Tartan Video Outlook

[pandora]

They Kidnapped the Wrong Girl

Tartan Asia Extreme’s Pray In Stores April 11th


LOS ANGELES — Feb. 1, 2006 — For Immediate Release — As in, pray for death… Pray, part of a new generation of Asian thrillers, prays on DVD shelves April 11th in stores across the nation from Tartan Asia Extreme.

Down on their luck and desperate for money to buy drugs, Mitsuru (Tetsuji Tamayama) and Maki (Asami Mizukawa) have the perfect plan. They decide to kidnap a young girl and hide out in an abandoned school, until their demands are met. Everything is going according to plan, until they realize they have made one gross miscalculation. Their hostage died a year ago today and now it’s their turn.

Pray, aka Prayer, directed by Yuichi Sato, is part of the New Generation Thriller series. A collection of Japanese thriller and horror films helmed by up and coming directors and featuring a new breed of actors. The next film, Booth, will be released by Tartan Asia Extreme later this year.

Japanese, with English and Spanish subtitles, Pray is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features have yet to be determined.

All releases on the Asia Extreme label are supported by broad-based and multi-faceted consumer advertising campaigns; a comprehensive online viral marketing campaign; and a public relations push to English-, Spanish- and Asian-language media.

Tartan Video’s Asia Extreme is a premiere collection of stylish international cinema from the proven Asian horror genre which shocks, scares and astonishes in equal measure. In the U.K., Tartan has sold over $50 million of Asian product making it Britain’s leading independent film genre.

Hamish McAlpine, founder of Tartan Films – which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year in the U.K. – launched Tartan U.S.A. in 2004 with an eclectic and controversial slate of films from established auteurs and up-and-coming filmmakers. Recent Tartan film releases include 2004 Cannes Grand Jury Prize Winner Oldboy, the sincerely creepy A Tale of Two Sisters and Michael Winterbottom’s controversial 9 Songs. Upcoming releases include Yoji Yomada’s The Hidden Blade and the final film in Park Chanwook’s “Vengeance Trilogy,” Lady Vengeance. Tartan Video is distributed exclusively by TLA Releasing. For more information, visit www.TartanVideoUSA.com.

[pandora]

What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?

Takashi Shimizu’s Marebito Comes to Stores Mar. 14th from Tartan Asia Extreme

“A sick, twisted and ingenious creepfest.”
-Paper Magazine

“Easily one of the most eerie, twisted, unsettling and original horror movies in recent history.”
-Bloody-Disgusting.com

“A bizarre freak-out of horrific madness. Cult status awaits."
-Todd David Schwartz, CBS

LOS ANGELES — Feb. 1, 2006 — For Immediate Release —From acclaimed master of horror Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On, The Grudge) comes the Japanese creepfest Marebito, emerging from the shadows and onto DVD March 14th in stores across the nation from Tartan Asia Extreme.

Masuoka (cult filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto, Tetsuo), a solitary cameraman obsessed with the desire to understand fear, watches grisly footage of a man committing suicide in the subway. Desperate to understand the madman’s intentions, Masuoka returns to the scene, inadvertently opening a door into a bizarre and horrifying underworld. Here among the ghosts and creatures he finds a strange and beautiful mute girl. After kidnapping her, Masuoka discovers evidence of a chillingly inhuman nature and realizes he has discovered a truth too frightening to be real.

Shot in only 8 days, Marebito was released theatrically on December 9th in LA/NY and continues to expand nationally. The film won the Golden Raven Award at the 2005 Brussels International Festival for Fantasy Film.

Director Takashi Shimizu is well-known for his Ju-On horror series which includes four Japanese Ju-On films and the American film The Grudge starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Shimizu is currently making the fifth Ju-On film and a sequel to The Grudge. Other credits include Tomie: Re-birth and Reincarnation.

Actor Shinya Tsukamoto is best known as the master of “cyberpunk” filmmaking, usually credited as the director, writer and star of his films. Three of his films, A Snake of June, Tetsuo and Vital has been released or re-released on DVD in the past year from Tartan Video.

Japanese, with English and Spanish subtitles, Marebito is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features include Interview with director Takashi Shimizu; Interview with actor Shinya Tsukamoto; Director’s Discussion of Ju-On, The Grudge and Marebito; original theatrical trailer and trailers of Tartan Asia Extreme’s upcoming releases.

[pandora]

Sometimes an Inheritance is a Curse

Tartan Asia Extreme’s The Heirloom in Stores April 25th


LOS ANGELES — Feb. 1, 2006 — For Immediate Release — Proof that Asian horror isn’t just coming from Japan and Korea, Taiwan’s The Heirloom inherits DVD shelf space April 25th from Tartan Asia Extreme.

Twenty years ago, an inexplicable mass suicide occurred in the millionaire Yang household, where the entire family hanged themselves at the exact same time. Only one member survived. To this day, the case remains unsolved. Now, a distant relative inherits the house and moves in with his new fiancée. Mysterious events begin to disturb their lives and force them to confront the evil within. The demented legacy of the Yang family comes full circle and the curse left behind is reborn.

The Heirloom is directed by Leste Chen, one of the hottest young directors in Taiwan. He previously directed music videos for Taiwan’s most popular rock band Mayday, Hong Kong songstress Joey Yung and Hong Kong actor/singer Eason Chan. His short films have been nominated for two consecutive years at the Taipei Film Awards.

Mandarin, with English and Spanish subtitles, The Heirloom is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features are yet to be determined.

[pandora]

You Can’t Keep a Good Enemy Down

Tartan Asia Extreme’s Another Public Enemy in Stores Mar. 28th

“A slick, corruption-fueled crime drama.”
-eFilmCritic.com

“An improvement on its predecessor.”
-Film Monthly

LOS ANGELES — Feb. 1, 2006 — For Immediate Release — Following in the tradition of Asian crime sagas Infernal Affairs and Hard Boiled comes the Korean film Another Public Enemy, corrupting video shelves March 28th in stores across the nation from Tartan Asia Extreme.

