If good horror reflects the deepest fears and mores of a society, then Hong Kong must have been terrified of being eaten in the 1990s.
In 1993, John Woo’s Killer/Hard Boiled stars, Danny Lee and Anthony Wong teamed up with Director Herman Yau (Shock Wave) to produce The Untold Story, one of the most notorious Cat III* films to emanate out of Hong Kong.
The story-line is loosely based on the story of The Eight Immortals Restaurant: In 1978 Hong Kong, a grisly murder takes place. Eight years later, on a Macao beach, kids discover the severed hands of a fresh victim. A squadron of coarse, happy-go-lucky cops investigate, and suspicion falls on Wong Chi Hang, the new owner of Eight Immortals Restaurant, which serves delicious pork bun.
The hands belong to the missing mother of the restaurant’s former owner; he and his family have disappeared and staff at the restaurant continue to go missing. Wong can’t produce a signed bill of sale: but there’s no evidence against him. The police arrest Wong and try to torture him into a confession. Can they make him talk? And what was in those pork buns?
Written by and starring Danny Lee (John Woo’s The Killer, City on Fire) and Anthony Wong (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, John Woo’s Hard Boiled). Anthony Wong won The Hong Kong Best Actor Award for this role in The Untold Story.
The DVD version of the film boasts some wonderful extras. Included are:
- Category III: The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation Cinema directed by Calum Waddell
- An interview by Rick Baker
- Commentary by Herman Yau
- Commentary with Anthony Wong
Comedic, intense and downright unforgivable, The Untold Story is truly a masterpiece of horror cinema that once seen, can never be forgotten.
- *Category 3 films are defined by The Hong Kong Motion Picture Rating System as: No persons younger than 18 years of age are permitted to rent, purchase, or watch this film in the cinema. Category 3 films are the equivalent of the MPAA’s NC-17.
“Of the many, many Cat III works released, probably the most infamous is Herman Yau’s “The Untold Story” from 1993. Despite its restrictive rating, it went on to be a hit at the box office and earned lead actor Anthony Wong a Best Actor nomination and his first win at the Hong Kong Film Awards, before going on its way to become a notorious cult classic.” – Asian Movie Pulse
1993 / Cult Horror / 96 minutes / Mandarin w/English subtitles / A film by Herman Yau
HOW TO ORDER:
Public Performance and Digital Site Licenses are available through Soundview Media Partners. To inquire or to place an order, write to info@soundviewmediapartners.com or simply choose from the options below:
For group screening prices, please inquire.
In-home/personal use copies are available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kd569v
Watch the trailer