Devil Fetus / Her Vengeance – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1983 (Devil Fetus), Hong Kong, 1988 (Her Vengeance)
Directors: Lau Hung Chuen (Devil Fetus), Lam Ngai Choi (Her Vengeance)
Cast: Eddie Chan, Pak-Kwong Ho, Hsiu-Ling Lu, Ouyang Sha-fei, Lau Dan (Devil Fetus), Pauline Wong, Lam Ching-Ying, Elaine Jin, Kelvin Wong, Sit Chi-Lun, Shing Fui-On, Billy Chow, Hon Yee-Sang, Chan Ging, Tse Fook-Yiu (Her Vengeance)

Release Date: March 18th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 92 Minutes 13 Seconds (Devil Fetus), 82 Minutes 48 Seconds (Her Vengeance - CAT III), 90 Minutes 2 Seconds (Her Vengeance - CAT IIb)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Devil Fetus), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Her Vengeance - Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Devil Fetus, Her Vengeance - Both Versions), DTS-HD Mono Mandarin (Devil Fetus, Her Vengeance - CAT IIb), DTS-HD English (Devil Fetus),
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $54.98

Devil Fetus: "A young woman purchases a suspiciously phallic-looking antique vase from a street auction only to soon become the target of a lustful demonic spirit. When her husband discovers her fornicating with the evil entity, he destroys the vase, leading to his and his wife’s grotesque deaths. Fearing that the entity may have impregnated the recently deceased woman with a demonic fetus, a priest seals off the evil spirit in the woman's bedroom so as not to be disturbed. However, several years later, the young woman's family accidentally breaks the seal, unleashing a supernatural force upon their household. As the family attempts to battle this malicious entity, they must find the priest who originally trapped the demon in order for him to return and finish the job once and for all." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Her Vengeance: "Ying is a mild-mannered hostess at a local nightclub where, one night, she accidentally insults a group of drunken thugs. While returning home later that night, Ying is attacked by the drunkards and is viciously beaten and assaulted. Seeking retribution, Ying enlists the help of a former Triad member who is now confined to a wheelchair. Although reluctant to help in her pursuit of vengeance, he offers Ying a job at his bar to help her get a fresh start. However, soon after, she encounters one of her attackers and, seizing the moment, kills him. With blood now on her hands, Ying is set on a path of violence that she can no longer walk away from, leaving those in her life caught up in the bloodshed." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5 (Devil Fetus), 4.5/5 (Her Vengeance - Both Versions)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "Newly color-graded and restored by VS from studio-supplied masters."

Devil Fetus comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.7 GB

Feature: 28.1 GB

Though the source looks excellent for most of the time, there are a few moments where quality drops and some very minor instances of debris. For most of the time, image clarity is solid, colors look correct, black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression or digital noise reduction.

Her Vengeance comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.9 GB

Feature: 22.6 GB (CAT IIb Version), 22.6 GB (CAT III Version)

The sources for the two versions look excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Her Vengeance CAT IIb Version, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Her Vengeance CAT III Version), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Devil Fetus, Alternate DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Her Vengeance CAT III Version), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono Mandarin - Devil Fetus, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin - Her Vengeance CAT IIb Version), 3.5/5 (DTS-HD English - Devil Fetus)

Devil Fetus comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin. The best-sounding track is the Cantonese-language track; the English-language track has instances of background noise. That said, dialog comes through clearly, and range-wise, all audio tracks are satisfactory. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Her Vengeance: the CAT IIb version features two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin. Of the two audio tracks, the Cantonese language track sounds more robust. Removable English subtitles are included for the Cantonese language track.

Her Vengeance CAT III version comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese labeled alternate mix. Though the original Cantonese language track sounds more robust than the alternate Cantonese language track, there are times when dialog sounds boxy on both audio tracks. Each Cantonese language track includes a removable English subtitle track.

Extras:

Extras on the disc with Devil Fetus include an image for Devil Fetus with music from the film playing in the background, a theatrical trailer for Devil Fetus (2 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital Cantonese with removable English), alternate shots from the censored version of Devil Fetus (1 minute 58 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese, no subtitles), an interview with actor Hsu Meng-Kuang titled Eagle Blood & Pig Guts, he discusses Devil Fetus (12 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film writer Travis Woods for Devil Fetus, a theatrical trailer for Her Vengeance (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital Cantonese with removable English), alternate "crime doesn't pay" ending for Her Vengeance (1 minute, Dolby Digital mono, no dialog), a video essay by John Charles titled Her Vengeance in Four Cuts, he discusses Her Vengeance’s multiple versions (7 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a video essay by author and film historian Samm Deighan titled Her Vengeance and Category-III Rape Revenge Films (11 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on the disc with Her Vengeance include an audio commentary with Bruce Holecheck (Cinema Arcana), Art Ettinger (Ultra Violent Magazine), and Ryan Smith (Dreamhaven Books) for the CAT III version.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 6,000 units), and a 20-page booklet with an essay titled Resurrecting Her Vengeance written by John Charles.

