Chih-Hung Kuei: The boxer’s omen (1983)

Cast: Somjai Boomsong, Tien-chu Chin, Phillip Ko, You-hsing Lai, Wai Lam, Bolo Yeung
Unless you have spent your life watching Asian horror films I doubt you've seen anything like this. This is one of the most mind blowing or mind bending films ever made. You will marvel at the bizarre twists and turns this film takes, not to mention the on the cheap monsters, full frontal nudity and magical confrontations.

The plot has a young Chinese man seeking revenge on a Thai boxer who attacked his brother after a fight and broke his neck. Heading to Thailand he ends up falling in with a band of monks who need the young man to help fight an evil wizard who has killed their leader just as he was about to achieve immortality. It seems the monk (who's disembodied spirit keeps appearing to the boxer) and the boxer were twins in a past life and have some connection so that what happens to one will happen to the other (a spiritual Corsican Brothers sort of thing) so the only one who can fight the evil is the boxer who agrees to become a monk so that he can save the spirit of his twin and his own life. What follows are a series of would be gross out sequences as the boxer fights the evil wizard, takes on the Thai boxer who paralyzed his brother and so much more. Wow.
Good looking, but with special effects that are a bit silly (when they aren't employing real animal offal) this is a movie that will make you laugh at and with it even as its bending your mind. This is a one of a kind movie that mixes up a variety of genres into a truly unique blend (you may have seen similar things before but not all in one movie). It's a serious story but with the presence of mind not to take itself too seriously. Clearly it knows the effects are less than stellar and it uses that to its advantage by playing those scenes a bit light hearted as if to say "we know they're cheap, just go with us". And you will want to go with it since the film's anything can happen attitude makes this a one of a kind viewing experience.
See this movie. If you like action films or horror films I'd give this film a try. Those looking for unique cinematic experiences need to put this on their must see list.






PW: malamute