Teuvo Tulio x3: Cross of Love, Restless Blood, Sensuela - Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Finland, 1946 (Cross of Love, Restless Blood), Finland, 1973 (Sensuela)
Director: Teuvo Tulio (All Films)
Cast: Regina Linnanheimo, Oscar Tengström, Ville Salminen, Rauli Tuomi, Pentti Viljanen (Cross of Love), Regina Linnanheimo, Eino Cataraqui, Toini Vartiainen, H. Stenroos, Lauri Korpela (Restless Blood), Marianne Mardi, Mauritz Åkerman, Ismo Saario, Ossi Elstelä, Maria Pertamo (Sensuela)

Release Date: February 10th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 99 Minutes 35 Seconds (Cross of Love), 101 Minutes 46 Seconds (Restless Blood), 109 Minutes 10 Seconds (Sensuela)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Finnish (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $53.95

Cross of Love: "Grizzled old lighthouse keeper Oscar Tengström spends his nights talking to his parrot, surrounded by German Expressionist shadows. There are deeper shadows in his mind: when he hears a drowning man out on the rocks, he grabs a rifle and shoots him! We learn why he hates strangers as he reveals the story of his daughter Riitta (Regina Linnanheimo) who is swept off to the city by rakishly handsome Mauri (Ville Salminen) --in no time she’s a cigarette-smoking prostitute with a black beret and jaded wink. She’s followed one day by a sensitive young man Henrik (Rauli Tuomi) who turns out to be a painter and wants her to model – DEAR GOD – half-naked, tied to a cross with her dress torn open." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Restless Blood: " Blonde wife Sylvi (Regina Linnanheimo) seems to have an ideal marriage to playboy doctor husband Valter (Eino Katajavuori), despite his “innocent” flirtation with her kid sister – until her young son is killed by a speeding bus. She drinks poison in desperation – she survives but loses her sight. Kid sister returns, and now the grieving husband is interested in more than flirting. Look out: once Sylvi downs a shot of poison and dons her weird black shades, ooowee!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Sensuela: "Tulio’s notorious last film – and arguably his greatest achievement – Sensuela opens on reindeer herder’s daughter Laila (Marianne Mardi) saving badly-wounded German WW2 pilot Hans (Mauritz Åkerman). Hans quickly seduces her off to the big city, where she descends into a polyester maelstrom of fabulous clothes and nudie photography and hippie orgies. (Oh, the action mysteriously leaps forward 25 years to the Swinging 60s with no explanation, don’t ask why!)" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Cross of Love), 3.75/5 (Restless Blood), 4.25/5 (Sensuela)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "Teuvo Tulio's work has been rediscovered and restored in recent years by KAVI – the National Audiovisual Institute of Finland, for this first-ever worldwide Blu-ray release from Deaf Crocodile."

Cross of Love comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.2 GB

Feature: 27.2 GB

Restless Blood comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.2 GB

Feature: 29.3 GB

Sensuela comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.2 GB

Feature: 29.1 GB

All three films have source damage that remains; it is most prominent on Cross of Love and Restless Blood. Flesh tones look correct, black levels and contrast are strong, compression is solid, and the image always looks organic. Also, Cross of Love and Restless Blood have instances where the image clarity fluctuates. That said, this is another exemplary encode by David Mackenzie of Fidelity in Motion.

Audio: 4/5 (Cross of Love), 3.75/5 (Restless Blood), 4.25/5 (Sensuela)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Finnish with removable English subtitles. Although all of the tracks sound clear and balanced, they all exhibit some sibilance issues, most notably on Restless Blood. That said, Sensuela has the strongest audio track of these three films.

