Naked Girl Murdered in the Park – Full Moon Features (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Spain, 1972
Director: Alfonso Brescia
Writers: Peter Skerl, Gianni Martucci, Antonio Fos, Lorenzo Gicca Palli, Aldo Crudo, Alfonso Brescia
Cast: Robert Hoffmann, Irina Demick, Pilar Velázquez, Howard Ross, Patrizia Adiutori, Adolfo Celi, Philippe Leroy

Release Date: March 16th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 30 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $21.95

"When a millionaire is found dead in a rickety amusement park ride, his less-than-savory family stands to inherit his vast fortune. Naturally, the insurance company investigates, setting forth a serpentine series of double-dealings, dark secrets revealed...and gruesome murders! Once the titular deceased (and indeed, naked) dame shows up, all bets are off as twists follow turns, throats are cut and bodies brutalized, climaxing in an outrageous carnage-filled carnival finale." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "uncut and remastered from the original 35mm camera negative."

Naked Girl Murdered in the Park comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 20.3 GB

Feature: 18.9 GB

The source used for this transfer is in very good shape. Colors and flesh tones look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels fare well, and any compression related issues are minimal.

Audio: 0/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English. This is one of the worst audio mixes that I have heard to date. The audio sounds muffled, there are issues related to distortion, and range-wise, everything sounds flat. This release comes with no subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to a trailer for Naked Girl Murdered in the Park (1 minute 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), and trailers for Barb Wire Dolls, Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun, Sexy Sisters, Voodoo Passion and Women in Cellblock 9.

Summary:

The Naked Girl Murdered in the Park was directed by Alfonso Brescia, a filmmaker who worked at the lower budget end of the spectrum of Italian genre cinema. His most famous films include Beast in Space, The New Godfathers, and a trilogy of Star Wars knockoffs: War of the Planets, Battle of the Stars, and The War of the Robots.

By 1972, the Giallo cycle that started in response to The Bird with the Crystal Plumage was on its last legs. And, while the Giallo genre never completely vanished, it did experience a surge in popularity when a film came along that revitalized it. Unfortunately, Naked Girl Murdered in the Park is the type of film that is on the polar opposite end of the spectrum to a film like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.

The Naked Girl Murdered in the Park begins with a black-and-white flashback sequence set during World War II. This scene would play a role in the killer's modus operandi. Some viewers may turn out due to a slow moving first hour. Fortunately, things picked up considerably in the last thirty minutes. With a strong finale like one would expect from the giallo genre,

Naked Girl Murdered in the Park’s strongest asset is its cast of whos who of 1970’s Euro-cult cinema. Notable cast members include Robert Hoffmann (Spasmo) in the role of an insurance investigator named Chris Buyer; Adolfo Celi (Danger: Diabolik) in the role of a police inspector; and Philippe Leroy (The Laughing Woman) in the role of Chris Buyer’s boss. None of the performances stand out, and they are best described as serviceable.

Despite the fact that Naked Girl Murdered in the Park contains many of the elements that one has come to expect when watching a Giallo The result is a pedestrian film that has more in common with an Agatha Christie thriller than it does with an Italian thriller. That said, at least when it comes to this film’s title, it does deliver an actually naked girl in the park.

Reportedly, Full Moon has addressed the atrocious English audio track and replaced it with a much better sounding Italian audio track that comes with English subtitles. Unfortunately, the version with the English audio track has not been recalled, and when ordering this disc, you still might get that disc and not the corrected disc.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Suburban Sasquatch: Collector's Edition – Visual Vengeance (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 2004
Director: Dave Wascavage
Writer: Dave Wascavage
Cast: Sue Lynn Sanchez, Bill Ushler, Dave Bonavita, Juan Fernandez, Loretta Wascavage, Wes Miller, David Weldon

Release Date: August 23rd, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 100 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Perhaps the most beloved and recognizable shot on video movie of the last two decades! When a giant blood-thirsty Bigfoot goes on a killing spree in a sprawling suburban park area, it's up to a couple of park rangers, a reporter and a mystical Native-American Warrior to try and stop Sasquatch's limb-ripping rampage." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.5/5

Suburban Sasquatch comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.2 GB

Feature: 15.2 GB

Though the source looks as good as one would expect given that it was shot on video, the daytime scenes are far superior to any moments with limited light. This may also be why most of the film takes place during the daytime. That said, while this transfer has its shortcomings, the result is most likely as good as this film will ever look.

