Trapped Ashes (2006)
Directed by Sean S Cunningham, Joe Dante, Monte Hellman, Ken Russell, John Gaeta
Written by Dennis Bartok
Starring John Saxon, Rachel Veltri, Scott Lowell, Lara Harris, Henry Gibson, Jayce Bartok
Lionsgate Films
Release Date: July 15, 2008

In the late 60’s and early 70’s, anthology horror movies poured from low budget production houses throughout Europe, including the time-honored Black Sabbath from Mario Bava and EC Comics inspired Tales From The Crypt by Freddie Francis. Anthology horror on the big screen took on new life in the US in the 1980s with Creepshow and sputtered out in the early 1990s with Tales From The Darkside: The Movie. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, a ghostly anthology series called Troublesome Night has been going strong since 1997 and most recently the East Asian anthology films Three and Three: Extremes have been chilling audiences around the world.

But is there hope for a revival of this horror niche here in the United States? Writer Dennis Bartok would like to think so. Bartok, who has spent much of his career on the fringes of the film community as the head of programming at American Cinematheque in Los Angeles and as an interviewer for DVD featurettes, makes his screenwriting debut with Trapped Ashes, and with the help of some Japanese financing has brought along some top-name talent to back him up.

Human Lanterns (1982)
Directed by Sun Chung
Written by Ni Kuang and Sun Chung
Produced by Mona Fong
Starring Liu Yung, Chen Kuan-Tai, Lo Lieh, Tien Ni, Linda Chu, Lo Meng, Shaw Yin-Yin
Image Entertainment
Release Date: June 10, 2008

Rivals Lung and Tan have been at each other for years, trying to best the other in everything from martial arts skills to festival competitions. When Tan invites Lung to his home, only to show off what will be his entry in this year’s lantern competition, Lung is jealous and humbled. But when Tan brings out a local prostitute in front of Lung and his wife, who Lung has been secretly seeing, Lung is humiliated. Vowing revenge, Lung turns to a master lantern craftsman (Shaw Brothers legend Lo Lieh) to construct a lantern guaranteed to win the competition.

Meanwhile, a psychotic madman with a mastery over monkey-style kung fu has vowed to take away everything that is precious to Tan and Lung. Dressed in black and donning a skull mask, the madman begins to kidnap women including Tan’s sister and Lung’s wife. Tan and Lung at once begin to suspect each other, and bring in the local police to place blame on one another. The police begin to search for clues, hoping to find the women still alive, unaware the kidnapped victims have already been skinned alive to be used as material for the madman’s dazzling lanterns.

Mixing the expected incredible martial arts choreography that the Shaw Brothers are known for with the rising desire for macabre subject matter of the early eighties, director Sun Chung (The Sexy Killer, The Avenging Eagle) along with co-writer Ni Kuang, who has written pretty much every worthwhile Shaw Brothers title since the mid 1960s, created what would become one of the studio’s most sought after cult films.

Tai-Chi Master (1993)
Directed by Yuen Wo-Ping
Written by Ip Kwong-Kim
Starring Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Chin Siu-Ho, Fannie Yuen, Yuen Cheung-Yan, Lau Shun
Dragon Dynasty
Release Date: July 29, 2008

As children and later as young men, Buddhist monks Jun (Jet Li) and Chin were furiously inseparable at their monastery, and used their friendship and competitive natures to better each others teachings and martial arts skills. But when Chin’s rash temper leads to a brawl between all the monks, both Chin and Jun are banished from the monastery and sent out into the world for the first time. Their journey brings them into a nearby town, and no sooner do they arrive then they witness the power of authority that the local Governor has on the town.

Jun tries to help a few of the locals being bullied by the soldiers and later joins a growing underground rebellion including an alcoholic scorned by her husband (Michelle Yeoh). Meanwhile, Chin becomes obsessed with obtaining the wealth and power he sees being used by the Governor and joins the local military to begin his ascension toward greatness, but only finds himself corrupted by his desires. Now on opposite sides, Jun and Chin have become the worst of enemies. As Chin, who has now gained control of the military, seeks to crush the rebels once and for all, Jun makes a singular attack against Chin using his newly mastered technique of Tai Chi!

Doomsday
Directed by Neil Marshall
Produced by Steven Paul and Benedict Carver
Starring Rhona Mitra, Craig Conway, Bob Hoskins, Malcolm McDowell, Adrian Lester, Alexander Siddig, David O’Hara, Sean Pertwee
Rated R
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 29, 2008

In 2008, an unstoppable virus rips through Scotland causing panic and chaos. In a desperate move to contain what has become known as the Reaper Virus, England quarantines the entire country. Those caught inside the quarantine zone are left to die, hopefully along with the virus. Now almost thirty years later, a cramped and poverty-stricken London becomes the perfect breeding ground for the Reaper Virus to return, and so it does in a major way. With the secret knowledge that there are still survivors in Scotland, a plan is concocted to send a team of soldiers in and find what must be the cure.

Tapped to lead this suicide mission is Major Eden Sinclair, a tough-as-nails member of the Department of Domestic Security who is one of the few survivors lucky enough to get out of Scotland. Sinclair, along with a motley crew of soldiers and scientists, make their way into the quarantine zone and soon discover that the survivors have gone absolutely mad. Their first obstacle is to overcome a rogue army of rampaging and cannibalistic punks lorded over by the berserk Sol, before dealing with their main target, Dr Kane. Kane, who was working on a cure to virus before being trapped in the country, has holed his followers up in a castle and anointed himself King! Sinclair has only forty-eight hours to find the cure and make it to the rendezvous point, and the clock is ticking!

Invisible Target (2007)
Directed by Benny Chan
Written by Benny Chan, Ling Chi-Man
Produced by Benny Chan, Cary Cheng
Starring Nicholes Tse, Jaycee Chan, Shawn Yue, Jacky Wu Jing, Andy On, Sam Lee, Elanne Kwong
Dragon Dynasty
Release date: June 10, 2008

With a huge explosion, a bold heist in the middle of the day gets underway as a notorious criminal gang robs an armored truck in Hong Kong carrying millions. The bomb’s explosion and the ensuing firefight in the street leave scores wounded and several dead, including the fiancee of Detective Chan. After disappearing without a trace for six months, the gang returns just as mysteriously and begins killing those that were associated with the robbery. Chan, who has been patiently biding his time to get his revenge against the men responsible for his fiancee’s death, begins relentlessly pursuing the criminals through the underworld.

Meanwihle, a young rookie cop, Officer Wai, becomes caught up in the mess when it is discovered that his brother is now part of the murderous gang of thieves, and Inspector Carson lets the case get personal when the gang attacks his police division. Chan, Carson, and Wai create an unlikely and unbalanced alliance as they pursue the criminals, who they discover were double crossed after the robbery by the mastermind of the heist. The identity of the mastermind, who may just be a dirty cop, is unknown to even the gang’s leader, Tien, but he is going to discover who it is even if he has to destroy the entire police station to find out!