Summary:

Devil Fetus: A demon takes possession of a woman after she releases it from an antique vase she purchased. She dies when the demon is expelled; fearing she might be pregnant with the demon's child, a priest seals the evil spirit within her bedroom. Years later, the demon returns when someone in her family breaks the seal.

Though Devil Fetus is currently classified as a CAT III film, this rating did not take effect until five years after its release. In a time before CAT III films existed, it is not difficult to see how a movie like Devil Fetus would receive this rating, albeit retroactively. Besides sex with a demon, there is melting flesh, an Alien-like moment where a fetus exits its mother belly, and a gruesome kill scene with a dog.

Devil Fetus is a supernatural horror film about demonic possession. Though Devil Fetus has many elements that one expects from a film about demonic possession, the result is a film that relies more on atmosphere than exposition. That said, despite the narrative's shortcomings, Devil Fetus does a good job holding your attention. Furthermore, its WTF ending somehow tops everything that precedes it.

Devil Fetus is not a film that one watches or recalls for its performances. The characters are mere props that lack any dimension. That said, one observation that can be made about the performances is that the cast gives their all.

From a production standpoint, Devil Fetus is clearly a film made with limited resources. In comparison to studios like Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest, the films produced by Lo Wei Motion Picture Company never reach the quality of those two companies. That said, the real star of Devil Fetus are its practical special effects that work really well despite their own limitations. Something that is all too common in Hong Kong cinema is using music that is uncredited, and Devil Fetus’ score features Vangelis’ La Petite Fille de la Mer and contains samples from Ennio Morricone’s score for The Thing. Ultimately, Devil Fetus is a film that aims solely to entertain and nothing more.

Her Vengeance: A nightclub hostess seeks revenge against five men who beat and rape her.

Lam Ngai Choi directed Her Vengeance. He is also known for directing The Seventh Curse, Erotic Ghost Story, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, and The Cat. Her Vengeance is a remake of the 1973 Shaw Brothers film Kiss of Death. CAT III was introduced by the Hong Kong motion picture rating system in 1988, and Her Vengeance was one of the first films to receive this rating.

There are as many of four versions of Her Vengeance; the differences are explained in an extra included with this release. Though the CAT III version is uncut, all carnage is intact, it is seven minutes shorter than the CAT IIb version. Where the CAT IIb version omits a lot of the most graphic content; it actually has more scenes that flesh out characters.

Though there is some initial hostility between the protagonist and the five men who later assault her, it is a jarring shift that occurs when the moment occurs. From that moment onward the narrative is relentless and uncompromising as there is an endless barrage of brutality and carnage. That said, as unflinching as these moments of brutality and carnage are, none come close to the scene where the five men violated her.

All around the performances are outstanding; especially the five actors who portray the men who violated the protagonist. These men are psychopaths who take pleasure in others' suffering, making their demise all the more enjoyable. The standout performance is Pauline Wong (The Blue Jean Monster), who portrays the protagonist, Ying. She delivers a performance that perfectly conveys her character's determination to exact vengeance on those who violated her. Another performance of note is Lam Ching-Ying (Mr. Vampire), a former triad who was once in a relationship with the protagonist's sister and now he’s in a wheelchair.

The most surprising aspect of Her Vengeance is how Lam Ngai Choi handles the story that unfolds. Where other rape revenge films have protagonists that are methodical in their execution of their revenge, Ying’s attempts at revenge rarely go smoothly. Another strength of Ngai Choi Lam’s direction are the visuals; they do a superb job heightening the mood.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Her Vengeance does not excel. The well-executed narrative does an excellent job building momentum to a carnage filled finale. Though most Hong Kong films have action sequences even if they are not action films, the action in Her Vengeance is mostly contained to its finale. That said, when it comes to action the wheelchair martial arts moments are what standout. Ultimately, Her Vengeance is one of the high water marks of CAT III cinema, making it a must-see for fans of these films.

Vinegar Syndrome gives two CAT III Hong Kong films an excellent release, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer