Not a bad week for new releases, as we get not one but two R rated genre flicks to have a blast with in theaters. Viggo Mortensen in THE ROAD finally hits theaters, as well as Rain in NINJA ASSASSIN, which looks like an entertaining–and trashy–good time. On DVD, there’s the re-release of THE HOUSE OF SORORITY ROW, a triple pack of the VENGEANCE trilogy, and a STD sci-fi / horror romp with REBORN. With all this fun, it’s easy to find something to be thankful for this week!
THE ROAD
Rated: R for some violence, disturbing images and language.
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce
Directed by John Hillcoat
Run Time:1 hr. 53 min.
An epic post-apocalyptic tale of the survival of a father and his young son as they journey across a barren America that was destroyed by a mysterious cataclysm. It imagines a future in which men are pushed to the worst and the best that they are capable of — a future in which a father and his son are sustained by love.
NINJA ASSASSIN
Rated: R for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language.
Starring Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Rick Yune, Naomie Harris
Directed by James McTeigue
Run Time: 1 hr. 39 min.
Raizo is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth. But haunted by the merciless execution of his friend by the Clan, Raizo breaks free from them…and vanishes. Now he waits, preparing to exact his revenge. In Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti has stumbled upon a money trail linking several political murders to an underground network of untraceable assassins from the Far East. Defying the orders of her superior, Ryan Maslow, Mika digs into top secret agency files to learn the truth behind the murders. Her investigation makes her a target, and the Ozunu Clan sends a team of killers, led by the lethal Takeshi, to silence her forever. Raizo saves Mika from her attackers, but he knows that the Clan will not rest until they are both eliminated. Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.
HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW
Rated: R
Starring Kate McNeil, Eileen Davidson, Janis Ward
Directed by Mark Rosman
Run Time: 92 Min.
A cult classic slasher film that delivers suspense, murder, mysteryand yes topless co-eds in this high quality transfer from a recently discovered pristine 35mm print. Flirtatious young sorority sisters (Soap Opera stars Eileen Davidson and Kathryn McNeil) who are days away from graduation set out to throw one last decadent celebration. Unbeknownst to them, the strict matron of their house hides a horrendous secret thought long buried. A gruesome accident is witnessed by a hideous fiend, hidden within the once nurturing dwelling, which triggers a rampage of death and destruction. Before the end, the peril faced by this sisterhood will push them to the brink of annihilation. And rivers of blood will drown all who enter The House on Sorority Row.
VENGEANCE TRILOGY
Rated: R
Starring Various
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Run Time: 361 min.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Unable to afford proper care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of wealthy industrialist Dong-jin, who recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a spiral of destruction.
Oldboy
Oh Dae-su is an ordinary Seoul businessman with a wife and little daughter who, after a drunken night on the town, is abducted and locked up in a strange, private prison. No one will tell him why hes there and who his jailer is and his fury builds to a single-minded focus of revenge. 15 years later, he is unexpectedly freed, given a new suit, a cell-phone and 5 days to discover the mysterious enemy who had him imprisoned. Seeking vengeance on all those involved, he soon finds that his enemys tortures are just beginning.
Lady Vengeance
After being blackmailed and wrongly imprisoned for 13 years a beautiful woman is finally set free. Now her brutally elaborate plan for vengeance against the true criminal can begin to unfold.
REBORN
Rated: UnRated
Starring Jimmy Flowers, Russell Clay, Chris Cox, Dave Kahrl, David C. Hayes
Directed by Unknown
Run Time: 88 minutes
When a property in the Sonoran Desert, AZ, fell into default foreclosure and went up for public auction, an eager young newlywed couple jumped at the opportunity to purchase. Little did they know it used to be a torture ground owned by the serial killer “Motorman Dan” whose crimes became the most puzzling in U.S. history. Now, their honeymoon phase has come to a horrifying halt, as the Motorman rises for one more round of terror.