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Ryuhei Kitamura

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Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Versus (2000)

Two escaped prisoners make their way through the woods, and soon meet up with a gang of over-the-top Yakuza and the woman they have kidnapped. Unbeknownst to them, the forest is home to the 444th portal to hell (the Portal of Resurrection to be precise), but the learn soon enough as a slight misunderstanding leads to some bodies hittin’ the floor… but they sure as shit don’t stay there! Prisoner KSC2-303 (Tak Sakaguchi) and The Girl (Chieko Misaka) escape the initial zombie fracas and flee deeper into those wicked woods but soon that verdant landscape is lousy with the walking dead, and escape may be impossible for our heroes and their gangster pursuers (not mention their occult-minded boss and the assassins he employs)! I’m not going to lie to you cats n’ creeps, Versus is a straight up mother fucking masterpiece! Ryûhei Kitamura (along with co-writer Yudai Yamaguchi) created the “all killer, no filler” (a real miracle considering this film

Continue reading →
Jan 10, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Nightmare Cinema (2018)

Five strangers end up in an abandoned theater where a strange projectionist (the one and only Mickey mother fuckin’ Rourke) shows them some fright flicks that contain each of their deepest fears. Thus begins Nightmare Cinema; the latest arcane anthology that weaves five terror tales balls deep in the ol’ horror biz! The first story is titled The Thing in the Woods (directed by Alejandro Brugués) and it begins with us thrown directly into the third act of a slasher picture already in progress. Our spunky final girl is on the run from the wicked Welder (and his implements of bodily harm) who has managed to kill nearly all her friends. Unfortunately for that masked maniac, our heroine is more than capable of putting up quite the fight…and then something turns this already pitch-perfect stalk n’ slay pastiche into a real thing of beastly beauty. Full of great grizzly gore, excellent shifting of paradigms, and an ability to bring some

Continue reading →
Jun 24, 2019
Horror Fuel

Take A Trip To A Sinister Theater In The ‘Nightmare Cinema’ Trailer

Ahead of its world premiere the Friday at the Fantasia Film Festival, Nightmare Cinema, from Cinelou Films, has released its first teaser trailer. Featuring five tales from five brilliant Masters of Horrors, this film includes segments from directors Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling), Mick Garris (The Shining series, Sleepwalkers), David Slade (30 Days of Night), Ryuhei Kitamura (Downrange, Versus), and Alejandro Brugues (Juan of the Dead). In this anthology, “A series of down-on-their-luck individuals enter the decrepit and spine-chilling Rialto theater, only to have their deepest and darkest fears brought to life on the silver screen by The Projectionist – a mysterious, ghostly figure who holds the nightmarish futures of all who attend his screenings. By the time our patrons realize the truth, escape is no longer an option. For once the ticket is torn, their fate is sealed at Nightmare Cinema.” The cast includes Patrick Wilson, Eric Nelson, Mickey Rourke, Richard Chamberlin, Adam Godley, Orson Chaplin, Kevin Fonteyne, Maurice

Continue reading →
Jul 13, 2018
Horror Fuel

‘Downrange’ Movie Soundtrack Unleashed

The original soundtrack for the frightening film Downrange is now available on Digital. Featuring the film’s powerful original score by Aldo Shllaku, Downrange is the second collaboration between director Ryuhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train, Versus, Godzilla: Final Wars) and composer Aldo Shllaku and was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film has just arrived on the premium video streaming service Shudder. For the melodic material, a serial system was conceived with a 7 note series derived from DOWNRANGE, the title of the film. The director and the cast was used in vocally performing letters and other interpretations of the title of the film. This recorded material was then the source in creating additional soundscapes and other sound design effects used in the score as part of the texture and ambiance. Weapons from the film were used as percussive instruments part of the rhythm section. A percussive sound library was created by recording and hitting the

Continue reading →
Apr 28, 2018
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Downrange (2018)

A group of young friends are travelling down a deserted road when they suffer a tire blow out. Things play out mundane A.F. until suddenly members of our gregarious gang start ending up well ventilated courtesy of bullets exploding through their skulls via a hidden sniper. Now the day has gone from sunny to shitty, will any of the friends survive the afternoon, and just who the hell is shooting at them and why? Directed by Ryûhei Kitamura (Godzilla: Final Wars, Versus), Downrange is a tight, simply told piece of suspense cinema that not only looks great, but backs plenty of grizzly gore (and I do mean plenty) into it’s ninety minute run time. There’s also a really cool piece of synth score that kicks in around thirty five minute mark that would be right at home in any random ’80’s slasher flick. On the flip side, though everyone does a great job in their respective roles, I didn’t know