Audio: 3.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English, and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. For a SOV film, Suburban Sasquatch’s track actually sounds pretty good. Outside of a few moments where things are muffled, dialog comes through clearly, ambient sounds are well-represented, and there are times when things sound robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a behind the scenes image gallery, original teaser trailer (1 minute 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), original trailer (1 minute 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Suburban Sasquatch Visual Vengeance trailer (1 minute 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival with screenwriter/director Dave Wascavage titled From The Director’s POV (5 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Making The CGI for Suburban Sasquatch (2 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Suburban Sasquatch outtakes (11 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Designing the Bigfoot Costume (10 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Behind the Scenes (8 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), RIFFTRAX episode of Suburban Sasquatch (76 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Sam Panico of B&S About Movies and Bill Van Ryn of Drive-In Asylum, an audio commentary with Dave Wascavage, reversible cover art featuring original release art, 'Stick Your Own' VHS stickers, a collectable mini poster, a two-sided insert with an essay titled A Creature Among Us? Written by Rick Harlen, and a limited-edition slipcover (first pressing only).

Summary:

Suburban Sasquatch is best described as a monster movie where the monster employs many traits that are associated with slasher genre killers. And though there are an ample number of gory set pieces, most of the impact from the Sasquatch’s rampages is reduced because of the crude CGI that draws attention to itself, making these moments more laughable than humorous.

Suburban Sasquatch has two groups of characters; the police, who are non-believers that don’t want to acknowledge the existence of Sasquatch; and the believers; a reporter looking for a story that will make him famous, and an Indian woman who’s been given the task of killing Sasquatch before he absorbs too many souls and becomes invincible.

From a production standpoint, the enthusiasm of everyone involved makes most of Suburban Sasquatch’s shortcomings easy to overlook. That said, who does not enjoy a film where it is obvious that the monster is a man in a gorilla suit? Ultimately, at one hundred minutes in length, Suburban Sasquatch is an endurance test that if you are still engaged after ten minutes, then it's smooth sailing for the rest of the way.

Suburban Sasquatch is another first-rate release from Visual Vengeance that comes with the best possible audio/video presentations and comes with a wealth of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Old Man: The Movie – Unearthed Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Estonia, 2019
Directors: Oskar Lehemaa, Mikk Mägi
Writers: Oskar Lehemaa, Mikk Mägi, Peeter Ritso
Cast: Märt Avandi, Reio Blond, Meriiyn Elge, Johan Järviste, Mia Järviste, Jaagup Kreem, Mart Kukk, Oskar Lehemaa

Release Date: August 9th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Estonian, LPCM Stereo Estonian, DTS-HD 5.1 English, LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"In a remote Estonian village, three children from the city are forced to spend the summer on their grandfather's farm. When the trio accidentally set loose the old man's prized but thoroughly abused cow, they learn that they have only 24 hours to milk the rogue bovine before it's exponentially expanding udders explode and unleash a milk-pocalypse. To complicate this crisis, a decrepit and disgraced farmer with a body literally infused with milk and a prejudice for cattle is also determined to catch the animal, but with murderous intent.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 5/5

The Old Man: The Movie comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.9 GB

Feature: 18.8 GB

The source is in excellent shape. Colors, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

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

This release comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Estonian; a LPCM stereo mix in Estonian; a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English; and a LPCM stereo mix in English. All the audio mixes are comparable; dialog always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; ambient sounds and the score sound appropriately robust. Included with this release are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a slipcover (limited to first pressing), theatrical trailer #1 (2 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Estonian with non-removable English subtitles), theatrical trailer #2 (2 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), five The Old Man shorts, The Taste of Cow! (2 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Estonian with removable English subtitles), I Went to Sauna With Grandchildren! (1 minute 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Estonian with removable English subtitles), My Cow Gave Birth! (1 minute 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Estonian with removable English subtitles), The Old Man is Tired (2 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Estonian with removable English subtitles), and The Old Hag Had me Put an Implant (2 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Estonian with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include trailers for Premutos, Ascetic, The Untold Story, Evil Dead Trap, and Hanger.

