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During recent years, an effort in the Japanese movie industry to come up with action movies of quality have become quite intense, with films like “Baby Assassin” and “The Fable” being some of the most notable. Isao Yukisada attempts his hand in probably the entry with the biggest budget in the category, with “Revolver Lily” also implementing the current favorite of ‘girls-with-guns' trope.

Revolver Lily is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival

The story is based on the homonymous novel by Kyo Nagaura, and takes place in 1924. Yuri, an ex-assassin who seems to have carried out 57 assassinations in the past, has now gone underground and runs a small bar in Tokyo. While there, she stumbles upon Shinta, an orphan whose family has been murdered, and his father has employed him to find her, just before he died. The teenage boy seems to hold the key to a large sum of...

Sota Fukushi is a Japanese actor. He rose to prominence portraying Gentaro Kisaragi in “Kamen Rider Fourze”, and has since starred in television series Koinaka (2016) and My Lover's Secret (2017), as well as films Strobe Edge (2015), My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday (2016), “Bleach” (2018), “As the Gods Will”, “Blade of the Immortal”, “Laplace's Witch” and others. “Yours” is his directorial debut.

Yours is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia

The film begins inside an art gallery, where a man and a woman are watching an abstract painting, initially through intense close ups and later on, from further away. An employee dropping some boxes he has been carrying brings them out of their trance, although the woman is nowhere to be found after the break. The next scene takes place inside an apartment where the same young man is looking at a pamphlet of an Employment Support Festival for the Disabled, before the...

One of last year’s collaborations between Bloody Disgusting and Dark Star Pictures was Japanese crime thriller Missing, now nominated for the 51st annual Saturn Awards!

Deadline explains, “The Saturns, which honor the best in genre entertainment across film and television, are organized by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.”

Missing has been nominated in the “Best International Film” category, alongside Madeleine Collins, The Origin of Evil, Ransomed, Speak No Evil and Sisu.

You can see the full list of Saturn Awards nominations over on Deadline.

Winners will be announced February 4, 2024.

In Missing from Bloody Disgusting and Dark Star Pictures…

“Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer ‘No Name’ (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the...

Netflix‘s “Geeked Week” isn’t done yet dropping exciting news and teasers: the streaming service debuted a first look at the upcoming “Yu Yu Hakusho” live-action series, promising supernatural action fun based on the popular manga series.

The live-action adaptation will debut exclusively on Netflix on December 14.

The series “revolves around Yusuke Urameshi, who spends his days getting into fights and dies in an accident while trying to protect a young child. As he grapples with the fact that he is looking down on his dead body, a woman named Botan who calls herself a guide to the spirit world relays to him the shocking truth: no one expected a delinquent like Yusuke to die performing an act of goodness, and there was no place for him in either heaven or hell. Thus, Yusuke is given a chance to be revived, and after passing his trial, he becomes an Underworld Detective.

The next collaboration between Bloody Disgusting and Dark Star Pictures is the must-see Japanese crime thriller Missing, now on all VOD platforms and Blu-ray!

Missing is a nonstop engaging thriller that erupts into a helluva shocking finale.

In the film…

“Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer ‘No Name’ (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father seriously.

“But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him.”

Missing is written and directed by Shinzô Katayama. The filmmaker crossed paths with Bong Joon-Ho while shooting Tokyo! (2008) and served as his assistant director on Mother (2009). In 2019, his debut feature,...

The next collaboration between Bloody Disgusting and Dark Star Pictures is the must-see Japanese crime thriller Missing, now on all VOD platforms ahead of a Dec. 6 Blu-ray release.

Missing is a nonstop engaging thriller that erupts into a helluva shocking finale.

In the film…

“Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer ‘No Name’ (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father seriously.

“But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him.”

Missing is written and directed by Shinzô Katayama. The filmmaker crossed paths with Bong Joon-Ho while shooting Tokyo! (2008) and served as...

After a huge festival run, the truly insane Japanese crime thriller Missing is now on all VOD platforms from Dark Star Pictures and Bloody Disgusting. It will release on Blu-ray December 6th.