When a number of unsolved crimes are linked to an enigmatic foundation, newly assigned prosecutor Kang steps up the investigation using his own brand of justice. But after he realizes the man behind the vast corruption of bribery, embezzlement and murder is an old nemesis, he'll discover just how far this conspiracy really goes.

Another Public Enemy is the sequel to Public Enemy, one of the most successful Korean crime thrillers of all time. It stars Sol Kyung-gu, winner of the Grand Bell and Blue Dragon Awards for Best Actor for his compelling performance as a ruthless cop in the original film. In the sequel, Kyung-gu plays a completely different character, strait-laced prosecutor Kang.

Korean, with English and Spanish subtitles, Another Public Enemy is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features include Commentary with Director and Cast; The Making Of; Behind-The Scenes Featurette; original theatrical trailer and trailers of Tartan Asia Extreme’s upcoming releases.

[pandora]

Korean Cinema at a Crossroads
South Korean government drops screentime quota for domestic films

Oldboy director and star return Cultural Merit medals to Korean government in protest


LOS ANGELES — Feb. 1, 2006 — For Immediate Release —The Korean government is betting that homegrown cinema will continue to flourish without the safety of a screen quota system that has protected the Korean domestic film industry since 1966. Local actors, directors and moviegoers aren’t quite so optimistic and are protesting their displeasure with significant public gestures.

Established to help the Korean film market grow from its humble beginnings into the worldwide cinematic hotbed it is today, the quota requires Korean cinemas to show Korean films for 146 days of the year. Starting July 1st, that number will be reduced to 73. The reduction had been demanded for years by the US government as a key condition for free trade negotiations, but its implementation has not been well received by many, including some of the biggest filmmaking names in Korean cinema.

“The government's decision to cut the quotas is equivalent to giving up our culture,'' said Choi Min Sik, star of Crying Fist, Lady Vengeance and the immensely popular Korean film Oldboy.

Choi recently returned his Cultural Merit medal, a prestigious award which honors Korean artists, to protest the quota system. “The medal was personally my pride and honor,'' Choi told reporters in Seoul. “Now it is a symbol of the government's betrayal. I don't need a medal from a country that chooses to stamp on our own cultural rights.''

In addition to Choi, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance director Park Chanwook, currently preparing to promote his latest film Lady Vengeance at the Berlin Film Festival, also returned his medal and commented that he will voice his concerns further at the festival. Tae Guk Gi and The Coast Guard star Jang Dong-gun has also come forward to voice their opposition.

Korean Filmmakers and artists are not the only ones expressing their displeasure. A group of South Korean lawmakers are currently seeking legislation to maintain the country's current quota for the screening of domestic movies, claiming the government's compromise deal with the United States is humiliating.

Korean cinema has witnessed unheralded success the world over in recent years. A Tale of Two Sisters was one of the ten highest-grossing horror films worldwide in 2004. Oldboy received the Grand Prize of the Jury at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Korean cinema has made giant crossroads into America on the success of the Asian horror genre as well as the unique style of its filmmakers.

"This is not a fight only for ourselves,” Choi told reporters. “We are fighting for living between the Korean and American movies and cultures. Oldboy would not have existed without the screening quota.”


• Oldboy, A Tale of Two Sisters, The Coast Guard are available now on DVD from Tartan Asia Extreme.

• Tae Guk Gi is available now on DVD from Sony Home Entertainment.

• Lady Vengeance will be released nationwide in theaters May 5th, 2006 from Tartan Films.

[pandora]

When the Music Stops, Only Dead Air Remains


The secrets you plan on taking to the grave might just come and take you first.

Tartan Asia Extreme’s Booth in Stores May 23rd

LOS ANGELES — Feb. 1, 2006 — For Immediate Release — Don’t touch that dial! Booth, the newest film in Japan’s New Generation Thriller series, transmits to video shelves May 23rd in stores across the nation from Tartan Asia Extreme.

Shogo (Ryuta Sato), the arrogant and condescending star of a popular call-in radio-show must temporarily broadcast out of Studio 6, a creepy and dilapidated booth abandoned since its last DJ committed suicide several years ago. Suddenly, Shogo begins receiving disturbing calls, the voice on the line whispers “Liar” over and over. Is the joke on him, has someone discovered the truth about his sinister past, or has the curse of Studio 6 been unleashed again? In this Booth, all sins will be atoned for.

Booth, directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura, is part of the New Generation Thriller series. A collection of Japanese thriller and horror films helmed by up and coming directors and featuring a new breed of actors. The first film in the set, Pray, will be released by Tartan Asia Extreme on April 11th.

Japanese, with English and Spanish subtitles, Booth is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features include deleted scenes, original theatrical trailer; and trailers of Tartan Asia Extreme’s upcoming releases.

[pandora]

An Uncompromising Pursuit for Redemption

Maverick director Carlos Reygadas’ Battle in Heaven in Stores May 9th from Tartan Video

“Beautiful and utterly compelling. Carlos Reygadas makes films like no one else in modern cinema.”
-Esquire

“…Lives up to the hype. A stunning follow-up to his debut Japon, 34-year-old Mexican director Carlos Reygadas establishes himself as one of the world's most important young art filmmakers.”
- IndieWire

“A Mexican masterpiece of formal intelligence and unstable perspectives…this year's movie to beat”
-Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

LOS ANGELES — Feb. 1, 2006 — For Immediate Release — The most controversial film of the 2005 Cannes, Toronto and Sundance film festivals, Carlos Reygadas’ Battle in Heaven is available on DVD May 9th in stores across the nation from Tartan Video.

Cast entirely with non-professionals, Battle in Heaven tells the story of Marcos (Marcos Hernandez), the middle-aged chauffeur of Ana (Anapola Mushkadiz), daughter of a Mexican general. Marcos is the only member of Ana’s household who knows she leads a double life. Although a child of Mexico’s political elite, Ana amuses herself by working as a prostitute in a high-end brothel. But, Marcos also has a secret. He and his wife (Berta Ruiz) kidnapped a baby for ransom and the infant died in their custody. When he confesses to Ana, a bond of secrecy consecrated by the flesh unites them. As the police draw closer, Ana urges Marcos to turn himself in, but he seeks redemption from a higher power…

The second film from maverick director Carlos Reygadas, who first burst onto the world cinema stage with his stunning 2002 feature debut, Japón, Battle in Heaven is a sexually explicit and stylistically audacious meditation on crime, class and guilt in present-day Mexico City.

At the Sundance Film Festival, the film was pulled from its original screening location inside a local high school when school officials found out about the film’s now-infamous scenes of graphic sex. Sundance moved quickly to relocate the screening. This was not the first time however, that Battle in Heaven has stirred controversy. When it screened in competition at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, many critics were agog at Battle’s opening and closing scenes of full-frontal fellatio.

The film, a critically acclaimed and aesthetically stunning journey through the labyrinth of life and death in present-day Mexico City, opens theatrically through Tartan Films in February.

Spanish, with English subtitles, Battle in Heaven is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features include Behind-The-Scenes documentary, interview with Director Carlos Reygadas, clips from Carlos Reygadas’ 1st film Japon, original theatrical trailer and trailers of Tartan Video’s upcoming releases.

[pandora]

The Samurai’s Last Stand

Master filmmaker Yoji Yamada’s 78th film, The Hidden Blade, available in Stores August 8th from Tartan Video


LOS ANGELES — Feb. 1, 2006 — For Immediate Release — In his 44th year of filmmaking, one of Japan’s master storytellers takes us into the thrilling world of the samurai with a mesmerizing tale of honor, loyalty and love in mid-19th-century Japan. Yoji Yamada’s The Hidden Blade carves up DVD shelf space August 8th in stores across the nation from Tartan Video.

Munezo Katagiri (Masatoshi Nagase), an honest and low ranking samurai is trapped in a state of personal and professional imbalance. Secretly in love with his family’s maid, Kie (Takako Tabata), Munezo begins an uneasy courtship with her, knowing that a relationship is impossible.

Raised to respect traditions from the past and the demanding moral code of the samurai, circumstances have now forced Munezo to look to the future. Required to master western military strategies, particularly the art of artillery, Munezo is ordered to find and kill Yaichiro, a former friend, samurai, and brilliant swordsman.

Munezo knows that he cannot beat Yaichiro with fire power alone, so he enlists the help of his old teacher, Kansai Toda, a master swordsman who entrusts Munezo with the secret and power of The Hidden Blade.

Born in 1931, Director Yoji Yamada is well-known for his long-running series of movies, including the Tora-san films, which ran 48 in total. He has won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture four times and his previous film, Twilight Samurai, was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2003 Academy Awards©.

Japanese, with English and Spanish subtitles, The Hidden Blade is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features are yet to be determined but will include the original theatrical trailer and trailers of Tartan Video’s upcoming releases.

[pandora]

Beautiful Music Never Sounded so Deadly

Tartan Asia Extreme’s Cello in Stores July 25th

“Chilling and…bloody.”
-Asian Cult Cinema Magazine

“Great acting…slick directing.”
-Evil Dread

LOS ANGELES — Mar. 10, 2006 — For Immediate Release — Music video director Lee Woo-Chul makes his feature film debut with Cello, an unforgettable tale of mystery, horror and suspense coupled with a haunting and eerie soundtrack, playing onto video shelves July 25th in stores across the nation from Tartan Asia Extreme©.

Mi-ju (Sung Hyun-Ah) is a brilliant cellist who craves peace and stability after surviving a car crash which killed her best friend. Haunted by terrifying memories of the accident, she decides to forgo a professional career in music in favor of teaching college students and her daughter how to play. Her life is beginning to find some normalcy until one of her students attacks her. She then begins to notice her sister in-law’s dangerous obsession with her fiancée. Further, her new housekeeper is scaring her to death. Tying all of these events together is the very ominous music coming from her daughter’s cello.

Shot in 40 days, Lee Woo-chul’s made his directorial debut with Cello. He has previously directed music videos and was the visual supervisor for Tartan’s April 18th DVD release Natural City.

Korean, with English and Spanish subtitles, Cello is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features are TBD, but include deleted scenes, original theatrical trailer; and trailers of Tartan Asia Extreme’s upcoming releases.

All releases on the Asia Extreme© label are supported by broad-based and multi-faceted consumer advertising campaigns; a comprehensive online viral marketing campaign; and a public relations push to English-, Spanish- and Asian-language media.

[pandora]

The Hostel From Hell

Spanish horror re-emerges with H6: Diary of a Serial Killer, in Stores August 22nd from Tartan Video

“Stunningly morbid.”
-Clive Barker, Director of Hellraiser

H6 goes further in the raw viciousness and unrelenting horror than Hostel or any other mainstream film could ever hope to.”
-Johnny Butane, The Horror Channel

“A Spanish version of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.”
Ryan “Rotten” Turek, Fangoria

LOS ANGELES — June 1st, 2006 — For Immediate Release — At this rate, no one’s going to travel to Europe anymore! Doing for Spanish tourism what Hostel did for Slovakia, H6: Diary of A Serial Killer is an unrelenting vision of horror from Spain’s newest auteur and the producers of Basic Instinct 2 and Sexy Beast. H6 tortures DVD shelves August 22nd in stores across the nation from Tartan Video.

