The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story Blu-ray Review
Score: 62
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
A slightly cartoonish yet dark and grisly Hong Kong thriller with disturbing content and notable performances, complemented by a solid supplementary package.
Disc Release Date
Video: 62
The Untold Story on Blu-ray features a variable 1080p 1.78:1 AVC encoded transfer with notable detail and a well-resolved grain field, though it fluctuates in clarity and color temperature. Some scenes exhibit a milky haze, while overall maintaining a solid, organic look reflective of its 35mm roots.
Audio: 67
"The Untold Story presents adequately serviceable audio tracks in LPCM 2.0 Mono for both Cantonese and Mandarin, though typical dubbing issues affect sync. Fidelity is sufficient, with dialogue, effects, and score supported well. Optional English subtitles are available.
Extra: 67
The Blu Ray of 'The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story' excels in its comprehensive exploration of Category III Hong Kong exploitation cinema with insightful interviews, multiple commentaries, an extensive documentary by Calum Waddell, and a robust array of bonus features, making it an essential release for genre enthusiasts.
Movie: 57
The Untold Story is a notorious Category III film from Hong Kong, merging bleak humor with extreme violence and graphic storytelling, based on true events, and anchored by Anthony Wong's vivid performance as a demented restaurant owner; the Blu-Ray includes a fascinating documentary on Hong Kong exploitation cinema.
Video: 62
Unearthed Classics and MVD Visual present "The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story" on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. This presentation displays variable image quality, with moments of substantial detail and a well-resolved grain field, albeit occasionally marred by splotchy grain and fluctuating color temperatures. Color rendition is generally vivid, although there are instances of boosted brightness, resulting in a milky haze overlay (notably in screenshot 13). Despite some rough patches, the transfer often delivers a solid, organic appearance with impressive detail.
The cinematography by Yau is functional but unremarkable, captured through a mostly solid 35mm film transfer that avoids excessive filtering or sharpening. The film elements are nearly pristine, but issues such as uneven shadow delineation and color intensity persist. The 1.78:1 presentation excels in detail within the constraints of the film's budget, though it does not achieve razor-sharp definition throughout. Nonetheless, the main feature, rendered on a BD-50 with an average bitrate of 30 Mbps, ensures that the unfiltered grain structure is faithfully reproduced. While it may not reach the highest videophile standards, "The Untold Story" offers a visually presentable and authentic Blu-ray experience.
Audio: 67
The audio presentation of "The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story" on Blu Ray offers either Cantonese or Mandarin tracks in LPCM 2.0 Mono. Both tracks are typical of Hong Kong productions from the era, with substantial dubbing and some noticeable sync issues. Nevertheless, the dialog, sound effects, and musical score are satisfactorily supported by the audio design. Optional English subtitles are provided, ensuring accessibility for non-native speakers.
Unearthed Films has retained the original monaural soundtracks in 2.0 PCM for both the Cantonese and Mandarin versions. The dialogue, often dubbed, reflects the budget constraints typical of the time but remains serviceable, if somewhat crude by modern standards. There are no major fidelity issues, although listeners may notice a basic audio quality typical of period-specific Hong Kong cinema. Optional English subtitles are offered in a yellow font for ease of reading.
Overall, while the audio tracks are not cutting-edge, they provide an authentic experience consistent with the original production quality and era, ensuring dialogue and sound effects are adequately presented without significant fidelity concerns.
Extra: 67
Unearthed Films delivers a compelling and thorough set of extras in this special edition Blu-ray release of "The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story". This package is built for enthusiasts of Hong Kong's Category III cinema, featuring a robust and detailed documentary on the genre, multiple commentaries, and exclusive interviews. The highlight, "Category III: The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation Cinema", provides an in-depth look at the rise and impact of Category III films, enriched with numerous clips and expert insights. The set also includes an interview with Rick Baker, enlightening commentaries, and a collection of trailers that offer additional context and appreciation for the film and its genre.
Extras included in this disc:
- Category III: The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation Cinema: A feature-length documentary on Category III films.
- Cantonese Carnage: An interview with Rick Baker on early Hong Kong filmmaking.
- Q & A with Herman Yau.
- Commentary with Anthony Wong.
- Commentary with Herman Yau.
- Audio Commentary by Art Ettinger and Bruce Holecheck.
- Isolated Film Score.
- Trailers: Includes two trailers for "The Untold Story" and others from Unearthed Films and MVD Visual.
Movie: 57
"The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story," directed by Herman Yau and starring Anthony Wong, represents a cornerstone in Hong Kong's Category III exploitation cinema. Known for its Category III rating—Hong Kong's equivalent of an NC-17 designation—the movie draws inspiration from a gruesome true crime story that blends stark, brutal violence with a touch of dark humor. The plot revolves around Wong Chi-hang (Anthony Wong), a bespectacled, seemingly unassuming restaurant owner who is revealed to be a merciless killer, using his victims to create the infamous pork buns his eatery is known for.
Anthony Wong delivers an award-winning performance, portraying Wong Chi-hang with disturbing intensity. Whether committing grisly murders or engaging in a horrifying sexual assault, Wong's portrayal adds layers of complexity to his character. The film is punctuated with moments of bleak humor, epitomized by Wong's early scene of bludgeoning a man with a frying pan before setting him on fire. However, this humor is secondary to the movie's primary focus: graphic and unsettling violence. Yau was mindful of pacing the gore, ensuring that while audiences were horrified, they weren’t completely desensitized.
The film takes significant creative liberties with its source material, the true story of a murder spree at the Eight Immortals Restaurant in Macau, infusing raw and gory filmmaking that pushes audience boundaries. The disjointed tone—oscillating between outrageous horror and grim comedy—renders "The Untold Story" unique and memorable. The film’s unrelenting gruesome imagery, combined with moments of black humor and stark bleakness, marks it as one of the most notorious Category III films from Hong Kong's cinematic history. This is not a film for the faint-hearted, but rather a visceral experience that showcases some of Hong Kong's most extreme ’90s exploitation film elements.
Total: 62
Review Summary
“The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story” Blu-ray release delivers a fascinatingly dark, grisly thriller emerging from Hong Kong's early exploitation scene. The film intermingles brutal gore with a macabre sense of humor that may not be for the faint-hearted. Wong's performance is commendable, bringing depth to a character unfolding in this intense narrative, although the movie's slightly cartoonish tone may detract for purists who prefer unadulterated horror without comedic undertones.
The video quality is a mixed bag, featuring some rough moments that reveal the film's age and original production limitations. Despite these imperfections, the audio quality holds steady, providing a solid sound experience that complements the chaotic visuals. Accompanying the primary content are well-conceived supplementary materials, particularly a standout documentary that offers valuable insights into the film's production and legacy.
Conclusion
Ultimately, "The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story" earns its reputation, though it may not live up to being the single most notorious Category III film ever made. It achieves a competent balance between horror and dark comedy, making it an engaging watch for enthusiasts. The supplementary package solidifies its value, ensuring that fans of the genre and film will find plenty to appreciate in this release.
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 70
Clarity can ebb and flow, especially when masked by at times rather splotchy looking grain (in the rougher moments), and there are also some fluctuations in color temperature, though quite often the palette...
Audio: 80
Other than the spoken languages, I didn't hear huge variances in the tracks, and as with many other Hong Kong productions, it appears that no matter which language you choose, you'll get dubbing for at...
Extras: 80
Category III: The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation Cinema (1080p; 1:23:10) is a really well done overview of Category III films, but also other exploitation efforts that some of the experts here...
Movie: 60
The film takes the basic underlying story of the actual killings, which were due at least in part to some gambling debts, and then elaborates on it, perhaps significantly, giving Wong the chance to go...
Total: 70
Wong (the actor) gives a great performance, but the film may be slightly too cartoonish for those who want their horror straight, with no comedic chaser....
DoBlu review by Christopher ZabelRead review here
Video: 60
The film elements are nearly pristine, though shadow delineation and color intensity are uneven....
Audio: 60
Unearthed includes both the original Cantonese and Mandarin monaural soundtracks in 2.0 PCM....
Extras: 100
The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation Cinema (83:10 in HD; 2.0 PCM) –Directed by renowned exploitation expert Calum Waddell, this 2018 feature-length documentary covers the rise of Hong Kong’s exploitation...
Movie: 80
Bleak, violent and made with a dark sense of humor, The Untold Story is supposedly based on true events....
Total: 75
A dark, grisly thriller from Hong Kong’s early exploitation scene that combines brutal gore with a nasty sense of humor....
Director: Danny Lee, Herman Yau
Actors: Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Danny Lee, Emily Kwan
PlotThe film begins with the discovery of decomposed body parts washing ashore in Macau, prompting an investigation led by tenacious police officer Lee. The clues lead the authorities to "The Eight Immortals Restaurant," operated by the disturbingly eccentric owner Wong Chi Hang. As the police delve into Wong's unsettling past and strange behavior, they uncover a series of mysterious disappearances connected to the restaurant. Evidence points to the possibility that Wong may be engaged in sinister activities far beyond his public persona as a quirky restauranteur. Officer Lee becomes convinced that Wong's peculiar demeanor hides a terrifying secret, driving the investigation forward.
Simultaneously, flashbacks reveal Wong's chilling descent into madness and violence, amplifying the suspense and painting a horrifying picture of what might have happened to the missing individuals. As the tension escalates, the narrative exposes Wong’s sinister tactics, creating a foreboding atmosphere that entraps both the characters and the audience in a web of horror and mystery. The slow, methodical pace of the investigation contrasts sharply with the brutal acts depicted in Wong's past, creating a disturbing juxtaposition that raises pressing questions about human nature and evil. The story twists into dark territories, promising a relentless conclusion that merges mystery with ghastly revelations.
Writers: Wing-Kin Lau, Kam-Fai Law
Release Date: 13 May 1993
Runtime: 96 min
Rating: Unrated
Country: Hong Kong
Language: English, Cantonese