Hollywood horror has been taken over by the Asian invasion but there’s nothing scarier than those original films from Korea and Japan. So come and explore the haunted world of blood-curdling screams, ghostly visions, and cursed spirits.
March
ASIA EXTREME ORIGINALS: RING/ DARK WATER/ PREMONITION (3-disc boxset)
The film that started the new wave of Japanese horror, Ringu (The Ring) has achieved cult status. But still be wary of watching the eerie video, which is cursed by a vengeful spirit, who ensures you did within a week of watching it. Ghostly chiller from the modern master of horror, Hideo Nakata, Naomi Watts tackled the curse in the 2002 remake. Nakata also directed the equally atmospheric ghost story, Dark Water, which finds a young mother moving into a block of flats with her daughter, only to find the mysterious presence of a young girl and unaccountable damp patches. Terror is set to flood through their lives and Jennifer Connelly moved into the fear-fraught apartment for Walter Salles’ reworking. Premonition sees director Norio Tsuruta (Ring 0) weave a chilling tale of a man who picks up a newspaper which foretells the future, including the tragic premonition of his daughter’s death in a car crash. But is it possible to change the future before it happens? Atmospheric suspense with shades of Don’t Look Now. Sandra Bullock starred in the remake. Special Features include: Making of Documentary, Japanese Press Conference
Release date: 24 March (rrp £19.99)
April
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS
Two sisters are released from a mental institution and return home. But relationships with their stepmother lead to increasingly disturbed behaviour that threatens to destroy their lives. Korea’s smash-hit psychological thriller from Kim Ji-Woon echoes early De Palma with stylish chills. UK brothers Charles and Thomas Guard direct the 2008 remake.
Release date: 14 April (rrp £7.99)
THE EYE
Blink and the ghosts might get you. A young blind girl regains her sight after being given a cornea implant from a dead woman, and immediately starts seeing the undead all around her. But she also retains memories of the dead person, so could the apocalyptic visions of the past also be echoes of the future? The Pang Brothers set the standard for stylish spooky shivers that Jessica Alba faces in the latest remake.
Release date: 28 April (rrp £7.99 each)
