Yes, boys and girls, it is time once again for another installment of International Eye Candy, the very best trailers and clips from around the world. What have we got this time out? A Korean western! A stylish German genre-buster! Thai ultra-gore! And the latest from everybody’s favorite German Doctor! Here we go!
We begin in Japan, where effects man Shinji Higuchi – most visible lately for his big budget blockbuster THE SINKING OF JAPAN – is putting the finishing touches on his remake of Kurosawa’s HIDDEN FORTRESS, now going by the title of THE LAST PRINCESS. Higuchi’s more about spectacle than story, but hell you could say the same thing about George Lucas and he turned FORTRESS into a little something you may have heard of called STAR WARS, so that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The cast is good and the just released full trailer looks pretty tasty.
You’ll find trailers and details here
Why, yes, that IS the guy from big Russian fantasy-horror NIGHT WATCH. Name’s Konstantine Khabensky, and the success of the WATCH films have made him one of Russia’s most in-demand actors. This time out he’s starring in big budget Russian historical military actioner ADMIRAL KOLCHAK. Do I know my Russian history of the era? Nope. But I know this looks damn good and there hasn’t been a really great nautical action flick since THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. Yes, please.
You’ll find details and the trailer here
My friendly tip to you: remember the names Benni Diez and Marinko Spahić because you’ll be hearing a lot of them and KINGZ is the reason why. The duo’s graduation thesis film, KINGZ boasts a little bit of horror, a little bit scifi, a little bit martial arts and could pretty much kick BLADE’s ass without breaking a sweat. This thing does it all, it does it incredibly well – Diez is a bona fide effects genius – and Hollywood has taken notice. This thing’s just flat out fantastic …
Check the trailer here
I’m a sucker for a good film noir and new flick THE PERFECT SLEEP looks to fit the bill. Beautifully shot in a world that seems strangely out of step with the times, loaded with femme fatales and classic noir types this is just one impressive piece of work. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore and that’s a crime …
Details and trailer here
Behold, the good Doctor! The film is FAR CRY, it’s the latest from Uwe Boll, the cast includes cult icon Udo Kier, and that should be all you need to know. Ask someone you love if that’s their gun today. You’ll be glad you did.
Check the trailer here
I love my Japanese cult madness as much as the next guy – hell, I pretty much breathe the stuff – but the down side to all the attention that side of Japanese film attracts is that it overshadows a lot of other deserving material. Such as the films of Koki Mitani. Mitani makes brilliantly smart, very funny comedies of manners, the sort of sophisticated, classy films that were once the staple of Hollywood’s golden age. You can find one of his older films, WELCOME BACK, MR. MCDONALD, readily enough on these shores but it’s an absolute crime that his newer work – SUITE DREAMS, UNIVERSITY OF LAUGHS – are, as far as I can tell, completely unavailable outside of his native Japan. A new Mitani film is reason to celebrat and a new Mitani film is what we’ve got with THE MAGIC HOUR, a comedy about a low level yakuza who hires an actor to impersonate a famous hit man when he fails to find and hire the real thing. Hilarity ensues …
You’ll find details and trailer links here
Ultra gore? You got it. The first ART OF THE DEVIL film out of Thailand was, frankly, pretty bad. Luckily enough the producers were smart enough to recognize that and so, for the second, they ditched the original story line, boosted the production budget and added insane amounts of gore. The result was not only a commercial hit but also a critical one that landed the leading lady the Thai equivalent of a Best Actress Oscar and landed the film serious play in horror fests around the globe. And now they’re making another one. This one smartly continues the story of the last, the leading lady returns and the gore level looks – impossibly – to be even higher. You will squirm. Oh, yes. You will squirm.
Details and trailer here
Liam Neeson in a Luc Besson production? Wouldn’t have called it but it’s happening and based on the trailer I’m pretty damn glad it is. The film is TAKEN, Besson produces and co-wrote it, THE DISTRICT 13’s Pierre Morel directs, and Neeson stars as a retired spy forced to draw on his skills when his daughter is kidnapped and forced into slavery while on vacation in Paris. Smart, stylish and Neeson looks absolutely perfect in it.
Details and trailer here
There’s something brewing in Brazil … police action flick TROPA DE ELITE just won the big prize in Berlin and ultra dark comedy ESTOMAGO just played to great success at the International Film Festival Rotterdam where it ranked near the top of the audience rankings for the major festival. How dark? Cooking, sex and cannibalism all stirred up in one handsome pot. Trailer for this looks, if you’ll excuse my saying so, tasty.
Details and trailer here
We linked to the first teaser for Ole Christian Madsen’s FLAME AND CITRON in an earlier column and now the film is back with the full theatrical trailer and it looks flat out stunning. Mads Mikkelsen – you know him as Le Chiffre in CASINO ROYALE – stars as one half of a famous Danish Nazi-resistance duo. Stunning production values, a stellar cast, and what looks to be a very high action quotient make this one a must.
Details and trailer here
A full on Korean western from the director of A TALE OF TWO SISTERS and A BITTERSWEET LIFE, featuring mega stars Song Kang Ho and Lee Byung Hyun in the cast. What more do you need to know? How about that the first clips have started to trickle out via Korean television. The lengthy Korean slump will end once this hits screens …
Check details and the clips here
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