Day, an insecure and underpaid art director, has just finished filming an ad in a deserted Olympic pool. He’s charged with the cleaning and the emptying of the six-meter deep bath. Before beginning the heavy work, he wants to enjoy the silence and peacefulness while floating through the chlorine in the sun. Unthinking, he dozes… Continue reading THE POOL
Section: SPAMFLIX ASIAN FILM AWARD
AURORA
The peaceful life of Leana and her little sister Rita are turned upside down when the giant passenger ferry Aurora capsizes on the cliffs in front of their seaside bed & breakfast. After a while, the coastguard abandons the search for survivors and leaves, together with all the mourning relatives of the victims who stayed… Continue reading AURORA
CITIES OF LAST THINGS
Taiwan in the near future. Middle-aged Zhang is an agitated man. For more than thirty years now, he has lived apart from his wife but he just can’t seem to leave her alone. On a night when she goes tango dancing with her new lover, he shows up unannounced and physically attacks them. After that,… Continue reading CITIES OF LAST THINGS
BELIEVER
Police detective Won-ho is at his wit’s end. Half his career he’s been chasing Mr. Lee, the leader of Asia’s biggest drug cartel. The problem is nobody’s ever laid eyes on this character and many are the cowboys who pose as the man himself. One day, Won-ho has his guy (or rather gal) infiltrate Mr.… Continue reading BELIEVER
THE BLOOD OF WOLVES
Hiroshima, 1988. A banker of a money laundering business of one of the rival gangs is missing, which revives the memory of the last gang war fourteen years ago. Amid the resurgence of a yakuza gang war, the seasoned police detective Ogami is partnered with rookie Hioka. The latter is confronted with the unorthodox and… Continue reading THE BLOOD OF WOLVES
BODIES AT REST
What some people do for a living! A medical examiner has the unenviable task of cutting up bodies and prying into their intestines. As the saying goes: it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it. On a weekday night in Hong Kong, one such dude is diligently at work alongside his assistant. Then, without… Continue reading BODIES AT REST
DOOR LOCK
You only have to take one look at the electronic toy in your pocket and you’ll realize: those South Koreans have a way with technology! The same goes for Kyung-min, a young woman living by herself (spoiler alert, sorry guys!) in a hypermodern, secured apartment. Coming home one fine day, she notices that someone has… Continue reading DOOR LOCK
NO MERCY
In-ae is released from prison after having been wrongfully accused. Since the death of her parents, all she has left is her little sister Eun-hye. From then on, they promise to stay together forever. However, this promise isn’t kept for long when Eun-hye doesn’t come home from school one day. When In-ae tries to look… Continue reading NO MERCY
GHOSTMASTER
Akira Kurosawa is a real nobody in the Japanese film world. For the time being, he’s assistant director for a mushy romantic chick flick on the deserted island of Kitajima. The only reason he persists in continuing this thankless job, is because a producer promised him that soon, very soon, he’ll be able to direct… Continue reading GHOSTMASTER
TAKE POINT
Captain Ahab is a man with a mission. Alongside his team of twelve apostles… I mean elite troops/guns for hire, he must kidnap the North Korean Defense minister in a bunker underneath the DMZ (the demilitarized zone dividing the nation’s north and south). But someone is playing dirty tricks and things quickly go awry. In… Continue reading TAKE POINT
CHASING THE DRAGON
In Cantonese (the Chinese language as spoken in Hong Kong, you dummy!), the phrase “chasing the dragon” refers to inhaling the vapor from a heated solution of morphine, heroin, opium, methamphetamine, and other superfoods… Hallucinogenic drugs are exactly the trademark of Ho the cripple. Once, he sneaked into Hong Kong as an illegal immigrant but… Continue reading CHASING THE DRAGON
GINTAMA 2: RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
Here we are again in feudal Japan, in the tumultuous Edo period. Former samurai Gintoki Sakata doesn’t have a dime left to his name. If he doesn’t want to be kicked out of his house, he must get off his lazy ass. Together with his housemates Shinpachi and Kagura, who are always jumping around somewhere… Continue reading GINTAMA 2: RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
GOLDEN JOB
Lion, Crater, Bill, Mouse and Calm are best friends and partners in crime since their years at the orphanage. After ten years as mercenaries for crime syndicates, they come to a point (as we all do) to take it slow. They’ve seen enough blood, bullets and random kills for several lifetimes. But there’s one last… Continue reading GOLDEN JOB
THE GOLDEN MONK
Butong is a monk of the Xuanguang Temple, but he’s not just your average monk. To begin with, he has a funny name that nobody dares to laugh with because of his supernatural powers. Where did he get them from? He doesn’t have a clue. His dysfunctional family has definitely nothing to do with it.… Continue reading THE GOLDEN MONK
KASANE -BEAUTY AND FATE-
If Kasane inherited her acting talent from her mother, she certainly wasn’t blessed with her appearance. A huge scar crosses her face, which hinders her dream to shine on stage. Just before her mother dies, she gives a magical lipstick to her daughter. When she puts it on and kisses someone, she takes on the… Continue reading KASANE -BEAUTY AND FATE-
KUNG FU MONSTER
During the Ming Dynasty, imperial animal trainer Ocean is introduced to a rather strange creature which he names Lucky. After he witnesses the innocent gremlin-like ball of fur getting mistreated by the evil eunuch Crane, he sets him free. This infuriates Crane, who immediately puts a huge bounty on both Ocean and Lucky’s heads. From… Continue reading KUNG FU MONSTER
MIMICRY FREAKS
