Asmodexia - (dir. Marc Carrete, Spain)
Asian Premiere
Spanish horror is in a great place right now and that doesn't look to be changing any time soon, especially with the likes of Carrete's delightfully nasty exorcist flick coming our way. Devil babies, you say? Sign me up!
Cannibal - (dir. Manuel Martin Cuenca, Spain/Romania/Russia/France)
Korean Premiere
More Spanish horror in the shape of Cuenca's gothic tale of a tailor-cum-serial killer who feasts on his victims. NBC's Hannibal has done a great job of putting the elegance back into feasting on human flesh, and everything I've heard about this one has it pegged as a winner.
Gemini - (dir. Ato Bautista, Philippines)
World Premiere
A Filipino psychological horror film centred around evil twins, decades-old secrets, a detective...yes please! Past experience has told me these offerings can be very hit and miss, either featuring twists you can spot from minute one or last-minute reveals so ridiculous they defy all logic. But when done right, they can be great fun. So I'm on board.
Housebound - (dir. Gerard Johnstone, New Zealand)
Asian Premiere
Since its debut at SXSW, I've heard nothing but great things about this little Kiwi horror comedy. A young girl gets grounded...in a house she believes to be haunted. With mother and local security guard in tow, they go looking for trouble.
The Patriarch - (dir. Borgy Torre, Philippines)
Korean Premiere
After winning Best Actor at PiFan last year for his phenomenal performance in Eric Matti's On The Job, I'm on board for pretty much anything Joel Torre does. He's already been decorated for his role here, as a fisherman who discovers a stash of cocaine floating in the ocean, so that puts this right at the top of my must-watch list.
A Record of Sweet Murder - (dir. Shiraishi Koji, Japan/Korea)
World Premiere
This KR/JP co-production sees a Japanese director and a Korean cast collaborate for the story of a serial killer who demands a one-on-one interview with a young female journalist at his remote lair. What proceeds plays out in one long single take, and promises plenty of splattery thrills.
The Snow White Murder Case - (dir. Nakamura Yoshihiro, Japan)
Korean Premiere
Foolishly I missed Nakamura's latest at HKIFF earlier this year, so I'll be sure to check out the latest from the Fish Story and Golden Slumber director while in town. When a dowdy co-worker is suspected of murdering the beautiful Noriko, the amateur efforts of a TV director to investigate the case lead to a rampant media frenzy.
Starry Eyes - (dir. Kevin Kolsch/Dennis Widmyer, USA)
Korean Premiere
Another buzz title from this year's SXSW line-up is this creepy Hollywood satire about a young actress who enters into a horrifying pact in order to achieve her dream of celebrity stardom. There's some real scope for biting satire and nasty horror here, so fingers crossed it delivers on both counts.
Time Lapse - (dir. Bradley King, USA)
Asian Premiere
Always a sucker for an intelligent time travel movie, this looks to be just the ticket. When three friends discover their dead neighbour has constructed a camera that can take photos 24 hours into the future, they immediately attempt to exploit the situation for financial gain. Time, fate and the fabric of the universe, however, have other plans for them.
Zombie Fight Club - (dir. Joe Chien, Hong Kong/Taiwan)
World Premiere
Joe Chien's previous effort, Zombie 108, was such an audacious, baffling orgy of bad taste and gratuitous violence and misogyny that it proved strangely compelling and has lingered long in the mind. His latest venture appears to be more of the same, albeit with an added martial arts twist, which only adds to its appeal. Knowing that Hong Kong's unsung hero of kung-fu, Philip Ng handled the fight choreography, pretty much seals the deal.
And so to the rest. Here's what else is in the packed World Fantastic Cinema programme, with links to those we have reviewed.
11AM - (Korea)
All Cheerleaders Die - (USA)
Ryland's review
Baal's Flowers - (Italy)
Broken - (Korea)
Chennai Express - (India)
Josh's review
Chimeras - (Switzerland/Spain)
The Demon's Rook - (USA)
Shelagh's review
Evangeline - (Canada)
In Darkness We Fall - (Spain)
Ard's review
In The Dark - (Malaysia)
KL Zombi - (Malaysia)
Krrish 3 - (India)
Leave It For Tomorrow For Night Has Fallen - (Philippines)
Lemon Tree Passage - (Australia)
Live - (Japan)
Make Me Shudder - (Thailand)
Mourning Grave - (Korea)
Nothing Lost - (Korea)
Nymph - (Serbia)
The Pinkie - (Japan)
Ard's review
Puzzle - (Japan)
Spec Close: Incarnation - (Japan)
Spec Close: Reincarnation - (Japan)
The Station - (Austria)
Todd's review
Sweet Alibis - (Taiwan)
Patryk's review
That Demon Within - (Hong Kong)
My review
Trick The Movie: Last Stage - (Japan)
The Tunnel - (Korea)
Whispers Behind the Wall - (Germany)
WolfCop - (Canada)
Mack's review
Zombie School - (Korea)