Three...Extremes - DVD

This is the perfect jumping-off pointfor anyone curious about diving into Asian Shock Cinema.It contains 3 Extreme Tales,that encompass the brunt of what Asia has to offer.For those interested in creepy gross-out fests;Fruit Chan's "Dumplings" will deliver.For those interested in tales of vengeance;Chan Wook-Park's "Cut" will leave you in pieces.And for those seeking a ghost story;Takashi Miike's "The Box" will haunt you.I personally ordered this flick twice from Amazon;- once for myself- and once for a friend of mine who also loves Eastern HorrorTo both my suprise and delight, this is a 2-disc setThe second disc containing the full version of "Dumplings",which quite honestly, is worth the purchase alone.Anyways ... on to the movies:Fruit Chan's "Dumplings"is easily the most extreme of the 3.It tells the tale of a woman, whose Home-made Dumplings can restore the youth of anyone who can afford them.Subsequently, she also runs a clinic out of the back of her shop, where she aquires her youthful ingredients.Needless to say:This one is not for The Feint of Heart or Weak of Stomach.Chan Wook Park's "Cut"is the most intense of of the 3 Extremes.More than once it had me on the edge of my futon.Another tale of of retribution, from the man who masters in the subject.This tale concerns a POMPOUS director,who is kidnapped by a demented extra he once employed.Tied up with a giant rubber-band, that allows for minimum movement,he must make the most dire decision of his life.Is he willing to take the life of a little girl to save his wifes?Takashi Miike's "The Box"is the most artistic of the 3,yet sadly, it's the least extreme.For those who know his work, you will be thoroughly disappointed.For those who don't know his work (good for you, you may enjoy this)he is the most extreme of the extreme.So Extreme "Showtime" wouldn't air his episode of "Masters of Horror" due to graphic content.(Interesting Side Note:"Showtime does however play "Ichi the Killer" & "Gozu" - Go Figure)Anyway he's a cult favorite in both America and his native Japan.The guy practically screams "extreme" from hemisphere to hemisphere,so naturally, he seemed like a shoe-in for this project.Regretfully though, his installment is totally not "Miike"But since you don't know of his work, it should be fine.Whatever the case may be....This ghost tale revolves around 2 Sisters (Sound Familiar?)Both of whom fall in love with their dance instructor.The one sister becomes jealous when she finds the other is intimately involved with the trainer, so naturally she locks her sister in a box to keep her safe. (Sounds Rational)- Loads of artsy atmosphere, gorgeous settings, and enough chills to keep you on ice; but ulimately none of that could save me from the impending confusion, and dare-I-say, boredom that ensued.- Maybe if you've never seen a "Miike" film before you'll enjoy this one, or maybe if you still like "Ringu" you'll get a kick out of it.But for me..........when I order Wheat, I don't want rye.(If you catch my drift)MORAL OF THE STORY:Youth has its priceFame has its priceLove has its priceThese are the 3 Extremes

Overall, this is a great collection for any horror fan, especially any fan of Asian horror, mostly as it covers the range of three large countries in the Asian horror industry: China, Korea, and Japan; as well as three distinct and prominent aspects of the horror genre in general, namely shock, dark humor, and psychology.In my opinion, Box was by far the strongest film, followed by Dumplings, and finally Cut. Perhaps that is my subjection favoring more ambiguous and cerebral psychological horror. Personally, I thought Box had an amazingly intriguing plot and near perfect cinematography and directing with a strong message. It was done in a creepy way that didn't rely on gore, shock, or cheap scares. In my opinion, this one short film is worth the price of the whole DVD. I very much wish Takashi Miike would have made it into a feature-length film as it is among his best. I would award this a 5/5.Dumplings was great too. It succeeded as a great shock movie with an intriguing plot and a great breaking of taboos. I really enjoyed the grotesque nature of the film and found it very unique; it will certainly shock any first-time viewer. I would give this a 4/5.Unfortunately though, I found Cut to be boring, pointless, and overall just a bad story. I doubt my opinion here is particularly biased either, for I do appreciate dark humor a lot, but nevertheless, I found little value in the story itself, and thought the message was poorly presented. Not to mention, the ending didn't really make a whole lot of sense, and not in the intricate, ambiguous kind of way characteristic of Asian horror films (e.g. Box); plainly, it didn't make any sense to me in the context of the story. I would give this film a 2/5 at best.Overall, a great collection, with one weak film, and one amazing film. Of course, that is just my opinion based on my personal taste in horror, and many people may find their opinion differs from mine greatly. Certainly, then, buy this film; it is a must-have for any fan of horror, and any fan of Asian horror will definitely not regret it!

Cut seemed as if it didn't fit into the 3 stories. Both Dumplings and Box had this eerie but beautiful feel about it. But I would recremend skipping the segment of Dumplings in the actual 3 Extremes movie, because you get the full length film of Dumplings on a 2nd dvd in this set. The full length version of Dumplings has so much more information in it, but regardless the short version of Dumplings in the Extremes isn't that bad, it just leaves alot out. So if I were you and wanted some beautiful creepy culture I'd buy this for Dumplings and Box. Box is a movie I'm still trying to get, because the end is a conclusion that you can take in two different ways. But keep in mind Box is as enjoyable as Dumplings. As a matter of a fact, if Cut wasn't included in the films and something else was I'd probably give this a 5 star rating.

Very freaky. Stories! Including actor Tony leung his acting skills are perfection! To say the least you will really like these stories I think!"

This trilogy of shorts comprises Dumplings, Cut and Box.Dumplings indicates the lengths to which human vanity will drive women in an attempt to remain young. The quality of the sound production, precise, delicate and suggestive, together with superb photography make this the best and most coherent of the 3.Cut is either about a disaffected film extra's desire for revenge, or the 2 halves of a director's personality vying for control - either work!Box once more uses beautiful photography and a tragic back story to inform a haunting, with a typically Asian strange ending (I love these!).Nothing like your average Hollywood shockers, enough gore for the 'gorehounds' but no good if you're not prepared to use your brain.

Three excellent stories from three of Asia's foremost directors. Dumpling, Cut & the Box. These short films bring to the fore all that is great about Asian cinema.

For anyone interested in Asian horror films, this film is a must.All three films are excellent, with Dumplings, the pick of the crop.

Thank you

The first story's good, but not too sure about the other two.