Les nuits rouges du bourreau de jade

This is a Hong Kong, French and Belgium flick. Just look at the last country, Amer was also coming out of that country and let that be a giallo. I can say the same of Red Nights, it is also a giallo. You love it or you hate it, that's all I can say from giallo's, most of them aren't my cup of tea but this has some extra milk to pour on my tea. It all takes place in Hong Kong and here you will have some extra's on part of Asian movements of hands and rituals.

The way it was shot is a pure ode to the old Italian giallo's, the colours are very brightly and the use of some extra green lighting here and there adds toward that feeling. Naturally we do have a glove, a thing that is necessary in a giallo and the nudity.

The acting is sublime but that lays in the fact of Carrie Ng who we knew from Naked Killer (1992) and Fréderique Bel. Both are known in their own country but I would also praise a newcomer, Carole Brana.

I have heard people complaining about the fact that the story doesn't have anything to offer but that wasn't the case for me. There are a few surprises in it. On the horror factor it also deliver, there are a few gory shots and they also added some bondage to it. I wouldn't recommend it to the feint hearted because the opening scene were a full frontal nude Asian chick is covered with latex gives you a weird feeling. The torturing isn't for everybody too, some things are rather gory. If you like for example Takashi Miike flicks then you will love this one too.

Another giallo gem coming from Belgium with a sweet Asian overtone. I was surprised with it.

Gore 3/5 Nudity 2/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

There is a legend of directors who created a movie which brought laughter to viewers through a poisonous plot. This legend repeats nowadays when a French director flees to Hong Kong after killing her dog at home and stealing from it an old artifact containing this poisonous plot. She meets Taiwanese actor Jack Kao and veteran Hong Kong actress Carrie Ng, who all want to get a paycheck by participating in this poisonous movie with absolutely meaningless content that only kindergarten kids would watch through. Be warned.

A woman steals an ancient artefact and flees to Hong Kong in order to sell it. Little does she know that the box contains a vial of poison, a poison that paralyses its victim but heightens their senses of pleasure and pain. The people she is dealing with will go to any lengths to obtain the poison.

This film had potential: an intriguing start, the mysterious woman after the poison, the tough, resourceful thief assailed on all sides, the dark tone of the film, the good production values. Yet, for all this its more miss than hit.

The main problem is the plot: it's clumsy, with some contrived, silly developments. Just because the film falls in the horror category doesn't mean you have to fall back on horror clichés. Even worse, the pacing is all over the place. Some incredibly intense scenes that move at a great pace in among some scenes that are incredibly slow and empty, padding the movie. This all leads to a start-stop sort of journey.

The ending is a bit weak too.

Overall: disappointing.

Just saw it..still puzzled by some details. First: the opening..the innocent young girl is put into the vacuum bed-enjoys the sensation-then is killed with the jade claws. this seems irrelevant to the main plot. anyway-the Frenchwoman who steals the box-shot twice and somehow recovers..how is that? finally, the ending devolves into a Jacky Chan type of slapstick. still, enjoyable..in and odd sort of way.

This is from a critic, which I thing summarize the movie:

Is most certainly not to everyone's taste and yet it's a rather fascinating movie: It's violent, it's perverted, its protagonists are all deplorable one way or another, but at the same time it tells an enjoyably bizarre story in elegant pictures and at a steady pace, it never loses itself in its perverions or bloodbaths but manages to always see the bigger picture, it features some bizarre but fun twists and turns, and it's carried by a very competent cast.

If you're into the grotesque, this is certainly worth a look!