THREE and THREE…EXTREMES: Aptly Named Anthologies

THREE & THREE…EXTREMES (Blu-ray)

2002 & 2004 / 254 min (2 movies)

Arrow Video 

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Three…Extremes was released on this side of the pond in the early 2000s, and I was aware of its reputation. More specifically, I was aware that Takashi Miike was one of the directors of this horror anthology. For those unfamiliar, Miike’s prolific career includes Ichi the Killer, Audition and the nastiest episode of Showtime’s Master of Horror series. So nasty, if fact, that Showtime refused to air it, and after later catching it on DVD, I could see why.

He’s a good director, but the films I’ve seen (those above-mentioned titles) wallow in levels depravity and violence that are tough to endure…and I can generally endure a lot. But the violence isn’t just graphic. The context in which it’s inflicted is what makes it so brutal. So, tail between legs, I took a hard pass on Three…Extremes.

But here we are, 20 years later, and Arrow Video has put it out on Blu-ray, along with the first film, 2002’s Three. And guess what…I was today-years-old when I learned the film I was reluctant to watch two decades ago was a sequel. Actually, that might surprise a lot of people, since Three was only released in the U.S. (as Three…Extremes II) after Three…Extremes made waves here. Not that it matters, since they’re anthology films anyway.

Not knowing what to expect, I put on my big-boy pants and dug in, fully prepared to witness stuff I’ll never unsee…

But Three is a surprisingly subdued and deliberately-paced trio of stories by directors from Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong. In fact, the overall tone is similar to what we now might call ‘elevated horror.’ The first tale, “Memories,” features a man who appears concerned about his missing wife. Concurrently, she awakens in the middle of the street with no idea how she got there, then proceeds to make her way home. There are some effective scenes here and there, but most horror fans will see the twist ending coming from a mile away. “The Wheel” deals with a cursed marionette that wreaks havoc on the man who took it for himself after its original owners died. “Going Home,” is about a cop whose young son goes missing. While searching, he’s taken captive by his reclusive neighbor, who is trying to resurrect his dead wife. There’s more plot here than the story really needs, but it’s the best of the three, with an ironic twist and an intriguingly ambiguous denouement.

Overall, Three is longer than it needs to be, with directors Kim Jee-woon, Peter Chan and Nonzee Mimibutr all guilty of a little self-indulgence. But for the most part, it’s visually interesting, with an emphasis on atmosphere over scares and violent thrills. In fact, it’s damn near bloodless.

You won't find these at a food court.

Conversely, Three…Extremes is aptly named. “Dumplings” is Fruit Chan’s sick and twisted tale of a former actress desperate to stay young. She hires the services of a mysterious dumpling maker whose secret to eternal youth is pretty shocking (to say nothing of stomach churning, thanks to some repellant visuals and sound effects)…and the story is just getting started. In Park Chan-wook’s “Cut,” a film director and his wife are held captive and tortured by one of his former extras, who forces him to make some terrible decisions in order to save her. This one is brutal and bloody, marred by a somewhat silly ending. 

The biggest shock is saved for last, with Takashi Miike’s “Box.” But what’s shocking is that this one is not driven by violence and gore. In fact, it’s an exercise in surrealism about a young woman who has spent her life mourning the twin sister she accidentally killed when they were children. Haunting and atmospheric, this one may disappoint those accustomed to Miike’s more bloodthirsty work, but I really enjoyed the director’s emphasis on mood over logic. As the final story, however, it does end the Three…Extremes rather anti-climactically, at least compared to the visceral viciousness of the first two.

These six stories play more like individual films - complete with their own credits - than part of a whole, and the tone is mostly serious (sometimes almost melancholy). As horror anthologies go, they don’t quite deliver the sense of fun that a Creepshow episode might, but are certainly worth checking out, although Three…Extremes is definitely not for the squeamish. In addition to solid 2K restorations of both films, Arrow has included an good batch of new & archival bonus features. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

THREE

INTERVIEWS - New and archival individual interviews with “Memories” director Kim Jee-woon, “Memories” cinematographer Hong Kyoung-pyo, “Going Home” director Peter Ho-Sun Chan, “Going Home” actor Eugenia Tuan.

