On the heels of numerous highly-received titles in recent years, the international horror scene has rightfully turned to Asian cinema with the likes of Japanese, Korean, and even Indonesian titles achieving acclaim and accolades across the globe. This has led to other countries following suit as Thailand has produced a slew of noteworthy efforts recently and other places like Cambodia, Mongolia, and especially Malaysia offering their choices for international recognition. Now, after the success of his earlier film “Dukun,” Malaysian director Dain Said returns to the forefront with this gruesome new supernatural chiller “Blood Flower” now available to stream on the Shudder service.
Check also this interview Interview with Dain Said: I believe in the magic of cinema
AIqbal (Idan Aedan), an apprentice faith healer and exorcist with a sixth sense, is tormented by visions of the dead and spirits from other dimensions after years of suppressing these abilities so...
Check also this interview Interview with Dain Said: I believe in the magic of cinema
AIqbal (Idan Aedan), an apprentice faith healer and exorcist with a sixth sense, is tormented by visions of the dead and spirits from other dimensions after years of suppressing these abilities so...
- 9/14/2023
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Over the last decade, Asian horror cinema has become a major cultural export that has breached the international markets, as more exposure than ever before has shown off the immense talent making genre films over the years. Getting a chance to see the work of many different individuals in this part of the world has highlighted the work of Yeon Sang-ho, Joko Anwar, Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto and Yoshihiro Nishimura, to name just a few, from out of the shadows of their home countries to the world at large.
Several trends emerged throughout the decade as time rolled on. The first is the South Korean onslaught of talent that emerged where the country ascended to the top of the genre market, and international acclaim and awards followed. They proved time and again that they were developing a core of talented and creative technicians that churned out some of the most...
Several trends emerged throughout the decade as time rolled on. The first is the South Korean onslaught of talent that emerged where the country ascended to the top of the genre market, and international acclaim and awards followed. They proved time and again that they were developing a core of talented and creative technicians that churned out some of the most...
- 2/2/2021
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
It seems like the new center of martial arts movies has shifted a bit towards the West, and currently resides in the Asean countries, as films like “The Raid” (Indonesia), “Jailbreak” (Cambodia), “Buybust” (Philippines) etc. prove. This time, it was Malaysia’s turn to produce an entry in the category, with the creators of “Wira” approaching their project in the nominal way, giving the martial arts direction to Yayan Ruhian, who, after his success in “The Raid” has moved to Hollywood, being part of productions like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “John Wick 3”. Furthermore, casting Dain Said in the role of the main villain was definitely a good decision, with the veteran director inducing the film with a sense that could be easily perceived as cult.
Hassan, who abandoned his family to join the army when he was young, returns to his hometown, only to find everything in shambles.
Hassan, who abandoned his family to join the army when he was young, returns to his hometown, only to find everything in shambles.
- 6/25/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
HBO Asia’s “Folklore” is a six-episode, hour-long series that takes place across six Asian countries – Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Each episode is based on a country’s deeply-rooted myths and folklore, featuring supernatural beings and occult beliefs. The respective episodes are helmed by a director from that country and filmed locally in the country’s primary language. In the particular segment, Ho Yuhang deals with the myth of the Toyol, a spirit in Javanese mythology of South-East Asia.
Folklore is available to Us subscribers on HBO Now®, HBO Go®, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms
A Member of Parliament faces a dire situation in his constituency, a fishing town, when all the fish turn up dead. Also having to struggle with the errors of his father, who had the same position before him, eventually succumbs to his advisors, who suggest to him to hire a shaman secretly,...
Folklore is available to Us subscribers on HBO Now®, HBO Go®, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms
A Member of Parliament faces a dire situation in his constituency, a fishing town, when all the fish turn up dead. Also having to struggle with the errors of his father, who had the same position before him, eventually succumbs to his advisors, who suggest to him to hire a shaman secretly,...
- 2/6/2019
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
This year no cash prize was given to the winning films.
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Die Tomorrow won the grand prix at the 12th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival in Poland, with Yang Mingming’s Girls Always Happy receiving a special mention.
The two films were among 11 Asian titles in competition at the eight-day festival held in Warsaw. Wednesday night’s closing ceremony took place at Kino Muranow, one of the oldest and now the last arthouse cinema in the capital of Poland.
The award winners were selected by a People’s Jury made up of 11 non-professional film lovers aged 18-...
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Die Tomorrow won the grand prix at the 12th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival in Poland, with Yang Mingming’s Girls Always Happy receiving a special mention.
The two films were among 11 Asian titles in competition at the eight-day festival held in Warsaw. Wednesday night’s closing ceremony took place at Kino Muranow, one of the oldest and now the last arthouse cinema in the capital of Poland.
