Tai Seng Entertainment DVD


Tired of being abused.


She wasn't a hopeless romantic.


Wondering where this should go.

Amazing Stories, Jin Ao Xun ( AKA: Ma Kam, Gam Ngo Fan, Gam Mo, Kam Ho Fan), Hong Kong, 1994, 93 mins, Wing Artist Entertainment, Region 3
This Hong Kong Horror anthology consisting of 3 stories, is part of the asian speciality mix of horror/fantasy elements with erotic themes. The first story tells of a woman being abused by her husband who bought her only to make him happy and please him. Her brother dies in an accident, but as she cries out for help a mysterious doll aids her. The second segment is a mysterious tale of a young man living in a recluse area as en eremite. He finds a woman and helps her, and they end up falling in love, yet he doesn't know she has a secret involving fangs… Finishing the anthology is a tale of murder and intrigue between a couple owning a restaurant and a sudden intruder who helps the two getting the baby they never could - behind the back of the husband.

This is director Jin Ao Xun's (with the many synonyms) only feature film. He has also worked as an editor on other films, especially worth mentioning is a co-operation with John Woo.

Slow moving and sometimes too focused on the erotic touch rather than pacing the actual stories, this period anthology never reaches any real excitement or intensity, even though it is very well shot in nice scenarios resembling feudal japan. The mix of horror and erotique tends to confuse the viewer, and the category III rating seems to promise too much - of course depending on how you look at such a rating.

2˝ out of 6

- Reviewed by Media Cult