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

TRAILER

THREE…EXTREMES

INTERVIEWS - New and archival individual interviews with producer Peter Ho-Sun Chan, “Box” director Takashi Miike, “Dumplings” director Fruit Chan, “Dumplings” actor Bai Ling.

MAKING-OF FEATURETTES - One for each film.

2 TRAILERS - Three…Extremes; feature length version of Dumplings.

THE SHINING: A Guide To Better Living

THE SHINING (1980)

Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Phillip Stone, Joe Turkel, Barry Nelson. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. 144 min.

Essay by D.M. Anderson💀

The Shining is, of course, a horror classic, but I’ve never considered it a great movie. 

Part of the reason is I read Stephen King’s novel first, back when I was teenager. At the time, The Shining was the scariest damn thing I ever read. So when I heard it was going to be a movie, I expected it to make The Exorcist look like The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. Unfortunately, that didn't happen because the movie was a total bastardization of the novel. While watching Jack Nicholson slowly go apeshit was (and still is) a lot of fun, he’s more rousing than scary. There’s something inherently amiss with any horror movie that has you cheering-on the antagonist.

The other reason is Stanley Kubrick. I’m actually a huge Kubrick fan and some of his classics (2001: A Space Odyssey, The Killing, Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange) are among my all-time favorites. His films have a unique look and tone that elevate them into works of art. Kubrick tackled a lot of different genres, but somehow his movies all feel the same. When you’re watching a Stanley Kubrick movie, you know you’re watching a Stanley Kubrick movie. Which is why he was totally the wrong guy to direct The Shining. With his signature long takes, elaborate production design and Steadicam tracking shots, this is 144 minutes of Kubrick saying “look what I can do.” (I imagine it irked him just a little that Nicholson got most of the attention). 

None of this is to say I don’t like The Shining. It’s a pretty good Kubrick film, just not a good Stephen King film. But a pretty good Kubrick film is still better than most directors’ magnum opuses and this one is filled with memorable moments and imagery. What’s more, the film has had a profound impact on me personally, offering a slice of philosophical wisdom that has shaped my life over the years.

In the movie, Jack Torrance (Nicholson) is a recovering alcoholic & struggling writer who takes a seasonal job as the winter caretaker at the historic Overlook Hotel, nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains. By the way, I live about 40 miles from Timberline Lodge, which served as the Overlook for exterior shots. If you’re ever in the Portland, Oregon area, it is well worth visiting. Located on Mount Hood, Timberline is a beautiful place with a rich history of its own (though decidedly less evil). And yes, they sell The Shining merchandise there.

Anyway, accompanying Jack are his mousy wife, Wendy (Shelly Duvall), and their young son Danny (Danny Lloyd). For five months, the three will be isolated, which Jack hopes will give him the opportunity to complete a writing project. Danny also has a “gift” known as shining, explained to him by hotel chef Dick Halloran (Scatman Crothers) before the place closes for the winter. Shining is a type of clairvoyance that not only allows Danny to have visions of the future, he can also see things that have happened long ago. Almost right away, he senses the Overlook is historically evil. 

"Of course I washed my hands."

Meanwhile, instead of working on his writing, Jack slowly loses his mind. This is where Kubrick tends to greatly deviate from King’s novel, leaning more heavily toward psychological horror than the story’s supernatural aspects (Danny’s visions notwithstanding). For much of the film, it’s suggested that the evil presence encouraging Jack to turn homicidal could possibly be a product of his imagination, rather than the hotel itself possessing him. I dunno…maybe Kubrick had a hard time buying into the whole ghost angle, which could be why most of the genuine supernatural elements are haphazardly stuffed into the final act.

Jack eventually snaps, and in the film’s best scene, he saunters toward a sobbing Wendy, verbally berating her while she backs away, clutching a baseball bat in utter terror. She cries that she’s worried about Danny (quasi catatonic after an encounter with one of the Overlook’s entities) and pleads for them to leave the hotel to get him help. Jack snaps back that leaving now would ruin any chance for him to make something of himself. Wendy cries that she wants to return to their hotel room to think things over. Grinning, wild-eyed and clearly intent on killing right there on the stairs, Jack replies, “You’ve had your whole fucking life to think things over. What good is a few minutes more gonna do you now?”

Jack crazily screaming “Heeere’s Johnny!” is The Shining’s most legendary line, though I seriously doubt many modern audiences are aware of its cultural context (for decades, it was Tonight Show host Johnny Carson’s introduction every night). But personally, “What good is a few minutes more gonna do you now?” is the one that continues to resonate with me. 

As a true nerd, I’ve always enjoyed referencing films whenever certain opportunities arise. When a friend or co-worker is having a shitty day, I often catch myself saying “Every day above ground is a good day” (from Scarface). Or screaming “Nice signal, dickhead!” at oblivious drivers (James Caan’s funniest outburst in Alien Nation). And what self-respecting movie lover doesn’t share a toast with “Here’s to swimmin’ with bow-legged women”? For the sake of expediency, I’ll spare you the number of times I’ve worked quotes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Mystery Science Theater 3000 into casual conversation.

But “What good is a few minutes more gonna do you now?” is more than just a great line. It’s a philosophy that I’ve adapted to various aspects of my life. I used to be one of those folks who kept hitting the snooze bar on my alarm clock every morning, sometimes three or four times. Not only did that leave me scrambling to get to work on time, sleep experts concur that it isn’t recommended because it disrupts a healthy sleep cycle. But one particular morning when the alarm went off, What good is a few minutes more gonna do you now? popped into my head. I haven’t hit the snooze bar since and I feel a lot better.

Like a lot of people who enjoy indulging in empty calories, I opened a bag of Funyuns one time and mindlessly munched while watching TV. Then before I knew it, I’d chowed down on most of the bag. But here’s the problem…Funyuns are my wife’s favorite snack and she’s usually the main reason they end up in the grocery cart each week. That’s when I took a long hard look at what was left in the bag and shrugged, What harm is the few more Funyuns gonna do me now? And with no evidence left that we even bought a bag, I later claimed we must have simply forgotten to grab one the last time we shopped. Sure, I felt a twinge of guilt while sucking the remaining salt from my fingers, but at least I was still alive to feel guilty.

"My God, how much can one cat eat?"

I have two cats, Pepper and Mr. Bonnie, who are spoiled rotten by everybody in the house. Pepper is especially motivated by food, especially cat treats, and every damn one of us have been guilty of giving her almost an entire bag in one sitting because she looks so cute asking for them, standing on her hindlegs like a meerkat. But if we kept that up, it wouldn’t be long before she resembled a football and her meerkat legs would disappear under a gelatinous gut. So we’re trying to curb her gluttony just a tad. Sorry, Pepper. You’ve already had a dozen treats today. What good is a few more gonna do you now? Sure, she saunters away indignantly, but she’ll someday be thankful that she can saunter without waddling.

On the professional front, I was a teacher for 26 years before finally retiring. During that time, there have been literally hundreds of kids who slacked off for an entire quarter, then just before grading time, they coming begging for me to accept work that was due weeks (sometimes months) ago. I used to be sympathetic, but eventually got tired of grading late papers on weekends just because these little bastards refused to drop their PS5 controllers for a few minutes. Instead, I began telling some of them, “You’ve had the whole term to get caught up. What good is a few days more gonna do you now?” They walk away dejected, but at least I could now enjoy NFL Sundays without any other responsibility but making sure the cheese dip is warm.

I could go on, but what good are a few more examples gonna do you now?

The Shining is widely considered one of the greatest horror films ever made, an assessment I don’t agree with (which puts me in the extreme minority). But even though it was probably never his intention, good ol’ Stanley Kubrick certainly came through with some great self-improvement advice. And I’m a hell of a lot happier.

A Bizarre BODY ODYSSEY

BODY ODYSSEY (DVD)

2023 / 103 min

From IndiePix Films

Review by Stinky the Destroyer🙀

In the real world, Jacqueline Fuchs is a world famous bodybuilder, so for the most part, playing one in a movie isn’t too much of a stretch. Like most athletes-turned-actors, she’s decent in scenes conducive to her profession, sometimes a bit wooden in those requiring anything more.

Still, her performance in Body Odyssey is nothing short of brave. Not because her chosen profession and appearance could be considered freakish to a lot of viewers. And it isn't because she frequently appears nude and engages in graphic sex scenes that are not only intentionally unerotic, they’re contextually disturbing. Fuchs seems perfectly comfortable being presented as an object of morbid fascination.

What’s brave about her performance is that it serves a bizarre, twisted film that at-no-point depicts the sport in a positive light, especially the alarmingly dangerous steps its participants take to achieve what they view as perfection (including steroid use). In fact, one competitor drops dead right in the middle of a competition. In a way, Fuch’s participation almost seems akin to a confessional.

On the surface, Body Odyssey is about Mona (a fictionalized version of Fuchs?) as she prepares for a world championship under the relentless supervision of her trainer, Kurt (Julian Sands, in one of his last performances). The defacto antagonist, Kurt appears even more obsessed with body perfection than Mona, controlling every aspect of her life and goading her into using illegally imported steroids (even though her own doctor insists she’s causing irreparable harm to herself).

Mona shows Kurt where she last saw her watch.

However, this is more of a surreal psychological/body horror film with an aesthetic similar to David Cronenberg's work. Mona’s internal conflict between her desire for perfection and needs as a woman (exacerbated by frequent trysts with a fetishistic young man) is often depicted through dreamlike sequences and imagery. Her own body develops a “voice” of its own, ominously spouting a lot of ambiguous gobbledegook whenever Mona attempts to assert own will.

For awhile, all this is kind of interesting. Mona’s sympathetic vulnerability nicely counters Kurt’s objectification of her (though we do get the impression he ultimately does care about her). Director Grazia Tricarico also keeps things aesthetically engaging (sometimes voyeuristically so), aided by moody cinematography and ethereal visual effects. But the film’s deliberate pace and increasing pretentiousness eventually grow a little tiresome (as does the camera’s unceasing exploration of Fuch’s body).

By the third act, the narrative dives headlong into bleak, baffling artiness and doesn’t resurface. That would be fine if the climax appeared to have anything resembling a resolution to Mona’s conflict (or maybe it does and I was just too dumb to catch it). Either way, Body Odyssey is one of those what-the-hell-did-I-just-watch movies that might be worth checking out for adventurous viewers (and perhaps late-career Cronenberg fans), but once is probably enough.

Stay Out of THE BASEMENT

THE BASEMENT (Blu-ray)

2018 / 88 min

From Uncork’d Entertainment

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat

The Basement is essentially torture porn, and like The Passion of the Christ, nearly the entire film consists of extreme torment being inflicted on one guy. The only real difference is one purports to be a horror movie, while the other is considered required viewing for some Christians (though I’m still not sure how watching Jesus in agony for two hours brings them closer to him). 

I don’t think I’d consider The Basement to be horror, either. Sadism for its own sake isn’t horror. Even the film that came to define torture porn for modern audiences (Hostel) managed to instill enough atmospheric dread to qualify as horror. But here, we’re mostly just curious about what awful thing its main character endures next, and how convincing the make-up effects are.

The victim is Craig Owen (Cayleb Long), a famous musician who’s running an errand for his wife, Kelly (Mischa Barton), when he’s abducted by a serial killer known as The Gemini (Jackson Davis). Craig is bound to a school desk in a dank basement while his captor repeatedly adopts different personalities and guises, each who address him as Bill (The Gemini’s actual name). Some of these personalities condemn “Bill” for his murders, others assault him gruesomely and graphically.

Extreme detention.

But while the make-up effects are indeed pretty convincing, the film isn’t scary or suspenseful. It’s relentlessly talky between torture scenes and serves up a protagonist who isn't interesting or engaging enough to invest in…just a rich guy cheating on his wife. Speaking of which, at least a third of the narrative focuses on Kelly, who laments that Craig hasn’t come home but never appears worried something bad has happened to him. That, coupled with the dull chats she has with her bestie, Bianca, pretty much telegraphs the twist ending writer-directors Brian M. Conley & Nathan Ives are obviously proud of.

The performances are mostly perfunctory, save for Davis, who’s admittedly impressive adopting all those different personas (12 of them, to be exact). Other than that, The Basement is a movie that’s far more in love with its torture sequences and predictable denouement than creating anything resembling true horror.

EXTRA KIBBLES

ALTERNATE OPENING - With a bonus several head for your troubles.

MUSIC VIDEO

SMILE 2 (4K): More of the Same...Only Bigger

SMILE 2 (4K UHD SteelBook)

2024 / 127 min

From Paramount

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

2022’s Smile was a good horror film built on a creepy premise…a malicious entity that transfers from one human host to another by inducing suicide. Whoever witnesses the suicide becomes ‘infected’ themselves, driven mad during the course of the week before, they too, take their own lives. With unsettling imagery, a consistently dark tone and solid performances, the film was a gory good time.

That it was also a sleeper hit made a sequel inevitable. Original writer/director Parker Finn is back with more sick tricks up his sleeve for Smile 2. Save for Joel (Kyle Gallner) returning in a wild prologue, this film tells essentially the same story with new characters, only bigger, bloodier and often morbidly funnier. Hey, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Narratively, Smile 2 doesn’t reinvent the wheel or anything, but for now, the formula is still pretty fresh.

This time around, the protagonist/victim is Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), a famous pop diva and recovering addict trying to resume her career following a tragedy the previous year…a car crash in which she was injured and her boyfriend died. While she's trying to score Vicodin for recurring pain, her dealer kills himself, a hellish smile never faltering as he bashes his own face into a pulp (one of many spectacularly gruesome scenes).

Thus, Skye’s now “possessed” by this entity, which subjects her to hallucinatory torment while those in her circle - including demanding mother/manager (Rosemarie DeWitt) - think she’s either suffering from exhaustion or is back on drugs. And because she’s famous, everyone appears more concerned over how her increasingly bizarre behavior will affect her career (allowing the narrative to inject a bit of amusing social commentary). Skye herself can’t understand what's happening until she meets Morris (Peter Jacobson), a nurse who’s been tracking the entity’s pattern ever since his brother met the same fate. However, his solution to destroying it might be more than Skye is able or willing to do.

When the cat finds your toes under the blanket.

One thing Smile 2 does very well - better than the first film - is making the viewer as disoriented as its protagonist. The story initially seems fairly straightforward - maybe even a little meandering - but by the middle of the second act, we’re increasingly unsure if what we’re witnessing is real or not, a tone the film maintains all the way through the climax. Along the way, there are effective set-pieces, some of which are disturbing, others laced with surprising black humor. It concludes with a final scene that’s both horrifying and hilarious (maybe even a little apocalyptic).

The movie could’ve used some trimming during the first hour, especially since Skye doesn’t always come across as a particularly sympathetic character (though Scott certainly goes all-in with a knock-out performance). Still, Smile 2 ends up being a fun sequel with a nasty mean streak. The concept may be familiar, but hasn’t worn out its welcome quite yet.

Smile 2 looks and sounds great in 4K UHD, with a detailed overall image that makes for a pretty immersive experience. I was especially impressed with Dolby Atmos audio track, which has remarkably good balance. The SteelBook packaging features a clever design that creatively reflects the film’s themes and tone.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

FEATURETTES - Ear to Ear; The Rise and Fall of Skye Riley; Behind the Music; A New Smile; Smiler: A New Monster; Turn That Frown Upside Down; Show Me Your Teeth. These segments run approximately 5 minutes each and feature interviews with cast & crew, as well as some behind-the-scenes footage.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer/director Parker Finn

DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES