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July 26th, 2008
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Palisades Media Corp aquires the majority of Tartan Films' UK Assets! |
Fans of Tartan Films' unique brand of entertainment can take comfort in knowing that the quality films they have come to know and love will continue to be released. Not long after purchasing Tartan's US library of world-renowned and often controversial feature-length independent films, Palisades Media now owns the majority of the illustrious parent company's film library assets as well, as was announced today by Palisades co-manager Kevin Burns.
Established over a quarter of a century ago in the UK, Tartan Films and Video was the longest-running and leading independent UK DVD & Blu-ray distributor in the world. Known for its diverse range of intelligent and cutting-edge films, Tartan's critical and commercial successes included Black Box, Fast Food Nation, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, The Proposition, Secretary, Mysterious Skin, and many more. The library also features Tartan's "Asia Extreme©" line of horror films, some of the best and most twisted cinema from the Far East, including such cult favorites as the 2004 Cannes Grand Jury Prize Winner Oldboy and Kinji Fukasaku's incomparable Battle Royale.
"There's no denying Hamish McAlpine (former owner of Tartan Films) had a brilliant eye for cinema. He amassed and distributed an extraordinary amount of thought-provoking and avant-garde films in three continents no less, and exposed audiences world-wide to some really remarkable and astonishing work," said Burns. "We are thrilled to own the rights to the majority of both Tartan libraries and look forward to giving these films the kind of treatment they deserve and the attention that fans of independent cinema will truly appreciate."
Palisades hopes to start releasing new titles this winter in the US beginning with a host of Asia Extreme titles. The next month will feature a diverse slate of independent films. Boxsets, 2-packs and blu-rays are also in the works. All upcoming UK releases are still TBD.
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Tidepoint Pictures presents Bone House Asia: A new force in bizarre cult horror! |
From the high-desert fortress of Santa Fe-based Tidepoint Pictures, distributor of Sion Sono's Noriko's Dinner Table, and Takashi Miike's Dead or Alive, comes a brand-new label of the unusual, the bizarre, and the fantastic: Bone House Asia!
Bone House Asia's first serving is the surreal nightmare of Higuchinsky's Long Dream (Nagai Yume), from the director of Uzumaki (Spiral), and Junji Ito, the popular Japanese manga writer responsible for the Tomie series and the remarkably twisted Gyo. Junji Ito's impact is felt industry-wide. Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy), skillful conjurer of dark fantasy and cinematic magic elates, "Master Junji Ito's images and ideas are enthralling and powerful in a way that only great art is. His unique view of the world infects our mind and devours our conscience. The darkness in him will blind you."
Bone House Asia's DVD release for Long Dream, available June 24, includes interviews with director Higuchinsky,
manga creator Junji Ito, the film's star, trailers, and English and Spanish subtitles.
Tidepoint Pictures has been instrumental in releasing the tops in Asian genre films with classic cult releases including Higuchinsky's Uzumaki, and Katsuhito Ishii's Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl. Tidepoint was also spirited enough to introduce Hideo Nakata to the US with their release of Chaos, years before his Ringu hit American shores. Add Sion Sono's Noriko's Dinner Table to the mix (from the director of Suicide Club and Hair Extensions) and you've got a library of cult classics with just the first handful of releases.
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May 26th, 2008
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VanBebber Sale at Dark Sky Films! |
With the release of "Visions of Hell: The Films of Jim VanBebber" right around the corner, Dark Sky Films is offering it up at a sweet 30% off discount until May 27th! Yep — four discs of material (including The Manson Family, Deadbeat at Dawn, the never-before-released short films and over 200 minutes of bonus material) for only $27.98! Talk about a steal…
And, if you're just looking to add Deadbeat at Dawn to your collection, you can do that exclusively through DarkSkyFilms.com right now! The Deadbeat DVD is on sale at 30% off through May 27th (only $17.98!) and includes the short films and bonus footage.