Extras:

Extras for this release are spread over three discs. Extras are a trailer for the Swedish-language version of Cross of Love (4 minutes 54 seconds, LPCM mono Swedish, no subtitles), two Finnish educational films from the 1940s, I Would Like to be a Queen (12 minutes 47 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono Finnish with removable English subtitles) and Shelters for Newborns (8 minutes 29 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono Finnish with removable English subtitles), a short documentary about preserving a short fragment of Fall Asleep When Young titled A French Discovery—Nuorena Nukkunut (6 minutes 35 seconds, LPCM stereo Finnish with removable English subtitles), the only remaining fragments of Teuvo Tulio’s early feature films, Struggle for the House of Heikkila (8 minutes 29 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono Finnish with removable English subtitles) and Fall Asleep When Young (21 minutes 42 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono Finnish with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Ryan Verrill and Dr. Will Dodson titled They Talk of Love—Teuvo Tulio’s Two Visions of Pushkin (21 minutes 30 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay about Sámi culture by Reinert Kiil (20 minutes 48 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Rolf Giesen for Cross of Love, an audio commentary with Dr. Eloise Ross for Restless Blood, and an audio commentary with Heidi Honeycutt for Sensuela.

Summary:

Cross of Love: The daughter of a lighthouse keeper flees to the big city, accompanied by a businessman she helped recover from the wreckage of his ship. Instead of finding happiness, she ends up selling her boy to survive. Demoralized and resigned to her fate, she meets a painter who wants her to be his model. They quickly forge a bond and fall in love; unfortunately, her past comes back to haunt her.

Cross of Love is an adaptation of Aleksandr Pushkin’s short story The Station Master. Teuvo Tulio would revisit The Station Master 27 years later for his final film, Sensuela. Teuvo Tulio filmed simultaneously two versions of Cross of Love, one in Finnish and the other in Swedish.

The narrative, which is mostly told via a lengthy flashback, is bookended by scenes that do a superb job of setting the stage for what follows and providing a bittersweet climax that serves as a perfect coda. In the opening setup, the lighthouse keeper’s story is fleshed out, while his daughter's story unfolds once the lengthy flashback begins. The narrative never struggles with pacing issues and gives key moments an ample amount of time to resonate.

All of the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Regina Linnanheimo in the role of Ritta, the lighthouse keeper's daughter. Her character's transformation from a naive, carefree person to a jaded soul is flawless. Through all of her character's ups and downs, you root for her to overcome, and when her sins overwhelm her, it is a gut punch. Another performance of note is Oscar Tengström's portrayal of Ritta’s father.

Although Cross of Love is a film where everything falls into place, one cannot overlook Teuvo Tulio’s contributions. There are a handful of visually striking moments, like a scene where Ritta emerges nude from the sea (an early example of full frontal nudity in a film) and the scene where the painter paints Ritta, who's on a cross. That said, the most jarring moment is the scene where Ritta, on her first night in the big city, is raped by the businessman. While the score is a collection of existing songs, it is nevertheless very effective, with music cues like Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 'Moonlight' III. Presto agitato and Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata und Fuga. Ultimately, Cross of Love is an archetypal example of Brechtian melodrama that stands out as Teuvo Tulio's crowning achievement as a filmmaker.

Restless Blood: Two sisters fall in love with the same man; when the older sister becomes his bride, the younger sister goes away for a few years. While she was away, her older sister has become distant from the man both of them love, and after ingesting poison, she’s now blind. Because of the older sister's blindness, the husband and younger sister secretly engage in an affair. Sensing their betrayal, the older sister does not tell them when she has regained her sight so she can catch them in the act.

Restless Blood is a melodrama that has traces of film noir in its last act. The opening setup does a superb job fleshing out characters and building a foundation for a love triangle that has dire consequences for one of the three involved. Although the story begins on a fairly lighthearted note, the tone shifts dramatically when the older sister and her husband's child die. The latter half of the narrative is the older sister seeking redemption for her husband, who has become distant and blames her for their child's death.

While all of the performances rise to the occasion, it's hard to imagine Restless Blood without Regina Linnanheimo in the role of Sylvi, the wife who becomes blind after trying to kill herself by drinking poison. She was a frequent collaborator and longtime companion of Teuvo Tulio. She delivers a remarkable portrayal of a woman scorned, and the moments where she conceals her regained sight are flawlessly executed.

