In the late ’80s, Hong Kong adopted a new film rating system that included the “Category III” classification. The Chinese government would give films they thought to be “pornographic” this rating. What they considered pornographic at that time would be considered an “R” or “NC-17” in the United States. I’m still confused a bit as to what would constitute this rating, since films like John Woo’s A Bullet in the Head and Jackie Chan’s Crime Story were both CATIII. Both films were dramas dealing with either war or the Triads. When most people think of CATIII, it’s for films that the rating became synonymous with, like Sex and Zen, Naked Killer, and of course Dr. Lamb. Dr. Lamb may actually be one of the most notorious films like this, and Unearthed Classics, along with MVD Visual have brought the violent classic to special edition Blu-ray.
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The film was loosely based on the true story of Luo Shubiao, who was a Chinese serial killer and rapist who terrorized women in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Lam (Simon Yam) is a taxi driver by day, and cold-blooded serial killer at night, all while Inspector Lee (Danny Lee) and his team try to find clues and track down the man behind the grizzly happenings.
Dr. Lamb is a blatantly exploitative film that in many ways, should not exist. At the same time, that’s exactly why it’s such an interesting piece of cinematic history. It’s every bit as bloody and nasty as one would think, which is great, because the performance by Simon Yam is top-notch. He fully commits to the role, and isn’t afraid to go places most actors won’t. Yam is certainly not well known to American audiences, but he did appear in the mega-budgeted Hollywood production, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life with Angelina Jolie. Danny Lee is another longtime personality in HK cinema and is best known to western audiences for his role in John Woo’s masterpiece, The Killer. While the subject matter and much of the film is incredibly dark, the only thing that detracts a little from the movie is the oddball sense of humor. It really kind of throws the audience for a loop.
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Dr. Lamb is a unique experience. With other HK flicks from the same era, they carve out a unique niche in film that has never really been replicated. Unearthed has put together a solid bonus feature section with commentary by Art Ettinger (Ultra Violent) and Bruce Holecheck (Cinema Arcana), an interview with Gilbert Po, who initiated the project, a conversation with film critic James Mudge in regards to the Category III films, film academic Sean Tierney remembers the film, a TV interview with Simon Yam, and more. It’s a conversation piece for sure, and a film best experienced with a group.
