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The Japanese horror boom of the 1990s wasn’t just limited to film, as most of the classic survival horror franchises that we now know and love came from Japanese developers offering a unique perspective on traditionally western settings. This is how we got iconic yet idiosyncratic locations like Raccoon City and even the cursed town of Silent Hill.

That’s why it makes sense that the latest entry in the Silent Hill series is aiming to return to the franchise’s East-Asian roots by having the game actually take place in 1970s Japan after decades of having western developers in charge of the IP. With that in mind, we’ve decided to come up with a list recommending six underrated Japanese Horror films to get you in the mood for NeoBards’ upcoming Silent Hill f.

As usual, this list is entirely based on personal opinion, but we’ll try...

Unless you’ve been completely out of the loop, you’re likely aware of the rivalry between Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece and Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto fans. One Piece and Naruto are two of the most iconic franchises in anime history. While some fans claim One Piece is top tier, others have supported Naruto since day one.

Obito’s mask during the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox’s Attack in Naruto. [Credit: Studio Pierrot]

Amidst all the fan rivalry, the enigmatic and multifaceted villains that challenge the protagonists at every turn are central to the charm of these two series. In One Piece, villains represent complex ideologies and power struggles, while in Naruto, their motivations, traumas, and redemption arcs shape the ninjas’ destinies.

While some fans claim Naruto has superior villains to One Piece, there’s one Naruto villain whose redemption in Boruto, following their immoral acts in the past, left many fans disgusted.

In 2019, The CW and Warner Brother Television announced that they were creating a new series based on the Classic, 1966 soap opera, Dark Shadows. Dark Shadows: Reincarnation, is the name of the new series.

Dark Shadows Spoilers – What Is This Reboot About?

Dark Shadows Reincarnation “will be a modern-day continuation of the strange, terrifying, and sexy saga of the Collins family of Collinsport, Maine — a mysterious, influential, publicity-shy group hiding a ghastly secret: For the past 400 years, they’ve lived under a curse that bedevils their blue blood with every imaginable supernatural creature and horror,”Dan Curtis created Dark Shadows which aired for six seasons, 1966 to 1971, that is close to 1250 episodes before the end.

The Pilot episode of Reincarnation was written by Mark B. Perry who was the executive producer with “will be a modern-day continuation of the strange, terrifying, and sexy saga of the Collins family of Collinsport, Maine — a mysterious,...

If read in order, the subtitles of the first six theatrically released "Resident Evil" movies almost ... almost ... spell out a "Divine Comedy"-like story arc. The first film is, naturally, merely called "Resident Evil" (2002), and it's about the release of a deadly, corporate-owned virus that turns the citizens of the world into zombies, creatures, or merely dead corpses. The film's sequel is subtitled "Apocalypse" (2004), implying that the virus escaped containment and infected the Earth. The third film is called "Extinction," implying that the virus did its job and humanity has become extinct. The arc is pretty clear. 

What comes after extinction? Well, the fourth film is called "Afterlife" (2010), following the now-dead humanity into Elysium. How apropos. Sadly, the fifth film in the series is not called "Resurrection" or "Reincarnation," but "Retribution" (2012), kind of breaking the spiritual cycle. Perhaps with "Retribution," humanity has become a gaggle of vengeful ghosts? Or perhaps not.

Ahead of a January 2025 broadcast debut in Japan, the official website and accounts for Akuyaku Reijo Tensei Oji-san ("The Old Guy's Reincarnation as the Villainess Daughter") today released the fantasy comedy anime's first full trailer and announced seven additional cast members. The newly announced cast is as follows, joining leads Kazuhiko Inoue and M.A.O: Anna Doll voiced by Akira Sekine Virgile Vierge voiced by Kaito Ishikawa Richard Verseau voiced by Yuichiro Umehara Auguste Lion voiced by Ryota Suzuki Pierre Gemeaux voiced by Takuma Nagatsuka Lambert Balance voiced by Seiichiro Yamashita Lucas Vierge voiced by Aoi Koga Anna Virgile Richard Auguste Pierre Lambert Lucas Related: Akuyaku Reijo Tensei Oji-san Anime Reveals January 2025 Start With First Trailer Based on the manga by Michiro Ueyama, Tetsuya Takeuchi directs Akuyaku Reijo Tensei Oji-san at studio Ajia-do, with series composition by Shingo Irie ( Afterlost ), character designs by Haruka Matsunae ( Ascendance of a Bookworm...

