This is a 3 part anthology horror movie. Dumplings, Cut and Box.They turned Dumplings into a feature film after releasing this but i saw that first and it was very good so this one felt kinda incomplete cause it was just a very short version of that. (I highly recommend it). Its about a woman who makes dumplings from unborn baby fetuses and sells them to aging women that wants to stop their aging. Cut was pretty captivating. A movie director and his wife are held hostage by an extra. He is pissed off about how unfair life is. Box was probably my favourite out of the three. A tragic story about a magician and his two young gymnast assistants.

THREE...EXTREMES is a horror anthology featuring produce from Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan. I was pretty exciting about watching this, as I'd seen THREE EXTREMES 2 previously (although that 'sequel' was actually made first) and enjoyed it. Plus, Takashi Miike and Park Chan-wook contribute two of the instalments, so how could this be bad? Well, it's not, but it is a little disappointing because it's not brilliant. It's just average. As the title would suggest, the emphasis is on icky stuff rather than genuine bone-chilling horror, and what plays out is rather predictable and has more than a few problems.The first segment of the film is DUMPLINGS, in which Bai Ling's back street abortionist serves up special ingredients in her food, food which has the power to restore youth to those who eat it. This segment was also released as a full length film which I've already seen, and the full version is much better, fleshing out the characters and plot quite considerably. If you like this, I'd recommend getting the real thing as this is merely a taster.The second story is Park Chan-wook's CUT and is the one I found particularly disappointing. It's a single location thriller in which Lee Byung-hun (A BITTERSWEET LIFE) and his wife are trapped in a room by a maniac with murder and torture in mind. Chan-wook creates a visually arresting story but the script is pretty silly and feels way too artificial with little connection to real life. You can almost feel him trying to work out how to include more and more bizarre and surreal visual stuff into his tale but it's at the expense of a proper story.The last story is the Japanese BOX and my favourite of all. Too much is made of a rather familiar twist ending, but the central tale is a ghostly one with a great back story. Two sisters are circus performers and contortionists, fitting their slender bodies into tiny little boxes, until one fateful night when tragedy hits. There are some very spooky scenes here, like with the box lid opening, and as a whole this is a great addition to the J-horror genre.

After watching the likes of "V/H/S", I was intrigued in looking out for better horror themed anthology movies. Considering I am a fan of Japanese & Asian Movies, particularly horror, "Three... Extremes (Saam Gaang Yi)" seemed just what I was looking for. A trilogy of short films from Asia's acclaimed horror directors, China's Fruit Chan with "Dumplings", Korea's Chan-Wook Park with "Cut" & Japan's Takashi Miike with "Box". They were a very good combination & do fit the theme of extreme, just not quite what I was expecting in a way. It's more extreme in the subjects within each segment, as opposed to extreme horror. I watched this with no expectations, while I did enjoy the movie, so to speak, I was expecting to be more scared, as opposed to creeped out & disturbed.The first segment, "Dumplings", is a very peculiar story about a woman's need to feel and look youthful, for her husbands attention. She seeks out a chef whose dumplings may hold the key to youth, but little does she know what disturbing ingredients are required for these dumplings. The short had an interesting story, but if anything, did feel a little light. I guess this has been fleshed out a little in the extended feature of "Dumplings" (Which I have yet to watch). "Dumplings" certainly finds its extreme in the subjects the short tackles, rather than any traditional horror shocks."Cut", The second feature of three, is completely different, if not close to traditional horror movies, in it's gruesome scenes, but with Park's own confusing spin on the short. Think "Saw" mixed with Park's own "Oldboy" this story revolves around a movie director, who clearly has a good life, confront the realities of his life, thanks to an extra from one of his movies creating a tortuous "game" with his life. Its quite a bizarre movie, with rather grotesque torture & horror elements, mixed in with some dark & comedic moments, all topped off with a shocking ending, that is open to many interpretations. Again, this movie does tackle some dark subjects, but not quite as dark as the other two shorts. This short is more about visual & confusion elements, something it delivers well.Last, but certainly not the least was Takashi Miike's "Box", my favourite of the three. This is the story of a female writer, and her coming to terms with a strange & significant box from her past and the dreams she has associated with it. I thought the cinematography was excellent in this short, simple things like the jerkiness of the camera to add tension during one scene, to the way music & sound was and also wasn't used in key scenes, really added to the surreal feel of the film. It simply captivated me throughout, with it's atmosphere, grand sets, symbolism and the unnerving feel it gave you whilst watching. Add to this is Miike's trait for leaving his movies open to many interpretations & you have a great end that can be taken in so many ways, with each persons view being different! As much as Its strange to say, I did enjoy this movie, it did achieve what it had set out to do, just not quite like what I had expected. One thing I will say is that if your easily offended or disturbed by taboo subjects, This isn't for you. For those that aren't, then sit back & prepare yourself for three very different short films from Asia's best bizarre horror directors.

"Saam gaang yi", a.k.a. "3 Extremes", is composed of three segments(1) "Dumplings", by Fruit Chan, is the best segment. I saw the complete film ("Jiao Zi") on 25 August 2007 on DVD released in Brazil with the title "Escravas da Vaidade" ("Slaves of the Vanity"). The gruesome tale tells the story of an aging actress that seeks out a mysterious woman that cooks dumplings with a special ingredient that rejuvenates those who eat them. My review is available in http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472458/reviews-21(2) "Cut", by Chan-wook Park, is a tale of cruelty and insanity. An insane stranger breaks in the house of a film director and ties him up with his wife and a boy in the room. The strange tries to force the director to kill the boy, otherwise he will cut the fingers of his wife that is a pianist.This segment is very cruel and insane, and has a surprising conclusion.(3) "Box", by Takashi Miike, is a confused tale. The twenty-five-year- old writer Kyoko has nightmares with a box and also with her sister Shoko. One day, she receives an invitation to visit the place where she saw her sister for the last time.This segment is messy and predictable, with a disappointing conclusion. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): Not Available