go see “Paranormal Activity”. “Audition” is a domestic horror tale, more in the vein of something like “Fatal Attraction” than anything supernatural (or even typical Miike insanity...

Audition first hit American shores as one of the earliest entries in the late-1990s J-horror craze, and since then it has held an almost unassailable position as one of the masterpieces of the genre. The new two-disc Collector’s Edition from Shout! Factory attempts to capitalize on that renown by convincing nostalgic fans to purchase yet another edition of the film (there have been at least two others just for the Region 1 market), but unfortunately, there isn’t much here to make you open up your wallet if you already have before.

Normally, you’d expect a 10th-anniversary special DVD/Blu-ray to be awash with in-depth breakdowns of the shooting process, anecdotes from cast and crew, self-congratulatory praise for the legacy of the movie; in short, some kind of recognition that this was not a mere movie, but an Event. However, that’s not really the situation with this release,...

Curious to know what frightful films and devilish discs will be available to view in the privacy of your own digital dungeon this week? Fango's got you covered.

Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, October 6, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List. It's a Big week, with Trick 'R Treat finally hitting the home market, along with re-issues of The Gate, Audition, and a whole lot more!

Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com

Audition (Bd)

New 1080P High-Definition Transfer From The Negative!

Deceptively innocent at first, Takashi Miikes Audition finds Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi, Suicide Club, The Grudge), a middle-aged widower of many years, urged by his teenage son and his film producer friend Yasuhisa Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura, Ichi The Killer) to get out and start dating again. To help Aoyama meet women, Yoshikawa devises a plan to...

DVD Playhouse—September 2009

By

Allen Gardner

The Human Condition (Criterion) Masaki Kobayashi’s epic (574 minutes) adaptation of Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel was originally made and released as three separate films (1959-61), and is rightfully regarded as a landmark of Japanese cinema. Candide-like story of naïve, good-hearted Kaiji (Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor, to Imperial Army solider, to Soviet Pow, and Kaiji’s struggle to maintain his humanity throughout. Unfolds with the mastery of a great novel, beautifully-shot, and a stunning example of cinematic mastery on the part of its makers. Four-disc set bonuses include: Interview with Kobayashi; Interview with Nakadai; Featurette; Trailer; Essay by critic Philip Kemp. Widescreen. Dolby 3.0 surround.

State Of Play (Universal) Russell Crowe stars as a veteran Washington D.C. political reporter investigating the murder of an aide to a rising congressional star (Ben Affleck), who also happens to be an old friend.

Shout! Factory announced that Takashi Miike's "Audition" is hitting 2-disc special edition DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 6. The new edition features an introduction with director Miike and star Eihi Shiina, newly-recorded audio commentary with Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan, new interviews with cast members Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Renji Ishibashi and Ren Osugi, international trailers and a booklet. The new editions of the film are mastered from a new 1080p high definition transfer from the inter-negative, and feature a new 5.0 digital soundtrack mixed from the original Japanese audio elements. It should be noted that it is rare for Miike to do a commentary. .

Restored Archive Review, Originally Posted on 4/26/2001

Takashi Miike, one of Japan's foremost current enfants terribles, has become a favorite among Asian film fans--but while I certainly count myself among the latter group, I must admit that many of Miike's movies have left me cold, or worse. Fudoh seemed to take itself way to seriously to be much fun; Dead Or Alive, touted as a blistering action piece, struck me as a tedious study of uninteresting characters, punctuated by too-infrequent mayhem and a virulent misogyny (I much prefer Miike's Dead Or Alive 2, which retains the anarchic streak and contains far more engaging characters); and Visitor Q, which wowed 'em at this year's Fantasia festival, had its amusing moments but mostly came off as an exercise in shock value for its own sake.

Audition, Miike's most celebrated film, is also his most accomplished and, for a while, controlled work. It has mostly...

The wondrous Marc Walkow of Outcast Cinema has officially dropped the news that the mystery Takashi Miike film release he has been working on his indeed Audition. This year will celebrate the 10th year since the groundbreaking horror film was unleashed to the masses.

Shout! Factory will handle the release which is set for both DVD and Blu-ray format with the following extras in tow:

• Feature-length audio commentary with Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan, who is also scripting Miike’s upcoming remake of the chanbara classic 13 Assassins. Film writer and Eiga Hi-Ho contributor Masato Kobayashi moderates the Japanese-language (and English-subtitled) commentary track.

• Video introduction by Miike

• New video interview featurettes with the film’s main cast

- From Audition to Vampire Girl: Eihi Shiina

- Tokyo—Hollywood: Ryo Ishibashi

- Miike’s Toy: Renji Ishibashi

- The Man in the Bag Speaks: Ren Osugi

• Film trailer, plus liner notes by...

Disc company Shout! Factory gave Fango the exclusive first peek at the cover art for a new two-dvd release of Takashi Miike’s Audition, as well as content info. Featuring a new high-definition transfer from the internegative (with a fresh digital stereo soundtrack) of Miike’s notorious chiller, about a widower (Ryo Ishibashi) who holds “auditions” for a new girlfriend and winds up hooking up with a beautiful psychopath (Eihi Shiina), the set will street in October, along with a double-Blu-ray edition.

Both versions will include an impressive array of original special features; the lineup includes:

New audio commentary by director Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan New video introduction by Miike Over 90 minutes of new interviews with the cast, including Ishibashi, Shiina, Renji Ishibashi and Ren Osugi Trailers Liner notes by Tom Mes, author of Agitator: The Cinema Of Takashi Miike Retail price is $24.98 each for both the DVDs and the Blu-rays.

On the 50th anniversary of Cannes comes a Competition entrant that easily might have played in the first festival -- such is its mind-set and aesthetic. The story of an ex-con and a jilted woman, "Unagi" is a generally unremarkable story of two people whose psychological scars get in the way of a potential relationship. Overall, the film's 1950s-style socio/sexual sensibility will not likely appeal to U.S. audiences.

"Unagi" begins most savagely as young Takuro (Koji Yakusho) catches his wife in bed with a lover and hacks them both to death with a fishing knife. Not remorseful about his deed but respectful of the law, Takuro turns himself in.

With the brutal murder as prologue, the main narrative occurs eight years later, after Takuro has been paroled from prison. Upon his release, he relocates to a provincial town, where he sets up a barbershop. His only concern and interest seem to be with the pet eel he kept while imprisoned. While scouting the local swamp, he finds a young woman, Keiko (Misa Shimizu), who has overdosed on sleeping pills in a suicide attempt. While he is concerned about possibly getting into trouble in this situation, he selflessly calls for help and she is saved.

As so often happens when three screenwriters are credited, the scenario seems to be an amalgam of committee-think with no overriding point of view or moral sense attached to the film. Proceeding in an utterly predictable fashion -- Keiko becomes attracted to her "savior," goes to work in his barber ship and lights up the place -- the story never scratches beneath the characters' psychological surfaces. And, regrettably, it seems padded with Spielbergean "moments" and sequences, including a Japanese version of Richard Dreyfuss' character in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

What lifts "Unagi" beyond its generic dimensions are the solid performances, particularly Shimizu, who is enchantingly brittle as Keiko.

As the stiff and upright ex-con, Yakusho evinces a proud demeanor but shows the frailty of a man plagued by his dogmatic personality.

Shohei Imamura's workmanlike direction never infuses any sense of personality or perspective other than to delineate the essential story line. It is a yarn that deserves richer and deeper treatment.

UNAGI

In competition

Eiseigekijyo Co./KKS

In association with Imamura Prods.

Director Shohei Imamura

Screenwriters Motofumi Tomikawa,

Daisuke Tengan, Shohei Imamura

Based on a story by Akira Kurosawa

Director of photography Shigeru Komatsubara

Music Shinichiro Ikebe

Editor Haijime Okayasu

Cast:

Takuro Yamashita Koji Yakusho

Keiko Hattori Misa Shimizu

Jiro Nakajima Fujio Tsuneta

Misako Nakajima Mitsuko Baisho

Jukichi Takada Makoto Sato

Tamotsu Takasaki Akira Emoto

Running time -- 117 minutes

No MPAA rating...