Missing is a nonstop engaging thriller that erupts into a helluva shocking finale. To say that it slips into Takashi Miike territory isn’t an understatement.

We have an exclusive look at Missing in which two teens investigate a social media stalker who hangs and mutilated his victims… with a hack saw!

In the film…

“Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer ‘No Name’ (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father seriously.

Ever since her mum died, teenager Kaede (Aoi Itô) has been responsible for looking after herself. her home and her dad, Satoshi (Jirô Satô). In the opening scene, we see her apologising as she picks him up from a store where he has been accused of shoplifting, earnestly explaining that he’s not quite right in the head. It’s tough to have to do this all the time, and she knows they’re short of money. She’s not impressed by his claim that he has spotted a notorious serial killer in the vicinity and is going to catch him to get a reward. When he goes missing, however, she finds herself with a whole new crisis to contend with.

The killer (Hiroya Shimizu) is introduced so early here that is makes no sense to try to preserve a sense of mystery about him. That’s not where this film’s concerns lie.

The next collaboration between Bloody Disgusting and Dark Star Pictures is the Japanese crime thriller Missing, which will open in theaters on November 4, 2022, before making its way to VOD platforms on November 18th and Blu-ray on December 6th.

Watch the official trailer below to begin this nail-biting game of cat-and-mouse!

In the film…

“Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer ‘No Name’ (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father seriously.

“But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him.”

Missing is written and directed by Shinzô Katayama. The filmmaker crossed paths...

Screen Rant is thrilled to present an exclusive first look at the trailer for Missing (known as Sagasu in Japanese), the newest project from director Shinzô Katayama. After kicking off his career with Tokyo! and Bong Joon Ho's Mother, Katayama established himself as a filmmaker to watch with his directorial debut Siblings of the Cape. In Missing, he delves further into the human condition and the horrors that social afflictions like poverty can lead to.

Missing follows young Kaeda (Aoi Ito), whose father Santoshi (Jiro Sato) disappears without a trace one day. Before vanishing, he had told her he would find the serial killer “No Name” (Hiroya Shimizu) and collect the reward for his capture to escape their current debt-ridden existence. With no one to turn to and no real help from the local law enforcement, Kaeda must embark on the mission to save her father all alone.

Related:...

Official Selection: Busan International Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest and many more.

Synopsis: Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer “No Name” (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father serious. But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him.

After working as an assistant director for Japanese films, including Nobuhiro Yamashita’s works, filmmaker Shinzô Katayama crossed paths with Bong Joon-Ho while shooting “Tokyo!” (2008) and served as his assistant director on “Mother” (2009). In 2019, his debut feature, “Siblings of the Cape ” was selected by numerous domestic and international film festivals.

A successful thriller starts with a good story and ideally should take the viewer through various stages of excitement, astonishment, and anxiety — extra points if a film marketed as a thriller succeeds at being genre-defying. South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho is known and loved for making movies that hit all these marks and more, so it’s interesting that one of the most gifted, up-and-coming directors in Japan has been referred to as Joon-ho’s protégé. Before making his feature film debut with Siblings of the Cape in 2018, filmmaker Shinzô Katayama served as assistant director to Bong Joon-ho on his acclaimed film Mother in 2009. Katayama’s second feature film, Missing (Sagasu), screened at Busan International Film Festival in 2021 and is premiering at this year’s Fantastic Fest. Written by Shinzô Katayama, Kazuhisa Kotera, and Ryô Takada, and directed by Katayama, Missing is a twisty thriller and a heart-wrenching story with an amazing cast,...

It was announced last week that Dark Star Pictures acquired the North American distribution rights to the crime thriller Missing as part of its ongoing collaboration with Bloody Disgusting.

After screening at several prestigious festivals including Busan International Film Festival, Fantasia, and the forthcoming Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, Missing will open in theaters on November 4, 2022, before making its way to VOD platforms on November 18th and Blu-ray on December 6th.

In the film…

“Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer ‘No Name’ (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father seriously. But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to...

