Three Extremes: Disk One - Netflix
OK, first off apologies for not writing since the Dead Channels film festival in S.F. I know, I know. I am a bad person. Clearly there have been many, many films since then and unless you have been following me around S.F. and/or camping out in my living room you have absolutely no idea what I have been watching and what is good. This is about to change.
Bruce Fletcher (Founder of Dead Channels Film Festival of S.F. and past Director of Programming for S.F. Indie Fest and Another Hole in The Head Film Festival) We were talking about my lazy mans approach to blogging. According to Bruce it's time to blog after every film I see. Lord. I see a lot of films in a given year. According to Bruce they need not be epic words of prose, but simply a good list of what's good, what's bad and what's really ugly out there. A few words. A snippet here and there on what is so amazing you should call in sick, camp out on the couch and dive on in! I can do that. Here is the first in s series of film writing from screenings that take place in my living room.
Three Extreme:Disk One - Netflix
OK, I'll be honest. It got late and after a while I found I was no longer reading the subtitles, thinking I would just listen to the dialogue. The dialogue in the second film was, in fact, in Korean. This is a language I know only three words in and soon I was sleeping. Not a reflection of the film, really. I get tired. I fall asleep on the couch. It happens.
Now, the first film? Ahhhhh.... this one is amazing. Sadly there is a caveat right up front. I don't know what happened here, but I first saw the US premiere of this film in the East Bay several years ago. I *was* a feature length film. I can only hope the unedited version exists somewhere. The version that I watched last night on the "Three Extremes" disk was only 38 minutes long. This is a real shame. Trust me. You want to see the full feature if you can find it.
So, the film is "Dumplings" by Fruit Chan. OK, this is not going to blow the film for you. The gist of it? The meat of the film? Fetus. Dumplings are made with human fetus and served up fresh in a loving array of styles that offer a nod and wink to the food channel gone horribly wrong. This is one really whacked concept and starring Bai Ling as "my own best advertisement." Meaning? Well, she is hot as hell and young. The people who seek her expensive dumplings are middle aged women looking for the fountain of youth. She claims to be eating these cannibal dumplings and is looking like a sexy and youth filled treat herself.
Do, I have more to say on this one? Sure. First off do what ever it takes to find the un-cut original version. It is a crying shame that they edited this down to 38 minutes so that it fits in the "Three Extremes" disk. Shame on them. The bastards. It really needs to be seen in the non-edited version. There is so much hilarious behinds the scenes stuff and general madness and mayhem that goes on in "Dumplings" that you really, really don't want to miss. Still, I watched this last night and was wishing several of my demented film fan friends were with me. Really, you want to see this. (if you have a strong stomach) A disturbing jaunt, but with outstanding acting, directing and cinematography. This is excellent film. Even the abbreviated version is well worth a viewing.
Drop the "Three Extremes" into your Netlix que. Oh, I guess I haven't told you much about the other "Two Extremes" in this series. Well, give me a chance. I'll get to it and will update this blog shortly.
Bruce Fletcher (Founder of Dead Channels Film Festival of S.F. and past Director of Programming for S.F. Indie Fest and Another Hole in The Head Film Festival) We were talking about my lazy mans approach to blogging. According to Bruce it's time to blog after every film I see. Lord. I see a lot of films in a given year. According to Bruce they need not be epic words of prose, but simply a good list of what's good, what's bad and what's really ugly out there. A few words. A snippet here and there on what is so amazing you should call in sick, camp out on the couch and dive on in! I can do that. Here is the first in s series of film writing from screenings that take place in my living room.
Three Extreme:Disk One - Netflix
OK, I'll be honest. It got late and after a while I found I was no longer reading the subtitles, thinking I would just listen to the dialogue. The dialogue in the second film was, in fact, in Korean. This is a language I know only three words in and soon I was sleeping. Not a reflection of the film, really. I get tired. I fall asleep on the couch. It happens.
Now, the first film? Ahhhhh.... this one is amazing. Sadly there is a caveat right up front. I don't know what happened here, but I first saw the US premiere of this film in the East Bay several years ago. I *was* a feature length film. I can only hope the unedited version exists somewhere. The version that I watched last night on the "Three Extremes" disk was only 38 minutes long. This is a real shame. Trust me. You want to see the full feature if you can find it.
So, the film is "Dumplings" by Fruit Chan. OK, this is not going to blow the film for you. The gist of it? The meat of the film? Fetus. Dumplings are made with human fetus and served up fresh in a loving array of styles that offer a nod and wink to the food channel gone horribly wrong. This is one really whacked concept and starring Bai Ling as "my own best advertisement." Meaning? Well, she is hot as hell and young. The people who seek her expensive dumplings are middle aged women looking for the fountain of youth. She claims to be eating these cannibal dumplings and is looking like a sexy and youth filled treat herself.
Do, I have more to say on this one? Sure. First off do what ever it takes to find the un-cut original version. It is a crying shame that they edited this down to 38 minutes so that it fits in the "Three Extremes" disk. Shame on them. The bastards. It really needs to be seen in the non-edited version. There is so much hilarious behinds the scenes stuff and general madness and mayhem that goes on in "Dumplings" that you really, really don't want to miss. Still, I watched this last night and was wishing several of my demented film fan friends were with me. Really, you want to see this. (if you have a strong stomach) A disturbing jaunt, but with outstanding acting, directing and cinematography. This is excellent film. Even the abbreviated version is well worth a viewing.
Drop the "Three Extremes" into your Netlix que. Oh, I guess I haven't told you much about the other "Two Extremes" in this series. Well, give me a chance. I'll get to it and will update this blog shortly.
posted by skurko at 12:03 PM
6 Comments:
Was there a "Disk Two"? >:)
there was not a disk 2. according to netflix, "all films are included in disk 1." so, why call it a disk 1? it is a mystery. for that matter they could call all of their films 'disk 1' and really make things confusing.... ;-)
The reason I ask, is that the deluxe edition of Three Extremes (from Lion's Gate) does have a second disk, which contains the full-length version of 'Dumplings.' I thought perhaps you had overlooked it, but now it sounds like NetFlix is playing games.
wow. i had no idea there was access for the "full-length" version. you are an ace. i want to get my hands on a copy at some point. i was really unhappy to see the short version....
Yes, I am. :D
So did you watch the other two extremes, or what?
ummm... well, i don't recall them. so, *if* i did see them they weren't worth another view. or, perhaps I didn't see them. ya, know. now that i think about it. i was tired. i never saw them and, being netflix, i popped them back in the post. one of them was a takashi miike. so, it must be worthy of a viewing...
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