Filmmaker Jim VanBebber, one of the most distinctive and uncompromising artists in the horror genre, presents a collection of his most brutal and infamous films in "Visions of Hell: The Films of Jim VanBebber". Featured in this four-disc release are the critically acclaimed films The Manson Family (HorrorTalk review) and Deadbeat at Dawn, in addition to his never-before-released short films My Sweet Satan, Roadkill: The Last Days of John Martin, Doper, Kata and Into the Black, and over 200 minutes of bonus material!
Pre-order "Visions of Hell: The Films of Jim VanBebber" for $27.98.
Pre-order Deadbeat at Dawn for $17.98.
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P2 UK Release Date Set! |
Working late before a holiday break with her family, Angela collects her car from the underground car park only to discover it won't start. The place is deserted and her mobile phone can't get any signal. Thomas, the seemingly friendly security guard, comes along to offer help. After a failed attempt to start the motor, he invites her to stay and share a dinner in his office, but she declines. She doesn't realise that he has been watching her closely for months and the invitation is not optional. If Angela wants to live to see the morning, she must find a way to escape P2 parking level. Can she drive away from fear and race back to freedom?
P2 marks the directorial debut of Franck Khalfoun who collaborated on the script with co-producers Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur, creators of Switchblade Romance and who produced the recent remake of The Hills Have Eyes. Rachel Nichols, star of TV's "Alias", Charlie Wilson's War and currently filming Star Trek and G.I. Joe, plays the feisty Angela whilst Wes Bentley (American Beauty, Ghost Rider) is her obsessive stalker. Welcome to a new level of terror.
Coming to the UK on August 25th in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats from Tartan Video, P2 has an rrp of £19.99 for DVD and £24.99 for Blu.
More upcoming Tartan Video releases:
DVD:
May 26th – I'm A Cyborg, "Verhoeven Boxset", "Ghost School Quartet Boxset"
June 23rd – Princess Aurora, Spider Forest, "Fukasaku Trilogy"
July 28th – Funny Games, Blood Rain, The Uninvited
August 25th – Tokyo Story, Bangkok Dangerous, The Contact
Blu-Ray:
May 26th – I'm A Cyborg
June 23rd – The Proposition, Sky Blue
July 28th – Funny Games, A Tale of Two Sisters
August 25th – Lady Vengeance
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Plan 9 from Outer Space Remake? |
In 1959, a film was released that would live in the minds and hearts of science fiction and horror fans for years to come. That film was Edward D. Wood, Jr.'s magnum opus, Plan 9 From Outer Space, a story about aliens re-animating the dead in order to kill Earth's population. Though widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made, genre audiences could not resist the exuberance and love for the art of filmmaking that showed in Wood's work, and the movie has become a cherished cult classic that still survives on home video and in midnight screenings across the world.
Now, in time to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Plan 9 From Outer Space, director John Johnson — along with his production company, Darkstone Entertainment — is poised to remake the classic film. Simply titled Plan 9, the remake will be a serious-minded retelling of the original story, paying homage to the spirit of Wood's film without resorting to camp or parody. The film will focus on the horror and science fiction aspects of the original, but will also be largely character-driven.
Johnson's goal for Plan 9 is to make a film that honors not only the original source material, but also Ed Wood's intentions when he made Plan 9 From Outer Space. Wood's plan was to make a very scary sci-fi/horror film, and Johnson wishes to do exactly that — create a film that Wood would have enjoyed, or perhaps even made himself, if not bound by the technological limitations placed on filmmakers 50 years ago.
Plan 9 is being made with the blessing and participation of Conrad Brooks, the sole surviving member of the original film's cast and crew. To go as a sister project to the remake, director Johnson and actor Brooks plan to do a commentary for the original film with a Q + A retrospective for its 2 disc DVD release with no set street date at the moment, however the new film is scheduled to premiere on September 9, 2009 (09.09.09).
Even if Eddie was a little off in his filmmaking skills, you cannot deny his passion. I feel a strong camaraderie for the man and his work, and hope that I can make a film that would be as loved by audiences today as the original was for his generation…Only this time with its true intention. – John Johnson
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