The ever prestigious Fantastic Fest returns next week for its seventeenth edition featuring 21 World Premieres, 14 North American Premieres, and 21 U.S Premieres.

The press release teases killer teddy bears, man-eating sharks, elderly zombies, cocktail-serving robots, and Park Chan-wook… all under one roof.

But this year’s fest is even more special to us.

Bloody Disgusting is beyond excited to share not one, but Six feature films that we’re directly involved in, all screening at the Fantastic Fest, which runs from September 22nd – 29th. Our coverage, presented by The Callisto Protocol, also begins during this time.

Here’s what’s premiering:

Terrifier 2

Before opening in theaters nationwide on October 6, Art the Clown will be terrorizing the Fantastic Fest crowd on opening night, September 22.

Terrifier 2 is a sprawling follow-up that horror fans quite simply aren’t ready for. Art the Clown is more brutal than ever with Terrifier 2...

Cool news for fans of Japanese crime thrillers. Katayama Shinzô's crime thriller, Missing, has been picked up by Dark Star Pictures for North American distribution. Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer “No Name” (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father serious. But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him. Dark Star Pictures and Bloody Disgusting have a three-pronged attack planned for Missing. There...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Dark Star Pictures has acquired the North American distribution rights to the crime thriller Missing as part of its ongoing collaboration with Bloody Disgusting, we’re excited to announce today.

After screening at several prestigious festivals including Busan International Film Festival, Fantasia, and the forthcoming Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, Missing will open in theaters on November 4, 2022, before making its way to VOD platforms on November 18th and Blu-ray on December 6th.

In the film…

“Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer ‘No Name’ (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father seriously. But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts...

Santoshi Harada (Jirô Satô) has a plan. It concerns a three-million-yen reward for helping capture the infamous serial killer known as “No-Name” (Hiroya Shimizu). Santoshi says he saw him on the train to work. The man who’s been all over the news is inexplicably here in town, right now, and he’s pretty sure he knows where he can find him. Except, of course, that Santoshi is in no shape to “find” anyone. He’s been clinically depressed and unable to hold a full-time job since his wife’s (Tôko Narushima’s Kimiko) suicide. He can barely keep food in the fridge for his middle school-aged daughter Kaede (Aoi Itô) to cook. We literally meet her full-speed sprinting to scoop him up from the corner store after he was caught shoplifting.

Director Shinzô Katayama and screenwriters Kazuhisa Kotera and Ro Takada are making it quite clear that the father-daughter...

Shinzo Katayama had previously shown his colors with “Siblings of the Cape” one of the best Japanese indies of the last few years. This time, he returns with a second feature that is a Japanese-s. Korean co-production that follows some of the rules his debut created, but in a much tamer fashion, at least in terms of visual presentation.

“Missing” is screening on Fantasia International Film Festival

Satoshi is depressed and in debt, following the death of his wife, while his issues have essentially forced his teenage daughter, Kaede, to be the adult in their family. One day, though, he informs her that he has found a way out of their misery, since he thinks that he has discoverd a serial killer the police have been searching for some time, nicknamed “No Name”. Kaede does not take him seriously, but a few days later he disappears completely, and the girl begins searching for him,...

Alright, who’s ready for a movie about making a movie? Pretty tired idea, eh? Sure we’ve seen recent flicks about the making of several classics, from Citizen Kane to Psycho, even The Room. Why there’s now a streaming miniseries about all the effort to get The Godfather made. Well, this flick’s got a couple of twists. First, it’s about a movie that’s not legit (kind of like the Rick Dalton movies of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood). Oh, and here’s the second, really big thing: it’s an animated feature. Specifically, an anime based on a manga originally serialized online. How’s that for “something completely different”. Plus the film title actually refers to this film’s producer, not the director or star, who is known as Pompo The Cinephile.

So, where is she known? Pompo (voiced by Konomi Kohara) is practically...

As long as there are movies, there will probably be movies about people who make movies. The question is only whether these films will take a realistic view of the industry, showing the warts and all (which usually means just more warts), or whether they show Hollywood in a favorable, often fantastical light.

