Fascination – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1979
Director: Jean Rollin
Writer: Jean Rollin
Cast: Franca Maï, Brigitte Lahaie, Jean-Marie Lemaire, Fanny Magier, Muriel Montossé, Sophie Noël, Evelyne Thomas, Joe de Palmer, Cyril Val, Myriam Watteau

Release Date: October 30th, 2023 (UK), October 31st, 2023 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 81 Minutes 56 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"When a thief holes up in a remote château, taking two beautiful chambermaids hostage, the arrival of his accomplices and the château’s aristocratic owners leads to an orgy of violence and ritualistic bloodletting." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Fascination was scanned, restored and color corrected in 4K HDR at Filmfinity, London, using original 35mm negative film materials. Phoenix image-processing tools were used to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, as well as repair damaged and missing frames. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way.”

Fascination comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.5 GB

Feature: 55.1 GB

The source used for this transfer looks exceptional. Image clarity, depth, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, and grain remains intact; the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. This audio track is in great shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (72 images -  stills/home video art/posters), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), two extended sex scenes: alternate sequence #1 (7 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with music from the film paying in over this sequence), alternate sequence #2 (7 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with music from the film paying in over this sequence), Eurotika!: ‘Virgins and Vampires’ an archival documentary on Jean Rollin, produced and directed by Andy Starke and Pete Tombs, featuring contributions from Rollin, actors Monica Swinn and Brigitte Lahaie, and Nigel Wingrove of Redemption Films (24 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and French with burnt-in English subtitles for French), a critical appreciation by author and film historian Virginie Sélavy titled Love Like Blood (6 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composer Philippe D’Aram titled The Music of Fascination (19 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an updated documentary titled Rituels on the making of Fascination by Jean Rollin’s personal assistant, Daniel Gouyette, including interviews with key collaborators Natalie Perrey and Brigitte Lahaie (7 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archival extra titled Jean Rollin Introduces Fascination (2 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Jeremy Richey, author of Sylvia Kristel: From ‘Emmanuelle’ to Chabrol, and an 80-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Blood, Desire, and Rebellion written by Vanessa Morgan, an archival introduction by Jean Rollin, a reprint of The Glass of Blood, the short story by Jean Lorrain that inspired the film’s screenplay, an archival interview with Jean Rollin, an archival interview with actress Fanny Magier, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Jean Rollin, a filmmaker whose career spanned five decades. His films are known for their fantasy and erotic elements. Notable films he directed are The Iron Rose, Lips of Blood, and The Night of the Hunted.

The narrative revolves around a thief, two mysterious women, and an abandoned castle. Needing a place to hide, the thief finds refuge in the castle. The two give him many chances to leave before their guests arrive later that evening. Will he heed their warning, or will his curiosity lead to his demise?

The thing that grabs you the more you get into Jean Rollin’s filmography is its minimalism. Where other filmmakers who faced many of the same adversities he faced due to anemic budgets would try to overcompensate, Jean Rollin always kept things simple. This brings us to Fascination, a film that is arguably the best example of Jean Rollin’s minimalism.

Fascination, like all of Jean Rollin's, is overflowing with atmosphere and striking imagery. That said, though the narrative is basic, it is just enough to move things forward. The result is a very effective film in which Jean Rollin manipulates all of his resources for maximum effect.

Though the cast is not given that much to do, performance-wise, they are all very good in their roles. The most memorable performance was by Brigitte Lahaie in the role of Eva, one of the mysterious women inside the abandoned castle. The scene where her character goes on a rampage with a scythe is one of Jean Rollin’s most iconic moments.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Fascination does not excel. It is a period drama, and the production design is solid. And when it comes to locations, Jean Rollin once again has chosen an amazing location. Another strength is Philippe D'Aram’s exceptional score, which is the best score to appear in a Jean Rollin film. Ultimately, Fascination is a perfect blend of eroticism and surrealism; it is arguably one of Jean Rollin’s best films.

Fascination makes its way to 4K UHD via a definitive release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 10,000 numbered units (6,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US.

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 VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Lips of Blood – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1975
Director: Jean Rollin
Writers: Jean-Loup Philippe, Jean Rollin
Cast: Jean-Loup Philippe, Annie Belle, Natalie Perrey, Martine Grimaud, Catherine Castel, Marie-Pierre Castel, Claudine Beccarie, Mireille Dargent, Paul Bisciglia

Release Date: October 30th, 2023 (UK), October 31st, 2023 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 86 Minutes 55 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"When a photograph of a decrepit seaside château evokes a childhood vision of an encounter with a mysterious girl, Frederick is compelled to investigate. Soon, he uncovers a surreal and erotic netherworld of vampirism from which he might never return." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Lips of Blood was scanned, restored and color corrected in 4K HDR at Final Frame Post, London, using the original 35mm negative. Many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, as well as repair damaged and missing frames. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way.”