Continue reading →
Apr 26, 2018
Horror Fuel

Exclusive New Clip From ‘Downrange’ Gives A Taste Of The Terror To Come

From acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura, the man behind films such as The Midnight Meat Train, Versus, and Godzilla: Final Wars, comes a film filled with terror, brutality, and a fight for survival. And we have a new exclusive first look clip and the poster (above) to share with you. Produced by Kitamura and Eleven Arts’ Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos) with Taro Maki (In This Corner of the World) executive producing, the intense thriller was penned by Joey O’Bryan (Motorway), based on a story by O’Bryan and Kitamura. In Downrange, six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked by an unseen assailant as they desperately attempt to find a way to escape. Newcomer Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson

Continue reading →
Sep 15, 2017
Horror Fuel

New Trailer And Stills Arrive Ahead Of The World Premiere Of ‘Downrange’

Ahead of its world premiere as part of Tiff’s Midnight Madness this September, three new stills and a new intense trailer has been released for Downrange. From acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura, the man behind films such as The Midnight Meat Train, Versus, and Godzilla: Final Wars, comes a film filled with terror, brutality, and a fight for survival. Produced by Kitamura and Eleven Arts’ Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos) with Taro Maki (In This Corner of the World) executive producing. The intense thriller was penned by Joey O’Bryan (Motorway), based on a story by O’Bryan and Kitamura. In Downrange, six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked by an unseen assailant as they desperately attempt to find

Continue reading →
Aug 15, 2017
Horror Fuel

Blood And Brains Are Spilled In The ‘Downrange’ Trailer

Downrange, the new thriller from acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train, Godzilla: Final Wars), has just released its trailer ahead of its world premiere at TIFF’s Midnight Madness this September. Produced by Kitamura and Eleven Arts’ Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos) with Taro Maki (In This Corner of the World) executive producing. The intense thriller was penned by Joey O’Bryan (Motorway), based on a story by O’Bryan and Kitamura. In the film, six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked by an unseen assailant as they desperately attempt to find a way to escape. Downrange stars newcomer Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson (Insidious: Chapter 2), Rod Hernandez-Farella, Anthony Kirlew, Alexa Yeames (The CW’s The Originals), and

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

‘Midnight Meat Train’ Director’s New Thriller ‘Downrange’ Announced

Yesterday at SDCC, Eleven Arts announced the new suspense thriller Downrange from acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura, known for The Midnight Meat Train and Godzilla: Final Wars. From the Press Release: July 21, 2017 – San Diego, California – ELEVEN ARTS is proud to announce DOWNRANGE, the terrifying new thriller from acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train, Versus, Godzilla: Final Wars). Produced by Kitamura and ELEVEN ARTS’ Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos, Man From Reno, Uzumasa Limelight), the film is executive produced by Taro Maki (In This Corner of the World). Screenplay is by Joey O’Bryan (Motorway, Fulltime Killer), with story by O’Bryan and Kitamura. In the film, six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked

Continue reading →
Jul 22, 2017
Horror Fuel

Masters Of Horror To Direct New Anthology Horror Film ‘Nightmare Cinema’

Director Joe Dante (Gremlins, Burying the Ex) and director Mick Garris (Sleepwalkers, Hocus Pocus) will be directing segments of ‘Nightmare Cinema’, a new horror anthology film. The five stories that make the film will be directed by five masters of horror. The other three segments will be from directors Ryuhei Kitamura (Midnight Meat Train), David Slade (Hannibal), Alejandro Brugues (Jaun of the Dead). The international team of directors will be working off of scripts written by Richard Christian Matheson, Sandra Becerril, David Slade, and Garris. ‘Nightmare Cinema’ is expected to begin filming in early 2016. In an interview with Shock Till You Drop, Garris had this to say about the project: “This is a feature-film collection of unique horror stories linked only by a desire to reach in and grab you by the terror gland, made by a group of directors from around the world, each with a vision unlike any other,” Garris told the site. “It’s the same philosophy

Continue reading →

More from Ryuhei Kitamura

Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Versus (2000)

Two escaped prisoners make their way through the woods, and soon meet up with a gang of over-the-top Yakuza and the woman they have kidnapped. Unbeknownst to them, the forest is home to the 444th portal to hell (the Portal of Resurrection to be precise), but the learn soon enough as a slight misunderstanding leads to some bodies hittin’ the floor… but they sure as shit don’t stay there! Prisoner KSC2-303 (Tak Sakaguchi) and The Girl (Chieko Misaka) escape the initial zombie fracas and flee deeper into those wicked woods but soon that verdant landscape is lousy with the walking dead, and escape may be impossible for our heroes and their gangster pursuers (not mention their occult-minded boss and the assassins he employs)! I’m not going to lie to you cats n’ creeps, Versus is a straight up mother fucking masterpiece! Ryûhei Kitamura (along with co-writer Yudai Yamaguchi) created the “all killer, no filler” (a real miracle considering this film

Continue reading →
Jan 10, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Nightmare Cinema (2018)

Five strangers end up in an abandoned theater where a strange projectionist (the one and only Mickey mother fuckin’ Rourke) shows them some fright flicks that contain each of their deepest fears. Thus begins Nightmare Cinema; the latest arcane anthology that weaves five terror tales balls deep in the ol’ horror biz! The first story is titled The Thing in the Woods (directed by Alejandro Brugués) and it begins with us thrown directly into the third act of a slasher picture already in progress. Our spunky final girl is on the run from the wicked Welder (and his implements of bodily harm) who has managed to kill nearly all her friends. Unfortunately for that masked maniac, our heroine is more than capable of putting up quite the fight…and then something turns this already pitch-perfect stalk n’ slay pastiche into a real thing of beastly beauty. Full of great grizzly gore, excellent shifting of paradigms, and an ability to bring some

Continue reading →
Jun 24, 2019
Horror Fuel

Take A Trip To A Sinister Theater In The ‘Nightmare Cinema’ Trailer

Ahead of its world premiere the Friday at the Fantasia Film Festival, Nightmare Cinema, from Cinelou Films, has released its first teaser trailer. Featuring five tales from five brilliant Masters of Horrors, this film includes segments from directors Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling), Mick Garris (The Shining series, Sleepwalkers), David Slade (30 Days of Night), Ryuhei Kitamura (Downrange, Versus), and Alejandro Brugues (Juan of the Dead). In this anthology, “A series of down-on-their-luck individuals enter the decrepit and spine-chilling Rialto theater, only to have their deepest and darkest fears brought to life on the silver screen by The Projectionist – a mysterious, ghostly figure who holds the nightmarish futures of all who attend his screenings. By the time our patrons realize the truth, escape is no longer an option. For once the ticket is torn, their fate is sealed at Nightmare Cinema.” The cast includes Patrick Wilson, Eric Nelson, Mickey Rourke, Richard Chamberlin, Adam Godley, Orson Chaplin, Kevin Fonteyne, Maurice

Continue reading →
Jul 13, 2018
Horror Fuel

‘Downrange’ Movie Soundtrack Unleashed

The original soundtrack for the frightening film Downrange is now available on Digital. Featuring the film’s powerful original score by Aldo Shllaku, Downrange is the second collaboration between director Ryuhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train, Versus, Godzilla: Final Wars) and composer Aldo Shllaku and was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film has just arrived on the premium video streaming service Shudder. For the melodic material, a serial system was conceived with a 7 note series derived from DOWNRANGE, the title of the film. The director and the cast was used in vocally performing letters and other interpretations of the title of the film. This recorded material was then the source in creating additional soundscapes and other sound design effects used in the score as part of the texture and ambiance. Weapons from the film were used as percussive instruments part of the rhythm section. A percussive sound library was created by recording and hitting the

Continue reading →
Apr 28, 2018
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Downrange (2018)

A group of young friends are travelling down a deserted road when they suffer a tire blow out. Things play out mundane A.F. until suddenly members of our gregarious gang start ending up well ventilated courtesy of bullets exploding through their skulls via a hidden sniper. Now the day has gone from sunny to shitty, will any of the friends survive the afternoon, and just who the hell is shooting at them and why? Directed by Ryûhei Kitamura (Godzilla: Final Wars, Versus), Downrange is a tight, simply told piece of suspense cinema that not only looks great, but backs plenty of grizzly gore (and I do mean plenty) into it’s ninety minute run time. There’s also a really cool piece of synth score that kicks in around thirty five minute mark that would be right at home in any random ’80’s slasher flick. On the flip side, though everyone does a great job in their respective roles, I didn’t know