“Pompo the Cinephile,” the new anime feature from Takayuki Hirao (“Magical Sisters Yoyo and Nene”), is not a film about warts. It’s a warm hug of a behind-the-scenes motion picture, where the entertainment industry is full of producers who are desperate to mold superstars out of actors with no experience and to take chances on first-time directors and give them final cut, even if it nearly bankrupts the production, just because they’re so passionate about the project.

And while that affectionate view of Hollywood — it’s such a cuddly industry in this film that it’s called “Nyallywood,...

The title of “Pompo the Cinephile” — a bright and sparkly new anime feature adapted from Shogu Sugitani’s ongoing manga of the same name — is misleading on at least a couple of levels.

For one thing, the movie isn’t really about Joelle Davidovich “Pompo” Pomponett, an eternally prepubescent girl who happens to be the most powerful super-producer in all of Nyallywood. For another, Pompo is more of a mogul than a cinephile. The studio that she inherited from her grandfather has built its success by making explosive junk that adheres to a simple mantra: “As long as the lead actress looks attractive, it’s a good movie.” Also, anything that runs longer than 90 minutes is disrespectful to the audience’s time. As a different character puts it towards the end of this upbeat and pleasantly childish paean to the power of creative obsession: “There’s no profit in dreams.

Pompo: The Cinephile Trailer — Takayuki Hirao‘s Pompo: The Cinephile / Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san (2021) movie trailer has been released by GKids. The Pompo: The Cinephile trailer stars Konomi Kohara, Hiroya Shimizu, Akio Ôtsuka, Christopher Trindade, Brianna Gentilella, Anne Yatco, Kenneth Cavett, and Jackie Lastra. Crew Takayuki Hirao wrote the screenplay for Pompo: The Cinephile. Kenta [...]

Continue reading: Pompo: The Cinephile (2021) U.S. Movie Trailer: A Director’s Production Heads into Chaos in Takayuki Hirao’s Anime Film...

"Occasionally an entire story will unfold in your mind when you meet that special someone." GKids US has unveiled a new official US trailer for the Japanese anime movie Pompo the Cinephile, which opened in Japan last summer. The US debut is coming up later in April with a special two-night event to catch in theaters. Pompo the Cinephile (originally 映画大好きポンポさん) is a rollicking, exuberant ode to the power of the movies, and the joys and heartbreak of the creative process, as a new director and his team devote their lives to the pursuit of a "masterpiece." Fueled by the excitement from the film's domestic release in Japan, a crowdfunding campaign to create a 35mm print of the feature achieved its fundraising goals of ¥10,000,000 in just eleven days. Original voices: Konomi Kohara, Hiroya Shimizu, and Akio Ôtsuka. The English-language dub has the voices of Christopher Trindade, Brianna Gentilella, Anne Yatco,...

"Show them the best parts and mislead them to create interest." GKids US has released a teaser trailer for the Japanese anime film known as Pompo the Cinephile, which opened in Japan last summer. It's finally getting a theatrical release in the US starting at the end of April this year. Pompo the Cinephile (originally 映画大好きポンポさん) is a rollicking, exuberant ode to the power of the movies, and the joys and heartbreak of the creative process, as a new director and his team devote their lives to the pursuit of a "masterpiece." Fueled by the excitement from the film's domestic release in Japan, a crowdfunding campaign to create a 35mm print of the feature achieved its fundraising goals of ¥10,000,000 in just eleven days. Featuring the voices of Konomi Kohara, Hiroya Shimizu, and Akio Ôtsuka. It is a bit of a challenge for most anime to find a bigger audience in...

Gkids has nabbed North American rights to Takayuki Hirao’s indie anime pic Pompo the Cinephile, and will release both the original Japanese-language film (titled Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san) and a new English-language version in U.S. theaters early next year.

Hirao’s ode to filmmaking centers on Pompo, a talented and gutsy producer in the world’s movie-making capital, “Nyallywood.” Although she’s known for B-movies, Pompo one day tells her assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about an aging and tormented creative genius. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?

