Another upcoming film from the most sought after Kung Fu star in Chinese cinema today, Donnie Yen, is “14 Blades”. And it’s a mix of martial arts and espionage flick that quite sounds like a potential spectacle. The Chinese title for the film, “Jinyiwei”, means “The Brocaded Robe Guards” was a nickname to the Ming emperors' own version of the CIA. The organization was set up in the late 14th century by Ming dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu), first as his own personal guards numbering in the hundreds, and later gaining many more other responsibilities (including intelligence, of course), reaching their apex in the 16th century with a total force around the low six figures. “14 Blades” is the latest from Hong Kong director Daniel Lee, who made the brainless “Dragon Squad” and the much improved “Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon”. Beside Yen, other cast members feature a mix of new and veteran performers. The film is expected to contain heavy doses of stylized fight sequences as it populated by a large number of veteran martial arts stars. Veteran genre actors who make appearances include Chen Kuan-tai, one of Shaw Brothers’ top kung fu stars of the 1970s who starred in cult Kung Fu classic “Flying Guillotine which are very similar in plot to this film, Wu Ma (The Dead and The Deadly), Sammo Hung (Martial Law, Resurrection of the Dragon), mainland wushu champion Xu Xiang-dong (“Wing Chun” TV series), Chen Zhi-hua (Ip Man), and Damian Lau (Duel to the Death). However, all of the young stars featured are idols rather than dedicated martial artists. Wu Chun is a member of Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit and has starred in several TV series. Qi Yuwu is a former Star Search China winner from Singapore. As the leading lady is mainland actress Vicki Zhao Wei who made appearances in John Woo’s “Red Cliff” as well as the forthcoming “Mulan”, Chinese live version for the country’s legendary epic tale. Donnie Yen has suggested that “14 Blades” has some of the most plentiful and challenging fight sequences from among his recent films. A likely reason for the injury and the challenge might be Ku Huan-chiu, who as action director is reportedly pushing the film’s fighting stars.

Set in the final years of China's Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), the Imperial Guards are raised and trained to be ruthless killing machines since childhood, to execute whatever questionable orders from the Imperial Court or Emperor without questions, and Green Dragon (Yen), being the most highly skilled of them all, is no exception. Each of them possesses a chest containing 14 blades, and the Imperial Guards would use different weapons under different situations, with 8 being used for all forms of tortures, and another 5 for killings, and the last one for hara kiri. And they are also experts at psychological warfare, negotiating or weakening the enemies' minds in order to accomplish their missions. But deep within his heart, there's still an iota of conscience left in Green Dragon, who begins to question its motives and runs away from the organization while being hunted down, when he discovers a big conspiracy as an evil eunuch gains control of the Imperial Court and Imperial Guards. While on the run, Green Dragon becomes acquainted with Qiao Hua (Zhao), daughter of the chief of an Armed Escort Agency. Initially, like all Imperial Guards do, he's merely making use of her. However, he gradually falls for her while she finds out that she's being made use of.

According to wu-jing.org site, which has described some other roles in the film, actor Law Kar Ying is playing villainous character eunuch Jia, one who is scheming, treacherous and insatiable. His portrayal of one who is vile and effeminate is very piercing. Sammo Hung plays a prince stationed at the frontiers defending the nation. Though he is of royal blood, and a lofty prince with great ambitions, his aspirations could never be fulfilled. While he doesn't get any action here, his mannerism is very imposing. As the elder armed escort Qiao Yong, Wu Ma has the most scenes among the cameo roles. He is a doting and kind father to his daughter Zhao Wei. Being the more cautious and suspicious type, he objects to Zhao Wei having any connections with Imperial Guard Donnie Yen when they first meet.
Meanwhile, legendary star Chen Kuan Tai plays Reverend Tong Ming, one of Donnie Yen's enemies. He makes a very grand entrance, fighting Yen to a very fierce death duel. His character hired by eunuch Jia to get rid of Green Dragon. With a really exceptional martial arts ability, Chen Kuan Tai still displayed great prowess in his one week shoot, despite being over 60 years old. Finally, Xu Xiang Dong plays a commander under Sammo Hung but he later conspires with eunuch Jia.

Theatrical release dates:
Jan 28, 2010: Singapore
Feb 2010: China, Hong Kong

Sources: KungFu Cinema, Wu-Jing.Org – Photos courtesy of Visualizer Film Productions

The apocalyptic-minded flick “2012” brings a tsunami of moviegoers to theaters across the world this weekend. Sony's pic directed by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) has surpassed predictions by grossing an estimated $160 million at the foreign box office and an estimated $65 million domestically for a total haul of $225 million. Columbia, a unit of Sony Corp, said "2012" marked the highest worldwide opening ever for an original film not based on an established franchise, brand or best-selling novel. The record for a worldwide opening is $394 million, set in July by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." The movie earned $158 million from North America and $236 million from 54 foreign territories, but that film enjoyed a two-day head start by opening on a Wednesday. However, domestically, the extremely expensive "2012", which carried a $200 million production price tag, came in just shy of the $68.7 million opening weekend for Emerich’s previous catastrophe effort "The Day After Tomorrow." "Roland is that type of filmmaker that casts his net really wide," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "The story is something people could really relate to. It's a story of the survival of humanity." The domestic debut also lands “2012” as one of the top seven openers ever for the month of November, coming in behind three “Harry Potter” films ($88.4-102.4 million opening), “The Incredibles” ($70.5 million opening), “Twilight” ($69.6 million opening), and “Quantum of Solace” ($67.5 million opening). It could be interesting to know how “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” jumbling the chart next weekend.

