Human Lanterns

OVERLOOKED HORROR MOVIES PART 10

It's been awhile since I reviewed anything for my "Overlooked Horror Movies" series, I believe the last one was Monkey Shines, which I reviewed in August last year. Anyway, I'm going to continue the series with this one, directed by the imfamous Shaw Brothers in 1982.

Premise: A rivalry between two renown swordsmen turns deadly when an outcast swordsman turned lantern maker with a score to settle begins kidnapping people close to both of them and using their skin to fashion lanterns.

If you like swordfighting movies mixed with a healthy dose of sickness and gore, check out this film. The movie takes place in the jian hu world of the Chinese knight. Lots of great action as well as some unforgettable horrific and gory imagery. The killer is this fucking freak who wears a skull mask and fur coats and shit. He takes his victims (who are mostly women) to his little underground workshop and then uses a water-powered mill to grind up the bones and the flesh nearby as he ties up his victims and skins them alive for use in making lanterns. This crazy Chinese fucker can leap great distances, run up trees, and maul even the most experienced swordsmen without a scratch. The gore is tame by modern standards, but it's a nicely shot classic with some bizarre imagery that won't leave your mind for a long time afterwards.

Basic Plot: Swordsman Lung (Lau Wing) hires a reclusive craftsman named Chun Fang (Lo Lieh) to make a lantern for him because he wants something really unique and special. Chun agrees to perform the task, but for his own malicious intent. Years earlier, Chun was once a renown swordsman, but he lost a fight with Lung, received a facial scare, and lost the woman he loved to Lung. After hearing a story of human lanterns, he decides to make his own with the skin of the people closest to Lung including his mistress and his wife. Lung also targets the sister of Lung's rival, Tan Fu (Chen Kuan-tai). When people begin to disappear, this causes both men to accuse the other while the local law enforcement officer (Sun Chien) is at a loss for lack of evidence. Their rivalry turns serious when Tan hires a hitman (Lo Meng) to kill Lung. The plan fails and the two square off for a final showdown until the killer appears briefly in his costume and wielding a vicious unarmed kung fu style. Suspecting the lantern maker, Lung goes to investigate his home where the killer waits for him.

Anyone familiar with Shaw Brothers films knows how unique of an atmosphere they create.Swordplay films have been a staple at Shaw Brothers for nearly two decades and filmmakers were likely struggling to come up with new ideas to keep audiences interested at the time Human Lanterns was released. The brothers succeed very well in creating that genuinely creepy atmosphere and psychological horror style that is so unique to Asian cinema. I've only seen a few Shaw Brother's films, but they always manage to have great costumes and sets that are just not of this world, kind of reminding me of Dario Argento sometimes with a huge emphasis on rich colors.

The only thing I didn't like about the film is that it's inconsistency with the horror theme. The opening of the film suggests full on horror, but I think there's too much emphasis on the swordplay and not the horror. Otherwise, the film works well and I would consider it essential viewing for any horror film buff or even Chinese swordplay film buff. Chekka chekka chekka check it out!