As we have mentioned many times before, the documentary format has been improving significantly through the latest years, particularly due to the increased exposure of the category due to both festivals and streaming services. With the main motto here being that ‘reality goes beyond any kind of imagination', the stories presented have been shocking and at the same time, quite entertaining, particularly since a number of Asian countries have started loosening the control over information available and the overall censorship. Even in countries that have not done the same, the result is actually similar, due to the diaspora filmmakers, who, outside the confines of authorities, managed to say all those things they were supposed not to. Lastly, the rise of the mockumentary, which seems to be included in various programs more as documentary rather than fiction, adds even more depth to the category.
Without further ado, here are the best...
Without further ado, here are the best...
- 1/6/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
J-Horror is among the most renowned internationally genres of Asian cinema, with the popularity of titles like “Ringu”, “Ju-on”, “Pulse” and so many others still echoing quite intensely. As such, it is quite interesting, even today, to shed a more thorough look to the roots, the motifs, and the reasons of success of these movies, also because some of the most central directors are still at large.
Check also this article Is J-Horror Coming Back? Six Movies that Suggest So
As such, I have to begin the review by stating that shooting this documentary seems like a colossal endeavor, both for arranging interviews with the likes of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takashi Shimizu, Teruyoshi Ishii, Joji Iida, Masayuki Ochiai, Shinya Tsukamoto, and Mari Asato, and for tracking down Rie Ino'o, who played Sadako in the first two films, and Takako Fuji, who played Kayako in a number of entries of “Ju-on”. Add...
Check also this article Is J-Horror Coming Back? Six Movies that Suggest So
As such, I have to begin the review by stating that shooting this documentary seems like a colossal endeavor, both for arranging interviews with the likes of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takashi Shimizu, Teruyoshi Ishii, Joji Iida, Masayuki Ochiai, Shinya Tsukamoto, and Mari Asato, and for tracking down Rie Ino'o, who played Sadako in the first two films, and Takako Fuji, who played Kayako in a number of entries of “Ju-on”. Add...
- 8/29/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The J-Horror Virus
One thing which you can always guarantee about Frightfest is that it will have a good selection of documentary content, and this year’s Pigeon Shrine-sponsored event is no exception. Sarah Appleton has been there before, in 2021, to present The Found Footage Phenomenon, which she made with Phillip Escott. She’s now teamed up with Jasper Sharp to create The J-Horror Virus. As soon as I heard that it would be screening there, I dropped her a line, and we arranged to have a chat about it – Jasper included, of course. She told me that she has been a fan of J-horror for as long as she can remember.
“When I was growing up, I think I watched basically all of the J-horror films,” says Sarah. “When I was really young they scared the shit out of me. I've always watched horror films, so in contrast to.
One thing which you can always guarantee about Frightfest is that it will have a good selection of documentary content, and this year’s Pigeon Shrine-sponsored event is no exception. Sarah Appleton has been there before, in 2021, to present The Found Footage Phenomenon, which she made with Phillip Escott. She’s now teamed up with Jasper Sharp to create The J-Horror Virus. As soon as I heard that it would be screening there, I dropped her a line, and we arranged to have a chat about it – Jasper included, of course. She told me that she has been a fan of J-horror for as long as she can remember.
“When I was growing up, I think I watched basically all of the J-horror films,” says Sarah. “When I was really young they scared the shit out of me. I've always watched horror films, so in contrast to.
- 8/26/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
What is it about Japanese horror? Opening with a beautifully designed montage of pen and ink line drawings and black and white photography, concrete ruins and leafless trees and faces hidden by long black hair, its title scrawled in a scratchy font, Sarah Appleton’s latest documentary, co-directed with Jasper Sharp, explores the small group of films which became a global phenomenon during the 1990s. It screened as part of Frightfest 2023 and will be most appealing to audiences which already have some familiarity with the material, but it’s also a good introduction for beginners, and whoever you are, you’re likely to come way with a sizeable to-watch list at the end.
There have been Japanese horror films for as long as there has been Japanese cinema, but any fan of the genre will recognise the distinctive characteristics of this particular group of films. They frequently involve found footage,...