Elves are a fictional race known for their long ears, colorful hair, and affinity for powerful magic. While not every elf falls under that umbrella, the best elves in anime can be some of the most helpful characters around. They're usually much older than the characters around them, thanks to elves' ability to age much slower than humans, and can bring a lot of wisdom to their respective series. Each elf has a distinct personality too.

Some elves, like Elinalise Dragonroad from Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation are the first to head into battle, charging in with a sword in hand. Other elves, like Frieren from Frieren, would rather sit back and let her warrior Stark handle it instead. No matter what type of elf is in a series, they usually add a visible level of stoicism and intelligence to every party they're in.

Elinalise Dragonroad - Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation...

The following contains spoilers for Futurama season 12 episode 6, "Attack of the Clothes," now streaming on Hulu

Futurama just ret-conned the origins of Professor Farnsworth again, this time introducing a wild tweak that actually fits into the character's personality. Within Futurama, Professor Farnsworth is a uniquely important fixture. As the founder and owner of Planet Express, he serves an important role in the show by being the one to to send the crew on various missions throughout the universe. His inventions can be used to set up a story, complicate a plot, or resolve a conflict.

Throughout the show, he's also found plenty of surprising development. Farnsworth has discovered a sense of family and grown as a character. Across the course of Futurama, the show uses Farnsworth's advanced age and faulty memory to expand his importance or lean into absurd jokes. The latest addition to his history in Futurama season 12's...

Quick Links When Does Episode #23 of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Release? What Happened in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2, Episode #22? Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode #23 Shows a Traumatized Rudy

Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation!

Season 2 of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is about to end, bringing big changes and emotional turmoil for its protagonist. Episode #23 will show a traumatized Rudy coping with a devastating loss, leading to a major shift in the story. The episode's release date is June 23, 2024, on Crunchyroll, with an English dub available on July 7, 2024.

Few isekai anime are as eagerly anticipated as Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, but as season 2 of the anime approaches the release of episode #23, the season's penultimate episode, big changes are on the horizon. The Labyrinth Arc enters its final episodes as the season closes, with the latest shocking conclusion rocking its viewers to the core. Rudeus Greyrat will soon return...

Quick Links When Do New Episodes of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Release? What Happened in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2, Episode #20? Jobless Reincarnation Season 2, Episode #21 Brings Roxy and Rudeus Back Together Volume #13 adaptation continues as Rudy's party ventures into a deadly labyrinth. Paul's apology to Elinalise & reunion with Rudy brings crucial character growth. Episode 21 shows emotional reunion between Roxy and Rudy as they approach final stratum.

With Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation season 2 getting closer to its finale with the upcoming release of episode #21, the latest big step in Rudeus Greyrat's journey brings fateful reunions. He has entered the Begaritt Continent to reach Rapan and has reunited meaningfully with family and former mentors. However, as the adaptation of Volume #13 wears on, while crucial lives are undoubtedly saved, Mushoku Tensei's anime builds up a deadly confrontation as Rudy's party goes further into the labyrinth.

For readers of the light novels, the Labyrinth...

Have you ever heard of a studio created specifically to produce an anime? That's the legend behind Studio Bind, founded in November 2018 as a joint effort between the production companies White Fox and Egg Firm. But how true is that claim? Let's delve into the history of Studio Bind and its most important figures, as well as its two anime series, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation and Onimai: I'm Now Your Sister! The Work That Necessitated the Creation of Studio Bind Every story has a beginning, this one starts with Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation and how it was eventually chosen as Studio Bind’s first project. The original web novel by Rifujin na Magonote was published on the website Shosetsuka ni Naro from September 2012 to April 2015 , before transitioning to light novel format under Media Factory's Mf Books imprint, with illustrations by ShiroTaka. This version was published from January 2014 to 2022, totaling 26 volumes.

Mushoku Tensei Part 2 of Season 2 should delve into Eris and Ghislaine's adventures after she left Rudeus behind. Part 2 will likely explore in more detail the connection between Rudy, Nanahoshi, and the Mass Teleportation Incident. The second half of Mushoku Tensei Season 2 should see a return to the action that was largely missing from cour 1.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is far from the first isekai series with realistic characters or emotional moments. However, it's one of the few that has created its own identity, a feat that has helped redefine how anime fans look at the isekai genre. So far, Season 2 has shown exactly what makes Mushoku Tensei so different by completely leaning into its characters more than ever. While Season 3 of Mushoku Tensei isn't officially announced yet, Part 2 of Season 2 is set to begin airing on April 7th, and it may very well be the most exciting cour yet.

Rudeus and the rest of the cast are almost back for more Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation ! The second part of season 2 officially releases on April 7, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Pt , so there's no better time than right now to see what it's all about. Dive into our guide below to know the release date and exact time, how to watch, the voice cast and staff, trailers, anime visuals and more! Watch Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation on Crunchyroll! In This Guide Release Date and Exact Time Characters and Voice Cast Anime Staff Official Trailers Anime Art & Key Visuals Anime Synopsis Additional Information When Does Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Part 2 Come Out? The official release date and exact time for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Cour 2 is April 7, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Pt . Where can I watch? On Crunchyroll Territories: North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East,...

2020 and the years following it have been great for anime fans. Many new shows debuted on screens, including several hotly anticipated adaptations of popular manga and light novel series as well as many anime-original series, not to mention several long-awaited continuations of old series.

Some of these series are so highly praised and beloved that they'll likely cement themselves as all-time anime classics by the end of the decade, becoming the series that define 2020's anime in fans' minds. But of all the shows released in the last few years, which ones are the best, and which should every anime fan go out of their way to see?

Related 24 Best Manga Without An Anime Adaptation Although most popular anime are adaptations of preexisting manga, there are plenty more titles waiting to bring their stories to the screen. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Is Isekai Distilled

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation TV-14ActionAdventure...

Searching for and listening to movie soundtrack music for the year is an active quest of curiosity, discovery, and collage. For those fatigued and pushing through the chilliest season, I hope this mix can provide both energy and warmth, as it did to me in making it.Trends in film music over the last decade are continuing strong in 2023, particularly in the ambition of independent auteurs using complex and unusual scoring. The foundation for this mix is Angela Schanelec's beautiful and aptly titled Music, which provides both diegetic and non-diegetic moments to guide us. Samples range from The Old Oak, in which classical choral choir meets Syrian guitar and words of hope that now hit harder than ever, to a mix of sentimental strings courtesy of the legendary Joe Hisaishi. Abstract experimental sounds by two completely different kinds of artists—Harmony Korine and Thomas Newman—are mixed with sliced...

Hulu revived Futurama for Season 8, but lacked the unique qualities that made the show engaging. Futurama's best episodes delve into the meaningful exploration of its characters. Futurama Season 8 suffered from a focus on straightforward parodies and sacrificing genuine character storylines, but can still course-correct for future seasons.

First airing in 1999, Futurama has survived multiple cancelations and channel hops to become one of the most emotionally resonant comedies of the 21st century. The futuristic cartoon has proven over the years to be capable of balancing good humor with romantic, tragic, and philosophical reflections on life, love, and the universe. At its best, it's one of the most unique and engaging shows on TV. Unfortunately, the latest episodes couldn't quite match that pedigree.

Futurama Season 8 was rough compared to previous iterations of the show. While there were still solid gags and a few strong storylines, the show largely suffered from leaning...

The latest episode of "Futurama," titled "The Prince and the Product," is the show's seventh anthology episode, and it's the weirdest one to date.

The "Futurama" anthology episodes began back in the series' second season with "Anthology of Interest I", and featured stories that were too outlandish, even for the already-bizarre show. The conceit behind the anthology format, at least at first, was merely to sensationalize the drama in a 1950s style, complete with an over-the-top announcer (Maurice Lamarche) yelling things like "You've seen it! Now you can't unsee it!" As the show progressed, however -- and the showrunners wanted to get even wilder -- the conceit fell away, and anthology shows would be presented just for fun.

The episode "Reincarnation", for instance, merely featured a trio of segments in different animation formats. One was a black-and-white Ub Iwerks-style cartoon, another appeared to have been animated on an Atari...

Reincarnation gets a Sci-Fi/action twist in the new film from Antoine Fuqua, Infinite, which manages to get real close to being great. This week, Paramount+ launches Infinite, the latest film from director Antoine Fuqua and starring Mark Wahlberg. To be honest, I went into the film knowing almost nothing about it, other than the basic […]

The post Infinite Has Potential It Can’t Quite Reach (Review) appeared first on Cinelinx | Movies. Games. Geek Culture..

Born in 1982. Takeshi Kushida is a member of Pyramid Film in Tokyo. His notable films include: “Flow”(2003) First Prize – Rencontres Audiovisuelles; “Kannon” (2004) Special Mention – Wro Media Art Biennale; “Hide and Seek” (2005) Gold Prize – Bilbao International Short and Documentary Film Festival; “Reincarnation”(2008) Jury Recommended Work – Japan Media Art Festival ; “I Am a Camera” (2013) Jury Prize – Gr Movie Festival ; “The Earth was blusih” (2015) – Grand Prix – United For Peace Film Festival. “Woman of the Photographs“, which premiered at Osaka, is his feature debut.

On the occasion of “Woman of the Photographs” screening at Fantasia, we speak with him about photography and image, praying mantises, relationships in modern Japan, and many other topics.

Why did you decide to shoot a film where photography is the main element?

Because I have been thinking about the relationship between a photography and a woman for ten years. Ten years ago, I was making a poster for a...

Actress/model Cara Delevingne aka 'Vignette Stonemoss' in the Amazon Prime TV series "Carnival Row", poses for the latest "Puma" sneaker campaign:

Delevingne played her first film role in the 2012 film adaptation of "Anna Karenina" as 'Princess Sorokina'. August 2013, she voiced a 'DJ' of a pop radio station in the video game "Grand Theft Auto V".

June 2014, she made her TV debut in the final episode of "Playhouse Presents" from Brit broadcaster Sky Arts, playing the character of 'Chloe'.

Delevingne went on to play the part of 'Melanie' in the Brit feature "The Face of an Angel". October 2014, she starred in a sketch for an annual 90-minute comedy TV event called "The Feeling Nuts Comedy Night".

A month later, she featured in South African group Die Antwoord's music video for their song "Ugly Boy". December 2014, she starred in "Reincarnation", a short film by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

February 2015, she appeared...

Actress/model Cara Delevingne aka 'Vignette Stonemoss' in the TV series "Carnival Row", poses for the latest "Puma" sneaker campaign:

Delevingne played her first film role in the 2012 film adaptation of "Anna Karenina" as 'Princess Sorokina'. August 2013, she voiced a 'DJ' of a pop radio station in the video game "Grand Theft Auto V".

June 2014, she made her TV debut in the final episode of "Playhouse Presents" from Brit broadcaster Sky Arts, playing the character of 'Chloe'.

Delevingne went on to play the part of 'Melanie' in the Brit feature "The Face of an Angel". October 2014, she starred in a sketch for an annual 90-minute comedy TV event called "The Feeling Nuts Comedy Night". A month later, she featured in South African group Die Antwoord's music video for their song "Ugly Boy". December 2014, she starred in "Reincarnation", a short film by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

February 2015, she appeared in the...

The CW has given a pilot script order to “Dark Shadows: Reincarnation,” a one-hour gothic horror drama based on the original Dark Shadows soap opera by Dan Curtis.

The reimagined show will be a modern-day continuation of the strange, terrifying, and sexy saga of the Collins family of Collinsport, Maine — a mysterious, influential, publicity-shy group hiding a ghastly secret: For the past 400 years, they’ve lived under a curse that bedevils their blueblood with every imaginable supernatural creature and horror.

Warner Bros. Television is the studio, and Mark B. Perry will write and executive produce. Michael Helfant, Bradley Gallo, Tracy Curtis and Cathy Curtis will also executive produce, with Tracy Mercer for Amasia Entertainment.

Reincarnation is a the third TV iteration of Dark Shadows — the original series aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971. Curtis was also behind a 1991 remake of the horror series which was canceled after one season.

The original...

The CW has given a pilot script order to “Dark Shadows: Reincarnation,” a one-hour gothic horror drama based on the original “Dark Shadows” series by Dan Curtis, TheWrap has learned.

Warner Bros. Television is the studio, and Mark B. Perry will write and executive produce.

The reimagined show will be a modern-day continuation of the strange, terrifying, and sexy saga of the Collins family of Collinsport, Maine — a mysterious, influential, publicity-shy group hiding a ghastly secret: For the past 400 years, they’ve lived under a curse that bedevils their blueblood with every imaginable supernatural creature and horror.

Also Read: CW Superhero Shows 'The Flash,' 'Arrow' and 'Supergirl' to Get Audio Series

Michael Helfant, Bradley Gallo, Tracy Curtis and Cathy Curtis will also executive produce, with Tracy Mercer for Amasia Entertainment.

“Reincarnation” is a fitting name for the project, as this is a the third...

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has died aged 85 in Paris.

The creative director of Chanel, who appeared in countless movies as himself including Ben Stiller’s fashion comedy Zoolander, is said to have been unwell for weeks. However, he was working up until his death.

Deadline sister title WWD said that the German designer was giving instructions to his team at Fendi for its forthcoming fall collection, which is due to take place later this week. He did, however, fail to take a bow at Chanel’s recent couture show in January.

He directed a number of commercials and short films for the fashion brand including The Return in 2013 with Rupert Everett, Once and Forever with Kristen Stewart in 2015 and Reincarnation with Cara Delevingne and Pharrell Williams in 2014.

He was given a special thanks in Blue Jasmine for creating Chanel jackets for Cate Blanchett. He was also the voice of Fabu in Totally Spies!

By Erin Lashley, MoreHorror.com

Since supernatural horror movies from Asia became popular worldwide, I have often heard complaints that there are too many of them and that they are too formulaic. While I agree that many fall under the second category, I don’t believe there is such a thing as too many supernatural horror movies.

What keeps a movie from becoming more of the same old “I have long black hair and I am mad at you because I am dead” stuff is fresh writing and the effective drama contained within. You have to have human drama to tell a good ghost story; otherwise you’re just watching a ghost and her effects team find creative ways to kill people. Because I am on a quest to watch every movie with a ghost in it, I can help you wade through the flood of ectoplasm.

Here are five...

The first teaser trailer for Takashi Shimizu's supernatural thriller 7500 has finally hit the airwaves, so fasten up your seat belts and check out the visuals below. 7500, is newest English-language film from legendary Japanese horror filmmaker Takashi Shimizu, of the original Ju-on: The Grudge and Grudge remakes, Tomie: Re-birth, Reincarnation, The Shock Labyrinth 3D and Tormented previously. The screenplay is written by Craig Rosenberg (Hot…...

by Barry Hollywood

Masuoka is obsessed with fear; he spends his nights seeking out strange happenings in Tokyo, recording them on his camera, but the extreme emotions he searches for remain elusive. Then he records a suicide in the subway system and upon reviewing it finds the fear he is looking for.

Searching the tunnels beneath Tokyo leads Masuoka to a series of caverns, one of which holds a strange girl, chained to the wall. He rescues her and brings her to his apartment but soon discovers the girl’s appetite for blood.

Marebito is an accomplished piece of filmmaking: Directed by Takashi Shimizu who gave us the Ju-on series of films and Rinne; written by Chiaki Konaka who also penned Serial Experiments Lain and Malice@Doll. Marebito was filmed in only 8 days and stars legendary director Shinya Tsukamoto, the creator of such cult classics as Tetsuo: The Iron Man,...

by Mike Pickle

One of many long-standing traditions in Hollywood is the art of the remake. Certainly not confined to Horror; this phenomenon has always been an easy way to drum up widespread interest from the casual moviegoer. In these modern times where it seems like everything has been done it is inevitable that this would become more widespread. You can't blame the studios though. Times are tough and if they are going to sink their money in a project; it makes sense that they would bet on a sure thing. This is not a guaranteed formula, however, and Producers are constantly looking for different ways to approach the phenomena. Some of which I will explore in this article. It's fairly easy to generate interest in something that people have already seen before and liked, but since the trend has become more popular, the audience has become more skeptical. One...

Ok, so we've seen the poster and the stills for the next chiller coming out of Japan, Hiroshi Takahashi's latest spook-fest Kyôfu. Now how about some good old fashioned trailer action? Mind you, there are no subtitles, but hey, the language of fear is universal!

For those of you following along the steps of the "J-Horror Theater" franchise, the sixth installment in the series (the other five films being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution, Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation, Norio Tsuruta's Premonition, and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection), Hiroshi Takahashi's Kyôfu, is getting set to make its debut in Japan this July. To help you gear up for this auspicious occasion, be sure to also visit the official Kyôfu website.

