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This movie is a so-called Category-3 film. Don’t worry; I did not know what that meant either.
Category-3 is the collective noun for a relatively recent trend in Japanese and Hong Kong cinema that prides itself on extreme and explicit violence and gore, in what are not necessarily horror- but also Yakuza- or gangster movies. And believe me when I say that you will not want to see whatever is bearing the Category-3 label. In my opinion, people who enjoy this movie (or any other of its kind) are as badly in need of some serious therapy as Michael Jackson is.
In The Netherlands (where I’m from) there is a movie-phenomenon that roughly translates as “Bad Taste Night”. It is a cult-fest featuring movie clips and trailers of the worst that cinema has to offer. Last time I went I saw such gems as “The one armed Boxer versus the Gorilla Kung-Fu Soldiers”, a German sex-education film from the 50’s, and an anthology from the work of Chesty Morgan. It is a night full of really crappy movie-moments, so bad they’re good, and so obscure not even Quentin Tarantino will have heard from them. It is great fun.
The reason this is relevant, is that this title had an introduction by one of BTN’s initiators. That is in fact what made me give it a go. However this cinematic miscarriage has absolutely nothing to do with what makes BTN so amusing. It is racist, sexist, misogynist, full of explicit (sexual) violence and gore that serves no purpose whatsoever, and is completely lacking any kind of irony that would make something so bad still fun to watch. It will gross out any mentally healthy person. The only people actually enjoying this kind of movie would be the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. It would probably be part of Patrick Bateman’s dvd-collection.
I am not even dignifying this with a full-length review, and not just because there is not enough movie to discuss (trust me, there isn’t), but also because the only rational course of action is to issue a warning against this complete piece of crap. I actually resent everybody involved in the making of this film. It is their fault I had to sit through it entirely so I could write about it. This is the first time ever I did not enjoy writing for Choking on Popcorn.
And if reading this (for lack of a better word) review makes you want to go out and see the movie, I strongly suggest you remove yourself from society by checking into a mental hospital and having a doctor tie you down and dope you to the gills. You are bound to be someone who maims pets for entertainment and will inevitably seriously harm yourself or others.
I’d rate this Zero, if I did not think that would be too high a recommendation.
Mariken (69 posts)Legal secretary/traveller. Omnivorous about music (Bach, Henry Rollins, Ella Fitzgerald), movies (Don't Look Now, Shawshank Redemption, Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter), books (Beckett, Palahniuk, Palmen, Pratchett) and shoes (preferably those with more than a 4 inch heel)
10 Comments
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I can tell you didn’t like it…but what I can’t tell is WHY. Your venom is plain…but it seems to have no TARGET. I’m tempted to see this just to find out what’s got you so twitchy about the whole thing. I mean, I’ve seen some truly lousy crap in my day–you’ve read reviews for some of it right here–but this sounds like a new low. Only problem is, I can’t tell from your coverage if it is or not…you’re angry, and that’s great, but I don’t have so much as an inkling of WHY.
Comment by the video store guy — Wed September 14, 2005 @ 4:23I’m sorry I thought I was clear on that (anger not being the best mood for review-writing I guess). I hated it because it was violent, sexist, racist and unsympathetic. It glorified rape and racism and had no irony or cinematic splendor to counter that. Your assesment is in fact spot-on: this film left me feeling angry, sad and in a way, violated.
Comment by mariken — Thu September 15, 2005 @ 23:27Now someone like, for instance, Quentin Tarantino has made lots of explicitly violent films (the ear-scene in Reservoir Dogs comes to mind) but his movies always have some irony and lots of cinematic beauty to them. This one just seems eager to show the most unsympathetic character in movie-historie raping a dying woman and then gloating about it. It’s disgusting.
that’s why…..
I have read several reviews for this movie on sites like mandiapple etc and of course now choking on popcorn. This movie looked interesting to me but if I can’t find a movie on a torrent I usually just give up and don’t watch it.
Your review intrigued me so much I went and ordered this movie off ebay for $11 + $5 shipping and handling brand new on DVD.
Thank you for enforcing my desire to see this movie. You should be a sales person in a movie store.
Comment by Marie — Wed January 11, 2006 @ 1:49Well, hey, if you’re a glutton for punishment, be my guest
Just don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Comment by mariken — Wed January 11, 2006 @ 19:54All kidding aside; when you have seen the film, please write a comment for it. I’ll be interested to know what you think of it.
Hehe I am. If I hate it, it’ll be my own fault. Curiousity killed the cat, no? It’ll probally be a few weeks before I get the movie and get to watch it because I always watch these Category-3 films with a group of friends on our ‘Asian Horror/Gore Flick Night’.
So in about 2-3 weeks when we watch it i’ll definately come tell you what I thought and what they thought of it.
Comment by Marie — Fri January 13, 2006 @ 23:50looking forward to it!
Comment by mariken — Sun January 15, 2006 @ 15:33~~~~~~WARNING CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS~~~~~~
The time of awakening is at hand. For weeks now we have all been waiting for this moment. Finally it has come! Ebola Syndrome! I have to say it was the single most disturbing movie I have ever seen. I’ve seen my fair share of gorey asian movies but this one really took the cake in some places. I watched it with my friend, Melanie (HI!) who is here with me right now.
We were both a bit disturbed by the rape scenes being so close together and so graphic but the gore didn’t bother us, infact being the sickos we are we laughed hysterically. Especially at the part where he minced up his boss and his wife into hamburgers. The movie was lacking some in the beginning but once it got into the last 20-30 minutes or so it got pretty good in our opinion. We especially liked the ending best when the cops are pursueing the main character, Kai through the streets while he spits and screams at passerbys.
In your review I can see why you didn’t enjoy the rape scenes in the movie, who would? But I think this movie does have the irony in which you said there was none of. I thought it was ironic everyone bullied him around through out the movie and also that in the end, the only person he ever really cared about ended up dieing because of him. Even though he was crazed he was concerned for Har when she fell to the ground and began convulsing.
Isn’t it enough the guy got set on fire and then shot about ten times consecutively? Seems like in the end he got his just reward.
Now my friend Melanie wants to add something so from here on out it’s Melanie’s corner!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MELANIE’S CORNER~~~~~~~~~~~
I must say, despite the fact that the rape scenes were absolutly mortifying, this movie has to be top on the charts for really gruesome deaths, which is always a plus. A favorite of mine is when he wedged the table into his boss’s wife’s neck. The sound effects in this movie really added to the gore *squelch*
The best part of this movie is when after he was set on fire, he continued to run through the streets, spitting at people and yelling ebola, along with now setting everything on fire
I must say, if I was a super villian, I’d wish to have to powers of ebola, so I could yell:
BULLY ME???
*spits*
EBOLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your time
Comment by Marie — Sun January 29, 2006 @ 0:14Good to hear, at least somebody got some enjoyment out of this film.
Comment by mariken — Thu February 2, 2006 @ 23:39May I recommend: Man bites Dog (french title: C’est arrive pres de chez vous) for your next movie adventure? A review can be found on this site, and it is a movie I loved a lot. To me that film has everything I found so very much lacking in “Ebola”.
But as your comment shows, mine is really just one opinion, and by no means the definitive one. Chacun a son Gout, I guess….
Прикольный блог, вообще здорово что это обсуждается.
Comment by порно видео — Fri April 9, 2010 @ 15:37отлично..жаль что сайт в iPhone не отображается
Comment by iphone4 — Wed June 16, 2010 @ 20:15