Pompo the Cinephile hails from the new animation studio, Clap. Its Japanese voice cast includes Hiroya Shimizu, Konomi Kohara, Ai Kakuma, Aiko Otsuka, and Rinka Ōtani. The film was an official selection of the 2021 Fantasia Film Festival and was released in Japan in June.

Film has grossed around $1.8m since June release in Japan.

GKids has acquired all North American right from Avex Pictures to Takayuki Hirao’s 2021 Fantasia Film Festival anime Pompo The Cinephile (Eiga Daisuki Pompo-San) and plans a 2022 theatrical release.

Hirao’s film follows a first-time filmmaker tasked with directing a Brando-esque actor in the role of an ageing and tormented genius. The cast includes Hiroya Shimizu, Konomi Kohara, Ai Kakuma, Aiko Otsuka and Rinka Ōtani.

Pompo is produced through new studio Clap and has grossed around $1.8m since it opened in Japan on June 4. A crowd-funding campaign to create a...

Based on the popular shojo manga “Hot Gimmick”, the film is another romantic, coming-of-age one, which, unfortunately, loses its sense of measure half way in, among other faults. Let us take things from the beginning though.

Hatsumi Narita is a high school girl who lives with her older brother, Shinogu, her younger sister Akane, and their nowhere to be found parents in a company apartment complex. One day, a neighbor and classmate, Ryoki Tachibana watches her trying to get rid of a pregnancy test and starts blackmailing her to be his slave and do whatever he asks. At the same time, Hatsumi’s first childhood love, Azusa Odagiri, returns to the complex, although by now he is a famous idol. Tachibana’s actions are soon revealed an awkward expression of love, but Hatsumi decides to date Azusa, who is revealed, though, to have a completely different agenda on his mind.

As I have said many times in the past, in my book, J-horror is dead, and the 2010s entries in the “Ring” franchise did nothing to change my opinion. This time however, the return of the original director of the iconic trilogy, Hideo Nakata, seems to move the newest title towards a more interesting approach, in essence by returning it to its roots.

“Sadako” is screening at Fantasia International Film Festival

The script is based on Koji Suzuki’s novel “Tide” and revolves around a young girl with amnesia, who is admitted to a Tokyo hospital’s psychiatric wing. Raised in secrecy, she barely managed to survive a fire started by her mother and ended up killing her and five more people, who, because of the former’s telekinetic powers, believed her to be the reincarnated Sadako. Psychologist Mayu Akikawa quickly grows fond of the girl, seeing herself reflected in her,...

Stars: Elaiza Ikeda, Himeka Himejima, Ren Kiriyama, Hiroya Shimizu, Rie Tomosaka, Takashi Tsukamoto | Written by Noriyuki Sugihara | Directed by Hideo Nakata

I am a huge fan of the original Ring(u) movie. I was 17/18 when I first saw it and before I saw it I had heard rumours about how creepy it was. Watching it on VHS only added to the occasion. It was similar to The Blair Witch Project with the hype that had surrounded it at the time, and like that found footage movie, Ring lived up to all of the hype.

It then of course got an American remake (and subsequent sequels), while also getting its own sequels, a prequel and spin-offs. It is now quite the franchise. But like 95% of horror franchises, the quality of the movies is a mixed bag, with the original still standing head and shoulders above the rest. Sadako sees the return...

Director Hideo Nakata brought novelist Kôji Suzuki’s Ring series to the big screen two decades ago and spawned a laundry list of sequels, American remakes (one of which he helmed), comics, and television remakes that each put their own unique spin on central “monster” Sadako Yamamura’s history until fluidity of mythology became a veritable franchise hallmark. Things got muddled fast too as the initial follow-up to Ringu fared so poorly (with a different creative team at the lead to release the same year) that it was struck from the record so Nakata could make his own. The product subsequently devolved into a string of poorly received, self-referential spin-offs capped off by a mash-up with popular Japanese horror icon Kayako. So why wouldn’t fans get excited for Nakata’s return?

