Sam gang yi (2004)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Directors:

Fruit Chan
Takashi Miike

Writers:

Haruko Fukushima (segment)
Lilian Lee (segment)

Release Date:

20 August 2004 (South Korea)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

From the Nightmares of 3 Horror Masters

Plot:

An Asian cross-cultural trilogy of horror films from accomplished indie directors. |

Plot Keywords:

Director | Dance | Critically Acclaimed | Bus | Pregnancy

Awards:

4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Ling Bai	...	Mei (segment "Dumplings")
Pauline Lau	...	Li's Maid (segment "Dumplings")
Tony Leung Ka Fai	...	Lee (segment "Dumplings")
Meme Tian	...	Connie (segment "Dumplings") (as Meme)
Miriam Yeung Chin Wah	...	Ching (segment "Dumplings")
Sum-Yeung Wong	...	Old Hairdresser (segment "Dumplings")
Kam-Mui Fung	...	Vomiting Woman (segment "Dumplings")
Wai-Man Wu	...	Nurse (segment "Dumplings")
Chak-Man Ho	...	Wang (segment "Dumplings")
Miki Yeung	...	Kate (segment "Dumplings")
So-Fun Wong	...	Kate's Mother (segment "Dumplings")
Kai-Piu Yau	...	Gynaecologist (segment "Dumplings")
Byung-hun Lee	...	Director (segment "Cut")
Won-hie Lim	...	Stranger (segment "Cut") (as Won-Hee Lim)
Hye-jeong Kang	...	Director's Wife (segment "Cut")

Also Known As:

Three, Monster (South Korea)
Three... Extremes (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong disturbing violent content, some involving abortion and torture, and for sexuality and language.

Runtime:

South Korea:118 min | Argentina:118 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | Australia:121 min | USA:125 min

Country:

Hong Kong | Japan | South Korea

Language:

Cantonese | Japanese | Korean | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | Australia:R | Germany:18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:R (Alberta/Nova Scotia) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Portugal:M/18 | Finland:K-18 (self applied) | France:-16 | UK:18 (uncut) | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Japan:R-15 | Italy:VM18 | Hong Kong:III | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18

Company:

Applause Pictures

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the segment "Cut," towards the end of the film there is a panning shot looking in through a window. The reflection of one or more persons standing on the outside portion (the side the camera is on) can be seen.

Quotes:

Mei: You're rich but I'm free.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bakjwi (2009)

Three...Extremes

Three…Extremes (2004)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Three Asian directors were brought together for this horror anthology, which makes recent American films look like the work of Ed Wood and Jerry Warren. The first story is Box from director Takashi Miike, which is the story of an adult woman who's haunted b her dead sister. The second film, Dumplings, from director Fruit Chan, centers on an aging movie star who starts to eat secret dumplings so that she can regain her youth. I won't mention what these magical dumplings are made of. The final film, Cut, from director Chan Wook Parks, has a crazed extra kidnapping a horror director and making him choose between killing a child or having his own wife tortured. The weakest film for me was the first one from Miike, not because it's a bad movie but because the last two are simply brilliant works that are damn near masterpieces. The Miike story has some very creepy moments and his direction is right on the mark by building up some wonderful atmosphere. The film dealing with the dumplings was just downright disturbing, gross and in some ways very shocking. I wonder how many people have stopped or walked out of the film at the point when the secret is revealed? The third film is one people should compare to the similar Saw. Everything wrong with that film and its sequel are fixed in Cut. I viewed the Asian cut of this film from a Hong Kong DVD, which features the stories in the order I mentioned. I believe the American cut is in a different order.