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Game Review: ‘Fatal Frame: Maiden Of Black Water’

When it comes to horror games one always stood out to me as being truly scary and actually invoked nightmares for me in the past, and that’s Fatal Frame. I was super disappointed that after the game’s third installment that they stopped releasing it in the US, but when I heard about the series fifth installment being re-released for consols I said “You son of a bitch, I’m in!”. Let’s see if the series is still had its scares or if it’s lost it, lets check out Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. First a big thank you to Koei Tecmo for the reviewing opportunity! Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water takes place on Hikami Mountain that is a popular location for people to commit suicide much like the real-life suicide forest of Japan. The game follows three playable characters, Yuri a young woman with a developing sixth sense, Ren an author with a connection to the events on the

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Nov 22, 2021
Horror Fuel

Japanese Horror ‘Evil Dead Trap’ Being Released On 4K And Blu-Ray For The First Time

1988’s Japanese grindhouse horror film Evil Dead Trap is being released on 4K and Blu-ray for the first time this August by Unearthed Films. Directed by and Toshihara Ikeda, and featuring special effects from Godzilla’s Shinichi Wakasa, Evil Dead Trap follows “A TV station employee takes a camera crew out to an abandoned factory to investigate a purported snuff film that was made there, only to end up running for her life.” Miyuki Ono, Aya Katsuragi, and Hitomi Kobayashi star in this gruesome, blood-soaked horror film that thrilled critics at the time of its original release. Get your copy on August 24, 2021, or pre-order your copy now from Unearthed Films. BONUS MATERIALS: Audio Commentary with Director Toshiharu Ikeda and SPFX Manager Shinichi Wakasa Audio Commentary by filmmaker Kurando Mitsutake (KARATE KILL, GUN WOMAN) Audio Commentary with James Mudge of Eastern Kicks Trappings of the Dead – Reflecting on a Japanese Cult Classic Storyboards Behind the Scenes Stills Promotional Artwork

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Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 7, 2021
Horror Fuel

Zombie Flick ‘One Cut Of The Dead’ Coming To Shudder Following Debut In Theaters

One of the most critically-acclaimed genre films of the past decade and a record-shattering blockbuster in its native Japan, One Cut of the Dead. Scoring a rare “100% Fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes, the film follows a movie crew “while shooting a low-budget zombie film in an abandoned warehouse, the crew find themselves caught between actual zombies and a mad director who won’t stop rolling. If you think you know what happens next, think again. Filmmaker Shinichiro Ueda turns the film on its head more than once for one of the wildest, funniest, and most surprising zombie movies of all time.” This hit film is written, directed, and edited by Shinichiro Ueda, and stars Takayuki Hamatsu, Mao, Harumi Shuhama, Yuzuki Akiyama, Kazuaki Nagaya, and Manabu Hosoi. During its lengthy festival run, One Cut of the Dead received numerous awards and accolades, including the Audience Award and Best Director at Fantastic Fest, Best Film at Fantasia, Best Film at Bifan Fantastic

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 9, 2019
Horror Fuel

Zombie Comedy ‘One Cut Of The Dead!’ Gnaws It’s Way To Vancouver Film Festival

From September 27th to October 12th the Vancouver International Film Festival will be showcasing works from filmmakers around the world. Most of the films this year are documentaries dealing with issues in the modern world, fictionalized dramas, and of course avant-garde. I’m not sure how most of you (the readers) would be into that stuff but one film submission from Japan seems like something you would like! “Kamera Wo Tomeruna! (One Cut of the Dead!)” The film is a Gonzo-style comedy film, the kind of which Japan is known for. Gonzo comedy is over the top, extreme, and sometimes just so strange where you can’t help but laugh at how unreasonable it is. “One Cut of the Dead!” follows a film crew filming a low-budget cheesy zombie flick in a remote area in the mountains. While filming the production and actors encounter a hoard of REAL zombies who start to attack and feed on the crew, the director instead of

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Sep 10, 2018
Horror Fuel

Watch This Trailer ‘Before We Vanish’

The trailer has just been released for Before We Vanish from acclaimed horror director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse). It has been said that the film “reinvents the alien movie as a unique and profoundly human tale of love and mystery.” In the film, “three aliens travel to Earth on a reconnaissance mission in preparation for a mass invasion. Having taken possession of human bodies, the visitors rob the hosts of their essence – good, evil, property, family, belonging – leaving only hollow shells, which are all but unrecognizable to their loved ones. Equally hilarious, thrilling, and profound, Before We Vanish reminds audiences of the continued strength of one of Japanese cinema’s most unique auteurs – and the value of the human spirit.” Masami Nagasawa (Godzilla: Final Wars), Ryuhei Matsuda (The Raid 2), Mahiro Takasugi, Yuri Tsunematsu, and Hiroki Hasegawa (Shin Godzilla) star. Before We Vanish opens in cinemas on February 2, 2018.

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Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 13, 2018
Horror Fuel

‘Shin Godzilla’s’ Akira Suzuki Turns To Kickstarter to Make ‘Horror Of The Underworld’

Freelance 3D artist Akira Suzuki, who has worked on films like Shin Godzilla and Attack on Titan, is on a mission to make his feature horror film. According to Suzuki’s Kickstarter campaign, the first 10 minutes of the film, titled Horror of the Underworld, has already been made. Suzuki will be including doing all of the major aspects himself, including directing, animation, n and video production. It will be voiced in Japanese with English subtitles and production is scheduled to take 16 months. In the film set “deep under Tokyo, a fiend appears. An underground passageway collapses with an earth-shaking rumble, and the fiend comes into view. Several hundred workers, as well as the Mayor of Tokyo and his escort forces who just happen to be visiting for an inspection, find themselves trapped underground. They are cut off from the outside and have no way of calling for help. Members of the hard-pressed group, locked in darkness with no way

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 9, 2018
Horror Fuel

There’s Something In The Water – A New Pirahna Movie !

Summer is coming and with it comes the beach, the water, and….Piranha! That’s right, the ‘Piranha’ franchise is back! The IXFilm Group is making the water unsafe again for swimmers with ‘Piranha: Summer of the Piranha’, which they announced via their website. They also released several storyboard images. The only information that has surfaced so far is that it’s set for a 2018 release and will be produced by Hisako Tsukuba, who has produced every film of the franchise since back in 1978 when the original debuted. We also know that this go around it will be a Japanese production and set in Japan, according to IMDb. To date the ‘Piranha’ franchise has spawned five films in 39 years. In 2010, Alexander Aja remade the original which he titled ‘Pirahna 3D’. ‘Feast’ director John Gulager delivered ‘Pirahna 3DD’ in 2012. When we catch more details, we’ll give you an update.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Feb 24, 2017
Horror Fuel

Sadako vs. Kayako Go Head To Head In New Shudder Exclusive Trailer

After a long wait Japan’s ‘Sadako vs. Kayako‘ is finally being released in the US, Canada, and the UK, exclusively on Shudder. Today, we have the brand new trailer. ‘Sadako vs. Kayako’ is a crossover of the huge horror franchises ‘The Grudge’ and ‘The Ring’, whose new sequel ‘Rings‘ is set for release on February 3rd. The film, directed by Koji Shiraishi, was inspired by an April Fool’s Joke gone viral. It follows two young women who are caught between Sadoko and Kayaka. Mizuki Yamamoto will star along side Aimi Satsukawa, Tina Tamashiro, Masanobou Ando, Masahiro Komota, and Misato Tanka. Synopsis: After viewing a legendary cursed videotape, Natsumi (Satsukawa) discovers that she has only two days before she will be killed by the demonic entity known as Sadako . The only way to break the curse is pitting the demon Sadako against Kayako, an accursed spirit possessing a haunted house where everyone who enters disappears. Witness ‘Sadako vs. Kayako’ exclusively

