The Untold Story is a 1993 Hong Kong crime-thriller film directed by Herman Yau and starring Anthony Wong and Danny Lee (The Killer, Doctor Lamb). The film is allegedly based on a true crime that took place in 1985 in Macau. Original title: 八仙飯店之人肉叉燒包)
The film was followed up by two unrelated sequels with The Untold Story 2, featuring Wong returning in a supporting role, and The Untold Story 3 with Lee in another supporting role. The Untold Story won its only nomination, with Anthony Wong winning his first award for Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Reviews:
“Instead of creating a cat-and-mouse chase for the running length of the film in the vein of Silence of the Lambs, The Untold Story’s antagonist is captured about halfway through the story. The writers then took the challenge to continue the story without turning it into a boring courtroom drama. With interesting elements they managed to make the second half of the film just as shocking and violent as the first one…” DVD Review
“Wong is really the star of the show here, pulling out all the stops with a maniacal performance that’s impossible to forget. Though much of the film is played for varying degrees of laughs including goofy business with the cops, it goes dead serious where it counts…” Mondo Digital
“Directors Danny Lee and Herman Yau build up a disturbing atmosphere, very much in tone with the unbalance mind of Wong. Employing a stylish narrative, directors Yau and Lee cleverly orchestrate the grotesque details of the crimes in such a harrowing, powerful way that, no matter that the actual act takes place off-screen, the horrific effect is still felt.” W-cinema
Home viewing:
The Untold Story was released in the USA on Blu-ray by Unearthed Films on October 13th 2020. The disc includes the following special features:
The Documentary, Category 3, The Untold Story of Hong Kong Exploitation
Cantonese Carnage, an Interview with Rick Baker
Commentary with Herman Yau
Commentary with Anthony Wong
Commentary with Art Ettinger and Bruce Holecheck
Booklet by Art Ettinger of Ultra Violent Magazine
Cast and characters:
Anthony Chau-Sang Wong … Wong Chi Hang
Danny Lee … Officer Lee
Emily Kwan … Bo
Siu-Ming Lau … Cheng Lam
Fui-On Shing … Cheng Poon
Eric Kei … Robert
King-Kong Lam … King Kong
Parkman Wong … Bull
James Jim-Si Ha … Wong’s Mahjong Buddy
Julie Lee … Pearl
Tin-Dok Wong … Hair Dresser
Chor-Fai Kwong … Macau Policeman
Siu-Hung Leung … Doctor
Si Man Hui … Cheng Lam’s Wife
Wai-Nam So … Policeman
Technical details:
96 minutes
Audio: Mono
Aspect ratio: 1.85: 1
Alternate titles:
The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story
Bat sin fan dim: Yan yuk cha siu bau (original title)
Trailer:
MOVIES & MANIA rating:
