Red To Kill

Rating:
Summary: cheesy and not that offensive
Review: First of all, let me say that as far as shock value is concerned, I have seen 10,000 times worse than this. The only real treat here is the ending, not so much because it is offensive, but quite simply because it is a fast-paced goofy & cartoonesque ending. The rest of the movie makes for a fairly dull and extremely cheesy below-average little thriller, with a terribly annoying score. If you have to pick a Cat.III HK movie, I recommend "Daughter Of Darkness" (make sure you get the uncut version), which is nastier, sleazier and a lot more over the top than this one - in a word, more entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: WATCH THIS WITHOUT THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Review: I wrote a brief review of this film at the end of another review for Henry-portriat of a serial killer. In that review I told readers to purchase this movie on e-bay, only because I had no idea amazon carried it. My apoligies to amazon, I shouldn't have doubted you. Anyway as I was saying in the other review, this is one of the most brutal films I have seen. It was also one of the best in the genre. If you are able to sit through a movie with subtitles(which takes a lot for me to do)than by all means get this movie. I will warn you, you can't watch this one with any conscience. It is about a mentally retarded girl(who really dosn't act retarded at all)who's father is killed in a car accident, and is left alone. A social worker takes the girl to an orphanage for the specially challenged. They become good friends and Ming-Ming actually starts to adapt to her new life. While all this is happening, there is a serial rapist on the loose in the building. Then one night Ming-Ming herself is brutally raped by the maniac. There are two rape scenes in the picture, one at the beginning of the movie and the one involving Ming-Ming and they are both disturbing. I doubt you can watch the later the whole way through without turning away. The camera never pans away and you see a lot more than american films ever show. Full frontal nudity and the whole nasty act. Even though this movie is pretty rough I liked it for a few reasons. The acting was really good, especially that of the sicko doing all the evil in the film. He was really believable and demented. You also don't find out who he is until half the film is over(just a shape at times and at others not showing his face). Plus I am a jaded horror fan and love movies with great shock value. This isn't really a horror movie although it does horrify. The closest i've seen to this movie in shock value is Ilsa-She Wolf of The SS. So if you are not easily offended and can stomach some strong violence and gore(the gore is mostly at the end)than pick this movie up. Also, don't look for a happy ending here as not much of this film is happy. Just remember, no wemon and no children. P.S.-LET US NEVER FORGET 9/11/01! GOD BLESS.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely pure
Review: junk. It purports to be disturbing, and it kind of is, but it's more annoying, jumpy and stupid. This has been done far better and with more talent. The atrociously translated subtitles (...), though, do provide laughs.

Rating:
Summary: whoa!!!!!!!! I wasn't expecting this!!
Review: Man, what psychotic directed this movie??!?!? That was all i could think after viewing this piece of exploitative Cat III sleaze.
As I believe someone in another review said, it is kind of hard to judge this film because, in a way, it is very well directed. I think the director really got what he was looking for and communicated it to the audience. The psycho is a terrifying piece of work. He comes right through the screen.

But watching a muscle bound Ben Ng morph into a bald-head supervillain rapist makes for uncomfortable viewing. I've seen many many hard films and I have to say I was a little disturbed by this one.
For those who haven't seen it yet, all I have to say is: watch it at your own risk and don't watch it with anyone who isn't into horror-shock or else they'll think YOU are a real wacko.

Rating:
Summary: outstanding movie!
Review: Oustanding performance, and story line. I recommend this movie to anyone looking for the best in horror movies. Movie scenes at it best and the story line is great. Just the final action scene of the movie makes your money worth. Only one negative aspect; the subtittles are paste into the movie and been the DVD version it could have more features like director comments, actors profiles, ect.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely pure
Review: This is probably the worst film I have ever sat through. Completely unfun and cruel. You a sick person to want to buy this. Watch it once maybe yes. Buy it? Sick and not fun. No redeeming context either. The film is its own punishment, if you can get to the cheery pop song at the end.

Rating:
Summary: Not too disturbing....A truly boggling DVD
Review: This one is a trip to say the least. It starts strange even from the menu (my menu's play button says "On Air"). Then we go steaming into the movie itself. A crazy housewife throws herself and her retarded son off a building. Cut to a mildly intense (and very exploitively shot) rape scene. Then we are experiencing the day to day happenings of a home for the retarded - where the head administrator is the rapist. I'm not really spoiling anything here. The movie lets this on about 20 minutes in.
The man that plays the rapist goes over the top, to say the least. At one point he stalks around his room, crazy and horny (wearing a jock strap, no less) fondling and strangling a mannequin.
The movie tries to hide its lust for exploitation under the guise of being a film about a serious subject. You can ultimately tell that it was filmed for the T and A. There's quite a bit during the two rape scenes. Also, the helpful teacher gets dolled up towards the end. Although her idea of being sexy is seductively drinking a clamdigger - celery included. But there is no nudity from her sadly (I think she's cute). And it is rather off putting to have the guy walking around in more revealing uderwear than the women. I mean, he's wearing a thong, for God's sake! Is this a Chinese metaphor for being "crazy and sexually rapacious"? You be the judge.
I will say, I have seen a lot of bizarre translations on Asian imports, but this one contains one of the classics. During a scene when an angry crowd is confronting the administrator out front of the home - a man yells in his face and says "You let me f*** and a** and I say your good, damn!" And he's supposed to be angry at this guy? Truly a hilarious moment. And people in the film refer to rapists as "sex lupines". I really don't know how to translate that one.
Ultimately a bizarre flick that doesn't deliver on much that it promises. The rape scenes are not too schocking (especially when compared to something like IRREVERSIBLE). I will say the last sequence is pretty gruesome. Fluorescent bulbs and table saws, anyone?
Ultimately, a lot of the acting comes off as B-grade. Some sickos out there - we are legion - might enjoy parts, but most would probably prefer to stay away.
I'm keeping my copy though....

Rating:
Summary: Graphic rape-horror tests audience endurance to the limit
Review: Though Chinese cinema has always demonstrated a morbid fascination with violence and bloodshed - from the vintage horror films of Maxu Weibang through to Chang Cheh's splattery kung fu pictures of the 1970's - it wasn't until the early 90's that Hong Kong horror movies secured their strongest foothold within mainstream culture. Following the unexpected success of gruesome 'true crime' dramas "Dr. Lamb" (Giu Cheung Yee Sang, 1992) and "The Untold Story" (Baat Faan Dim Ji Yan Yuk Cha Siu Baau, 1993) - both helmed by Danny Lee Sau-yin (Chow Yun-fat's cop nemesis in John Woo's "The Killer") - the former colony was subsequently deluged by a wave of confrontational 'Category III' (Adults Only) movies, spearheaded by the work of controversial director Billy Tang Hin-shing. Already notorious for a scene in "Run and Kill" (Woo Sue Gei Mat Dong Ngon, 1993) in which a little boy is burned alive in merciless detail, Tang proceeded to scale the heights of calculated outrage with "Red to Kill" (Yeuk Saai, 1994), arguably one of the most harrowing films ever made.

Orphaned by the sudden death of her parents, a mentally handicapped young woman (Lily Chung Suk-wai) is remanded to the care of a hostel for the disabled, where she falls prey to 'kindly' caretaker Ben Ng Ngai-cheung, a musclebound hulk whose charming demeanor belies his true nature: Traumatized by a childhood incident in which his mother slaughtered his father and brother with a meatcleaver, drenching him in blood, Ng's murderous psychosis is triggered by the color red, resulting in horrific explosions of rape and murder. Unable to control himself when confronted by Chung wearing a long scarlet dress, Ng assaults her and is promptly arrested, but his indictment is later dismissed on a technicality, and the three main characters (including Money Lo Man-yee as a sympathetic social worker) converge on the workshop beneath the hostel for a climactic showdown which closes proceedings on a note of screaming hysteria.

Judged alongside similar Asian atrocities, such as "Men Behind the Sun" (Hak Taai Yeung 731, 1987) or the infamous "Guinea Pig" (Za Ginipiggu) series from Japan, "Red to Kill" is either a fearless challenge to established cinematic limits or a reckless descent into the abyss, depending on your point of view. Photographed with stunning visual flair by Tony Mau Gin-fai and expertly edited by Choi Hung, the movie alternates scenes of naive sentimentality with eruptions of graphic horror, taking time to establish Chung's beauty and innocence before unleashing the forces of hell against her. But while Chung and Lo are dignified in adversity, Ng plays the villain as an unstoppable force of nature, literally throbbing with uncontrollable rage - his descent into complete psychosis during the hair-raising finale provokes a devastating rampage which is truly frightening to behold. Unsurprisingly, Ng has been typecast in villainous roles ever since.

But the filmmakers' bravura technique, coupled with an obstinate lack of moral restraint, makes it difficult to defend the film's worst excesses. The protracted rape scenes are designed as a visual spectacle, showcasing the humiliation of vulnerable female characters with all the subtlety of a leering freak show. Worse still, following the sexual assault on Chung which constitutes the movie's pivotal set-piece, the actress is involved in a shocking episode of self-mutilation which not only degrades the entire production, but seems deliberately contrived to test viewers' patience to breaking point. However, despite its questionable motives, the film is executed with such breathtaking cinematic gusto, it compels attention in a way that few other horror movies have managed before or since. Director Tang continued his one-man assault on the boundaries of taste and decency with popular potboilers like "Brother of Darkness" (Tai Tin Hang Diy Ji Saai Fong, 1994) and "Sexy and Dangerous" (Goo Waak Lui Ji Kuet Chin Kong Woo, 1996) before going 'legit' with a number of socially conscious dramas, beginning with "Chinese Midnight Express" (Hak Yuk Duen Cheung Goh Ji [Chai Sang Jue Yuk], 1997), featuring Ben Ng and "Hard-Boiled"s Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

This review is based on a viewing of the original Hong Kong DVD, released by Ocean Shores, which runs 90m 59s and is letterboxed at 1.70:1, with permanent Chinese/English subtitles and a choice of soundtracks - the original Cantonese, or a Mandarin alternative - presented in 2.1 mono sound. Most of these features are retained on Tai Seng's US release (on the Universe label), with the added bonus of removable subtitles. Most significantly, however, Universe credits a 95m running time on their packaging which, if true, suggests that Ocean Shores' uncut print was derived from a PAL master at 25fps (94m 46s at 24fps).