Tell me more. That is the old expression, said often to ward off having to actually invest energy in conscious thought in crafting a conversation. This was the response given to me by another film maker when I said that Ringo Lam’s  CITY ON FIRE, was the equal of Tarantino’s RESERVOIR DOGS. He smiled after I then went into Lams use of action and frame and smiled. ‘BURNING PARADISE was shit…’ He gestured. ‘Like a Shaw film but without any point…’. Now I got what he said and understood that Lam’s only film in the wuxia genre, was not for everyone. But then why would it be?

A young Shaolin, hunted by the Manchu government, flees with his elder. The young Fok Sai-yuk (Willlie Chi) is finally captured after shelling on his, his elder and a young woman’s hiding place, draws them out. They are all sent to the Red Lotus Temple, where Shaolin monks are enslaved. They are also   tortured by the sadistic warden Kung (Wong Kam Kong), who has an unearthly reign over all there. After a brief confrontation marks him as an enemy of the warden, he is thrown into a pit of corpses and left to die, Fong survives however and a rescue is the least of his plans.

Vietnam born producer and now director Tsui Hark, backed BURNING PARADISE. His mindset was likely that of a crowd pleaser that would offer Lam a different use for his talents. What we get is a bloodied and bruised action film that is flabby, floaty and above all, flabbergasting. Eureka pitch it as a dark fantasy epic, filled with shocking violence and incredible choreography. They have used the Vinegar Syndrome 2K but presented it in 1080p (it looks fine to me). There is a very filled out commentary that links a lot of the works of producer, director and cast but also mentions this and that in a way that helps the unschooled like me but I feel will be of little intrinsic value to those ‘Experts’, who seem to know everything. To note, I liked Frank Djeng work here and am instead having a dig at that certain person, who will no doubt comment below on why they are a ‘valid’ film commentator. To underscore my point, this said person has never been published, never written anything of note and also goes after other film commentators (like a certain Howarth and a certain Waddell) with a venom that to my eyes suggest they might have some complex mental health issues. I stand on this, get the help. Others get the film if you like…

https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/burning-paradise/

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Limited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling [2000 copies]
• 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K restoration of the films’ original 35mm camera negative
• Cantonese and English audio options (both in their original mono presentations)
• Optional English Subtitles, newly translated for this release
• Brand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
• Archival Interview with Tsui Hark
• Original theatrical trailer
• A Limited Edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver [2000 copies]