Lips of Blood comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.1 GB

Feature: 53.3 GB

The source used for this transfer looks exceptional. Image clarity, depth, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, and grain remains intact; the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. This audio track is in great shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (102 images -  stills/home video art/posters), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with French text and removable English subtitles), a critical appreciation by author and film historian Virginie Sélavy titled Buried Dreams (9 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a newly edited archival interview titled Living Memories with director Jean Rollin who discusses Lips of Blood his most personal film, and favorite script (9 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview titled This Beach That Follows Me with Jean Rollin who reminisces about the beach in Dieppe and his many experiences filming there (24 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a newly edited archival interview titled Fantasy Life with actor Jean-Loup Philippe (15 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a newly edited archival interview with actor Serge Rollin titled Early Impressions (10 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a newly edited archival interview with actress Catherine Castel titled Sibling Rivalry (11 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a newly edited archival interview with actress and script supervisor Natalie Perrey titled Exceptional Poetry (10 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview titled Petite Mère with Natalie Perrey who recalls the challenges and triumphs of making Lips of Blood (10 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archival extra titled Jean Rollin Introduces Lips of Blood (2 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival scene select audio commentary with Jean Rollin (32 minutes 40 seconds, in English with removable English subtitles for French dialog from the film), an audio commentary with genre-film experts, critics and authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman, and an 80-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Bloody Kisses: Lips of Blood and Tainted Love written by Maitland McDonagh, archival writing by Jean Rollin titled The Making of: Lips of Blood, an archival interview with Jean Rollin titled ‘Simulated Sex Scenes… I Find Them Shocking’: Jean Rollin on the ‘X’ Film, an archival interview with actress Annie Brilland, an analysis of Suck Me, Vampire, the hardcore film Rollin made using scenes from Lips of Blood written by Jeff Billington, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Jean Rollin, a filmmaker whose career spanned five decades. His films are known for their fantasy and erotic elements. Notable films he directed are The Iron Rose, Lips of Blood, and The Night of the Hunted.

The narrative revolves around a photograph that reminds Frederic of a forgotten childhood memory about a mysterious woman in white. Unable to shake his obsession to see this woman once again, he tries to find the ruins in the photograph. Who is this woman, and what is her connection to Frederic?

Though Jean Rollin is often compared to Jess Franco because their films often delve into these two areas of horror and erotica, when it came to visuals, Jess Franco would use techniques like zooming to make up for his limited resources, whereas Jean Rollin’s visuals always had a poetic, lyrical quality to them.

Jean Rollin's vampire films are among the most erotic and atmospheric ever made. Lips of Blood’s narrative, like many of Jean Rollin’s films, is simple, and the dialogue is sparse. The narrative instantly draws you in, with each new revelation more intriguing than the last. So much gets accomplished in just 87 minutes.

The most surprising aspect of Lips of Blood is how exceptional the cast is in their respective roles, especially Annie Belle (House on the Edge of the Park) in the role of the enigmatic woman in white who haunts the protagonist. Also, Jean-Loup Philippe, who also co-wrote the screenplay, does a convincing job as the protagonist, Frederic. And twin sisters Catherine Castel and Marie-Pierre Castel, who have appeared in several Jean Rollin films, are cast once again as vampires.

Loss of innocence is a theme that Jean Rolling would return to throughout his filmography, and with Lips of Blood, he delivers what is arguably his most potent exploration of this theme. Visuals are another area where Jean Rollin’s films often excel, and Lips of Blood is filled with striking imagery, notably a beautiful and haunting coda in which the protagonist is forced to choose between the life he has always known and spending eternity with the woman in white. Another strength of Lips of Blood is the narrative’s deliberate pacing. Ultimately, Lips of Blood is an extraordinary film where everything comes together perfectly.

Lips of Blood makes its way to 4K UHD via a definitive release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 10,000 numbered units (6,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US.

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 VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Lorna the Exorcist – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1974
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Robert de Nesle, Jesús Franco, Nicole Guettard
Cast: Pamela Stanford, Guy Delorme, Lina Romay, Jacqueline Laurent, Marianne Mariel, Richard Bigotini, Catherine Lafferière, Howard Vernon, Jesús Franco

Release Date: October 24th, 2023
Approximate running time: 99 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.99

"Haunted by erotic visions, a young woman (Lina Romay) comes to discover that her sexual possession is the result of a bargain struck nineteen years earlier between her playboy father (Guy Delorme) and an ethereal, pansexual seductress (Pamela Stafford). In a parallel narrative, a visionary doctor (Jess Franco) tries to unravel the particular form of psychopathia sexualis that torments a beautiful patient (Catherine Lafferière).” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Lorna the Exorcist comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.8 GB