Summary:

The Old Man: The Movie is a stop-motion animation that evolved from five short films that featured the same character. The narrative has two parallel stories; one about the dangers that await city folk when three children spend the summer with their grandfather, and the other revolves around the kids' adventures with their grandfather as they go looking for his missing cow.

Though you don’t see too many stop motion animation films anymore, The Old Man: The Movie is a solid example of what one can do with stop motion animation. The Old Man: The Movie is filled with beautifully designed landscapes and visuals that employ interesting compositions that lend greatly to the story at hand. Ultimately, if you are a fan of outrageous scenarios and offbeat humor that veers into subversive territory, then The Old Man: The Movie is a film you should thoroughly enjoy.

The Old Man: The Movie gets an exceptional release from Unearthed Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and five additional short films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Dr. Lamb – Unearthed Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1992
Directors: Danny Lee, Billy Hin-Shing Tang
Writer: Kam-Fai Law
Cast: Danny Lee, Simon Yam, Kent Cheng, Pik Yu Chung, Eric Kei, Emily Kwan, Siu-Ming Lau, Yeong Fang Usang, Parkman Wong

Release Date: August 9th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 40 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.95

"A mentally disturbed taxi driver lusts for blood every rainy night, and several young women are brutally murdered. He likes to take photos of the victims' dismembered bodies as his special mementos after sex with their corpses and stores their severed breasts in pickle jars. Inspector Lee and his team are called onto the case in this bizarre, nasty, and notorious Cat III film.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 2K Scan Of Uncut Version!".

Dr. Lamb comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.3 GB

Feature: 22.1 GB

Though this new transfer is a noticeable improvement over its previous home video releases, it should be noted that there are noticeable white specs and an occasional scratch. That said, colors look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong, and there appear to be no egregious issues related to digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Mandarin)

This release comes with two audio options: a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin. Both of the audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. Included with this release are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a slipcover (limited to first pressing), an eight-page booklet with an essay titled The Doctor is in! Written by Calum Waddell (limited to first pressing), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles),  Atomic TV interview with actor Simon Yam (7 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film academic Sean Tierney Aka The Silver Spleen who discusses Dr. Lamb titled Cut And Run (16 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with film critic James Mudge who discusses the golden era of category III titled Three Times The Fear (20 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an in interview with filmmaker Gilbert Po who initiated the Dr Lamb film project titledLamb To The Slaughter (20 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), and an audio commentary with film historians Art Ettinger and Bruce Holecheck.

Other extras include trailers for The Untold Story, Evil Dead Trap, A Serbian Film, and Premutos.

Summary:

Reportedly, Dr. Lamb is based on a true story, one of two known Hong Kong serial killers. That said, despite being based on a true story, the result is something that is undeniably overflowing with the elements one has come to expect from Cat III cinema.

Though Dr. Lamb has many similarities to The Untold Story, both films were based on true stories, and Danny Lee (The Killer), who appears in both films, also played a key role in their making. Here is where the similarities between these two films end. Where The Untold Story’s scenes of violence are in your face and often excessive when it comes to brutality, Dr. Lamb’s moments of carnage, while graphic, are tame in comparison.

The well-executed narrative opens with a flashback that lays the groundwork for the events that follow. Also, the narrative does a good job of building momentum by balancing moments from the present with events from the past.

Though the cast is good in their respective roles, all the performances pale in comparison to Simon Yam’s (Naked Killer) portrayal of Lam Gor-Yu, aka Dr. Lamb, who is actually a taxi driver and not a doctor. He has a knack for portraying demented characters, and he delivers another spectacular performance. Another performance of note is Danny Lee in the role of Inspector Lee.

Despite being known for its graphic content, Cat III cinema often has a high level of technical attributes, most notably when it comes to its visuals. And in the case of Dr. Lamb, its striking cinematography elevates it beyond its exploitation roots. Another thing that sets Dr. Lamb apart is its depiction of police brutality, with its many moments where police officers disregard citizens' rights, most notably a scene where the police torture Lam Gor-Yu in hopes of getting a confession. Ultimately, Dr. Lamb is a film that deserves its reputation, and it is a must-see if you are a fan of Cat III cinema.

Unearthed Films continues to shine a light on Cat III cinema by giving Dr. Lamb a solid release that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Maniac Killer – Full Moon Features (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1987
Director: Andrea Bianchi
Writers: Georges Friedland, Marius Lesoeur, H.L. Rostaine
Cast: Bo Svenson, Chuck Connors, Robert Ginty, Suzanne Andrews, Stanley Kapoul, Henri Lambert, Olivier Mathot

Release Date: November 9th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital Stereo English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $21.95

"A malevolent religious cult stalks a French village, kidnapping prostitutes and subjecting them to unimaginable torments under the guise of saving their souls. When a young man's girlfriend is taken by the sect, he teams up with a mob of angry pimps to track down the maniacal, holy rolling killers and put an end to their bloody mission, once and for all." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "uncut and remastered from the best available materials found in the Eurocine vaults."

Maniac Killer comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 18.9 GB

Feature: 17.5 GB

The source is in good shape and generally free of any source-related damage. This transfer has many of the same traits that Full Moon’s other transfers have. Colors look correct, the image generally looks crisp, black levels are best described as adequate, there are some moments where blacks look milky, and there are some minor compression related issues.

Audio: 3/5

This release comes with two audio options: a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English and a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English. There is not much difference between these two audio mixes. The inclusion of a 5.1 mix is actually redundant. Both audio tracks sound clear and balanced, albeit limited in range at times. This release comes with no subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to trailers Barb Wire Dolls, Naked Girl Murdered in the Park, Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun, Sexy Sisters, Voodoo Passion and Women in Cellblock 9.

Summary:

The Maniac Killer was directed by Andrea Bianchi, a filmmaker most known for directing Schlock masterpieces like Strip Nude for Your Killer, Malabimba: The Malicious Whore, and Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror.

What started off as a giallo quickly morphed into something completely different. The narrative revolves around a cult that abducts women for their rituals. There is a subplot that involves a professor who is conducting experiments on animals. Though the police looking for the missing women cannot see which one is an obvious red herring, one would have to be blind not to guess who the red herring is.

The Maniac Killer’s cast is anchored by three American actors: Bo Svenson (The Inglorious Bastards) in the role of a count named Silvano; Chuck Connors (Kill Them All and Come Back Alone) in the role of an eccentric professor named Roger Osborne; and Robert Ginty (The Exterminator) in the role of Gondrand, the leader of the cult abducting women.

From a production standpoint, Maniac Killer is everything you would expect from a Eurocine production: an anemic budget, a few recognizable actors, and a by-the-numbers approach to filmmaking. Though there are no areas where Maniac Killer comes ahead, a few of its biggest flaws include a meandering plot that is void of any murder set pieces; all of the kills are in shootouts; and a score with laser sounds and music cues from other films composed by Luis Bacalov (Django). Ultimately, Maniac Killer fails to live up to the delirious insanity that Andrea Bianchi’s most celebrated films are known for.

