The Untold Story - Revisited

Director(s) - Danny Lee (Legend of the Dragon, Dr. Lamb) and Herman Yau (Kung Fu Angels, Voodoo)

Starring - Anthony Chau-Sang Wong (Ebola Syndrome, Beast Cops), Danny Lee, and Emily Kwan (Golden Brother, Horror Trip)

Release Date - 1993

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Based, unfortunately, on real events..."

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Five years ago I was gifted a copy of the 1993 Chinese horror film The Untold Story, aka The Eight Immortals Restaurant.    I fucking loved the movie but I never had the time to revisit it.  Sometime back Unearthed Films announced that they would be releasing the film on blu.  My DVD was an awesome release but I'm not above upgrading films that I really enjoy.  I reached out to MVD and they were more than happy enough to send a review copy my way.  I want to thank MVD and Unearthed for sending this gorgeous release over.  I'm beyond happy that I was able to revisit this bloody masterpiece.

     The film begins with two men fighting over mahjong and one of the men dies at the hands of the other. We then jump forward and that same man is now running a very popular restaurant. The police have been getting letters from a man in Hong Kong asking them to find his brother who went missing some time ago. That man was once the owner of The Eight Immortals Restaurant but is now missing. The police start doing some investigating and learn that the place was never sold and that the missing man still owns it. They question the owner and he claims it was purchased legally. When the police leave he tries to skip town but they catch him and arrest him. They beat the shit out of him trying to get the answers they want to hear but the man is one tough cookie. He does not break so they toss him in prison with the real owner's other brother. They beat the shit out of him some more and slowly wear him down until he finally confesses to murdering him and his entire family including 4 children and feeding all his victims to his customers. The police think they have him but before they can convict him he kills himself in his cell. 

     A lot of the extreme horror fans praise this film which is a bit confusing to me.  Most of these fans drool over movies like A Serbian Film, Vomit Gore, and other weird arthouse flicks that border the line between creativity and fetishism.  However, The Untold story is a bit bloody but it's nowhere near as extreme as most of the movies these fans clammer over.  Regardless, I'm glad they enjoy this one as much as they do because Unearthed would have never released this one if they didn't.  The acting in this one is so good but a little uneven.  I love the cast and the wide array of characters.  Most of the characters are serious in tone but fit the film.  However, there is a few characters that offer up some comedic performances.  I never noticed this the first viewing of the film but I really like the contrast between these characters and the others.  It doesn't drag the film now as much as you would think because these characters do turn serious when the film calls for it.  The story for this one is a dark drama with some horror elements scattered throughout.  If you are looking for a traditional horror film you will be a little disappointed.  However, fans of films that flows like true crime bio-drama will really enjoy this with the horror and blood as an added bonus.  I love the simple story and how it unfolds.  It doesn't waste the viewer's time and works very well.  Finally, the film has a lot of blood and a bunch of practical effects.  The kills are nothing we haven't seen before but some of the victims makes the kills hit harder.  Especially if you are a parent.  Overall, The Untold Story is a must for horror fans.  The cast and the story is amazing and this release from Unearthed is absolutely fantastic.  I highly recommend adding this one to you collection.  It's a must have.