21 November 2013

Evil Dead Trap (Japan, 1988)

Nami hosts a late night home video program. She receives a tape which appears to be a real snuff film. She and her crew investigate the location where she meets a man looking for his brother who warns her to stay away. As she gets closer to the truth, she and her friends are subjected to a brutal nightmare.

If you've seen a lot of gory and bloody slasher flicks, then Evil Dead Trap will not be the one that finally makes you puke, but it's a decent entry in the world of horror. B-horror, anyway. Some brutal scenes and a couple of nasty special effects makes it definitely worth your while. 

Genre: Horror

16 November 2013

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (Japan, 1996)

A year has passed since the battle between Gamera and the Gyaos, and Japan has struggled to rebuild its cities in the meantime. Suddenly, a series of bizarre incidents reveal a new threat to the land of the rising sun. On a moonlit stroll, science instructor Midori Honami watches as a huge meteor plunges into the mountain snow. The next night, two security guards are horrified as they see large insect-like creatures stealing glass bottles from a nearby warehouse. Soon after, the entire city of Sapporo is covered with strange plants and the link between these events soon becomes clear.

Attack of Legion is the second entry in Gamera's great reboot series, and it delivers spectacular action scenes with amazing miniature sets that gets completely demolished by giant monsters. It's almost like you want to cheer whenever an apartment complex or a skyscraper gets ripped apart because it looks so fantastic when all that concrete explode and crashes into other houses. It's a must-watch for every giant monster fan, and everyone who finds the thought of Tokyo being smashed to bits appealing. A kaiju masterpiece and by far one of the films in the genre.


Genre: Action/Drama/Fantasy

10 November 2013

Secret Sunshine (South Korea, 2007)

Lee Shin-ae and her only child move to the small town of Miryang. Her husband has recently died and she has decided to start life anew back in the hometown of her deceased husband. While entering Miryang, Shin-ae's car breaks down along a highway and she is able to get the local mechanic in Miryang named Kim Jong-chan to help her. Although they come from different social backgrounds, the pair hits it off and seems to find comfort in each other's presence.

Secret Sunshine is a tough film, with many devastating blows that hits Lee Shin-ae, who is played by the always enjoyable Jeon Do-yeon (The Housemaid), who became the first Korean actor to win an acting award at Cannes. Her co-actor Song Kang-ho, who we all know from films such as Thirst (2009) and The Host (2006), also does a great job of portraying a man who wishes to win Shin-ae's heart even though they don't connect at all.