There have been Japanese horror films for as long as there has been Japanese cinema, but any fan of the genre will recognise the distinctive characteristics of this particular group of films. They frequently involve found footage,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Our friends over at Severin Films just kicked off their epic Summer Sale with prices slashed by 50% on most catalogue releases, along with a handful of brand new offerings.
One of the standout new arrivals this week is the controversial 1981 horror movie Nightmare – also known as Nightmares in a Damaged Brain – now available on 4K Ultra HD from Severin. The 1980s horror film has been scanned from the internegative and various foreign print sources to create the most complete version Ever assembled.
The film’s 4K Uhd debut comes complete with a brand new roster of extras, including the first time Tom Savini has gone on camera about his controversial involvement!
Severin is also publishing a 193 page novelization of the film, written by Rue Morgue’s Michael Gingold, based on the original screenplay by Romano Scavolini.
Nightmare was famously named one of the “Video Nasties” back in the 1980s, a...
One of the standout new arrivals this week is the controversial 1981 horror movie Nightmare – also known as Nightmares in a Damaged Brain – now available on 4K Ultra HD from Severin. The 1980s horror film has been scanned from the internegative and various foreign print sources to create the most complete version Ever assembled.
The film’s 4K Uhd debut comes complete with a brand new roster of extras, including the first time Tom Savini has gone on camera about his controversial involvement!
Severin is also publishing a 193 page novelization of the film, written by Rue Morgue’s Michael Gingold, based on the original screenplay by Romano Scavolini.
Nightmare was famously named one of the “Video Nasties” back in the 1980s, a...
- 6/30/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Japanese horror boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s, spawned in large part by Hideo Nakata’s Ring, gets the spotlight in the upcoming documentary The J-Horror Virus.
Check out the trailer below, first shared by Fangoria earlier today.
From Sarah Appleton and Jasper Sharp, The J-Horror Virus is said to be a “feature-length documentary charting the origins, evolution and diffusion across the world of a distinctive brand of made-in-Japan supernatural chillers that seeped into the global consciousness at the turn of the millennium, films featuring vengeful ghosts manifesting themselves through contemporary technology again a backdrop of urban alienation and social decay.”
The synopsis continues, “From its origins in Teruyoshi Ishii’s 1988 fake documentary Psychic Vision: Jaganrei (1988) and Norio Tsuruta’s seminal Scary True Stories (1991/92) straight-to-video series, through such key titles as Hideo Nakata’s Ring (1998), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse (2001) and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-On: The Grudge...
Check out the trailer below, first shared by Fangoria earlier today.
From Sarah Appleton and Jasper Sharp, The J-Horror Virus is said to be a “feature-length documentary charting the origins, evolution and diffusion across the world of a distinctive brand of made-in-Japan supernatural chillers that seeped into the global consciousness at the turn of the millennium, films featuring vengeful ghosts manifesting themselves through contemporary technology again a backdrop of urban alienation and social decay.”
The synopsis continues, “From its origins in Teruyoshi Ishii’s 1988 fake documentary Psychic Vision: Jaganrei (1988) and Norio Tsuruta’s seminal Scary True Stories (1991/92) straight-to-video series, through such key titles as Hideo Nakata’s Ring (1998), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse (2001) and Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-On: The Grudge...
- 6/20/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #298: Scary Success Live Panel – with Jake West, Frighfest’s Paul McEvoy,...
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmaker’s Podcast #298: Scary Success Live Panel – with Jake West, Frighfest’s Paul McEvoy,...
- 10/10/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Happy Tuesday, dear readers! We have a brand new round of home media releases on tap for today, and we have a mix of new and classic titles headed home this week. As far as new genre offerings go, Rob Savage’s Dashcam, The Last Thing Mary Saw, and Shark Bait are all being released on DVD, and The Twin featuring Teresa Palmer is coming out on Blu-ray. Galaxy Quest, which is an all-timer in our house, is getting a new Blu-ray today, and as far as older films go, both The Last Broadcast and Terror Circus are getting an HD overhaul, too.
Other releases for July 12th include Death Hunt, Blood Bath and While We Sleep.
Dashcam
Weary of pandemic life, Annie makes a surprise, unwelcome visit to her old bandmate, Stretch, stealing his car and taking over his food delivery gig while live-streaming outrageous antics for internet fans.
