User reviews

This movie is incredibly cruel and unrelenting. It plays as a single feature divided into three sections: "Dumplings", directed by Fruit Chan of Hong Kong, "Cut" directed by Park Chan-Wook of Korea and "Box" directed by Miike Takashi of Japan. Each section is like a dissertation in horror, although "Dumplings" could also be classified as an exploitation film.

All of them are beautifully produced and directed, and I especially found "Box" to be quite lavish in sets, costumes and atmosphere. They each show a lot about the culture of the respective countries they were made in and also provide new takes on the terrifying and the appalling. They are each original in their own right, although "Cut" could be compared to the "Saw" or Hannibal Lecter franchises in that there's a psycho who's trying to get a message across by way of murder and mayhem.

I don't want to give details on the plots of any of them because I think that viewers need to experience them for themselves with no preconceptions going in, but what I can say is that "Dumplings" has the most plot and is probably the one with the highest "squeam" factor, "Cut" covers a rather familiar premise but with lots of fun moments (you'll see) and "Box" is more of an artistic endeavour with not much of a plot, but for some reason I was enthralled and couldn't look away; it's the one I liked the most.

A solid 8 out of 10 for the efforts of these genius Asian directors.

This compilation movie of three horror stories is dark and disturbing. The first story concerns a woman's greed for beauty and the bizarre path she takes to get it. The second story centers on a director who gets held captive by a film extra with an agenda. This leads to torture and a strange game of cat and mouse. The final story regards a writer with a twisted past. This part is surreal and at times awkward in storytelling and direction. I enjoyed this film as a fan of the horror genre. The elements of surrealism and paranormal activity were effective in each story. While the movie did have a relatively slow pace, the intensity of each stories climax made for a fulfilling watch. Recommended for fans of Tales from the Darkside, Tales from the Crypt, The Twilight Zone and admirers of Takashi Miike and Chan-wook Park.

Three...Extremes is an anthology of three horror films by three respected Asian directors. 

"Dumplings" - Directed by Fruit Chan

In Dumplings, an actress who has entered middle age and begun to lose the attention of her husband to an affair with a younger woman visits Aunt Mei, an old woman who still has the looks of her youth. Aunt Mei has a secret recipe that makes anyone look years younger, but such an unnatural benefit comes from a truly abominable source. I found Dumplings to be absolutely stomach-churning. A horror movie that doesn't even attempt to scare you, but actually tries (and succeeds, in my case) to horrifying you. Not for the squeamish. Even the sound effects eventually became almost more than I could bear. Disturbing and entertaining. - 8/10

"Cut" - Directed by Chan-wook Park

A talented director and his wife are taken captive by a murderous, utterly insane movie extra. Cut is darkly comedic, utterly absurd, and far more meta than the other movies in this collection. It took me a while to figure out whether I liked it or not, but by the end of the segment, I was won over. Like Dumplings, Cut isn't frightening in the conventional sense. Instead, it's flat-out zany (in a good way). - 7/10

"Box" - Directed by Takashi Miike

The most haunting of the three segments. Box is about a jealousy-fueled tragic accident involving two young sisters. The surviving sibling suffers from suffocating (literally) dreams and disturbing visions of her deceased sibling, even years later as an adult. Box is probably the creepiest of the three, and it has a psycho-sexual aspect to it that makes the whole thing even more unsettling. Definitely more of an atmospheric, "mood" movie than the other two. - 8/10

I liked all three segments, as well as the movie as a whole. I found Dumplings to be the most effective/entertaining, but I recommend the entire anthology. The three short films are not only memorable and very different from one another, but they're also fairly unique among the other horror movies that I've seen. 

Overall - 8/10

The idea of having Chan-wook Park, Takashi Miike and Fruit Chan as part of the same DVD set is enough to warrant a purchase. This was the sole reason I watched these three shorts.

While Miike's offering was very enjoyable, and had some interesting scenery and Chan's Dumplngs was also very entertaining, Chan-wook Park stole the show in my opinion.

I now wonder if CUT isn't what SAW should have been.......?

Unfortunately I can't speak on the film too much as I could ruin the story, but if you are a fan of either OLDBOY or Sympathy for Mr Vengeance this short IS A MUST. Chan-wook Park continues to impress me with his creativity, and the camera work in this film was GREAT. There are two directors that I currently find to be very interesting, and I will watch anything they produce. Micheal Haneke is one, Chan-wook Park is another.

I have heard rumours of Sympathy for Ms Vengeance, and I can only hope they are confirmed.

This was an easy purchase.

Three short films that are plenty extreme and if the endings of all three leave us wondering maybe that is good. I did however find the end of Cut more than a little baffling. There again 'unsatisfactory' endings of Eastern films as judged by Westerners is nothing new. All three are beautifully shot with great camera-work and excellent use of colour. I found Miiki's the most perfect if not as much like his usual output as many would like. Park's Cut is a little pedestrian at times but so gloriously over the top and bewildering at others. Dumplings is a little predictable and I am surprised that it is said to still work at 90 minutes as it seems very much a single idea film. It's a good idea though and not without social interest and it has to be said the grossest of the three. The sound of tiny bones being crunched - aagh!! I watched all three on separate occasions, fearing that otherwise they might blur into one another - no fear of that though so I'll watch them again soon, all together. Good effort by all concerned

3 extremes were 3 short stories about extreme situations. Each story has very different qualities and gave the viewer something to enjoy. Not American style, scream queen, psychobabble laden horror films. More intellectual and artistic as the characters are made to look good rather than deviant. Shorts were you can turn off the subtitles and still understand the plot are hard to come by, but these fit the bill. I wish I could speak the languages of the films because the English translation detracted from the emotional content and context. If you like slasher movies and jump out of your seat scary, pass on these. If you like more artistic, intelligent, and subtle horror films, then these shorts are for you. Some blood and minor amounts of gore. A job well done.

Wow, just went to go see these three shorts last night, which are about 45 mins a piece. I agree that "Cut" was one of the most enjoyable horror experiences I have had since High Tension. Takeshi Miike is probably the biggest name in the Asian horror biz, but I have to say that I miss the style of his earlier work, like Audition and Happiness of the Katakuri's. "Box" was very strange but it leaves little explanation for what has actually occurred, and I wish it delved a little deeper. And oh my! Mr. Fruit Chan, I have never heard of you before last night. "Dumplings" was by far one of the most deranged things I have ever watched. And the sound that was used in this short was was of the most intense, stomach curdling noises that are still sticking with me today. This was a very fun watch, and I am glad I got to see it before it left the theater. My recommendation....don't eat a big meal before you start!!!

This is an excellent blend of three horror films that characterize the ideal representation of Asian cinema. Each story is presented with ordinary people displaying qualities of evil and depravity. These directors use powerful cinematic storytelling elements in exploring their genres. This is not an ordinary horror film with a ghost or a slasher/killer with a knife but a combination of people who are capable of psychotic behavior. While all of the films are not perfect and contain some mildly dull aspects, watching all three will leave you intrigued with the art and approach of the horror genre utilized in various countries Asia. If you can hold your stomach through the first film "Dumplings", you will certainly enjoy one of these stories and won't be disappointed. A disturbingly good movie!!

"Saam gaang yi", a.k.a. "3 Extremes", is composed of three segments

(1) "Dumplings", by Fruit Chan, is the best segment. I saw the complete film ("Jiao Zi") on 25 August 2007 on DVD released in Brazil with the title "Escravas da Vaidade" ("Slaves of the Vanity"). The gruesome tale tells the story of an aging actress that seeks out a mysterious woman that cooks dumplings with a special ingredient that rejuvenates those who eat them. My review is available in http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472458/reviews-21

(2) "Cut", by Chan-wook Park, is a tale of cruelty and insanity. An insane stranger breaks in the house of a film director and ties him up with his wife and a boy in the room. The strange tries to force the director to kill the boy, otherwise he will cut the fingers of his wife that is a pianist.

This segment is very cruel and insane, and has a surprising conclusion.

(3) "Box", by Takashi Miike, is a confused tale. The twenty-five-year- old writer Kyoko has nightmares with a box and also with her sister Shoko. One day, she receives an invitation to visit the place where she saw her sister for the last time.

