Have you ever had the feeling that, despite your best efforts, you have been stuck watching an edited copy of a film? I know I have. The most recent example of this occurred when I watched Chin-Ku Lu's The Holy Virgin vs. the Evil Dead, a Category III Hong Kong supernatural martial arts film. I kept hearing how this film was notorious for its graphic violence and eroticism, but I didn't see any content that would have earned the film anything more than an 'R' rating here in the States. My copy of the film had a run-time that was only a few minutes shorter than the official Hong Kong version, but that's normal for imported films, particularly those of an exploitative nature. So I'm not sure if I got the complete cut or a slightly edited version. Whatever the case, The Holy Virgin vs. the Evil Dead (and no, I will never get tired of typing that title) is a study in mediocre Hong Kong genre filmmaking. After five young female students are brutally dismembered by an evil spirit with green eyes, their teacher is thrown in jail as the primary suspect. However, it is soon discovered that the true culprit, the aforementioned fellow with the green eyes, is a Cambodian Moon Monster seeking to conquer the world. Somehow his plans for world domination includes raping and murdering many young women, but it's never made very clear how. Leading the assault against the Moon Monster is Princess White of the Cambodian Wind Tribe, a warrior possessing a magical sword that is the key to his defeat. The film contains a lot of great, cheesy special effects and wire-work, but it's ultimately hampered by its occasionally incoherent narrative. If I did watch an edited copy, then I hope that the original cut was better.
5/10
0 Yorumlar