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Having messed up several parts of the globe via extraterrestrial invasion, Japan based lizard monster and massive climate-changing storm, Roland Emmerich now ups the ante by demolishing the whole damn thing in a giant blaze of mayhem and calamity through the Mayan calendar prophecy. Emmerich's not pleased with just crushing the White House, but also adds in the Vatican, Rio and just about everywhere else for good measure. The infamous filmmakers would just have an earthquake, a flood, a volcano or meteors, but no – he pretty sure combines the entire into one uber-disaster, using them all up. With “2012”, Emmerich apparently determined to end his career with a bang as the ‘disaster film’ director of record. Ridiculousness out-of-the-way, this catastrophe porn will undeniably be an international box office smash, luring any moviegoer willing (and able) to turn off their wits and go along for the 158 minute thrill ride.

Long long time ago, the Mayans left us their legacy, a calendar with a clear end date and all that it implies. Since then, astrologists have discovered it, numerologists have found patterns that predict it, geologists say the earth is overdue for it, and even government scientists cannot deny the cataclysm of epic proportions that awaits the earth in 2012. A prophecy that began with the Mayans has now been well-chronicled, discussed, taken apart and examined. So take note, humans: Life on Earth will end on December 12, 2012. Therefore, plan your Christmas shopping accordingly. Central to the movie plot is loser author Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) whose brilliant novel led to the breakup of his marriage to his wife Kate (Amanda Peet) who, consequently, has recently taken up with another guy named Gordon (Tom McCarthy). But Jackson remains a loyal dad and when the chips are down, he will prove he will do anything to save his family. In the meantime, the world’s governments also have their own plan. They will not be able to save the entire human race, but they will be able to save some, and those will have the chance to begin a new civilization. U.S. President Thomas Wilson, played by Danny Glover, is very quick to comprehend the calamity the humanity is about to face – and equally quick to prevent mass hysteria by keeping the information secret. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the president’s chief science advisor, Adrian Helmsley, who has managed to decode the earth’s messages and is determined to do what he can to help as many people as possible. Carl Anheuser, the president’s chief of staff played by Oliver Platt, might be pompous and quick-tempered, but he is equally determined to see society – at least, those in society who can afford it – survive. Thandie Newton, playing the president’s daughter, Laura, is shocked to find out what her father’s government has hidden from the world. In fact, it seems that the only man outside the government with any clue as to what is about to happen is the radio host (and maybe prophet) Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), who broadcasts his predictions to anyone who will listen.

# In Emmerich’s style, “2012” contained with a lengthy build-up to the core climax where we are introduced to several characters from around the world who are either proficient who are alert of what is waiting or ordinary human caught up in the massacre.

# With over-the-top action sequences depicting a lot of stuff getting destroyed, exposed the fall of every significant monument from every side of the world, this CGI wetdream of a movie really keeps the special effects houses in business.

# There are two loud action set-pieces not only dare our logic but are so blatant that you simply have to sit back and applaud.

# Emmerich knows how to develop and conceive of larger-than-large action set-pieces that leave the viewer thrilled, jarred and on the edge of their seat. But in terms of story and especially character development, he missed.

# The characters are fairly stereotypical, but they are camped by a good cast of actors who do their job.

# John Cusack managing to be a frumpy action hero without loosing too much of his natural charisma and coolness.

# One most memorable performance is absolutely the extended cameo by Woody Harrelson as Charlie Frost, a wildly enthusiastic environmentalist of sort who believed in the Mayan’s prediction.

# Cusack and Harrelson only have 2 or 3 scenes together but bounce off one another really well and all their work together is hilarious.

# Chiwetel Ejiofor more effectively fits the bill as an unlikely protagonist, virtuous in his beliefs that the people of the world should not be lied to, but not powerful enough to do anything about it.

# On the humanity side, this movie is simply inferior to “The Day After Tomorrow”, and the story a little bit took itself too seriously that even “Independence Day” had some rich developments compared to it.

# There's very little mention of the Mayan prophetic wisdom that has foreseen the supposed end of days. The fear, examination, curiosity, and everything else you've ever wondered about the puzzling year that is quickly approaching is almost entirely removed from this film.

# '2012' is just full of too many coincidences which made it appear perfectly unrealistic. There are also too may convenient plot turns and too much humor.

# With the latter two stories are filled with clichés and very unsurprising. The last act is just such a feeble, predictable attempt to pull the sequence where audiences are cravings to know more after 157 minutes of running time.