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 11, 2017

More from Japanese horror

Game Review: ‘Fatal Frame: Maiden Of Black Water’

When it comes to horror games one always stood out to me as being truly scary and actually invoked nightmares for me in the past, and that’s Fatal Frame. I was super disappointed that after the game’s third installment that they stopped releasing it in the US, but when I heard about the series fifth installment being re-released for consols I said “You son of a bitch, I’m in!”. Let’s see if the series is still had its scares or if it’s lost it, lets check out Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. First a big thank you to Koei Tecmo for the reviewing opportunity! Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water takes place on Hikami Mountain that is a popular location for people to commit suicide much like the real-life suicide forest of Japan. The game follows three playable characters, Yuri a young woman with a developing sixth sense, Ren an author with a connection to the events on the

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Nov 22, 2021
Horror Fuel

Japanese Horror ‘Evil Dead Trap’ Being Released On 4K And Blu-Ray For The First Time

1988’s Japanese grindhouse horror film Evil Dead Trap is being released on 4K and Blu-ray for the first time this August by Unearthed Films. Directed by and Toshihara Ikeda, and featuring special effects from Godzilla’s Shinichi Wakasa, Evil Dead Trap follows “A TV station employee takes a camera crew out to an abandoned factory to investigate a purported snuff film that was made there, only to end up running for her life.” Miyuki Ono, Aya Katsuragi, and Hitomi Kobayashi star in this gruesome, blood-soaked horror film that thrilled critics at the time of its original release. Get your copy on August 24, 2021, or pre-order your copy now from Unearthed Films. BONUS MATERIALS: Audio Commentary with Director Toshiharu Ikeda and SPFX Manager Shinichi Wakasa Audio Commentary by filmmaker Kurando Mitsutake (KARATE KILL, GUN WOMAN) Audio Commentary with James Mudge of Eastern Kicks Trappings of the Dead – Reflecting on a Japanese Cult Classic Storyboards Behind the Scenes Stills Promotional Artwork

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 7, 2021
Horror Fuel

Zombie Flick ‘One Cut Of The Dead’ Coming To Shudder Following Debut In Theaters

One of the most critically-acclaimed genre films of the past decade and a record-shattering blockbuster in its native Japan, One Cut of the Dead. Scoring a rare “100% Fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes, the film follows a movie crew “while shooting a low-budget zombie film in an abandoned warehouse, the crew find themselves caught between actual zombies and a mad director who won’t stop rolling. If you think you know what happens next, think again. Filmmaker Shinichiro Ueda turns the film on its head more than once for one of the wildest, funniest, and most surprising zombie movies of all time.” This hit film is written, directed, and edited by Shinichiro Ueda, and stars Takayuki Hamatsu, Mao, Harumi Shuhama, Yuzuki Akiyama, Kazuaki Nagaya, and Manabu Hosoi. During its lengthy festival run, One Cut of the Dead received numerous awards and accolades, including the Audience Award and Best Director at Fantastic Fest, Best Film at Fantasia, Best Film at Bifan Fantastic

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 9, 2019
Horror Fuel

Zombie Comedy ‘One Cut Of The Dead!’ Gnaws It’s Way To Vancouver Film Festival

From September 27th to October 12th the Vancouver International Film Festival will be showcasing works from filmmakers around the world. Most of the films this year are documentaries dealing with issues in the modern world, fictionalized dramas, and of course avant-garde. I’m not sure how most of you (the readers) would be into that stuff but one film submission from Japan seems like something you would like! “Kamera Wo Tomeruna! (One Cut of the Dead!)” The film is a Gonzo-style comedy film, the kind of which Japan is known for. Gonzo comedy is over the top, extreme, and sometimes just so strange where you can’t help but laugh at how unreasonable it is. “One Cut of the Dead!” follows a film crew filming a low-budget cheesy zombie flick in a remote area in the mountains. While filming the production and actors encounter a hoard of REAL zombies who start to attack and feed on the crew, the director instead of