Feature: 31.6 GB

No information is provided about the source used for this transfer. That said, it appears that the source is the same one used for Le Chat Qui Fume’s 2018 Blu-ray/DVD combo release since source-related damage is in the same places. Details look crisp, colors look correct, and there are no issues with compression. It should be noted that this release from Kino Lorber does use the longer fade-out of music playing over a black screen that Mondo Macabro used for their DVD release. Though this transfer appears to come from the same source Le Chat Qui Fume used for their release, Kino Lorber’s release has a stronger encode.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD mono mix in French. Both audio mixes sound clear and balanced throughout. Included with this release are removable English subtitles. These audio tracks are on par with the audio tracks that Le Chat Qui Fume used for their 2018 Blu-ray/DVD combo release.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an archival interview titled Fear and Desire with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco (30 minutes 3 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Pamela Stanford titled Meet Pamela Stanford (22 minutes 23 seconds, DTS-HD stereo French with removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Gérard Kikoïne titled The Kiko and the Count (25 minutes 23 seconds, DTS-HD stereo French with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with novelist and film critic Tim Lucas, and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Lorna The Exorcist is a Faust-like tale that incorporates elements of Dracula and The Exorcist into its bizarre plot about a woman who can give you anything you want, at least if you are willing to pay the price. Lorna The Exorcist opens up with a lengthy lesbian scene that clocks in at nearly nine minutes in length. There is no dialog in this opening scene, with only music and visuals to guide us on this bizarre journey.

The narrative as a whole is very simple, with a few lesbian sex scenes thrown in for good measure. These lesbian sequences are full on hardcore as the camera peers ever so closely into private parts. The narrative has a hypnotic pace, and the climax provides a very satisfying conclusion to the events that have unfolded. Twenty-eight years after making Lorna, The Exorcist, he would remake it and rename it Incubus in 2002.

Jess Franco was a filmmaker who often worked with meager resources and recycled themes, plots, and musical motifs. And, while these two factors have contributed to some of his films appearing haphazardly put together, In most instances, what drives Jess Franco’s cinematic vision? is his distinctive visual quirk. And with Lorna, The Exorcist, he is at the top of his game. Many of the ideas and stylistic techniques that he employs in Lorna The Exorcist are prominent in many of Jess Franco’s other films. Most notably, films like Vampyros Lesbos and Female Vampire.

There are a handful of standout moments in Lorna: The Exorcist. The first outing moment is a lesbian scene that takes place in a bubble bath. The other standout moment involves crabs crawling on a woman’s private parts. The lead character, Lorna, is a cross between Faust and Dracula in the way she can hypnotically control the women who serve her, much like Renfield obediently served Count Dracula.

Performance-wise, this is one of the stronger casts that Jess Franco had to work with. The most enduring assets of this film are its two female leads, Pamela Stanford as Lorna Green and Lina Romay as Linda Mariel. Pamela Stanford is one of Jess Franco’s lesser-known leading ladies. With her performance in Lorna: The Exorcist being her most prominent and accomplished collaboration with Jess Franco, Some of Franco’s fans will recognize her from the film Cannibals, where she portrayed Al Cliver’s wife. Lina Romay’s performance in Lorna, The Exorcist, is the strongest and most memorable in the film. Howard Vernon (The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus, Diabolical Doctor Z.) appears briefly as Lorna's bodyguard, Maurizius.

There is no denying that The Exorcist was at least loosely inspired by Lorna The Exorcist. The end result is so far removed from that aforementioned film. To simply label Lorna The Exorcist as an Exorcist clone couldn’t be farther from the truth. Ultimately, Lorna The Exorcist is a well-made erotic thriller that flawlessly mixes erotica with its more supernatural moments.

Lorna The Exorcist gets an excellent release from Kino Lorber that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Night of the Seagulls – Shout! Factory (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1975
Director: Amando de Ossorio
Writer: Amando de Ossorio
Cast: Víctor Petit, María Kosty, Sandra Mozarowsky, José Antonio Calvo, Julia Saly, Javier de Rivera, Pilar Vela, Fernando Villena, María Vidal, Oscar Phens, Susana Estrada, Luis Ciges

Release Date: February 13th, 2018
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 5 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.99

"A village possessed by unspeakble evil… When a doctor and his wife move to a coastal village, they encounter strange and terrifying things: the town harbors an ancient evil that demands ritual sacrifice! For seven consecutive nights, the undead come from the sea to demand the horrific deaths of the town's young women. Dr. Stein and his wife try to save one of the young women from her horrible fate.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Night of the Seagulls comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.4 GB

Feature: 21.5 GB

No information is provided about the source used for this transfer. That said, the source is in very good shape, and any source debris is minor. Flesh tones look correct, colors look very good, the image generally looks crisp (there is an intended soft focus look to some scenes), black levels fare well, and compression is very good. Also, there appears to be some digital noise reduction, which is more noticeable in some scenes than in others.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish), 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Though both audio tracks sound clear and balanced, the Spanish-language track sounds more robust, and the English-language track has some background noise that occurs around the 45-minute mark for about 20 minutes. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (5 minutes 12 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the Podcast, NaschyCast.