Overall score: 6,5/10 (Very good CGI that able to manage the crowd, but the scenario was too simplistic and naïve)

Historical epic movies have bombarded Chinese cinema today, as well as many action-period blockbusters which tried to please everyone. In addition to numerous released and upcoming titles is a film that will portray one chapter from the history of Dr. Sun Yat-sen who is popularly referred to as the Father of Modern China. Sun played a critical role in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the subsequent establishment of a short-lived republic. He is one of few political figures in 20th-century China who is admired by otherwise opposed politicians on the mainland and in Taiwan. However, the story of this star-studded film entitled “Bodyguards and Assassins” is not precisely based on Dr. Sun’s biography, but it’s a fictional account of an assassination attempt on revered Chinese revolutionary and the efforts of kung fu masters who protected him before the Chinese Revolution overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911. The film boasts a cast of Chinese and Hong Kong cinema superstars who led by one of the busiest Kung Fu stars in Chinese cinema today, Donnie Yen. He will portray “Gambler,” a character that is shaping up to be somewhat antiheroic in that he is described as not being patriotic or righteous and is uncertain of his place in the revolution. Other leading cast members include Leon Lai as “Beggar,” Wang Xueqi as “Scion,” Nicholas Tse as “Rickshaw Puller,” Tony Leung Kar-fai as “Revolutionary,” Hu Jun as “Assassin,” Eric Tsang as “Police Commissioner,” Simon Yam as “General in Exile,” Fan Bing-bing as “Mistress,” Wang Po-chieh, and Zhou Yun. The film that previously known as “Dark October” has been in development for a decade, it’s directed by Teddy Chan who formerly made Jackie Chan’s “The Accidental Spy”. “I really wanted to make this (film) 10 years ago but the market then just could not support such an expensive and costly film,” Teddy explained. Teddy actually hasn’t done anything of consequence since that substandard Jackie Chan actioner and it’s still ambiguous if he’s up to the task of heading a project of this magnitude, even with 10 years of preparation. On the other hand, “Bodyguards and Assassins” producer Peter Chan does have a good track record with such films as “The Eye”, “Three… Extremes”, “Protégé”, and “The Warlords”. Perhaps with the presence of Peter Chan, and the virtually everyone who matters in current Hong Kong film in the cast, this film should at least do well commercially.

1905, City of Victoria (British Colony of Hong Kong). Before Dr. Sun Yat-Sen can become the Father of Modern China by instigating the revolution of 1911 that overturns the Qing Dynasty, his life is almost cut short when he arrives at Hong Kong for a secret meeting to establish a united anti-Qing revolutionary front.
In the distance of thirteen blocks, the one man Dr. Sun Yat-Sen who holds a nation’s fate must survive relentless attempts on his life with only five bodyguards, a group of ordinary men and women who actually possess extraordinary fighting skills. Against hundreds of assassins, these men must put their courage to the test in order to protect the hope of millions even if it means fighting to the death…

Facts behind the impressive scale of production:

# The role of Sun Yat-sen was originally offered to Chow Yun-fat who opted instead to play Chinese philosopher “Confucius” in an upcoming biopic.

# The film features a truly awesome set which recreates a bustling Hong Kong in the early 20th century. It was the biggest set of its kind ever constructed for a Chinese film.

# According to producer Peter Chan, the actioner is an attempt to make a “new mainstream commercial film” to attract audiences from around the world with a universal storyline, quality acting and inspiring scenes.

# Nicholas Tse had actually auditioned for this film several years ago before the production was held up.

# 150-million yuan of budget have gone into the undertaking, including nearly 50-million yuan and eight months time to construct of a replica of Hong Kong's urban core in 1906.

# The majestic set which is the first one-to-one scale reproduction of old Hong Kong, build in the Song Jiang Province, a western suburb of Shanghai, and is about the size of 10 football fields. Painstakingly focused on keeping historical accuracy and attention-to-detail, the streets and arcades vary from traditional Chinese shophouses to colonial-style buildings to gothic architecture enhanced by props meticulously true to the time, like rickshaws, alcohol bottles and signboards.

# About 500 homes, 200 shops and 4,000 signboards were created for the film.

# Hollywood actress Andie Macdowell and Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle, who were in town for the Shanghai Film Festival, were duly impressed as they toured the set.

# The film features performances by many of the top actors in Hong Kong. Among them are nine previous winners for Best Actor and one for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

# In their promotional slogan, the producers are promising sixty minutes of non-stop fighting.

Budget: $23 million

Theatrical release dates:
Dec 18, 09: China, Hong Kong, Singapore
Dec 24: Malaysia, Taiwan

Sources: KungfuCinema, Today Online, WuJing.org – Photos courtesy of Cinema Popular

Since Mel Gibson headlined "Signs" and "We Were Soldiers" in 2002, he choose to concentrated on his directing career, and subsequently "The Passion of the Christ" and "Apocalypto" came from his vision as a filmmaker. Now, his first film as a leading actor after seven years is a mystery thriller called “Edge of Darkness.” In the film, he is playing a cop investigating the murder of his daughter, which leads to unraveling a gravely important national security secret. “Darkness” puts Gibson back in familiar territory, to the type of role he has already proven more an adept at handling. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that, even at the age of 53, Gibson is still one of Hollywood’s most credible action stars. It is also probably easier to sell Gibson now than it was in 2006 where he was dealing with numerous real-world incidents, and it's probably easier to sell something he's just acting in, since as a movie star, very few guys have ever enjoyed the run Gibson had for about 20 years. In the other hand, the parent-getting-revenge genre is pretty hot right now, just check last year surprise hit “Taken” and recently “Law Abiding Citizen”. Thus, akin to previous Russell Crowe-starred, “State of Play”, “Darkness” is actually a big screen adaptation to a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television. Also like “Play”, this film has quite a keen suspicion about politicians and where business and politics intersect. The serial that first aired on 1985 has won several prestigious awards, remains highly regarded to this day, and often cited as one of the best and most influential pieces of British television drama ever made. This big screen version directed by Martin Campbell and produced by Michael Wearing, who also directed and produced the series respectively. Since Campbell directed the BBC drama, he has gone on to develop several Hollywood Blockbusters such as “Vertical Limit”, “The Mask of Zorro” and two Bond movies, “Golden Eye” and “Casino Royale. Next, the director should soon be getting to work on DC comic adaptation, “The Green Lantern.” I love a good mystery thriller, and with Gibson kicking ass, Winstone being all mysterious and Campbell directing, I’m just so excited to watch “Edge of Darkness.”Thomas Craven (Gibson) is a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department and a single father. When his only child, twenty-four year old Emma (Bojana Novakovic), is murdered on the steps of his home, everyone assume that he was the target. But he soon suspects otherwise, and embarks on a mission to find out about his daughter's secret life and her killing. His investigation leads him into a dangerous looking-glass world of corporate cover-ups, government collusion and murder - and to CIA operative Darius Jedburgh (Ray Winstone) who has been sent in to clean up the evidence. Craven's solitary search for answers about his daughter's death transforms into an odyssey of emotional discovery and redemption.

# Gibson is a fan of the television series, he attended a gun club with two policemen to improve his marksman skills for the film.

# Robert De Niro had been cast in CIA officer, Darius Jedburgh, role, but dropped out due to 'creative differences' after spending a few days on the set.

# Because principal photography has been started, director Martin Campbell will have to settle with the shooting around De Niro's character until the filmmakers find his replacement.

# The Sugarloaf Mountain reservation was shut down for a few days while it rented out for the filming of “Darkness”.

# Screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed, Body of Lies) has re-written the script completely with the action transferred to American way and given a more contemporary theme.

# Rumor has it that Mel Gibson wants to cast Britney Spears in the movie.

# A couple who own a building in Boston have turned down a proposal to use their site in the film because of the movie's affiliation with Gibson.

Budget: About $90 million
Opening prediction: $21 million
Domestic gross prediction: $80 million

Theatrical release dates:
Jan 28, 10: Netherlands
Jan 29: Finland, USA
Feb 04: Singapore
Feb 19: Norway, UK
Mar 11: Malaysia

Sources: IMDB, Wikipedia – Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Inspired by an anonymously written Chosun Dynasty novel, “Jeon Woo Chi” is a ‘Korean superhero flick’ that fused with local folklore and used Taoism and tradition as its narrative devices. The movie is highly anticipated not just because of buzzes that has been building about a Korean production that looks set to take on “Batman”, “Iron Man” and “Spider-Man” at their own game, but also because of its super star cast and director, Choi Dong-hoon, who made a splash in Korean film industry with his high stakes thrillers, The Big Swindle (2004) and Tazza: The High Rollers(2006). Since the big success of “Tazza”, peoples are concerned about what that Choi would tackle next. While, the fact a young director with two jackpots in the can ends up helming a big budget fantasy action blockbuster is not much of a surprise, but seeing someone like Choi sitting on the director's chair for a likely quite irreverent "Korean superhero" flick like this is not something you see every day. Particularly considering how much of a departure “Jeon Woo Chi” is compared to his first two works. By only taking the basic concept of the legendary character, Choi came with an idea of throwing the ancient hero 500 years in the future, in our very time, but with the same villains, goblins and whatnot to fight with. So you get the unlikely hero coming to terms with a completely unfamiliar environment, some Crocodile Dundee moments ensuing, and then your assorted ass-kicking bonanza in the second act. Though the main plot will be something that doesn't sound like anything you've never seen before, but the idea that the folk idol will find drinking, fooling around and womanizing a lot more fun than going after the baddies is a little more alluring. Of course until justice will call, and he'll have to answer. "It's going to be very different from a Hollywood clear-cut 'good' superhero," the filmmaker told reporters. "Jeon Woo Chi is a rascal and quite mischievous." An ensemble of promising cast this film has also comprised with many alumni of Choi's past works. As the titular role is Kang Dong-won, young star of 'M' (2007) and The "Duelist" (2005) who plays the naughty time transported hero fighting against Kim Yoon-seok the detective anti hero in last year's surprise hit, thriller "The Chaser" (2008). Im Soo-jeong from Kim Jee-woon's "A Tale of Two Sisters" fame and Park Chan-wook's "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" also appears in the film along with Yoo Hae-jin who worked with Choi on "War of the Flower" and a host of other films.

500 Years Ago in the Chosun Dynasty, the Pipe of the prophecy has fallen into the evil hands of the goblins, propelling the world into a whirlwind of disorder. The ancient Taoist wizards turn to the greatest ascetics of their time, the Master and Hwadam for help in vanquishing the goblins and trust each wizard with one half of the Pipe. Meanwhile, the Master’s rascal student Jeon Woo Chi tricks the king with the art of transformation and creates a fiasco, which makes the three Taoist wizards and Hwadam visit the Master. But the Master has been murdered and his half of the Pipe is missing! By taking his master’s pipe out to the market streets, Jeon Woo Chi has been pushed into a corner, ultimately getting sealed into a painting along with his trusty dog, Chorangyi.

Fast forward to Seoul, 2009. For some strange reason, goblins that had been sealed up in the past begin to appear one by one and reek havoc on the world. The three Taoist wizards had been enjoying their years of retirement as a priest, a monk, and a shaman. However, they are now brought together in a search for Hwadam, who is nowhere to be found after going into training over five hundred years ago. After much discussion, the three wizards seek a certain picture scroll in display at the museum. They unseal it and call forth Jeon Woo Chi and Chorangyi. Being offered freedom in return for catching the goblins, Jeon Woo Chi sets out on his task. What began as a hunt for goblins slowly turns into Jeon Woo Chi’s personal sightseeing expedition of the modern day world. To top it off, he meets a woman with the same face as the one that had captivated him so many centuries back. He begins his adventure and the quest for Seo In-kyung, his new, yet old love. When Hwadam finally appears in front of the wizards because of Jeon Woo Chi, it is only to reveal where he has hidden the other half of the prophesized Pipe.

Budget: About $12 million

Theatrical release dates
Dec 23, 09: South Korea

Sources: Cine21, KOFIC, Asian Media Wiki – Photos courtesy of CJ Entertainment

Post-apocalyptic sceneries are becoming one of director’s favorites as their movie setting these days, though the idea of the end of the world certainly wasn’t new as it gained vitality in the West during the Cold War. The stories for these films are often taking place in an agrarian, non-technological future world, or a world where only scattered elements of technology remain. In the film, mankind itself hangs in the balance -- a reality which lends the post-apocalyptic action its urgency. It is precisely insofar as the future of mankind is at stake that heroism becomes a sensible and important theme in post-apocalyptic films. For the viewer, the real thrill of post-apocalyptic film is feeling the heroic in him or her being called out into a world that in many ways already feels post-apocalyptic. Thus, part of the revelation of post-apocalyptic film concerns what is illuminated in the viewer's own person and world-situation. There are some titles that become genuine classics such as “The Road Warrior,” “Mad Max”, and “Terminator”. Hollywood's obsession with the end of the world also has found its place in 2009 with releases such as “Knowing”, “Terminator Salvation”, “9”, “Zombieland”, “The Road” and “2012” later this year.
“The Book of Eli” is the next film in line depicting survivors of a cataclysmic event. The film is helmed by acclaimed director siblings the Hughes brothers whose last big feature was 2001 "From Hell," a gory and gothic period piece that starred a pre-"Pirates" Johnny Depp as an eccentric and slightly unbalanced investigator chasing Jack the Ripper through the rain-slick cobblestone streets of 19th century London. “Hell” met mixed reviews and middling box office, and not long after that, Albert and Allen Hughes, once considered two of the more urgent and authentic voices in Hollywood, seemed to disappear. While never A-listers in the Hollywood sense, their smaller films earn positive notices and solid box office, and the duo has developed a respected name in the industry. “Menace II Society” pulled in $27.9 million against a $2.5 million budget in 1993, and has an 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Two years later, their next offering, “Dead Presidents”, brought in $26.3 million back from a $15 million budget and earned a less impressive, but still solid, 63% positive rating from Rotten Tomatoes. With dusty, gritty images and more than a handful of big guns and bigger explosions, “The Book of Eli” looks like “Mad Max” on a bigger budget, which is perhaps, can be a huge return for the duo. It has its strengths, such as Denzel Washington’s charisma which hopefully providing a solid anchor for the film, and its weaknesses, the western genre.

30 years in the future, in a post-apocalyptic world where a major war has left few people behind and a lot of environmental changes, there’s a lone hero named Eli, whose destiny is to save humanity. He guards a mysterious book which provides knowledge that could offer its owner large amounts of power to guide, lead, control, and manipulate society. Making his way across the desolate wasteland of near-future America, he faces challenge as the despot of a small makeshift town is determined to take possession of the book.

Cast and Characters:

# Denzel Washington as Eli: Lone warrior who fighting his way across a desolate wasteland in order to guard the book with information that can bring back civilization.

# Gary Oldman as Carnegie: A ruthless yet charismatic despot in charge of a town near Sacramento; he's an extortionist, slave driver, saloon keeper, and antiquarian. Age has hardened him. Brutal intelligence is etched on his face. His cruel, ambitious eyes show him to be a man with power, but never enough to satisfy. He built his rotten town out of poisonous rubble and rules it with an iron fist -- but he wants more. A smooth talker, decisive and ruthless, Carnegie is on a collision course with Eli.

# Mila kunis as Solara: she is caught in a terrible trap: local strongman Carnegie can force her to do anything he wants by threatening her mother. Ordered to seduce Eli and keep him off guard, Solara fails in her mission, and soon realizes that Eli is like no man she has ever met: he balks at being reduced to animalistic behavior, and he uses violence to serve a cause greater than his own. Moved by Eli's heart and spirit, Solara opts to follow him on his journey, and becomes his friend and pupil.

# Jennifer Beals as Claudia: she is Carnegie's mistress and Solara's mother, a blind woman who has been sightless since birth. Captured as a prize by Carnegie long ago, she tolerates her life as his sexual plaything, knowing that to refuse him anything will only mean torment for her child. Eventually, she settles the score.