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Sep 10, 2018
Horror Fuel

Watch This Trailer ‘Before We Vanish’

The trailer has just been released for Before We Vanish from acclaimed horror director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse). It has been said that the film “reinvents the alien movie as a unique and profoundly human tale of love and mystery.” In the film, “three aliens travel to Earth on a reconnaissance mission in preparation for a mass invasion. Having taken possession of human bodies, the visitors rob the hosts of their essence – good, evil, property, family, belonging – leaving only hollow shells, which are all but unrecognizable to their loved ones. Equally hilarious, thrilling, and profound, Before We Vanish reminds audiences of the continued strength of one of Japanese cinema’s most unique auteurs – and the value of the human spirit.” Masami Nagasawa (Godzilla: Final Wars), Ryuhei Matsuda (The Raid 2), Mahiro Takasugi, Yuri Tsunematsu, and Hiroki Hasegawa (Shin Godzilla) star. Before We Vanish opens in cinemas on February 2, 2018.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 13, 2018
Horror Fuel

‘Shin Godzilla’s’ Akira Suzuki Turns To Kickstarter to Make ‘Horror Of The Underworld’

Freelance 3D artist Akira Suzuki, who has worked on films like Shin Godzilla and Attack on Titan, is on a mission to make his feature horror film. According to Suzuki’s Kickstarter campaign, the first 10 minutes of the film, titled Horror of the Underworld, has already been made. Suzuki will be including doing all of the major aspects himself, including directing, animation, n and video production. It will be voiced in Japanese with English subtitles and production is scheduled to take 16 months. In the film set “deep under Tokyo, a fiend appears. An underground passageway collapses with an earth-shaking rumble, and the fiend comes into view. Several hundred workers, as well as the Mayor of Tokyo and his escort forces who just happen to be visiting for an inspection, find themselves trapped underground. They are cut off from the outside and have no way of calling for help. Members of the hard-pressed group, locked in darkness with no way

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 9, 2018
Horror Fuel

There’s Something In The Water – A New Pirahna Movie !

Summer is coming and with it comes the beach, the water, and….Piranha! That’s right, the ‘Piranha’ franchise is back! The IXFilm Group is making the water unsafe again for swimmers with ‘Piranha: Summer of the Piranha’, which they announced via their website. They also released several storyboard images. The only information that has surfaced so far is that it’s set for a 2018 release and will be produced by Hisako Tsukuba, who has produced every film of the franchise since back in 1978 when the original debuted. We also know that this go around it will be a Japanese production and set in Japan, according to IMDb. To date the ‘Piranha’ franchise has spawned five films in 39 years. In 2010, Alexander Aja remade the original which he titled ‘Pirahna 3D’. ‘Feast’ director John Gulager delivered ‘Pirahna 3DD’ in 2012. When we catch more details, we’ll give you an update.

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Feb 24, 2017
Horror Fuel

Sadako vs. Kayako Go Head To Head In New Shudder Exclusive Trailer

After a long wait Japan’s ‘Sadako vs. Kayako‘ is finally being released in the US, Canada, and the UK, exclusively on Shudder. Today, we have the brand new trailer. ‘Sadako vs. Kayako’ is a crossover of the huge horror franchises ‘The Grudge’ and ‘The Ring’, whose new sequel ‘Rings‘ is set for release on February 3rd. The film, directed by Koji Shiraishi, was inspired by an April Fool’s Joke gone viral. It follows two young women who are caught between Sadoko and Kayaka. Mizuki Yamamoto will star along side Aimi Satsukawa, Tina Tamashiro, Masanobou Ando, Masahiro Komota, and Misato Tanka. Synopsis: After viewing a legendary cursed videotape, Natsumi (Satsukawa) discovers that she has only two days before she will be killed by the demonic entity known as Sadako . The only way to break the curse is pitting the demon Sadako against Kayako, an accursed spirit possessing a haunted house where everyone who enters disappears. Witness ‘Sadako vs. Kayako’ exclusively

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 11, 2017