Bat sin fan dim: Yan yuk cha siu bau

Even though Hong Kong movies are never as good looking or slick made as an Hollywood production, it produced a couple of great little movies. "Baat sin faan dim ji yan yuk cha siu baau" is simple one of those great movies, mostly because of its sick story.

Movies focusing on serial killers are often good and interesting ones to watch, especially when they are done as well as this one. The movie is not really made great by its directing, acting or writing but more due to its violence and graphic straight-forward approach.

The movie features a couple of pretty graphic and sick moments, that makes this movie stand out in its genre. It's one of those movies that got banned in numerous countries at the time of its release and is heavily cut in others. Not that it's the most shocking more around but the movie does have its moments that will make some people's stomach turn.

In the beginning the movie its storytelling doesn't feel balanced out well enough. On the one hand it focus on the movie its killer and on the other on the police investigators. The two don't always mix well and it feels a bit disjointed. This gets better as the movie progresses but it always still remains a problem of the movie. The movie also gets less great toward its ending, when its perhaps starting to drag a bit.

Because the movie picks a more light and comical approach at times, you're able to forgive the movie its rather cheap look and production values. Had the movie been done completely serious the movie would had probably been not as effective, although it of course also prevents this movie from being a classic movie within its genre.

Overall the movie remains a surprisingly good one, despite all of its obvious flaws and 'cheap' Hong Kong style of film-making.

8/10

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THE UNTOLD STORY, like many reviewers have already noted, will stay with you for a long time. The basic storyline: Anthony Wong (in a masterful performance) portrays a sociopathic/psychopathic restaurant "owner" with a penchant for rape and murder. Wong takes over and claims ownership of the 8 Immortals Restaurant after he murders the real owner and his family (in one of the most brutal scenes ever put to film...) following a card game. From there Wong tries to legitimately take ownership of the restaurant but is unable, since the true owner is nowhere to be found to sign-off on the legal documents. Suspicions arise as the local police are sent letters from family members inquiring to the whereabouts of the missing owner. The police go to the restaurant and question Wong and his cashier, and notice that something seems "off". Upon further investigation, the police begin to put the story together, and THE UNTOLD STORY is finally revealed in all its horrific glory... First off, this is a well written, well acted, interesting film. I know that almost every other reviewer had a serious problem with the "comedic" elements in the film, but personally I feel that they really don't overshadow the film itself at all and are not as prevalent or annoying as other reviewers have noted. I think it is used to lighten the tone of the film a little, but to also show the dynamic between people who are constantly together, day and night, due to the nature of their profession. I don't think the good-natured (though admittedly sexist) ribbing of the female cop from her male counterparts is truly "harassing" in nature (though here in the States she'd definitely have cause for a lawsuit...) - I think it's more of a way to make her feel like "one of the guys" while still acknowledging her sexual differences. I think any female who has taken a profession in what might have once been considered a "man's field" can probably relate. THE UNTOLD STORY also delivers on the brutal and gory level. There are several scenes that are really rough, including: chopstick rape, rusty bucket wrist slicing, soda can tab wrist slicing, limb dismemberment, human meat grinding, and the infamous family slaugther scene. This scene in particular will have most casual horror-goers gouging their own eyes out, and even the more jaded of us sickos out there will have a hard time not being repulsed by the graphic, on-screen murder of an entire family, including several very young children. I have to say, I really, really like this film. THE UNTOLD STORY is a lot better made than many of the Cat III HK sickies, and works on more than just an exploit film level. It is definitely not for anyone who can't truly handle the above-mentioned types of images, but may prove to be a real treat for the more "discerning" (that is to say "depraved") viewers out there. There have been several inferior copy-cats of this film out there, this one is the real-deal. Highly recommended 9/10

I bought this movie out of sheer curiosity. I'd heard about it somewhere, something about it being a cult classic based on a true story. Anthony Wong was in it and I liked him in Hard Boiled and Full Contact, so I said what the hell. I ordered it on DVD and watched it as soon as I got it. Man, this movie is something. It's one of those movies where you watch it wondering if the cast and crew went home and had horrible nightmares every work day. There's stuff in this movie that doesn't quite leave your mind. I've shown this movie to several people, one in particular swearing off Chinese food to this very day. Anthony Wong gives one hell of a performance. It's not necessarily Oscar-caliber (even though I don't really dig the Oscars these days anyway) but it's just... very convincing. A little bit hammy maybe but yeesh, this guy is scary. My friend asked me once while watching it one day if Wong was really nuts. Judging from the look on Wong's face in most scenes I said yes. The murder scenes are better left undescribed because no amount of words can prepare you for when you're actually watching them. The only gripe I have with this movie is the comedy element. I think the best comparison would be to "From Dusk Till Dawn", where it was almost like watching two different movies spliced together. The comedy feels out-of-place and my idea is that they added it to lighten the movie up a little bit for the murder scenes are pretty intense. If you are one of the faint-of-heart, avoid. If you got guts, give this a look. One other thing: after watching this, you will never look at chopsticks the same way again. Rating: ***1/2 out of *****.

Anthony Wong displays some good acting chops in this story-based on real events that took place in Macau back in the early eighties. One scene in particular showing the murder and rape of a young woman is the most disturbing I've seen since R. Kern's "Fingered". Overall the film is good but it is hampered greatly in the scenes depicting bonding between the detective squad chasing down the killer. Here, the screenwriter seems to be attempting to soften the story with silly comic relief and this clashes totally with the tone of the picture. Aside from the scenes in the precinct, the movie works well and it's worth a look. A word of caution, Chinese films aren't usually known for being subtle and with this subject matter it makes for some taboo breaking on-screen violence. It's not as good as "Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer" but it is quite powerful.

Consensus view: ugly, bleak, grueling slasher film about sick restaurant owner in Macau mincing his victims into pork buns, given really strange comedic pizazz by a group of daft incompetent cops on the trail. Smudge of social commentary near the end, when the cops cannot properly solve the case by gathering clues they turn into torturers themselves.

Digging a little deeper, I believe it works the way it does because of the particular way we are situated inside the story: we only spend time with the killer as he maims and mutilates. Our primary focus is on the incompetent investigation, itself a source of ironic amusement exactly because we are two steps ahead; we know exactly what is going on and have to wait for them as they play catch-up. Every dimwitted joke is someone's limbs hacked off down the road.

Our killer is messy and an amateur, the law enforcers perhaps even more. The police captain is always cavorting with hookers. The result is a chaotic universe without moral value or clear demarcations. How better to exemplify a corrupt, absent law than by increasingly depraved violence recast as the darkest of comedies?