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The Untold Story
DVD released: June 29, 1999 Approximate running time: 86 Minutes Aspect ratio: Widescreen (1.85:1) Rating: Unrated Sound: Dolby Stereo DVD Release: Tai-Seng Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC Retail Price: $29.95
Ian Jane on Feb. 28, 2002 |
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| Quick links: [video] [audio] [extras] [overall] |
| The Film |
| Based on infamous true events that took
place near main land China back in 1978, The Untold Story
chronicles the tale of Wong Chi Hang (played by Anthony Wong, best known
for his role in Hard Boiled), who has recently taken
ownership of the Eight Immortals Restaurant in the small community of
Macao. When some local children find a severed hand washed up on the shore
of the small village where the restaurant is located, a team of local
police officers, led by Danny Lee (who played Inspector Li in The
Killer) is reluctantly signed to the task of investigating the
crime. The more the police look into the events and backgrounds of the parties involved, the grislier and more suspicious the events get and all fingers seem to point in the direction of the restaurant and it’s unusual new owner. After looking into it further, it turns out that the former owner of the restaurant and his entire family has disappeared, and Wong doesn’t have any legal documents proving that the restaurant was signed over to him. The Untold Story is an bounces between oddball humor when the cops are interacting, and brutal horror in a uniquely Asian manner that borrows from films like Silence of the Lambs and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer . You wouldn’t see a film like this made in North America. At times it’s very funny and at others, incredibly disturbing. Not for the squeamish, this film allows Wong to delve into his character’s dark side and bring a true human monster to life for the audience in a performance so convincing that he was awarded with the Best Actor award in the 1993 Hong Kong film awards. Although the film doesn’t approach the subject in an exploitative manner, the contents and subject matter earned it a CAT III rating due to the graphic portrayals of violence towards children, rape, and general bodily mutilation. That being said, Wong’s performance and Yau’s direction are solid enough that it’s worth seeking out, even if you’re not a gorehound. |
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| Video | 4/5 | |
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| Audio | 3/5 | |
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| The film is presented on the DVD in Cantonese or Mandarin with easy to read removable English subtitles in Dolby 2.0 stereo. It’s not a stellar mix, but it’s certainly good enough. Sound effects and dialogue are all clear and the background music doesn’t overshadow the voices. The film sounds as good as it needs to. |
| Extras | 4/5 | |
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| Tai Seng has done a much better job with this disc than they did with a lot of their earlier DVD releases and it’s encouraging to start to see some of the better Asian films getting the treatment that they deserve on DVD. You get two great commentaries, one interesting track with star Anthony Wong and director Herman Yau, and an equally interesting track from Hong Kong film critic Miles Wood. You also get filmographies and bios for most of the cast and the director, a trailer for The Untold Story as well as trailers for a few other Anthony Wong films (including the infamous Ebola Syndrome, also directed by Yau), and some great interactive menus made up to look like a menu from the Eight Immortals Restaurant. The only thing really missing from the disc is a documentary or some behind the scenes footage, though you rarely see those done for Asian DVD releases. |
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| Overall | 4/5 | |
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| A really disturbing movie that is guaranteed to upset weak stomachs. |
| Film Rating | DVD Rating | |||
| Director: | Herman Yau and Danny Lee |
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| Writer: | Ting Chau |
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| Released: | 1992 |
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| Cast: | Anthony Wong, Danny Lee, Emily Kwong, Julie Lee |
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