Although the narrative relies heavily on dialogue, it is important to note that Teuvo Tulio also creates striking visual moments. Teuvo Tulio's directorial choices elevate Restless Blood beyond a typical melodrama, particularly through his skill in crafting moments that build momentum toward a significant payoff, culminating in the tragic fate of one character in the love triangle. Ultimately, Restless Blood is a film that takes its time to settle in, and its climax and the buildup to it reward those with patience.

Sensuela: The daughter of a reindeer herder runs away to the big city with a German fighter pilot whom she nursed back to health after his plane crashed. Once in the big city, her life spirals out of control, and it is not until it's too late that she discovers what she’s always wanted.

Sensuela, like Teuvo Tulio’s Cross of Love, uses Aleksandr Pushkin’s short story The Station Master as its starting point. Where Cross of Love is a textbook example of a Brechtian melodrama, Sensuela is a product of its time, employing many elements synonymous with exploitation cinema. That said, there are several moments in Sensuela that veer into softcore erotica.

The thing that really grabs you while watching Sensuela is its disregard for time and space. There is never an attempt to explain how things move from Lapland during World War II to what is clearly the 1960s or later, and no one has aged. While the differences could have been explained away by the Sámi’s simple life, which is the complete opposite of a big city, it's difficult to explain away a 25-plus-year time lapse from World War II.

Although the events that unfold often veer into the outlandish, the performances are really good considering most of the cast's limited onscreen acting experience. That said, the main attraction is Marianne Mardi in the role of the protagonist Laila, the reindeer herder's daughter. Her ability to flawlessly go from naive to seductress greatly enhances what could have been a by-the-numbers performance.

For someone who had directed 17 feature films and a short film, Teuvo Tulio does not feel like a filmmaker in decline. Sensuela is easily his most inventive and daring film, notably when it comes to pushing the boundaries of sexual themes for that time. Sensuela is also the only time he ever shot in color and the visuals are filled with bold use of colors, which heightens the mood. Ultimately, Sensuela is best described as a psychedelic, Alice in Wonderland-like journey that has ample amounts of Brechtian melodrama.

Deaf Crocodile’s Teuvo Tulio x3 is an exceptional release that gives each film its best audio/video presentation to date and insightful extras that provide further context about these films and Teuvo Tulio. Highly recommended.

Note: There is a deluxe release of Teuvo Tulio x3: Cross of Love, Restless Blood, Sensuela that comes in a slipcase and a 60-page book with an essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, an essay by Walter Chaw, an essay by Dr. Eloise Ross, and an essay by Sam’s Myth.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Curse of Frankenstein – Warner Archive Collection (UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1957
Director: Terence Fisher
Writer: Jimmy Sangster
Cast: Peter Cushing, Hazel Court, Robert Urquhart, Christopher Lee

Release Date: October 14th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 30 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision, 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision, 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR 10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Italian, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.99

"Driven by obsession and defying the laws of nature, Baron Victor Frankenstein dares to reanimate the dead, creating not just life but a monstrous force beyond his control. As his experiments spiral into madness, Frankenstein must confront the consequences of playing God in a world unprepared for the horrors he unleashes." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (All Versions)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 4K restoration of the three versions of the film."

The Curse of Frankenstein comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 86.2 GB

Feature: 43.1 GB (1.37:1 Aspect Ratio), 34 GB (1.66:1 Aspect Ratio)

The Curse of Frankenstein comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 75.8 GB

Feature: 55.7 GB (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)

This release presents the film in three different aspect ratios, and the source used for these transfers looks excellent. Fleshy tones look healthy; colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5 (LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDH and French, Spanish, Italian, and German subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on 4K UHD disc one include UK censor card (11 seconds, no sound), UK theatrical trailer (2 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), alternate eyeball scene (1 minute 11 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a restoration featurette titled Reviving The Curse of Frankenstein (8 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about Peter Cushing titled Beside the Seaside: actress Madeline Smith and Hammer expert Wayne Kinsey visit Peter Cushing’s hometown of Whitstable (50 minutes 17 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with author and critic Kim Newman, horror anthologist and writer Stephen Jones and Barry Forshaw, author of British Gothic Cinema, and an archival audio commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby.

Extras on 4K UHD disc two include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (posters/stills/articles), an interview with scriptwriter and novelist Stephen Volk titled A Gothic History of Frankenstein, in which he discusses Mary Shelley's original novel, its adaptation to cinema and the legacy of Hammer's genre-defining 1957 film (24 minutes 15 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with writer/publisher Dick Klemensen titled Painting with Fine Brushes, in which he discusses cinematographer Jack Asher (11 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about screenwriter Jimmy Sangster titled Good or Tuesday?, featuring comments by writer/actor Mark Gatiss, Dick Klemensen, author Stephen Laws, screenwriter/novelist Stephen Gallagher, screenwriter/producer David Pirie, and writer/publisher Wayne Kinsey (39 minutes 6 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about long-time Hammer costume designer Molly Arbuthnot titled A Fitting Vocation, featuring comments by  professor Melanie Bell and the British Film Institute's Jo Botting (10 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), another featurette about Molly Arbuthnot titled Topped and Tailed, featuring comments by actor Melvyn Hayes, Melanie Bell and Jo Botting (16 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Recreating the Creature, where Igor Studios' Lou Elsey and Academy Award-winning Dave Elsey recreate Leakey's iconic make-up on actor James Swanton (34 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with writer/producer Dr. Steve Haberman and filmmaker and film historian Constantine Nasr, and an audio commentary with Heidi Honeycutt, writer, filmmaker and film programmer, and cult movie expert Toby Roan.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an 8mm abridge version of The Curse of Frankenstein (10 minutes 35 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono English with burnt-in English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer David J. Miller titled Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher (15 minutes 14 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author and cultural historian Sir Christopher Frayling titled Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition (22 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composer Christopher Drake titled Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror (17 minutes 5 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Richard Klemensen titled The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film (21 minutes 51 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Life With Sir, featuring comments by Peter Cushing’s secretary and long-time friend, Joyce Broughton (12 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), and an archival featurette titled Frankenstein Reborn, featuring comments by Melvyn Hayes, Hammer experts Denis Meikle and Jonathan Rigby, James Bernard's biographer David Huckvale, producer Michael Carreras, and screenwriter Jimmy Sangster (34 minutes 45 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Terence Fisher directed The Curse of Frankenstein. His other notable films include The Man Who Could Cheat Death, Horror of Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein, and The Mummy (1959).

Not only is The Curse of Frankenstein an important film that reshaped UK horror cinema, but it is also a film that forever changed Hammer Films' legacy. Founded in 1934, Hammer Films primarily produced dramas and comedies before branching out into sci-fi and eventually creating their landmark horror film. The Curse of Frankenstein. That said, while The Curse of Frankenstein retains core elements of Mary Shelley's story, it is a reimagining that bears little resemblance to previous Frankenstein film adaptations.

At the start of the narrative, Baron Victor Frankenstein's fate is unveiled: he is awaiting execution for the murder of his maid. From there, the narrative is mostly told via a lengthy flashback, retracing his life from childhood to bringing the dead back to life and the monster turning on its creator. While his fate is immediately known, the narrative does a superb job holding your attention by fleshing out his backstory.

Although Peter Cushing (Corruption) and Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man) both appeared in Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet, the first time they appeared in a scene together was in The Curse of Frankenstein. While both actors are known for their horror films, before The Curse of Frankenstein, neither of them, up to that point, had worked in horror cinema. Their roles are strikingly different: Peter Cushing’s character delivers extensive dialogue, while Christopher Lee’s performance relies solely on physical expression. Another performance of note is Hazel Court (The Man Who Could Cheat Death) in the role of Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s cousin and fiancée.

Besides Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Terence Fisher was the other key component of most Hammer Films' success in the horror genre. His direction for The Curse of Frankenstein: not only does he get the most out of his cast, but he also delivers a handful of visually arresting moments. When it comes to the overall visual look, The Curse of Frankenstein is filled with breathtaking cinematography that’s infused with gothic horror elements.