Summary:

Directed by Amando de Ossorio, who is most known for directing four Blind Dead films: Tombs of the Blind Dead, Return of the Blind Dead, The Ghost Galleon, and Night of the Seagulls. Other notable films that he directed are Fangs of the Living Dead, and The Loreley's Grasp.

The narrative revolves around a doctor and his wife, who have recently moved to a rural seaside village where the inhabitants worship the undead Templar knights.

The longer a series goes on, there is going to be some repetitiveness. And though the locations change with each Blind Dead, the core elements are always the same: Templars stalking and killing their prey. Also, superstition and the supernatural usually play a role in the story at hand.

Night of the Seagulls does a great job laying the foundation for what unfolds. It opens with a flashback sequence that fills in the Templars' backstory before shifting to the present day. Unfortunately, after this strong opening, there is a long stretch where it is not much more than mundane character interactions. Fortunately, things pick up once the Templars arrive on screen.

The performances are best described as serviceable. No performance really stands out more than any other. Notable cast members are María Kosty (A Dragonfly for Each Corpse) in the role of the doctor's wife and Sandra Mozarowsky (Beatriz) in the role of Lucy, a local girl who befriends the doctor and his wife.

Though it is clear from its early moments that Night of the Seagulls is a film working on a limited budget, the result is a film that often exceeds its resources. When it comes to atmosphere, Night of the Seagulls delivers in spades. And without a doubt, the greatest strength of Night of the Seagulls are the moments with the Templars, especially when they move in slow motion. Ultimately, Night of the Seagulls is a good addition to the Blind Dead film series that unfortunately does not hold up well as a stand-alone film.

Night of the Seagulls gets a strong release from Shout! Factory that comes with a good audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Visible Secret: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 2001
Director: Ann Hui
Writer: Abe Kwong
Cast: Eason Chan, Shu Qi, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Sam Lee, James Wong, Yiu-Cheung Lai, Kara Wai, Tony Liu, Tat-Ming Cheung, Jo Kuk

Release Date: October 23rd, 2023 (UK), October 24th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate running time: 102 Minutes 48 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"Instantly infatuated by enigmatic amnesiac June (Shu Qi, Millennium Mambo) who has the ability to see spirits, Peter is swept into a world where he has one foot in the past, one in the present, and somehow has to figure out which is which." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Visible Secret was transferred in High-Definition by Media Asia and supplied to Radiance Films as a digital file."

Visible Secret comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.6 GB

Feature: 29 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid. That said, this is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio is in excellent shape, the dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with Cantonese and English text), an archival making-of documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew and behind-the-scenes footage (14 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), a conversation between Ann Hui and NYAFF director Ken Smith who was also on set for the original shoot (13 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a visual essay by film critic and programmer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (14 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 28-page booklet (single pressing of 2500 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Visible Secret and the Look of Hong Kong Horror written by Gary Bettinson, an essay titled New Millennium, Old Ghosts written by Dylan Cheung, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Directed by Ann Hui, whose other notable films are The Secret, The Spooky Bunch, Boat People, and Song of the Exile.

The narrative revolves around a man who becomes infatuated with a woman who sees ghosts.

Hong Kong cinema has long been known for genre mixing, with some scenes falling into multiple different genres. Case in point: Visible Secret, a film that has romance, comedy, and the supernatural. With the latter playing a prominent role in the story at hand.

Visible Secret grabs you with a jaw-dropping sequence where a man waiting for a tram is decapitated. From there, his headless boy gets up and walks down the street before finally collapsing. Besides being jarring, this opening sequence also holds the key to why the things that are happening happen.

As good as the performances are, it is its two leads, Eason Chan (Naked Ambition) in the role of Peter Wong Choi, a hairdresser who falls in love with a woman he met at a disco, and Shu Qi (So Close) in the role of June, aka Wong Siu-kam, a woman who claims to have a third eye that allows her to see ghosts, that stand out the most. Another thing that helps their performances is their onscreen chemistry.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Visible Secret does not excel. The premise is superbly realized, and the narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum towards a twist finale that reveals a ‘visible secret’ that was always out in the open. Also, there are several well-executed jump scares and stylish visuals that often employ odd angles to enhance the mood. Ultimately, Visible Secret is a well-crafted film that is a very satisfying mix of romance, humor and horror.

Visible Secret gets an excellent release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer