Three… Extremes (JP) (limited)
| release date | February 28 2006 |
| studio | Lions Gate Films |
| director | Takashi Miike, Fruit Chan, Park Chan-Wook |
| writer | Haruko Fukushima, Lilian Lee |
| starring | Byung-hun Lee, Hye-jeong Kang, Jung-ah Yum |
| site | threeextremes.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
1 Comments
What an excellent collection of bizarre and brutal short films.
This was almost something of an introduction for me into Asian horror, and a really good way to get my foot in the door. All 3 films display a lot of creative ideas and visuals, and at certain points you WILL cringe.
‘Dumplings’ begins the series with a repulsive, though intriguing, depiction of a woman fighting to regain her youth. By the end all I could do was stare slack-jawed at the screen in disbelief. The final scene of this film will be burned into my memory forever.
Next up is ‘Cut’ which I’ve heard some don’t care for as much as the others. Admitedly, it is rather silly and colourful in contrast to it’s surrounding slow-burner stories, but it was just the energy I needed at this point in the film. The protagonist of this piece is obviously completely insane and very fun to watch, as he teases and tortures his cative victims. Constantly entertaining, very bloody, great centerpiece.
Finally the film closes with ‘Box’. Surprisingly, at first, I was a bit let down by this tale. Not because it’s not a well made short film, but because with Takashi Miike behind the camera one expects nothing but complete madness. But he chooses subtlety this time around and presents a very creepy story of twin circus performers and a freak accident. Softer than I expected from this director, but when placed against most any American horror short this is sure to surprise and disturb.
The whole package is a great hour and a half spent, and a fantastic introduction to some of Asia’s most insane horror talents.
This film was quite surprising to me. I was not expecting to be so repulsed by the first segment but it took me completely off guard and was utterly disgusting. The middle story was the weakest but it still worked in my mind because it balanced out the other two stories by presenting a more violent and bloody tale. The final segment was just as strong as the first but used a more creeping narrative so that you didn’t really know what was going on until the end. This movie was very impressive and has a lot of variety to offer viewers who are looking for a different type of horror.
Very good film, though Park Chan-wook’s Cut was a bit of a let down. Miike’s “Box” on the other hand, was probably one of his finest films.
Three 40 minute thrillers each from renowned Asian filmmakers make up this little goodie.
Dumplings manages to be as disturbing as its plot sounds… and finding that out on your own is half the fun. Don’t read up on this one.
Cut is a well executed thriller that feels unsure of itself from time to time. While aesthetically pleasing and capable of making the viewer cringe when they’re intended to, this story suffers from pacing issues. Though the climax, as could be said with all 3 of the vignettes, will leave a satisfied taste in your mouth.
Box is by far the best of the films. The twist may turn many away, but it is hardly a twist for the sake of having a twist; it says so much about the characters that you thought you knew for the last 30 some odd minutes. Sprinkle some disturbing back story and add a dash of creepy little girls and you’ve got some heavy shit on your hands, son.
The only reason I didn’t give it a 10 was because of Cut. Dumplings and Box were great. Cut, however, wasn’t too great. I really couldn’t get into it when you find out the guy’s motive for doing what he’s doing. It’s just absurd. Outside of that, cut was alright, but I couldn’t get over it. Like skratchy said, Box is amazing! and dumplings is just plain disturbing.
Overall, i loved 3 extremes!
Each film was unique and awesome.
I loved this little trilogy and thought that the films complemented each other really well. Unfortunately, I can no longer find it at my local video store.
Three disturbing but brilliant segments from three amazing Asian directors.
All three films have a very interesting story, a great cast and are beautifully shot. Fruit Chan’s shocking segment is clearly the best, but the Saw-like story from Chan-wook and the bizarre episode from Miike are also absolutely breathtaking.
Asian cinema at its best!
Enjoyed all three. Visually stunning and thought provoking. Dumplings really should have been the last entry. Bai Ling is fantastic.
You know you’ve got somewhat of an instant classic on your hands when your horror anthology has a segment that compels one to say something along the lines of: “I never want to eat, see, and devour a dumpling ever again”. This horror anthology by some top-notch Asian directors is sick, brutal, disturbing, twisted, and a pretty good example of how to make a genre picture such as this work. The film draws horror rather ingeniously. It doesn’t only scare because of gore; it scares out of the horrors of every-day life. And…maybe a little bit of gore too.
Fruit Chan exercises his twisted brilliance with the first of the three segments, “Dumplings”. To me, this is the best segment. The story follows an aging actress in search of re-claiming her good old young self as she starts to meet with a woman who makes special dumplings just for such a problem. However, this woman has a secret ingredient; which is the ingredient which makes these dumplings work their magic. Her secret is just a touch of fetus. Isn’t that grand? I note this as the best segment of the three because, as I said, it makes me never want to eat another dumpling ever again. A sickening, twisted little fantasy; “Dumplings” is original and daring. Ling Bai also gives an exceptionally haunting performance as the crazy dumpling lady.