# Ray Stevenson as Redrige: A thin-faced, violent man, Redridge is Carnegie's muscle, the leader of his crew of gunmen and enforcers. Redridge is extremeley loyal, but he’s always watching for an opportunity to win Solara, for whom he lusts, as a prize from his boss.

Facts from the desolate wasteland of near-future:

# Hughes Brothers admitted that “Book of Eli” was actually inspired by Planet of the Apes, though not in a literal way… more of an obscure inspiration.

# The movie’s tone is being compared to “The Road Warrior”.

# Denzel Washington trained in martial arts by Bruce Lee's protégé Dan Inosanto, so that he could do all of his own hand to hand fight sequences.

# Kristen Stewart turned down Solara role due to scheduling conflicts with “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” (2009).

Budget: About $80 million
Opening prediction: $35 million
Domestic gross prediction: $75 million

Theatrical release dates:
Jan 14, 2010: Russia
Jan 15: UK, USA
Feb 03: Egypt
Feb 10: Belgium
Feb 18: Australia, Netherlands, Estonia
Feb 26: Germany, Finland, Sweden
Mar 04: Argentina, Czech Rep
Mar 05: Romania
Mar 12: Brazil

Sources: IMDB, Wikipedia – Photos courtesy of Warner Bros

Every decade produces terrible horror movies and great horror movies and I think most universally recognized horror classics are from years ago. Such titles as “Halloween”, “Friday the 13th”, “Nightmare on Elm St”, “Carrie”, “The Exorcist”, and “Evil Dead”, are all antiques by today’s standards, but they were revolutionary at the time and heavily influenced modern horror. When it comes to the genre, the 2000s also have supplied plenty of thrills, chills and kills. But, what of those that have been released recently that can compare to such classics, while many of them are terrible and lack the originality and scare-factor of those from the “Golden Age”? But here, I try to conceive some of the best this decade has to offer and this is based solely on my own opinion. There may be better films out there that I just haven't seen yet. But for now, these will certainly do.

Let The Right One In (2008 - Swedish)
Director: Tomas Alfredson “She just moved in next door”
With all of the crazy hype surrounding the “Twilight” books and films, along comes one of the best vampire movie ever made. “Let The Right One In” is one of the most beautiful, touching and downright disturbing horror films we’ve probably ever seen. The story centers on a bullied 12-year-old boy (Kåre Hedebrant) newly befriended by an equally solitary girl (Lina Leandersson) who has just moved in next door to him. Their friendship leads to them forming a “blood bond” ... which becomes all the more complicated when she turns out to be one of those bloodsucking creatures. Absolutely a breathtaking film, the cinematography of this film is spectacular, and the direction is sometimes inspired, and always good. LTROI proves that a well made horror film can still have a good story to tell if the horror elements were to be stripped away. It is without doubt a cult classic already and I hope Hollywood, with their upcoming remake, don’t mess the excellent scores this film has built up.

[REC] (2007 – Spanish)
Director: Juame Balaguero & Paco Plaza “One Witness. One Camera”
Named for the record button found on a video camera, this zombie-type film is actually shocky and scary. It turn the hand-held camcorder (ala Blair With Project) that usually annoying, into a really well equipment here. Through the POV viewfinder, the horror freaks joins a television reporter and her cameraman who are covering a fire station for a documentary TV series. While tagging along during a routine call, they become eyewitnesses to a nameless plague that forces the police and military to seal off the apartment building they’re occupying. The gore of this film is fantastic, the scares are all adrenalistic, and the storyline is good enough to keep our interest the whole time. In addition, the ending of this thing is probably one of the better endings for a horror film in quite some time. “[REC]” is absolutely far superior than the American shot-by-shot remake "Quarantine".

The Others (2001)
Director: Alejandro Amenabar

“Close Every Door, Turn Off Every Light”
This film is probably one of the most underrated horror flicks since 2000, but in fact, “The Others” really does make for a top-notch, classy horror movie. In the film, Nicole Kidman, with her brilliant and strong acting, plays the role of a single mother who trapped in a big mansion because of her two children's sensitive and allergic problems with sunlight. Suddenly ghosts are hunting the house. Kidman, her kids and the servants are disturbed by this and the movie shows us the fight on how they try to solve the problem. Chilling and suspenseful without even a hint of gore, it may well be the finest haunted house movie ever made. The foggy landscape around the house and the dark, moody tone of the entire film set a tone in which the scares seem perfectly in step with the rest of the movie, as well as the emotions of the central characters.

The Ring (2002)
Directed: Gore Verbinski “Before you die, you see the ring”
Though the original's Sadako is even more creepy and terrifying than the remake's Samara, but with its visual nature and strong plot, “The Ring” which quite a critically-acclaimed movie is the only Hollywood remake of an Asian horror movie to perhaps stood on the same level with the original. Gore Verbinski proved to have a great handle on the horror genre. He showed a natural instinct towards making this film visually striking while still keeping it about the characters and the story. Naomi Watts stars as a Seattle journalist investigating the urban legend of a videotape that puts a seven-day death curse on anyone who watches it. Weird, scary and with a terrifically wicked ending that best remembered for its signature scene.

