HER VENGEANCE (1988)

3 stars

88 Films. Blu Ray. 28th July. 

Huet mui gwai 

A bunch of five drunk guys. Looking for fun but badly behaving. A can can stage show at the nightclub Casino Lisboa. Disruptive behaviour. 

They harass one of the hostesses Kit-Ying (Siu-Fung Wong/Pauline Wong) who tries to get them to vacate their seats. Security arrives and ejects them — much to their chagrin. 

Later that night she is heading home in the empty streets. She hears a noise and walks faster, when she is attacked by the men from earlier — who viciously and violently rape her in a graveyard. 

She is left battered and half naked. She returns to work but then becomes worried she has an STD and goes to a clinic. When she is told she has AIDS rather vehemently by the doctor (though he is likely lying — and in different versions it is flagged differently). She angrily attacks him and runs away!

She reveals to her blind older sister about the attack and that they were the men who killed their father! She tells her to go to Hong King and find her relation Hung (Lam Ching-Ying), her sister’s ex-husband who can help her to get vengeance.

Once in HK she wrangles a job clearing tables at Hung’s establishment. He is wheelchair bound but soon reveals he can still do martial arts and is super skilled on his wheels!

She goes to look for work. Whilst out she thinks she spots one of the men who she follows into a nightclub and whacks over the head with a glass bottle. Except he isn’t and before he beats her she is saved by Hung (who is in a wheelchair) –

It isn’t long before she can start to wreak her vengeance. And she isn’t messing about. Stabbing with scissors, throwing acid, creating weapons. 

Directed by Ngai Choi Lam — best known for STORY OF RICKY (1991) and EROTIC GHOST STORY (1990), this is a sort of Hong Kong I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE — both nastily violent and, like most of these type of films questionable in their stance/sense of morality. This was one of those Category III Adult’s Only releases. The film eventually goes a bit HOME ALONE and rather over the top in its finale with added bloody violence. This release has uncut Category III version plus tamer Cat IIb version. 

EXTRAS

Audio Commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)

Trailer

Stills Gallery

Reversible sleeve featuring original Hong Kong poster artwork

Limited edition O-Ring and Rigid slip – artwork by Chris Barnes. 40 page perfect bound book with new writings by Fraser Elliott, Matthew Edwards and C. J. Lines. Plus postcard.