The Boxer's Omen

A fighter from Hong Kong takes a bout in Thailand and his opponent cripples him by breaking the rules. His brother Chan Hung goes to Thailand for revenge. There he comes upon a monastery and the monks tell him something: he had a twin, a monk who died years ago, and Chan Hung must complete that monk's path. If he accepts he will learn the magic. On the other side there is a sorcerer, and the two sides attack each other by magic. Kuei Chih-hung directs. It was made at the Shaw Brothers studio. The film is counted among the most extreme examples of Hong Kong horror and holds a place of its own in the genre. The form is mixed; a fighting film, horror and a religious narrative sit in the same structure and the transitions are not explained. The effects were made by practical means; real animal parts, puppets and mechanical rigs were used, and the scenes are found uncomfortable even now. The narrative is not bound to logic; the rules are set within a scene and changed when needed. It was shot in Thailand and the monastery scenes were prepared in real locations. Its limit is plot; the narrative is hard to follow and the characters thin. Who it is for: anyone curious about extreme horror and Hong Kong genre films. Who it is not for: the images are hard to bear, there are animal scenes, and the narrative is inconsistent.