Park Chan-Wook, director of “Oldboy” (which is an awesome-freaking-movie, see it now), crafts “Cut”. This is the middle child in this anthology; so it might have some problems, as only middle children do. But that doesn’t mean I can’t like it. This story concerns a film/television director as he is kidnapped and psychologically tortured by a madman who has acted as an “extra” in several of the man’s past films. The mad kidnapper intends on cutting off every single one of the man’s wife’s fingers, one-by-one. Yes, he has kidnapped her to. A clever, violent/disturbing, but somewhat moving piece. Well-made on all accounts.
“Box” is the final installment in this anthology, and it is directed by Takashi Miike; king of the creepy (for the most part). A woman has nightmares that she is being buried in a box. As the story goes on, we discover that maybe- just maybe- this isn’t just a dream after all. Good story, some say it’s the best of the three. Manages to hold our interest no matter what it’s doing, and has some admirably bizarre moments/imagery that only a weirdo like me could love.
There aren’t many horror movies out there like this one. It’s one of the best horror anthologies, and I admired everything about it. There’s nothing that you just can’t like about it, to tell the truth. Each story tells its own tale, with the taut direction of each master. This may be new ground for at least one of them, but it’s good to see new faces in new territory from time-to-time.
I was shocked by how well-made this film was. From the opening shots, all the way to the end, the film is beautifully shot, photographed, and even conceived. The imagery is surreal and bizarre; just the way I like it. There’s also some clever writing going on, but you’ll only see it if you can distant yourself from the vomit that may very well be resting somewhere in your stomach. Some will not enjoy this film for its violence, and that’s OK. But any true horror fan should see it. It does not seek to merely provoke out of gore; but also out of real scares. It makes us think about the horror. It makes us bathe in it. And when we’re done absorbing it all, we get to have one last breath. And then the film starts back up again, scaring us like hell. In short, it’s a smart movie; a very smart movie. Not just for its genre, but as a film overall. If you want a good horror anthology, then here’s one to ponder watching. I can’t imagine it being rejected by many, but the question is, will it stick? Perhaps it will, perhaps it won’t. Does it matter? Again, probably not. But what does matter is good horror movies, and the fact that they can still be made. In a world where few of these genre pieces succeed, take the fruit and cherish its beauty and taste. As long as you don’t see it as “bad taste”.
It’s almost impossible to talk about Three Extremes without going through each one individually, because thee short films do not link in any way and are all brilliant stand-alone works. But it’s also important to judge it on an overall experience. Although each film is different, I couldn’t imagine watching one without the other. They some how all feel similar in tone and style, without them feeling all the same too, which is exactly what’s needed for an anthology film. All three films are of such a high standard and it brilliantly showacses the Asian talent on horror.
Dumplings sets the tone for the rest of the series perfectly. It’s not as distinctive in its directing or style as the other two (I’d never heard of Fruit Chan) but nevertheless it tells a rather brilliant story that goes places many film makers wouldn’t dare to go! There are some seriously sick moments that will stay with you for quite a while afterwards and it makes you wonder what sort of sick mind would think this up! Nevertheless it is highly original and very disturbing, which is what good horror is supposed to do. There are some strkingly creepy moments such as when the actress stares at you straight into the eyes. It’s brilliant story-telling. 8/10
Cut could very be my favourite out of the bunch, but I’m really not too sure. It captures Park’s visual flair and style brilliantly with some exhilarating camera shots. I also liked how Cut managed to get a lot done despite it being set mostly in one room. Again it features some striking imagery and some sick decisions in the vein of Saw. Cut was also really quite funny at times and for me I think that the mixture of humour and horror did work in a weird way. The ending however is quite mind-boggling but that’s not to say it’s bad. Let’s not forget the first brilliant 35 minutes or so! It’s incredibly tense and easy on the eyes. I enjoyed Cut a lot! 9/10
Now I can’t work out whether I liked Box even more? Box is definitely the most visually striking of the three and is even more extraordinary as it features very little dialogue. There’s some beautiful scenery such as the beautiful snowy locations and the dark circus tent. Box is also definitely the most confusing of the three. The narrative plays out almost like a puzzle which you must piece together and interpret in your own way. Nevertheless the scenes it does provide are highly atmospheric and sometimes played out in complete silence making them very eerie indeed. I think that you’d get the most out of Box when watching the trilogy again, because you’ll be able to think of things and piece things together that you didn’t before. It’s a beautiful piece of work and is more like art really with its striking surrealism. 9/10
Overall I could very happily watch feature length versions of all three short films and I know that a feature length version of Dumplings is out there! It could be a great introduction to Asian horror for an Asian horror virgin as it shows the great care and quality that goes into their films. They’re all original pieces of work and I’d happily watch them again. This is probably the finest anthology work I’ve ever seen, although some people may find them too bizarre and confusing!