Continue reading →
Apr 26, 2018
Horror Fuel

Exclusive New Clip From ‘Downrange’ Gives A Taste Of The Terror To Come

From acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura, the man behind films such as The Midnight Meat Train, Versus, and Godzilla: Final Wars, comes a film filled with terror, brutality, and a fight for survival. And we have a new exclusive first look clip and the poster (above) to share with you. Produced by Kitamura and Eleven Arts’ Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos) with Taro Maki (In This Corner of the World) executive producing, the intense thriller was penned by Joey O’Bryan (Motorway), based on a story by O’Bryan and Kitamura. In Downrange, six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked by an unseen assailant as they desperately attempt to find a way to escape. Newcomer Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson

Continue reading →
Sep 15, 2017
Horror Fuel

New Trailer And Stills Arrive Ahead Of The World Premiere Of ‘Downrange’

Ahead of its world premiere as part of Tiff’s Midnight Madness this September, three new stills and a new intense trailer has been released for Downrange. From acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura, the man behind films such as The Midnight Meat Train, Versus, and Godzilla: Final Wars, comes a film filled with terror, brutality, and a fight for survival. Produced by Kitamura and Eleven Arts’ Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos) with Taro Maki (In This Corner of the World) executive producing. The intense thriller was penned by Joey O’Bryan (Motorway), based on a story by O’Bryan and Kitamura. In Downrange, six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked by an unseen assailant as they desperately attempt to find

Continue reading →
Aug 15, 2017
Horror Fuel

Blood And Brains Are Spilled In The ‘Downrange’ Trailer

Downrange, the new thriller from acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train, Godzilla: Final Wars), has just released its trailer ahead of its world premiere at TIFF’s Midnight Madness this September. Produced by Kitamura and Eleven Arts’ Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos) with Taro Maki (In This Corner of the World) executive producing. The intense thriller was penned by Joey O’Bryan (Motorway), based on a story by O’Bryan and Kitamura. In the film, six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked by an unseen assailant as they desperately attempt to find a way to escape. Downrange stars newcomer Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson (Insidious: Chapter 2), Rod Hernandez-Farella, Anthony Kirlew, Alexa Yeames (The CW’s The Originals), and

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

‘Midnight Meat Train’ Director’s New Thriller ‘Downrange’ Announced

Yesterday at SDCC, Eleven Arts announced the new suspense thriller Downrange from acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura, known for The Midnight Meat Train and Godzilla: Final Wars. From the Press Release: July 21, 2017 – San Diego, California – ELEVEN ARTS is proud to announce DOWNRANGE, the terrifying new thriller from acclaimed director Ryuhei Kitamura (The Midnight Meat Train, Versus, Godzilla: Final Wars). Produced by Kitamura and ELEVEN ARTS’ Ko Mori (Lords of Chaos, Man From Reno, Uzumasa Limelight), the film is executive produced by Taro Maki (In This Corner of the World). Screenplay is by Joey O’Bryan (Motorway, Fulltime Killer), with story by O’Bryan and Kitamura. In the film, six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked

Continue reading →
Jul 22, 2017
Horror Fuel

Masters Of Horror To Direct New Anthology Horror Film ‘Nightmare Cinema’

Director Joe Dante (Gremlins, Burying the Ex) and director Mick Garris (Sleepwalkers, Hocus Pocus) will be directing segments of ‘Nightmare Cinema’, a new horror anthology film. The five stories that make the film will be directed by five masters of horror. The other three segments will be from directors Ryuhei Kitamura (Midnight Meat Train), David Slade (Hannibal), Alejandro Brugues (Jaun of the Dead). The international team of directors will be working off of scripts written by Richard Christian Matheson, Sandra Becerril, David Slade, and Garris. ‘Nightmare Cinema’ is expected to begin filming in early 2016. In an interview with Shock Till You Drop, Garris had this to say about the project: “This is a feature-film collection of unique horror stories linked only by a desire to reach in and grab you by the terror gland, made by a group of directors from around the world, each with a vision unlike any other,” Garris told the site. “It’s the same philosophy

Continue reading →