I've waited to watch this one for a long time, having eagerly read up about it before actually managing to find it. Yes, I'm one of those horror fans who salvage through tons of reviews and stuff, taking it upon themselves to find a worthy film to behold. I was excited by this film's reputation... it was hailed as something for the gorehounds, something sick yet funny, a reputation which Peter Jackson's Braindead also shares. Well, I've watched both and some other movies as well so I'll throw in my two cents.
1) Does it live up to the gory reputation?
No, not really. First thing, the blood. It seemed as though Herman Yau had two kinds of blood in use for the movie. One is the common overly bright red you see in old horror movies and the other is the deliciously realistic dark coloured blood we all love. If you want to see gore, you can see much more from any respectable zombie movie. Or you could try the Guinea Pig series instead :)
2) The funny scenes ruined the movie!
That's what lots of reviewers who've watched the movie and actually liked it seem to think. I think the humour in this film doesn't spoil the movie, it's the typical Hong Kong humour you see from films like Troublesome Night, to Bio Zombie. People who say the funny scenes ruin the serious mood of this movie totally fail to see that those scenes are everywhere. Not just from the parts where the female cop is made fun of. This movie is darkly camp and the black humour is persistent and liberal. Now, I won't say I'm a fan of the sexist humour, but I did like the surprise that Anthony Wong's character had for a certain auntie waiting to see her sick nephew... :)
3) The 'Chopstick' scene
Some people seemed to have a problem with this one. Ignore them! It's not a great scene, nor does it deserve its notoriety, to me it's just... kind of lame. The most brutal rape scene I've seen still belongs to Boys Don't Cry.
Finally, if you decide to see this movie, make sure you see it not just for the gore or you might be disappointed. This isn't a bad movie, but it works much better on all levels, than just the 'exploitation' reputation it's been slapped with.
1) Does it live up to the gory reputation?
No, not really. First thing, the blood. It seemed as though Herman Yau had two kinds of blood in use for the movie. One is the common overly bright red you see in old horror movies and the other is the deliciously realistic dark coloured blood we all love. If you want to see gore, you can see much more from any respectable zombie movie. Or you could try the Guinea Pig series instead :)
2) The funny scenes ruined the movie!
That's what lots of reviewers who've watched the movie and actually liked it seem to think. I think the humour in this film doesn't spoil the movie, it's the typical Hong Kong humour you see from films like Troublesome Night, to Bio Zombie. People who say the funny scenes ruin the serious mood of this movie totally fail to see that those scenes are everywhere. Not just from the parts where the female cop is made fun of. This movie is darkly camp and the black humour is persistent and liberal. Now, I won't say I'm a fan of the sexist humour, but I did like the surprise that Anthony Wong's character had for a certain auntie waiting to see her sick nephew... :)
3) The 'Chopstick' scene
Some people seemed to have a problem with this one. Ignore them! It's not a great scene, nor does it deserve its notoriety, to me it's just... kind of lame. The most brutal rape scene I've seen still belongs to Boys Don't Cry.
Finally, if you decide to see this movie, make sure you see it not just for the gore or you might be disappointed. This isn't a bad movie, but it works much better on all levels, than just the 'exploitation' reputation it's been slapped with.