The award winners were selected by a People’s Jury made up of 11 non-professional film lovers aged 18-...
- 11/22/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Die Tomorrow won the grand prix at the 12th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival in Poland, with Yang Mingming’s Girls Always Happy receiving a special mention.
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Die Tomorrow won the grand prix at the 12th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival in Poland, with Yang Mingming’s Girls Always Happy receiving a special mention.
The two films were among 11 Asian titles in competition at the eight-day festival held in Warsaw. Wednesday night’s closing ceremony took place at Kino Muranow, one of the oldest and now the last arthouse cinema in the capital of Poland.
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Die Tomorrow won the grand prix at the 12th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival in Poland, with Yang Mingming’s Girls Always Happy receiving a special mention.
The two films were among 11 Asian titles in competition at the eight-day festival held in Warsaw. Wednesday night’s closing ceremony took place at Kino Muranow, one of the oldest and now the last arthouse cinema in the capital of Poland.
- 11/22/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Born in Kuala Lumpur, director and screenwriter. After graduating from the film department at the University of Westminster in London, Said made commercials and worked for TV. In 2006, he shot his feature debut “Dukun” in Malaysia, but its premiere was put on hold. “Bunohan,” whose distribution was not restricted, became one of the biggest box office hits in Malaysia in 2011, and was the country’s official Oscars entry. In 2016, he released “Interchange”, while Dukun just managed to get released in 2018.
On the occasion of Dukun screening at Five Flavours, we speak with him about its release, the actual facts behind its story, the cast and the music, Malay cinema, and other topics.
What is the story behind Dukun’s release?
I am not actually privy to what happened exactly, all I know is that Astro (the production company that owns the rights to my films) has a new boss, Najwa Abu Bakar.
On the occasion of Dukun screening at Five Flavours, we speak with him about its release, the actual facts behind its story, the cast and the music, Malay cinema, and other topics.
What is the story behind Dukun’s release?
I am not actually privy to what happened exactly, all I know is that Astro (the production company that owns the rights to my films) has a new boss, Najwa Abu Bakar.
- 11/21/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
One of Malaysia’s most controversial titles, director Dain Iskander Said created a firestorm of controversy with his 2007 film ‘Dukun.’ Based on a true story about a woman tried for witchcraft and other occult practices after the murder of a prominent politician in the country, the film ran afoul of the country’s Islamic censors who suppressed it for over a decade, before it finally started getting leaked onto the internet through various social media platforms.
“Dukun” is screening at the Five Flavours Festival
Awaiting her execution, Diana Dahlan recounts the story of her arrest. Several months earlier, lawyer Karim Osman is assigned to her case after being convicted of murder and witchcraft against a colleague and tries to win over the confidence to defend her. As the trial continues on, more evidence is revealed, not only about her connection to him but also about a deadly mystery involving his own missing daughter,...
“Dukun” is screening at the Five Flavours Festival
Awaiting her execution, Diana Dahlan recounts the story of her arrest. Several months earlier, lawyer Karim Osman is assigned to her case after being convicted of murder and witchcraft against a colleague and tries to win over the confidence to defend her. As the trial continues on, more evidence is revealed, not only about her connection to him but also about a deadly mystery involving his own missing daughter,...
- 11/19/2018
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
With over 26 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Mumbai born filmmaker Kabir Bhatia is a multiple award winning Director/Producer who has spent the last 20 years in Malaysia stamping his strong visual style on the Film Industry.
1992-2004
He cut his teeth at Utv-Mumbai where he began as a 24 year old Director/Writer/Executive Producer, honing his skills in TV and eventually working across all platforms.
He moved to Malaysia when the Utv Group set up headquarters in the Asean region and Produced and Directed numerous TV formats .
2005-2016
He was a Partner and Managing Director of Filmscape (Malaysia), a respected Production House for a period of ten years. Besides their core business of TV and Film Production, he ventured successfully into Commercials, PSAs and Political Campaigns.
Having directed and Produced numerous Ad’s, Travelogues, Fiction for Television and 10 Features across the Asian region including Indonesia and Singapore, Kabir...
1992-2004
He cut his teeth at Utv-Mumbai where he began as a 24 year old Director/Writer/Executive Producer, honing his skills in TV and eventually working across all platforms.
He moved to Malaysia when the Utv Group set up headquarters in the Asean region and Produced and Directed numerous TV formats .
2005-2016
He was a Partner and Managing Director of Filmscape (Malaysia), a respected Production House for a period of ten years. Besides their core business of TV and Film Production, he ventured successfully into Commercials, PSAs and Political Campaigns.
Having directed and Produced numerous Ad’s, Travelogues, Fiction for Television and 10 Features across the Asian region including Indonesia and Singapore, Kabir...