From a production standpoint, The Curse of Frankenstein is a film where everything perfectly aligns. Although only 83 minutes in duration, its narrative covers a lot of ground and has more depth than films that are half an hour longer. James Bernard's exemplary score should not be overlooked, as it does a remarkable job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, The Curse of Frankenstein is a film deserving of its landmark status, and it has not lost any of its luster after all of these years.

The Curse of Frankenstein gets an exceptional release that leaves no stone unturned; it comes with a solid audio/video presentation, there are three aspect ratio options, and a wealth of informative extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Picture of a Nymph: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1988
Director: Wu Ma
Writers: Wu Ma, Chan Ka-Cheong
Cast: Yuen Biao, Joey Wong, Wu Ma, Elizabeth Lee, Lawrence Ng, Yuen Wah

Release Date: February 23rd, 2026 (UK), March 10th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 58 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £25.00 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"Set in ancient China, the story follows a gentle scholar whose chance encounter with a mysterious young woman leads to a love that transcends the boundaries of life and death. But when he unwittingly releases a vengeful demon from centuries of imprisonment, the spirit of his beloved becomes the demon’s only hope for regaining power. To protect her, the scholar paints her likeness, allowing her to hide within the portrait—but his devotion soon draws the wrath of dark forces." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative."

Picture of a Nymph comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray. 

Disc Size: 28.4 GB

Feature: 26.6 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (stills/posters), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng, an audio commentary with Hong Kong cinema expert David West, reversible cover art, an art card (limited to this edition), an O-card and rigid slipcase (limited to this edition), and a 40-page perfect-bound book (limited to this edition) with cast & crew information, an essay titled More Ghosts and Gremlins, Less Golden Harvest written by Paul Bramhall, and an essay titled Ghosts, Scholars, and Spirits: The Legacy Behind Picture of a Nymph written by Fraser Elliott.

Summary:

Wu Ma directed Picture of a Nymph. Notable films he’s directed or co-directed include The Water Margin, All Men Are Brothers, From China with Death, Along Comes a Tiger, The Heroes, The Dead and the Deadly, Picture of a Nymph, and Just Heroes. Besides directing, he was also a prolific actor, appearing in over 300 films.

A Taoist monk and his disciple protect a scholar from two ghosts, one that gravely wants to harm him and the other who is in love with him.

Released first in Taiwan, five months after A Chinese Ghost Story, Picture of a Nymph has many similarities to that film. Beyond their similarities when it comes to premise, both of these films have Joey Wang (My Heart Is That Eternal Rose) and Wu Ma (Righting Wrongs) in lead roles essentially portraying the same type of character. That said, where these two films overlap, there is one significant area where they differ tone-wise. Where A Chinese Ghost Story is a horror film with fantasy elements, Picture of a Nymph is a fantasy film with ample amounts of lighthearted humor.

The opening setup does an excellent job drawing you in, and the narrative is very effective in building momentum to a love-conquers-all finale. Another strength of the narrative is how well it balances moments of exposition and action set pieces. Also, when it comes to pacing while things move briskly, that is not to say that key moments are not given an ample amount of time to resonate.

Yuen Biao (On the Run) and Lawrence Ng (Sex and Zen) are the two most consequential actors, despite having no connection to A Chinese Ghost Story. While Lawrence Ng's character, the scholar, is technically the protagonist, Yuen Biao's character, the Taoist monk's disciple, constantly overshadows him. Joey Wang is enchanting in the role of the ghost who falls in love with the scholar, and Wu Ma’s character, the Taoist monk, is the source of the majority of the comic relief.

Not surprisingly, the action set pieces do not disappoint; they are filled with inventiveness and impressive stunt work, especially when it comes to moments with Yuen Biao. The biggest and most impressive action set piece is a finale that takes place in hell, and characters are in a time crunch to leave before the doorway out closes. As mentioned before, humor plays a large role in the story that unfolds, and a long-running gag is how the Taoist disciple pretends to be a mute while around the scholar. The lack of words provides for some interesting exchanges between these two characters. Ultimately, despite its familiarity, Picture of a Nymph is a highly entertaining film that succeeds because of the performance of its four leads.

Picture of a Nymph gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer