Shock Labyrinth, could you navigate your way through?
Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Asian Horror
Thanks to Shock Til You Drop for pointing me towards the fantastic looking website for the upcoming Japanese Horror film ‘Shock Labyrinth‘. I have decided to devote this weekends post to my beloved Asian Horror, as due to my obsession with Eric Northman from True Blood, I have neglected my favourite horror sub-genre!
So lets get to it… ‘Shock Labyrinth’ is directed by Takashi Shimizu who also wrote and directed the J-Horror stalwart Ju-on (1,2,3!). The website is a remarkable piece of web design, rotating a site map of the hospital our young teenagers get trapped in which turns out to be a haunted house and labyrinth of horrific twists and turns. The site is accompanied by a creepy soundtrack and enables you to explore the story, music and trailer (see below). Of course I am delighted it is in my favourite colours too, red and black!
Unfortunately the trailer doesn’t have English subtitles but the message is very clear, with images of ragged toy bunnies, and the ever present long haired Asian girl with the vacuous yet psychotic stare and staccato gait. Are those hessian bags full of kittens or humans? Either way I’m keen to see this film! Roll on October!
Ms Harker
Tags: Asian Horror, Horror, Japanese Horror
‘Thirst’ - blood sucking hilarity oozing from the pulpit!
Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Horror Films
So after months of waiting, of tolerating the Cannes Festival gushing, of the trickling release dates across the USA, Thirst debuted in Melbourne last night at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) and yours truly braved the biting cold for some fangtastic Korean vamp action!
The film was sold out, so the theater was packed to the rafters, which made for classic gasps and squeals at suitably sanguinary moments.
Director Park Chan-wook delivered some stunning visuals, using classic images such as falling blossoms, seascapes and his use of light and dark, created an environment that slowly closed in as the madness ensued. The collage of images which represented the turning of the Priest into vampire was one of my favourite sections of the film. Although this took a leap of faith from the audience and was explained very abruptly in a single scene; then off we went on a blood soaked roller coaster ride of mah-jong, oppressive mother in laws, in your face copulation, feeding off coma patients and a lot (and I mean a lot) of moist sucking noises, echoing throughout the cinema!
The film has some definite grotesque moments, bones cracking, arterial squirts, fish hooks and arm pit licking (keep an eye out for that one!). Although the story is about the Priests fall from grace, his descent into moral depravity due to his thirst for blood and the pleasures of the flesh, it maintains some moments of classic Korean slapstick and humour. Not always taking itself seriously, making for a wild ride of raunch, giggles and gore!
Despite the distinct lack of over sized incisors, it maintains tradition, there will be no going out in the sun for this vamp, however Park Chan-wook turns the eroticism and the romance of the vampire into an entirely psychotic affair . Thirst is a fangtastic addition to vampire genre films.
Ms Harker
Tags: Asian Horror, Horror Films, Vampire
Thirst is coming to Melbourne!!!!
Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Asian Horror, Horror Films
I can’t believe it! I am freaking out, I can’t believe this slid under my usual keen vampiric like senses… Thirst is showing at the Melbourne International Film Festival! Apologies to those readers from far and abroad, I will explain. The festival runs at this time every year and has a ‘Night Shift’ program which has a small selection of horror films. Now i read the preview program a little while ago and there was no Thirst to be seen. However whilst browsing our local broadsheet online I discovered an article discussing the attraction of horror films, the usual bollocks, why do people like to be scared blah blah. Low and behold the festival’s organiser is talking about a blood sucking priest! So I scrambled to the MIFF site, snatched myself up tickets for a night showing of Thirst and found to my delight Moon was also showing, so threw in tickets for that for good measure!
For those who have been spending too much time in their coffin, Thirst is directed by Chan-wook Park the synopsis is as follows:
“A beloved and devoted priest from a small town volunteers for a medical experiment which fails and turns him into a vampire. Physical and psychological changes lead to his affair with a wife of his childhood friend who is repressed and tired of her mundane life. The one-time priest falls deeper in despair and depravity. As things turns for worse, he struggles to maintain whats left of his humanity.”
I dodged a silver bullet here folks, so what lessons have we learnt today?
1. Be ever vigilant when your local film festival is creeping up behind you.
2. Good things come to those who wait; even in Australia.
3. Focus (distribution company of Thirst) sends out cool promotional stuff for Comic Con (thanks to the First Showing Crew for sharing, and inflaming my Comic Con envy).
Have a look at the trailer below (thanks to Eco Samurai for the footage) and join me in a little dance of glee around whatever deity takes your fancy!
Ms Harker
Thirst Comic Con 09 Promo
Tags: Asian Horror, Comic Con 09, Horror, Horror Flms, Vampire
