TRAILER: GHOST IN THE SHELL

Well this is bound to upset a few people. Is it safe to watch the first trailer yet? "Everything they told you was a lie." Here it is folks, take a deep breathe and check out the first trailer for Ghost in the Shell, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Scarlett Johansson and Takeshi Kitano. First thoughts? Scarlett looks fantastic in her figure hugging outfits. It might take me a little while to process the rest.

Synopsis: Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, Ghost In The Shell follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic's advancements in cyber technology.

See, that wasn't too bad now, was it?

FEATURE: MEMENTO MORE PLEASE (UPDATE)

Two new additions for you this week, as I continue in my quest to revisit every Asian movie in my collection. First up is Ryuhei Kitamura's follow up to breakout hit, Versus. That would be Azumi then, a film I wasn't completely bowled over by first time around. Will it hit the spot all these years down the line? And secondly, The Pang Brothers scored their first big hit with Bangkok Dangerous. Check out the reviews by clicking on the image below.

"There comes a time in every man's life..." Wait, that's not it. Give me a second here. "Every now and then we take stock, look back and..." Nope, that's not it either. "The truth is, no man is an isla..." Forget it. Here are a selection of easy-to-digest reviews of the films that shaped my love of Asian cinema. I'll be updating this feature on a regular ba...

I'll be updating this feature infrequently, but hey, that doesn't mean I don't care. It occurred to me recently that I have a whole room dedicated to Asian cinema and I've only watched most of the films once. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this. So I'm starting from scratch. Going back to the beginning. Maybe, just maybe, learning a few life lessons along the way.

Worst case scenario, I'm watching a lot of mediocre films that seemed like a good idea at the time. That's life I guess. A lot of mediocre moments strung together by the faint whiff of fulfilment. Kind of like a Woody Allen movie if you make it to the end."

NEWS: KICKING UP AN S STORM ON DVD & BLU-RAY

Z Storm director David Lam and leading man Louis Koo return for the sequel, S Storm, with a cast that includes Julian Cheung, Bowie Lam, Ada Choi and Shek Sau, as well as Lo Hoi Pang, Dada Chen and Taiwan actor Vic Chou. The English subtitled DVD and Blu-ray can be pre-ordered here ahead of the official release date of November 25, 2016. You can check out the trailer below.

Synopsis: ICAC agent Luk (Louis Koo) is investigating the case of a Jockey Club trader suspected of accepting bribes and fixing sports betting odds. The suspect, however, gets murdered in broad daylight by a hitman (Vic Chou), and Luk is the only witness. Detective Lau (Julian Cheung) is put in charge of the murder case, but is unable to get much information out of Luk. The two agencies delve into the victim's connection with illegal bookmaking operations and discover that there is a mysterious and ruthless big boss pulling the strings.

TEASER TRAILER: BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL

As you might expect, things are moving fast on this one. We first brought you news that Hana Sugisaki (Mozu The Movie) had been cast in the upcoming live-action film, Blade of the Immortal, starring Takuya Kimura. 

Just a few days ago we discovered the supporting cast had been announced, including the likes of Sota Fukushi (As The Gods Will), Hayato Ichihara (The Grudge 2), Erika Toda (Death Note), Ebizo Ichikawa (Over Your Dead Body), Tsutomu Yamazaki (Space Battleship Yamato), Min Tanaka (The Eternal Zero), Kazuki Kitamura (Killers), Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill ) and Shinnosuke Mitsushima (Over The Fence).

The new movie, directed by Takashi Miike and based on the manga series “Mugen no Junin” by Hiroaki Samura, now has a teaser trailer. You can watch it below. Remind anybody of 13 Assassins? That can only be a good thing. Blade of the Immortal will be released April 29, 2017 in Japan.

TRAILER: VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS

Catchy title, huh? Valerian (we'll go with that for now) is the latest bonkers feature film from Luc Besson, the French visionary who directed, amongst others, The Fifth Element, Lucy and of course, Leon. The film is based on the French sci-fi series, Valerian and Laureline. It stars Dane DeHaan as Valérian and Cara Delevingne as Laureline. 

The trailer suggests a curious blend of The Fifth Element and, um, The Phantom Menace, but it's anybody's guess as to how this will turn out. Promising start though. It's certainly a colourful first glimpse. The new film is scheduled for release on 21 July 2017 worldwide and on 26 July in France. Check it out below. 

IN OUR SIGHTS: THE EVIL WITHIN

WHAT IS IT? Judging by the trailer, it's a really creepy horror movie, one that may or may not involve cannibals but certainly involves sleepless nights.

WHY? Because the trailer has us really intrigued. The long-delayed movie stars Frederick Koehler (from every decent TV show known to man) and Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints). You should also recognise horror icon Michael Berryman, and if he isn't a big enough draw we don't know what is. The Evil Within is the first and only film written and directed by the late Andrew Getty, grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. The Evil Within was his passion project that took over a decade to complete. Getty and his FX team created their own complex special effects and animatronics and shot much of the principal photography in his home.

WHEN? No official release date yet but we'll keep you posted. The Evil Within (aka The Storyteller) made a big splash at the American Film Market and Vision Films has acquired worldwide rights, planning a domestic release in North America in 2017. For now though, sit back and enjoy the trailer.

TRAILER: SHINJUKU SWAN 2

Just when we thought our coverage was getting a little too safe and predictable, along comes Sion Sono to shake things up again. Fans of his will be pleased to know that a new trailer and teaser poster have just dropped for Shinjuku Swan 2, starring Gou Ayano and Tadanobu Asano. 

The new film is based on the manga series, Shinjuku Swan Kabukicho Skauto Sabaibaru, by Ken Wakui. Word is, the storyline has Tatsuhiko Shiratori (Gou Ayano) moving from Shinjuku to Yokohama, where he finds trouble in the shape of Tadanobu Asano.

The release date for Shinjuku Swan 2 has now been set for January 21, 2017 in Japan, so we can expect a DVD release to follow at the start of Spring. What can we expect to see? More of the same really. Shouting, angry faces, fighting, pretty girls, chases, the occasional screen-chewing. Should be a blast.

Synopsis: Tatsuhiko Shiratori works as a scout, recruiting girls to work in the adult entertainment business. He movies to Yokohama from Shinjuku, Tokyo. He comes face to face with Masaki Taki, who is the CEO of a scouting company. Shit gets real. 

TRAILER: MISSING

The main trailer has just been released for upcoming South Korean mystery thriller, Missing, starring Uhm Ji-Won (The Good, The Bad, The Weird) and Kong Hyo-Jin (Volcano High). The new movie is directed by Lee Eon-Hee and follows a mother (Uhm Ji-Won) as she searches for her daughter who went missing with her babysitter (Kong Hyo-Jin). Missing will be released November 30, 2016 in South Korea. It's an atmospheric trailer and let's face it, who doesn't love Korean thrillers these days? Check it out below.

Synopsis: Ji-Sun is divorcing her husband. She works hard and raises her daughter Da-Eun alone. She has a babysitter, Han-Mae, who takes care of Da-Eun when she works. One day, Han-Mae disappears with her daughter.

NEWS: AMERICAN WEREWOLF REMAKE IS OFFICIAL

Do we really need a remake of An American Werewolf In London? We've already had to endure a lukewarm retread in 1997, when Anthony Waller switched locations to Paris and dressed his monstrosity in sheep's clothing. Well, Max Landis is reported to be on board for the remake, taking over from his father, John. Landis is set to write and direct the new film and there really isn't a lot of information besides that. Looks like Jack won't be dead for long.

The Walking Dead's David Alpert and Robert Kirkman will produce alongside Andy Trapani, who has been trying to put this film together for nearly a decade. Landis, by the way, wrote Chronicle, so there is a silver lining if you want to look on the bright side of things. He also wrote Victor Frankenstein. Take from that what you will. An American Werewolf is one of our favourite horror movies so perhaps we're being unfair, but I'd rather take my chances at The Slaughtered Lamb than sit through another CGI schlock-fest. Think we'll keep clear of the moors on this one.

NEWS: HERE COMES THE BRIDE...

Like a big white (red) wedding, do you? Good. November 11, 2016 is the day you can take The Bride over the threshold. Produced and co-written by horror veteran Ichise Takashige (Ring, The Grudge), The Bride is a twisty, atmospheric horror tale starring popular actors Chris Wu (Wake Up), Nikki Hsieh (The Assassin) and Yan Zheng Lan. The English subtitled, Hong Kong version is yours to keep in four days time and you can order it here. So get your confetti at the ready folks...

Synopsis: With a booming career as the producer of a supernatural TV show and a loving fiancee (Nikki Hsieh), Liu Cheng Hao (Chris Wu) is on top of the world, professionally and personally. However, things start to go awry when one day, he picks up a stray red pocket on the street. High school student Lin Yin Yin (Yan Zheng Lan) has been struggling with being able to see the dead for most of her life. On the eve of her 16th birthday, her power becomes stronger than ever, and she finds herself haunted by a female ghost. When these two seemingly unconnected incidents come to a head, a tragic secret is revealed.