He (and screenwriter Noriaki Sugihara) has come back to the property with a hybridized sequel/reboot wherein he...

"The curse exists! I've seen it!"

We are getting another new film The Ring horror franchise. This one is called Sadako, and it hails from Japan. Not even Japan wants to give up on The Ring franchise!

This latest film come from director Hideo Nakata, who also made the original two Japanese films – Ringu and Ringu 2. He also directed The Ring Two for Hollywood in 2005. I guess he felt it was time to revisit the the story of this creepy, vengeful ghost. I’ll watch it!

This new story centers on a group of people who embark on a journey to find out how to stop the "newborn" deadly curse, which goes viral after a YouTuber accidentally captured a vengeful ghost on camera. Here’s the synopsis with a few additional details:

A young girl with amnesia is admitted to a Tokyo hospital’s psychiatric wing. Raised in secrecy,...

"The curse exists! I've seen it!" Encore Films has debuted an official trailer for the new Japanese horror film Sadako, the latest in the Ring series of horror movies. This latest one is directed by the same filmmaker, Hideo Nakata, who made the original Ringu and Ringu 2 (before they were remade in the Us) and who also directed The Ring Two for Hollywood in 2005. He's been making all kinds of Japanese thrillers and horror films since then, but is finally back to the original franchise for another Ring tale. This time, a group of people must find out how to stop the "newborn" deadly curse, which has returned and gone viral after a YouTuber accidentally captured a vengeful ghost on camera. Starring Himeka Himejima, Elaiza Ikeda, Ren Kiriyama, Hiroya Shimizu, Rie Tomosaka, and Takashi Tsukamoto. This first opened in Japan back in May, but is just starting an international...

Director of 1998's Ringu, 1999's Ringu 2, and 2005's The Ring Two, filmmaker Hideo Nakata is coming back to the Ring franchise this year with Sadako, and you can now watch the film's new trailer featuring the return of the titular character and those unfortunate enough to cross her cursed path.

As reported by Moshi Moshi Nippon (via Bloody Disgusting), Sadako will be released in theaters in Japan on May 24th, with the following plot details known so far:

“The film will star Elaiza Ikeda as the main character Mayu Akigawa, a psychology counselor who gets involved in an incident with Yusuke Ishida, played by Takashi Tsukamoto, who will try to fix it. Hiroya Shimizu will play the part of Mayu’s younger brother Kazuma Akigawa who becomes a YouTuber to try and awaken Sadako’s curse. Himeka Himejima will play Jinko, a mysterious girl who lost her memory and...

A new chapter in The Ring franchise is on the way as the first posters and teaser for Sadako are here. The title of this latest movie refers to the franchise's iconic, long-haired creepy well-dwelling figure, Sadako Yamamura. This marks her return following 2016's Sadako vs. Kayako, which saw The Ring and The Grudge franchises crossing over. This time around, it looks like she's going to be back up to her old tricks.

The teaser is very brief, but effectively creepy. It takes the found footage approach and sees someone with a handheld camera walking around in a dark, dank and spooky cave. They eventually come upon a small pocket of water and then the footage cuts to some familiar imagery to those who have dabbled with either the American or the Japanese version of the franchise. Viewers are then directed to a Japanese website for the movie before an...

“Liverleaf” is a Japanese teen drama about bullying, based on the manga series “Misumisou” by Rensuke Oshikiri. The film stars Anna Yamada, Hiroya Shimizu and Rena Ohtsuka. This movie is set in a junior high about to close, the students are often unattended and their teachers are checked out waiting for the semester to end. A group of girls start bullying new girl Haruka Nozaki (Anna Yamada) and the results get bloody.

“Liverleaf” is screening at the 19th Jeonju International Film Festival

The film opens with Haruka Nozaki alone at her locker and her shoes are missing. A group of giggling school girls turn and run after they see Nozaki can’t find her shoes, which they have stolen from her locker. This seemingly innocent hazing for new girl Nozaki is the beginning of a bullying campaign that soon turns violent. We learn that Nozaki is new to this rural...