- 10/29/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Five Flavours Asian Film Festival is a yearly review of the cinema of East, Southeast, and South Asia. For the 12th time, the Festival presents a meticulous selection of films from the region – auteur projects, avant-garde animations, classics from the film archives, local blockbusters, and Asian Film Awards-winning genre cinema.
The majority of the films will be screened in Poland for the first time. For five of them, the festival screening will be their European premiere. Asian filmmakers will visit the festival and join us for Q&A sessions, providing the titles presented with additional context.
In Asian cinemas, the year 2018 is marked by a variety of auteur projects by renown directors, classic genre cinema, and blockbusters gaining momentum in world-wide box offices. At the same time, a new generation of filmmakers is on the rise – their films already gain visibility and receive awards at international festivals.
The program of...
The majority of the films will be screened in Poland for the first time. For five of them, the festival screening will be their European premiere. Asian filmmakers will visit the festival and join us for Q&A sessions, providing the titles presented with additional context.
In Asian cinemas, the year 2018 is marked by a variety of auteur projects by renown directors, classic genre cinema, and blockbusters gaining momentum in world-wide box offices. At the same time, a new generation of filmmakers is on the rise – their films already gain visibility and receive awards at international festivals.
The program of...
- 10/22/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
One of Malaysia’s most controversial titles, director Dain Iskander Said created a firestorm of controversy with his 2007 film ‘Dukun.’ Based on a true story about a woman tried for witchcraft and other occult practices after the murder of a prominent politician in the country, the film ran afoul of the country’s Islamic censors who suppressed it for over a decade, before it finally started getting leaked onto the internet through various social media platforms.
“Dukun” is screening at the 17th New York Asian Film Festival
Awaiting her execution, Diana Dahlan recounts the story of her arrest. Several months earlier, lawyer Karim Osman is assigned to her case after being convicted of murder and witchcraft against a colleague and tries to win over the confidence to defend her. As the trial continues on, more evidence is revealed, not only about her connection to him but also about a deadly...
“Dukun” is screening at the 17th New York Asian Film Festival
Awaiting her execution, Diana Dahlan recounts the story of her arrest. Several months earlier, lawyer Karim Osman is assigned to her case after being convicted of murder and witchcraft against a colleague and tries to win over the confidence to defend her. As the trial continues on, more evidence is revealed, not only about her connection to him but also about a deadly...
- 7/15/2018
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
It’s tempting to refer to Dain Said’s Bunohan as the Malaysian director’s debut film, but Said rides to Toronto on the tailwinds of notoriety stemming from the banning of his proper debut, Dukun. That film dealt with black magic and murder — the latter word being one meaning of his latest film’s title. (“Bunohan” also refers to a local village.) A violent tale involving three estranged brothers, the film is set within the worlds of kickboxing, murder-for-hire, and real estate, and it weaves brutal realism with elements of mythological fantasy. We talked to Said about Malaysian cinema, fight scenes and that first feature.
Filmmaker: Since your first film has quite notoriously been little seen outside of Malaysia, do you consider this film your debut? Or is it a progression, or change of pace, from that previous work?
Said: My first film was not shown in Malaysia, thus...
Filmmaker: Since your first film has quite notoriously been little seen outside of Malaysia, do you consider this film your debut? Or is it a progression, or change of pace, from that previous work?
Said: My first film was not shown in Malaysia, thus...
- 9/10/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Malaysia's Dain Said first appeared in the pages of Twitch with Dukun. The debut feature from the prominent commercial director was a shocking, ripped from the headlines affair - a true story revolving around black magic and murder. Or at least that's what we're told. Nobody really knows because the film was ultimately blocked from release in Malaysia and has scarcely been seen since its completion.But he is back now with his sophomore effort. Titled Bunohan the film is the story of a family caught up in a web of violence that may destroy them all. The first trailer for Bunohan was recently released to great response around the world and I had the chance to talk to its creator a little while back....
- 3/27/2011
- Screen Anarchy
After acting in the first Remp-It film, actor Farid Kamil found an opportunity to direct the Remp-It V3 or V3 Samseng Jalanan, an action packed movie that has a mixed influence by Western film Torque. The movie also stars Bront Palarae, an actor known for his role in 2007 Dukun, a horror movie based on a true story. Rempt in V3 tells the story of a character named Rudy (Farid Kamil) and his best friend Brett (Palarae) who gets tangled in a big problem. While racing with their motorcycle buddies one night, their friend Sha and Liza are killed in an accident. Not know to Rudy and Brett. Shah also possessed some illegal drugs that were recently taken. The two best friends are now wanted by the police and must now make a decision to head to Kuala Lumpur. V3 Samseng Jalanan is the first movie directed by Farid Kamil. As...
- 3/3/2010
- by admin
- AsianMoviePulse
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