There are no details available about the movie just yet, but we'll let you know when something more meaty comes our way.

Check out the trailer below courtesy of Gomorrahy.

We told you about Hiroshi Takahashi's latest Japanese spook-fest Kyôfu a few weeks ago and even showed you a few stills from the flick to get you into the long black-haired spirit of things. Ready for the one-sheet? No? Well, here it is anyway!

For those of you following along the steps of the "J-Horror Theater" franchise, the sixth installment in the series (the other five films being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution, Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation, Norio Tsuruta's Premonition, and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection), Hiroshi Takahashi's Kyôfu, is getting set to make its debut in Japan this July. To help you gear up for this auspicious occasion, the official Kyôfu website has been updated with some bells and whistles including the artwork you see below.

There are no details available about the movie just yet, but we'll let you know when something more meaty comes our way.

The official website for Hiroshi Takahashi‘s Kyofu (terror, horror, fear, fright - take your pick) has been updated with a trailer for the film.

Takahashi was the screenwriter for Hideo Nakata‘s “Ring”, the 1998 film which launched the J-horror wave that had Japanese teenagers biting their fingernails and routinely screaming “yada yada!” for several years afterward. Most would agree that particular wave has been pretty much kaput for a good while now, but don’t tell that to producer Takashige Ichise, who keeps finding ways to get worldwide distribution for the “J-Horror Theater” series of horror films he’s been involved with from the beginning. As the trailer shows, the series includes Masayuki Ochiai’s “Infection”, Norio Tsuruta’s “Premonition”, Takashi Shimizu’s “Reincarnation”, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Retribution”, and Hideo Nakata’s “Kaidan”. Kyofu is intended to be the sixth entry in the series.

The theme of the film...

From the writer of The Ring comes an experiment which gives me some serious Dreamscape vibes.

As we previous reported, Kyôfu is being promoted as the sixth and final movie in the "J-Horror Theater" (J horâ shiatâ) series - the five previous movies being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution

(Sakebi), Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation (Rinne), Norio Tsuruta's

Premonition and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection (Kansen).

Trailer after the break. via The Gomorrahizer

Embedded video stripped, see full HTML version.

Is anybody really still watching J-horror anymore? I don't know about you guys, but we've pretty much had our fill of spooky little girls dressed in white with long black hair. Even our own Andrew Kasch only gets a half a chub when a new Japanese flick comes out, and that's really saying something!

For those of you following along the steps of the "J-Horror Theater" franchise, the sixth installment in the series (the other five films being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution, Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation, Norio Tsuruta's Premonition, and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection), Hiroshi Takahashi's Kyôfu, is getting set to make its debut in Japan this July. To help you gear up for this auspicious occasion, the official Kyôfu website has been launched. Right now it's only home to some teaser art, but we'll keep an eye on it in case anything interesting pops up.

We've just been informed by our pal The Gomorrahizer that a website for The Ring's Hiroshi Takahashi's newest j horror film, Kyôfu, has gone live. We've also been shown some first stills which are quite a sight.

Apparently, Kyôfu is being promoted as the sixth and final movie in the "J-Horror Theater" (J horâ shiatâ) series - the five previous movies being Hideo Nakata's Kaidan, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Retribution

(Sakebi), Takashi Shimizu's Reincarnation (Rinne), Norio Tsuruta's

Premonition and Masayuki Ochiai's Infection (Kansen).

Tokyo Theatres Co. Inc. (Tôkyô Teatoru K.K.) plans to release Kyôfu

theatrically in Japan in July.

Check out the stills after the break.

Head to Quiet Earth to see the stills.

It has been three years since Takashi Shimizu stood beside a film camera and worn his directorial hat—literally. Eschewing the black leather cap that was seemingly glued to his head throughout the production of the Japanese Ju-on and American Grudge movies that made his name, Shimizu is not only sporting new headwear for his newest feature, but is also shooting with a new, custom 3-D digital system, the first for such a production in Japan.

Journeying down to the city of Tateyama, Fango paid a visit to the set of The Shock Labyrinth 3D last week to catch up with director Shimizu’s return to feature filmmaking. Within the peeling walls of a local hospital, Shimizu and his crew are hard at work on one of the final days of shooting. Seated behind a large LCD monitor, the filmmaker reaches over to a spare set of 3-D glasses and hands them to this writer.