This segment is messy and predictable, with a disappointing conclusion. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Known as Three... Monsters in Korea, where I bought the DVD, Three... Extremes is an omnibus horror film like Twilight Zone: The Movie and similar omnibus horror films, containing multiple shorts, often unrelated, with separate casts and actors.

In this case, we have three notable directors from east Asia: Japanese director Takashi Miike, Hong Kong director Fruit Chan, and South Korean director Chan-wook Park. Each presents their own short visions of horror, although perhaps it's more appropriate to say that although these are horror movies, they are more disturbing than outright frightening.

The first short, entitled Box, by Takashi Miike, relates the story of a young writer who is having some difficulty distinguishing between her dreams and reality. It's the most supernaturally oriented of the three films and the most ambiguous. There are no particularly outright scare moments, but the ambiguity of the story and the elements of the story are why the short can be a little disturbing. Primarily contemplative in nature, it's ambiguity also serves as its foil, as it's hard to draw anything more from the short than simple emotion and a sense of confusion.

The second short, entitled Dumplings, by Fruit Chan, is undoubtedly the most disturbing of the three. The film actually deals with some particularly relevant issues, particularly the things that we do to be considered attractive and to return to former glory, but the means by which the film makes such a commentary is very unpleasant. I'd have to say that it's a pretty effective film, but certainly not enjoyable. I've discovered that a longer 90+ minute version of this film exists as well and it'd be interesting to do a study comparing the two--if I could ever handle watching it again.

The final short, entitled Cut, by Chan-wook Park, is the the most lively and comical of the works. Wrapped in a maniacal revenge story is a comment about the nature of evil, in particular, the reasons for which evil is committed. It's certainly the most glossy of the films, utilizing CGI effects, an elaborate set and dynamic camera-work. The short is weakened by the ending, which doesn't appear to be prompted or meaningful, and we can only guess at the reasons for which the ending occurred the way it did.

All in all, the three shorts are fairly effective works and compose a whole by their disturbing nature. There is nothing particularly compelling, also Dumplings does make a particularly strong effort and Cut is particularly vibrant, if a little shallow. Either way, if you're looking to see three notable east Asian directors give their disturbing short takes on horror, this is almost as good a place as any to see it. 7/10.

I wonder what is behind projects like this. I suppose because it is easy to attract talented filmmakers to do a 45 minute project. Such a thing is usually under our expectations of "long form" meaning that the cinematic effect can be direct and uncomplicated.

I thought "Eros" was extremely interesting in the freedom it gave its directors. Three men usually obsessed with elaboration were freed from that expectation and could give a poem rather than a novel.

The results here are mixed though. That's because Asian horror is often never long form at all. Its one scene extended for a long time and surrounded by explanation.

The disk that came to me had "Dumplings" by Chan first, then "Cut"and "Box" last.

Dumplings was for me the most fascinating. I'm challenged when I see multiple versions of something and among the most interesting of these is two versions of the same film by the same filmmaker. I had seen the extended "Dumplings" which I assume was filmed at the same time and simply edited differently. It had a completely different feel to it in the long version. The unsettling thing about that was that it was more real. The sound effects of the eating and the copulation were identical, a remarkable effect.

In this version, its more otherworldly, and there is one special effect at the end that underscores this and for me took all the horror out of what the woman was doing at the time. Its still Chan and why I watched the disk.

Second up was something from Korean Chan-wook Park I know only his "Old Boy" which is a remarkable mix of junk and genius. The setup here is mostly on the junk side. You can skip it if you watch movies the way I do.

The amazing surprise for me was Takashi Miike's "Box." I was very impressed with "Audition," but for some reason haven't followed up. He's amazingly prolific and it seems that he doesn't think things through before he starts. But this little thing is nearly perfect.

Its a Japanese ghost story with a twist that makes it even more sharp. Its cinematic at its center. You can literally watch it with no voice. Its beautiful, and I will include a few of its scenes in my list of films that handle fabric architecturally. (In this case that includes plastic sheets.)

Its folded in the way I study. It involves three persons, a family. Performers. It involves them performing for audiences and each other, connected by performance, sex, kinship. We have performances of all these types, dreams, visions, hallucinations all neatly nested within each other. Physically, you will see that "in a box" will have several meanings, along the lines of groundhog day (so as not to spoil it), body, enclosing space and spiritual being.

It really is perfect and lovely and haunting. You will watch it over and over.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

I saw this Asian trilogy of terror a couple days ago with my buds, the Oscillator and Mr. VMU. The Oscillator was impressed by the Japanese one. Mr. VMU liked the Chinese one. My favorite was the Korean one. That makes three viewers, each liking a different segment of the trilogy. As a litmus test, it just goes to show that different people are always coming from different perspectives. Without a doubt, THREE EXTREMES will elicit three distinct reactions from your tripartite gut. What else would you expect from a trilogy where each short film comes from a different country?

First of all, I thoroughly enjoyed the juxtaposition of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures, and I hope to see more in the future. What would I recommend for future CKJ trilogy releases? Horror might be the genre to stick with, maybe something set in medieval Asia, warlord style. Maybe something with Genghis Khan and Francis Ford Coppola vampires. But before I get carried away, I had better check whether THREE EXTREMES made money at the box office. I'm supposing that it did not.

Dumplings (6.0) Fruit Chan, director of Public Toilet

Both the Oscillator and Mr. VMU were impressed by the shock value in the first installment. I agree, some of the scenes strike the nerve like cold lightning, but I wanted more shock. There seemed to be a lot voodoo floating around, what with the cursed fetus and all, but it pretty much went over my head. I have to admit, I'm not up to speed on my Chinese voodoo. Unlike the latter two short films, Dumplings features select scenes taken from a longer full-length movie. I think watching the whole movie would fill in some of the holes where I was plain lost. What are these dumplings supposed to do? Why don't they work? Who are these people?

Cut (8.0) Chan-Wook Park, director of Oldboy

The Korean installment features some lengthy sermons. The villain goes off ranting about the nature of society, so on and so forth, as the bound Byung-Hun Lee listens helplessly. I got kind of bored by the speeches myself, but after THREE EXTREMES was over, I realized that I liked Cut the best out of the three. It reminded me of the existential plays that Tom Stoppard used to write. The symmetrical film has four characters, two of which are bound and gagged. The weird, absurd situation produces a cozy environment where we can explore both the humor and terror behind psychosis. As Sartre said himself, hell is other people.

Box (7.0) Takashi Miike, director of Iishi the Killer, Audition, Visitor Q

I have a feeling that Miike is the main reason most people come to watch THREE EXTREMES. Besides, who really prefers Chinese or Korean movies over Japanese film anyway? Box is slow and quiet. That's all well and good, but during the whole installment I was waiting with breathless anticipation for needle-point shock. I'm sad to say that, there is no shock. Most of the terror comes from hidden uneasiness as opposed to in-your-face grotesqueness. I really wanted to see the bag monster from Audition. Thus "Box" gets a lot more interpretive than I had hoped for, and that means it gets boring. I am also not a fan of Atsuro Watabe, the male lead. His acting is annoying, and more often than not gets on my nerves more than the coat-hanger does.

JY

Jimboduck-dot-com

I've seen the 90 minutes version of "Dumpling", it's much better. And I think it will tell you more than what you saw on screen. I never think it ended too abruptly. The director had already passed on the message he wants to tell. And PLEASE, NEVER suggest a Hollywood remake! Hollywood only rapes Asian horror flicks with screwed-up remakes!! Look at The Ring, look at The Grudge and Dark Water. My goodness!! There are always some flaws in movies, Hollywood ain't perfect! They made so many stupid movies every year. So do you suggest Asia to remake all of them? What I would say is, Asians have more heart in making movies, rather than Hollywood. Even a lot of European movies are much better!

more a drama than a horror movie, dumplings is so wonderfully acted that his strange subject have become believable and disturbing . The picture is astonishing ,the color perfectly fit the backgrounds so that it creates a special atmosphere. for the fans of gore don't't suspect a lot of goo. But still, a couple of scenes will disturb you.. Very intelligent, this movie provides a lot of thinking; incest, abortion, cannibalism and the search for youth are the topics approached. Those taboos will make you see horrible things that happens in everyday's life around the globe. The use of the incredible music is done with professionalism so it helps a lot on the spooky mood of certain scenes.

The end pour vrai là.

This is a 3 part anthology horror movie. Dumplings, Cut and Box.

They turned Dumplings into a feature film after releasing this but i saw that first and it was very good so this one felt kinda incomplete cause it was just a very short version of that. (I highly recommend it). Its about a woman who makes dumplings from unborn baby fetuses and sells them to aging women that wants to stop their aging.

Cut was pretty captivating. A movie director and his wife are held hostage by an extra. He is pissed off about how unfair life is.

Box was probably my favourite out of the three. A tragic story about a magician and his two young gymnast assistants.

This is one very slick and glossy horror film that will challenge many Western viewers, particularly the more provincial-minded. It should shatter some prejudices and put a serious dent in some chauvinistic preconceptions.

Overall it is very artfully sexy. The actresses are beautiful; the actors are movie star handsome. The costumes, sets and photography are lush and sensual. The production values are as high as you can get in any movie, let alone a horror film. The final episode rivals Fellini's Amarcord for the sheer beauty of some of its imagery.

The first of the three stories relies heavily on irony, with its most powerful images as subtle as they are disturbing. The second one is more bombastic, and caters to the "Saw" crowd with its sadistic bent and convoluted story. The final story meanders and is perhaps a bit perverse, depending on how far you let your imagination roam to fill in the gaps.

I would caution that this is not a film for 12-year-olds having a sleepover. Not that it's too disturbing, since it's softer than most. But other than the second segment, it's probably too subtle. It's more likely to please sophisticated adults with a worldly view, looking for a sumptuously hedonistic slice of dark drama. Watch it in bed with a trayful of chocolate and strawberries, and a bottle of champagne.

This is basically a film of three stories in one movie, each of them being creepy and bizarre and each of them being around 45 min. The first segment is my least favorite and yet the most messed up one out of the three about some women that eats dumplings, except the ingredients are from dead infants. But for the most part it was boring, there is a longer whole movie version from this segment with a different ending from what I heard. That I didn't check out yet, but probably better than the shortened version. The second segment is my favorite out of the three, everything about it was intense and interesting. Especially the mind games the director and the stranger play against each other, it was a great horror experience. Some may compare this to "Saw" movies, but this short segment is much better than most "Saw" movies, and Park Chan-wook Park did a great job with this. Some complain because the characters were not likable, but it just shows that everyone makes mistakes and I personally didn't dislike the characters from a few mistakes they made in the past, except the stranger. The segment the "Box" is my second favorite although it doesn't really explain what is going on deeply and leaves it up for the audience to decide. It is also the strangest segment out of the three and subtle. Now that I think about it I actually kinda liked how it left things unsure, like a dream and left it up for the audience to decide. I like one more than the other, but liked each segment individually and is pretty darn good as a package.

7.8/10

All three of these short films are well directed, with gorgeous cinematography and believable performances. If that's enough for you, watch away.

However if you're a "normal" movie viewer who demands something other than atmosphere and pretty shots... ehhhhhhhh.

The first film "Dumplings" is the best. It's manages to be quirky and memorable but still focused and coherent. No small feat. It's also ridiculously disturbing. Some viewers will probably have trouble watching it, but this is not shock-shlock -- "Dumplings" is sickening in an honest, socially relevant way.

The second film "Cut" is terrible. If the post-Ring American horror industry is guilty of mimicking/poaching J-horror, and mostly getting it wrong, then this film is guilty of mimicking American torture-horror (see: Saw) while ineptly poaching Tarantino, and getting it totally wrong. The result is boring and unpleasant, and the obnoxious ending made me want to fast-forward.

The third film "Box" is right in the middle. It's very pretty and very spooky. So pretty and so spooky that you will almost certainly forgive the nonsense-plot and the ultra-super-nonsense ending. I found it unsettling and creepy and entertaining, despite being totally incomprehensible.

Despite the obvious art-house appeal of "Three Extremes," the whole experience is only OK.