Recently freed after 25 years for killing his girlfriend, Antonio Frau (Fernando Asaco) has just inherited an old brothel from a relative he never knew. Old habits die hard and Antonio takes this as a sign from God to begin “cleansing” those who have lost the will to live. He leads his naive victims to room 6 where he purifies them through excruciating pain and blood-soaked torture, while at the same time, continuing his everyday life next to his new wife.

Bringing to mind ground-breaking horror-thrillers such as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Mario Bava’s The Torturer, First-time director Martín Garrido Barón’s H6 is a balance between the journey inside the mind of a delusional psychopath and the gory end results that come from within.

[pandora]

Some Rules Should Never Be Broken

Tartan Asia Extreme’s The Maid in Stores Nationwide September 12th

“A dark and twisted ending…a slick and scary experience.”
-Fangoria

LOS ANGELES — May 22, 2006 — For Immediate Release — Further expanding the influence of Asian horror outside of Japan and Korea, writer /director Kelvin Tong brings Singapore's first homegrown horror movie stateside. Earning a record-breaking US$700,000 at the Singapore box office, their highest opening ever for a local film, Tartan Asia Extreme’s The Maid will clean up on video shelves nationwide September 12th.

During the Seventh month on the Chinese calendar, the gates of hell open and the dead rise to walk the Earth. There are rules people must follow for 30 days in order to survive. Never swim, never turn back at night when you hear someone calling your name, and never talk to strangers on a deserted road. Break any of the rules, and you face the haunting consequences.

Rosa (Alessandra de Rossi), a young woman from the Philippines, arrives in Singapore to work as a domestic maid. Naïve and innocent, she has never believed in the supernatural and ultimately breaks the rules of the seventh month, one by one. Now she will pay a terrible price for her ignorance.

The Maid is writer/director Kelvin Tong’s first horror film and stars award-winning Italian-Filipino actress Alessandra de Rossi, who has won two FAMAS Best Supporting Actress awards at the Metro Manila Filmfest. She also earned a Best Actress Award at the Gawad Urian Awards for her role in the film Mga Munting Tinig (Small Voices), which was the Philippines’ official entry at the 75th Annual Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

[pandora]

Style Meets Substances in Bangkok

Tartan Asia Extreme’s One Take Only in Stores April 25th

“Fast-paced, MTV-inspired.”
-Tom Vick, All Movie Guide

LOS ANGELES — June 1st, 2006 — For Immediate Release — From acclaimed director, Oxide Pang (The Eye, Ab-normal Beauty, Bangkok Dangerous) comes his solo directorial debut, One Take Only, shocking DVD shelves August 22nd in stores across the nation from Tartan Asia Extreme.

When Som and Bank meet for the first time in the sprawling metropolis of Bangkok, they are strangers. Bank doesn't know that Som is a hooker, and Som doesn't know Bank is a drug dealer. Soon they become partners, and the drug deals they make bring them a kind of wealth they have never known. With a taste for the highlife, they plan a deal that will make them rich beyond their wildest imagination. But they soon find the price they pay, may be way too much.

One Take Only caused some controversy upon its Thai theatrical release when it was delayed by sensors who took exception to the film’s racy content. Packed with the kind of stylized visual imagination and cold, menacing brutality, it follows in the long line of films that have made the Pang Brothers famous, including Ab-normal Beauty, also a Tartan Asia Extreme title, and their most successful film to date The Eye.

[pandora]

Payback is a Bitch

Park Chanwook’s Lady Vengeance from Tartan Asia Extreme in Stores September 26th

“Arguably one of the best films of the decade…sure to be one of the greatest films ever made.”
- Film Threat

“Extravagantly cruel and quite entertaining.”
-Kurt Loder, MTV

“Chanwook’s tremendous conclusion to his Vengeance trilogy is a modern classic… cementing his spot among cinema’s most vital talents.”
-New York Magazine

“The best revenge thriller since Kill Bill.”
- Bloody-Disgusting.com

LOS ANGELES — May. 18, 2006 — For Immediate Release — An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind… So be it. From Park Chanwook, director of the critically acclaimed films Oldboy, and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, comes the highly anticipated Lady Vengeance, the third and final film in his inimitable Vengeance Trilogy, coming to DVD stores nationwide on September 26th from Tartan Asia Extreme.

After being wrongfully convicted of kidnapping and murdering a young child, a beautiful young woman (Lee Young-ae) is imprisoned for 13 years and forced to give up her own daughter. While in prison she gains the respect and loyalty of her fellow cellmates, all the while plotting her vendetta on the man responsible (Oldboy’s Choi Min-Sik). Upon her release she sets in motion an elaborate plan of retribution, but what she discovers is a truth so horrifying, even revenge doesn’t seem punishment enough.

An official selection of the Venice, Toronto, and New York Film Festivals, Lady Vengeance opened in South Korea to the highest grossing opening weekend in the country’s history, generating $9.3 million in US dollars of sales. Since Oldboy won the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes in 2004, Park Chanwook has risen in stature, becoming one of the most exciting, inventive and scrutinized directors working today.

[pandora]

A Black Comedy With Serious Side Effects

One of the year’s most acclaimed films, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, comes to DVD from Tartan Video on September 12th

Official Romanian Selection for Best Foreign Film at 2006 Academy Awards© and winner of the Grand Prix Un Certain Regard at Cannes

**** Four Stars!
-Roger Ebert/Premiere/Paste/Chicago Tribune/Newsday.com

“Grade A. Extraordinary…rich and riveting…”
-Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

"A magnificently damning critique on healthcare... done with a devil's sense of humor that then calls you out on your laughter."
-Aaron Hillis, Premiere

“One of the best movies in years—hilarious, dazzingly made!”
-John Powers, Vogue

“A mysteriously mesmerizing voyage.”
-David Ansen, Newsweek

“A wonderfully humane film, engrossing and moving.”
-Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail

LOS ANGELES — May. 18, 2006 — For Immediate Release — After multiple film festivals, scores of awards and accolades and a critically-lauded 2006 theatrical release, the most acclaimed comedy of the year, director Cristi Puiu’s The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, will find its final resting place on DVD in stores nationwide September 12th from Tartan Video.

After suffering terrible headaches and stomach cramps that he can no longer bare, Mr. Lazarescu (Ion Fiscuteanu) calls for an ambulance, beginning one man’s poignant journey through Bucharest hospitals in search of proper medical care. His lone ally, medic Mioara (Luminta Gheorghiu), admirably fights for his life with compassion and decency. However, cursed with viciously ironic luck and fumes of alcohol on his breath, Mr. Lazarescu is treated with scorn, indifference and little else as he slips deeper into oblivion.

An official selection of over 25 film festivals including Cannes, Toronto, and New York and the official Romanian selection for Best Foreign Film at the 2006 Academy Awards©, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu has been acclaimed the world over. Along with the prestigious Grand Prix Un Certain Regard Award from Cannes, the film also won the Special Jury Prize at the Chicago Film Festival and the Fipresci Award at the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival.

The film has caused an eye-opening re-examination into the world of healthcare. Hospitals and universities have begun showing the film to students in order to raise awareness to the questions and concerns surrounding emergency room care.

[pandora]

I would like to let everyone know that the DVD street date for Lady Vengeance has changed from September 26th to SEPTEMBER 5th

[pandora]

From the director of The Story of The Weeping Camel,

The Cave of the Yellow Dog will come to US theaters Winter 2006 from Tartan Films

“Strikingly beautiful…Deserves an Oscar”
-Evening Standard

LOS ANGELES — Aug. 16, 2006 — For Immediate Release — From Oscar-nominated director Byambasuren Davaa, THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL, comes THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG, a thought provoking mix of documentary and drama that tells the touching story of family united through the daughter’s poignant love of a dog.

A Mongolian nomad family find themselves in disagreement when the oldest daughter, Nansal, finds a dog and brings it home. Believing it is responsible for attacking his sheep, her father refuses to allow her to keep it. When it’s time for the family to move on, Nansal must decide whether to defy her father and take her new friend with them.

Winner for Best Direction Women & Film at the Mar del Plata in 2006 and the Golden German Film Awards; Official Selection on the Berlin and London International Film Festival, THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG opens in New York on November 10th.

Hamish McAlpine, the founder and owner of Tartan Films, who are celebrating twenty one years of distributing films in the UK, launched Tartan USA in 2004 with an eclectic and controversial slate of films from established auteurs and up-and-coming filmmakers. Previous Tartan film releases include 2004 Cannes Grand Jury Prize Winner OLDBOY, the critically-acclaimed Romanian Oscar entry THE DEATH OF MR LAZARESCU and the final film in Park Chanwook’s “Vengeance Trilogy,” LADY VENGEANCE. Upcoming theatrical releases include 2005 Cannes Jury Prize Winner, Andrea Arnold’s RED ROAD, French filmmaker Denis Dercourt’s THE PAGE TURNER, cutting edge Hong Kong helmer Johnnie To’s TRIAD ELECTION and Danish Director Anders Morgenthaler’s half-animated/half-live-action PRINCESS.

[pandora]

SHEITAN

Streets: December 26th

Noteworthy Information: A recent Midnight Madness selection at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival, Sheitan also screened at the 2006 Tribeca, Edinburgh and Melbourne Film Festivals. Director Kim Chapiron is a member of Kourtrajmé, a loose collective of vibrant, cutting-edge young French filmmakers. Founded in 1995, this incredibly dynamic collective counts among its members actor/producer Vincent Cassel and French rap group Le Nguyen.

Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, a group of young guys meet two gorgeous girls who invite them to spend the weekend in the country, where they meet Joseph (Vincent Cassel, Ocean’s Twelve, Irreversible), a creepy, unkempt man whose pregnant wife remains hidden in the large house. That evening, what begins innocently as Christmas dinner turns into disturbing conversations about sex, satanic possession, and incest. Joseph’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and the young friends realize their host has made a pact with the devil and all hell is about to break loose.



DIVERGENCE

Streets: January 16th

Noteworthy Information: From acclaimed director Benny Chan (Heroic Duo, Gen X Cop). Aaron Kwok won “Best Actor” at the Golden Horse Awards (Hong Kong’s Oscars) for Divergence, an engrossing and mysterious thriller

Synopsis: Aaron Kwok (The Storm Riders) plays Suen, a depressed and rundown cop still obsessing over his girlfriend’s (Koma’s Sinje Lee) sudden disappearance 10 years ago. While Suen extradites a witness from Canada, his bounty is murdered by an oddly principled assassin (One Night in Mongkok’s Daniel Wu) who seems to possess information that Suen himself would kill for. The witness’s death is welcome news for a crooked businessman whose assets were frozen by the police, until his only son is kidnapped. Enter To (Heroic Duo’s Ekin Cheng), a lawyer who has always successfully protected his clients, and who coincidentally happens to be married to a woman who looks exactly like Suen’s missing girlfriend. Each of these men will ultimately and painfully be drawn together, inadvertently rushing full speed towards their breaking points, until a violent and permanent Divergence becomes this film’s only forgone conclusion.



PERTH

Streets: January 16th
Tag Line: Singapore’s Taxi Driver

Noteworthy Information: A winner of awards at film festivals worldwide, including Winner Best Film and Best New Asian Cinema at the 14th Lyon Asian Film Festival and winner of Best Film at the Hong King Asian Film Festival.

Synopsis: Harry Lee, a part-time security guard and taxi driver wants nothing to do with the fast-paced, status-driven society that has left him behind so he sets off for his idea of paradise, the Western Australian city of Perth. His attempt to migrate is complicated when he takes on a job ferrying prostitutes. The situation becomes increasingly volatile when he takes an unhealthy interest in one Vietnamese prostitute, which awakens within him a dark and dangerous attempt at personal redemption.

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March Titles: (4)



BLOODY REUNION - Asia Extreme (Horror/Slasher)

Street Date: March 13th

Synopsis: After 16-years pass, a group of former students decide to visit their sickly, wheel-chair bound teacher Ms. Park at her country cottage for an impromptu class reunion before the frail woman dies. Once the tearful hellos are complete, it becomes clear that the ex-classmates have blossomed into raging alcoholics, bulimics and plastic surgery addicts, thanks to Ms. Park’s early childhood schooling. Soon, the happy gathering turns into a nightmare as old grudges and hidden truths surface and one by one the former classmates vanish in a series of unforgettably gruesome and mysterious murders.



THE PERFECT CRIME (EL CRIMEN FERPECTO) - Tartan Video (Comedy)

Street Date: March 13th

Synopsis: A hit with customers and coworkers alike, Rafael is on top of the world working and flirting in a ladies department store. He seems a shoe-in for store manager, until he is beaten out by rival Don Antonio. When Don Antonio mysteriously disappears, Rafael is the most likely suspect and Lourdes, a coworker who has pined for him for years, is the one person who knows his dirty secret. Lourdes also happens to be the one woman Rafael has not slept with, due to her less-than-stunning physical attributes. Forced to marry this woman, an act which results in a litany of affronts to his womanizing, egocentric sensibilities, Rafael realizes that Lourdes must be eliminated in The Perfect Crime.

Noteworthy information: This film was nominated for 6 Goyas (Spanish Academy Awards) and received positive reviews in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and by Roger Ebert to name, a few after it’s 2005 limited theatrical run.



SHUTTER (THE ORIGINAL) - Asia Extreme (Horror)

Street Date: March 27th

Synopsis: Late one night on a country road, Tun and Jane accidentally run down a mysterious pedestrian. Fleeing the scene, they return to their lives in Bangkok, but soon discover things have changed. Nightmares haunt Jane’s dreams while Tun, a photographer, begins to see odd ghostly figures at work. Returning to investigate the site of the accident, they find neither rumor nor report of the victim. When one by one, Tun’s closest friends begin to die, he and Jane know they must unravel this mystery before it unravels their very lives.

Noteworthy Information: The remake rights for this film were sold for nearly twice that of The Ring.



THE BOW – Tartan Video (Drama)

Street Date: March 27th

Synopsis: A crusty old man and a beautiful young girl live on a fishing boat, which has been floating at sea for over 10 years. The old man plans to marry the 16-year-old on her next birthday, and counts the days down on his calendar. In addition to the girl, the old man also cherishes his bow, which he uses predominantly as a weapon to fight off would-be admirers of his lovely shipmate. However, the bow is also a useful device for shamanistic fortune-telling and creates wonderfully enchanting music as well. The quiet couple lives a peaceful and secluded life, until a teenage boy comes aboard and changes everything.

Noteworthy Information: This film is directed by Acclaimed South Korean Director Kim Ki-Duk (The Isle, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, Samaritan Girl).



April titles: (3)



CINDERELLA – Asia Extreme (Horror/Slasher)

Street Date: April 10th

Synopsis: Seeking the much-desired quality of ul-jjang (the Perfect Face), 17-year-old Hyunsu’s friends are envious that her mother is a plastic surgeon. But on their summer vacation together, Hyunsu watches as her friends get plastic surgery and then one by one begin to die mysterious deaths. She knows her mother holds the key to the dark secrets that have been tucked away, but does she dare uncover the ugly truth.



SLAUGHTER NIGHT – Tartan Video (Horror/Slasher)

Street Date: April 10th

Synopsis: Kristel’s dad died in a brutal car accident following an argument the two had on her prom night. Racked with guilt, Kristel takes some high school friends to a museum, located in an old abandoned mine, in hopes of retrieving the manuscript her father was writing about eighteenth and nineteenth century serial killers. Her dad was particularly interested in Andries Martiens, a man sentenced to death for slaughtering several youths. Martiens died in a massive explosion centuries ago, but it’s rumored his spirit still haunts the mine and is ravenously hungry for another Slaughter Night.

Noteworthy Information: Originally titled SL8N8, this film made its North American premiere at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival.




THE GHOST – Asia Extreme (Horror)

Street Date: April 24th

Synopsis: Ji-won is a bright young student, but an event from her past has left her with no memory. Unsure of her own identity, she also has no recollection of her friends or anything about her life prior to the incident. But when old friends mysteriously start dying one by one, she begins to investigate and piece together fragments of her past. She discovers she was once friends with three other girls, and together they formed an impenetrable alliance. As terrifying visions haunt her waking hours and more friends continue to die, Ji-won draws closer to discovering the mystery that connects past and present, but sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

Noteworthy Information: Dimension Films acquired the remake rights for this film.

[flame]

Shutter is pretty damn good, for a Thai film. All the build up and the end does not dissapoint.

[pandora]

ARANG

Asia Extreme (Korean) - Horror

Pre-order date: March 27th

**Street Date: May 8th

Synopsis: A veteran female detective, So-Young, and her rookie assistant are investigating a recent series of bizarre and horrifying murders. All of the victims seem to have died due to an acid unleashed inside of their bodies. As the two detectives discover more about the case, they soon realize the serial killings may have something to do with a death that occurred ten years ago in a salt house. Before long, So-Young becomes plagued by nightmares in which the dead girl appears and the horrific killings continue to confound.



DORM

Asia Extreme (Thai)

Pre-order date: April 10th

**Street Date: May 22nd

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Chatree is miserable and lonely after his transfer to an all-boys boarding school. His teacher does little to make him feel welcome and his peers bully him with tales of drowned boys and hanged girls. Chatree begins to feel his life is cursed until he meets and befriends a fellow student, who happens to harbor a curious secret. Dark and terrifying lessons are about to be learned in this school’s dorm and innocence will be lost forever…

[WhaleyPo]

wow - that's a lot of horror movies! thanks - i'm forwarding the link to my husband - he'll love it! thanks!

[pandora]

June:

SILK

Asia Extreme/Thriller

Street Date: June 12th

Synopsis: Armed with a newly invented material called the Manger Sponge, a paranormal investigative scientist and his team are called in to examine a murder scene. They soon capture the energy of a child ghost, an unidentified 13-year old boy intent on killing people. The team decides to isolate the spirit and unknowingly unleashes a dangerous and mysterious force, which somehow seems connected to the lethal child. As the team struggles to survive, they follow the clues of this puzzling connection like a fine and slippery thread of silk…

Misc: This film was an Official Selection of The Cannes Film Festival



THE BOW

Korean Drama

Street Date: June 26th

Synopsis: A crusty old man and a beautiful young girl live on a fishing boat, which has been floating at sea for over 10 years. The old man plans to marry the 16-year-old on her next birthday, and counts the days down on his calendar. In addition to the girl, the old man also cherishes his bow, which he uses predominantly as a weapon to fight off would-be admirers of his lovely shipmate. However, the bow is also a useful device for shamanistic fortune-telling and creates wonderfully enchanting music as well. The quiet couple lives a peaceful and secluded life, until a teenage boy comes aboard and changes everything.

Misc.: This film is directed by acclaimed South Korean Director Kim Ki-Duk (The Isle, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, Samaritan Girl)





July:

THE PAGE TURNER

French Psychological Thriller

Street Date: July 24th

**Currently playing theatrically

Synopsis: Mèlanie, a small-town butcher’s daughter, seems to have a special gift for the piano. She takes the Conservatory entrance exam, but fails after being distracted by the thoughtless behavior of the chairwoman of the jury, a well known concert pianist. Bitterly disappointed, Mèlanie gives up the piano. Some ten years later, while working as an intern at a law film, Mèlanie meets Monsieur Fouchècourt, the husband of the woman who has changed her life. Mèlanie’s efficiency and devotion are quickly noticed and Monsieur Fouchècourt recruits her into his home to look after his son. Madame Fouchècourt soon warms to Mèlanie when her musical sensitivity comes out, and the young woman becomes her page turner, setting in motion an elaborate plan for revenge.

Misc: This film was featured at the Cannes, Telluride and Toronto film festivals, as well as the prestigious Rendez-Vous with French Cinema.

Quotes:

“An elegant sexy French thriller…The two leading ladies are note-perfect.”

-Leah Rozen, People

“Exquisitely chilling.”

-Karen Durbin, Elle

“An impeccably made psychological melodrama…The iciest version of delayed vengeance yet.”

-Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times





A WORLD WITHOUT THIEVES

Action

Street Date: July 24th

Synopsis: Not soon after meeting Bo (Andy Lau), a master at picking pockets and Li (Rene Liu), a sexy femme fatale drifter team up becoming partners in both crime and passion. The couple scams their way across China until one day Li suddenly decides to call it quits. It’s at this crossroad in their lives and relationship that they run into Fu Gen, a naïve and wealthy peasant in a train station and begin a journey that will alter their lives forever.

Misc: This film stars Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers, Infernal Affairs), Hong Kong’s #1 Box Office Actor.

[pandora]

CARVED: The Slit Mouthed Woman

Pre-Order Date: July 3rd

Street Date: August 14th

Synopsis: Thirty years ago, a suburban town was terrorized by the spirit of a woman whose beautiful face had been grotesquely disfigured by a jealous husband. Roaming the streets wearing a long coat and surgical mask, the spirit would approach young victims and, while removing her mask, ask “Am I pretty?” The victim’s response would almost always lead to their violent death. Now, one by one, children are disappearing again. As teachers and officials desperately begin to investigate, a panic begins to build as the woman’s spirit returns for some unfinished business and the town's dark secrets are exposed.



RED ROAD

Pre-Order Date: July 17th

Street Date: August 28th

Synopsis: Jackie (Kate Dickie) works as a CCTV security operator in a working class area of Glasgow. Each day she sits before a bank of television screens, keeping watch over every corner of life in the community. One day a man appears on her monitor, a man she thought she’d never see again – a man she never wanted to see again. Now she feels compelled to confront him, putting herself before the camera’s eye, and bringing her face to face with a world and a past she’d long kept at a distance.

Misc.: Winner - Grand Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival (2006), Winner - “Most Promising Newcomer,” Andrea Arnold, BAFTA Awards (2007), Winner - Best Actress, Kate Dickie & Best Actor, Tony Curran, British Independent Film Awards (2006), BFI Sutherland Trophy - Andrea Arnold for most original & imaginative first feature, Variety’s “10 Directors To Watch” (2007) - Andrea Arnold.



BAD BLOOD

Pre-Order Date: July 17th

Street Date: August 28th

Synopsis: A prominent and respected family inherits a beautiful home in the country, nestled deep inside a tiny village. Despite protests from his wife and children who have grown accustomed to the finer things in life and believe the house should be sold for profit, the father decides to uproot everyone and move to the new house. Almost immediately the small group learns that the village is overshadowed by superstition, religion and mysterious folklore. Soon strange events begin occurring and family is forced to consider an alarming rumor running rampant throughout the village: by inheriting the house, they have also inherited a dark and menacing curse.

[pandora]

THE GHOST SCHOOL TRILOGY

Pre-Order Date: August 28th

Street Date: October 9th

Category: Asia Extreme

Synopsis:

WHISPERING CORRIDORS

A teacher is found dead, apparently having committed suicide, in a seemingly normal private all-girls school. A horrific course of events ensues, inextricably linking both the past and the present. As the body count rises, memories of death unleash the echoes of ghosts down the corridors.

MEMENTO MORI

A young student discovers a shared diary and learns that two of her schoolmates have begun a forbidden romance. When one of the diary’s writers is found dead from an apparent suicide, rumors begin to fly and a strange presence seeps into the hallways filling the students with foreboding dread. The once tranquil school transforms into a morbid place of terror, and the journal’s words, “memento mori” (remember the dead), begin to take on a freighting life of their own.

WISHING STAIRS

An urban legend about the staircase behind the school’s dormitory says that if you climb each of the 28 steps, and count them out loud, a 29th step will appear and your wish will be granted. One student knows exactly what she wants. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know that the wishing stairs have consequences. Be careful what you wish for…

Misc: Tartan Asia Extreme is proud to release its first special edition box-set! There will be 4 discs; the three films listed above and a special bonus disc.



12:O8 EAST OF BUCHAREST

Pre-Order Date: August 28th

Street Date: October 9th

Category: Drama/Comedy

Synopsis: The whole country watched live on television as angry crowds forced Romanian dictator Ceausescu to flee Bucharest by helicopter. In a quiet town east of the capital, sixteen years since this historic day, the Host of a local TV station searches for guests for his special anniversary episode, but only manages to find a hard-drinking history teacher and an elderly retiree who works as a part-time Santa Claus. The two dubious guests revel in the glory of the Revolution, proudly sharing stories of their heroic contributions to the town's own rebellion – but then viewers begin to phone in with their own recollections. Did anybody, in fact, rush the town square to chant against Ceausescu before that crucial moment eight minutes after noon?

Misc: Winner of the 2006 Cannes Camera d’Or for best first feature and nominated for The Best Foreign Film at Film Independent’s 2007 Spirit Awards, this film is still playing theatrically in select markets and has been highly critically praised.

Quotes:

“… A minor masterpiece.”-The Los Angeles Times

“Acutely funny!” -The New York Times

“****” -- “The most hilarious film I’ve seen this year.”–The New York Post

“Deadpan masterpiece.”-Time Out New York

“Announces itself as a major work…This one’s a total keeper.” -Indiewire.com



APARTMENT 1303

Pre-Order Date: September 11th

Street Date: October 23rd

Category: Asia Extreme / Horror

Synopsis: After moving into her first apartment, Sayaka invites her friends to come over and celebrate. During the party, she begins acting strangely, before suddenly running to the balcony and jumping to her death. At the funeral, stunned and horrified, her friends and family refuse to believe Sayaka committed suicide. Upon investigation, her sister Mariko begins investigating and learns that Sayaka wasn’t the first to plummet to her death in Apartment 1303. The room has a shocking history and Mariko is about to come face-to-face with an evil more powerful and terrifying than she could ever have imagined.

Misc: From Ken Oishi, the author of THE GRUDGE

[garcia5]

Silk is a film I instantly put in my queue. It just sounds so damn awesome. I watched Carved and thought it was extremely weak. Not as horrifying as the box would have you believe and requires a massive suspension of disbelief. Reminded me of Fallen with Denzel Washington.

[pandora]

P

Pre-Order Date: 11/13/07

Street Date: 12/25/07

Category: Horror/Asia Extreme

Synopsis: While growing up in rural Thailand, a young and very beautiful orphan girl is taught the mysterious art of dark magic by her grandmother. When her grandmother falls sick, young Dau travels to Bangkok looking for work so that she can earn enough money for medicine. She lands a job as an exotic dancer at a go-go club. Hesitant at first and ridiculed by the other dancers, Dau is forced by circumstances to become an adult before her time and ultimately becomes the most popular and eerily seductive dancer at the club. Jealousies ensue and as her magic gets darker, the young girl gradually loses control as something abhorrently evil and wicked takes over.





THE MATRIMONY

Pre-Order Date: 12/4/07

Street Date: 1/15/08

Category: Super Natural Drama/Asia Extreme

Synopsis: Set in a beautifully recreated 1930’s Shanghai, Junchu (Leon Lai) has fallen into a profound state of depression after witnessing his girlfriend’s tragic death on the day he was to propose to her. Unable to forget Manli, and living in a tortured state of denial and guilt, Junchun’s domineering mother decides to marry him off to Sansan (Rene Liu), a beautiful young woman who she believes will lift her son’s spirits.

The marriage starts off loveless and unconsummated, but Sansan is determined to win his love. One day she the ghost of Manli, still pining for her former lover appears to Sansan. The two quickly strike a deal; Manli will help the new bride, but only if she can temporarily enter Sansan’s body so that she can reconnect physically with her former lover one last time. The plan goes too well and as Junchu begins to fall in love with Sansan, Manli turns from friendly and helpful to jealous and vengeful.







1942

Pre-Order Date: 12/18/07

Street Date: 1/29/08

Category: Asia Extreme / Horror

Synopsis: Huddled in a jungle trench, war cameraman Fujii is hoping to shoot footage of the Japanese 6th army when an enemy mortar shell explodes near by. Running for his life and armed only with an 8mm camera, the young soldier joins the remnants of the scattered 6th. With only five scared and weary soldiers remaining, the group decides they must escape the jungle if they are to survive the expedition. Curiously all the maps are wrong, the radio will not work and strange images are haunting the men. Fighting against thirst, hunger and eventually each other, the lone cameraman finds the job of keeping everyone alive squarely on his shoulders.