July will see the full line-up of what this year’s feats at Fantasia Fest may bring. The first wave is here in the meantime and teasing a raft of high-energy titles including a number of Japanese live-action titles, animated features, horror and twisted, mindbending thrillers.
Director Sato Shinsuke is someone you’ve probably been keeping your eye on for the new year if you have an eye for live-action manga adaptations. He’s got two rolling out this year and first on the menu is Inuyashiki based on Oku Hiroya’s 2014 publication.
It’s a damn good package too, ripe with the use of an unlikely hero pitted against formidable odds. Actors Kinashi Noritake and Satoh Takeru lead the way for a story telling of an old man forced to face a looming threat in the form of a vindictive high school student following an explosion that renders them with extraordinary abilities by way of bionic implants.
Late December saw a teaser and as of this week, the official trailer has arrived courtesy of Toho for an April 20 release. Peep it below in addition to the official poster!
This was a fun ride. Kind of a strain while being sick and all but I liked putting these fivers together. Here are the last batch to look out for in 2018!…
Readying a January 6 Japan release from Tohokashinsha, writer and director Amemiya Keita is back with a rousing return to the big screen with Garo: Kaminokiba (Garo: Divine Fang). Actor Kuriyama Wataru transitions his character from the original Garo series in 2005 with Ikeda Junya, Aoki Tsunenori and Inoue Masahiro also starring.
Arriving in time to compete with other bustling new titles for its Chinese New Year release, director Guo Degang’s new movie, The Faces Of My Genes looks like an amazing new title to welcome Asian film fans. Star comedian and actor Yue Yunpeng plays a struggling writer who finds himself traveling back in time to consult with a dozen of his ancestors to seek their formula for success. The cast itself is also a pretty big deal listing actor and martial artist Jacky Wu Jing and Taiwanese actress Lin Chi-Ling, The Four franchise actor Wu Xiubo, Monster Hunt 2 star Jing Boran and many, many more!
Hungry as we are for more of what Indonesia has to offer, Buffalo Boys marks another effort this time from director Mike Wiluan, centered on two Javanese descendants seeking revenge against the VOC ruler in 1860. The film is produced by Infinite Frameworks Pte. Ltd. and Zhao Wei Films (I) with Screenplay Production aiming for a Summer release with Yoshi Sudarso, Ario Bayu, Conan Stevens and Headshot star Sunny Pang among the cast. Keep an eye out for a teaser and some images, or follow the movie on Instagram!
Segera! #buffaloboys
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Looks like I found another anime to keep myself busy with into the new year and for this, we turn to Inuyashiki, hailing from Sato Shinsuke who also aims to blow minds with his live-action Bleach adaptation from Warner Bros. Japan. Kinashi Noritake and Satoh Takeru lead the cast for a story centered on an old man forced to face a looming threat in the form of a vindictive high school student following an explosion that renders them with extraordinary abilities. Now this is something I can get on board with and the most recent teaser I posted about is pretty motivating.
Aaaand last and far from least, I’m wrapping up this random, unorganized four-week long movie salad with a look at the new action thriller, Out Of Control, which hit the AFM stage last month with Arclight repping. Axel Sand and Richard Lin direct the big scale thriller that sees bittersweet feelings clash between former lovers: an actress unsuspecting of a forthcoming terroristic threat during her attendance at the Berlin Film Festival, and an Interpol agent bent on protecting her at any cost. Toplining is Korean popstar and Commitment star, actor T O.P. (a.k.a. Choi Seung-Hun) with Cecilia Cheung (Shaolin Soccer) and actors Michael Trevino (Vampire Diaries), and U.K. actor and martial artist David Cheung (Now You See Me 2).
And that has been your Five-A-Day Round Up with up to 100 movies to look forward to in 2018. Comment below if there’s a title you hope to see in the new year!
Famed actor Satoh Takeru stars as Hiro among our cast of principles and with a date readying for April 20. Check out the teaser!