Other releases for July 12th include Death Hunt, Blood Bath and While We Sleep.
Dashcam
Weary of pandemic life, Annie makes a surprise, unwelcome visit to her old bandmate, Stretch, stealing his car and taking over his food delivery gig while live-streaming outrageous antics for internet fans.
- 7/12/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Considering Fantastic Fest 2021 is this writer’s first time back at an in-person festival since Sundance 2020, I’m very excited (and a teeny bit nervous) about getting to spend a whole week indulging in movies from all over the world once again. Later this week, Fantastic Fest will be kicking off on Thursday, and will continue running in-person through September 30th (and the Ff Virtual Fest will begin the very same day).
And even though I’m always pumped for Fantastic Fest’s entire genre-spanning programming slate, there are a handful of films that have already caught my eye, and I thought I’d go ahead and preview 13 titles that I’m incredibly psyched to see as a horror and sci-fi fan. Also, I just wanted to make a note: I didn’t include films that Daily Dead has already covered at previous festivals. Not that they’re not worthy,...
And even though I’m always pumped for Fantastic Fest’s entire genre-spanning programming slate, there are a handful of films that have already caught my eye, and I thought I’d go ahead and preview 13 titles that I’m incredibly psyched to see as a horror and sci-fi fan. Also, I just wanted to make a note: I didn’t include films that Daily Dead has already covered at previous festivals. Not that they’re not worthy,...
- 9/22/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
The Found Footage Phenomenon Photo: Courtesy of FrightFest
Often created on a very low budget by inexperienced teams, found footage doesn’t have the best reputation in filmmaking circles, but audiences love it – and as new documentary The Found Footage phenomenon reveals, there’s a lot more to it than you might think. Part of the Frightfest 2021 line-up, it’s the work of Sarah Appleton and Phillip Escott, and it features contributions from many of the key players in the development of the found footage format as well as going on to tie it to current debates about fake news and how we identify what’s real. One rainy afternoon just before the festival started, Phillip and I met up to talk about the film, and he began by telling me why this subject means so much to him.
“I'm a lifelong horror fan. A huge fan of Eighties horror.
Often created on a very low budget by inexperienced teams, found footage doesn’t have the best reputation in filmmaking circles, but audiences love it – and as new documentary The Found Footage phenomenon reveals, there’s a lot more to it than you might think. Part of the Frightfest 2021 line-up, it’s the work of Sarah Appleton and Phillip Escott, and it features contributions from many of the key players in the development of the found footage format as well as going on to tie it to current debates about fake news and how we identify what’s real. One rainy afternoon just before the festival started, Phillip and I met up to talk about the film, and he began by telling me why this subject means so much to him.
“I'm a lifelong horror fan. A huge fan of Eighties horror.
- 9/4/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Ask most people about found footage – at least, those people old enough to remember a time before it was everywhere – and they’ll tell you it first appeared sometime in the Nineties, perhaps mentioning The Blair Witch Project. Sarah Appleton and Phillip Escott’s film begins by challenging this notion. Identifying elements of found footage as far back as the 1930s, it links the cinematic genre to the epistolary novel and examines the unifying idea behind numerous such works – the desire to convince viewers that what they’re engaging with is real. Early cinema, we are reminded, was basically a parade of shorts allowing people to witness things that they would probably never see in real life. Fiction came late to the party. Perhaps it still feels the need to justify itself.
This documentary sets out to explore the development of the phenomenon at the same time as tracking changing.
This documentary sets out to explore the development of the phenomenon at the same time as tracking changing.
- 8/29/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Stars: Rosie Traynor, David Pledger, Martin Sharpe, Talia Zucker, Tania Lentini, Cameron Strachan, Judith Roberts, Robin Cuming, Marcus Costello, Chloe Armstrong | Written and Directed by Joel Anderson
Horror can be all about the jump scares, or all about the scares. Some though work at a more cerebral level and hits the emotions more. Lake Mungo is a horror that may be too subtle for some, but for others who like this kind of film it creates a truly chilling experience.
Filmed in a documentary style, Lake Mungo looks at the tragic drowning of sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer and how her family deal with her death. With the help of a parapsychologist, they uncover secrets she was hiding, and find Alice was being haunted by Lake Mungo.
In the film, we look at two things, that is the story of Alice herself and her family. With the family we look at how...
Horror can be all about the jump scares, or all about the scares. Some though work at a more cerebral level and hits the emotions more. Lake Mungo is a horror that may be too subtle for some, but for others who like this kind of film it creates a truly chilling experience.
Filmed in a documentary style, Lake Mungo looks at the tragic drowning of sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer and how her family deal with her death. With the help of a parapsychologist, they uncover secrets she was hiding, and find Alice was being haunted by Lake Mungo.
In the film, we look at two things, that is the story of Alice herself and her family. With the family we look at how...
- 6/15/2021
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
101 Films have announced that on November 9th Silent Night, Deadly Night Parts 1 & 2 will be released on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, in limited edition, special packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork as title 017 on the 101 Films Black Label.
Included in this limited Edition version – which comes with special packaging and booklet and is limited to 3000 copies – is a booklet featuring new writing on Christmas horror and an interview with Morgan Ames, and three extras-packed discs, including the Theatrical and Extended Unrated versions of the first film.
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Young Billy witnesses his parents getting killed by a man dressed as Santa Claus after being warned by his senile grandpa that Santa punishes those who are naughty. Now 18 and out of the orphanage, Billy takes on the role of Santa himself, embarking on a yuletide rampage to “punish the naughty”. Santa Claus is coming to town,...
Included in this limited Edition version – which comes with special packaging and booklet and is limited to 3000 copies – is a booklet featuring new writing on Christmas horror and an interview with Morgan Ames, and three extras-packed discs, including the Theatrical and Extended Unrated versions of the first film.
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Young Billy witnesses his parents getting killed by a man dressed as Santa Claus after being warned by his senile grandpa that Santa punishes those who are naughty. Now 18 and out of the orphanage, Billy takes on the role of Santa himself, embarking on a yuletide rampage to “punish the naughty”. Santa Claus is coming to town,...
- 10/5/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Jackie Cruz is officially off-the-market! The Orange Is the New Black alum announced the sweet and special news that she married her longtime love, Fernando Garcia. Taking to Instagram, the actress posted a photo that showed off her and Fernando's gorgeous wedding bands. "8/28/20," she captioned her post on Saturday, Aug. 29. In the snapshot, the couple held up their hands to reveal their gold Sarah Appleton jewelry pieces. According to the retailer, the couple chose a large matte band and the double and single navette rings. While the 34-year-old star didn't share too many details about her surprise wedding, the two appeared to be on the...
- 8/30/2020
- E! Online
Enter worlds filled with magic and terror in John Burr's fantasy horror film Muse that will see a U.S. digital release on August 21st. Also in today's Highlights: the Blu-ray debut for Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years, ScareHouse 2018 opening day details, and Hell House LLC, II: The Abbadon Hotel release details.
Muse Release Details: "TriCoast Entertainment’s horror division, DarkCoast, will finally release John Burr’s eight-time winning fantasy horror Muse onto U.S. digital streaming platforms on August 21st.
Written and directed by John Burr, Muse is described as a twisted, haunted fairytale that combines elements of a psychological thriller, the supernatural, and past Irish legends and mythological influences. Shot entirely in 15 days, Muse is a gripping, psychological thriller that ultimately examines how inspiration can be the downfall of any great artist. “If you have the opportunity, See. This. Movie.” - Nightmarish Conjurings
Muse credits its fantastic editing to longtime,...
Muse Release Details: "TriCoast Entertainment’s horror division, DarkCoast, will finally release John Burr’s eight-time winning fantasy horror Muse onto U.S. digital streaming platforms on August 21st.
Written and directed by John Burr, Muse is described as a twisted, haunted fairytale that combines elements of a psychological thriller, the supernatural, and past Irish legends and mythological influences. Shot entirely in 15 days, Muse is a gripping, psychological thriller that ultimately examines how inspiration can be the downfall of any great artist. “If you have the opportunity, See. This. Movie.” - Nightmarish Conjurings
Muse credits its fantastic editing to longtime,...
- 8/9/2018
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
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