Maniac Killer (misspelled on the cover art as Mania Killer) makes its way to Blu-ray via a serviceable release that leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Untold Story – Unearthed Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1993
Director: Herman Yau
Writers: Wing-Kin Lau, Kam-Fai Law
Cast: Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Danny Lee, Emily Kwan, Siu-Ming Lau, Fui-On Shing, Eric Kei, King-Kong Lam, Parkman Wong

Release Date: October 20th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 49 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"In 1978 in Hong Kong, a grisly murder takes place. Eight years later, on a Macao beach, kids discover the severed hands of a fresh victim. A squadron of coarse, happy-go-lucky cops investigate, and suspicion falls on Wong Chi Hang, the new owner of Eight Immortals Restaurant, which serves delicious pork bun. The hands belong to the missing mother of the restaurant's former owner; he and his family have disappeared; staff at the restaurant continue to go missing; and, Wong can't produce a signed bill of sale: but there's no evidence. The police arrest Wong and try to torture him into a confession. Can they make him talk? And what was in those pork buns?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

The Untold Story comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.3 GB

Feature: 25.1 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape and the result is a massive upgrade when compared to this film’s previous North American home video releases. Colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look correct, black levels are good and there appear to be no egregious issues related to digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Mandarin)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin. Both audio tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. Included with this release are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a slipcover (limited to first pressing), a leaflet with an essay about the film written by Art Ettinger (limited to first pressing), two theatrical trailers - trailer #1 (3 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese, no subtitles), trailer #2 (1 minute 41 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an interview with Rick Baker titled Cantonese Carnage (13 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a Q&A with director Herman Yau (7 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary about Cat III cinema titled Category III The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation (83 minutes 10 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with actor Anthony Wong, an archival audio commentary with Herman Yau, an audio commentary with film historians Art Ettinger and Bruce Holecheck, and an option to listen to the isolated score..

Other extras include trailers for Famine, House of the Flesh Mannequins, Nightwish, The Song of Solomon, and The Unnamble. It should be noted that there are playback issues when trying to access House of Flesh Mannequins.

Summary:

The Untold Story was directed by Herman Yau, whose other notable films include Taxi Hunter, City Cop, Ebola Syndrome, and IP Man: The Final Fight.

Due to a rise in extreme violence and other enticing content, Hong Kong in 1988 established a rating system. The most extreme films are labeled Cat III (no one under the age of 18 is permitted to rent, buy, or watch this film in a theater). Though violence has long been a staple of Hong Kong cinema, Cat III was a new breed of cinema that is best described as in-your-face, down-and-dirty exploitation cinema where anything goes.

Though there’s always been an audience for Cat III cinema. Over the years, there’s been a reappraisal of Cat III cinema that’s elevated Cat III cinema’s place as Hong Kong cinema’s last great period. So why does Cat III cinema continue to endure? If Cat III films' main draw was their excessive violence, then Cat III cinema would not have the lasting appeal it does. Ultimately, Cat III cinema’s ability to tap into what audiences wanted and a growing anxiety about Hong Kong losing its anonymity are the reasons why Cat III cinema remains as potent today as when it was first released.

Content-wise, The Untold Story is a textbook example of Cat III cinema. From its opening moments, it establishes a frenzied tone that does a superb job of balancing moments of dismemberment and humor. Its true crime premise was literally ripped out of the headlines. And the well-executed narrative rarely gives you a moment to catch your breath. Some of the more grotesque moments include a rape scene where chopsticks penetrate a vagina and a scene where the protagonist systematically dismembers an entire family. And to get rid of the evidence, he grinds up the body and uses the meat for his pork buns.

From a production standpoint, though, there is not an area where The Untold Story does not deliver and then some. Ultimately, The Untold Story’s heart and soul is Anthony Chau-Sang Wong’s (Hard Boiled) utterly terrifying portrayal of Wong Chi Hang, a psychopath whose cruelty knows no boundaries. Another performance of note is Danny Lee (The Killer) in the role of Officer Lee, whose character’s interactions with prostitutes provide most of the comic relief. Overall, The Untold Story is a grueling cinematic experience that lives up to its reputation as one of Hong Kong cinema’s most extreme films.

For far too long, Hong Kong cinema has been neglected when it comes to quality home video releases. Where most regions of the world's cinema have a wide choice of films that have been given releases that take full advantage of the Blu-ray format, Hong Kong cinema has lagged behind. Hopefully, this exceptional release from Unearthed Films is a sign that the tide is turning for Hong Kong cinema, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer