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BluRay/DVD Reviews

NAKED KILLER (Tai Seng)

By • May 23rd, 2000 •

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In the mood for a wild flick loaded with relentless action, bizarre humor, and gorgeous babes? Did I mention the comic castration and accidental cannibalism? Well, have I got a movie for you: Clarence Fok’s Naked Killer. This film takes the fast-paced don’t worry about logic Hong Kong action movie style and pushes it to surreal heights.

Kitty (Chingmy Yau) is a feisty gal who doesn’t hesitate to stab a guy when his behavior gets out of line. Wanted by the police after taking vengeance for her father’s murder, Kitty is rescued by Sister Cindy, the leader of a gang of lesbian hit women who are responsible for a series of killings that each culminated with the victim’s penis being severed by a well-placed bullet. After surviving Sister Cindy’s unorthodox training, Kitty is soon a professional hitwoman. They seem unstoppable until Cindy’s former sidekick, Princess, turns on them. With the assistance of her pupil, Baby, Princess declares all-out war on our heroines, resulting in a crazed battle between these deadly femme fatales. Along the way, Kitty also has to juggle her romance with Tinam; a cop who accidentally shot his brother, which has had the unfortunate side effect of making him throw-up whenever he holds a gun.

The worldwide success of Naked Killer’s frequently undressed but lethal babes is powerful evidence that the wet dreams of teenage boys cross all national boundaries and are never fully shed even in adulthood. Naked Killer is indisputably sexist, but like Russ Meyer’s Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill, the film’s portrayal of a universe in which women are all-powerful has made it a favorite of numerous feminists. A situation that demonstrates, once again, pop culture’s deliriously contradictory ability to run roughshod over all social boundaries while aiming directly for the pleasure center of our brains.

The new Tai Seng DVD release presents the film in a very favorable light. In addition to an excellent new 1:85 transfer, this disc features a longer version than the previous Mei Ah release. Extras include the original Hong Kong trailer (plus trailers for several other HK flicks), biography/filmographies for cast and crew, and optional subtitles in English (filled with the usual grammatical errors), Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and Spanish.

This will be a guilty pleasure for some, while others will know that it is foolish to feel guilty about a movie that is so much fun.

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