The sun drips through the foliage of a dense wood. Slowly and peacefully Fuma wakes up. Suddenly he realizes that he finds himself in the middle of nowhere in a virgin white king-size bed. Anxiously, he jumps up and finds his son standing next to him. He desperately shakes his kid and asks where in… Continue reading MIMICRY FREAKS
RAMPANT
It’s not going too well in the kingdom of Joseon. While the king is stuffing his stomach in his silk pyjamas, his people are dying of hunger. An attempt to violently overthrow the ruler is quickly put to an end with the arrest and the liquidation of all conspirators; including his own son. His other… Continue reading RAMPANT
UNSTOPPABLE
Dong-chul, a lovable fish dealer, tries to live the correct life and to steer clear of his criminal past as “the bull”. Having troubles to make ends meet at the end of each month, he’s tempted by some shady investment. Of course, this doesn’t please his dear wife. When she’s on the verge of leaving… Continue reading UNSTOPPABLE
THE WITCH: PART 1. THE SUBVERSION
The film opens in the middle of a bloodbath in a secret medical clinic. Under the supervision of a woman, men beat a group of children to death, covered by a white canvas. A young girl manages to escape. Exhausted, she falls asleep in the meadow near a farm. The next morning, she is discovered… Continue reading THE WITCH: PART 1. THE SUBVERSION
The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful
Five years ago we introduced you to an incredibly bold action-thriller that takes place in a world in which one game is a matter of life and death. No, not Dungeons & Dragons but Go, the immensely popular board game in South-Korea and the rest of Asia. But for us ignorant Western folk making a… Continue reading The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful
The Entity
It seems the Philippines put aside their traditional ghosts more and more to plunge into relentless horror: after EERIE, that single-handedly boosted sales for night lamps for adults in 2018, here comes the new unfiltered nightmare out of Erik Matti’s mind, the #1 most prolific Filipino genre filmmaker. We’re in 1985, Luis gets a call… Continue reading The Entity
Tokyo Ghoul’s’
Ghouls are man-eating monsters who are only able to ingest human flesh in order to live. The special police unit CGC (Counter Ghoul Commission) is trying to protect humanity from the ghoul menace, forcing them to keep their true identity secret. Kaneki is a half human and half ghoul hybrid who refuses to eat human… Continue reading Tokyo Ghoul’s’
AI Amok
When we talk about artificial intelligence, we think of Siri, our GPS or Donald Trump, but the possibilities of AI are limitless! And, thanks to scientist Kosuke Kiryu, this technology has become an integral part of our daily lives in the year 2030. Nozomi is its name and it takes care of everything: instant medical… Continue reading AI Amok
Bring me Home
You’d think by now we’d be used to the psychological terror of Korean chillers but no: this mom on the lookout for her missing son took us to a dark, dark place (hiding underneath our desk).
Super Me
At our favorite Chinese restaurant – Mr. Wrong’s Shoalin Chop Suey – we just looove the fortune cookies after meals. Our most recent one? “Success will flourish in the area of the workplace, yielding benefits of all kinds. Finances will be booming for the entirety of the year and your income might even double!” Well,… Continue reading Super Me
The Beast
The Beast, the debut feature of Jung-ho Lee, is the stunning remake of Olivier Marchal’s 36th precinct, entirely adapted to the Asian cultural setting and with the visual flair, thematic depth and cutthroat tension that has become the trademark of Korean thrillers. After a series of brutal murders on young women, the Incheon police department… Continue reading The Beast
The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale
Zombies again, you say? Haven’t they made enough movies about these creatures already? We’re brain dead ourselves by now after being fed those hundreds of zombie flicks each year, but ODD FAMILY is well… odd! Don’t go in expecting a RESIDENT EVIL or NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD vibe, this is way weirder! Director Min-jae… Continue reading The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale
When you wish upon a Star
“I hate… I hate… I hate you all. I hate all those worthless comedians. I’m sick of their stupid jokes. You become popular a bit, you start making stupid movies and publish stupid books. I hate my useless therapist. Even though she knows I can’t be cured at all, she keeps trying to help me… Continue reading When you wish upon a Star
The Fallen
“It’s a family affair. One child grows up to be somebody that just loves to learn. Another child grows up to be somebody we just love to burn” Sly & The Family Stone once sang. Yes, family business can be hard. Yes, Rain is such a child we just love to burn. Her daddy, the… Continue reading The Fallen
Wild Virgins
According to a Japanese urban legend, those who didn’t get down and dirty by the time they hit thirty, will be transformed into a superhero by a mystic baboon. Now that’s a solid argument in favor of total abstinence! Mikio Hoshimura is a 29-year-old incompetent pencil pusher at an insurance firm. He’s at the bottom… Continue reading Wild Virgins
The Queen of Black Magic
Hanif, pater familias of a seemingly perfect family, decides to take his wife and three children to the orphanage where he grew up. Not because he didn’t come up with better holiday plans, but because Mr. Bandi, who was like a father to Hanif, is on his deathbed… Two of Hanif’s best friends, who also… Continue reading The Queen of Black Magic
Gundala
Every country should have its own superheroes! Say no to the domination of Marvel and DC! Why are it always Americans who save the world? Someone who has understood this is Joko Anwar, Indonesia’s most prominent genre director (THE FORBIDDEN DOOR, IMPETIGORE). Gundala, based on the popular comics series by Harya Suraminata, shows the origin… Continue reading Gundala