KENNETH'S REVIEW: Lam Wah-Chuen searched and found his true calling as a cinematographer for the likes of Fruit Chan and Wilson Yip but before he even made his indie favourite The Runaway Pistol together with directing friends, the Category III label was calling earlier. It was answered tenfold via The Beauty's Evil Roses, a smorgasbord of bad filmmaking but joyous, wild sights only possible from the mind of an Asian filmmaker. While we endure the puzzling, random scenes pasted after each other during the opening reel and the character-relations within it, Lam makes us ask the question of how much sex you can cram into a boring movie. Answer is A LOT but when "focusing" on the missing girls plot leading to the evil sex sect with alien monsters shooting out of women's mouths, the blender has done its thing and the bits left are totally desirable. Creative visual solutions, bundles of black magic, taoist priests and a suitable subtitle job, perhaps this flick remains a logical stepping stone for Lam Wah-Chuen after all? With Alex Fong... in the background.

Kent Cheng wrote and produced this pleasing comedy detailing one of the Hong Kong inhabitants most beloved gambling form. The only legalized one: horse racing. Mark (Lau Ching Wan) together with brother Hark (Michael Chow) and friend Bowie (Bowie Lam) are all gambling addicts and the stakes are getting particularly high for Mark. Finding it hard to balance his love for gambling and love for his fiancee May (an always radiant Wu Chien-Lien), a hard loss forces him to make a living the slow way...

Engaging stars and an easy going pace by director Billy Chan makes Beginner's Luck a very engaging piece plus it doesn't challenge us with complex lessons either. It's all done in a cinematic world where all will turn out perfect by the end but being well-meaning in intent prevents most pitfalls on the horizon. Although referenced throughout, the late Bill Tung doesn't appear in the film in his real life occupation as a horse racing commentator. Kent Cheng (as a character named after comedian Stephen Chow Sing Chi for no apparent reason), Lau Shun, Angelica Lo and Teresa Ha also appear.

Buy the VCD at:
HK Flix.com
Yesasia.com

This low-budget Taiwanese new wave Wuxia represents Jimmy Wang Yu's to date last on screen appearance, old enough in 1994 to play an elder sifu. Presented on Scholar's Taiwan dvd in its original 2 hour length (Hong Kong release had 20 minutes removed), it's clear director Ding Sin-Saai (The Story of Dr. Sun Yat Sen) has a few things he wants to combine with the excess. With Wang Yu's Executioner Ren having to battle back against the demons of those he executed, the running time allows for characters to stop a little, ponder real life and what just went on. This is as a concept welcome but pace is for the first hour not exactly tight.

Nowhere near the manic pace of productions of this era from Hong Kong, emphasis eventually leans towards the "special" effects rather than the high flying wire enhanced fights. Having set up characters as it turns out efficiently enough for the wild second half, The Beheaded 1000 reveals its charms here. Especially a long sequence with Wang Yu dodging obstacle after obstacle during his confrontation with the dead has some trademark ventures into the bizarre that you would only find in a movie of this sort. You'll get to see a Gremlin like creature, multiple beheadings, ghosts ripping their fellow ghost's intestines out and so it goes. As poor as special effects and especially animated ones are from this era usually are, The Beheaded 1000 possesses some quite extraordinarily ropey ones. Literally ropey as underneath all colours, not much can hide the Ed Wood-esque execution of certain elements. You do know the filmmakers are aiming for a dramatic narrative but as failed as that facet becomes, you'd gladly choose the grade moderately charming when it comes to summing up the hokey experience. The future Image dvd will get its chance to prove how Hong Kong wanted Ding Sin-Saai's vision to look and feel. I wouldn't mind too much if they actually got rid of the character driven bits as they make little to none impression. Also starring Chin Siu-Ho, Joey Wong, Pauline Wong and Wu Ma.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com

After Lyon is raped by a group of illegal car dealers (shortage of rapists in Category III movies is never an issue), she's diagnosed with venereal disease and subsequently kills herself. Left is ex-boyfriend and cop Chin (Alex Fong) and Wella (Pauline Chan) to pick up the pieces and revenge. Chin doesn't get much done his way so Wella poses as a hostess to lure the gang out...

While one of the opening scenes looks like a club setting that is in fact just an ordinary room, Behind The Pink Door is still laughably cheap. It's certainly dark and depressing but created more with an eye for Z-grade TV melodrama with very low class erotica to go with it. True, there's little tenderness and more viciousness intended whenever flesh is introduced but the film works better as the amateur work it is as the laughs are plenty. Especially one brilliant scene containing the subtitle "I'll fight VD with VD!" and a sex-session where our main bad guy (Dennis Tang) keeps his pants on all throughout the acrobatic act. I don't want to go into the technicalities of it all. Elements like excessive sweat on characters after very poorly done sex scenes continues to amuse but the crucial reel of revenge doesn't engage. The repulsive button the filmmakers easily push but there's no shameless movie to go along with it. Alex Fong in his dorky, bad acting-phase barely appears during this last section.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com
Yesasia.com

Sparks rarely fly in this cheap comedy about an ex-cop turned conman (Alex Man) who cheats a number of bumbling, bored cops. The chief among them (Paul Chun, most absorbing performer in the film) is the sole one raising suspicions, culminating in a partially outrageous card game that somehow squeezes in a urine joke that you don't see every day. Jacky Cheung plays an informant and drug-addict whose knowledge of the conmans past doesn't get taken seriously. Also with Elaine Kam.

At times a wild, off-beat screwball satire about rivaling insurance agents but director Rico Cheung can only go a bit beyond his initial concept and the comedy quickly takes on worn proportions (the dvd cover simply promises a lot more wicked fun). Spicing it up with Category III rated material such as softcore sex and rape further spells a desperation and the lead cast in the form of Mark Cheng and Ivy Leung doesn't help either. The late James Wong however is very funny as a completely mad insurance agent. Also with Kelvin Wong, Dick Lau and Sai Gwa Paau.

Buy the DVD at:
HK Flix.com