Portrait In Crystal

[bubbabgone]

For gore and nudity lovers, this scene alone is worth the price of the dvd.

Oh crap.

That's one for the + column.

Somehow I always knew I'd end up getting this.

I'm so weak it's embarrassing.

[Guest jmungus]

so ive finally watched this one as well and wow im havin a hard time comprehending how (some) of u would come to your respective impressions and conclusions.

heres my take in a nutshell first:

-typical hua shan staging, pacing and shooting of scenes.

-script with no substance nor soul. hardly any character development whatsoever

-sloppy, careless production overall that fails to involve or enchant

-pai piao`s lead character has the personality and aura usually associated with some "3rd fiddle main guy" in shaw movies that are actually hot.

-total focus on the action elements + short running time = a diverting, mindless quickie

"Mainly a horror movie. That part is done well."

not a horror-wuxia flick at all in my book. 'medium level gloomy' fantasy wuxia action-adventure with some extra-graphic scenes for good measure is what i`d call it.

yes there are elements of the horror genre; not used effectively to a degree that`d give me the impression of anything remotely 'horror' (as in the genre of horror).

*late insertion: i stand by what i wrote, but on 2nd thought, it comes off too strong, doing the horror aspects of the movie (a little) injustice- the 'net-torture' and a handful of semi-nicely gory/shocking moments (like the 'head-pierced-chick' scene) for instance.

"Yes, there is undercranked action. It's in the sfx, flying, quick cut, wu xia vein. It is incoherently done. There is no smoothness or sense of thought in it it seems."

one could get that impression, yes. from the little bit of studying hua shans style of directing i did, i`d claim this way of handling the action to be his own, his vision of how frantic action should look if u will.

imo its a "part incoherent, part legit new wave approach" to the action (cutting room action topping the on-screen action)

just as hua shan did it in little dragon maiden (only much better there). i dont know his "usurpers..." movie from the same year, but my magic crystal ball tells me, the action will be "part incoherent, part legit new wave approach"

"What if I happen to think the mid-70's - mid 80's is the Shaw golden decade ... but I don't particularly like overdone hopping ghosts, corpses riding dollies across the set, laser shooting fingers, or guys riding big winged creatures of no identifiable species.

But most of all, will there be enough action in this film for humble folk with simple tastes like me"

if i were to write one of those "people who bought/liked this title also bought/dug...."-comments for an online shop, i`d name titles like demon of the lute, descendants of the sun, little dragon maiden, holy flame of the martial world, bat without wings, battle wizard, return of the sentimental swordsman, web of death, black lizard.

with the exception of descendants, its INFERIOR to any of the movies mentioned above.

"Not bad at all. If you're hesitating, take a chance."

now that ive watched portrait, i cant believe these words are comin out of ivy ling po`s mouth (keyboard) lol.

"I like Pai Piao in this one and I normally don't like him."

i do like pai piao, but i fail to understand why u liked him in this particular one of all movies.

my rating is 5.7/10 - it does entertain to some degree but it doesnt satisfy.

[Guest vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

I think so. There are certain films worthy of intense debate and then there are the just for fun films. This is one of the just for fun flicks that are not written to be taken seriously at all. Everybody had valid points, especially Bkarza with the director shot scenes that just because he could if he felt like attempting an eye candy sort of film. Ivy, your onto something as well, the nudity is very sensual and the shot of her face so intentionally dark and eerie, very evil looking scene. Pai Piao was not so bad here either (in fact it's very hard to make this guy look silly anyway, like Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, or Ku Feng), though as Bkarza also pointed out his side kick was absolutely unnecessary, as were a great many scenes in this film, but that dosen't mean this film is anywhere's near unworthy of buying. There are a few other leads in the film, villians and villianess', who basically save they charisma of the film and live up to there titles. Yes, there is no story, only bare, scraping of a plot, and the first 37 mins or so nothing makes any intentional sense, but then we come to Phantom Island, Du Sha's pad. All of the sudden there is real acting, thoughtful dialogue -finally- and the story attracts some level of interest.

WOW!!! THE GORE... Somewhat early in the film a poor individual is unfornunate enough to have been poisoned by a particular venom (I forget the name) resulting in a fatal explosion of the stomach. We're talkin alot of blood here and it dosen't end there. This stomach exploding happens at least once or twice more and then you have a few of the gore scenes mentioned previously, the head injury to the girl, dismemberments, and so on, all very bloody and pretty well executed considering the weak spots in the film.

peringaten, considering your very forgiving nature with Shaws sometimes extreme inconsistencies in quality, I'm very surprised you hate the film so much. Especially after the first, admittedly terrible, 37 mins.

The dialogue is certaintly atrocious, but Shaws eng. translations never really helped in this department anyway, IMHO. Though even in this realm there is redemption, short true, but very sweet. Just before Pai Piao has his final battle in the film, the brother who we find is behind all of this absurdity, makes an excellent and memorable statement to Pai Piao when questioned as to how he could be so ruthless, "I.. can fail the world, but no-one can fail me!" Narcissism at it's very heights. Then he goes on vainly attempting what he (the villian) considers justification for his treachery, "Without despotism how could there be truth." Considering the idiotic dialogue throughout much of the first half of the film, these are choice morsels.

There are at least two fighting scenes that -I thought anyway- were very well done. When Pai Piao rescues the naked chic being tortured, (the villians sister?) :b This scene appraoches Human Lanterns quality in sadistic cruelty. This same set was very atmospheric with the fighting going on in front of the naked prisoner. The choreographing for that fight was very well done too. Last but not least, the last fight in the film is extremely well choreographed, and was a pleasure to rewind at least three or four times.

Anyone who collects Shaw Brothers martial arts and swordplay films knows that by 1983 (the year this film was released) shaws were on a very steep, downward spiral, in which they completely lost touch with the magic they had fostered for the previous two decades. This film should be understood and -I think- appreciated as one of the very last Shaws films to pay tribute to a rapidly diminishing era.

[Guest vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

bloody parrot- even more so. BP is actually a true 'cant wait to see' in my book.

jmungus, I have a feeling you are going to be very, pleasently surprised. Even as you've said, "vengeance, we seem to hit and miss alot in our opinions." This film really stands on it's own. I can't guarantee the quality of the eng. translations, but the copy I have (what I CAN make out of the trans.) is very good stuff.

[Guest Ivy Ling Po]

vengeanceof human lanterns

I think you have nailed it with your post. This film is not to be taken seriously but to be enjoyed.

[Guest peringaten]

peringaten, considering your very forgiving nature with Shaws sometimes extreme inconsistencies in quality, I'm very surprised you hate the film so much. Especially after the first, admittedly terrible, 37 mins.

I don't know... this film's like some hideous child, that you will to live up to its full glorious potential and all that it could have been, but ultimately have to begrudgingly accept it will never be anything but a failure; it's quirkiness too overshadowed by its failings... you try to love it, but secretly wish it was aborted like a "Snake Prince" egg-sack...

Bit harsh? Yeah probably...

I don't know, sometimes you've just got to come to terms with your own perception of a bad movie as a bad movie, despite any factors that might endear you to it.

[Guest Ivy Ling Po]

Perhaps you watched it on a bad day/night.

Spin the disc again.

Your head may not pound this time.