Movies
Original ‘The Grudge’ Director Digs a Tunnel to the ‘Howling Village’
Japan’s Toei Company is launching sales at AFM on original The Grudge director Takashi Shimizu’s upcoming horror film Howling Village, ScreenDaily reports.
Best known as the creator of the Japanese Ju-on series and The Grudge franchise, Shimizu’s latest chiller is claimed to be inspired by real-life events:
“The truth behind the darkest secret in the history of Japan”, according to Toei.
It centers on a village at the end of a forgotten tunnel from which no one has ever returned alive. A dam was built over it in an effort to erase the past, but the film looks into where the people went, what happened to them, and why the place is called Howling Village.
Muneyuki Kii, whose credits include Iwai Shunji’s A Bride For Rip Van Winkle, is producing.
The site says that the Japanese-language film is set to start shooting in November, with an official cast announcement pending. Toei Company is planning to wrap the shoot in April 2019 with a tentative release date set for January 2020.
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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