THREE...EXTREMES

(a.k.a. SAAM GAANG YI)

Less of an anthology strictly-speaking, more three separate films all flirting around the 40-minute mark, with only similar-looking opening credits to link them together.

Actually, the true link is that all three films are designed to between them represent the best of Modern Asian Horror.

The first instalment is DUMPLINGS, from China's Fruit Chan (PUBLIC TOILET). It tells the tale of Mrs Li, a faded TV celebrity desperate to regain her youthful looks and float her husband's boat once more.

Li happens upon the sexy Aunt Mei (the stunning Ling Bai, TOXIC), who welcomes the former star into her tiny tenement block and tells her that she is in actual fact an old lady - and that it's her famous dumplings that have kept young and supple.

Before long, Li is visiting Mei on a regular basis and paying extortionate fees to chow down the meat-filled dumplings. At first the snacks rejuvenate her looks and bring romance back into Li's bedroom, but then a rash develops on her neck and those close to her complain about noticing a fishy smell ...

A visually gorgeous morality fable, DUMPLINGS builds slowly but steadily as the horrifying truth behind the nature of the flavouring is gradually revealed. But the true horror here is not the tasteless origins of Mei's meat, but the lengths Li is ultimately prepared to go to, to preserve her regained vigour.

Brilliantly colourful, with beautifully composed shots and deliberately cold pacing, DUMPLINGS revels in its disturbing premise while never succumbing to the temptation of bombarding it's viewer with gratuitous gore. It's also the best of the three stories.

BOX, from Japan's Takashi Miike (AUDITION; ICHI THE KILLER) centres on Kyoko (Kyoko Hasegawa, LOVE WITH SUPERSTAR), a writer plagued by as reoccurring dream of being trapped in a box and buried alive.

It later transpires that Kyoko was one half of a contortionist act along with her more talented sister, and that her sister was frequently forced to stay confined in a small show box in-between acts ... until a fire spelt death for the unfortunate sibling.

Years later, and Kyoko is an adult still traumatised by the tragic incident. Then she receives an invitation to return to her old show and confront the box that trapped her sister ...

Visually arresting and filled with images both sublimely grotesque, yet at the same time dreamlike in their beauty, BOX sees Miike at the most lyrical he's been in a long while. It's still not up there with his best works, suffering a little from it's own obsession with being weird. And although I appreciate Miike's intention was to make a film about silence (hence there is virtually no dialogue), it does tend to drag a little as a result.

Finally, we have CUT, from Korea's man-of-the-moment Chan Wook-Park (OLDBOY). A famous movie director (Byung-hun Lee, A BITTERSWEET LIFE) is held hostage in his stunning home by a former extra. The extra is bitter because he is a poor man who has been driven by fate to committing hideous acts. The director, meanwhile, is wealthy and renowned only for his good nature. So, in order to save his pianist wife's fingers, he must murder a child in front of the extra.

There's some interesting (yet slightly obtrusive, truth be told) use of CGI here and there, while for the rest of the time the art-decor and set design is quite literally breathtaking. Also, a couple of neat twist along the way keep CUT from ever becoming dull. It's also the bloodiest of the three tales on offer.

And yet, considering Wook-Park's feature-length successes, CUT is somewhat of a disappointment. By no means is it a bad offering, it just never succeeds in becoming the sum of its impressive parts.

Uneven and overlong, THREE ... EXTREMES is nevertheless an entertaining ride and a great way for newcomers to dip their toes into the twisted world of the Asian horror genre. In terms of production, set-design, photography, performances etc, it's a typical example of how much more proficient these guys are than almost any other country working within the genre today.

Tartan's disc offers the film uncut in it's original 1.78:1 aspect ratio, anamorphically enhanced. The transfer is pristine, with gorgeous clarity of colour and detail.

The audio track (each film presented in it's native tongue) is available in stereo, 5.1 and 5.1 DTS mixes, all of which are most impressive jobs. Removable English subtitles are up to Tartan's usual standard - easy to read and free from errors.

Extras include a Making Of featurette, which is split into three brief segments focusing on each film. Each offers director interviews and some on-set footage - but not enough, to be frank.

The original trailer is presented in anamorphic widescreen and does the film justice in terms of visual style and ambience. Rounding out the extras are film notes and the usual Tartan Asia Extreme trailer reel.

A good disc from Tartan for a very interesting and worthwhile compendium. However, if you're looking for a bargain it's worth noting that Lion's Gate's 2-disc edition also includes the feature-length version of DUMPLINGS (even better than the shorter version, which felt rushed towards the end) and subtitled commentary from Miike on BOX ...

Review by Stu Willis