The Descent (2005)
Director: Neil Marshall

“Afraid of the dark? You will be”
The horror in “The Descent” is a slow build up, and then suddenly you are immersed in it. It’s about A caving expedition staged by a group of female friends that goes horribly awry. They’re exploring an unknown cave system and get trapped by a tunnel collapse. And all getting worse when they encounter “crawlers,” a blind, feral humanoid race that evolved entirely underground. The film treats its audience with intelligence by never explaining things, but giving you enough clues to let you form your own conclusions. Rather than relying on outlandish death scenes and over-the-top gore, it's slightly restrained in its old-school approach that values tension over eye-candy. In this British movie, you also don't see the banal, formulaic Hollywood treatment such as trying to give each character a special, but superficial "story". In addition, Writer-director Neil Marshall also introduces one of the most compelling plot twists of the decade.

Paranormal Activity (2009)
Director: Oren Peli “Don't See It Alone”
First-time director Oren Peli using his claustrophobic camera made this 2-year-old indie bombshell an immediate classic. This is a film that has been described by many, many critics and movie lovers alike as being one of the scariest, unbridled, hyper-realistic movies in a very long time. Thanks to the realistic performances by its leads, the film delivers the suspense and terror in a way that leaves you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. The scene of the camera videotaping the characters as they sleep and hearing things go bump in the night is horrifying because it preys on a primal fear of ours. “Paranormal Activity” may have been a cheap movie to make, but the scares are anything but cheap.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Director: Scott Derrickson

“What happened to Emily?”
Another horror entry about demonic possession that is actually very creepy and has a very nice concept. The plot is based on Anneliese Michel, a German girl who was said to be possessed by demons and subsequently went exorcism. It adapted into a story that tells the trial of the priest accused of negligence resulting in the death of the young girl who is believed to be possessed In an rare decision, the Catholic Church officially recognises the demonic possession of the 19 year-old college girl Told in flashbacks, the lawyer Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) takes on the church when she fights in defense of a priest, Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson) who performed an exorcism on a young woman, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter). The acting is excellent from all the cast, particularly Wilkinson and Linney. The exorcism scenes that shown in the flash-backs may be reminiscent of "The Exorcist", but they are terrifying, intense, disturbing, and stays with you long after it's finished.

Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Director: Sam Raimi

“Even nice people can go to hell”
Raimi is certainly summoned as one of the maestro of horror films as he created what many consider to be the untouchable classic Evil Dead series. His returns to the basic with “Drag Me To Hell” is electrically charged with scares and, in classic Raimi fashion, cranking it up full volume with maggots, vomit, projectile nosebleeds, and a demon possessed goat, which reminding us that horror can be entertaining and fun and not just centered on gore and torture. Actress Allison Lohman also successfully steps in as the new Bruce Campbell in Raimi’s horror canvas. Never ever she looked so cute and mesmerizing, she really brought us care to her character by her innocent charm. And it goes without saying that Lorna Raver’s creepy old woman has become a pin-up of 2009’s horror characters.

Shutter (2004 - Thai)
Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun & Parkpoom Wongpoom “The most terrifying images are the ones that are real”
This Thailand horror movie was adapted by the Hollywoods, with the same title, but not as good (scary) as the Thailand version. The story is about a man who is tormented by a girl he killed in a car accident. The girl haunts the man because of it via “creepy” images developed from his camera. A genuinely homegrown, genuinely frightening Thai take on J-horror, “Shutter” is well made and contains more than its fair share of supremely creepy moments. The supernatural power of the piece is how cleverly it is wired into the main character’s guilt. The plot of this one is complete, which is a rare thing in horror movies. It creates substantial tension, backs off beautifully, then when you think it's over it takes you deeper. In addition, there’s also the final chilling twist that is worthy of Hitchcock.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003 - Korean)
Director: Ji-woon Kim

“Fairytales have never been this Grimm”
Based on an old Korean fairy tale, this horror is a dash of haunted house, a dash of reliable evil stepmother, and a helping handful of fashionable questionable narrative reality. This movie is so clever that it will keep you confused until the very end when it just clicks even though no words are said. The twist ending also explain the nature of some of the horrors and past events. It superbly made it clear that this is a carefully structured film about grief and guilt, as well as horror. The acting is excellently done especially from the 2 sisters and their stepmother; the relationships between them are so well thought out and acted that you'll never see the end coming. The soundtrack is faultless, the furnishings in the house, and the use of colors are fantastic. The film also has been remade by Hollywood and of course easily turned into just another Asian horror remake junk.

4bia (2008 – Thai)
Director: B. Pisanthanakun, P. Wongpoom, P. Purikitpanya & Y. Thongkongtoon “Face Your Fears”
When you watch "4bia", you not only pay for the price for one horror movie but four put together! What a bargain! It's rather refreshing to see this kind of anthology played on the big screen. It’s like watching episodes of The Twilight Zone. Each bite-sized tale is a surprise and leaves you with a sick feeling in your gut when it’s over. Talking about taste, there are lots of different flavors packaged within this horror so that there is certainly something for everyone’s savors and vulnerabilities to enjoy. “4bia” also manages to keep the viewer engaged throughout, and as such, it certainly stands as one of the better horror anthologies of recent years..

28 Days Later (2002)
Director: Danny Boyle

“The Days Are Numbered”
After the success of his Oscar winning “Slumdog Millionaire”, it’s nice to go back and look at the craziness that Danny Boyle is capable of doing within the horror genre. In this zombie flick, Boyle applied his gritty indie style to this visceral tale of a highly infectious "rage virus" that turns people across England into red-eyed, zombie-like marauders, and reinventing the walking dead genre for the 21st century in the process. The plot is untraditional in its organization giving it more interest. There’s relatively little gore here, but it's scarier than many recent horror movies because of the combined effects of its great camera work, unconventional movement and interesting settings. Cillian Murphy with his great acting gives us a man in the middle of a crisis, that we truly believe his arc from a pained and scared man just waking up at the end of the world to a man who will fight through all hell to protect those he cares about.


Trick R Treat (2008)
Director: Michael Dougherty“If you don't follow the rules tonight, you won't live to see tomorrow”
A really fun anthology movie specially made for Halloween which has received enough positive feedback to peek my interest. This long-delayed anthology of intertwined Halloween tales sadly never got the major theatrical release it deserved, but that's no indication of its quality. It's an entertaining, crazy ride that confines the magic of Halloween with intriguing characters, twisty storylines and an absorbing mythology surrounding the holiday. There's the gruesome, the macabre, the frightening, and perhaps most importantly the hilarious. The film falls in line with Raimi's comedy horror classics “Evil Dead.” If you're looking for a great way to spend a creepy night, definitely pick this one up. As an anthology, it works very well; but, as an overall film, it's even better.

The genuinely creepy Spanish horror film “Rec” surely is one of the biggest independent horror success stories of 2007. In the US, the film was quickly snapped up by Sony Picture’s Screen Gems division and put on the studio shelf before being remade in English the following year under the title of “Quarantine.” However, not thrilled with the remake, the two “Rec” directors, Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, decided to go back and make the highly anticipated follow up "[REC] 2" entirely on their own again. “Reading the internet blogs, especially the Spanish and Mexican ones, we felt that the film was no longer ours,” Plaza says. “Fans loved it and spent hours talking about it, developing theories. We didn’t want to spoil it for them. We wanted to give them more of what they liked and surprise them.” Two Spanish directors indisputably gave audiences a unique look into the zombie sub-genre with a handheld, first person perspective film taking place within a single building which bore witness to a zombie outbreak that spread like wildfire. Due to the quarantine lock down of said building, the film also gave us a claustrophobic and dark tone which helped in creating one of the scariest films of all time which quickly became a cult phenomenon. Co-director Balagueró also said that the new story adds some twists, turns and revelations that audiences will appreciate. “At the end of the first movie, we suggested some supernatural elements. But, they were only suggestions, or insinuations. We always wanted to explore them in greater detail. The sequel was perfect because we could use it to totally enter and deal with the [Catholic] church and the demonological landscape. We were really, really excited about it.”In the way to amaze viewers, the filmmakers are attempted to bring back many of the actors who appeared in the first film as well. Perhaps one of the most surprising is the return of actress Manuela Velasco, though her character, the TV reporter Angela, was getting dragged in the darkness at the end of the original. Balagueró found it impossible not to involve her in the follow-up. “She was the iconic face of the first one. We found that most people who liked the movie loved her. Her character really got you through the first movie. We decided that it would be very interesting in the sequel to bring back this very familiar character. But not only Velasco, all of the characters from the first movie appear again. Just for a second, or sometimes a minute. I think the impression for audiences is very familiar and adds continuity.”
This sequel of course will take viewers back to the familiar blood-drenched hallways, corridors and isolated rooms that had terrified them and the tension is expected will be much more intense than it was before for the attacks are exceedingly relentless this time round. But will this sequel ties up loose ends, plot holes, and unanswered questions that fans have been wondering about since the previous installment’s startling and its ambiguous ending? To know the answers, we can check on some available reviews from movie critic who had stamped their appraisals with nothing but a gold token.

Begins mere minutes after part one’s credits have rolled, “[REC] 2” picks up the story outside the quarantined apartment complex, where a special group of elite soldiers- along with a mysterious health department official - are sent into the building to search for survivors, eliminate threats, and most importantly, collect a blood sample from ‘patient zero’ to help create an antidote. Naturally, things become far more complicated and gruesome than expected. A huge twist also comes when the group finds the apartment lab and discovers that there is a far more powerful force behind the exposed virus.

Some facts within the quarantine building:

# Producing company Filmax International describing the film as having "the same claustrophobic concept" as REC but with "new means of transferring fear from the screen to the spectator through the recording lens."

# “Rec 2” went on general release in Spain the first weekend of October, going to number 1 in the Spanish box office and achieving the best opening weekend of the year for a Spanish film.

# Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró dubbed some of the infected people.

# Pablo Rosso, the camera from the original "[Rec]", returns this time as the SWAT member Rosso.

# The clothes worn by Manuela Velasco were exactly the same that she worn in the original movie.

# In sound design, the film features ear piercingly sharp, unexpected blips from the video image, moments of silence followed by monstrous screams of the infected, as well as other vocal manipulations.

# New in this sequel is the use of multiple cameras as each member on the squad has their own camera which can be flicked to on a moment’s notice.

Theatrical release dates:
Oct 24, 09: Japan
Oct 29: Argentina, Germany
Dec 23: Belgium, France
Feb 11, 10: Netherlands
Feb 19: Brazil

Sources: IMDB, Wikipedia, Fangoria – Photos courtesy of Filmax International