Movie Reviews

bellview--i love movies

Home | Movie Reviews | Video Roundups | Essays | Game Reviews | Subscribe | Mailbag | About | Search

"Double Vision"

Directed by Kuo-fu Chen.
Written by Chao-Bin Su and Kuo-fu Chen.
Starring Tony Leung Ka Fai and David Morse.
Release Year:  2002
Review Date:  5/2/03 

Folks--

This import, co-starring American character actor David Morse (currently the star of the TV show “Hack”), is sort of a cross between “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Se7en” in that it has some killing, some sick stuff on the operating table, some sick serial killers in the occult, and people getting their intestines cut out.  In other words, not for the light of heart.  This film also has a killer that has one of those Crazy Person Short-Form Essay Books, where the killer writes about crazy stuff in small print on every available white space in the book.  There are also, somewhere near the back, pictures of the crazy person killing their third-grade teacher, or something similar.  Maybe it was just my neighborhood, but nobody at my Catholic grade school, public middle school or high school experience EVER showed me a book like that.  Anyway, if you can stick with this thing, “Double Vision” is a pretty slick-looking Korean film that has laughs, a good mystery, a tad bit of action and solid performances from the leads.  Should be available on video sooner than you think.

Rating:  $9.50 Show

 

Comments?  Drop me a line at justin@bellviewmovies.com.

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  This is the highest rating a movie can receive.  Reserved for movies that exhibit the highest level of acting, plot, character development, setting...or Salma Hayek.  Not necessarily in that order. 

"$X.XX Show":  This price changes each year due to the inflation of movie prices; currently, it is the $9.50 Show.  While not technically perfect, this is a movie that will still entertain you at a very high level.  "Undercover Brother" falls into this category; it's no "Casablanca", but you'll have a great time watching.  The $9.50 Show won't win any Oscars, but you'll be quoting lines from the thing for ages (see "Office Space"). 

"Matinee":  An average movie that merits no more than a $6.50 viewing at your local theater.  Seeing it for less than $9.50 will make you feel a lot better about yourself.  A movie like "Blue Crush" fits this category; you leave the theater saying "That wasn't too bad...man, did you see that Lakers game last night?" 

"Rental":  This rating indicates a movie that you see in the previews and say to your friend, "I'll be sure to miss that one."  Mostly forgettable, you couldn't lose too much by going to Hollywood Video and paying $3 to watch it with your sig other, but you would only do that if the video store was out of copies of "Ronin."  If you can, see this movie for free.  This is what your TV Guide would give "one and a half stars." 

"Hard Vice":  This rating is the bottom of the barrel.  A movie that only six other human beings have witnessed, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.  A Shannon Tweed "thriller," it is so bad as to be funny during almost every one of its 84 minutes, and includes the worst ending ever put into a movie.  Marginally worse than "Cabin Boy", "The Avengers" or "Leonard, Part 6", this rating means that you should avoid this movie at all costs, or no costs, EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE IT FOR FREE!  (Warning:  strong profanity will be used in all reviews of "Hard Vice"-rated movies.)