Dr. Lamb (Hong Kong Horror Crime Category III Blu-ray)

 

After all the joking around I’ve done at the expense of Unearthed Films and their peculiar love for releasing gore whore garbage like A Serbian Film, it’s time for me to grovel and eat shit because Stephen Biro and company have finally redeemed themselves. The first signs of brain activity occurred with the release of Herman Yau’s The Untold Story, a powerful and important piece of Hong Kong cinema history with a performance by Anthony Wong that will never leave you. While watching, I openly wished that their next title would be either Dr. Lamb or Run and Kill. While Team_Error 4444 will be doing the Lord’s work with Billy Tang’s dastardly duo, Biro and Unearthed at the very least were smart enough to acquire Dr. Lamb, a tasty treat from the dark end of the street. The inimitable Simon Yam gets a rare starring turn as Lam, a disgruntled cab driver working the shady side of Hong Kong’s hustle. When it rains, Lam enjoys stalking prostitutes with his camera and engaging in such wholesome activities as necrophilia and mutilation. Little does he get that Inspector Lee (Danny Lee from Run and Kill and also here co-director) and his bumbling partner (Kent Cheng from Story of Ricky) are hot on his his trail. The story doesn’t end with Lam’s incarceration and cruel torture, as the interrogation opens the floodgates and the movie goes completely off the rails. By the end, who survives and what will be left of them?

 

Dr Lamb from Unearthed Films on Vimeo.

 

Dr. Lamb is an odd, disjointed little mess of a movie that shouldn’t work but does. Most of the credit goes to Simon Yam, perhaps the most believable psychopath in International Cinema. His dedication to the role, his volcanic levels of intensity and his willingness to go over the edge makes Lam as pathetic as he is frightening. Credit should also go to co-directors Danny Lee and Billy Tang for creating a real Mulligan’s Stew of a flick here. Harrowing moments of sheer horror are sandwiched together with moments of goofy comedy that shouldn’t work, but they do regardless. As far as the visual style is concerned, I’m glad Unearthed acquired this one for release since all the prior transfers have always been piss poor. But this here is a flawless 2K scan of…get this…a never before seen uncut version with even more sickness and mayhem. As a fan of this film for ages, I didn’t think it could get sicker and I was wrong. Thank you, Biro. As far as the other extras, Art Ettinger chimes in with Bruce Holecheck for an audio commentary that is okay, I guess. My favorite extra is the brief sit-down with Yam taken from the lamented Atomic TV show. You also get a few really cool interviews and promotional materials that actually do pertain to Dr. Lamb and the whole Category III wave of Hong Kong Cinema that are really illuminating. No matter how you slice it, you’re getting the goods.

 

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Written by David, Comptroller of Your Last Scrap of Existence

Dr. Lamb (2022, Blu-ray)
Danny Lee, Billy Tang
4 / 5